Well, I lost count of the weeks of the construction along Bluemound Road.  In mid-June, I summarized activities of week one.The three one-mile segments of construction between Moorland and Barker Road were to have each taken three months.

It's now November, and the orange barrels are catching snowflakes.  The DOT has improved the flow of traffic along Bluemound Road.  Traffic can more easily travel at 45 mph.  Many medians were closed.  Crossing over to a business or retail shop on our "Bluemound Corridor" is more difficult.  For example, when traveling east on Bluemound,  I can make a left turn into my bank.  When I leave the bank, I need to turn right (west).  Luckily there are strip malls along the way for turning around and getting back to 18 Eastbound.  Of course, one could always make a U-turn at the stop lights.

Ooops.  Sorry, that's illegal. It's been decades since I read the motor vehicle handbook, so I confirmed the legality with the town and city police departments.  If an officer happens to be nearby, you may get a ticket or a warning. The city police department told me the DOT isn't likely to post No U-Turn Signs at intersections. Somehow the town of Brookfield convinced the DOT to post them.

Other DOT improvements consist of removing some driveway entrances/exits onto Bluemound, and putting in "walk signals," marking sidewalk crossings and meeting ADA (Americans with Disability) standards.  That should make it easier for pedestrians of all abilities to cross the highway.

The inconvenience of the road construction will soon be forgotten.  But, in 2011 construction will begin on both Capitol Drive and Bluemound Road. That should really be a trip!

Bunnies are either hated or loved.  The garden variety of bunnies take pleasure in eating our garden's baby plants. (I'm sure they enjoy them just as much as we enjoy baby spinach, baby corn, baby carrots and other tender vegetables.)  The bunnies that are loved are the domesticated variety, often referred to as 'rabbits'.  Well, if you have or want a pet rabbit, you can learn much, much more about them next Saturday.

Just attend Rabbitopia II at the Elmbrook Humane Society (Brookfield).  Rabbit expert and trainer Heather Mohan-Gibbons, will teach clicker-training techniques.  Classes are at 11:30 am and at 1:30 pm. Class space is limited.  Call 262-782-9261 to reserve your seat.  Admission $5. (kids 12 and under free). Rabbits in cages are welcomed.  Their nails will be trimmed and scent glands cleaned.

Adoptable rabbits and accessories will also be available from 11 am to 3 pm.  There's no charge for looking. Elmbrook Humane Society is conveniently located just west of Barker Rd.at 20950 Enterprise Avenue, Brookfield.

There's a curious relationship between bunnies and Halloween.  Or really, pre-Halloween activities.  They happen on the same date - October 25, and staff and animals from the Elmbrook Humane Society are involved.

The first annual Harvest Fest is sponsored by the business at Village Court Shopping Center from 10 am to 3 pm.  It's free.

This fun event features face painting, food, raffles, music and cart rides for kids and adoptable animals from Elmbrook Humane Society.  Free Pumpkin Decorating Contest at 11 am; Children's Costume Contest at Noon; "Best Animal Friend " Costume Contest at 1 pm. and Raffle Drawing at 2 pm.

Village Court Shopping Center is at 890 Elm Grove Road, Elm Grove.

Elmbrook Humane Society and the Vetter Denk are combining forces for a not-to-be missed event on Thursday, October 23 from 7 to 10 pm.

Reserve your space no later than October 20. Call Cathy Reilly at 262 751 4494. $30 per person.  Please leave your pets at home.  

BARKitecture is a fundraiser for Brookfield's Humane Society.  If you cannot attend, please consider a tax-deductible donation.  http://www.elmbrookhumanesociety.org

*  Fire Trucks, Flight for Life and more!

On Sunday, October 5th, from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, the Town of Brookfield Fire Department is again excited to open its doors for a fun and free family event! 

This is an annual event going back decades to promote the National Fire Prevention Association's (NFPA) annual Fire Prevention Week.   This year's theme is preventing home fires. 

Flight for Life will be making a special landing at 12:00 noon; this will give guests a chance to get up close and meet the flight crew as well as see this incredible piece of machinery.

