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Special report: Disorganization hampers city effort to replace lead water service lines at child care centers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
April 13, 2018
A crew replaces a lead water service line in Milwaukee. (Photo courtesy of Milwaukee PBS)
Editor’s note: This is one of an occasional series of stories highlighting the health risk — particularly to children — of lead service lines, which deliver water from city water mains to about 70,000 homes in Milwaukee.
Sixteen months after funding was made available to replace lead water service lines at each licensed child care facility in Milwaukee — at no cost to the property owner  — 184 day care centers in the city are still operating with lead service lines.
“Despite all the shake-ups at the Health Department it still seems as if there isn’t a sense of urgency among some over there, sadly,” said Ald. Bob Donovan referring to the slow pace of the replacements.
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“I’m sure it’s impacting our kids,” added Donovan, whose district has day care centers operating with lead water service lines.
In December 2016 the Common Council approved a budget that included funding to replace lead service lines at each licensed city child care facility. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is supplementing the funding. In June 2017, 385 child care centers were eligible for a full replacement at a cost of $13,100 each, though that number has now dropped to 347, according to Sandy Rusch Walton, communications manager for the Department of Public Works (DPW). The number fluctuates as day care centers open and close, she said. Of the 347, 184 were operating with lead water service lines as of April 6.
Forty-eight of the 184 have not responded to outreach from the Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) or Milwaukee Water Works (part of DPW) regarding the free replacements. The remaining 136 had either scheduled appointments with MWW or the replacement work had been bid out to contractors, according to Rusch Walton. Forty-six replacements are currently under contract, 40 have gone out to bid, and 50 day care centers have scheduled home visits with MWW, she added.
The city has faced challenges funding the private side of the replacements and lining up contractors to conduct them, said Ald. James Bohl, who has been pushing to reevaluate the strategy for dealing with lead service lines. According to Rusch Walton, the $7,100 cost of replacing the private portion of lead water service lines, which connect to one of the city’s main water supply pipes, is $1 million more than the funding provided to MWW from the DNR. However, a plan is in place to pay for the work with DNR funds and collection of outstanding debt, she said.
“The sooner we replace the (lead service) lines at day cares the better. The quicker that happens the quicker we remediate one area of concern,” said Bohl, who also remarked on the apparent lack of urgency to complete the replacements.
Day care centers are not required to replace their lead water service lines, according to Angela Hagy, director of disease control and environmental health at MHD.
Lead water pipes have been found to decay and cause lead contamination in tap water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Lead exposure can cause behavior problems and learning disabilities in young children and also harm adults, states the CDC. Last year Mayor Tom Barrett urged Milwaukee residents living in a building constructed prior to 1951, which were typically constructed with lead water lines, to purchase a faucet filter. About 70,000 Milwaukee residents are served by lead laterals, according to DPW data.
The city sent a letter in June to property owners where day care centers are located informing them that it would pay to replace lead water service lines to reduce children’s exposure to lead.  The letter also stated that children under the age of 6 are most vulnerable to lead poisoning and that no amount of exposure to lead is safe. According to that letter, lead is not present in drinking water provided by MWW and it meets all federal guidelines for safety. However, when water stands in fixtures or pipes that contain lead, lead may dissolve into the water, it stated.
According to data provided by MWW, the majority of licensed child care centers operating with lead service lines are located on the North Side, including District 7, which has the most, and District 15, which has the second highest number.
“More needs to be done to protect our children,” said Ald. Russell W. Stamper II, who represents District 15. Eleven child care centers in his district have not responded to city outreach efforts and 24 have either gone to bid or have scheduled appointments with MWW. Nineteen lead service line replacements occurred at child care centers in Stamper’s district in 2017.
A Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service investigation found that disorganized outreach efforts and inefficient record keeping by MHD, MWW and the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families have hindered the replacements.
The health department manages outreach to child care facilities and is the initial point of contact, according to Rusch Walton. However, both MHD and MWW are coordinating the lead line removals. NNS found several instances in which day care operators said they never knew the property was eligible for a free replacement and only were informed of the opportunity to pick up free water filters provided by MHD. Several property owners also claimed they never were told that they were eligible to receive a full replacement of lead water service lines at no cost. Property owners must provide consent to conduct the lead service line replacement.
Krystal Rouse, owner of Christyle’s Little Learners, 2442 N. 54th St., said she was offered a water filter in late 2017 and nothing else. Jose M. Castro, who owns the property, said he’d never been contacted by anyone from MHD, but would be happy to have the work done.  Rouse said that her center serves 10 children.
“If they’re going to do something at no cost for the owner that’s fine for me. Maybe they sent (a letter) over to the (day care) and never sent it to me,” said Castro in Spanish. According to information included in an email sent to the aldermen by Jennifer Gonda, superintendent of Milwaukee Water Works, MHD was not able to coordinate a replacement at Little Learners because it had no contact information for Castro. NNS was able to quickly contact Castro after Rouse provided his phone number.
Tabitha Garner, owner of Touching Tender Hearts, 2523 N. 14th St., also said she was offered free water filters from MHD and picked them up in October. Garner, who doesn’t own the building but said she’s been running a child care center there for 25 years, said she was not told the property was eligible for a full replacement. MHD has since reached the owner of the property, Will Sherard, who stated that he wants something in writing confirming that the replacement is free before he agrees to the project, according to notes included with the data sent to council members.
“If we reach a child care facility owner we offer a filter … and ask for the contact information for the property owner to begin the process of getting the facility set up for replacement,” stated Jean Schultz, environmental and disease control specialist at MHD. “The issue has primarily been with facilities where the child care owner is responsive, but the property owner is not. We continue to reach out to these owners by whatever means we have.”
MHD does not track which day care operators have picked up free water filters or those who said they have their own filter, she added.
Stamper acknowledged the challenge of getting permission from property owners to conduct a replacement. He said he and Ald. Milele Coggs have requested that the city attorney look into mandating that owners of properties where day care centers are located have their lead laterals replaced.
Legislation mandating a replacement would not please Michele Quin Wright, owner of Mae Quin’s Family Learn Center, 3703 N. 24th Place. Wright said the day care center, which is run out of her home, serves between six and eight children a day. She acknowledged being contacted by MHD but said she didn’t want the free replacement.
“Once they start digging, all kind of mice are going to come into my house,” she said. I have cases of bottled water; we boil water or let the water run 15 minutes,” said Wright, adding that she also has a filter.
Many licensed child care centers in Milwaukee are operated out of residential properties. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
The initial outreach in 2017, consisting of phone calls to Wright and other child care operators, met with limited success, according to Rusch Walton. That effort was followed by sending a letter to property owners in June. Subsequent contacts included phone calls and a strongly worded letter that the department planned to send last month, she said.
Schultz said that property owners — not child care operators — are the first point of contact for MHD. In many cases, MHD was unable to contact either the day care owner or the property owner, as up-to-date contact information was missing from the records provided to MHD by the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF).
DCF, which licenses all child care facilities in the state, is in charge of collecting contact  information from applicants, according to Gina Paige, outreach specialist for DCF.  Once the facility is licensed, the owners are responsible for letting DCF know of any changes, she stated. Paige said that DCF performs annual inspections to assess compliance with requirements and determine whether information is current. However, it’s not clear when the last inspection of information provided by licensed child care centers in Milwaukee was conducted. Many of the day care centers NNS attempted to contact had phone numbers that were no longer in service.
Another major issue with MHD outreach efforts, according to Bohl, Stamper and Donovan, is that the department never conducted personal visits to any of the day care centers, including those that failed to respond to phone calls or letters and those whose contact information was not up to date.
“There’s been no management, poor management and disjointed efforts at the Health Department and we are now reaping what we sow,” Donovan said.
The data included in the email Gonda sent to Donovan and the other alderman in March contained a list of child care centers that had not responded to phone calls or letters, and invited assistance in reaching them. Donovan, who said he didn’t realized he’d been sent a list until informed of it by an NNS reporter, nevertheless said that the onus is on the Health Department to take the extra step.
“They (MHD) ought to be conducting personal visits to the day cares and visiting the homes of these property owners,” he added.
NNS visited six day care centers that had not responded to MHD or MWW. In each case, someone — including several day care operators who were also the property owners — answered the door. Asked why they hadn’t responded to outreach and whether they understood that the property was eligible for a free lead water service line replacement, most stated that they’d recently been contacted to begin the process of scheduling a replacement  — after NNS asked MHD about its outreach efforts to day care centers. Some stated that they had their own filters and others said they only used bottled water at the day care centers.
NNS also spoke with several day care owners who said they’d misplaced or failed to fully understand the communications by MHD and MWW. A women who identified herself as the owner of The Learning Factory Childcare LLC, 4235 W. Fond Du Lac Ave., which is on the list of day care centers that had not responded to MHD outreach, said her pipes were repaired and hung up. Some property owners claimed that they had given the okay for the replacement and were still waiting to be contacted by MHD. MHD spokesperson Janalle Goosby said she could not provide details regarding specific licensed child care facilities.
“The Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) is continuing to work with all licensed childcare facilities to make sure that ALL of them have their lead lines replaced,” said Goosby in an email.
According to Bohl, there is much room for improvement in coordinating the outreach to day care centers regarding lead water service lines. For example, the city should look into how many certified child care facilities have lead laterals. Certified facilities are different than licensed day care centers, and can only serve up to three children under age 7 who are unrelated to the provider.
Bohl said he worries that all the focus on lead water service lines could be distracting residents from even larger sources of lead in the community. For example, he stated that lead levels at MPS should be addressed, because of the plumbing at older schools.
“Some of those lead levels at MPS were dangerously high and the source in many cases wasn’t a lead service line,” Bohl said.
Earlier this week, Barrett said that paint is still the primary source of lead poisoning in Milwaukee children and implied that the emphasis on lead in the water is misplaced.
Despite differing viewpoints on where the city’s anti-lead efforts should be focused and the history of disarray within MHD, Donovan said the appointment of Patricia McManus as interim health commissioner in February should help address these issues.
“We’re hopeful that she can turn things around,” Donovan said.
Stamper said he is planning to introduce legislation that would engage community groups on the South Side and North Side to visit each each day care center as well as houses where children with elevated lead levels live to pass out free water filters and information on health services in the community.
“There are many issues we need to remediate regarding lead exposure in our city,” Stamper said. “It’s going to take a lot of work and coordination but there’s no question that more needs to be done.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated on April 22, 2018, to reflect new information that arrived while the article was in production. It also includes an updated graphic.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 12, 2018

