As surely all parents in Wauwatosa know, Tuesday is the start of school. Whether you are breathing a sigh of relief after a long summer or shedding tears of loss at the thought of sending your little ones off to class every day, we had a couple of news stories break this week that have parents like you talking.
First, the City of Wauwatosa oversees the team of 23 crossing guards stationed at intersections around the city in the morning and afternoon to help students get safely to their schools. The city has shifted some of those guard locations, and not everyone is happy about it.
In particular, Underwood Elementary School now will have no crossing guards assigned either to its school property or its neighborhood. A few other schools have no on-site coverage but have guards assigned to nearby blocks.
David Paulsen
At least two Common Council members are in talks with city administrators and school officials about the process for assigning crossing guards and whether there is a better way to ensure proper coverage citywide.
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The other big schools story has been brewing for several months. After the school district ended its contract with Right at School, it recruited a new provider of before- and after-school care, Blue Door Academy, which launches its district-wide program at 10 elementary schools on the first day of classes, Sept. 1.
The challenge, however, is that Blue Door Academy, to be viable, has set enrollment minimums for its program at each school. At some schools, if enrollment doesn't increase by Oct. 1, the district may resort to busing some of those students enrolled in before- and after-school care to and from consolidated sites at different schools.
You can get that full story here, and Tosa Forward News will be following up as the district continues to encourage more parents to register their children for Blue Door Academy, possibly eliminating the need to implement the backup busing plan.
David Paulsen
The Wauwatosa Common Council is down a member. The vacant District 6 seat soon may be filled, and the likely appointee is a Pasadena neighborhood resident named John Myers.
Don't know John Myers? He's a 45-year-old chief operating officer at a heavy-equipment dealership based in West Allis, and he and his wife have lived in Wauwatosa with their two children since 2018. More on his nomination here.
We had an update on that PNC Bank robbery from earlier this month. The suspect, 33-year-old Ryan Ashford, was both blunt about his intentions and knowledgeable in his use of banking lingo, according the criminal complaint filed this week.
Ashford has been charged with a felony that carries a maximum potential sentence of 40 years in prison.
The weekly Firefly Friday events continue this evening at the west side's Firefly Grove Park, and today's event has a special additional attraction. An official unveiling is planned for the park's newest work of public art. It is called "Scared Rhythm Mother," the work of an arts organization called Walk the Willow and lead artist Justin Roberts.
David Paulsen
"It's clear to us that Wauwatosa shares a similar goal and passion as our team – creating conversations about restoring our natural world through awe-inspiring art," Roberts said.
Are you familiar with the Monarch Trail? It is a restored butterfly habitat on part of the former Milwaukee County Grounds south of Hoyt Park, and on Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m., the Friends of the Monarch Trail group is offering a Butterfly Fest. You also can learn more about it from this WUWM-FM report.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel got an inside look at the restored Milwaukee Repertory Theater's design studio and storage warehouse near the Menomonee River and Tosa Village. The facility was severely damaged by the river flooding a year ago, but it is back in action now.
If you've ever walked through Mayfair Mall and thought to yourself, I could really go for a delicious Korean corn dog right now, you are in luck. The Chicago-based Kong Dog restaurant has plans to open in a mall storefront, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal.
WISN-TV had this report on a rollover crash Tuesday in Wauwatosa near Mayfair and Watertown Plank roads. No fatalities were reported.
Police arrested a man suspected of breaking into Jackson's Blue Ribbon Pub on Bluemound Road early Friday and stealing liquor from the bar.
And in case you missed it, CBS-58 had this story about a Wauwatosa 8th-grader who can do amazing things on the guitar. Impressive! For Chris, who is about to rock, we salute you.
Kathryn Merck
