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Aldermen issue call for ‘all hands on deck’ to combat violence | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
June 7, 2016
Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton and 11 of the city’s 14 other aldermen unveiled a multi-pronged anti-violence initiative. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Milwaukee Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton and all but three city aldermen announced a multi-pronged approach to curbing violence in Milwaukee over the summer. Though the effort will include the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), Hamilton said it will focus on fighting crime by starting at the community level.
“This is an effort to take a holistic approach to what the quality of life should be in [the] communities that we all represent,” he said.
Aldermen Michael Murphy, Bob Bauman and Nik Kovac, who represent the far West Side, downtown and East Side, respectively, did not attend.
Milwaukee saw 153 homicides in 2015; 125 of those were gun deaths. In 2009, fewer than 45 percent of black males in Milwaukee were employed, according to a report by UW-Milwaukee professor Marc Levine. Milwaukee’s poverty rate is almost twice the national average, and more than 40 percent of Milwaukee children live in poverty.
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The initiative will engage community members, churches and pastors in Milwaukee’s most challenged neighborhoods, with the goal of identifying at least 500 fathers to positively influence their families and communities.
The Public Safety Committee will also hold a series of meetings with civic agencies, including the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office (June 10), Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department (June 24), local courts and judges (June 27) and the Office of Violence Prevention (July 11). A meeting with MPD already took place. All meetings are open to the public.
Though the official call is to fathers, Ald. Russell Stamper said every individual needs to do what he or she can. “Everybody should be in this,” he added. Stamper represents District 15, which encompasses the 53206 ZIP code, Milwaukee’s poorest.
“Alderman Hamilton and I have long worked on addressing crime in the community through … ways other than law enforcement,” said Ald. Terry Witkowski, who represents District 13 on Milwaukee’s South Side. “We know that it takes a community to affect a community — it takes neighbors working with neighbors.”
The Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative (MFI) will partner with the Common Council to organize the “500 Fathers” initiative. A launch event hosted by COA Youth & Family Centers will be held June 17 at Moody Park in the Amani neighborhood. Dennis Walton, a resident of Amani and outreach coordinator with MFI, said he hopes to create a database of individuals who can be called on to “go into a specific community to address certain issues and interact with the community,” when needed.
“A lot of the work that’s not being done is the grassroots work — organizing in the neighborhoods, in the communities, where the issues are happening,” Walton said.
Safe Zones co-founder Khalil Coleman (left) and ambassador Teddy Ellis pick up garbage on W. Atkinson Avenue in Garden Homes. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Hamilton called the initiative “a place-based strategy” and charged community organizations to take more responsibility and help to displace negative activity with positive activity. He also said it’s important to have an idea of what’s going on in a community, and to know who is creating problems and who is at risk.
Hamilton added, “Too often, when we go into a community not knowing … we have a negative effect.”
In addition, several previously approved initiatives will be a key part of efforts to improve conditions in central city neighborhoods. The Safe Zones initiative, sponsored by Hamilton and piloted last year, will place neighborhood ambassadors in the Garden Homes and Franklin Heights neighborhoods to mediate conflicts and help build community. A program sponsored by Ald. Milele Coggs, who represents much of the near North Side, including Harambee and Bronzeville, will offer financial aid so nonprofits can purchase foreclosed homes to use as community resource centers.
Stamper is leading an effort to revamp the city’s Residents Preference Program to ensure residents of the most distressed neighborhoods are hired on large development projects. He also said the city will again expand the successful Earn & Learn program, which employs youth over the summer. After adding 200 spots to the program last year, he hopes to add another 200 openings this summer. Last year there were about 2,700 youths on the program’s wait list.
Public Safety Committee Chair Ald. Bob Donovan also presented a letter that was delivered to Mayor Tom Barrett, urging him to include funding in his 2017 budget to replace 235 MPD officers who will be eligible for retirement in the next two years. The June 1 letter was signed by all the aldermen present, except Witkowski. While Donovan doesn’t think every one of those officers will retire, he said it’s still a concern.
“That is a huge and significant number,” said Donovan. “Officers with 25 years’ experience are not easily or quickly replaced.”
Barrett and MPD Chief Ed Flynn were not at the press conference, though Hamilton said Barrett has “been involved in many parts of this conversation” and Flynn is aware of the initiative.
The Common Council is hoping to recruit 25 churches to aid in the initiative, and has already targeted particular congregations based on location, according to Ald. Chantia Lewis. Lewis, who will lead the effort, said at least one church had agreed to participate so far.
Malcolm Hunt, an elder at Least of These International Ministries and part of Pastors United, has worked with pastors and police to provide counseling and immediate support for families affected by gun violence. He said it will be difficult to get churches involved because they don’t trust Barrett and Flynn. Hunt also said the faith-based community itself is divided.
“[It] depends on who approaches them, asks them to do it — that’s the key,” said Hunt. “The person has to be real.”
Walton urged the community to start working right away. “If we could get $1 million, or $2 million, or $500,000 to support what we’re doing, we would welcome it. But, because we’re in a state of emergency, we don’t have time to wait for … approval,” said Walton. “We can’t have any more 9-year-old girls being shot in the face by stray bullets.”

author: Jabril Faraj


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 6, 2016

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Adam Carr


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The Rotary Club of Milwaukee honors Sr. Edna Lonergan as its person of the year | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rotary Club of Milwaukee
June 7, 2016
Sister Edna Lonergan’s, St. Ann Center founder and president, discusses plans for the unfinished, second story of the St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care. (Photo by Molly Rippinger)
The Rotary Club of Milwaukee has named Sister Edna Lonergan, OSF as its 2016 Person of the Year.  Sr. Edna is the President of St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care, a highly respected organization that introduced dementia-specific day care to this area and was among the pioneers of fully integrated intergenerational day care in the United States.
The Milwaukee Rotary will honor Sr. Edna on Tuesday, June 7, 2016 at its regularly scheduled noon meeting at the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center (750 N Lincoln Memorial Dr.).
Rotarian Jim Gormley, the St. Ann board chairman has high praise for Sr. Edna.  “She has an incredible vision.  It’s an incredible vision that’s powered by her faith.  Her dedication to the mission of St. Ann’s is incredible.”
The Rotary Person of the Year award is a unique honor that focuses on the professional accomplishments of the award winner.  Rather than celebrating civic or philanthropic achievements, this award recognizes the winner’s work and career.  A committee of Milwaukee Rotarians reviews all the nominations with a particular focus on how the nominees have applied their professional work to better the community.
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“The purpose of this award is to highlight the second objective of Rotary: to foster high ethical standards in business and professions, to recognize the worthiness of all useful occupations, and to dignify each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society,” President Dan Vliet of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee said.
In recent years, Rotary Person of the Year awardees have included prominent local individuals in manufacturing, academia, professional services, and not-for-profit organizations.
St. Ann began in 1983 with a focus on adult day care.  As Sr. Edna led its growth, incorporating the mission of intergenerational care, St. Ann moved into its Stein Campus in the late 1990’s.  The organization describes the goal of the intergenerational program as serving the underserved and including day services for the whole person-body, mind and spirit.  Meaningful interactions among people of all ages are a consistent element of the St. Ann’s program.
Just last year, St. Ann opened a new Bucyrus Campus on West North Avenue where it has expanded its award winning services.
Tuesday’s award presentation will include a video tribute highlighting Sr. Edna’s work at St. Ann.
The program will begin at 12:15 pm.
Tuesday, June 7th, 2016
Memorial Hall
War Memorial, 3rd Floor
750 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr.
Milwaukee, WI 53202

author: Rotary Club of Milwaukee


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 7, 2016


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On the Block: Get out and vote | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
June 8, 2016
Calvin Johnson, 51, who lives in Clarke Square and said he often panhandles at local businesses, urges residents to cast a vote in the upcoming presidential election. He also hopes that people’s perceptions of the poor will change in the future.

author: Edgar Mendez


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As the rest of the country emerges from the Great Recession, East Cleveland finds itself spiraling further into financial ruin. Is there any hope for the city? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
admin
June 9, 2016
The Atlantic

author: admin


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Crime Is Down, Sort Of: New stats on U.S. imprisonment rates suggest a complicated future for criminal-justice reform. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
admin
June 9, 2016
The Atlantic


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Federal Appeals Court Says There Is No Right To Carry Concealed Weapons In Public | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
admin
June 9, 2016
National Public Radio


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Minority students prepare for future in real estate development | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sue Vliet
June 9, 2016
Marking the culmination of a 26-week course that began last September, 20 students graduated from the Associates in Commercial Real Estate (ACRE) program on June 7. The event took place at the MSOE Grohmann Museum, 1000 N. Broadway.
The ACRE program is an industry-supported initiative that recruits and trains minorities for professional careers in real estate development, property management and construction management. More than 150 people have graduated from the program since it started in 2004.
In addition to classroom work, ACRE provides students with networking opportunities, project-based training and mentorship. Students typically have some college training as well as business experience.
The ACRE program was created by Professor Mark Eppli and the Marquette University College of Business and is now administered through LISC Milwaukee in partnership with Marquette University and the Milwaukee School of Engineering. Eppli was on hand for the event, along with industry professionals, Milwaukee officials and ACRE alumni now working in real estate development and related fields.
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author: Sue Vliet