source: news-milwaukeenns

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Adam Carr


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 22, 2018


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 13, 2018


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Alderman Stamper invites 15th District and city residents to Social Development Commission Job Fairs | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Russell W. Stamper, II
April 15, 2018
Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II encourages 15th District residents and other interested individuals to attend the Social Development Commission’s job fairs on Monday, April 16 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Tuesday, April 24 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Both job fairs will be held at the Social Development Commission’s building at 1730 W. North Ave.
On April 16, the Milwaukee Center for Independence will co-host the job fair to fill open positions for certified nursing assistants, nurses, community-based residential facilities employees, custodians, drivers, and food servers and kitchen staff. The April 24 job fair will focus on open positions in the carpentry, concrete finishing, electrical, landscaping, painting, plumbing, and roofing industries. All candidates, regardless of age or experience level, are encouraged to apply. Attendees should dress professionally and bring a current resumé to share with company representatives.
“Job fairs are a valuable resource for our community, and I encourage all city residents to explore their career opportunities at these job fairs,” said Alderman Stamper. “I would also like to extend my appreciation to the Social Development Commission for being an outstanding community partner and for bringing two job fairs to the 15th District this month.”
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For more information on the job fairs, please visit www.cr-sdc.org or contact Tyrone McKee at tmckee@cr-sdc.org or (414) 907-2700.

author: Ald. Russell W. Stamper, II


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Better Business Bureau Serving Wisconsin awards ‘Students of Integrity Scholarships’ to College Possible students | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wisconsin Better Business Bureau
April 15, 2018
Better Business Bureau Serving Wisconsin (BBB) is pleased to announce that two of the ten winners of its 2018 Students of Integrity Scholarships are participants in the College Possible Milwaukee program.
College Possible Milwaukee is a program that exists to make college admission and graduation possible for low-income, first-generation high school students through an intensive curriculum of coaching and support. Each student will receive a $2,500 scholarship to attend a Wisconsin-based school of their choice.
Akhbar Khan Feroz Khan and Mala Lue are students at Pulaski High School. Both students plan to enroll at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the fall.
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“Awarding Wisconsin student leaders who act with integrity is an important goal of our scholarship program,” said Jim Temmer, CEO and President of BBB Serving Wisconsin. “The two recipients of our scholarship who are involved in College Possible Milwaukee submitted very strong applications and stood out as strong future leaders. We look forward to seeing these students accomplish success in college and in their careers.”
“We are pleased that two of our students were recognized with this generous scholarship,” said Edie Turnbull, Executive Director of College Possible. “Scholarships like these make all the difference for our students. Because of the sharply rising cost of tuition, many students end up with a gap between their financial aid and tuition bill. This scholarship all but eliminates that gap. We are grateful to the BBB for recognizing and rewarding the hard work and determination of these two college-bound students.”
The BBB scholarships honor students who demonstrate integrity in their lives. As part of the application process, students must submit an essay based on an ethical dilemma they’ve faced and how it was resolved. This essay and letters of reference are the most critical parts of the application and what makes the BBB scholarship program unique. While grades and test scores are submitted, they are not the determining factor for the panel of independent judges.
The scholarship program is unique in that the judging process places a strong emphasis on the students’ essays, which required them to discuss an ethical dilemma they faced and describe how they handled it with decision-making skills of integrity. The students discussed dilemmas ranging from social pressures to maintaining a commitment to family values.
Funding for the 2018 BBB Students of Integrity Scholarship program is provided by the generous support of donors. Scholarship recipients will be recognized at BBB Serving Wisconsin’s annual Torch Awards for Ethics Luncheon on May 16 at the Italian Community Center. The Luncheon also honors winners of the Torch Awards for Ethics and Spark Awards for Entrepreneurship. Registration for the Torch Awards for Ethics Luncheon is available here.
Since 2010, the BBB Serving Wisconsin has provided scholarship gifts to Wisconsin students totaling more than $150,000.
For more information please visit bbb.org/wisconsin/scholarships or call 414-847-6068.
For more information or further inquiries, contact the Wisconsin BBB at www.bbb.org/wisconsin or 414-847-6000 (metro Milwaukee), 920-734-4352 (Appleton), or 1-800-273-1002 (elsewhere in Wisconsin). Consumers also can find more information about how to protect themselves from scams by following the Wisconsin BBB on Twitter, Facebook and You Tube.

author: Wisconsin Better Business Bureau


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COA Youth & Family Centers will provide nutritious meals to children this summer | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
COA Youth & Family Centers
April 15, 2018
COA Youth & Family Centers will be providing nutritious meals to children during the summer months through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). The SFSP program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, provides nutritious meals to children during the summer, when free and reduced-price school meals are typically unavailable.
Free meals will be made available to children 18 years of age and under. Persons over 18 years of age who are determined by a state or local public educational agency to be mentally or physically disabled and who also participate in a public or private non-profit school program during the regular school year may receive free meals as well.
COA plans to provide meals to children at the following locations:
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COA Youth & Family Centers – Goldin 2320 W. Burleigh Street
Milwaukee, WI 53206
COA Youth & Family Centers – Riverwest 909 E. North Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53221
Each site will serve breakfast from 9:00-10am and a lunch from 12:00pm-1:30pm, Monday through Friday. Meals for our program will be prepared in the kitchen at the COA Goldin location each day. Both feeding programs will operate from June 18 through August 24.

author: COA Youth & Family Centers


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40567254744_8e943c15b9_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 15, 2018


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 15, 2018


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Milwaukee Board of School Directors selects interim superintendent | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
April 15, 2018
(Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Public Schools)
Dr. Keith P. Posley, a 27-year veteran of Milwaukee Public Schools, with extensive school-based and district leadership experience, has been named interim Superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools by the Milwaukee Board of School Directors. The Board is expected to negotiate a contract with Dr. Posley, which plans to be approved on April 17, 2018. The Board is also expected to outline a transition period between Dr. Posley and outgoing Superintendent Darienne Driver.
“Dr. Posley’s leadership and experience make him an exceptional choice for interim superintendent,” said Milwaukee Board of School Directors’ President Mark Sain. “We look forward to working with Dr. Posley to continue our work to improve student achievement.”

author: Milwaukee Public Schools


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Fair housing work is not done | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
William R. Tisdale
April 16, 2018
William R. Tisdale, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council, writes that the goals of the Fair Housing Act — to promote integration and end unlawful discrimination in housing —have not been achieved, 50 years after the act was signed into law.
Fifty years ago this week, the federal Fair Housing Act was signed into law. It represented a giant stride forward in our nation’s protection of basic civil rights, and it was paid for by the blood and sweat of tireless men and women who worked long and hard for it.
These activists are rightfully heralded as heroes and heroines today, but let’s also remember that they were ordinary human beings — human beings like you and me, who understood that if they didn’t stand up for our national ideals of equality and freedom, nothing would change. Can you and I say the same about our own work? Are we living up to the legacy of those who have gone before us, or does inaction mean that we support the status quo, which is still rife with injustice? As we look at American communities today, another question prods us, as well: how much has really changed?
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While it’s clear that we’ve seen some measures of improvement, it’s also painfully obvious that the goals of the federal fair housing law — to promote integration and to end unlawful discrimination in housing — have not yet been achieved. Metropolitan Milwaukee remains one of the most racially segregated urban areas in the nation. Of all major metropolitan regions in the US, metropolitan Milwaukee African-Americans have the lowest suburbanization rate.
Further, while some unlawful housing discrimination still happens in an overt fashion, much of it has become extremely subtle and difficult for home seekers to detect. Today, housing discrimination happens in ways that are deeply systemic, and embedded within large institutions — for example, in credit scoring systems, and the ways financial institutions maintain and market foreclosed homes in predominately minority communities compared to their practices in mostly white areas.
Some see our level of progress as acceptable, and observe the decrease in overt discrimination with some satisfaction.
But can we say it’s acceptable when:
Back to my earlier question: Are we making positive change, or does inaction mean that we support the status quo, which is still rife with injustice? At the Fair Housing Council, we fight hard, every single day, against the status quo. But we can’t do it alone. The scope of housing discrimination is so vast that each and every one of us who purports to care about equality must become involved in this work.
Each one of us has the opportunity and ability to influence the direction the pendulum of equality swings. There are hundreds of ways to do this, of course. I offer you seven:
Together, I know our cumulative efforts can become a groundswell — we can make meaningful, long-term change. But it requires that each of us takes responsibility and then takes deliberate action. We can do this. The health of our communities and the creation of a more just, equitable world depend upon it.

