In addition to the major work that’s going on down at the waterline at South Shore Park in Bay View – namely the beach and breakwater improvements – the seemingly always active South Shore Park playground area adjacent to the pavilion has been replaced and is now open again.
A group of local dignitaries was on hand Friday afternoon to cut the ribbon on the playset that replaces one of the oldest in the Milwaukee County Parks system, having been installed in 1996.
Funding was approved in 2022 for a replacement, which is ADA accessible, has a soft, rubberized surface and both a play structure for 2- to 5-year-olds with a farmers market theme (appropriate for a park with one of the area’s most popular weekend markets) and facilities for 5- to 12-year-olds with a ship theme, swings and stand-alone play features.
There have been other related improvements, too, like new benches.
The design was based on input from park users and neighbors regarding the South Shore Terrace Beer Garden and parking in the park, which suggested a variety of locations for the playground, gathered at an open house and on five occasions surveying beer garden users.
According to County Parks, a majority preferred keeping the playground where it has been located for many years.
Work began to replace the playground equipment on June 9.
The $593,605 budget included the cost of design, the removal of the previous equipment and surface and the installation of the new playground and site improvements.
The community also raised funds toward the replacement, according to Tim Schaefer from the office of Wisconsin State Rep. Ryan Clancy.
In related news, according to a County Parks spokesperson, construction on the beach is expected to be completed soon, with a soft opening a possibility in July, with an official opening event likely to follow in August.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press. A fifth collects Urban Spelunking articles about breweries and maltsters.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has been heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
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