Where is the local leadership???  What about our 2 new Trustees??  Have you heard from them? ..  This has a bearing on all of us. (Property values, hello people!)  .. I think its time the people take over this issue and start telling the village to get out of the way...they are the friggin problem.  Maybe someone can find wherever Katie Pritchard is hiding and get her leadership on this issue.  Keep on this Kevin!

1. Silver Spring is being torn up to replace sewers, roads, curbs and sidewalks.  By the start of next summer, Silver Spring's physical status will be vastly improved.
2. A Business Improvement District has recently been created and staffed.
3. A "recruiter" has been contracted to find new businesses to move into the many vacancies.
   

1. WFB Officials who were in power from, say, 2001 to 2006.  In 2001, the Bayshore expansion was announced.  That was the moment we all should have been looking to the future, planning for tougher times for area merchants.  After 2006, with a steady drumbeat of business closures, the current crop of Trustees started taking Streetscaping, BIDs, and recruiting seriously.  Could they have acted more quickly?  Certainly.  But they ARE acting now.
   
   
2. Ourselves.  While mostly drowned-out in the past two years, Whitefish Bay has a segment of vocal long-timers who want to party like it's 1959.  They are resistant to change, whether that be new development, or tearing down what's old and familiar.  A great example of this was in 2006, when "The Bay" was proposed, and met with extreme derision.  Honest to god, people actually voiced their opinion by BOOING.  It's one thing to not like a development and want it changed in some respects .. but to yell out "boo"?  Childish and embarrassing for Whitefish Bay.  -- Imagine if a shorter version of The Bay, with the proposed ground level retail complex, had been built.  New Land Enterprises would have spent lots of time recruiting new restaurants and businesses to their new digs, which would have had a very positive effect on all of Silver Spring.
   

1. Find a way to help the current businesses stay afloat, especially while SS is under construction and the economy is stressed.  I don't know how else to say it, but the Trustees must meet with business owners, and examine every ordinance and eliminate all business un-friendly codes.  The obvious example is to strike the $164 violation for sandwich board signs.
   
   
2. Start with the subject: How can we be 100 times more aggressive in finding new businesses to move to Whitefish Bay?  Years ago, Shorewood hosted a "conference" of sorts, inviting local leaders, business owners, developers, and landlords, asking them the question:  How can we get you to move here?  Let's follow Shorewood's, very successful, path.
   

Make sure you read:

1. One less bad guy on WFB's streets!
   
2. Solicitors DO NEED PERMITS
   
3. WFB Picks New Trustee 
4. Grim Silver Spring Prediction .. a Local Merchant's thoughts..
5. Bits & Pieces (New Engineer, Leaf Collection, Crime .. Fire)

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Ouch.  Got this email today from Rodd Hall, the owner of Great Harvest:

October 1, 2008

 To My Great Friends and Customers,

I have made the very difficult decision to close the Great Harvest bread store in Whitefish Bay, effective today.

We'll be open for business just one more time, for the Richards School 3^rd Grade "Baker For A Day" event, Sunday October 26, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., to benefit the Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee. I hope to see you then!

Finding conscientious and loyal employees has always been a challenging part of running this store. Over the past year it has become so difficult that it has just plain worn me out.

You know the people who work here have always been the best! I couldn't possibly be more proud of them. The problem is that I can no longer find enough of "the best" people to be able to offer you the kind of service you and I expect from Great Harvest.

As an eternal optimist, I've been fighting this decision for a long time, believing things would improve. The last straw was the recent last-minute decision by the Village of Whitefish Bay to close Silver Spring Drive during its reconstruction, a reversal of their long-standing promise to keep Silver Spring open in both directions throughout the project. I know from experience that this would be bad for an already suffering business district at any time; it will be devastating since it's happening during the holiday shopping season.

I'm going back to my first "bakery love", the reason I opened this store 18 years ago ... baking great bread. I'll still be baking, just not running a retail bread store.

So all is not lost. You will still be able to buy Great Harvest bread at the Pick ‘N Save stores at 4145 N Oakland in Shorewood and at 11300 N Port Washington Rd in Mequon.

I hope to add other stores to this list. If you can't buy Great Harvest bread at your favorite grocery store, please talk to the store manager and give them my phone number.

I'd love to talk with you in more detail about the store closing if you want. Please phone the bakery at (414) 963-9690 and leave me a voicemail with your name and number. I'll get back to you as soon as I can. And if you know anyone who might be interested in running a great retail bread store, please have them give me a call.

Thanks for 18 wonderful years! I'll miss you.

Warmest regards,

 

 

Ouch.  Didn't see this one coming, even after reading this from Rodd last week. Great Harvest was one of the jewels of Whitefish Bay.  Very sad day.  Silver Spring is turning into a slow-motion car accident.