author: William R. Tisdale


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Reagan senior to participate in national tournament as ‘debater of the year’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rachel Kubik
April 16, 2018
Daniel Montalvo (right) at the Urban Debate National Championship last year with his partner Harrison Tremarello. (Photo courtesy of Daniel Montalvo)
Daniel Montalvo initially wanted to pursue archery as an extracurricular activity in high school. However, he found out he wasn’t talented in archery, and then a friend told him about debate. Debate clicked for him on the first day.
“It was my thing, right away,” Montalvo said. Now in his senior year and fourth year debating, Montalvo was selected as the National Urban Debater of the Year by the National Urban Association for Debate Leagues, out of more than 11,000 student debaters. The national championship tournament will be held in Washington, D.C. from April 19 -22.
Montalvo, a student at Ronald Wilson Reagan College Preparatory High School and part of the Milwaukee Debate League, will deliver the keynote address at the dinner before the tournament.
Montalvo’s original debate partner declined to attend the tournament because he didn’t want to miss the school’s prom on April 20. Benjamin Michael, a junior at Reagan, will be debating with Montalvo in Washington, D.C.
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“It was one of those things where it was serendipitous in a way,” said Oscar Silva, Montalvo’s debate coach. “(Montalvo) won a spot to the national tournament, couldn’t go (because of prom), but then he won this award, so now he has to go, in a much bigger capacity, because now he’s delivering the keynote speech.”
In his speech, Montalvo plans to thank everyone who has helped get him to where he is now, explain how he got into debate and discuss how it has changed him.
John Tao, executive director of the Milwaukee Debate League, said Montalvo is a well-known debater because of his past successes.
This year Montalvo and his original partner, Harrison Tremarello, won first place in the city championship. Montalvo also holds the Reagan school record for number of debate and forensics points earned. He has participated in the MLK speech contest for two years and he won third place last year and second place this year.
Daniel Montalvo (right) poses with his debate coach, Oscar Silva. (Photo by Rachel Kubik).
“(Montalvo) is definitely a very critical thinker who loves thinking about the social justice aspect of politics. He really cares about his community and he tries to find ways in which he can interject that into the debates that he has,” Tao said.
As a policy debater, Montalvo often talks about his experiences in the Milwaukee Public School system. The topic of the D. C. tournament is government funding and regulation of primary and secondary education in the U.S.
Montalvo said he has not personally experienced gun violence and racial or religious discrimination, but he knows that others deal with those issues every day. Debate has helped open his eyes, he added.
Silva came up with the phrase “The World’s Most Dangerous Debate Team” and printed it on neon orange sweatshirts for the team to wear. “We’re a bunch of brown kids with an education. That scares a lot of people.”
Silva said that through the years, the debate team members learned they’re not “supposed to” be debating at certain schools, based on racial stereotypes. He said that when the team shows up, simply because of the color of their skin, other people start watching.
Silva added that when the team is winning and qualifying for national tournaments, people should be afraid. “We’re dangerous. Why? Because we know this; this is our life. They’re debating about our life,” Silva said.
Silva, 29, explained that he and Montalvo lived less than a mile apart when they were growing up, but they are very different. Montalvo is tech-savvy and logical, and Silva helps him appeal to emotions in debate. “It’s taken four years for us to finally meld our brains together and create this superhuman team,” Silva said.
Tao said he has been working with Montalvo to prepare for the tournament, examining graduate-level readings and dissertations.
Montalvo said he practices almost every day during debate season, which ended in January. Since then, he has been practicing once or twice a week to prepare for D.C.
The Urban Debate National Championship Tournament is highly competitive. Montalvo and Michael are aspiring to make it into the elimination round. “I definitely think they have it in them to reach that, and I think that they’ll be able to at least make Milwaukee known as a force to be reckoned with,” Tao commented.
“I really do see (Montalvo) going above and beyond. I know he cares incredibly about success.”
After originally thinking that he wanted to go into computer engineering, Montalvo now plans to be a criminal defense attorney and is considering attending college at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota; University of Massachusetts at Lowell; Marquette University; or Tulane University in New Orleans.
Tao said he thinks Montalvo could be a successful lawyer. “I am very eager to see where life takes him.”
Referring to the debate team, Silva said, “The community should know (that) these kids are going to be the leaders of the world. …We should start listening to these kids because they have the answers.”

author: Rachel Kubik


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Boys 2 Leaders provides mentorship, activities for male youth | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dean Bibens
April 17, 2018
Terron Edwards (left, in cap), wellness coordinator at Walnut Way Conservation Corp., leads young men in a discussion. (Photo by Dean Bibens)
Chatter and laughter filled the hallway and the aroma of fresh pizza permeated the air at the Walnut Way Conservation Corp. community center, as a group of teenage boys recently gathered for the first meeting of the season of Boys 2 Leaders.
Terron Edwards, wellness coordinator at Walnut Way, asked the 13 boys in attendance a simple question: “Can you learn at the same time as having fun?”
Finally, a hand popped up. Quaamar Morehouse, 14, used basketball as an example. “Yeah, because I’m learning to perfect my shot every day and I always have fun playing ball,” he said. “If you’re not having fun, you’re not doing it right.”
Edwards, who has been with Walnut Way for almost five years, runs the group, which works with male youth up to age 25. Boys 2 Leaders, a spring and summer program, was established four years ago following the shooting death of a 19-year-old boy in the community.
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“An immediate outreach from his friends was to create a peace group, which eventually turned into a men’s wellness organization,” Edwards said. “From there, it took off and now we’ve got Boys 2 Leaders where youth learn leadership skills and more.”
Terron Edwards (upper right) stands with Walnut Way colleagues and youth. (Photo courtesy of Terron Edwards)
Youth have the opportunity to engage in activities, conversations and workshops on conflict resolution, self-accountability and career skills, while creating a network of youth leadership in the community. Youth who participate in the group also attend activities such as Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks games at no cost. Boys 2 Leaders raises money throughout the year through fundraisers to support these activities. The group will meet nine more times during the summer, in addition to field trips.
“This is an excellent opportunity for our youth to grow and mature into young men,” Edwards said. “We want the best for these boys and this program provides them with all the resources to do what they enjoy, but most importantly stay out of trouble.”
The youth chose the events they want to participate in. Master Gandy, Kendrick Robinson and Devon Haynes all voted to go to a sporting event over the summer. “We love our sports and it’s going to be awesome to go see the Brewers in action,” Gandy said. Others voted to attend concerts, play paintball and enjoy the outdoors on a camping trip.
Several participants credit Edwards for helping them with personal issues. “Terron has helped me in more ways than one,” Morehouse said. “I was going through a lot when I came to the program and [Terron] gave me some good advice; it was nice being able to get problems off my chest and talk about it.”
Morehouse, who has been a part of Boys 2 Leaders for just over a year, said he hopes Edwards and other Walnut Way leaders can expand the program to reach even more young men in Milwaukee. “Everyone likes Terron and he is such a positive person in the city; he could help so many more people,” he said.
Ethan Davis, 11, joined the group last year after learning about it from his cousin. “I like it all,” Ethan said. “It’s fun being able to go out into the community and help out; and then we get rewarded with cool activities and food.”
Like Morehouse, Ethan sees Edwards as a mentor. “Terron is a guy that everyone can go to because he is so friendly,” he said. “Boys 2 Leaders has helped me become a better person, and I’ve learned to have a lot of fun while helping others along the way.”
Boys 2 Leaders helps out in the community by cleaning up trash and hosting events such as bonfires and cookouts.
“Working with young people is special,” Edwards said, because there is so much untapped energy and potential in these kids,” he said. “Social change has always been championed by youth movements; and it shows in our neighborhood’s revitalization.”

