Saryan First Woman Common Council President in 16 Years, Not First Ever

Greenfield Patch inaccurately reported that Shirley Saryan was the first after she was chosen by her peers to fill that role last month.

Turns out Shirley Saryan’s appointment as the City of Greenfield’s Common Council president was not as history-making as Greenfield Patch believed. Last week, Patch called Saryan, the city’s 5th District alderperson, the first woman in the city’s history to hold that position. That was not correct. Former alderperson Barbara Clark held that title for one year, beginning in 1996. Greenfield Patch regrets the error.

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Shirley Saryan Makes Greenfield History with Appointment as Common Council President

The 5th District alderperson is the first woman to hold that title in the city's 56-year-history.

Editor's note: Due to a reporter error, 5th District Alderperson Shirley Saryan was misidentified as the first female Common Council president in city history. Former Alderperson Barbara Clark was president for one year back in 1996-97. We regret the error. Original story: Shirley Saryan says her eight-year tenure as alderperson of the City of Greenfield’s 5th District was an accident of sorts. Back in 2005, when then-alderperson Michael Neitzke was elected mayor, his ascension created an opening on the city’s five-person Common Council panel. Saryan at the time served on the Library Board, and one night when it had a meeting with the Common Council, she just happened to sit in Neitzke’s former seat. “(Alderperson) Karl Kastner was sitting…

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Mayor Michael Neitzke Sworn in for Third Term

Michael Neitzke, the City of Greenfield's 10th mayor, officially started his third term Tuesday after running unopposed in this spring's election.

  Mayor Michael Neitzke, who will be the longest-tenured mayor in the City of Greenfield's history should he finish his third term, took the oath of office Tuesday in a ceremony at City Hall. Neitzke ran unopposed in this spring's election, just the second mayor to do so in the city's 56-year history. Neitzke addressed an audience that included school board members, current and former alderpersons, department heads, State Representative Jeff Stone and other community members. Below are some of the highlights from his address: "As I was growing up, my mom really gave me a sense of civic pride. … She really taught me something about our community.  She was always very, very, very proud of this community." "When I came back and became …

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Mayor Neitzke's Inauguration is April 16

The ceremony will take place at 6:30 p.m. April 16; the Common Council meeting is slate for 7 p.m.

Mayor Michael Neitzke, re-elected for a third term in last week's spring general election when he ran uncontested, will be sworn into office in a ceremony before the Common Council meeting April 16. The ceremony will take place at 6:30 p.m.; the Common Council meeting is slate for 7 p.m. Neitzke is only the second mayor in the city's history to run unopposed.

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Editor's Notebook

It's Time to Paint 'Greenfield' on the Water Tower

Quick, name another community that doesn't have its name on its water tower. You'll probably be hard-pressed to do so.

Sometimes it’s nice to stand apart from a crowd and be lauded for your individuality. But not all the time. The City of Greenfield continues to miss out on a terrific branding opportunity and chance to strengthen community identity by failing to address its “naked” water tower. It’s been two years this month since the Common Council was last asked by Mayor Michael Neitzke to approve funding to put the city’s name on the water tower near 92nd and Howard Avenue. Back in 2011, Neitzke suggested to the alderpersons the city use $7,000 from the city’s hotel/motel tax tourism account to paint “Greenfield” on the tower, which is operated by Milwaukee Water Works. Alderperson Shirley Saryan moved to approve the spending, but the motion died for …

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Look Ahead: Election, Superintendent Search This Week

While some people might enjoy an off day Monday because of Presidents’ Day, the rest of the week is crammed full of events and meetings.

  While some people might enjoy an off day Monday because of Presidents’ Day, the rest of the week is crammed full of events and meetings. Tuesday is primary Election Day! All Greenfield voters will get the chance to trim the candidate field in the State Supreme Court and Milwaukee County Judge races. Voters in Wards 5-12 can do the same in the race for the 17thDistrict Milwaukee County Board, which features Greenfield’s Tom Anthony and Al Singer and West Allis’ Tony Staskunas. On Wednesday, the city’s Common Council will meet to discuss the fate of a proposal to open a second-hand jewelry store shop on 27th Street, among other things. Thursday, the Greenfield School Board will take a big step in determining its new superintendent …

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City Fills Police and Fire Commission Vacancy

Greenfield resident Julie Degaro was appointed to the city’s Police and Fire Commission on Tuesday.

Greenfield resident Julie Degaro's mayoral appointment to the city’s Police and Fire Commission was approved by the Common Council on Tuesday. Since 2005, Degaro has worked at Johnson Controls in Milwaukee as the accounts payable supervisor. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and a master’s degree in business administration from Alverno College. “I think we found a fantastic candidate,” Mayor Michael Neitzke said. Degaro replaces Kelly Biever.

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Parking Lot to Replace Psychic Reader Building on Hwy. 100

Some city officials believe the expansion of Boucher Nissan’s parking lot at its dealership could help with stormwater management in a location notorious for flooding issues.

  Some city officials believe the expansion of Boucher Nissan’s parking lot at its dealership on Highway 100 could help with stormwater management in a location of the city notorious for flooding issues. On Tuesday, the City of Greenfield Common Council agreed to allow Boucher Nissan to purchase the 2.2-acre lot immediately to the south at 4201 S. 108th in order to expand the dealership’s vehicle storage and display capacity. The plan calls for a 215-stall parking lot taking the place of a building that was once a sports memorabilia shop and most recently home to the Psychic Spiritual Center. The move will result in the razing of the building, a house in the middle of a major commercial corridor. As part of the proposal, an underground …

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Business Owners Argue Over Harley-Davidson 110th Anniversary

The motorcycle company's 110th anniversary is next summer, and two Greenfield business owners are already banging heads.

A pair of Greenfield business owners traded insults and barbs for the better part of an hour over what could be the biggest party Greenfield sees this decade. Heck, there was even an unexpected Peanuts reference as Scott Campbell of Promotion Design LLC and John Schaller, owner of House of Harley-Davidson debated each other’s level of involvement during Harley-Davidson’s 110th anniversary celebration slated for Aug. 26 through Sept. 3, 2013. The verbal boxing match, that at times featured Mayor Michael Neitzke and City Attorney Roger Pyzyk as referees Tuesday, stemmed from the Common Council's decision to deny Campbell, the co-owner of Boot Connection, a temporary use permit to use the Towne Center parking lot at 6100-6196 West Layton …

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Dr. Dawg Opening Soon; Patio Approved for Spring

The new hot dog restaurant will open in the former Hooters restaurant in early 2013, owner David Ross said.

Most dogs like being outside. Even Dr. Dawg. Davis Ross, owner of the Chicago-style hot dog and Italian beef restaurant set to open soon in the former Hooters building, 7700 W. Layton Ave., received approval to build a fenced-in, uncovered patio on the south side of the building. Ross, who told Greenfield Patch he hopes to open the new restaurant by Feb. 1, got the OK from the City of Greenfield’s Common Council on Tuesday to build the patio between the sidewalk on 76th Street and the front of the building. He did, however, have to scale back the original scope of the patio, which was initially 1,440-square-feet and could have held nine four-person tables as well as a few benches. The new patio is expected to accommodate as many as six …

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David Cotey

4:23 pm on Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Greendale Citizen, I might not have been clear. I'm not 100 percent certain, but it appears as if the drive-thru option won't work because of the space/layout, which is why Ross suggested the curbside service.   more ›