West Side Stories

There is really nothing to prepare you as a homeowner to glance out your window and see your neighbor’s roof ablaze. Nothing that the Welcome Wagon brings and certainly nothing in the neighborhood directory. Still, I will always remember this jarring sight that got my husband and me leaping off the couch, dialing 911 and pounding on our neighbor’s door. And although the damage was severe, thankfully, nobody was hurt. The thought of what could have happened if the fire had started in the middle of the night is scary beyond belief.

Lessons in life are often learned as a result of someone else’s adversity. Here are the things that we learned last night: 1) If you have a fireplace, have it checked regularly. Now that the weather has turned cool, you want that crackling fire to be beautiful, warm and safe. 2) The job of a firefighter looks and is dangerous, even in our small community. 3) Those that live closest to the fire department do not always get the fastest service. 4) There is no surer way to get to know your neighbors than to stand outside on the sidewalk gazing together at some catastrophic event. 5) Put smoke detectors in your house or check their batteries if you have them.

The Pasadena neighborhood, sometimes known as the Christ King neighborhood, is a little less happy than it usually is. Sure, it’s a grand example of location, location, location….but for once, their location is less than ideal. You see, the folks that live around the much beloved gourmet grocery store, Sendik’s, have a bit of a beef, and we’re not talking teriyaki or Kobe. The problem is that the employees of Sendik’s are clogging up Meineke Street, one block north of the store. The folks that live on Meineke not only can’t park on the street themselves, but they have a difficult time getting in and out of their driveways because there are so many employees' cars parked on both sides of the street. It’s a bit like your next door neighbor having a huge party…every day. The folks that run Sendik’s thought they were being customer-friendly by leaving their entire lot open for shoppers, rather than employees, but now they’re making the surrounding neighbors very unhappy and not very friendly. I’ve heard of many suggestions that have been proposed to alleviate this problem, none of which really makes everyone happy. Sometimes it’s tough for a great business to coexist with a great neighborhood, but I feel confident that a creative idea will arise out of this discussion. It just seems that Sendik’s would be wise to remember that the customer is always right.

Here in Tosa, we’re blessed with many great schools. Some public, some private. On any given morning or afternoon, from September through June, you’ll see packs of kids walking to and from school. As we know, surrounding these schools, there are School Zones which are designed for children’s safety. There are posted signs and stop signs and speed limits intended to get people to SLOW DOWN. However, it appears that all School Zones are not created equal. Surrounding McKinley, there are 4-way stop signs at every corner. Over on 89th and Clarke Street, just north of McKinley School and just East of Christ King School, there are stop signs for East and Westbound drivers. There are NOT, however, stop signs for North and Southbound drivers. This has become a problem. A BIG problem. Kids walking to either school have to use extreme caution at this intersection. The families that live around this area want to know why there isn’t a 4-way stop sign here. It’s a good question. I’ve driven through that intersection for years and I know that if you’re not looking carefully, drivers (usually those going downhill Southbound) blast through the intersection without looking. It truly is an accident waiting to happen. A friend told me that her family cat was recently killed by a driver going too fast and not watching where he/she was going. This time it was an animal. Will it be a child next time? Is it such a huge inconvenience that we can’t have more stop signs surrounding our schools? Are we in that much of a hurry?

You know it’s autumn in Wauwatosa when you see the start of leaf piles on the side of the streets. In mid-September, they’re modest little mounds, sometimes highlighted by remnants of geraniums, impatiens and other varieties of expired annuals. By the end of October, they’ve grown in girth and are topped off with a pumpkin and a gourd or two. By early November, they’re the size of a small bungalow and create challenging “street slaloms,” much like those found on the east end of North Avenue, as mentioned by fellow blogger Norm Wahn.

When I was a child, leaf piles were a seasonal joy. They were so fun and tempting to jump into. But those were the days (jeez, I sound old) when the piles were on our lawns and my dad would burn them to get rid of them. In Tosa today, we’re advised to rake or blow them to the side of the streets where they will eventually get picked up by the city. It’s a great system, until you have to drive around these mammoth piles late in the season when they’ve been combined together on narrow streets like Ludington where two cars can barely pass each other on a sunny summer day. Caution and braking are definitely in order. And if you’re new to the area (listen up, Mitch!), do not even think of parking on top of or driving through a leaf pile. I know, it’s tempting when parking is scarce and you might have to walk an extra half-block to your house. But the sight of your car bursting into flames might make that walk seem shorter. And the thought of plowing through one of those piles sounds fun, but it can be really, really dangerous.