author: Dean Bibens


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 16, 2018


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Discovery World and Forest Service partner to offer free admission on Earth Day | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Paul Fladten, Discovery World
April 17, 2018
(Photo by Adam Carr)
“The Forest Service is proud to partner with Discovery World to celebrate Earth Day 2018. Milwaukee has been home to the Forest Service’s Eastern Region for over 89 years and we are excited to share this important day with our local community,” said Nicholas Pardi, Regional Director for Public and Government Relations.
“On Earth Day we will be working alongside Discovery World to provide visitors with useful tips and information so they can join us in caring for and protecting our environment to meet the needs of present and future generations.”
WHAT: Discovery World is partnering with the Forest Service to celebrate Earth Day by offering free admission to all visitors. Join Woodsy Owl on Earth Day to explore Discovery World’s interactive exhibits, create earth-themed projects in the Kohl’s Design It! Lab, watch diving demonstrations in the Reiman Aquarium, a Lakeshore State Park cleanup, and fishing tutorials.
WHY: Earth Day is Discovery World’s one free day of the year in which we can open the building to the entire community with no admission.
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WHEN: Sunday, April 22 from 10am-5pm
WHERE: Discovery World

author: Paul Fladten, Discovery World


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 17, 2018


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Energy Assistance helps eligible residents pay bills and avoid disconnection | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services
April 17, 2018
The Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services is providing extended hours today through May 15 for homeowners and renters to apply for Energy Assistance, a one-time average benefit of $550 for eligible residents to cover a portion of their energy costs.
“With the changeable weather in Milwaukee County, it’s critical that our residents have access to utility service in their homes,” said Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele. “In March alone, this program disbursed over $1.2 M, helping more than 4,000 people in the county establish payment plans and avoid disconnection. Energy Assistance is a lifeline for many Milwaukee County residents, and I encourage anyone who might need a little help to learn more.”
Extended hours are: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday from 7:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.; and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. Eligible residents can schedule appointments to apply for Energy Assistance prior to May 15, 2018 to receive a benefit. They can call 414-270-4-MKE, or go online to www.energyassistancemke.org. There are also flexible walk-in options at six service locations:
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For eligible residents who plan to apply for benefits on May 3 at the Energy Assistance location at 5663 S 27th Street between 3 and 5 p.m., they’ll receive a free coupon book for Wisconsin Dells with hundreds more in savings from 103.7 KISS FM.
For more information on eligibility or to schedule an appointment, visit www.energyassistancemke.org.
About the Milwaukee County Energy Assistance Program
The Milwaukee County Energy Assistance Program, administered by the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services’ Management Services Division, helps more than 58,000 Milwaukee County households each year stay safe, warn and make their energy bills more affordable. In partnership with UMOS and Community Advocates, and funding largely provided by the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the Energy Assistance Program’s help amounts to almost $40 million in benefits, including utility bill assistance, emergency furnace repair and replacement, and assistance with payment plans and disconnections. See more at EnergyAssistanceMKE.org.
About the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services
The Milwaukee County Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) empowers safe, healthy, meaningful lives by ensuring that no one in need goes unserved. Whether it be experiencing homelessness, a mental health crisis, incarceration as a youth or caring for a child with disabilities, DHHS connects individuals and families to resources that can help. Using best practices from the social service sector, DHHS collaborates within its divisions and with community partners to provide personalized services that are integrated, trauma-informed, evidence-based and drive positive outcomes. Committed to performance excellence, DHHS is dedicated to ensuring everyone has access to the resources they need to overcome challenges and create opportunities to become self-sufficient, strengthen their families and create a healthy, stable and safe community. DHHS is comprised of five divisions: Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division, Division of Youth & Family Services, Disabilities Services Division, Housing Division and Management Services Division. For more information visit county.milwaukee.gov/HealthAndHumanServices.


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How to celebrate Earth Day | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Lydia Slattery / Wisconsin Watch
April 17, 2018
Alice’s Garden is inviting the public to help weed and plant the garden to help take care of our planet. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
Earth Day comes around every year on April 22, and there are several opportunities available this weekend to take care of the planet. Below are a few ways to celebrate Earth Day by cleaning up neighborhoods or learning more about the environment.
Alice’s Garden, 2136 N. 21st St.
Come to the Earth Day at Alice’s Garden potluck and gardening session. On Sunday, April 22, from 12 to 4 p.m. the public is welcome to help in the garden by weeding and planting. There will also be free activities for families. Everyone is welcome at the potluck, but attendees are encouraged to bring a dish to share.
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Discovery World, 500 N. Harbor Drive
Discovery World is offering free admission for families on Sunday, April 22, courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service. On Earth Day, Discovery World is presenting Trash Full Circle to teach children and their families about pollution and sustainability solutions in Lake Michigan.
Fondy Farmers Market, 2200 W. Fond du Lac Ave.
Fondy Farmers Market staff and Lindsay Heights residents are hosting an Earth Day Cleanup on Friday, April 20, from 1 to 3 p.m., cleaning up Fondy Park and the surrounding area. The event is open to everyone, even if you don’t live in Lindsay Heights. Trash bags, trash grabbers and other supplies will be provided..
Milwaukee County Zoo, 10001 W. Bluemound Road
The Milwaukee County Zoo is celebrating World Penguin Day on Saturday, April 21, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. A zookeeper will be giving lectures about penguins in their natural habitats and how the animals adapt to different environments. There will also be a chance to purchase paintings made by the penguins that benefit penguin conservation.
Neighborhood House, 2819 W. Richardson Place
Neighborhood House is hosting an Earth Day Cleanup in the Concordia neighborhood. All are welcome to attend the cleanup from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Meet at Neighborhood House before going out. To register for the event, call 414-933-6161.
Do you know of another event this weekend in Milwaukee? Please feel free to add it in the comments below.
Urban Ecology Center
Urban Ecology Center is hosting “Earth Day of Service” at all three of its branches on Saturday, April 21, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. All are welcome to show up with friends and family to participate in service projects in the parks, followed by a community lunch. Family hikes are also available on Saturday. The event is free and open to the public. The UEC branches are Riverside Park (1500 E. Park Place), Menomonee Valley (3700 W. Pierce St.) and Washington Park (1859 N. 40th St.).

author: Lydia Slattery / Wisconsin Watch


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On the Block: Jimmy John’s philosopher | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rachel Kubik
April 17, 2018
Allen Rogers III, 25, enjoys connecting with people he meets at Jimmy John’s. Rogers works making sandwiches and is also employed at a George Webb restaurant. His favorite conversation starter is, “What’s your sign?” Rogers thinks that poor communication gets in the way of community connections.


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Ascension Wisconsin statement re: Ascension St. Joseph Hospital | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ascension Wisconsin
April 18, 2018
(Photo by Sue Vliet)
Ascension Wisconsin issued the following statement from Bernie Sherry, Senior Vice President, Ascension Healthcare, Ministry Market Executive, Ascension Wisconsin:
“Over the last two weeks, we’ve been meeting with city leaders and residents and we’ve had great dialogue about Ascension St. Joseph Hospital. We’ve heard how important Ascension is to Milwaukee in providing healthcare to our most vulnerable neighbors. That is, and always has been, our Mission. It is work we are privileged to do.
Based on the feedback we’ve received from the mayor, Common Council members, community leaders and others, we have decided to pause our plan to reconfigure medical services from St. Joe’s to Columbia St. Mary’s Milwaukee as we continue to engage stakeholders on transforming healthcare in Milwaukee. We’re gratified that the Common Council recognizes our role as critical, frontline care institutions. With three city hospitals – Ascension St. Joseph, Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Milwaukee and Ascension St. Francis – we are Milwaukee’s safety net hospital system. We provide 100% access, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. We’re proud of that and we remain committed to that. We have served Milwaukee for over a century and we look forward to providing personalized, compassionate care for many generations to come.”
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author: Ascension Wisconsin


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Asian grocery store celebrates grand opening on Near West Side | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Margaret Cannon
April 18, 2018
The historically underutilized building at 2404 W. Clybourn St. on Milwaukee’s Near West Side is now a fresh food market. Mo’s Food Market, a project of Near West Side Partners, celebrated its grand opening Friday.
Keith Stanley, executive director of Near West Side Partners, said that the area has been a fresh food desert for decades. “Grocery stores like this are changing that narrative,” Stanley said.
Mo’s Food Market offers an array of Asian produce and specializes in fresh fish and seafood. Owners Qing and May Mo owned a smaller grocery store in West Allis before opening the larger store. They said they hope it will provide community members and college students a new option for purchasing fresh food.
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author: Margaret Cannon


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Common Council unanimously approves establishing the Vel R. Phillips Trailblazer Award | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Milele A. Coggs
April 18, 2018
(Photo by Adam Carr)
Today, the Common Council unanimously approved a resolution to create the Vel R. Phillips Trailblazer Award. In honor of Vel R. Phillips’ work for the City of Milwaukee and the Common Council, all 15 council members are sponsors of the resolution.
The legislation, which was introduced by Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs, established the annual award to recognize Milwaukee residents who best exemplify Vel R. Phillip’s legacy of social justice and civic accomplishment. The Vel R. Phillips Trailblazer Award selection committee, also created by this resolution, will consist of two members appointed by the mayor and three members chosen by Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton. The committee will accept nominations for the award from members of the public or local organizations. The Vel R. Phillips Trailblazer Award will be presented to its recipient each year during the Girls’ Day event at City Hall, 200 E. Wells St.
“Vel R. Phillips defines trailblazing with her progressive advocacy and perseverance in the face of adversity,” said Alderwoman Coggs. “There is no better way to honor her and the substantial and historic work she has done to improve our community than with the creation of this annual award.”
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Ms. Phillips, the first African American woman to graduate from the University of Wisconsin Law School, is an advocate for civil rights, equal and fair housing laws, education, and equal employment. In 1956, she was elected to the Common Council as the first African American and the first woman to join the legislative body. In 1962, Ms. Phillips proposed the Fair Housing Law, which took six years to pass in the Common Council. She later became the first female judge in Milwaukee County, the first African American judge in Wisconsin, and the first female and the first non-white Secretary of State in Wisconsin. Ms. Phillips continues to be a champion for change as a board member of the Vel Phillips Foundation which promotes equality and opportunity for minority communities.

