Sun sets on solar village

Ald. Tony Zielinski's office announced that the city's plan for a solar village in Bay View -- known as Eco-Bay -- has been put on hold.

The city threw out all the bids for developing the former Army Reserve base on six acres between Bay and Logan streets. It had earlier given the project to the city's Housing Authority, which indicated it would cost $40 million. Zielinski says the process is starting over again.

"We will begin working with residents to identify specs for another request for proposal (RFP). It was a long battle to ensure residents play more of a role in the future development of this parcel of land," he said.

City Development Commissioner Rocky Marcoux has said that there wasn't financing for the project, even though the Housing Authority could have probably issued its own bonds for the effort.

Neighbors -- who have affectionately named the space "Patch Park," after a local dog who hangs out there -- had expressed some concern about losing the green space and will now be able to likely enjoy it for a few more years. It's a nice green space for people to run their dogs and an occasional volleyball game and picnic pop up as well.

New police animal: An "Armadillo" could soon be part of the Milwaukee Police Department arsenal. The plan is for something similar to a refurbished old Brink's Security truck that the Peoria Police Department used to hound drug dealers out of neighborhoods.

Looking for a way to intimidate drug dealers and other nuisance property dwellers out of their environs, PPD remodeled the truck, which it had called a "12,000 pound eyesore," according to the city's Legislative Reference Bureau.

Protective screens were put over the head and tail lights, as well as a padlocked hood, a locked gas cap, bullet-proof glass and foam-filled flat-proof tires. Infrared surveillance cameras were installed and "Peoria Police Nuisance Property Surveillance Vehicle" stickers were put on all four sides.

According to the LRB, "the Armadillo's goal is not to make arrests, but to function as a ‘we know what you are up to and you are being watched' indestructible placard ... Over and above serving as a stigma to the offending nuisance property, it functions as a comfort to surrounding law abiding residents."

Ald. Bob Donovan wants one of these for Milwaukee and Garda Security -- a nationwide cash logistics firm with an office in Milwaukee -- will donate the truck.

Down with brownouts: Ald. Donovan's efforts to stave off fire department cuts continues. His resolution to limit department "brownouts" to two per day passed the council this week.

The term "brownout" in this case refers to eliminating a shift of a ladder company or engine company from a fire house that houses more than one company. In the event of an emergency medical call or structure fire in a brownout fire house's area, crews from an adjacent area or areas would need to respond to the call, thus putting citizens at risk because of the increased response time, Donovan has said.

"Imagine a call like a fire, or like a heart attack or stroke when mere seconds can mean the difference between life and death." he said. "Do you want those crews coming from a mile or two miles away -- or do you want them coming from just several blocks away," he said.

Ald. Joe Davis also is getting in on the brownout issue. He held a press conference this week expressing his concern over brownouts scheduled in February for two South Side engine companies -- companies not even in his district.

"If there are any injuries, loss of life or loss of property because of fire during this scheduled brownout, I consider it the direct result of the irresponsible behavior of those who do not understand the importance and responsibility of staffing in the Milwaukee Fire Department," Davis said.

Trips for cash: Talk about taking a tumble. Kewanee Allen, who lives at 3250 N. 45th St., contends that she slipped and fell on the city sidewalk in front of her house in March 2008 and wants the city to pay her for her injuries.

The amount? Exactly $174,174.16.

Her lawyers? Weigel, Carlson, Blau & Clemens, S.C.

The city attorney's office is recommending denying the claim since it asserts that "the accumulation of snow and ice did not exist for the requisite 21 days."

Scalping scalped: Bills in the state Senate and Assembly would allow cities to create "resale zones" around sporting and entertainment venues so people can sell their unwanted tickets at face value or less. A good thing indeed. I was once cited after trying to unload a rather pricey Bob Seger ticket for a mere $10 in front of the Bradley Center, after two undercover cops swooped down on me.

Under the bills, violators would be removed from the property and face fines of up to $500. A second offense could result in a permanent ban from the venue.

Speaking of the Bradley Center, the Milwaukee Police Department will continue to supply officers to patrol inside the Bradley Center during events there, although the city doesn't make any money on the deal. Estimates from the city are that it will cost $162,000 to put cops in the BC and the Bradley Center in turn will pay the city $162,000.

Silence is not golden: In a classic case of incompetent management, bosses at WMCS-AM radio fired two of Milwaukee's most intelligent talk show hosts in town, Joel McNally and Cassandra Cassandra. The two worked the morning shift and offered an important outlet for the African-American community -- a definite alternative to the race-baiting shtick heard elsewhere on the dial. The station claims it didn't have enough money to pay them.

McNally was at the station four years while Cassandra had been there more than a decade. The two were told about the canning after their Friday shift. They've been replaced with some lame syndicated talk show, leaving the station with only one local talk voice in the afternoon.

Crime news: Overall crime in Milwaukee is down from 2008 Police Chief Ed Flynn reported this week. That includes violent crimes and property crimes.

Violent crimes were down 20 percent compared with 2007, led by a 30 percent drop in homicides, however homicides are up by one in 2009 compared to 2008. The total violent and property crimes in 2009 were 41,223. In 2007 that number was 46,793 and in 2008 it was 44,430 making for a 7.2 percent drop among all the categories. Other fun facts:

• Perhaps a sign of the times, burglary is the only crime that has seen an increase since 2007, up 2.8 percent.
• Arson was up in 2009 compared to 2008, from 319 to 348. The best time for arson is, not surprising, summer. 
• It what could be comforting or discomforting to the regular folks out there, no machine guns were seized by the cops last year. Overall, gun seizures were down compared to 2007 and about the same as 2008. A noted, albeit slight, increase was in the number of sawed off shotguns taken by police.
• Drunk driving arrests were up quite a bit from 2007. Police wrote 1,129 OWI tickets last year, compared with 971 in 2007 and 1,043 in 2008.
• The biggest drop in a any category was in the area of auto theft, which saw a decrease of 25.6 percent from 2008 to 2009 and a 37.2 percent drop from 2007.