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MKE Plays offering summer jobs to youths and providing meals at new playgrounds | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Michael Murphy
June 9, 2016
In partnership with the city’s  Summer Youth Internship Program and the  ,  will employ six young Milwaukeeans this summer to help offer free, drop-in programming at two newly-reconstructed playgrounds.
“When we launched this effort to provide kids with safe, engaging play spaces throughout the city, it was always our goal to turn these playgrounds into a neighborhood gathering place,” said Alderman Michael J. Murphy, the originator of the MKE Plays program. “Now that we’ve rebuilt two of them, the next step in the process is increasing their utilization, and this new partnership does just that.”
Running Mondays through Thursdays from June 20 through August 11, the MKE Plays summer programming will engage young people at the city’s Arlington Heights playground (3429 W. Pierce St.) and the play space at N. 17th Street and W. Vine Street. MPS Recreation will help staff the program and provide employee training, and the city’s Earn and Learn program will employ three high school-aged “play leaders” at each site to lead the activities and supervise participants.
The Hunger Task Force will offer participants a free meal at the conclusion of each day’s activities, part of its citywide plan to offer meals at more than 160 sites.
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Programming will run from 1:30 to 5:00 p.m. at Arlington Heights, with facilities and support provided by the Layton Boulevard West Neighbors. At 17th and Vine, programming will run from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with facilities and support provided by the nearby Cross Church.
The MKE Plays initiative is a “bottom-up, community-centered approach” to replacing aging or obsolete equipment in city-owned play areas. The initiative has raised more than $1.3 million in private funding to replace equipment at 12 playgrounds with input from local residents, who help determine how the park should be designed so it complements neighborhood identity.
As MKE Plays completes the reconstruction of more playgrounds, Alderman Murphy said it’s his hope that the city will be able to bring similar summer programming to more neighborhoods in need.
“In households where there aren’t the means to provide regular supervision, summer can be a dangerous time for kids who are left to their own devices,” Alderman Murphy said. “By rehabbing these playgrounds and providing organized activities through the MKE Plays program, we’re not only keeping kids healthy through regular exercise, but we’re keeping them safe as well.”
Alderman Murphy added, “I specifically want to thank our partners in the Earn and Learn Summer Youth Internship Program, the Milwaukee Public Schools Recreation Department and the Hunger Task Force for making this program possible, and for working together for the betterment of our community as a whole.”

author: Ald. Michael Murphy


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Northwestern Mutual shows commitment to Milwaukee neighborhoods with nearly $1 million in grants | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Northwestern Mutual Foundation
June 9, 2016
To create stronger, safer communities, research indicates residents must feel invested in their neighborhoods and work together to implement change from the ground up. To support the community-led initiatives in its hometown of Milwaukee, Northwestern Mutual, through its Foundation, today announced nearly $1 million in grants to nonprofits through the company’s neighborhood grants program.
The foundation grants will benefit the 70,000 residents living in Amani, Metcalfe Park and Muskego Way neighborhoods, areas that have demonstrated significant opportunity for enhancement. Northwestern Mutual has been investing in these neighborhoods since 2013 by providing funding to nonprofits focused on the following four outcomes: safe neighborhoods; healthy and thriving youth; strong families and quality education.
“The residents in these three areas are serving as change-makers in their communities by advocating for safer and stronger neighborhoods, an initiative we have supported for many years,” said Eric Christophersen, president, Northwestern Mutual Foundation. “By working together we can see the positive change in our communities that has a ripple effect on our whole city.”
ACTS Housing Spotlight
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One of the foundation grants will support ACTS Housing, a nonprofit full-service real estate brokerage that helps families in Milwaukee reclaim vandalized and foreclosed properties. The grant funds will support the new office at St. Ann’s in Metcalfe Park, which opened in January.
“ACTS believes that a safe, sanitary and affordable home is a crucial component of strengthening individuals, families and ultimately Milwaukee communities. We are honored to have Northwestern Mutual as a partner to help us achieve this goal,” said Michael Gosman, executive director, ACTS. “The opening of a new ACTS office at St. Ann’s will help families access affordable homeownership in Metcalfe Park and throughout Milwaukee’s north side.”
The nonprofit operates five offices throughout the greater Milwaukee region and currently has 7,000 individuals living in homes purchased through the ACTS program.
2016 Neighborhood Grant Recipients:
Community Collaborations (in partnership with Zilber Family Foundation and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation)
Northwestern Mutual is also working with partners to improve education, make Milwaukee a great place to live, work and play through its destination grant program, and accelerate the search for childhood cancer cures nationally.All grant recipients are required to show measureable impact and results of their programs.

author: Northwestern Mutual Foundation


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On the Block: A close companion | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
June 9, 2016
Read more about Peaches Ellis at milwaukeestories.org.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 8, 2016


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Police officers go on stage with Boys & Girls Clubs members to combat summer violence | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rebecca Carballo
June 9, 2016
The “Can you hear us now?” talent show featured dance, songs and poetry that embraced change, the show’s theme. (Photo By Rebecca Carballo)
For the first time this year, local police officers took to the stage in the annual Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee talent show, “Can you hear us now?” to promote a safe summer.
The performance was held at Milwaukee High School of the Arts. The show, which included song, dance and poetry, was created in response to increasing violence and murder rates in Milwaukee.
Noting that “it takes a village to raise a child,” La’Ketta Caldwell, senior program manager for Boys & Girls Clubs, said the adults’ role in the show is important to promoting a safe summer.
“We want leaders and adults to recognize the village’s impact,” Caldwell said.
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The production was inspired by Michael Jackson’s song “Man in the Mirror.” Caldwell said the lyric “if you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make the change” embodies the organization’s message.
Some of the songs and poems in the show were encouraging. Others told stories of overcoming adversity.
Amaya Cheatham, 18, performs at the “Can you hear us now?” talent show. (Photo By Rebecca Carballo)
“I tried my hardest not to be that angry black girl,” Robin Robinson, 15, a student at Rufus King High School, said in her poem, about her frustration with stereotypes and misrepresentations of the black community.
Despite her frustration, Robinson’s poem ended on a hopeful note. She eventually came to the conclusion: “We will bring change.” Cheers erupted from the audience.
Ahmaya Cheatham, 18, performer and student at University of Wisconsin Whitewater, read a poem about one of the talent show’s director’s experience with incarceration. Cheatham described performing the poem as “exhilarating.”
Cheatham said she enjoys performing in the “Can you hear us now?” show and appreciates the message. For her, community outreach is part of “being the change.”
“What you do depends on how much you care about it,” Cheatham said. “When I was told about this program it opened my eyes to what I could be doing to help out.”
The show, which took a year to prepare, started with a music video produced by H20 Milwaukee Music, in which Boys & Girls Clubs members promoted peace and rapped their pledge to stay away from violence.
Other partners involved in the production included the Bronzeville Arts Ensemble, Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee High School of the Arts, First Stage, 88Nine Radio Milwaukee and The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music.
Caldwell said she and her colleagues enjoy working with the performers. “We love working with young people. We love pushing them,” Caldwell said. “One thing we love about it is when we expose them to an art form and they go all into it and really share in there.”
The show ended with the performers singing and dancing to “Man in the Mirror.” Officer Jasmine Moody of the Milwaukee Police Department’s Office of Community Outreach and Education participated in the number, along with three other officers.
Don Pannell, a retired firefighter and paramedic who has volunteered with the Boys & Girls Clubs, said it is good for young people to interact with police. “Children need to see them in capacity as not someone to fear in the streets, but to see them as human beings who care about them.”
After the performance, Boys & Girls Clubs leaders told the audience that they were optimistic about the summer.
“Change will come in the city of Milwaukee,” Caldwell said. “We will have a safe summer.”

author: Rebecca Carballo


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What can we learn from Cuba’s Successes in Combating Illiteracy at home & abroad? And from Women’s Leading Role? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Art Heitzer
June 10, 2016
Tuesday, June 14 | 4 pm & 7 PM: What can we learn from Cuba’s Successes in Combating Illiteracy at home & abroad?
Hear Luisa Campos, Director of Cuba’s Museum of Literacy, & see the inspiring film “Maestra,” a short documentary on how young women teaching in Cuba’s historic campaign against illiteracy not only made Cuba one of the most literate nations, but also were empowered themselves. “This film brought tears to my eyes. Thank you. It is beautiful.”  — Alice Walker, Writer, Peacemaker, Pulitzer Prize Winner & Author of “The Color Purple.” See the trailer & more info at http://www.maestrathefilm.org/
Luisa Campos will speak on Cuba’s “Yo Si Puedo” program, which has been used to successfully combat illiteracy, throughout Latin America, and as far as Australia, where it has helped keep aboriginal people out of jail (see http://www.smh.com.au/national/from-cuba-with-love-20140713-3bvp5.html).
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This  is open to the public, free of charge with donations accepted, at Central United Methodist Church, 639 N. 25th St. (at Wisconsin Ave., with free off street parking south of the church). Sponsored by WI Coalition to Normalize Relations with Cuba, www.wicuba.org, 414.273.1040.  See also https://www.facebook.com/events/588363741327951/ (Milwaukee event), and https://www.facebook.com/maestrathefilm/ and  www.maestrathefilm.org.

