Shorewood Patch Week in Review

As trends like fashion and music have come and gone over the past decade in the Shorewood School District, one has remained the same — the districts declining resident enrollment. In fact, the district has had to cut teachers, meaning the remaining teachers have had to teach in front of the largest classes in the history of Shorewood, cut classes like Chinese language and take up referendum after referendum.

Facing a $1.9 million budget deficit going forward next year, Supt. Blane McCann said Monday the district plans to cut $1.6 million from its budget, with little change to curriculum. Combining savings under Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill, staff turnover and the savings from a change in the district’s healthcare plan, the district plans to balance its budget. Passage of the would actually put the district in the positive, as it shifts pension liability out of the operating fund, if it borrows the $11.6 million it says it now would borrow.

Running the nearly 30 miles of winding roads and city streets in the Boston Marathon is hard enough in shorts and a T-shirt, but James Gefke will do it in his firefighting gear. His fallen friend and former North Shore firefighter of more than a decade is his inspiration.

Department of Public Works employees reached an agreement on an one-year extension with the village, just days before the governor’s budget repair is set to go into effect. Village Manager Chris Swartz said, however, the action of the Village Board had nothing to do with the bill. Instead, he said, the agreement was  in the best interest of the village.

The village says it might be able to replace fencing at ’s north and south edge, after North Lake Drive homeowners said its removal in April 2009 opened the door for beachgoers to trespass onto privately owned beaches. Residents made it clear at a they wanted the fence back up, saying since it was removed they have experienced increased traffic onto their private beaches. Underage drinking, drug use, littering, broken glass and syringes, theft, unattended fires and vandalism were all happening on their private property, residents said. Another homeowner called the fires, kids having sex and drugs and alcohol on the beach an everyday occurrence.

Village trustee candidate Michael Sauer says he wants to help bring more residents to the village and would approach the village’s sewer issue differently if elected. Sauer, 29, is the youngest on the Shorewood Village Board.