Brookfield/Elm Grove Monthly

Page 2B • Freeman Brookfield & Elm Grove OCTOBER 2016 By Jay Walt Q.) What makes Town of Brookfield special? A.) The town offers a unique blend of small-town government with all the services of communities far larger. It offers a wide variety of housing options for all from condos to multi- family to beautiful neigh- borhoods and, upcoming, 244 high-end exec- utive apart- ments within the $250 mil- lion Corners development. The low, r e s p o n s i b l e tax rate is due to the 50/50 tax base between commercial and residential. The full-time police and fire departments will literally stop and talk with town residents and their children while on patrol. The community events always carry the "small town" flavor while maintaining the focus on family togetherness. And for those wanting to get involved — town govern- ment lets your voices be heard. The budgets and policies are voted on by the town populace! It is a wonderfully convenient area where quiet neighbor- hoods coexist peacefully with retail and office devel- opments. Q.) What is the business community like? A.) The business commu- nity brims with conve- nience and opportunity. The new Corners and "first in Wisconsin" Von Maur store development is representa- tive of the confidence of developers in the future of this area. The tax incre- mental financial district surrounding The Corners is already stirring huge redevelopment interest ensuring a stable financial future for the community. Retail, office, services, dining ... the town offers them all. Q.) What is it like to raise a family in the Town of Brookfield? A.) We raised our three kids in the town, and our reflections are all warm and positive. Neighbors and their children who moved on remain friends to our family to this day. Neighbors watch out for other neigh- bors' kids. The parks are safe, clean, family friendly, and convenient. Several neighborhoods are seeing rebirth as the next genera- tion of homeowners are bringing their youngsters in. There are great schools near- by both public and private. Q.) What are some upcoming events in Town of Brookfield? A.) The town offers a host of fun community events throughout the year. Last week was "Town Truck Day" where everyone could see the workings of fire trucks, snowplows, police cruisers, and more. But, in addition to the most family friendly July 4th Celebra- tion in the Land, there are varied events on an ongoing basis: Big Splash Day, Santa is Coming to Town, Commu- nity Skate Night, the leg- endary CARP-O-RAMA and more occur throughout the year. The town website offers dates and places. Q.) How is Town of Brookfield changing or growing? A.) The easiest, most visi- ble point of change is The Corners development. With 244 executive apartments, Wisconsin's first Von Maur store, and a host of new, varied and exciting retail- ers, The Corners serves as a beacon of development and investment confidence in the town. The TIF created for this and adjacent proper- ties has a synergy the busi- ness community can feel. And even with this scale of development, the feel and texture of small town Amer- ica prevails. Neighborhoods remain stable with housing prices solid. (Jay Walt is a longtime Town of Brookfield resident and recently the town named a park after him.) A family friendly community Events, government, neighborhoods bring people together Walt Celebrate ... TOWN OF BROOKFIELD 53186 Freeman file photo Kids enjoy a spray of water from a Town of Brookfield Fire Department hose during Splash Day. Splash Day is a popular summer tradition in the town. 252184002 Mark Krause, Owner For over 80 years, we have helped the families of Milwaukee and New Berlin honor their loved ones. Being a family owned funeral home, we understand the impor- tance of family values. That's why we take pride in fulfilling your wishes with kindness, compassion and respect. We devote ourselves to the complete care of you and your family, guiding you every step of the way through one of life's most difficult times. When you need us most, we'll be right there by your side. That's our promise. Stop by anytime and see everything we have to offer. Scout & Molly's coming to The Corners TOWN OF BROOKFIELD — Another retail chain will open its first location in Wisconsin at The Corners. Scout & Molly's, a women's clothing, jewelry and accessories boutique, announced it will be a ten- ant at the 750,000 square- foot mixed-use develop- ment. The store was founded in 2002 and has over 79 loca- tions, with 30 of them to open by the end of the year. It's primarily been located along the East Coast, though there's one location in the Midwest in Edina, Minnesota. "Scout & Molly's is a wel- come addition to our already exceptional lineup of retailers," said Jay Eck, vice president of Bradford Real Estate Services Corp., which is the development manager for the project. "The Corners of Brookfield will combine exciting new shopping experiences with diverse dining options and high-end, urban design res- idential units. The Corners will be the place to shop, dine and live in the greater Brookfield area." The Corners is scheduled to open in April at Inter- state 94 and Barker Road. It has 400,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space and also 244 luxury apart- ments and parking for more than 1,700 cars. Other tenants coming to the development include Anthropologie, L.L Bean, Francesca's, Sendik's Food Market, Arhaus and Von Maur, which is the anchor tenant of the retail stores. — Chris Bucher, Freeman Staff Charles Auer/Freeman Staff The Corners of Brookfield, as seen from Barker Road on Sept. 20. Scout & Molly's, a women's clothes and jewelry store, has announced it will bring a store to the project when completed. Murphy Associates marks 25th anniversary BROOKFIELD — Murphy Associates, a marketing and strategy firm, is celebrating its 25th year of operation. The firm, 1265 Bonnie Lane, started in 1991 as a