author: Art Heitzer


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 10, 2016


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Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee announces summer food program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee
June 13, 2016
Stressing the importance of offering nutritious meals to children during the summer months, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee announces the sponsorship of the Summer Food Service Program.
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which 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.
Breakfast, lunch and/or afternoon snacks will be provided to Boys & Girls Club members Monday through Friday at the following locations:
June 14th – August 26th:
Daniels-Mardak Boys & Girls Club
4834 N. 35th St., Milwaukee, WI 53209
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LaVarnway Boys & Girls Club
2739 N. 15th St., Milwaukee, WI 53206
Mary Ryan Boys & Girls Club
3000 N. Sherman Blvd., Milwaukee, WI 53210
Pieper-Hillside Boys & Girls Club
611 W. Cherry St., Milwaukee, WI 53212
June 20th – July 29th:
Hadfield Boys & Girls Club
733 Linden St., Waukesha, WI 53186
Meals are provided to eligible children regardless of race, color, national origin, age, gender or disability and there will be no discrimination in the course of meal service.
“This program fills a void created when school lunches are not available,” said Vincent Lyles (Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, President/CEO). “Helping parents meet the nutritional needs of their children is the strength of this program.”

author: Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee


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‘Crimeless revocation’ a failed policy | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Mark Rice
June 13, 2016
Demonstrators march in front of the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility, 1015 N. 10th St., during an event to launch WISDOM’s campaign to end mass incarceration in Wisconsin. (Photo by Barbara Pfarr)
Mark Rice, who received the 2016 Distinguished Leadership Award from MICAH (Milwaukee Inner-city Congregations Allied for Hope) for his work to end mass incarceration in Wisconsin, argues that justice system reforms would reduce the scourge of imprisonment devastating Milwaukee neighborhoods.
The Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act would be an important first step in reforming our unjust federal punishment system. However, numerous politicians, including Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, still oppose this bill that would reduce several mandatory minimum sentences, reduce racial disparities in incarceration and expand rehabilitation programs for currently incarcerated people.
Wisconsin’s senators have not signed on as co-sponsors of the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act yet. Sen. Tammy Baldwin supports the bill, but she is waiting for another Republican to sign on before she co-sponsors it. Sen. Ron Johnson has not yet taken a position on this proposal.
The U.S. Congressional Budget Office estimates that this bill would save taxpayers more than $700 million over the next 10 years. The federal government could instead spend this money on strengthening neighborhoods in Milwaukee and throughout the country that have been disproportionately impacted by mass imprisonment.
Federal legislators are making little progress on justice system reform, but they are doing better than policymakers in Wisconsin. In June 2015, Gov. Scott Walker said that the “challenges in terms of people being incarcerated for relatively low offenses is not a significant issue in the state of Wisconsin.” Actually, it is a huge problem.
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The first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one. It is time for Clarke, Johnson and Walker to acknowledge that mass incarceration has devastated neighborhoods here in Milwaukee and across the country. Walker must face the fact that crimeless revocation (the practice of re-incarcerating individuals on probation, parole, or extended supervision for minor rule violations) is more than significant. It is a failed policy, a waste of money and an embarrassment to Wisconsin.
Several states have shown that they can decrease levels of incarceration without compromising public safety. Two studies demonstrate that recent policy changes that resulted in the release of nearly 30,000 people from prisons in California did not cause increases in crime. Policy reforms there included greatly reducing the use of incarceration for crimeless revocations and enabling some people with convictions for violent crimes to be eligible for parole. Thirty states cut both rates of imprisonment and crime from 2008 to 2013.
EXPO (EX-Prisoners Organizing), a group of formerly incarcerated people that is working to transform Wisconsin’s unjust punishment system, believes that the people closest to the problems are closest to the solutions. We are leading efforts to challenge elected officials such as Sheriff Clarke and Governor Walker who attempt to justify the unnecessary incarceration of thousands of people.
My own story provides an example of why legislators should enact sentencing reform and revocation policy reform. When I was 19 years old, I faced over 100 years in prison for non-violent offenses, but Wisconsin officials released me after I served 20 months of a 30-month sentence. Fortunately for me, Wisconsin did not have any long mandatory minimum sentences for these offenses at the time.
The Department of Corrections also forced me to spend six months in the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility for allegedly violating a rule of community supervision that did not involve a new crime — a crimeless revocation. We are talking about imprisoning people for minor infractions like unauthorized computer or cell phone use, crossing county lines, missing appointments, failing alcohol tests and entering bars.
Incarcerating people for technical violations destroys lives, contributes to overcrowding in jails and adds nothing to public safety. It is also fiscally irresponsible.
Crimeless revocation plays a central role in maintaining mass incarceration in Wisconsin and explaining why Wisconsin imprisons black men at a higher rate than any other state. Crimeless revocations accounted for about half of all new admissions to Wisconsin prisons since 2000.
I completely turned my life around over the last 16 years. During this time period, I earned two master’s degrees and worked for several nonprofit organizations. I am the associate organizer of EXPO, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the chair of WISDOM’s post-release issues workgroup, and a board member of Project RETURN, a nonprofit organization in Milwaukee that helps men and women leaving prison make a positive and permanent return to our community. I could not have accomplished all of this if a judge had been forced to sentence me to a minimum of 20 years in prison.
I am just one of many EXPO leaders who have succeeded after being released from prison. Wisconsin taxpayers regularly pay more than $150 million each year to unnecessarily imprison individuals for crimeless revocations. This money should instead be used to build human potential.
In response to concerns raised by EXPO and WISDOM, a group of state representatives led by Mandela Barnes, David Bowen, Evan Goyke and LaTonya Johnson introduced a bill in 2015 that would have limited the number of people who could be sent back to prison for technical violations. Unfortunately, legislators did not enact this bill.
Lawmakers at the national level and in Wisconsin should not wait any longer to reform sentencing and revocation policies that contribute to mass incarceration.

author: Mark Rice


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 12, 2016


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Mobile bike repair dates announced for LBWN neighborhoods | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wisconsin Bike Fed
June 13, 2016

author: Wisconsin Bike Fed


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 13, 2016


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WEB_Southside-Sites-Flyer-EN | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 13, 2016


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WEB_Southside-Sites-Flyer-ES | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 13, 2016


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MPS adds 2,000 Summer Academy seats | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
June 13, 2016
MPS Summer Academy students learning at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center in 2015. (Photo courtesy of MPS)
Registration is open for Milwaukee Public Schools summer programs, offering learning and recreation opportunities at more than 90 sites across the city.
“Summer learning is critical for our students,” MPS Superintendent Dr. Darienne Driver said. “I encourage families to make a commitment and enroll their children in a summer learning program to ensure students stay on track and return to school this fall healthy and ready to learn.”
Families can learn more about Summer Academy on the district’s website or by calling 414-475-8238. You must register by June 27. Families can enroll online at mpsmke.com/enrollMPS.Opportunities include 2,000 additional seats in MPS’ Summer Academy for grades K5-8, a program at 26 sites across the city that reinforces what students learned throughout the year and prepares them for the school year ahead. The number of sites available is also up from last year. The district is offering door-to-door transportation for students living within two miles of two Summer Academy “Super Sites:” Grantosa Drive School and Sherman Multicultural Arts School. Other sites are focused on offering neighborhood opportunities for families.
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MPS summer programs include:

author: Milwaukee Public Schools


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Murder in Milwaukee: What do the statistics tell us about homicides and why they happen? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
admin
June 13, 2016
Urban Milwaukee