Hall mentions he will continue baking .. not sure if that means he'll continue in his prime spot, or find a new kitchen.  I'll update that later.

Make sure you read:

1. One less bad guy on WFB's streets!
   
2. Solicitors DO NEED PERMITS
   
3. WFB Picks New Trustee 
4. Grim Silver Spring Prediction .. a Local Merchant's thoughts..
5. Bits & Pieces (New Engineer, Leaf Collection, Crime .. Fire)

 Don't want to keep checking for news on this blog?  Have it delivered to your inbox, so you won't miss anything.  Free.  Click here.

And the umpteenth store to close on Silver Spring is ... Creme Boutique.

In an email to customers, Creme owners reported:

We are very sorry to tell you that Creme Boutique will close on October 29.  We had hoped that adding Kid's Consignment to the store would help business, but the economy and other factors have made continuing impossible.
 
We will be having a store wide sale (excluding consignment clothes) starting on October 1st.

Sad.  Another small business bites the dust on Silver Spring.

Prepare for more.  We've been skirting around an "official" recession in 2008, but it's hard to believe the economy will improve any time in the next 6-12 months.   On top of that .. with the credit market crisis, it's going to be nearly impossible for any new businesses to open.

And, of course, Silver Spring is now undergoing street construction, which will eliminate parking, and frustrate the very customers that merchants are depending on.

The latest gut-punch to arrive, is that WFB officials had been telling merchants that SS would remain open in both directions, so Silver Spring sort of looked open.  In an email sent to merchants this week, that's no longer the case.  Silver Spring will be down to 1-lane Eastbound. 

Yes, construction will be suspended from Thanksgiving to Jan 1.  Raise your hand if you think that will make a difference.  What does "suspended" mean, anyhow?  I'm guessing it'll still be 1-way traffic with no parking.  How is that going to help?  UPDATE:  Trustee Fehring has commented below .. the contractor is required to close up all trenches, put down temporary asphalt.  Sounds like 2 way traffic plus parking.  Great to hear.

November and December are the two most important months for the local merchants, many who are just skating by.  The timing of this construction will push a few over the edge.

SHOP LOCAL!

Make sure you read:

1. One less bad guy on WFB's streets!
   
2. Solicitors DO NEED PERMITS
   
3. WFB Picks New Trustee 
4. Grim Silver Spring Prediction .. a Local Merchant's thoughts..
5. Bits & Pieces (New Engineer, Leaf Collection, Crime .. Fire)

 Don't want to keep checking for news on this blog?  Have it delivered to your inbox, so you won't miss anything.  Free.  Click here.

This just isn’t helpful.

Last week, Silver Spring merchant Tom Harris, owner of the Great Frame Up, received a $164 citation for .. drum roll .. trying to do business.

His crime?  He put out a 3 foot tall "sandwich" board on the sidewalk in front of his shop.   

Horrors.

Whitefish Bay’s building inspector saw it, and warned Harris that the sign was in violation of Whitefish Bay zoning code.   Harris then moved the sign from the sidewalk to private property.

Later, an inspector came back, saw the sign was now on private property, suggested Harris was “screwing with him” and wrote out a $164 citation. 

Sure enough, section 16.18F, #6 prohibits the following signs:  Advertising vehicles, changeable message signs, electronic signs, flashing signs, portable signs, off-premises signs, roof signs, swinging signs, and, you guessed it, SANDWICH SIGNS!   

Jesus, Tom, the law is the law.    Who do you think you are?

The Great Frame Up has been a solid business along Silver Spring for 15 years, and they've donated generously to Whitefish Bay's civic events and programs over the years to the tune of over 6-figures.  A couple times a year, for 4-5 days, they want to put out a sign to market themselves to passers-by.  Their reward?  A $164 ticket.

We're not talking some crappy easel, paper, and crayon sign.  This is a professionally made quality sign.  It's not gaudy, it's not impeding traffic, and it's pretty small.  (See picture).

Uh-oh, Patricia’s.  Uh-oh, Sendik's.  I’m sure these scoff-laws also got $164 tickets, too.  (See pictures below.)   Or did the building inspector single out The Great Frame Up?

NOTE TO VILLAGE TRUSTEES:  THIS IS THE KIND OF CRAP THAT MAKES IT TOUGHER FOR MERCHANTS TO STAY IN BUSINESS.   The Trustees need to go through the ENTIRE CODE, and declare a moratorium on every merchant-unfriendly ordinance.   Two more businesses closed this month, there are rumors another two are going belly up within weeks. 

The Silver Spring merchants need the green light to do everything they can to eek out a living and stay afloat.   I don't care if they want to have daily elephant rides and fireworks.     We're close to, or in a recession, unemployment is up, inflation is up, Silver Spring's physical condition is abysmal, and theoretically, the Village is going to dig up the street going into the holiday season, suppressing business.