author: Ald. Milele A. Coggs


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 18, 2018


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Council approves Ascension service retention measure | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Khalif J. Rainey
April 18, 2018
(Photo by Sue Vliet)
The Common Council has approved legislation urging Ascension Wisconsin to reconsider its plans to reduce services in the City of Milwaukee.
The Council voted unanimously today to urge Ascension Wisconsin to reconsider its plans to reduce services in the city and to establish a one-year moratorium on any downsizing and service reductions at Wheaton Franciscan – St. Joseph Campus and other Milwaukee health care facilities. The resolution urges Ascension to “work with community leaders, elected officials and other local stakeholders to find alternatives to service reductions and ways to preserve health care services for Milwaukee residents, particularly in economically distressed areas of the city.”
The legislation’s primary sponsor – Alderman Khalif J. Rainey – said he is pleased with the strong Council support for the measure and noted it is “just the beginning of the effort to push back” on the plans for service reductions at St. Joseph (located in his 7th Aldermanic District) and other Ascension facilities.
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“I am planning to sponsor a communication file to trigger a hearing that will allow for the Council to continue discussions with Ascension on this critically important issue,” he said. “Citizens across our city rely on Ascension facilities for care and they are the least able to find other options if they lose those vital services.”
Co-sponsors of the legislation are Aldermen Michael J. Murphy, Jim Bohl, Cavalier Johnson, Bob Donovan, Mark A. Borkowski, Robert J. Bauman, Nik Kovac, Russell W. Stamper, II, Terry L. Witkowski, Tony Zielinski, José G. Pérez, and Alderwoman Chantia Lewis.

author: Ald. Khalif J. Rainey


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Milwaukee women have important voice in keeping families healthy | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sara Finger, Founder & Executive Director of the Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health
April 18, 2018
It’s important to note that as in many households, Milwaukee area women are the primary decision makers for their families when it comes to health care and guidance. And this year, following a tough flu season, it’s likely you, your mom, grandma or your wife encouraged everyone to get immunized. But it’s equally important not to forget that older relatives need to be vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia. Amidst a snowy and cold April, many seniors still remain cooped up inside this year and that can allow for bad colds and other respiratory illnesses to develop into something far worse if left unchecked. It doesn’t have to happen and we all need to remain vigilant in our role regarding family health.
The CDC already tells us those 65+ are more susceptible to influenza and that can lead to pneumococcal pneumonia. If you have a parent or grandparent who is not already vaccinated against pneumonia and the flu, they should be. Many insurers cover these shots and there is also assistance through community health centers and health departments. The shingles vaccination is also a good idea.
This year in Wisconsin, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, senior centers and others have reported higher incidents of flu and pneumococcal pneumonia. Some have struggled just to keep up with staff and medical assistance.
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Urban and rural areas annually report higher incidents of pneumonia among African American and Hispanic populations. The CDC indicates these individuals are more susceptible to these diseases. The good news is that additional studies have shown women of all ethnicities have a strong voice in family health decisions and have the power to ensure the health of their loved ones is protected year round.
Vaccination recommendations for older adults are in place for a good reason and should remain. These shots help protect our seniors from diseases that, if allowed to spread, can easily turn deadly. Sadly, it often takes a spike in deaths or an outbreak to get attention grabbing headlines and generate awareness. Hopefully women in all our neighborhoods, large and small, can get their loved ones vaccinated now to protect their health from diseases throughout the year.
Sara Finger is the Founder & Executive Director of the Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health


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No level of lead is safe | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee Health Department
April 18, 2018
The City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) is sounding the alarm to all Milwaukee residents that no level of lead in the water is safe. MHD is working diligently to make Milwaukee lead-safe.
In November of 2017, the Milwaukee Common Council passed a Lead Transparency resolution about the dangers of lead exposure in water and the need for broad community education. The resolution was sponsored by Alderpersons Tony Zielinski, James Bohl and Chantia Lewis.
“I appreciate the leadership the Common Council has demonstrated on this very important issue,” stated Health Commissioner Patricia McManus “No level of lead is safe! This includes lead from paint, water or soil.”
As detailed in the Lead Transparency resolution, populations living in homes where lead service lines are present are at-risk if they are:
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MHD encourages families who may live in homes with a high risk for lead in the drinking water to avoid lead exposure by:
The City of Milwaukee Health Department provides drinking water filters for at-risk populations. Individuals can call the MHD Lead Hotline 414-286-8800 to see if they qualify. All children in Milwaukee should be tested three times before age 3; some children may need to be tested up to age 6. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to make sure their children are tested by their medical provider. MHD provides lead testing at its clinics as well.
Milwaukee Water Works treats and delivers drinking water throughout the city that is lead-free. Lead service lines and plumbing inside the home can cause lead to get into drinking water. Residents can find out if their home has a lead service line at LeadSafeMKE.com.
Milwaukee residents are encouraged to frequently check the City of Milwaukee Health Department’s Lead Poisoning Prevention website for resource information and MHD’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

author: City of Milwaukee Health Department


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North Side artist Evelyn Patricia Terry curates ‘little gem’ gallery | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sydney Czyzon
April 18, 2018
Editor’s note: This is one of an occasional series of articles about the people and places of 53206.
Tucked away on the North Side of Milwaukee, Evelyn Patricia Terry’s century-old home displays art on every wall.
The residence, built in 1904, is where Terry spent her childhood. It hasn’t had any major renovations since she converted it to an art gallery in 2009. The gallery, Terry McCormick Contemporary Fine and Folk Art Gallery, is located in the Lindsay Heights neighborhood.
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Terry transformed the space into a gallery following the death of her partner, self-taught artist George Ray McCormick, Sr.
“I decided, ‘Well, I have all this artwork that I’ve been collecting for years, and I have my own, so why don’t I just make it into an art gallery?’” Terry said.
Terry has displayed and sold work in the U.S., Japan, Germany and Russia. Her artwork was featured at the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Haggerty Museum of Art, among other venues.
Community activist Karen Royster has known Terry for longer than she can remember.
“It’s amazing that she has that many wonderful pieces, that many different artists, in this little tiny house in the middle of the inner city,” Royster said. “I mean, it’s a miracle. It’s like this little gem.”
Despite her success, Terry faces financial challenges. After her sales representatives moved away in 2001, Terry said she struggled to sell her artwork. As a result, she is unable to afford necessary repairs for her home art gallery.
After being broken into and set afire in recent years, the house still stands. However, damage from water leakage is visible in the ceilings and walls. Fixing the bathroom damage is on the top of Terry’s to-do list.
Royster said Terry needs financial support to maintain her gallery.
“Evelyn doesn’t make much money. She manages to survive, but she doesn’t have the kind of money it takes to really ensure that the building [stays in good condition],” she said. “You need good temperature and moisture control if you’re going to store art.”
In June 2017, Terry reached out to an acquaintance, who created an online fundraising campaign on her behalf called “Rebirthing 53206.”
Once Terry received initial funds from the campaign, she fixed the deteriorating banister on her front porch in preparation for Doors Open Milwaukee in September 2017.
“At that time, the porches were really rickety and fragile,” Terry said. “If a lot of people came, I didn’t know if they would fall over or the banister part would give way if somebody leaned on it.”
James Godsil, a community organizer and entrepreneur who began bringing tours to Terry’s gallery a few years ago, said the gallery is a beautiful place in an area that lacks positive attention.
“[The guests I brought] were absolutely enchanted with Evelyn and the art and the beauty that she has created inside her house,” Godsil said.
For the gallery to stay in its current location, Terry needs funding, Royster said.
“Evelyn doesn’t have to be there. She could probably find a way to move her art and her gallery into an area that’s maybe a little safer,” Royster said. “But she doesn’t. She’s so committed both to her art and to her community and finding a way to make her community thrive in an artistic sense.”
Despite the setbacks caused by home damage, Terry continues to create artwork, including her newest project: “artist books.”
Terry recently connected with a couple from Alabama, who sell her books, which feature uniquely textured pages with innovative touches. For example, she uses locks of her own hair as book ties in place of ribbons or strings. Terry said working directly with clients has been an adjustment.
“I just have to learn the trade,” she said. “I’m really learning slowly as I go.”
Terry attended North Division High School and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She began pursuing art professionally in college. She went on to earn her Master of Fine Arts degree at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Although she didn’t originally intend to major in art, a UWM professor saw potential in a budding student. As the only African-American in many of her classes, Terry said she was taken aback by the idea that she could pursue art.
Since beginning her art career, Terry has fought to improve the community, Royster said.
“I think that’s the best kind of community activism there is, is when you really invest your life in making your own community stronger and more vibrant and richer, especially for the young people growing up,” Royster added.
Considering the disturbing statistics associated with the 53206 area, Terry said the presence of an art gallery in her neighborhood is meaningful in itself.
“Evelyn’s life is a poem, an expression of art,” Godsil said. “She, to me, is living on a higher plane of reality, and she is profoundly selfless and also very gifted in conventional art.”