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Harambee hopes to create Neighborhood Improvement District to aid property owners | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
June 14, 2016
(Photo by Adam Carr)
Harambee resident Roberta Lyles remembers a time not long ago when her neighborhood was dominated by prostitutes, drugs and gangs, forcing her to sleep underneath her bed in order to avoid stray gunfire.
“A bullet doesn’t have anybody’s name on it,” the 79-year-old said.
Refusing to be terrorized by the constant threats of violence, Lyles teamed with several of her neighbors to take action. They called their alderman, held meetings, went door to door and formed block clubs, all in the name of creating a safer neighborhood.
“We decided to get our neighborhood cleaned up and that is what we did,” she said. “We got our area safe. We got rid of the drugs, we got rid of the gangs and now it is a beautiful place to live. The neighbors at that time banded together and got things done and this is what we do today.”
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Now, about 10 years later, the same type of organizing among neighbors is underway. This time, it revolves around creating a Neighborhood Improvement District (NID) that would make available money for property owners for costly improvements to their houses and apartments in a part of the city that has been hit hard by foreclosures.
Harambee has been hit hard by tax-foreclosed homes. (Photo by Scottie Lee Meyers)
Foreclosures have driven down home values in the neighborhood, deterring property owners’ ability to maintain and improve their properties. Home prices in the neighborhood have decreased from $77,000 in 2006 to $47,000 in 2016, according to data from Zillow.com.
Much like how a business improvement district (BID) operates, a Harambee NID would collect a yearly assessment — possibly $50 per house or apartment unit — from property owners. The money would be used to make grants up to $10,000 that property owners could use to fix roofs, porches and windows, according to Rick Banks, a community organizer with the Harambee Great Neighborhood Initiative.
“We want to create something that is much more accessible to current residents than a lot of the city resources…with the goal being to improve the neighborhood,” Banks said. “We hope to stabilize the housing stock and brighten up the exterior feel of the neighborhood.”
The need for such a funding stream comes from the fact that many city grants and loans require property owners to have good credit and equity in their homes or apartments, making it tough for residents who have neither, according to Banks.
“There are senior citizens, there are retired people who don’t have the funds to get the things done to their homes that need to be done,” Lyles said.
The boundaries of the proposed NID are Capitol Drive on the north, Center Street on the south, Interstate 43 on the west and Holton Street on the east. The NID would include 2,863 individual units and would raise about $143,500 a year if the assessment is $50 per unit, which is the amount assessed in NIDs in Sherman Park and Washington Park, where two of the three NIDs have been created in Milwaukee. The first NID was created downtown in 2009.
Sherman Park established its NID in 2012 after about 15 months of work with community members and various organizations involved in the neighborhood. In all, more than 50 meetings were held and about 650 people were involved in creating the Sherman Park NID, according to Fred Curzan, executive director of the Sherman Park Community Association.
“It takes a while and you need to do outreach. You need to let as many people as possible know what is going on with this,” Curzan said.
Many Sherman Park residents who supported the NID there felt that it was “the old barn-raising sort of thing, where you want to support your neighbors,” Curzan said. “It’s a good tool to have when you are marketing a neighborhood. It’s another positive aspect of living in the Sherman Park area.”
The process of developing a NID begins with drafting an operating plan that is submitted to the city’s Plan Commission for approval. It is then sent to all property owners within the neighborhood through certified mail.
In the case of the proposed NID in Harambee, residents have played a major role in the development of the plan and getting the word out, going door to door and talking with fellow residents about the proposal, Banks said.
“If you really want your neighborhood cleaned up and you really want things done in your neighborhood, it starts with the people,” Lyles said.
The proposed Harambee NID is still in its infancy, with informational meetings being held every few weeks. A public hearing will be held on the proposal and then it will be sent to the Common Council and the mayor for approval. If approved, a NID board will be formed to decide how to distribute funds and how the district would operate.
Banks anticipates presenting the proposed NID to the city’s Plan Commission in August and the first grants to be issued to property owners in spring 2017 if it is approved.
If owners of 40 percent or more of the property within the proposed NID sign a petition in opposition and present it to the Plan Commission, the district would not be created.
“So far we have had pretty little opposition as most people are in support of it so we don’t anticipate there being too much resistance to it,” Banks said.

author: Brendan O’Brien


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Lindsay Heights teens explore connection between socio-economic factors and lead poisoning | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rebecca Carballo
June 15, 2016
Tiyana Miner, a member of the Running Rebels Youth Advisory Council, shows a guest the series of maps council members created. (Photo by Rebecca Carballo)
Color-coded maps of Milwaukee created by members of the Running Rebels Youth Advisory Council show that high poverty areas tend to have high rates of lead poisoning, which in turn is correlated with higher rates of crime such as robberies.
The Youth Advisory Council (YAC) is a group of eight teens who spent the past year learning about lead poisoning and analyzing how various factors contribute to criminal behaviors.
The maps and photographs taken by the council members were showcased at the Running Rebels Non-Violence Summer Kick off. The event included lunch, Purple Door ice cream and a basketball game for Running Rebels members.
Running Rebels, 1300A W. Fond Du Lac Ave., works to keep youth from engaging in risky behaviors. Founded in 1980 by Victor Barnett, it provides positive choices for youth “facing the daily pressures of delinquency, drug abuse, truancy and teen pregnancy,” according to its website.
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“Running Rebels sends an early message to young people to stop and think about the consequences of their actions,” said Dawn Barnett, Running Rebel co-executive director.
A photo board highlights improvements students think can be made in Lindsay Heights. (Photo by Rebecca Carballo)
The YAC’s mapping project looks at the factors that influence violence.
“This project is to show them how different things besides individual behavior contribute to violence,” said Sandra Bogar, YAC leader and a student at Medical College of Wisconsin. Bogar described lead poisoning as “slow violence,” because those who have been affected are more likely to engage in aggressive behaviors later in life.
YAC used data from the Medical College of Wisconsin and mapped which areas in Milwaukee had the highest concentrations of violence, poverty and lead poisoning. They also documented the Lindsay Heights community’s strengths and weaknesses through a “photo-voice” project using photography and written descriptions.
Bogar said she tried to choose projects that the teens could relate to. “We wanted youth to have leadership opportunities and share things in their own words,” Bogar said.
In their visits to gardens around the city YAC members learned that even after older homes with lead paint are knocked down, lead can still be found in the soil and absorbed in the gardens.
“This experience enlightened me,” said Eric Newson, YAC member and Milwaukee High School of the Arts student. “I related to it because I used to have a garden when I was little.”
Added Tarif Garrett, a YAC members and Milwaukee School of Engineering student, “Once I have a career I want to help fix the homes causing lead poisoning. I had no idea there could be lead in gardens. That was very surprising.”
Half the YAC students grew up in Lindsay Heights. Tiyana Miner, a YAC member and student at South Division High School, said some of what they chose to photograph was unplanned, but they had an idea of what they wanted.
“When we went out we knew what we were looking for; it was just a matter of finding it,” Miner said.
The photos were displayed on three boards in the categories of neighborhood challenges, improvements and strengths.
The final board displays photos of the gardens the teens visited. Miner said the board captures the beauty in her community.
“Even the smallest things can give life,” Miner wrote on the display. “My community has more life than I can see.”
Miner said the photo-voice project and maps demonstrate to the community what she and the other YAC members have learned.
“This is a great way to show people the positive things we’re doing,” Miner said.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 14, 2016


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Near West Side Rev-Up MKE Competition due June 28th | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Near West Side Partners, Inc
June 15, 2016
The Rev-Up MKE small business competition will provide an opportunity for start-up entrepreneurs to expand or start a business and get the support needed to make it successful. Similar to a shark tank-style competition, the finalists will make live pitches to the judges later this year. Leading up to the pitches, finalists will receive hands on business training, technical assistance and mentorship from a number of organizations in Milwaukee including WWBIC, BizStarts and the Marquette Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic. In addition to a cash prize and a suite of pro-bono services from Milwaukee firms, the winner will locate in a primary storefront in the Near West Side, providing new services to the residents, employees and students that call the Near West Side home.
AWARD FOR THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Are you up for the challenge?
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Click here for more details about the competition.

author: Near West Side Partners, Inc


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 15, 2016


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Public video art event on West Historic Mitchell Street | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. José G. Pérez
June 15, 2016
(Photo courtesy of Temporary Resurfacing)
Temporary Resurfacing, an outdoor, multi-video projection event, will take place Saturday, June 18 from 8:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. on West Historic Mitchell Street between S. 9th St. and S. 11th St.
The event, produced by artists Demitra Copoulos, Marla Sanvick, Maeve Jackson and the Historic Mitchell Street BID, will feature video productions by more than 30 regional and national artists projected simultaneously onto exterior surfaces and within buildings. Video installations will range in scale from entire facades to small storefronts.
“I invite everyone to come down to Historic Mitchell Street and see the hard work of these artists,” Alderman José G. Pérez said. “It’s going to be a great event.”
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For more information about the event and featured artists, please visit temporaryresurfacing.org.
What: Temporary Resurfacing public video art
When: 8:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. Saturday, June 18
Where: West Historic Mitchell Street

author: Ald. José G. Pérez


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Alderman exploring program to attract grocery stores to underserved Milwaukee neighborhoods | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 16, 2016
Milwaukee Business Journal

author: Andrea Waxman


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Business Journal recognizes two Clarke Square neighbors as Milwaukee women of influence | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative
June 16, 2016
The Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative (CSNI), on behalf of all 8,000 neighbors, congratulates fellow neighbors and 2016 Women of Influence Ms. Tyna Rule and Ms. Chris Her-Xiong as announced by the Milwaukee Business Journal. Both women, along with the other honorees will be celebrated on Friday during the Business Journal’s luncheon.
Rule is the President of the Board of Directors of the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative (CSNI) and also chairs the neighborhood’s Project 10 (Health & Wellness) initiative. She was highly involved with the development of the Clarke Square Neighborhood’s Quality of Life Plan and was the creator of the Plan’s tenth strategy area, health and wellness. Rule and Clarke Square frame health and wellness uniquely and holistically to include economic prosperity, physical health, emotional health and wellbeing, and spiritual wellness.
Rule also provides dedicated service to other nonprofit boards, planning committees and community initiatives. For example, Rule served for five years on the US Department of Justice’s local Weed and Seed collaboration along with local law enforcement. In addition to her extensive volunteer service, Rule still finds time to manage her own real estate and home health care endeavors. She has lived in Clarke Square, on S. 26 Street for two decades with her husband. She is also the mother of an adult son.
Clarke Square neighbor Dr. Lori Gramling admires that Tyna is committed to inclusion. “The thing that I most esteem is Tyna’s value that everyone is invited and involved and that no one is left out of our neighborhood activities and events big and small,” she commented.
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Her-Xiong is the founder and Executive Director of the Hmong American Peace Academy (HAPA), a nonprofit organization founded in 2004. HAPA is a college preparatory K4-12 grade charter school that provides students with rigorous academics, character development, and Hmong cultural values, preparing them to excel in colleges, universities and careers.
In addition to a long career in education and business, Her-Xiong is also author of The Hmong: The People and Their History (1995) and recipient of the 2009 Hmong Woman of the Year award. She has received numerous awards and served on State- level and local boards, taskforces and committees over her career. She was the first bilingual Hmong teacher and also the first Hmong Principal in Milwaukee. Her-Xiong has lived in the Clarke Square neighborhood for 26 years with her husband. She is the mother of three adult sons.
In speaking about Her-Xiong, Clarke Square faith leader, Pastor Jon Jacobs offered, “from her quick, strategic thinking to her empathy for those around her, Chris has been unyielding in her desire to achieve her goals as Director of the Academy and her quest to earn her Ph.D.  She is a trendsetter, a pioneer and a life changer.”
Clarke Square neighbor Valeria Cerda commented that, “recognizing women of color for their excellent leadership is important for the inspiration and for the example it provides to the many diverse women in Clarke Square – and throughout Milwaukee – to also aspire to and to act as leaders in their communities.”
The entire Clarke Square Neighborhood is proud to call these two outstanding leaders our neighbors. Congratulations!