In a community blessed with so many trees, perhaps leaf piles, although sometimes annoying, are merely our seasonal reminder that it’s time to slow down and enjoy the view. It is spectacular, after all.

Hector’s Merely Smoldering…According to one of my blogfriends, Hector’s Mexican Restaurant is not doing as well as it may have seemed during my last visit. So, that leads me to ask: What’s wrong with you people? Aren’t you hungry? Seriously, this has to be one of the most affordable restaurants in Tosa. The food is good, they have a full bar, featuring great Margaritas, and the place is very casual and extremely kid-friendly, if that’s what’s holding you back. If you ever avoided it because of smoke, now is the time to show your support and have a great meal.

Is It Possible to Catch the Bus?.....Is it just me, or does it seem like the city buses that go through Wauwatosa think they’re immune to the speeding limit? I see buses all day long on Milwaukee Avenue, where the speed limit is 25 mph and I can assure you that there’s no way they are going 25 mph. More like 40 or 45. This is a narrow street traveled by lots of kids on their way to and from school. I’d like to suggest that they park one of those cute little speeding trailers out there to give the drivers a hint, but I’m told by my friends that this is a sure way to lure more speeders or kids on bikes looking to create a mini 'Tour du Tosa' and clock their speed, sometimes resulting in crashes and injuries. (True story.) I’m all for staying on schedule, but please bus driver, give us a brake!

A Sure Sign….I know it’s Fall. Not because the temperature has dropped today, but just because the giant oak tree on the corner of Menomonee River Parkway and Charles Hart Parkway is starting to change color. This stunning tree signals the start of autumn with its golden hues and vibrant colors. It’s worth a look. You’ll find it on the northwest corner, but wait a week and it’ll really be a sight.

Don’t Look Up Now…I haven’t been able to confirm this, but someone once told me that birds are incontinent, which makes the idea of watching the birds fly south for the winter something to be done with care…and perhaps an umbrella.

On a balmy Wauwatosa Saturday evening, hubby and I headed over to Hector's for a casual Mexican meal. Since it was about 6:15 pm, we weren't sure if we would face a long wait for a table or an empty dining room, due in part to the recent smoking ban. I'm happy to tell you that despite the absence of cigarettes, Hector's was smoking! The dining room was packed, except for an empty table for the two of us. The restaurant was filled with lots of families and several couples. Business was definitely hopping. I was truly glad to see it. I won't get into the politics of the smoking ban, but I was thrilled to see that at least on this evening, Hector's business looked brisk.

As we enjoyed our meal, there was suddenly commotion outside the restaurant. At around 7:00 pm, a fire broke out in the field across from Hector's near the railroad tracks. A suggestion to move cars parked on State Street had several diners scrambling outside to witness the spectacle. And without the haze of cigarette smoke, you could actually smell the brush fire as you approached the front door. The fire was quickly put out, thereby ending the evening entertainment for patio diners.

If you're looking for a great spot for affordable and delicious Mexican food in Wauwatosa, Hector's is the spot. No you can't smoke there, but you never know what might happen outside!

If you’ve lived in Wauwatosa for any amount of time, you’ve probably enjoyed the candy and chocolates from Ultimate Confections. Located on 68th Street, just north of Balistreri’s, this modest shop is filled with enough temptations to happily wreck your diet for life. I recently found out (thanks to my friend Lori) that Ultimate Confections also offers something for sale that is a bit of a secret. And although I like to keep my secrets safe, this one is worth sharing and will make you a star next time it’s your turn to bring the cookies.

I’m talking about Snibbles. Yes, I said SNIBBLES. Snibbles are, basically, the scrumptious little pieces of chocolate, candy, nuts and other goodies leftover on the pan when Ultimate Confections makes its marvelous products. Rather than throw these away, they package them into small bags and attach a cookie recipe called Chocolate Snibbles! I’m kind of a cookie purist and don’t usually like anything exotic, but Snibbles are amazing! They’re easy to make and create a cookie that’s a little chewy, a little crunchy and completely decadent.

Now that I think of it, I really should have run over to Ultimate Confections and purchased some Snibbles for myself before I posted this, but let’s just call this my neighborly deed of the day.