author: Sydney Czyzon


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Mi Casa Su Cafe on King Drive serves up healthy food with flavor | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Talis Shelbourne
April 19, 2018
Davina Turner and her daughter, Madison, enjoy the decor at Mi Casa Su Cafe, much of which came from the homes of co-owners Jameel Trotter and Paul Whigham. (Photo by Talis Shelbourne)
Growing up in a half-Muslim and half-Christian household, Paul Whigham’s exposure to a mix of American southern and traditional Muslim cuisine led him to become a foodie.
However, as an adult traveling and eating at different restaurants, Whigham realized he was always reaching for the salt and pepper.
“I eat at a lot of places and at the majority of places, food was always under-seasoned; I don’t like bland food,” he said.
Mi Casa Su Cafe, at 1835 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, was developed by Whigham and his cousin, Jameel Trotter. The co-owners said they wanted the restaurant to break away from both bland and unhealthy food.
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“Our vision has been [to be] a place where you could get something different, especially in this area,” Trotter said, pointing to M.L.K. Drive.
“We serve no soda, no fried foods, and no pork,” Trotter added.
Instead, customers have salad, seafood, chicken, beef and even vegan options. Many foods, such as the potato wedges, are cooked on the grill, and Whigham said the restaurant is committed to proving that healthy food can also taste good.
Jameel Trotter co-owns Mi Casa Su Cafe with this cousin, Paul Whigham. (Photo by Talis Shelbourne)
“We are dedicated to a plant-based diet; what’s the point of living to 100 if you’re not in good health?” Whigham asked.
Before Mi Casa Su Cafe was a reality, the cousins pondered the idea for more than two years. The restaurant opened last year.
Trotter, who taught special education at an MPS middle school prior to diving into the restaurant business, said starting off was challenging.
“Initially when we came here, there was a Somali restaurant,” he recalled, referring to the now-closed Sogal Cafe. “We had to invest money to put in a hood so we could cook things the way we wanted to — healthy.”
For Whigham, who also owns a bar in Milwaukee, the creative opportunities were endless.
“I just sat down one day and created it sandwich by sandwich. I made everything on the menu, except the seafood — and I even helped with that.”
Seafood is one of many different options at Mi Casa Su Cafe. Chef Adam Griffin, who brought his experience from Third Street Pier, Olive Garden and Red Lobster to the restaurant, said shrimp alfredo is his favorite seafood dish to make. Griffin started as a server in 1996 and spent 20 years in the restaurant industry; he’s been at Mi Casa Su Cafe since it opened.
“The work environment is very good here,” he said. “I can be myself and [experience] the fun of getting creative with things that come out of the kitchen.”
Griffin said he also enjoys working with fresh ingredients. “We use the freshest lettuce, the freshest heirloom mushrooms and fresh bread,” he said. “All of our sauces, all our gravies are made from scratch.”
“We have a better overall flavor and [a good] food experience,” he concluded.
And the good reputation has spread. Mi Casa Su Café is one of the featured restaurants during Black Restaurant Week 2018, which runs through April 21.
Kelly Davis was getting a haircut at Gee’s Clippers, when a barber recommended she try it.
“The ambience is nice,” she said looking around after ordering a turkey burger. “I like the menu,” she added, “[and] that [the burger] is grilled.”
Menu items include the “Milly cheese steak,” a classic Philly cheese steak sandwich, which Whigham named after Milwaukee, as well as salmon salad, jerk chicken salad, salmon croquettes and the jive turkey burger.
William Cooper, a chef at the restaurant, said he enjoys cooking dishes such as the steak and cheese pita, which features mushrooms, onions, bell peppers and several seasonings. “I’m big on flavor,” he said.
Cooper has been working at the restaurant since February and he said the menu has already changed how he thinks of healthy food.
“It changes my eating habits when I’m not here,” he said, adding, “I eat healthier now.”
Healthy eating is especially important to customers such as Davina Turner. Turner comes to the restaurant often because her uncle owns the business next door, Eden’s Pointe Home Care.
When she decided to eat healthy, Turner said she noticed a difference.
“When you eat unhealthy you don’t have a lot of energy and it’s bad for you, skin-wise. Now that I’m eating healthy, I can tell I have more energy and that’s important. Especially when you’ve got kids.”
Although she loves salads, Turner said Surf & Turf Saturdays are her favorite. “They have crab legs, lobster tails, salmon — it’s good,” she said, nodding.
Trotter and Whigham said they are looking forward to expanding, opening up patio spaces in the summer and showing off their more unusual menu items, such as wine smoothies.
“The name, ‘Mi Casa Su Cafe,’(My House Your Café) is really a reflection of who we are,” Trotter explained. “Once you come here, you’ll come back.”

author: Talis Shelbourne


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Tributes pour in on passing of Vel Phillips | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee public officials
April 19, 2018
(Photo by Adam Carr)
I have fond memories of interactions over the years with Ms. Vel Phillips, and with her passing my condolences go out to her loved ones and friends.
Ms. Phillips possessed the determination and will to never budge from her goals and her principles, and she arrived on Milwaukee’s political and civic scene at the right moment in history. She was a true pioneer and Milwaukeeans will always owe her a debt of gratitude for her work on the Fair Housing Ordinance and on many other issues.
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Her example of active and forthright public service – as well as her legacy of achievement – will live on for generations.
Just yesterday my colleagues and I passed the Vel R. Phillips Trailblazer Award and Selection Committee as a tribute to the special woman who has given so much to the City Of Milwaukee and its residents. I pushed to create the Trailblazer Award now because I believe in giving people their flowers (although Ms. Phillips preferred plants) while they are living. It was cruel irony to get the notice last evening of her passing but I am glad we had the chance to honor this trailblazing woman and hopefully the award will become just one of many small ways of keeping her legacy alive.
I have had the pleasure of knowing Ms. Phillips my entire life and she has always been an inspiring role model. I will forever reflect on the stories of challenge and triumph that she shared, and in fact there is no better time than now to stand with the same fearlessness and zeal like she did through the years to change society. Her tireless and groundbreaking efforts in fair housing will continue to be a beacon of light as we navigate through the (too often dark) political landscape of today. Out of the many conversations we had, there is one that I regret we never finished…it was about her desire to have a street permanently named in her honor. I am committing myself to working diligently with my colleagues to make her request a reality. Another small tribute to a woman on whose shoulders many of us now stand.
I will eternally miss her welcoming face at community meetings, her quick retort to smart or snarky comments, her strategic mind and the stories of past struggles laced with the chronology of our people and this community. I am proud to now call her an ancestor and to have had the honor and pleasure of knowing her. Vel Phillips truly was one of the most impactful people I have ever known and she will be sorely missed. My deep condolences to the family.
I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of great Milwaukeean Vel Phillips. Ms. Phillips was truly a pioneer in all aspects of her life: the first African American woman to graduate from the University of Wisconsin Law School, the first woman and African American elected to the Milwaukee Common Council, the first African American judge in Wisconsin, and the first and only African American to win a state wide race in the State of Wisconsin.
Not only was she a dedicated and trailblazing public servant, she also spent her career as a tireless advocate for civil rights. She was instrumental in passing an open housing ordinance in Milwaukee, and would regularly lead marches in the streets of Milwaukee.
The city of Milwaukee has lost one of its truly great citizens, but her accomplishments will never be forgotten. Without Ms. Phillips, I would not be where I am today. Although we will carry on the work she began many decades ago, her presence will be sorely missed.
It is said that nothing good comes easy, that only through sacrifice and hard work do we achieve something positive, something special. Vel Phillips knew that and embraced it. And I believe Ms. Phillips showed us all that change can be achieved through quiet persistence and unwavering integrity.
Ms. Phillips was a trailblazer not just in the City of Milwaukee but also the State of Wisconsin and nationally. She is featured at the State of Wisconsin Historical Society Museum in Madison, and as we marked the 50-year anniversary of the Fair Housing Act we remembered her vigilance and her courage in fighting for the Milwaukee ordinance that would champion fair and open housing for ALL Milwaukeeans.
In 1962, she introduced an open housing ordinance but her vote was the only one in support of it. She introduced the ordinance three more times during the next five years but the result was always the same – a single vote from Ms. Phillips.
But on April 30, 1968 — a few weeks after President Lyndon Johnson signed the federal Fair Housing Act — the Milwaukee Common Council passed its own fair housing ordinance that was more comprehensive than the federal act. Victory had arrived for the people, all because of Ms. Phillips’ dogged determination, skill and courage.
Ms. Phillips would go on to serve as the first female judge in Milwaukee County and the first African American judge in Wisconsin.
In 1978, she once again made history when she became the first African American to be elected as secretary of state.
Her trailblazing and role modeling as a public servant has inspired many African Americans to fight for change in the civic arena and to seek careers in public service. I have been inspired by her, moved by her and I will work to ensure that her legacy lives on forever.
I send my sincere condolences to the family and friends of a true hero, the Hon. Vel Phillips.
This week, when some Wisconsinites talk about historic snowfall not seen in generations, I say we reflect on the life of a woman that in its own right was a force of nature.
Wisconsin has lost a champion with the passing of Vel Phillips. She made history with many “firsts” as a person of color and as a woman. She was the first woman judge in Milwaukee County — and first African-American judge in Wisconsin — and would become the first African-American elected into statewide office.
Her work not only inspired generations of African-Americans to believe they too can succeed, but also opened doors that still affect our everyday lives. In my case, I graduated from UW-Madison, the same institution where Vel went to law school, the first African-American woman to graduate from there. And a reason my family and I live north of Capitol Drive is because of the work that Vel did fighting for fair housing alongside Father Groppi those many years ago.
I had known Vel for years, and she and I served on the Milwaukee Community Brainstorming Executive Board together. When I ran for Common Council, Vel Phillips’ endorsement landed on the front page of the Milwaukee Community Journal, certifying me a serious candidate. Today, I have the pleasure of writing this in the very office that Vel Phillips christened as Milwaukee’s first African-American alderperson. For African-American elected leaders in Wisconsin, Vel Phillips continues to be that North Star as she remains the only African-American elected statewide in Wisconsin’s history. This community and this state will never forget the impact that Vel Phillips has made here.
My condolences go out to the family of Vel Phillips, a woman who transcended the challenges she faced, paving the way for many African-Americans, including myself, to be elected into office.
Vel Phillips was an inspiration. I had the good fortune of meeting Ms. Phillips while serving on the Milwaukee Community Brainstorming Executive Board. Like countless others, for the time I knew her I learned from her. Like countless others, I was inspired by her actions going back to my earliest childhood.
Vel Phillips was a titan in the community. From law school to being elected into statewide office, virtually every chapter in her life involved being the first woman, the first person of color, or in some instances both, to occupy those institutions.
Vel Phillips was the most powerful African-American that Wisconsin has ever seen. One can only be inspired when looking at photographs of her standing alongside Father Groppi or John F. Kennedy. Let us use that inspiration as we continue to make change while honoring her legacy.