author: Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative


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Immigration Reform News: Undocumented Immigrants Pay $11.6 Billions in Annual Taxes New Study Finds | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 16, 2016
Latin Post


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Milwaukee Among Cities Cited for Concealing Lead Levels in Drinking Water | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 16, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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Milwaukee Y offers day camp and reduced-cost swim lessons | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee
June 16, 2016
WHAT:
Through Milwaukee Swims, a partnership with Milwaukee County Parks, the Milwaukee Y is offering nine swim lessons for the reduced-cost of $5 per person or $10 per family. Lessons are available for children ages six years and older, as well as non-swimming adults.
The Milwaukee Y is also bringing day camp to the Milwaukee County Parks for the second summer in a row. Kids enrolled in Milwaukee Y Day Camp will experience the Camp FLY (Fun Learning for Youth) curriculum model created by licensed educators to help reduce summer learning loss. The seven camps, four of which are held at Milwaukee County Parks, will provide more children with opportunities to explore nature, try new activities, and create memories that will last a lifetime.
WHO:
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The Milwaukee Y taught over 4,000 individuals to swim in our swim lessons program in 2015, and 960 children learned to swim through our Milwaukee Swims program last year. The Milwaukee Y also served 1,100 individual children through our Milwaukee Y Day Camp program in 2015.
WHEN:
Milwaukee Swims begins Monday, June 20. Lessons are held in the mornings. For a Milwaukee Swims lessons schedule, visit our website www.ymcamke.org.
Milwaukee Y Day Camp began Monday, June 13 and runs Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
WHERE:
Milwaukee Swims:
Milwaukee Y Day Camps:
WHY:
For children ages 1 to 14, fatal drowning remains the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adding to this grave problem is the fact that nationally, 70 percent of African-American children, 58 percent of Hispanic children and 40 percent of white children have little or no swimming ability.
Research has also shown that children in a lower socioeconomic climate may, on average, begin every new school year two months behind their peers due to summer learning loss because of lack of resources in our urban areas.
The Milwaukee Y is committed to reversing these preventable and troubling statistics by collaborating with the Milwaukee County Parks to offer Milwaukee Swims, a partnership designed to bring swim lessons to more locations through Milwaukee County, and by offering Camp FLY programming with the goal of incorporating reading, math and science learning into Milwaukee Y Day Camp activities.
A champion for healthy living, the vision of the Milwaukee Y is a stronger, healthier Milwaukee where families of all incomes and backgrounds truly thrive.

author: YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee


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New Phongsavan Asian Market will be one-stop Hmong retail center | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 16, 2016
jsonline.com


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No Driver’s License, No Job | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 16, 2016
The Atlantic


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Important OSPP update from the Office of the Superintendent | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
June 17, 2016
To Our Milwaukee Public Schools Community,
We truly appreciate your dedication, time and support to promote and encourage the success of Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) students and want to provide you with this update on the Opportunity Schools and Partnership Program (OSPP).
In June 2015, the state legislature passed a law creating the OSPP, which gives Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele the responsibility to appoint a commissioner who has the authority to transfer an MPS school or schools from the district to the OSPP.
On April 21, 2016, Commissioner Demond Means presented a proposal to MPS with a June 23 deadline for response. We appreciate the desire of County Executive Abele and Commissioner Means to develop a partnership proposal that attempts to limit harm to MPS students. However, as we have examined the OSPP proposal over the past six weeks, we have identified the following concerns:
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Given these concerns, we recently requested a meeting with County Executive Abele and Commissioner Means to discuss an alternative to the OSPP proposal. We know the fundamental needs of our families include greater access to high-quality early childhood education, sustained resources and support, stable school communities, rigorous curriculum led by strong instructional leaders and having a voice in the decisions that impact their children.
With these critical factors in mind, and given that the qualitative analysis as outlined in the OSPP proposal was not completed, selecting a school would be unfair to school communities because they have not had an opportunity to participate in a qualitative review. We have developed an alternative option that will add value and align with the critical work already underway at MPS:
Improving student outcomes is challenging and much work remains. As a district, we have implemented strategies for school turnaround rooted in collective impact including:
Our efforts are yielding results. More students are earning scholarships with a record-breaking $47.8 million awarded this year; more high schools are ranked among the best in the state and nation; and over 100 MPS schools are recognized for promoting positive behaviors by an independent statewide organization. Community engagement is leading to stronger families and a healthier community. With ongoing support from committed community partners, we will continue to see positive results.
MPS is committed to ensuring that all partnerships bring additional value and enhance our current standard of care. In doing this, we must also ensure our school communities are kept intact and we believe our alternative does just that. We are prepared to discuss this alternative with County Executive Abele and Commissioner Means and will continue to keep you informed throughout the process.
For more information, please visit www.mpsmke.com/ospp or call 414-475-8274.
Best,
Darienne B. Driver, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
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Mark A. Sain, President
Milwaukee Board of School Directors


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Planning begins for mural, green space project on Forest Home Avenue | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
June 17, 2016
Juanita Valcarcel, BNCP site coordinator for Muskego Way/Clarke Square/ Historic Mitchell Street, stands near the wall where a new mural will go. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
When Paula Jones, an artist and writer, moved to the Historic Mitchell Street neighborhood on the South Side from Wauwatosa last year, one thing that stood out to her is that the vibrant neighborhood has few green spaces for neighbors to congregate.
“Here we are in the heart of the city but there’s not a lot of places for neighbors to meet and form bonds,” said Jones, a member of South Side Neighbors Helping Neighbors (SSNHN), a resident committee formed by organizers from the Building Neighborhood Capacity Program (BNCP).
After months of going door to door to drum up resident support, placing calls to city officials, including Alderman Jose G. Perez, and applying for grants, the group secured a location for a mural and green space on the corner of W. Forest Home Avenue and S. 13 Street.
Ernesto Villarreal, who runs a Supermercado El Rey on the southwest corner of the property, donated an unused parcel of land and facade where the mural and green space will be located.
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The first community input session for the project will be held Saturday, June 18, at St. Anthony Keyser Hall, 1730 S. 9 St., from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. There, residents will discuss ideas for the project, including what message they’d like the mural to convey and what amenities they’d like to see populate the green space. Four more meetings will be held in upcoming months to involve residents in each step of the process, said Jones, who chairs the arts and education committee for SSNHN. South Side artists Tia Richardson and Jeanette Martin have been chosen to paint the mural, Jones said.
Milwaukee Christian Center, located at 807 S. 14th St., serves as the anchor agency for the South Side BNCP. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
The resident-driven project is exactly the type that BNCP organizers hoped for when they began outreach efforts on the South Side in October 2014, according to Juanita Valcarcel, BNCP site coordinator for Clarke Square, Muskego Way and the Historic Mitchell Street Neighborhood.
“When we came into the community, we asked residents what their concerns were and most said safety and neighborhood appearance and beautification. Then we asked them, ‘what would you like to see done and how can we help you,’” Valcarcel said.
The philosophy of the federally funded BNCP program, which also has sites in the Amani and Metcalfe Park neighborhoods in Milwaukee, is to build community capacity and spur resident-driven projects by organizing, providing information and connecting residents with local resources and organizations. BNCP has spurred several successful efforts in those neighborhoods, including the rebuilding of Moody Park in Amani and increased resident engagement in Metcalfe Park. The federal funding for BNCP has been supplemented in Milwaukee by grants from local organizations including the Northwestern Mutual Foundation, Next Door Foundation and Zilber Family Foundation.
Federal funding for BNCP will end Sept. 31, according to Karen Higgins, executive director of the Milwaukee Christian Center (MCC), located at 807 S. 14 St. MCC serves as the South Side site’s anchor agency and will continue to work on sustainability efforts for the program going forward, said Higgins, who added that the program has enough funding to continue into 2017 though it’s not clear how long.
Higgins praised BNCP efforts in the city, especially in the Muskego Way neighborhood, which she described as somewhat isolated from social service agencies.
“Without the BNCP serving the neighborhood there would be no anchor agency to advocate for their needs around safety and beautification, and willing to help them find tools to address their concerns,” Higgins said.
Still, it’s not easy to reach or engage residents in Muskego Way or other neighborhoods, admitted Valcarcel, who said that most neighbors don’t know each other nowadays. That’s why the work begins on the ground, said Valcarcel, who joins part-time BNCP staffer Arlene Gonzalez and resident volunteers from SSNHN to knock on doors of homes and area businesses, handing out resource packets and trying to encourage some of the more than 35,000 residents BNCP serves to take the lead in creating the neighborhood they want.
“’It starts with us,’ I tell them. Together we can unite and make a difference if we work together,” she said.
Efforts to mobilize neighbors have included area cleanups, meetings where residents have voiced safety concerns to law enforcement officials, block parties, ice cream socials and dinners in each neighborhood. These events give residents a chance to break bread and form bonds, Valcarcel said.
Jones envisions the green space and accompanying mural as another way to connect residents, and hopes it’s just the beginning, rather than the end, of BNCP-supported projects. She said she’s concerned about the long-term future of BNCP. She credits BNCP organizers with providing the framework to create projects such as the mural and green space and said she hopes that private sector funders will step in and fill the void left when federal funds cease.
“I’d love to see BNCP support of residents continue. We have so many great ideas left to turn into realities,” Jones said.