We are at DEFCON 1.  Call up the Whitefish Bay Professional Association, ask them how you can help, and make it all happen at the very next board meeting.

Lastly .. if the Village wants to give out tickets .. how about giving citations for the hideous collection of weeds growing at the Talbots property?    Aren't landlords responsible for their property?   It looks like abandoned lot, and makes Silver Spring look even worse.

Picture courtesy of Gordy Lang:

Stay informed .. make sure you read the 22nd Assembly District Forum Recap, the Race for Wasserman's open seat.

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 And the next Silver Spring Merchant into the deadpool is...

Bella Donna.  BD closed their doors yesterday.

Here's some irony .. as you google Bella Donna, you get a Journal-Sentinel article about Silver Spring from 2006, right after Bayshore opened:

Bay Shops Want to Keep Up With Neighbor:

..notable vacancies have appeared (on SS) lately: last week's closing of Heinemann's restaurant, and the departure of Talbots women's clothing, which will close its Silver Spring Drive store and reopen Thursday at the new Bayshore Town Center, in neighboring Glendale. Another restaurant, Ciao Café, shut down in July.

"It really disturbs me right now with all the people on Silver Spring leaving," said Cardone, who invested $30,000 to open Bella Donna a year ago. "We've got to change it around somehow."

"If we play our cards right, we can easily piggyback off of (Bayshore)," said Chris Breyfogle, who owns Murray's Wine and Spirits, a specialty beer, wine and liquor store in the middle of the Silver Spring Drive strip.

Bayshore is a threat "if we stand idly by and fail to improve our business district," said Jim Roemer, a banker and treasurer of the Whitefish Bay Community Development Authority.  (Roemer is now a Trustee.)

If smart improvements occur, Roemer said, the business district "could be a real cool, eclectic complement to the more mainstream retail in Bayshore."

...street improvements have been discussed since 2001, when Bayshore announced its expansion and redevelopment plans. But that proposal has moved slowly, Harris said.

The streetscape project, which could include new sidewalks, lighting, benches and decorative planters, didn't happen immediately because village officials wanted to make those improvements and other changes in conjunction with a planned street reconstruction, said Ray Krueger, an attorney and Community Development Authority chairman.

...Meanwhile, plans for some of the sidewalk improvements are now proceeding, Krueger said. There is no specific timetable or cost estimate yet, but the project is "high on the agenda," Krueger said. The village also has created a program to provide facade improvement grants for commercial building owners on Silver Spring Drive.

Still, things have moved slowly, said Brian Henry, who operates Fox-Bay Cinema Grill, one of the street's largest businesses.

"It was sleepy when I got here seven years ago," Henry said. "It's gotten sleepier."

..."I think Whitefish Bay needs to open its eyes," Cardone said. "That's all I'm going to say."

Wow! 

TWO YEARS have clicked off since that article was written.

Two of the three merchants who were quoted ARE OUT OF BUSINESS. 

The streetscaping project has been talked to death, and as far as I know, has no start date. 

Brian Henry said "it's gotten sleepier" in 2006 .. what is it now?  Comatose?

Beyond sad.

Stay informed .. make sure you read the 22nd Assembly District Forum Recap, the Race for Wasserman's open seat.

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Ok, who had "Balia Wellness" in the Silver Spring Dead Pool? 

Pick up your winnings. 

Word of their demise is on their website, they closed up shop last week, but are refunding gift certificates.

Note to CNI Newspaper staff:   Let me save you some time.  I can write your official five paragraphs on Balia's closing.

It's kind of like a Mad-Lib:

___________ is the latest East Silver Spring Drive business to close. It began a liquidation sale early last week.

In addition to the larger economic pressures, ______ said he believes the opening of Bayshore Town Center in Glendale has hurt businesses on Silver Spring in Whitefish Bay.

"Foot traffic on our street is close to half of what it was," ______ said.

_______ questions if the village could have done more in getting businesses onto the street that would have increased foot traffic, like approving the Silver Spring streetscaping plan to improve aesthetics and other development projects, or allowing attention grabbing temporary outdoor signage.

A Village Official responded, “Businesses don’t go out of business because of trees on the street.”

------------

Stay informed .. make sure you read the 22nd Assembly District Forum Recap, the Race for Wasserman's open seat.

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Hecker's

There's an article in today's NOW about the demise of Hecker's shoes, the latest victim of Silver Spring's decline. 

Here's a few clips:

"(Marcia Hecker) said an increasing number of Internet shoe stores and a lack of foot traffic in the East Silver Spring business district added to the company’s demise."

"Hecker questions if the village could have done more in getting businesses onto the street that would have increased foot traffic, like approving the Silver Spring streetscaping plan to improve aesthetics and other development projects."

