Shorelines

READER COMMENT #1

Nakape@aol.com wrote:
Wow, Dave...if only such research were done whenever Shorewood was considering investing time, money, and energy in a major project instead of assuming that no plans must ever change or be altered once they spring forth (D2D anyone?). Clearly, a few hours (more?) of your time elicited some worthwhile information to consider.

That said, my take on this is that to a certain extent, businesses should be prepared to spend money on promoting themselves, and one way to do that is to be willing to lose business in order to create goodwill and draw attention to a business district. My husband is an antiques dealer who has done particular antique shows and lost money if you weigh his sales against his time and expenses but he'll declare the day a success if he handed out cards and made friends--it's this attitude that has kept his business going since 1962 in one form or another. When he had a shop on First Ave. in NYC, he opened it for the NYC Marathon Sunday each year even though he rarely made money that day and normally wasn't open on Sundays. He'd open the doors, have refreshments available, give directions to any tourists wandering in (and direct them to the great eateries on First Ave.), and cheer on the runners. His purpose was to draw attention to his shop, to what an exciting and friendly place First Avenue is and to continue to build his connections to his neighboring business owners. He says that if he had a shop in Shorewood, he'd capitalize on the event by having a special bike race sale, discount, feature, or promotion ("bike burgers! Race Day Special!" or "15% off everything in stock to anyone who comes here by bike or foot instead of by car!")--he'd find a clever and fun way to tie in to the event. Sure, there's overtime for the police but there is for any big neighborhood event, isn't there?

Ultimately, I think it's up to the businesses in Shorewood to decide whether this particular event has more positives than negatives for them overall, and to weigh how best to help boost the district's profile, traffic, and business. I also suspect that for each car-addicted grouch who declares he won't come back to the Shorewood business district after suffering the enormous inconvenience of blocked traffic for 1 day out of 365, there are more people who think to themselves, "How cool that all these local businesses are a part of this" and who make a point of patronizing the businesses who support our community (I know we do).

--Nancy Peske Darrow

RESPONSE

Hello Nancy

Thank you for taking the time to send your thoughts on my Criterium posting.
I absolutely agree with you that businesses have to spend money on promotion --- it Does take money to make money !

I think your husband is right on target regarding the NYC Marathon --- but the analogy doesn't fit with the Criterium Bike Race.

The Marathon is unique --- only one NYC Marathon, and you have to be there, in New York City, and on that ONE race route on that ONE day--- whereas the Shorewood Criterium is actually only one stop of many Criteriums in the area ---

Listed here are the dates of the Criterium in the various nearby communities, surrounding our date in July:

July 9th Menasha
July 10th Manitowoc
July 11th East Troy
July 12th Burlington
July 13th Hales Corners
July 14th Shorewood
July 15th Milwaukee - Schlitz Park
July 16th Waukesha
July 18th Hartford
July 19th Milwaukee - Lakefront
July 20th DePere
July 21st Sheboygan
July 22nd Kenosha
July 23rd Milwaukee - Downer Ave
July 24th Whitefish Bay

Obviously, this is not a unique event which showcases Shorewood. Its draw to spectators is diluted at best.

And by the sheer number of races and the various communities having them --- this is NOT a Shorewood Community event.

The Criterium is a "quick and dirty" way for the BID to try to show they are doing something with all of our tax money they are spending. Much as Roundy's will pay a food manufacturer like Del Monte or a similar company to "private label" something like Roundy Brand Green Beans --- the BID is taking something that someone else's is doing, and trying to "private label" it as a Shorewood event.

Ultimately --- you and I totally agree that "it's up to businesses in Shorewood to decide whether this event is more positive than negative --- and that was the purpose of my survey, which showed that the Negatives far outweigh the Positives --- now the question is whether the Village Board will pay any attention to the businesses ?