author: Edgar Mendez


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 17, 2016

author: Adam Carr


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27418856680_69b4f3629d_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 17, 2016


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DATA WONK: Possible Solutions to Murder in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 20, 2016
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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How Social Media Is Helping to Change the Image of Young Black Dads | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 20, 2016
TheRoot.com


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Milwaukee Black Arts Week seeks to extend Juneteenth celebration | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 20, 2016
Symphony Swan (left) and Bridget Robinson, co-founders of BlankSpaceMKE, discuss final details of Milwaukee Black Arts Week at a local coffee shop. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
The BlankSpaceMKE artist cooperative is promoting performances, exhibits, art markets and other events featuring African-American artists this week, from Tuesday, June 21, through Sunday, June 26.
When Bridget Robinson, BlankSpaceMKE’s executive director, and fellow co-op members learned recently that African World Festival was cancelled again this summer, they worked to designate the week following Juneteenth “Milwaukee Black Arts Week.”
“We have focused over the past year on facilitating and coordinating events that showcase how important art is to our community and encouraging people to support the work (of artists),” Robinson said.
“BlankSpaceMKE initiated Milwaukee Black Restaurant Week in April, “to show the power of putting the black dollar to use,” said Symphony Swan, the group’s co-founder and creative director. Next, the group decided to try something similar focused on art. “We essentially wanted … to extend the Juneteenth celebration and show folks that the community can be brought together with the arts,” Swan said.
Between 25 and 30 artists or arts organizations responded to BlankSpaceMKE’s call for submissions to Milwaukee Black Arts Week. All seven scheduled for the designated week were accepted, according to Robinson, but one was cancelled at the last minute. The group will promote the other events throughout the summer, Robinson said.
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At each Milwaukee Black Arts Week “Art is Freedom” event, BlankSpaceMKE hopes to create a meet-up where people talk about the experience. Like during Milwaukee Black Restaurant week, the group intends to provide opportunities for networking and fellowship and identify ways to support the artists and their work.
The tagline “Art Is Freedom” refers to the spirit of Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. The one-day observance does not allow enough time for community members to engage deeply with African-American culture and their unity as a people, Robinson said.
“Art Is Freedom” also embodies the idea that art gives individuals and cultural groups opportunities to express their authentic selves freely, she added.
Other goals of BlankSpaceMKE include working to connect art and activism, and promoting cooperative economics, according to Robinson.
“We believe that artists have a responsibility to use their work as a platform … to bring attention to what they think is important. I think that every artist, whether … a writer, visual artist, poet or photographer, has an opportunity to bring light to important issues,” Robinson said. She uses her writing to connect with women about issues specific to women. Swan, an MPS art teacher and visual artist, encourages young people to create freely and “out of the box.”
Rather than working competitively, the members of BlankSpaceMKE promote cooperation. Last year, the group rented studio space where members of the cooperative could work in a supportive environment, sharing the cost of rent and overhead. Although they were not able to sustain that arrangement financially, the members continue to collaborate using social media to share resources and opportunities that can benefit all artists.
Check the BlankSpaceMKE website for updates and additions to the week’s events.


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 19, 2016


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Milwaukee Neighbors Unite to Create Safer Neighborhoods | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 20, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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Milwaukee Public Schools Reject County Turnaround Plan | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 20, 2016
WPR Wisconsin Public Radio


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MKE Plays, Sarah Zarate receive recognition from Public Policy Forum | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Public Policy Forum
June 20, 2016
The playground-transforming MKE Plays program and a former staff director for the office of the Common Council President have been selected for 2016 Salute Awards by the Public Policy Forum.
Alderman Michael J. Murphy, who helped launch MKE Plays last year when he was Common Council president, said MKE Plays was recognized for “Public-Private Cooperation,” and Sarah Zarate – who helped execute then-Council President Murphy’s vision of MKE Plays when she served as his staff director – was honored as a “Leader of the Future.”
The Public Policy Forum (PPF) will present the 2016 Salute Awards during a special ceremony on Tuesday, June 21 at the Italian Conference Center, 631 E. Chicago St.
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Alderman Murphy said the recognition is humbling and reaffirming. “I’m extremely grateful and humbled that the Forum recognized MKE Plays for what it is doing to help children across Milwaukee, but also for what makes the program so successful – the public-private cooperation it embraces – and the private generosity it has been blessed to receive from foundations and philanthropic entities,” he said.
Ms. Zarate served as staff director to the Common Council President from June 2014 to April 2016, conducting policy analysis and designing public policy initiatives, including MKE Plays and the MKE Peace Project. The PPF credited Ms. Zarate for taking the initiative to design, organize and oversee MKE Plays and the MKE Peace Project, and noted that she “redefined the role of the Council President Chief of Staff position.”
The MKE Plays program is helping to transform 12 of the city’s most deteriorated playgrounds into models of local collaboration and renovation. The program was approved by the Common Council in March 2015 and incorporates both public and private funding sources to accelerate the pace of reconstruction and allow for more innovative designs.
Alderman Murphy has said the MKE Plays initiative “is based on the premise that equal access to resources leads to healthier communities and improved social outcomes,” and that it envisions a city “with play areas whose condition is not determined by the ZIP code or district they are in, but rather are equally equipped to inspire a child’s imagination” regardless of where they are located in the city.
This year’s PPF Salute Awards included categories that recognize governments and school districts for strong financial management, innovation, partnership and cooperation, as well as individuals in the public sector for excellence and lifetime achievement.

author: Public Policy Forum


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PRECIOUS LIVES: Focused crime strategy finds early success. Can it work in Milwaukee? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 20, 2016
jsonline.com


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Temporary Resurfacing sheds new light on Mitchell Street | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 20, 2016
After the sun set on one of the longest days of the summer, hundreds of visitors came to experience the familiar buildings of Mitchell Street like they’ve never seen them before during Temporary Resurfacing.
Thirty local, national and international artists participated in the event, presenting video projections representing a wide range of approaches and styles. On, between and behind buildings, the projections ranged from large pieces covering whole walls to smaller ones blended into storefront windows to experimental pieces that took attendees by surprise.
Co-organizers Demitra Copolous, Marla Sanvick and Maeve Jackson worked for over a year coordinating with business owners and participating artists, as well as building support for Temporary Resurfacing. The event took place between 9 and 11 Street on Historic Mitchell Street.
The first Temporary Resurfacing event took place in September 2014.
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United Way distributes 20,000 books to children this summer | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sharon McGowan
June 20, 2016
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County is handing out more than 20,000 free books to area youth this summer.
Silver Spring Neighborhood Center, 5460 N. 64th St., recently distributed books to neighborhood families. Books also will be given away at playgrounds, Hunger Task Force’s free meal sites, and residential and correctional sites that serve children and youth. Free books are available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.
Children can lose as many as three months of reading skills during the summer, according to United Way. The effect is most dramatic for children from low-income homes. Without learning activities, they can fall farther behind in school.
Hunger Task Force, Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee Public Schools, Milwaukee Recreation and Express Yourself Milwaukee are partnering with United Way on the project.
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author: Sharon McGowan


