Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Tails n Trails Dog Park Clean Up Day - July 21, 2012


The Parks & Recreation Commission scheduled a Tails n Trails Dog Park Clean Up for Saturday, July 21, 2012 at 9 a.m. Any dog owners or general residents that use the park are encouraged to come and help the Parks & Recreation Commission.

Those who participate are encouraged to bring gardening gloves, dog waste shovels/scoops, and plastic bags for waste. Water to drink will also be beneficial depending on the weather.

Friday, July 13, 2012

City of Milton Meeting Notifications - Week of July 16 – July 20, 2012

The following official City meeting will take place this coming week. Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are held in the Common Council Chambers (lower level of City Hall, 430 E. High St.).
  • Wednesday, July 18th
    • Parks & Recreation Commission @ 6:00 p.m. 
The agenda for this meeting will be posted at all three official posting places by 5:00 pm at the end of this work week. Those locations include City Hall (430 E. High St.), Piggly Wiggly (727 S. Janesville St.) and Dave's Ace Hardware (430 S. John Paul Rd.).

In addition, the agenda will be posted on the City's website by the end of this work week. Click here to access those materials.

You are welcome to contact City Hall with any questions about these meetings at info@ci.milton.wi.us or call (608) 868-6900 ext. 5.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Update - STH 26 Bypass


Below is an update on the State Highway 26 Bypass Project from the project team.  Click here to access a pdf version of the update.




Good afternoon,

As you can all see, McCormick Drive and the new State Highway 26 southbound lanes at McCormick Drive are nearing completion. The extremely dry weather has not been accommodating for the final restoration and the planting of new grass, but it has accelerated the progress of the roadway construction. The hard work of the crews during these hot days has allowed us to open McCormick Drive and the new State Highway 26 southbound lanes early next week. The current temporary barrier wall that prevents a left turn onto McCormick from the northbound 26 lanes will remain in place until the completion of the new median and left turn lanes at McCormick. Tomorrow morning, traffic will be switched from the western temporary lanes on County Highway Y to the new eastern half. This switch will greatly improve the turning movements to and from McCormick onto County Highway Y.

Progress also continues to the north. Like the Harmony Town Hall Bridge, the Wright Road Bridge is now ready for the new beams to be placed over State Highway 26. The Wright Road beams will be placed tomorrow and Thursday night. State Highway 26 will be closed to traffic seven times for up to 15 minutes per stoppage. These stoppages will occur between 7 PM and 6 AM. The stoppage is to safely place the 91 foot beams over State Highway 26 without harm to traffic beneath. We apologize for the inconvenience, but safety of the crews and the traveling public comes first.

While traveling north on County Highway Y, you will also notice that crews have completed the connection of the Wright Road intersection at County Highway Y. As the traffic flows are switched to the new roadways, please drive slowly and cautiously. Thank you all for your patience during the renovation of State Highway 26 between Janesville and Milton. If you have any questions or need any clarifications, please feel free to contact the State Highway 26 project staff at our project field office.

(608)754-8217 - STH 26 Field Office, 4342 Milton Avenue, Janesville, WI 53546

Sincerely,

Lance Wagner - Project Manager

Monday, July 9, 2012

Press Release - Milton Youth Coalition

Below is a press release from Milton Police Lieutenant John Conger about the Milton Youth Coalition and their initiatives.




Our agency is proud to announce our partnership with local officials, both elected and non-elected, school district officials and community members in the Milton Youth Coalition. Our mission is to support the youth in our community in making safe and responsible decisions. Our current focus is on Bullying and the negative impacts it is having on our community. 

We are currently planning upcoming events that will focus on this topic, including a community-wide picnic which will be held on September 7, 2012 at Northside Intermediate School. Further announcements will be made, as event details are finalized. The Coalition is also announcing the continuation this coming school year of the “Bully Patrols” in the areas of Northside and the Milton Middle School. These patrols are staffed by high school students on a volunteer basis. Their presence last year helped significantly reduce the Bullying behavior that was taking place in those areas after school. 

We are also announcing our “Lunch With A Cop” program which will be put in place next school year at Northside Intermediate School. The idea of the program is to have local law enforcement officials go into random classrooms to have lunch with the students, in hopes of opening up a dialogue with them about Bullying, and the steps they can take to prevent it. 

Our coalition is determined to make our “Anti-Bullying” message an ongoing one through such activities and other promotional materials. 