Dave


READER COMMENTS #2

Peter Kazaks wrote:
Hi Dave--

Interesting post on the economic impact of the Shorewood Criterium. I
walked over from my home on Woodburn street and met a group of friends to
watch the race. I spoke with Andrew McCabe in front of his Allstate office
and stopped in at Pick 'n' Save deli to buy some food to eat while I
watched. It is disappointi

I have long questioned whether the events sponsored by the Shorewood BID actually help or hurt Shorewood business. Last week’s Criterium bicycle race, on July 19th, afforded an opportunity to do an assessment of a BID event.

A “pre race” press release from the BID read:

“We’re excited about bringing this great race to our community for the fourth year in a row,” says BID Executive Director Jim Plaisted. “The Criterium’s successful record of attracting thousands of spectators and potential shoppers offers many advantages to businesses and we encourage everyone to join in and help promote the race.”

I did an informal survey of the businesses in the 4400 – 4500 block of N Oakland, during the race, to see what the business owners had to say about this BID event.

One of the business owners, Tim Wick, e mailed me the next day with the following:

“At the race last night we talked about the impact of the bike race on retailers.

I tried to figure out a fair way to judge the impact. I took my daily total sales number from the last seven Thursdays.

I then came up with an average of what a normal Thursday would be…………. it comes out to about a forty percent decrease in sales on the day of the bike race.

I also looked back on last years number and found the loses to be the same.

Given the facts, I feel this event is to costly to the village and its retailers.

The police and DPW spend thousands in over time.

The retailers suffer loses, so who really profits from this?

Tim Wick”

As Shorewood residents know, several streets are closed to parking starting at noon on race day, including most of N Oakland Avenue, which is lined with businesses.

Among the other businesses I talked with:

1) A business owner of a service business said that he not only loses business for the day, but that he has had customers say they would not come back, and would take their business to someplace where they do not close the street to parking for customers.

2) A restaurant owner told me that he lost business for the day, especially his lunch crowd, due to the closed street.

3) Another restaurant owner thought he might do a little better on race day --- maybe 5%, but he wasn’t sure, and said he could also be losing some business. He promised to get me numbers when he had them.

4) Another service business that ironically helped sponsor the race said the street closing hurt his business, he got no more business due to the race, and he really questioned any future sponsorship.

5) A merchant specializing in confections, said their business was down for the day, and were hoping it would pick up later.

Overall, the business owners I had an opportunity to speak with, thought the Criterium hurt rather than helped their businesses.

The BID district also claimed that “thousands” of spectators and potential shoppers" would be attracted to the race.

In my rough estimation, aside from the racers, the race support crews and others involved in the race, there were maybe a few hundred spectators. I am trying to quantify those numbers from a third party source.

In the end this is another example of the BID Wasting Tax Dollars and Hurting the very Businesses they are suppose to be Helping !

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As the readers of my blog are “above average”, you will all be familiar with the Darwin Awards … but to refresh your memory:

“The Darwin Awards salute the improvement of
the human genome by honoring those who
accidentally remove themselves from it...

I found my nominee for this Award for 2007 this morning while driving on I43. I do not presently know his name --- but if his past actions are any indication of his future --- his obituary should be fairly imminent !

Southbound traffic on I43 this morning was stop and go from about Locust to the interchange due to the Marquette Interchange construction.

As typical of such a situation, traffic would intermittently speed up to about 50 mph, and then a few hundred yards further, would come to an abrupt stop.

After a couple of these sprints, I noticed a motorcycle rider in my rear view mirror --- who was engaged in talking on his cell phone.

No, he was not using a handsfree cell phone --- that would have disqualified him from being nominated.

The sight I observed was:

Traffic speeds up --- motorcyclist takes right hand from throttle, puts phone to ear and converses --- traffic comes to stop --- he frantically puts phone into his mouth to hold as he grabs the handles and brakes to a stop --- more conversation while traffic is stopped --- traffic takes off again --- phone back into mouth as he accelerates to speed --- hand back off throttle --- phone taken out of mouth holder and conversation proceeds until next panic stop ………….