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Community demands accountability, action in wake of Lincoln Hills scandal | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
June 21, 2016
Shane Megonigle, who taught for 18 years at the old Ethan Allen School for Boys, addresses DOC officials. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Attendees expressed frustration during a community forum on juvenile corrections reform and youth recidivism at what they said was a lack of transparency and action on the part of state officials.
The forum, held at the Business and Economics Academy of Milwaukee (BEAM), 3620 N. 18th St., was convened by District 10 State Rep. David Bowen in response to conditions at the Lincoln Hills School for Boys and its sister school, the Copper Lake School for Girls. The juvenile detention facilities, both in Irma, Wisconsin, are involved in a federal investigation over allegations of abuse, child neglect, sexual assault and other crimes.
Brandy Bond, an attendee who spent a year at the old Southern Oaks Girls School when she was 13, stormed out of the forum after being told that she would not be allowed to ask questions of the Department of Corrections (DOC) officials present at the event. Bond, who started smoking marijuana after witnessing a shooting at the age of 12, was sentenced to two years at the facility where she was subjected to eight days of “23-hour restriction,” which involves solitary confinement for all but one hour of the day.
Bowen told attendees they could submit questions and “we will allow you to get your questions answered through our office.”
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“I feel shut out, just like I’ve always felt, because I bet I’m the only person in the room that has ever been on 23-hour restriction,” said Bond after she left.
In an interview afterward, Bowen said the incident was a misunderstanding. He commended Bond for showing up and engaging at the event. He said elected officials have not been adequately engaged and it was important to “give them the floor so that they could ask those questions that they’d never been given the answer[s] to.”
A small crowd attended a community forum on youth incarceration reform and recidivism. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
“I feel like there’s a problem with Representative Bowen’s thinking, that he thinks the elected officials are more important than the actual community,” said Bond, who is running for state assembly in District 16.
Local legislators Chris Larson, LaTonya Johnson, Evan Goyke, Jonathan Brostoff, Fred Kessler and JoCasta Zamarripa also attended.
After Bond walked out, DOC Division of Juvenile Corrections Administrator John Paquin and Division of Community Corrections Region 7 Chief Luann Anderson answered a handful of questions from the crowd of about 40 people.
“You know how to talk to the public, but you know you’re handing us a lot of hooey,” said community member Cecelia Collins, addressing the DOC staff.
Paquin was not able to answer a number of the questions posed. He started the job in January, and was previously an assistant administrator with DOC’s Division of Adult Institutions.
Shane Megonigle, who taught for 18 years at the old Ethan Allen School for Boys, another juvenile detention facility that was closed in 2011, called the forum a “smoke and mirrors” game. Megonigle said he wrote Larson’s office in 2011 about “the abuse in corrections” and spoke with the state senator’s assistants but was never granted a meeting.
Verona Swanigan, a candidate for Milwaukee County District Attorney, said the community feels silenced when it doesn’t get real answers. “After a while, the public stops showing up when you refuse to actually be transparent,” she said.
Cause and effect
Lincoln Hills has been immersed in scandal since a state probe began late last year. A coalition of nonprofits, Youth First!, has called for closure of the facility, which is also being investigated for a possible pattern of civil rights abuses toward inmates.
“What we’re seeing [are] the symptoms of a deadly disease that has been brewing in our city … for decades,” said Wisconsin Jobs Now Executive Director Martha De La Rosa.
De La Rosa said that when jobs are not available, that can create a lack of hope, which she said leads to increases in crime and recidivism.
Milwaukee’s poverty rate of 29 percent is almost twice the national average. In addition the city has one of the lowest employment rates for African-Americans, and particularly black men, in the nation. Forty-two percent of Milwaukee children grow up in poverty.
“Many of the children that are in Lincoln Hills, they are African-Americans, and they are traumatized before they leave their community,” said Leola Williams, executive director of New C.H.O.I.C.E.S., an organization that works with youth in Milwaukee. “That’s something that you can’t sweep under the rug, and you can’t wipe away.”
The DOC officials, Paquin and Anderson, said as of early this year, body cameras and trauma-informed care are being implemented in interactions with youth and that employees would participate in additional cultural competency courses. Anderson also said recruiting is underway “to bring people that could work with these youth up to the institution.”
But Milwaukee County Deputy District Attorney Joseph Kenney said that isn’t enough. “If they really want to focus on evidence-based best-practice, then what this state needs and what our community needs for our children are small, residential treatment facilities,” he said.
Kenney added, “You cannot treat a child in an environment where you cannot engage the people who love and care about them.”
Anderson said DOC is “systematically reviewing all models that are available,” regarding a possible facility closer to Milwaukee. In 2011, Gov. Scott Walker closed the Ethan Allen School for Boys and Southern Oaks Girls School, located in Delafield and Union Grove, respectively, in an attempt to balance the state’s budget. It was said the closings would save more than $23 million a year. Juveniles from both facilities were transferred to Lincoln Hills/Copper Lake.
“The problem is when you starve the system that’s supposed to deal with rehabilitating these children and you don’t provide the resources that they’re supposed to get, the only thing that you’re doing is giving them a clear path into adult recidivism and crime,” said Johnson, a state representative.
Johnson said there are more than 130 children awaiting pre-trial sentencing at the Milwaukee County Juvenile Detention Center and that the 120-bed facility is so crowded children are sleeping on the floor.
Kenney said there needs to be reform throughout the system and that agencies have to work together to identify children who are at risk to commit crimes. He called resorting to incarceration “a failure for everybody,” adding that a criminal record harms an individual’s ability to lead a productive life.
Swanigan suggested alternatives such as boot camps, and art and music therapy, which she said African-American youth will be more likely to respond to than traditional therapy and treatments. She also proposed a program that would work proactively with schools to screen, identify and engage children who underachieve academically, or exhibit disciplinary or truancy issues.
“I want to … get these kids back on track to where they should be educationally, because, once we get them back on track educationally, now we can start focusing them on careers versus crime,” Swanigan said.
Samuel Alford, a student leader at MATC who is working with the Swanigan campaign, was skeptical that anything would change as a result of the forum. “All the right things are being said. But, we see the record, and have the right things been done?”
According to De La Rosa, Milwaukee needs to stop ignoring “the elephant in the room.”
“It’s really [about] taking the steps to talk about and dig into poverty, talk about policies that will change that, and talk about how we hold people accountable.”
Bond added, “The community, especially the impoverished community and the ‘have-nots,’ deserve some attention, priority and security.”

author: Jabril Faraj


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 20, 2016


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27121056633_be51795503_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 20, 2016


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Milwaukee Habitat serves 1000th family | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity
June 21, 2016
Deanna Brown and daughter in front of their new home (Photo by Jake Brandt, Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity)
Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity welcomed its 1,000th family served in the Greater Milwaukee area into their new home during a ceremony on Friday, June 17th, in the Washington Park neighborhood. For the past 32 years, Milwaukee Habitat has carried out their vision of building a world where everyone has a decent place to live through new construction, home rehab, and repair programs. For the last four years, Milwaukee Habitat has focused all of their work in the Washington Park neighborhood as part of a five-year neighborhood revitalization strategy. In that time more than 200 families have been served, crime rates have decreased, and property values have risen, helping build a strong community in partnership with families in need of affordable housing.
On June 17th, a large group gathered outside of Deeanna and her daughter’s new home, celebrating Milwaukee Habitat’s 1,000th family served. The crowd included volunteers who helped build Deeanna’s home, current Habitat homeowners, and Circuit Court Judge and Milwaukee Habitat board member, David Fiess, who read the City of Milwaukee’s proclamation declaring June 17th, 2016: “Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity Day.”
Deeanna’s home, sponsored by Sargento, was built A-D-A compliant to accommodate her five-year-old daughter. As Deeanna helped build her own home alongside volunteers, she recounted on what this will mean for her family, “Having an A-D-A home means a long term home for us. This new construction home will change our lives physically, mentally, and financially.”
Not only will this home offer increased accessibility for Deeanna’s daughter, but Milwaukee Habitat’s affordable mortgage will be 1/3 less than what she was previously paying to rent an apartment that was not conducive to their needs.
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This home marks the 26th home Sargento has built in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. Barbara Gannon, Sargento’s Vice President of Corporate Communications and Community Relations, joined a crowd of Sargento employees for Deeanna’s house dedication to mark this milestone of 1,000 families served. As Milwaukee Habitat’s first corporate house sponsor, Sargento Foods has supported Milwaukee Habitat since 1992, with employees volunteering nearly 12,000 hours in that time.

author: Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 21, 2016


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Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers Kicks Off Summer KK River Workshops | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Nicole Singer
June 21, 2016
(Photo courtesy of Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers)
This summer, Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers is offering a FREE series of environmental workshops focused on the transformations happening in the Kinnickinnic River neighborhood near Pulaski Park. The workshops will help residents better understand the impact of the changes, and how they can play a part in using these new spaces.
Community members enjoyed the first workshop this past Wednesday, June 15. Attendees learned how flooding affects the KK River neighborhood and how to prepare for a flood. Participants also learned how free rain barrels can help to reduce runoff AND store water for gardens.
You too can learn about the impact of environmental health on Milwaukee neighborhoods, and join in hands-on activities, including fishing, biking and outdoor science! Just stop by one of Sixteenth Street’s upcoming workshops at Pulaski Park, 2701 S 16th Street from 5:30-7:30 p.m.:
We hope to see you there!
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Watch for info at www.sschc.org and/or our Facebook page.

author: Nicole Singer


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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June 21, 2016

author: Name *


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How to keep seniors safe on the road | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sandy Borkovetz, Home Instead Senior Care
June 22, 2016
Seniors want to remain independent, but check these warning signs to see if it might be time to take away the keys. (Photo by Home Instead Senior Care)
For many seniors, the idea of giving up driving sparks feelings of anger, anxiety and loneliness. Nearly 90 percent of aging adults rely on their cars and driving to stay independent. Though many seniors 70 and older are able to drive safely into their later years, it is critical for families to have a plan in place before a medical or cognitive condition makes it no longer safe for their senior loved one to get behind the wheel. To help families navigate these sensitive conversations about driving cessation, caregivers can look for several potential warning signs that a senior may be losing the confidence or ability to drive.
10 Warning Signs that Seniors May Be Unsafe Drivers


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On the Block: Safety First | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
June 22, 2016
This summer, Auilda Torres is caring for her 9-year-old daughter and her 3-year-old grandson, whose father died last year. Although she knows that the children need to be active outside, she is concerned with crime in the city.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 22, 2016