Tomorrow night will be our community’s first opportunity to have a public dialogue on this topic. Azatos Family Karate will hold an anti-bullying seminar, free of charge, on Tuesday, July 10 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Extreme Fitness building, 525 College St., Suite 2. The program is geared toward ages 7 years old and up.

For further information going forward, you are invited to “Friend” our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/miltonyouthcoalition 

Live The Milton Way: NO BULLYING, Safe in our schools, and safe in our community.

National Night Out - August 7, 2012

Here is a press release from the Rock County Sheriff's Office about National Night Out.

Sheriff Robert Spoden is pleased to invite the citizens of Rock County to the National Night Out crime prevention event on Tuesday, August 7, 2012, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Schilberg Park, located at 30 W. High Street in Milton, WI.  

The Rock County Sheriff’s Office has been working with the Milton Police Department to plan a crime prevention event that promotes law enforcement-community partnerships. Twenty-nine years ago, the National Association of Town Watch (NATW) began holding these crime prevention events. Presently, across the country, over 39 million people in more than 16,000 communities are involved in National Night Out events.
 

Our National Night Out event will provide an opportunity for free family fun and interaction with law enforcement and community partners. Free food and drink will be available. There will be a free bounce house and games for children, a display of emergency vehicles, SWAT, K-9 and Taser demonstrations, along with public information displays from community groups. Milton Fire/EMS will also be conducting demonstrations of fire safety equipment. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will have a simulation display on Motorcycle safety. AAA’s Distracted Driver Experience will be on site. The Med-Flight helicopter will be available for tours. There will be a free raffle for kids’ bikes and other prizes.

We encourage all families to come out to Shilberg Park for what promises to be a fun and exciting night!

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Press Release - Death Investigation

Below is a press release from Milton Police Chief Daniel Layber regarding a death investigation.  



On July 5th at approximately 2:30 pm the City of Milton Police Department was dispatched to 20 1/2 N. John Paul Rd, Milton, WI, for a possible deceased male adult. Upon arrival, Mark R. Buchanan, date of birth 06/14/1981, was found unresponsive in his bedroom and later pronounced dead by the Rock County Coroner’s Office. The circumstances surrounding his death are under investigation by the Milton Police Department and the Coroner’s Office with toxicology results expected within 2-3 weeks. Anybody that has information they feel could be of assistance during this investigation should contact the Milton Police Department at 757-2244 or Janesville Area Crimestoppers at 756-3636. Anonymous tips can also be sent via text to CRIMES (274637), then enter JACS, plus your message. Any information provided can be given anonymously.

Press Release - Recklessly Endangering Safety

Below is a press release from Milton Police Lieutenant John Conger.



At approximately 2:30am, this morning, the City of Milton Police Department was dispatched to the area of Merchant Row and Crandall Street regarding a subject that had been struck by a motor vehicle. Our initial investigation has revealed that Philip Shane Ullius, 24, of Milton had been struck twice by the same vehicle. The incident was a result of an altercation on the street between Mr. Ullius and the suspects. It appears that Mr. Ullius was struck once, the suspect vehicle then circled the block and returned to strike the victim a second time. 

The suspect vehicle is described as a 1990’s black and white Ford Crown Victoria. The vehicle had high performance automotive parts decals along the bottom of the rear window. There was also a yellow large yellow decal on the lower left corner of the rear window. There may also be a Ford decal in the rear window. It is possible the suspect vehicle has front end damage. 

The suspect driving the vehicle has been described as a Hispanic male, approximately 25 years old, with short buzzed black hair. He was further described as being approximately 5’8” tall and 130 lbs. He was wearing a white t-shirt and shorts. There were two female passengers in the car, one was described as being Hispanic, the other as a white female with blonde hair. 

The victim was transported by Milton EMS to Mercy Hospital, Janesville, with non-life threatening injuries.

Individuals that come forward with information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for this crime are eligible for a cash reward through Janesville Area Crimestoppers. Individuals with tips can remain anonymous. If you have information regarding this incident please contact the Milton Police Department at 757-2244 or Janesville Area Crimestoppers at 756-3636. Anonymous tips can also be sent via text to CRIMES (274637), then enter JACS plus your message.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Living a LIfe that Matters-A Tribute to Tom Cramer