So, next time you’re standing on 68th street waiting for a table at Balistreri’s, pop into Ultimate Confections and ask for a bag or two of Snibbles. You can thank me later...or, make an extra batch for me!

If you were standing outside my house this morning, you would have heard me open the front door at 5:30 am and shout: “YAY!” Why, you ask? Well, because today I received my Wauwatosa News Times delivered to my front door right next to my Journal Sentinel. Like my regular paper, it was wrapped up in a cozy plastic bag, in case our torrential rains returned.

If you’ve been a regular subscriber to the News Times, you know that on good weeks you received your paper (via the mail) on Thursday and on bad weeks, you got it on Monday. It was frustrating to say the least. If you haven’t been a regular subscriber, you missed out on this frustration, but you also missed out on a really great community newspaper. I’m a big newspaper reader and although I love my morning Journal Sentinel, nothing beats the up-close local angles offered in the News Times, especially now that the paper offers new features and columns every week.

So, now that the Wauwatosa News Times is literally dropped at your front door – not via the sometimes unreliable U.S. Postal Service – it’s really worth considering a subscription. It’s a great way to stay in touch with what’s going on in Tosa. Sure, you should continue to visit us here at WauwatosaNow.com, but nothing beats a paper you can hold in your hand and read while you drink your morning coffee or eat your lunch or ride the bus.

Oh and if you’re wondering, they did not pay me to write this....really.

This past weekend, we were listing to Car Talk on National Public Radio and a caller asked if it was harmful to his car to do a “South Philly Roll.” He then had to explain that throughout Philadelphia, presumably on the South Side, it is common to roll through stop signs. Well, who knew that Wauwatosa would have something in common with Philly?!

Since Tosa is primarily residential, we are a community of many stop signs. We are also, apparently, a city that likes to ignore its stop signs. I’m sure we’re not unique in this tendency, and perhaps its something we share with Whitefish Bay, for instance, but I wish we didn’t.

Nowhere is there a more flagrant disregard for a stop sign than drivers heading eastbound on North Ave, turning south onto Menomonee River Parkway. Yesterday, my husband and I saw a woman barely tap her brake pedal and blast through that stop sign. In frustration, my husband honked his horn and glared at her and she was clueless as to what she had done. If you’re a pedestrian trying to cross at that stop sign, proceed at your own risk because chances are, those drivers will never see you.

In our neighborhood, which encompasses Lincoln Elementary and Tosa East High School, this becomes a dangerous bad habit as kids are crossing at virtually every single intersection. And it’s not just the stop signs that are subject to the Tosa Roll, it’s also those taking advantage of the right turn on red, and apparently ignoring the part about “unless children are present.”

Look, I’m not trying to be preachy. I’ve done my fair share of Tosa Rolls, but I think I’ll try to be a little more patient when kids are around. Plus, I’ve usually got a soon-to-be driver in my passenger seat watching my every move. It’s up to me to set a good example.

Maggie Bersch was the youngest daughter of Dennis and Clare when she succumbed to childhood cancer at the tender age of eight. Her smile is remembered by the many lives she touched, especially those at Christ King School, where she was a student. Her classmates and those of her older sisters rallied around Maggie and the family during her long illness. And although she was loved and supported by so many people in the Christ King community, it wasn’t enough to keep her here with us. Maggie lost her fight with cancer in November of 2004.

However, Maggie’s smile lives on in so many ways. It lives on in the memories of her family and friends and on September 7th, it will live on through the participants of MAGGIE’smile, a 1 Mile Fun Run (and Walk) to benefit the Maggie Bersch Memorial Fund at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. The fund was actually started over thirty years ago by Maggie’s grandparents, Dennis and Mary Bersch, and enhances the stays of children who need to be in the hospital. It was renamed in her honor after her death.

MAGGIE’smile, which starts at the Christ King School parking lot at Swan Boulevard and Center at 6:00 pm (check-in begins at 5:00pm), includes a pizza party, raffle drawing, live music and an opportunity to walk or run a mile for a very good cause.

To register, please contact Audra at 414-774-8668 by September 3rd. Registration is only $5 per person and every participant receives a MAGGIE’smile Wrist Band and kids will receive a MAGGIE’smile Water Bottle. Donations directly to the Maggie Bersch Memorial Fund are also greatly appreciated. Please consider participating in this very special event. It would make Maggie smile to know that so many people are gathered in her name to help put smiles on the faces of the kids at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.