tra- ditional one for smaller busi- ness, but since has expanded to assist larger companies and organizations with their marketing needs. Judi Murphy, the firm's president and CEO, has served on various commit- tees and boards throughout those 25 years. John Murphy, who founded the firm, said Judi has come a long way and continues to evolve her strategies. "We are pleased that Judi continues to bring her expertise in marketing strat- egy and public relations to Murphy Associates," John Murphy said. Bublr Bikes adds more stations, bikes for rent MILWAUKEE — Bublr Bikes has added more equip- ment to the area. The company, which fea- tures a bike-share system, opened seven additional sta- tions with 75 bikes available in Wauwatosa recently. Bublr Bikes currently has nearly 50 stations with 425 bikes available for rent. In the future, the company plans to expand to over 100 stations and over 800 bikes in the metropolitan Milwau- kee area. Bublr Bikes oper- ates in a public-private part- nership with the city of Mil- waukee. IN BRIEF Signifying support for candidates? By Karen Pilarski Freeman Staff WAUKESHA — Whether one is driving or walking, there seems to be a lack of election signs for the upcom- ing presidential election around these parts. While there are a few Hillary Clin- ton and Donald Trump signs displayed in some yards, one has the feeling that there usually would be more dur- ing a presidential election year. Waukesha Alderman Vance Skinner said there seems to be a lack of enthu- siasm for the election among Waukesha County residents, commenting there are hard- ly any signs. He said it was only recently that he noticed his first Clinton sign in the area. Skinner pointed out back in the 2008 election, there were many Barack Obama and Mitt Romney yard signs. But for Skinner, there are other options besides Democrat Clinton and Republican Trump — in his yard is a sign promoting Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson. Waukesha County Demo- cratic Party Chairman Scott Trindl recalls in 2012 his organization had the signs much earlier. "Since President Obama was the incumbent, there was no need to wait until after the nominating conven- tion since we knew who the nominee would be," he said. Skinner admits he didn't display yard signs in the past because he wanted to stay neutral. In his opinion, In his opinion, there are two poor choices for president. "This election cycle is very concerning for me," Skinner said. Reasons for fewer signs Residents have also felt election fatigue from worry- ing about signs being stolen. Courtney Ernster said her Trump sign was stolen and she planned on getting another one soon. Several Trump supporters posted on social media that their Trump signs were stolen from their yards. Waukesha resident Corin- na Tzougros Fafalios posted on The Freeman Facebook page: "Sadly, the country has become so quick to call their fellow Americans racists that most likely folks are not really motivated to show their support either way. It's tough showing support dur- ing an election season," she said. Waukesha resident Mark Prabucki said on The Free- man Facebook page that peo- ple tend to be judged, so it is better to keep politics pri- vate. Waukesha resident Tim Shepherd shared on Face- book that he doesn't have an urge to put up a sign. He also commented on people being concerned for their personal property simply for having the wrong sign in the yard. Several unsuccessful attempts in the form of emails, voicemails and social media messages were made to the Waukesha Coun- ty and Wisconsin Republi- can Party seeking comment. Show support Trindl has heard some political professionals say that yard signs don't vote and therefore don't make a difference in an election. "Voters want to be able to show their support for the candidates they believe in, and a yard sign in their front lawn is the perfect way to do that," he said. Trindl has found that you find signs to connect those with the same political lean- ings. He points out it can initiate voter-to-voter discus- sion about the candidates and the issues. "Direct voter-to-voter con- tact, either by knocking on doors, making phone calls, or talking to neighbors is how elections are won," Trindl said. Besides yard signs, Trindl supports political buttons as a way of spreading the word about a candidate and start- ing discussions. Don't be a bully In Skinner's opinion, there is ongoing mudslinging between presidential nomi- nees. He is concerned people may not go to the polls. He has seen yard signs bashing candidates or ones that say there are no good presiden- tial candidates He encour- ages people to stay away from attacks and personal destruction. "Research the issues and the candidates — what do they have to say?" Skinner asked. In his experience at the alderman level, residents don't want someone ripping a person apart on their porch. People want to know about the infrastructure and services; what is going on in the county. Skinner's advice is to focus on what candi- dates are saying and their actions, which speaks to their character. Trindl said he is also not in favor of the anti-candidate signs. He urges people to take the high road. "Show the virtues of your candidate and why you are supporting them," Trindl said. Email: kpilarski@conleynet.com Election signs seemingly lacking in politically active county Charles Auer/Freeman Staff Signs for the Republican ticket stand outside the Waukesha County Republican headquar- ters. Charles Auer/Freeman Staff Marianne Gilpatrick and Rodney Rexroth make campaign buttons in the Waukesha County Democratic Party offices. Party offices online ■ Republican Party of Waukesha County www.waukeshagop.org ■ Waukesha County Democratic Party waukeshadems.nation- builder.com ■ Wisconsin Green Party https://m.facebook.com/W isconsinGreenParty/ ■ Libertarian Party of Wisconsin www.lpwi.org

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