If anyone has a better nominee for the Darwin Award --- please feel free to share.

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John.Carlton@micorp.com wrote:

Mr. Tatarowicz

Before you respond to one of your bloggers about the disappearance of funds that were donated to the School District for bleachers you should check your facts with someone from the School District. The funds donated by Mr. Nichol for new bleachers have been held by the School District for that project. Now that new bleachers will be constructed as part of the D2D project, the funds will be used for the purpose intended.

Your allusion to the misapplication of funds is disingenuous, at best.


RESPONSE TO MR CARLTON

Mr Carlton

Sorry that I cannot call the School District about every question that comes up in connection with D2D. Perhaps even more sorry is that the School District and Board have not been very good in communicating the facts behind D2D.

In reviewing the D2D website www.drivetodistinction.org there is NO mention of the John Nickoll donation.

In reviewing the School District website www.shorewoodschools.org the information on D2D refers viewers Back to the D2D Website Above !

In the articles in the Milw JS on D2D, there is no mention of the John Nickoll donation.

In the articles in ShorewoodNow on D2D, there is no mention of John Nickoll donation.

After exhaustive research, the only reference I could find to the John Nickoll donation, was in a link from the School District Website to an Alumni newsletter from 2006, on page six, in an article from Rick Monroe about the proposed new facilities.

You spell the donor's name as Mr Nichol, while Mr Monroe spells the donor's name as Nickoll.

I think it is sad that someone makes a donation to the School District --- and does not receive recognition for his donation --- and can't even get his name spelled correctly !

Dave Tatarowicz

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There is an old saying that Figures don’t lie, but Liars Figure ……….

To the Drumbeat of Private Money – Private Money – Private Money …. for the Field of Dreams and the Big Dome for SHS – it turns out that over 1/5 of the initial costs are from Shorewood’s Taxpayers’ Pockets.

$465,000 of Tax Dollars --- graciously contributed by the Village Board at their last meeting

$350,000 of Tax Dollars --- squirreled away by the School Board from the Science Building Project

$250,000 of Tax Dollars --- under the radar screen, the CDA is tossing a Quarter of a Million of our Tax Dollars into the project.

TOTAL TAX DOLLARS TO DATE: $1,065,000

And HEY --- that’s before Cost Overruns and Maintenance !!

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COMMENTS:

Douglas Johnson wrote:

Dave

I couldn't agree with you more about the money being used on
this .Some of my other thoughts are:

The impact on surrounding area.I live 1/2 of a block away from the
field and am worried about noise , lights .etc.

I brought up noise and light concerns th to D2D personal at a BID
meeting 2 -3 months ago.They said they had nnot thought of it .I do
not believe there has been a impact study done.

Doug Johnson

RESPONSE:

Hi Doug

Thanks for your thoughts.

I think one of the problems we have in Shorewood, is that for a small village, it is hard to figure out who is doing what !! If you talked at a BID meeting --- to the best of my knowledge, they would not have any direct involvement in a School District project. So I am not surprised that no one followed up on your comments or would have done anything about a study or a survey of close neighbors.

It gets even more confusing when some of the entities have taxing power, and others don't. There is the Village Board, the Village Administration, the BID, the CDA, the School District, and the Library Board --- and of course there are the peripheral players, including the Planning Commission, the Sign Committee, the DPW, the Building Dept, the Village Clerk ----------- ad infinitum ...........

I would suggest that if you or your neighbors have concerns on the impact, you contact the School District Administrator and the Village Board President, for guidance on how to be heard.

Dave

COMMENT:

"Jim (In dog years, I'm dead!)" wrote:

Dave,

My wife and I seem to remember a large donation several years ago,
I believe from an alumnus of SHS,
which was earmarked for new, improved bleachers, which never materialized!

I wonder about the current location of THOSE funds!?!?!

RESPONSE:

Hi Jim

I don't personally remember that --- but I wouldn't doubt it. Perhaps some other readers can recall.

