Former Oak Creek Mayor Appointed to Water Commission

Richards also serves on MMSD Board.

Mayor Dick Bolender has appointed his predecessor, Dale Richards, to the Oak Creek Water and Sewer Utility Commission. Richards also serves on the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District Board, experience that will serve him well on the commission, Bolender said. The Common Council unanimously confirmed the appointment Tuesday. Richards will finish out a five-year term that ends in September 2012. The council also confirmed the re-appointments of Kathryn Michuda, who ran unsuccessfully for alderman last spring, and Gerard Hammernik to the Community Development Authority.

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All You Need to Know Before Going to the Polls

With the election one day away, here is a look back at previous coverage and information on how to vote.

Oak Creek voters face several important decisions when they head to the polls on Tuesday. On the ballot are contested races for state Supreme Court, Milwaukee County executive and Oak Creek-Franklin School Board. Voters will also pick between Pedro Colon and Christopher Lipscomb for circuit court judge.  And residents in the city's 1st District will choose between Dan Jakubczyk and Kathryn Michuda for a seat on the Oak Creek Common Council. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. To look up your voter information, visit the state's Voter Public Access site; for questions, call the clerk's office at (414) 768-6500. The clerk's office has also put together a handy guide to voting in Oak Creek, which includes a sample ballot. In case you …

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Editor's Notebook

Almost Three Years Later, U.S. Postal Facility Still On Hold

Plans for an 870,000-square-foot mail-processing center have never come to fruition.

Remember the giant U.S. Postal Service facility that was supposed to be built near Pennsylvania and College? The federal government first put forth plans back in May of 2008. The facility, at some 870,000 square feet spread over 64 acres of vacant land, was to be one of the largest light-industrial buildings developed in the greater Milwaukee region in recent years, according to a Journal Sentinel report. More than 2,200 employees would work there. But nearly three years later, the land still remains bare. So, what happened? As the economy went south in late 2008, the U.S. Postal Service suffered massive losses and the Oak Creek project stalled.  To this day, it has never gotten back on track. The U.S. Postal Service owns the land (after …

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1st District Aldermanic Seat Up For Grabs

Race pits incumbent Jakubczyk against newcomer Michuda.

One Oak Creek Common Council seat is up for grabs in next week's general election. 1st District Alderman Dan Jakubczyk, first elected in 2009, is running for re-election against challenger Kathryn Michuda.  Aldermen are elected to two-year terms with an annual salary of $7,200. Two other aldermen, Dan Bukiewicz and Steve Scaffidi, are running unopposed. Jakubczyk Jakubczyk, married with two adult children, has lived in Oak Creek for the past 35 years. He had always been interested in politics, but ran in 2009 to get more involved and find out how the city operates, he said. Two years later, Jakubczyk wants to see through the city's major development plans - including the lakefront, the old Delphi site and 27th Street. He touted the council…

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UPDATED: Field Set For School Board, Council Elections

School Board will have primary; 1st District alderman faces challenger.

UPDATED at 5:10 p.m. With three candidates in the race for the Oak Creek-Franklin School Board, a primary to whittle the field down to two will be held Feb. 15. As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, Mary Becker, Mark Verhalen and incumbent School Board member Sheryl Cerniglia all filed the necessary paperwork before the 5 p.m. deadline. A school administrator could not be reached by phone after the deadline about whether more candidates had filed.  The top two vote-getters in the primary advance to the general election April 5. School Board members are elected to three-year terms and receive $420 per month. Whoever is elected will have plenty of issues to keep them occupied. School districts across Wisconsin will likely continue to face a challenging …

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UPDATED: At Least Two Will Square Off in School Board Race

Deadline to get on ballot is 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Updated at 5:30 p.m. Monday. The Oak Creek-Franklin School Board race will be contested after all. Mark Verhalen, who previously served on the Common Council and ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2009, said tonight he has filed the paperwork to get on the ballot for the School Board election April 5. He will run against incumbent Sheryl Cerniglia, whose seat is the only one on the five-person Oak Creek-Franklin School Board up for re-election. Verhalen said the school district is generally well-run but he wants to ensure the district is in sound financial shape so it can keep providing a good education to students in the future.  Board members are elected to three-year terms and receive $420 per month. On the Oak Creek Common Council, the …

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Only One Challenger So Far In Council Races

The filing period for municipal races ends Jan. 4.

With just a week to go until the filing period ends, two incumbents could have an easy ride to re-election. No challengers have emerged for Aldermen Steve Scaffidi and Ken Gehl, who are up for re-election in the 3rd District and 5th District, respectively. Scaffidi has completed all the necessary paperwork for re-election; Gehl has taken out papers, but has not filed. One incumbent may face a challenge. Kathryn Michuda has taken out papers to run against incumbent 1st District Alderman Daniel Jakubczyk, who has also taken out paperwork. Neither has filed. Residents interested in running for public office have until 5 p.m. on Jan. 4 to submit paperwork to the City Clerk's office in City Hall, 8640 S. Howell Ave.  Aldermanic candidates are…

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