As we celebrate the birth of America and all that makes Milton, WI within it so great, we at City Hall pause for a moment to remember a dear friend who died way too young last week.  Tom Cramer, Plant Manager of Penn Color died at the age of 57 after a brief but courageous battle with Cancer.  While I had only known Tom for about 3 years, I found him to be an engaging, sincere man who truly cared about our community.  Tom was both salesman and scientist. He was both family minded and community minded.  He cared about Milton and worked with us to make us even better.  He wanted it well know that he was proud to be here, and proud to help the City in all of its projects, and spoke to prospective businesses who were looking at expansion of our industrial park.  He took our Mayor and Council on a tour of the plant.  He was a perfectionist in his work who earned the respect of those who worked with him and for him, and the admiration of City officials to see someone work so hard and help put our City on the map by opening Penn Color's 8th plant in the world right here in Milton. 
Like so many of our businesses, Tom and Penn Color were committed, civic minded and dedicated to the City's many endeavors.  Be it the 4th of July, school district projects or the Splash Park, Tom was a visionary who saw not what was, but what could be.  He believed in his well thought out vision, and worked hard to make them a reality.  Mayor Chesmore and I had the opportunity to express our sympathy to Tom's family today and the family handed out the poem below, which arguably best describes his life's legacy.  Upon behalf of our grateful community Tom, thanks for all your work here and for living a life that matters...

Live a life that matters
Ready or not, someday it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.
So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won't matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived, at the end.
It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant
Even your gender and skin colour will be irrelevant.
So what will matter?
How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success, but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence, but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone.
What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.
It's not a matter of circumstance, but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters.

Press Release - Burglary at Milton High School

Below is a press release from Milton Police Lieutenant John Conger regarding a recent burglary at Milton High School.



On July 3rd at approximately 7:30am the City of Milton Police Department was dispatched to a burglary at Milton High School. The initial investigation has revealed that stolen in the burglary were 2 Mac Notebook computers, and 2 digital scales. Entry to the building was forced, and occurred sometime after 9:00pm on July 2nd. The total damage to the building and loss of property totals approximately $3500.00.

Individuals that come forward with information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for this crime are eligible for a cash reward through Janesville Area Crimestoppers. Individuals with tips can remain anonymous. If you have information regarding this incident please contact the Milton Police Department at 757-2244 or Janesville Area Crimestoppers at 756-3636. Anonymous tips can also be sent via text to CRIMES (274637), then enter JACS, plus your message.

Press Release - Fireworks and the Independence Day Celebration


Below is a press release from Milton Police Chief Dan Layber regarding fireworks and the Independence Day Celebration.



With the Fourth of July Holiday quickly approaching and unusually hot and dry conditions affecting our area of the state, the Milton Police Department would like to caution people about the use of fireworks. We are recommending that people not use fireworks, but if you do, make sure to have the area well watered before lighting the fireworks, have a hose nearby to put out any fires, and make sure to water down any fireworks remnants so that they don’t cause a secondary fire. We would also recommend against using sparklers at this time due to the amount of incendiary materials they can deposit on the ground. 

Also, be aware that very few fireworks are allowed to be discharged within the City, unless you have a permit. Essentially, anything other than snakes and sparklers are illegal, and discharging of them can result in a $114.00 forfeiture. 

No fireworks of any kind are permitted on the grounds of Schilberg Park. This includes sparklers and snakes. Possession of these materials at the park can also result in forfeitures.

Please be safe and if you have any questions please contact us for clarification.

Monday, July 2, 2012

City of Milton 4th of July Events on Schedule with Weather Precautions in Place

The City of Milton will continue all previously scheduled 4th of July events as planned, taking precautionary measures due to weather related conditions that are anticipated throughout the week’s events. Planned activities include the following:

Milton Optimist 4th of July 10K/1 mile run - Events will go on as scheduled, with an 8:30 am start. The route will have four (4) water stations and appropriate staffing levels to accommodate and/or assist event runners during the anticipated warm weather running conditions.

Milton 4th of July Parade -  Parade will continue as scheduled at 1pm on July 4th. Entrants should be at the staging area beginning at 11am. The parade route itself will have extra water/cooling stations at the beginning staging area, mid-point, and end of parade. Parade participants are reminded to dress appropriately for the weather, and to make sure your participants, both people and any animals, are properly hydrated prior to and throughout the event.  

Fireworks Show - Fireworks display will proceed as scheduled. The University of Wisconsin Marching Band will be playing on the grounds at approximately 8:30pm with the fireworks scheduled to launch at the conclusion of their performance (dusk). The Milton/Town of Milton Fire Department will be working with Schilberg Park staff to ensure fields are properly watered well in advance of the event with extra personnel to be present on the grounds during the event.

For additional information contact City Administrator Jerry Schuetz at 608-868-6900 ext. 4 or by e-mail at jschuetz@ci.milton.wi.us.