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Two North Division students compete for ‘fan favorite’ in national app competition | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rebecca Carballo
June 22, 2016
Tatiana Loyd and Qiaira Mathews pose with their app displayed on tablets. (Photo by Rebecca Carballo)
North Division High school students Tatiana Loyd and Qiaira Mathews, who designed a mobile app to comfort children who suffer from serious diseases, currently hold second place in a national app-making contest. They are trying to rally enough support to win the Fan Favorite competition before voting closes on July 19.
Their app is one of six finalists in the NAF and Lenovo Scholars Network National Mobile Apps contest.
Mathews, a junior, got the idea for the app, “Emoji Encouragement,” from her aunt who works at a hospital and often needs to comfort patients. Loyd, a senior, said she liked the concept because she was frequently in and out of the hospital as a child.
“When she came to me with the idea I was in love with it,” Loyd said. “If I would have had this it would have been helpful because the nurses couldn’t be with me every minute of the day.”
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The app provides words of encouragement, accompanied by an original emoji designed by Tatiana Loyd and Qiaira Mathews. (Photo courtesy of Melissa DeFalco Menge)
The two teamed up in a computer science class and began to develop the app.
Users rate their mood on a scale of 1-10, and the app provides an encouraging phrase accompanied by an emoji the girls designed themselves. “Apple doesn’t have these emojis but they’re going to want them,” Mathews said with a smile.
The teens have a light-hearted demeanor, but they worked tirelessly. At one point they had to start over after an incident where all their work was erased. Loyd said the months spent on “Emoji Encouragement” was worth it because the app was personal to them. “We put ourselves in the app just as much as we put in time,” Loyd said.
Matthews said they worked on the app from November 2015 until April. During this time they created 15-20 phrases of encouragement for each mood, such as “broken-hearted” or “joyful.”
One of the phrases for “broken-hearted” is “I know you can handle this.” If a child chooses “joyful,” one he or she may hear,“You are beautiful in every single way.”
The students’ unwavering effort did not go unnoticed. Melissa DeFalco Menge, their computer science teacher was impressed by their work ethic.
“These girls are dedicated,” DeFalco Menge said. “Not everyone was positive about them winning, but they took the hits and they kept going.”
“Even though it was time consuming, mind wrecking, frustrating — it was overall a real fun experience,” Loyd said. “I like doing it because it helps bring your ideas to life.”
The girls received a great deal of support from other schools in the state. Students at Washington High School of Information Technology, which won last year, advocated for Loyd and Matthews. Support extended all the way to Baraboo High School where a student developed an app for users to vote for Loyd and Matthews.
DeFalco Menge raved about “Emoji Encouragement.” She said she has shown the app to multiple people and they all had positive reactions. “Once you start to show the app to people they start to smile,” DeFalco Menge added.
The app also received good reviews on Google Play, where it is rated 4.8 stars.
Loyd and Matthews have been spreading the word through social media and word of mouth. They are looking into visiting Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin to have some of the patients try the app.
“The one thing I want is to work with the kids this app is made for,” Loyd said. “After that I don’t even care if we win fan favorite. I just want to see if the app can do what it’s actually supposed to do.”

author: Rebecca Carballo


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Big Plans for West Side Unveiled | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 23, 2016
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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Free summer lunches, breakfasts offered | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Center for Independence
June 23, 2016
Stressing the importance of offering nutritious meals to children during the summer months, the Milwaukee Center for Independence announces the sponsorship of the Summer Food Service Program.
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which 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-priced 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.
The following locations will be serving free meals this summer. Meals are provided to eligible children regardless of race, color, national origin, age, gender or disability and there will be no discrimination in the course of meal service.
This program fills a void created when school lunches are not available. Helping parents meet the nutritional needs of their children is the strength of this program.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits discrimination against it customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited base will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.)
Summer meal sites served by MCFI are:

author: Milwaukee Center for Independence


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Group Aims to Reconnect Black People in Milwaukee with the Great Outdoors | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 23, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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ICE Raids Across six Midwest States Ends in 331 Arrests | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 23, 2016
Latin Post


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Johnsons Park renovation complete for summer | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Mary DeChant
June 23, 2016
Today, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele and community leaders celebrated the completion of Johnsons Park, a $2 million revitalization initiative in the Lindsay Heights neighborhood. The Johnsons Park Initiative action plan called for nurturing the health and safety of the community by improving the physical and programmatic infrastructure at three adjacent locations: (1) Alice’s Garden – completed in 2010, (2) Brown Street Academy Schoolyard – completed in 2012, and (3) Johnsons Park, the largest renovation project of the initiative – which officially opened to the community with today’s event.
Milwaukee County’s Johnsons Park has been the focus of a private-public partnership that complements other redevelopment efforts underway in Lindsay Heights. Milwaukee County, Center for Resilient Cities, the Rotary Club of Milwaukee, LISC-Milwaukee, and Johnsons Park Neighborhood Association are all partners in this revitalization project.
“Johnsons Park is the only public park in the 110-block Lindsay Heights neighborhood and is critically important to the quality of life for residents,” said Marcia Caton Campbell, executive director of the Center for Resilient Cities. “The completion of the Johnsons Park renovation is a major milestone for the neighborhood made possible by the commitment and dedication of a wide-range of partners in our community.”
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Johnsons Park renovations total almost $1.2 million dollars in private funding and $878,000 in public investments and include:
Ten local community groups came together to celebrate the park completion and dedicate the new performance stage – including Alice’s Garden, Beckum Stapleton Little League, Brown Street Academy, Boys & Girls Club, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, Fondy Food Center, Johnsons Park Neighborhood Association, Marketplace Bid 32, Neu-Life Community Resource Center, Running Rebels, and Walnut Way Conservation Corp. The ceremony included comments from President of Rotary Club Milwaukee Dan Vliet, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, Milwaukee County Parks Director, John Dargle, Jr.,Milwaukee County Supervisor Supreme Moore-Omokunde, WI State Representative David Bowen, and Alderman Russell W. Stamper II.
“The renovation of Johnsons Park would not have been possible without the help of many community groups who stepped up to make this dream a reality and the Rotary Club of Milwaukee is proud to support this initiative. The park will serve as a safe place for children and parents to play, socialize and exercise in the Lindsay Heights neighborhood,” said Dan Vliet, president of Rotary Club of Milwaukee. “We’re excited to officially open the park to local residents today and we look forward to the continued restoration and community support surrounding the Johnsons Park Initiative.”
The ceremony was followed by an evening of entertainment provided by Milwaukee County Parks with A.W.E. Trucks (Artists Working in Education) and the annual concert in the park featuring “Tony TNT Washington and his Explosive Divas.” For more information, visit partner websites at www.resilientcities.org, www.milwaukeerotary.com, and www.countyparks.com or call (414) 257-PARKS (7275).

author: Mary DeChant


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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June 23, 2016


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Juneteenth Day Festival honors history while celebrating the present | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
June 23, 2016
The sun was shining, the music was loud and the streets were full at the 45th annual Juneteenth Day Festival. This year the rich Milwaukee tradition also coincided with Father’s Day, bringing families out to attend the festival together.
Juneteenth Day is the country’s oldest observed holiday and commemorates the day the last slaves were freed in 1865 following the Civil War.
“We all know when the Fourth of July is and celebrate the independence of America, but not everyone knows when to celebrate the independence of the slaves,” said Ricky Slade, a program coordinator at Running Rebels Community Organization, who monitors youth who are on probation. Slade said he wanted to encourage young people to get a holistic understanding of the past. “The slaves were a big part of the founding of America, and it’s important for young people to have a balanced history.”
In addition to honoring the significance of the past and how slavery continues to affect today’s society, the festival also served as an opportunity for friends and families to gather and enjoy what their community has to offer.
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“Juneteenth is so community-oriented. I grew up in Milwaukee, and I get to see so many people and a lot of friends who I don’t see throughout the year,” said Peggy Roberts, who works at Northcott Neighborhood House, the nonprofit that organizes Juneteenth Day Festival.
The day of celebration kicked off at 9 a.m. with a parade including waving Miss Juneteenth contestants, performing dance groups, smiling politicians and enthusiastic community organizations, and continued with a festival until 5 p.m.
Energy remained high as vendors selling everything from corn on the cob, to spring rolls, to homemade natural shea butter lotion lined the sidewalks of N. King Drive running from W. Center Street to W. Burleigh Street. The streets were packed with everyone from young, bubble-blowing children, to elderly couples in wheelchairs.
Both kids and adults formed long lines behind food trucks selling summer treats, snow cones and ice cream.
Different community resources and advocacy groups also had booths dispersed among the food, music and shopping options, offering festival-goers information related to service providers, churches, schools, social issues and upcoming elections.
Billy Trammel brought a life-size jail cell to the event. Trammel is part of the Phenomenal Men Support Group, an organization of formerly incarcerated men. “We tell the young people we work with, ‘If you hang around negativity, you’re going to be negative. Always be positive, and always be a leader.’ …We’re putting back in the community what we took out,” Trammel said.
When 10-year-old Lay Lay Kazee was asked how her Juneteenth Day was going at her bright pink and yellow lemonade stand, all she could say was, “Really good!”

author: Allison Dikanovic


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Milwaukee may face surge in police retirements | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 23, 2016
jsonline.com