What was Village Manager James Grassman's response?

“Businesses don’t go out of business because of trees on the street.”

Wow.

How's that theory working out for you?

Make sure to read Homeowner Rights Suffer Blow.  and ARC-ARGH.

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Hecker's

Just got word that Hecker's Shoes,  on Silver Spring since 1957, is closing.  My neighbor visited the shop and confirmed it, that they would stay open as their inventory depletes.  

Ouch.

Looks like their website was abandoned a long time ago, but I was able to dig into the archives:

For four generations Hecker's Shoes has been a destination for families who care about quality footwear.  Abe and Ann Hecker opened the store in 1957 focusing on men, women, and children's shoes, relying on the motto "proper fit and service makes all the difference".  Hecker's Shoes has evolved into a children's shoes store based on the traditions and philosophies of the late Abe Hecker.

Now owned and operated by Marcia Hecker, Abe and Ann's daughter, the store specializes in children's footwear but carries a small selection of women’s shoes.  The store stocks infant through *** shoes in narrow, medium, and wide widths, this is what sets them apart from other stores.  According to Marcia Hecker shoes need to be fit properly to prevent irritation and discomfort.  It is particularly important for young walkers to have the correct support while learning how to walk. 

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I was forwarded an email from a loyal reader with news from Eric Bahr, the manager of Sal's Pizza in Cedarburg. 

Sal's Pizza will not be opening a new restaurant on Silver Spring, nor anywhere else.

I've received a few updates .. Sal's was concerned about the usual things.  Downturn in the economy .. they've noticed less volume at their Cedarburg joint .. plus high rent demands = cold feet.

I'd say that Sal's Pizza in WFB is a victim of $4 gasoline.  More money spent on driving, less on eating out.  Plus fuel costs driving the cost of pizza ingredients, flour, cheese, tomatoes way up.

DAMN!  I really thought that was going to be a huge hit for Silver Spring.   Note to the landlord: What are there, 500 pizza places in a 25 mile radius?  One of them could be talked into expanding to a pizza-starved location.  Start calling.

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As I drove back from dinner tonight, I noticed Hollywood Video on Silver Spring (technically in Glendale) has closed.

I'm partially responsible for driving it out of business.

Two months ago, I subscribed to Netflix.  And I love it.

I think the primary reason I wanted to join was that .. I miss a lot of movies I want to see.  I hear reviews, see trailers, and have a desire to see many movies each year, but we just never get around to seeing a tenth of them, whether at the Fox Bay, or from renting them at the now defunct Hollywood Video.

The solution is Netflix's queue.  See a movie you want to eventually watch?  Put it in your queue.  Once it comes out on DVD, it'll show up in your mailbox like magic.

I started out on the $5/month plan, where you get two DVDs each month.  I figured I could easily find time to watch one movie every two weeks.  After I put 25 movies in my queue, I realized, crap, it's gonna take a year to see all those movies.

So I bumped my plan to the $14/month deal that gets you two DVDs at a time, with no monthly limit. My evil plan is to blow through the list in 2-3 months, then drop back down to the $5 plan.

How to pay for it?   Well, do you get HBO?  Do you actually watch it?  Turns out, we didn't.  Even with a dozen HBO channels, neither my wife nor I find movies we want to watch on HBO, except on rare occasion.  Do a household survey and count up the number of movies you actually watch on HBO.    If it's less than 5 or 6 .. cancel it.  Quit HBO, and pick up Netflix. 

Netflix is extraordinarily easy .. DVDs are shipped to you in one day, you watch 'em, and stick them in their postage-paid return envelope for your mailman to take.  They receive them in one day, and ship a new one to you immediately for the next day.  Pretty slick.   Netflix sends over 1 million DVDs in the mail every day.

So .. sorry, Hollywood Video.   Gosh, I sure hope Aurora Health Care doesn't find out, abandon their plans for the WFB clinic, and take that newly empty spot in prime Glendale, wink, wink.  

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.. street improvements (on Silver Spring) have been discussed since 2001, when Bayshore announced its expansion and redevelopment plans.

Wow. 6 years of talking about streetscaping and we have nothing to show for it. Unbelievable.

My neighbor attended the August 9th Streetscaping meeting at the Library. She implores anyone who understands Silver Spring needs a face lift to contact the village. So there's your action point.

I'll list the Village Trustees here. I'd list their email addresses too, but they aren't to be found. (Perhaps they've been talking about getting email addresses for 6 years, too.)

Village Board
Kathleen Pritchard, President
Kenneth Berg, Trustee
Jim Brennan, Trustee
Rita Cheng, Trustee
David Fee, Trustee
Thomas Schmid, Trustee
James Roemer, Trustee