author: Milwaukee public officials


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Family with lead-poisoned child: city officials are ‘complicit’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
April 20, 2018
Nazir and Aminah Al-Mujaahid sit in the living room of their North Side home during a recent interview. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Editor’s note: This is one of an occasional series of stories highlighting the health risk — particularly to children — of lead service lines, which deliver water from city water mains to about 70,000 homes in Milwaukee.
Shu’aib Al-Mujaahid is a quiet child. The 5-year-old peeks out intermittently, through sunken eyes, from behind his mother, curious at the cameras that follow him. His older brothers Sulayman, 10, and Salahudeen, 12, filter water from the kitchen tap through a ZeroWater filter into five-gallon jugs, used to store clean water for drinking.
In April 2017, Shu’aib tested high for lead in his blood. A finger-prick test showed his blood lead level was 11.4 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL), more than twice the level of 5, at which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest action be taken. Though a more accurate venous test conducted the following day showed a much lower level of 4.8 µg/dL, the incident brought the issue to his parents’ attention.
Shu’aib stands in the kitchen of his North Side home as his brothers, Sulayman (in red) and Salahudeen filter water. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
“Obviously we were very concerned, as we know lead is a poison,” said Nazir, Shu’aib’s father, adding that he and his wife were “shocked.”
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Since then, the Al-Mujaahids have taken to filtering all the water they consume. However, Shu’aib’s most recent test, in January, showed that the boy’s level actually increased to 5. “Five is still alarming, period,” said his mother, Aminah. “There’s not supposed to be any lead in his blood system.” Aminah and Nazir said their six other children, all of whom were homeschooled, do not have any lead in their blood.
The family moved into their North Side home, which has a lead lateral service line, in March 2014. Before that, they lived at 4940 W. Vienna St., an address that also has a lead service pipe. However, the home on Vienna had a sophisticated water filtration system. Nazir said the family drank water directly from the tap until Shu’aib’s test in 2017, which was about the time the family learned about the threat of lead water pipes through the Freshwater for Life Action Coalition (FLAC).
Where the lead came from — paint, water or soil — is unknowable, though Nazir suspects it is the water. Regardless, he and Aminah have noticed differences in their youngest son’s behavior, particularly his speech, which Nazir referred to as “delayed.”
Aminah said she and Nazir have done a lot of research “so that we can help our son learn as best he can”; the parents are using Vitamin C, activated charcoal, calcium and magnesium to try and get the lead out of his system. But it hasn’t been easy.
“I feel like it has slowed my son down substantially to where he could be,” Aminah said. “It’s kind of turned things upside down.”
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service partnered with Milwaukee PBS to cover the issue of lead in Milwaukee’s drinking water.
April 2017 was not the first time Shu’aib tested high for lead in his blood. Records of the boy’s lead tests provided by his parents show that he tested at 6.4 µg/dL on Aug. 18, 2014, when he was 2. The test was performed at a Southeastern Pediatrics clinic located at 8532 W. Capitol Drive by a physician who no longer practices there. A medical assistant who assisted with the case was laid off in March 2017 for unspecified reasons, according to a clinic spokesperson.
Nazir and Aminah said they were never informed of the high level, nor did they receive any follow-up information from the care provider or the City of Milwaukee.
Comments on the August 2014 test results read: “Results above Expected Range / mom called pt to have repeat in 1 month with ZPP.” A medical assistant who has worked at the clinic for eight years, explained that ZPP is a test that determines how long lead has been in the blood. However, she had trouble deciphering what the other comments meant.
“I don’t know — it doesn’t really make sense,” she said. “In this case, I’m not sure who spoke to mom or who they thought they might have spoken to.”
According to the medical assistant, a doctor or medical assistant will usually call parents to inform them of an “abnormal” test, when to follow up and what other testing should be done. Regarding this case, she said, “I’m really not sure what happened there.”
There was no immediate follow-up test performed, according to the records. The next test, in September 2016, measured Shu’aib’s blood-lead level at 3.7 µg/dL.
The confusion is not limited to medical providers, but extends to the city’s efforts, as well.
In an email communication early this year, city officials first offered to test the water at the Al-Mujaahid home, then denied knowledge of the offer. Ultimately, in an email sent to Nazir on April 18, after Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service asked about the exchange, MWW spokesperson Sandra Rusch Walton reiterated the offer for MWW to test the water, and offered the alternative of having the test done at a private lab.
Late last year, the Common Council unanimously passed a resolution that requires the Health Department to be more transparent about the health effects of lead and what it is doing to inform the public of those risks. Initially, MHD claimed it had been doing what the resolution called for all along, and then delayed implementing any of the changes. Until recently — with MHD under a new commissioner — there was no evidence that the department had begun implementing the steps called for in the resolution.
On April 8, FLAC spokesperson Robert Miranda sent an email to 12 alderpeople expressing dissatisfaction that the measure, which he and other activists pushed for, was not being implemented. Miranda received no response. After Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service asked MHD about the email on April 16, the Health Department issued a press release that said it is “sounding the alarm to all Milwaukee residents that no level of lead in the water is safe.”
This message appears to contradict Mayor Tom Barrett, who at a recent news conference blamed lead paint for the high levels of lead poisoning in Milwaukee, and implied that lead service pipes are not a factor.
Michael Carvan, a professor at the UWM School of Freshwater Sciences, and pediatrician Earnestine Willis, director of the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Center for the Advancement of Urban Children, both said it is virtually impossible to determine the source of lead exposure unless a particular case is examined and even then it can be difficult to tell, “unless you can find paint chips in the child’s feces,” Carvan said. Willis added there is no test that differentiates between sources.
Neither Barrett nor anyone from his office or the Health Department was available to participate Saturday in a series of panel discussions on lead poisoning aired on Milwaukee PBS and produced in partnership with NNS and WUWM. Instead, Barrett agreed to an on-camera interview, but canceled about an hour before it was scheduled.
Nazir Al-Mujaahid said the city’s response to this issue, and his son’s case specifically, has been frustrating. He said, no matter the primary source of lead, Barrett and the city have not done enough to take responsibility for the issue and educate people so families and individuals can protect themselves.
“I think they’re complicit,” he said, of the administration.
And Willis said people need to stop pointing fingers. “It’s time for everyone to own the problem and get to doing something about it.”
Ald. Tony Zielinski, who is running for mayor in 2020, recently introduced a resolution that would provide $1 million “for the purchase of lead-removing water filters and expansion of the City’s lead safety educational campaigns”; the Finance and Personnel Committee will consider the measure at the beginning of May. A proposal by Zielinski to create a task force that would develop a comprehensive lead poisoning plan has been put on hold, according to the alderman. He did not say why.