There will be live demonstrations on the use of many tools that the fire department relies on daily such as the jaws of life at 1:15pm.

If children are in need of new bike helmets, this is the place to shop!  We have many styles to choose from all for only $10.00 each.

The town has many special surprises this year for the kids! Balloons, treats, a giant fire truck slide and more!

Lunch will be available all day, hot dogs, soda, cotton candy and popcorn.

Pet moms and dads should stop by and ask for free ASPCA window clings which notify emergency personnel that there is a pet in the home that needs help too!

Town residents who are a senior citizens or parents of young children qualify for a free smoke detector and battery at this special event. They can even schedule to have fire personnel stop at their home to do a free fire inspection.

*  Enjoy a Special Exhibit

The last dates to visit the British Doll House Exhibit at the Dousman Stagecoach Inn, 1075 Pilgrim Parkway (Brookfield) are Sundays, October 5 and 19.  If you haven't seen this private collection yet, make sure you do.  The 1843 Stagecoach Inn is open from 1 to 4 pm.  Consider joining the Elmbrook Historical Society to help preserve the history of our communities.  Learn more about this non-profit group on Sunday, October 19 by calling 262 782 4057

* Take pleasure in the Local Market

The city's Farmers Market is open Saturday mornings through October.  Make sure you enjoy the seasonal crops, products and flowers.   

Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer.  Children return to school, and they often have to report on what they did during summer vacations.

Several St. John Vianney students have much to tell. 

The float they created won the Mayor’s Award for Most Significant Spirit of the 4^th of July.  The Award and several pictures from the parade are on display at St. John Vianney. 

Pictures say a thousand words, but this user could not overcome the technological challenges.

As most readers know, I live in the Town of Brookfield.  I am about 30 feet from the city line. 

 For about two months, Brookfield's Economic Development Committee has been considering the city's staff proposal to solicit bids for convention and visitor bureau services beyond its existing provider.  These services have been provided by the Brookfield Convention and Visitors Bureau for nearly twenty years.   The bureau is currently autonomous and apparently the mayor and his staff want more control and more accountability from the bureau.

The Bureau's marketing efforts are funded by the city's and town's hotel room taxes. 70% of its revenue is from city hotels; 30% is from the town's hotels. As of the July 28 meeting, the town had not been informed about the city's intent to 'secede'.

Several attendees at the July 28 meeting spoke against the proposal.  An attorney for the Brookfield Convention & Visitors Bureau said the city seemed to be trying to find a solution without defining the problem.  Another person voiced that ‘the proposal was not a positive step' toward regional cooperation.  (As of July 28, the town was not aware of the city's proposal.) 

All but one committee member favored moving forward - sending Requests for Proposals (RFPs) with an anticipated turnover date of January 1, 2009.

Dan Ertl, community development director stressed that, "The Mayor and city department heads have suggested that this is the model that needs to be followed to effectuate change."

This week, Mayor Jeff Speaker clarified the motivation by suggesting that some of the hotel tax revenue should be used toward further economic development of the city.  Is that the intent of the hotel room tax?

The Brookfield Police Department is trying to reduce its fleets gasoline costs.  The solutions: limiting travel (up to 10%) for 7 to 8 squads on each of shift; turning squad engines off (rather than idling) when stopped; having more foot patrols; and staffng two-'man' squads.

Most of these solutions make sense.  But doubling up in squads doesn't seem an effective use of human resources in Brookfield.  Two-'man' squads are generally used in areas subject to more violent crimes - where crowd control is needed.  

Each week, our local paper carries police reports.  The city usually has about 20 reports of burglary, vandalism and other crimes each week.  Crime takes place at homes and businesses throughout the city.  But Brookfield's "mall" is a common single location for crime. Increasing the visiblility of police at Brookfield Square, and a patrol of the perimenter could prevent crime from happening.

Enforcing the speed limits on city streets could also make our roads safer and generate revenue for the city.

Work began in early June to improve the safety of Bluemound Road.  The first segment of construction is between Moorland Road and Calhoun Road.  The DOT anticipated that each segment would take about a month to complete.  We are at week four, so the newly configured highway should soon be "open." 

