News & Notes: May 15

Board member resigns to take coaching duties

West Allis - West Allis-West Milwaukee School Board member George Sotiros has resigned from the School Board because he became head girls basketball coach at Nathan Hale High School.

The School Board will likely discuss at a workshop on Monday how to fill the vacancy.

Buildings' renovation deemed top projects

West Allis - For the second time in a month, the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District has been recognized for the district's purchase out of receivership the former Allis-Chalmers executive office building and tractor factory office building and giving them new life in a way that also generated money for the schools.

The district renovated the buildings and consolidated its operations into the buildings located on South 70th Street in downtown West Allis.

The Daily Reporter, a trade publication for Wisconsin statewide commercial construction, presented the WAWM Schools an award for "Top Projects of 2011". This is the 13th consecutive year that this print publication has recognized top architectural and construction projects throughout Wisconsin.

The West Allis-West Milwaukee Schools were one of 30 projects statewide to receive this award including the Chazen Museum of Art at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Marquette University Engineering Hall and the Summerfest South End Development project.

The schools rent out two floors of one building and three floors of the other using the proceeds to pay for the operating expenses of both with more than $600,000 left over for educational programs.

Historic Paradise Theater to reopen as Epikos Church

West Allis - The historic and iconic Paradise Theater, 6229 W Greenfield Ave., will have a grand reopening as the Epikos Church at 10:30 a.m. June 10.

The church invested more than $2 million to rehabilitate and renovate the 1929 structure that appeared to be headed for the wrecking ball.

Epikos Church, that started in 2005 on Milwaukee's East Side, was growing fast and wanting to expand to a second location.

The church will continue to have worship services on the east side and with the use of technology will also hold worship services in the Paradise Theater. The church is also in the process of raising funds to complete a fully operational and fully public coffee house in the retail portion of the building.

AFS seeks host families for foreign exchange students

Greenfield - AFS, a non-profit, international high school student exchange program, has enabled Greenfield High School to have two foreign exchange students this year. One is from Germany and the other from Japan.

Now the organization is seeking families to host a student for the 2012-2013 school year. More information may be obtained from Jay Russell, (414) 423-4437 orrussmiez@wi.rr.com.

New business restores headlights, upholstery

Greenfield - Greenfield resident Merle Patnode has launched First View Restoration, a vehicle headlight and upholstery restoration service, to service automobiles and trucks.

"I started the company after noticing that dingy and yellowed headlights on cars and trucks tended to make the vehicle look old and uncared for. And as a safety factor, yellowed headlights are unsafe and reduce the drivers' visibility at night," Patnode said in a press release announcing the new business.

First View Restoration works by appointment, and restorations are done at clients' locations. The process returns the UV gel coating protection to headlights and makes the original plastics more durable and sustainable, he said.

First View Restoration also repairs fabric tears and burns in vehicle interiors.

For information, call Merle Patnode at (414) 897-3437, emailfirstviewrestoration@yahoo.com, or go online to firstviewrestoration.com.