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Politics & Government

The Best of Patch: October

A month-by-month look back at the top stories of 2011.

As the year comes to a close, we all tend to look back at what exactly we've accomplished over the past 365 days.

October was a month for our sports teams as the Greyhound runners, swimmers and gridiron players made the news. Let's us not forget what the Brewers, Packers and Badgers were up to during the month. What a month to be a sports fan in Shorewood and Wisconsin. 

Off the field, officials addressed a ban on weapons in public buildings and a gas leak caused by a Shorewood gas station. They also kept a close eye on a bill in Madison that would have helped address their $76.9 million accounting error.   

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The Shorewood High School cross country teams finished a successful season with the boys earning third and the girls earning sixth at the state meet. During October, the Shorewood High School girls swim team won their sixth straight Woodland Conference title.  

A bill authored by state Sen. Alberta Darling that would lift property tax levy limits for Shorewood and soften the impact of a valuation error on taxpayers unanimously passed the state Senate in October. A $76.9 million error made by Shorewood’s assessor forced the village to add an additional $2 million to this year’s levy. To avoid an artificial spike in property taxes, Shorewood officials planned to decrease the levy by $2 million, borrow or use cash on hand to fund the difference, and then raise the levy the following year by the same amount. 

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A 49-6 loss to Milwaukee Riverside that ended the team's season didn't diminish the significance of Messmer/Shorewood's first playoff appearance since 1981. The team had to battle off the field too as its became a legal question answered by the courts days before the playoffs began. 

Shorewood officials approved a ban on weapons in village-owned buildings. Shorewood amended its current ordinance regarding weapons to reflect the new state law, which allows the concealed carry of firearms, Tasers and other weapons as of Nov. 1, and banning any sort of weapon from village-owned buildings. 

The Citgo station in Shorewood was forced to close after a gas leak was found. The station eventually reopened as the gas station owner was ordered to work with a consultant to develop a plan to address fuel contaminating soil near his station. 

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