Businesses east of Calhoun should breathe a sigh of relief within a week or so. The learning process will then begin.

In the meantime, we have all enjoyed the traffic calming to date and traffic tie-ups. Especially enjoyable are the motorists who block other intersections while waiting.

Also noticed (while sitting through three stop light cycles) is that more drivers are making u-turns at intersections with stop lights.  The "no u-turn" signs are no longer at the intersections, so evidently they are legal now.  

Also, be especially wary of work that has been completed.  For example, Calhoun Road, north of Bluemound, has already made changes to traffic patterns, but one exit from the strip mall does not have a "no left turn" sign - yet.

When the work is completed east of Calhoun, crews will begin working on the Calhoun to Brookfield Road improvements.

The Department of Transportation began its improvements to traffic flow on Bluemound Road in early June.  The work will be done in three one-mile segments and each segment will take about a month to complete.

The first phase is between Moorland and Calhoun Roads.  Over the summer, work will progress westward (in one-mile increments) to Barker Road.

Since early June, the following work has been accomplished between Moorland and Calhoun Roads.  Temporary utility poles were installed and stop lights strung across the intersections. Orange barrels have been distributed along the roadway.  Barricades have been erected at many medians. The white diagonal lines that designated bus and right turns have been painted over.  Drivers may now drive in the right lane.  That is good, because drivers can no longer use the left lane.

As we enter week two:  Concrete medians are being removed.  Any trees and/or shrubs in the medians are being bulldozed.  Alas, I believe the trees and shrubs being sacrificed were once part of "streetscaping"  partially funded by taxpayers. Perhaps a reader can clarify.

Because there is construction on Calhoun Road and on Bluemound Road delays are compounded.  The difficulty entering/exiting V Richards Plaza is no doubt adversely impacting the businesses located there.

Perhaps the construction is really part of traffic calming for the 70,000 cars that travel east/west along Bluemound Road each day. 

Min Kanavas was known to many in the Brookfield and Elm Grove areas.  Min and her husband made Brookfield their home in the 1950s – about the time it became a city.  Her four boys grew up there.  One became (and is) a state Senator.

Min was devoted to her family and the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church.  She tremendously enjoyed contributing her time and skills to many activities.  She had boundless energy and was an enthusiastic volunteer for the Elmbrook Historical Society.  If you don’t remember Min for her community activities, you may have known her as the floral designer at Reinder’s (Elm Grove).

The Dousman Stagecoach Inn and the Elmbrook Historical Society will host the unveiling of a painting by area artist Scott Hefti, who works with Brookfield-based North Shore Bank to create one-of-a-kind watercolors depicting the communities in which it operates.

Hefti's colorful Brookfield painting features the historic inn along with its neighbor, North Shore Bank's corporate headquarters. The bank is donating the artwork to the Historical Society to celebrate the bank's 85th birthday and a unique bit of shared history.  For 138 years, the inn stood at what is now the intersection of Bluemound and Moorland roads.

When North Shore Bank's new headquarters was built on that site in 1981, the Elmbrook Historical Society moved the inn a little way up the road.  Hefti's painting, with the historic and modern buildings and the preserved green space that lies between them, celebrates the past and present of the Brookfield community.

Hefti, along with representatives of the bank and the Historical Society, will unveil the donated painting during a special reception from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 11, at the inn, 1075 N. Pilgrim Parkway.  Guided tours are offered at 5:45 and 6:15 pm.

The public is welcome to attend and talk with the artist and Historical Society representatives about this new piece of art celebrating two Brookfield institutions.  Reserve your spot now - just contact Brenna Kriviskey Sadler at (414) 276-6237.

The Elmbrook Historical Society also hosts public guided tours at the Stagecoach Inn on the first and third Sundays from 1 to 4 pm. from May through October.  In celebration of Father's Day, June 15, admission is free for all fathers.

Many families mark Memorial Day with picnics, parades and planting flowers.  Memorial Day provides a four day weekend, and a time to reflect on our family's traditions.