author: Jabril Faraj


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 19, 2018

author: Adam Carr


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How to talk to your children about sexual assault | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elizabeth Baker
April 20, 2018
Simmone Stovall, a healing counselor with Aurora Healing and Advocacy Services, recommends reading books to young children such as “I Am Enough” by Grace Byers, to teach them about respecting themselves and others. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
Parents have many difficult conversations with their children in the interest of keeping them safe, and the topic of sexual assault is one of them. Figuring out when and how to approach the subject can be complicated.
Simmone Stovall, a healing counselor with Aurora Healing and Advocacy Services, shares her tips about how to have this important conversation with your family, from little kids to teenagers. Working out of the Sojourner Family Peace Center, Stovall sees individuals and groups, children and families recovering from an experience of assault.
Sexual assault can happen to anyone, anywhere, Stovall said. It’s not limited to any age group, race, ethnicity or class, so it is up to parents to decide when to talk to their children about sexual violence. However, she believes the earlier families have the conversation, the safer kids feel and the more aware they are.
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Choose a safe environment
Bring up the conversation of sexual assault in a safe space for children where they will not feel awkward or confused, Stovall advised. For younger children, this could be during play time or while reading books before bed. The car ride home from school is a good time for older kids and teenagers because they are thinking about the many dynamics of their school environment.
Make sure the conversation is private, Stovall said, not in front of their friends, and maybe not in front of the child’s siblings and parent of the opposite gender.
Beginning the conversation
Using current events and stories you hear or read in the news provides a great segue into the conversation of sexual assault, especially with preteens and teens, Stovall said. “Start talking to your kids about what’s going on in the news, and then have a conversation about what sexual harassment and sexual assault looks like.”
Don’t negate their emotions, and share your own
“As parents, we always have tons of questions when our kids come to us about these things,” Stovall said. When talking to her 17-year-old daughter, she reminds herself to wait until her daughter finishes everything she has to say, repeat it back to her and then have her expound on it, Stovall said. “It’s not a two-minute conversation.”
If the child shares an experience of someone saying or doing something inappropriate, ask how it made her or him feel, and say how it makes you feel as a parent. “Try not to negate your child’s experience and emotion, and share your emotion,” Stovall said.
Most importantly, don’t ask “why” questions that make it seem like you are blaming the child, such as, “Why were you there?” “Why didn’t you say anything?” or “Why did this happen more than once?” These kinds of questions instigate a fight-or-flight reaction in children and make them less eager to share, Stovall said.
Create a safe plan
Talk with your kids about what they should do when they feel uncomfortable in an environment, whether it’s at school, soccer practice, dance lessons or a part-time job. Identify the adults they can call in any situation, such as mom, dad, grandma, a friend, aunt, school social worker or counselor. Also, keep these names and numbers posted in the house as a reminder.
Model healthy relationships and behaviors at home
“It’s best that children don’t think sexual harassment is no big deal,” Stovall said. Parents can talk about their own experiences to teach kids the seriousness of these situations. For example, a mother shouldn’t laugh off an incident of harassment on the street, but rather use that situation to have a meaningful conversation with her child.
More resources:
Books can be a great way to begin a conversation with children about sexual harassment and violence, privacy, consent and self-empowerment, Stovall said. She recommended several titles appropriate for young children to teenagers:
“Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson is a young adult novel about a high school student who goes through an experience of sexual assault, deals with the shame that surrounds it and learns to overcome.
“No Means No” is a children’s book that addresses personal boundaries and a child’s right to say “no.”
“I Am Enough” by Grace Byers is a self-empowerment story for young children about loving and respecting yourself and others.

author: Elizabeth Baker


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Special ed students celebrate Earth Day through virtual reality | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sharon McGowan
April 21, 2018
Forty special education students at 53rd Street School, 3618 N. 53 St., recently participated in a “virtual field trip” to a hydroponic greenhouse to learn about growing produce sustainably.
Sponsored by produce company BrightFarms and Pick ‘n Save, the experience allowed the students to celebrate Earth Day in a unique way.
Since many of the students have physical or sensory challenges, it can be difficult for them to participate in field trips, according to special education teacher Megan Rierdon.
“VR can be extremely beneficial for students with disabilities, particularly those in wheel chairs who may have accessibility challenges or those with autism that may experience stress or anxiety going out on real field trips due to sensitivities with unfamiliar locations,” she said. “I feel like this …will be a field trip of a lifetime!” Rierdon noted before the event.
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In addition to the interactive lesson on sustainability and caring for the earth, students participated in a nutrition lesson that included a do-it-yourself salad bar with all the fixings.

author: Sharon McGowan


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Behavioral Health Division nurse works to end mental health stigma in 53206 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Abby Ng
April 23, 2018
Editor’s note: This is one of an occasional series of articles about the people and places of 53206.
Lauren Hubbard, 29, said she remembers seeing police drag people away in handcuffs during drug raids blocks away from her childhood home in the 53206 ZIP code. After witnessing the arrests of her neighbors, she said she was left feeling sad, confused and anxious.
Hubbard’s family, friends and church were there to help her cope with those feelings, but she said some people do not have the same support network. That is why Hubbard became a mental health care nurse.
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“I want to be that helping hand because I wouldn’t be here if someone hadn’t helped me,” said Hubbard, nurse manager in the emergency department of the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division (BHD). “I feel really proud of where I come from, and of the parts of Milwaukee that helped raise me and grow me into a well-rounded person. I really strive to help the next person.”
While working as a nurse for residents of central city neighborhoods, Hubbard said she realized the stigma surrounding mental illness.
“The stigma about mental health does nothing but separate us when we all need to come together,” Hubbard said. “Oftentimes, the public responds a certain way because we assume a person should be able to control themselves, but that’s where a lot of the conflict can occur.”
Destinny Fletcher, poetry teacher and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin community navigations specialist for 53206, said she sees stigma being passed down from generation to generation. Some parents are reluctant to discuss and acknowledge mental illness with their children. Fletcher said she had a student with depression, whose father told her that depression is a white person’s disease.
“We talk about financial health, medical health, physical health but we don’t talk about mental health because to a lot of people [in 53206] it doesn’t exist,” Fletcher said. “‘What goes on in this house stays in this house,’ is a very familiar quote for many families.”
Nicole Newson, 21, who grew up in Milwaukee and works in 53206, experienced this generational stigma firsthand. When she could not tell her parents about her depression, she turned to poetry.
“I thought I was a strong black woman, and I could deal with it on my own, but I had to realize that depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain. Not talking about the situations I had gone through, not talking to anybody, was not helping me,” Newson said.
Newson found a therapist after joining City Year, a community service organization where she was able to open up about living with depression.
“If someone my age was on their own, it would be more difficult because people don’t talk about [resources],” Newson said.
According to Hubbard, not talking about mental illness is dangerous because it prevents people from getting help.
“A lot of individuals don’t seek services, don’t know what services are available. They feel ashamed, falling victim to that stigma.”
Hubbard suggests the key to starting conversations about mental health is education. She wants to see schools teaching common mental health diagnoses, and she wants young people to know there is no shame in mental illness.
“Speaking to our youth, speaking to the children, being a trusted and non-judgmental part of their lives is where this all starts,” she said. “I think that’s one of the most important challenges, to get these conversations started in schools and churches and to open up that discussion between parents and kids. … If we don’t mold them during growth and development that’s when we lose our chance.”
As part of a campaign for BHD, Hubbard has appeared on local television and radio stations. She said she hopes to eliminate generations of stigma by promoting conversation about mental illness.
Hubbard is also committed to being an advocate for her patients. “Everybody needs someone to listen to them. Usually that’s where my job starts and where their road to recovery starts,” Hubbard said.
While there are mental health organizations such as IMPACT and M&S Clinical Services that partner with BHD, Hubbard said the 53206 community needs more mental health care providers, and it needs more funding and staffing support.
Part of BHD’s campaign featuring Hubbard focuses on recruiting mental health care nurses. She said stigma can make hiring nurses a challenge.
“There’s a lot of misunderstanding about what mental health care is about,” Hubbard said. “To one who might not know what happens inside of a facility, or a clinic or a place that provides behavioral health treatment, it might seem kind of taboo to think about or participate in. But personally, it’s the most rewarding work I can think about doing.”
Hubbard wants potential nurses and Milwaukee community members to remember one thing: “Be there for each other . . . We’re all that we have. Start to build up this community from the inside out. Nobody else knows what 53206 needs but the people that live there.”
Home page photo: Lauren Hubbard (seated) and Deborah Clemons, PCS RN. (Photo by Princess Byers)

author: Abby Ng


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 23, 2018


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Lake Express Ferry hosts annual bike drive on lakefront | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Camille Paul
April 23, 2018
Lake Express Ferry, in partnership with Milwaukee Bike Collective and Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, hosted its annual bike drive to promote healthy lifestyles and environmental responsibility.
“It’s a spring kick off for our season and it’s good to have activity here after being closed for winter,” said Aaron Schultz, vice president of sales and marketing at Lake Express. “It feels good, and thankfully were doing good while being here.”
Bikes of all shapes, sizes and conditions were pedaled up to the bike drive, where more than 25 volunteers sorted and loaded them on to trucks.
Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers is sponsoring a Bike Day on Saturday, May 19, where children will receive a bike, helmet and lock along with information on how to be environmentally friendly and live healthier lifestyles. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Kosciuszko Park, 2201 S. 7th St.
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“We decided to throw a community event to help people rediscover the joy of biking as well as being active,” said Dr. David Waters of SSCHC.
“The event is to help people realize there are so many things we can do to live healthier lifestyles.”

author: Camille Paul