If such a donation did occur, I guess it is possible it is in the same account as the Senior Center money that was donated and being held hostage by the Village Board.

Dave

D2D started as a simple enough premise.

Shorewood may have a small high school.

And SHS may have to import students from the City of Milwaukee to afford to keep it open.

And SHS has had to join forces with a private school to be able to compete at any level in football.

And SHS has had to join forces with other schools in various other athletics to compete.

But gosh darn it, the Affluent Folks in Shorewood think SHS athletic facilities should be “state of the art” with artificial turf and ……… why not a Dome !

It just isn’t right for their kids to be driving to SHS in their cars that cost more than some of the homes that their partner kids live in across the river …. and then have to go to some old dirty athletic field !

And who would object ?

After all, it will all be done with Private Dollars !

Kind of like the Senior Citizens’ facilities at the Village Center.

Which were funded with a large bequest …

NO, wait --- scratch that --- yep, there are private dollars, but the Village Board took control of that money, and is sitting on the funds. The Village Board keeps putting off the Old Folks --- bad example !

But back to the SHS project ... let’s see, where was I … oh yes, PRIVATE MONEY.

Who could object to PRIVATE MONEY for a FANTASY FIELD ?

But THEN IT ALL CHANGED !

How about a CHALLENGE GRANT ?

Affluent folks will put up money --- ONLY IF THE LESS AFFLUENT HAVE TO PAY TOO !

Now it is hard to nail down just who is and isn’t affluent in Shorewood --- but if we conservatively figure ½ and ½ --- maybe about 6500 or so that are just barely making it here in Shorewood --- that would be about $71 per person.

Not too much money really, except if you are a family with 3 kids, that works out to $355 – or maybe the take home pay for a week for a two earner, getting by, family.

Hmmmmmm ……… $355 could buy some nice track shoes for those kids --- but luckily there is a new Goodwill Store, just west on Capitol ...... maybe they can get some there !

BTW – Since there already is a Dome on the high school --- if we get another Dome for the athletic field, would they be Dome 1 and Dome 2 ? Would people giving directions say “hey, go east on Capitol past the Domes ………”

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COMMENTS (A)

Sean.Cummings@brunswickbilliards.com wrote:

In the end analysis this will be a very cost effective investment for all Village residents, rich or poor The schools would likely have had to find additional funds to make basic upgrades to the existing facilities, spending about the same $465K the Village agreed to give. This band aid solution would also have a negative impact on classroom $'s given the impact on State formulas. This D2D structure will allow us to get a $2.8 million, long-term solution, for the same amount of money while providing Shorewood with new recreational capabilities and one more recruiting tool for new residents. Why is it a bad thing when rich people and everyday residents want to give our community their money for the betterment of all. I don't see the down side. A few times in life, things that seem too good to be true are.

Just to clarify. No public money is being used for the dome, if it is built at all. If the dome is installed it will be paid for with private, donor funds, likely coming from a few rich alumni on the coasts. It it gets built, it would double the wintertime indoor recreational space in Shorewood. Residents of all ages would have a place to walk, play with grandchildren, organize sports or conduct band practice. Our gym spaces are so crowded now that 10 and 12 year old children have basketball practice at 9:00 p.m. Doubling the size of our winter recreational space for residents for free can't be a bad thing, can it? It will only get built if it is proven to generate income after operating expenses, through rental, and after adequate free time for the community is scheduled. This would put new, incremental dollars into the classroom, something we all care desperately about. Minneapolis is a very progressive city and they have more than 30 of these domes operating at a profit in their community. Once again, let me confirm that no public money will be used for this project and that it will only go up if the school administration is shown that it will generate a profit for the schools.

We too moved here for the world-class academic and arts programs and have found over the years that some choose not to move here because they can get great academics, arts AND athletic programs in other communities. We know of families who are considering leaving the schools because they want to participate in a more robust athletic program. We know of families who looked at Shorewood and elected not to purchase a house here because of our sub-standard facilities. Certai