When I was a child, it was tradition to cut lilacs and visit the cemeteries in Brookfield.  At that time Brookfield seemed so far away. We visited the grave sites of my grandparents at Wisconsin Memorial, and the grave sites of my great-grandparents at Oak Hill Cemetery.  The small Oak Hill Cemetery was not well tended.  Poison Ivy was prevalent.  We would scrub ourselves with homemade lye soap when we got home.

When I visited Oak Hill Cemetery last year for its Memorial Day Service, I learned that the grounds had been maintained through the kindness of neighbors.  The annual Memorial Day Service (conducted by the Behling-Kutchera American Legion Post 296) takes place Monday, May 26 at 10 a.m.

Take time to visit this historic cemetery at 3500 N. Brookfield Rd and reflect on your family's history.

There was comparatively little development in Brookfield west of Highland Drive.  Local grocery stores included Grasch Foods, Food Farm (in Elm Grove and at Ruby Isle).  Neither Elmbrook Memorial nor Brookfield Square had been built.

Brookfield has grown by leaps and bounds since then. Bluemound Road exploded with business, complete with sidewalks and street lights.   In recent years, homes have become bigger and lots have become smaller. The “Brookfield Concept” described on the city’s website seems to emphasize open, green space.  Check it out at http://www.cityofbrookfield.com/index.asp?nid=66.  It doesn’t seem to correlate with today’s development.

Taxpayers in the Elmbrook School District (SDE) have a second chance at approving a referendum for SDE high schools on April 1.  Two groups independently developed recommendations for the 2008 referendum.  One group (sponsored by SDE) included district/board representatives.  The second group did not.

Let's compare the 2007 and 2008 referendums.

Last year's recommendation was presented as "needs based."  However, it was a two-part referendum (one for the high schools themselves and another for the athletic stations).  The combined price tag: $108.8 million.  Both referendums were resoundly defeated.

This year's referendum is also "needs based" but it includes both schools and athletics. The price tag: $62.2 million. 

Last year, the school district used a comprehensive and expensive information campaign to sway voters.  This year, SDE is apparently presenting "just the facts".  They apparently feel more confident with this year's referendum proposal.

How do the two referendums differ?

The schools have been downsized from 2007 in terms of student body and square footage.  Classrooms are smaller, but they are being more fully utilized.  The buildings' square footage cost is higher $683.41 (2008) vs. $425.00 (2007).  The financing rate is lower (5% vs. 5.5% last year). Based on the average Elmbrook home value ($321,000) the building tax will be lower $170 vs. $326.

When you vote April 1, carefully consider all the facts and the "needs."   The building tax is only one element of school taxes; school taxes are only one component of overall property taxes.

On Monday, March 17, you have a chance to hear Tom Ramstack, the author of Brookfield: A Fine and Fertile Land, speak about the rich history of the Brookfield and Elm Grove areas.  Our area began as a farming community in 1839.

Tom grew up in Elm Grove and heard his father's stories about the people in the Brookfield Township.  His quest to learn more - and a desire to write a book - resulted in a twenty year search of historic records and a two-volume book.

The free lecture is sponsored by the Elmbrook Historical Society. It's at 7 pm at Brookfield's Park & Rec Senior Community Center, 2000 N. Calhoun Rd., Brookfield.  The meeting is open to the public. Copies of Brookfield: A Fine and Fertile Land will be available for purchase.  Ramstack will sign copies.

Call (262) 782-4057 for more information.

Last week, the City of Brookfield's plan commission held a meeting about the proposed Fountain Brook Crossing development on Moorland & Greenfield Ave.  Billed as the "city's tallest building" and located at one of the many city's "gateways" this structure will generate more tax revenue for the city.  The meeting was a show and tell because the attendees were not allowed to speak.  They were, however, allowed to provide written feedback. Twenty-nine (of the 30) attendees' comments were negative.

Although the city says it listens, the plan commission apparently doesn't.  Its members are Mayor Speaker; Aldermen Mark Nelson, Rick Owen and Gary Mahkorn; Jennifer Donze, Kevin Wahlgren and Paul Wartman.

Just a week later, the Common Council approved the general plan and rezoning. The developer now has six months to provide his plans.

There are many other development plans in the works.  Be sure your voices are heard.

There have been several headline making articles about the city lately.

In terms of planning and development, the city is considering annexing vacant land at its northwestern gateway.  The land currently lies within the town of Brookfield.  I met with Dan Ertl, department head, in fall.  At that time Ertl said the city does not actively solicit annexations (that is, it is not the aggressor).  Evidently, though, this additional property would make that portion of the "city's gateway" more viable.

The newly proposed gateway building at the corner of Moorland and Gateway has an overly large footprint.  It has little green space.  Kyle Prast has effectively shown the size of the footprint by overlaying various buildings on the GPS map of the building site.

Mayor Speaker has objected to having the donated art work displayed in front of the library along Calhoun Road. The art work is currently placed behind the library where no one can enjoy it. Speaker's concerned about the "some" people who may not approve or appreciate the art.

He has also raised the perennial concerns about the level of service provided by the county's centralized dispatch system.

Last week, in an unusual gesture, the mayor proposed that the city share more of the cost to widen all of Greenfield Road.  There is a half-mile stretch west of Brookfield Road that narrows to two lanes. This section of the road is along the Town of Brookfield.  It wasn't widened because the town felt the cost-sharing the state had proposed was disproportionate.

Speaker's rationale for kicking in more?  Alleviating potential accidents at the narrowed section and a more equitable cost-share. At the time the state apparently  included land the city had annexed from the town!  City aldermen rejected Speaker's proposal.

The City has announced its 2008 community improvements.  Beware the barrels.

We will be experiencing inconveniences soon as the state begins reconfiguring Bluemound Road between Moorland and Barker Road.  The goal: a safer highway.  This will be accomplished by closing medians to limit left turns.  Construction will start at Moorland; work will be done in sections.  About the time this road work moves to Calhoun Road, construction will begin on Calhoun Road south of Bluemound.

The road will be widened to four lanes and include a median and sidewalks.  This will be accomplished by "taking" the front yards of properties along the road.  Once the sidewalks are in, we should see more pedestrian traffic.  The widening of Calhoun Road will signal VK to finalize his plans for the 80 acre "Ruby Farms" property.   While the city seems to know VK's vision/plan it has not been shared with the community/taxpayers.

Brookfield Square will be adding two new businesses - a restaurant (2008) and a furniture store (2009).  Parking is already at a premium at the mall.  These additions will contribute more parking lot congestion.  The improvements at Brookfield Square are intended to make the shopping center competitive with the proposed Pabst Farms.

A recent Journal/Sentinel article about the Pabst Farms proposal likened the shopping experience to the upscale Mayfair and Bayshore malls.  Sorry, Brookfield.

We cannot forget the city's two new fire stations - on Calhoun Road at Greenfield and Capitol Drive. Ironically the Calhoun/Greenfield station will be on a four lane road with medians.  The Calhoun/Capitol location will not.

Let's hope your New Year's resolution included (a) no left turns except at controlled intersections and (b) more involvement in the city's plans.

Property tax bills will be arriving in the next two weeks.  It's something to look forward to -- and a gift from our taxing authorities.

Remember, municipalities, county government, school board and vocational schools all share a bit of the pie. Because property assessments are generally increasing, it's an even larger bite. The full impact is softened by the state tax credit.  Broadly speaking, each taxing entity raised their budgets about 3% or more.  The Town of Brookfield decided not to its increase their tax rate (not budget).

At budget time in the real world, some businesses mandate budget cuts in specific areas or departments to mitigate the impact.  Others use zero-based budgeting.  Funding must be justified.

Reportedly there are funds within the city's and school system's budget that are unallocated.  "Slush" might be an advantageous word given recent weather.  The city and school system are reluctant to use those funds because that will lessen their ability to get more money next year. In the meantime, taxpayers are paying more than is needed.

Remember that as you reach into your wallets.

Happy holidays.