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Riverworks City Center touted as catalyst for Harambee commercial corridor | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Riverworks Development Corporation
April 13, 2016
A nonprofit development effort is set to bring new businesses, jobs and services to a long-blighted commercial stretch in the city’s Harambee neighborhood.
Riverworks Development Corporation (RDC) recently closed on financing to create a new retail center at Concordia Avenue and Holton Street, rehabbing dilapidated buildings at 518-526 East Concordia Avenue – and constructing a new 14,663 square foot facility on North Holton (projected address 3334 North Holton).  RDC will also develop adjacent space for food trucks and other outdoor vendors, as well as create a community gathering spot on the Beerline Trail, a bike/walking path that runs along the site. Link to map
“The north end of Harambee has enjoyed a great deal of commercial investment and is bustling with new activity,” said Donsia Strong Hill, Executive Director with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a nonprofit community development organization that provided $1.1 million for the project.  To date, LISC Milwaukee has raised and invested $5.5 million for new housing, businesses, community safety programs and education efforts in Harambee—much of it in concert with RDC.
Dubbed Riverworks City Center, the new project will house several important community programs, in addition to a Family Dollar Store and other small retail. The total development is projected at $2.5 million. Construction on the new construction began in March and will be completed in September. Phase II rehabilitation of existing buildings on Concordia Avenue will begin in September.
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Through the new development, RDC looks forward to expanding their Financial Opportunity Center (FOC), which offers employment and financial counseling for families. Financial Opportunity Centers are also part of LISC’s national network of Centers across the country.  In concert with RDC’s FOC, RDC is developing the Riverworks Affordable Worker space that will provide support for business start-ups. And, Riverworks Cleans—a social enterprise —will take will broaden its efforts to put people to work.
“The new Riverworks City Center ties together a lot of different revitalization strategies, including commercial development, job training and creation, recreation, and access to healthy foods. I except this project will have a significant economic impact on the area,” said Darryl Johnson, Executive Director of Riverworks Development Corporation and its partner agency Riverworks Business Improvement District.
“This is a great example of the kind of impact we can have when, year after year, we tackle multiple community challenges as part of a concentrated effort,” added Johnson. ”Real change, real growth, takes a great deal of collaboration, capital and innovation—and it needs time to take root.  Partnerships like RDC and LISC are bringing new opportunities to Harambee.  We’re excited to help drive that.”

author: Riverworks Development Corporation


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 13, 2016

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Adam Carr


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Special Report: Risk of poisoning from lead-based paint remains, despite city’s progress | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wyatt Massey
April 13, 2016
Lead paint remains the top cause of lead poisoning in Milwaukee. Health department subsidies for lead abatement are now available only on the North Side. (Photo by Wyatt Massey)
Editor’s note: This is the first part of a two-part series on the ongoing risk of lead poisoning from lead-based paint in Milwaukee. In part two, read about how Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers responds to elevated blood lead levels in children on the South Side.
On a mild March afternoon, 3-year-old Christopher Martinez sits at the kitchen table watching videos on an iPhone. The boy’s face is illuminated by the screen and a bit of light streaming in from two nearby windows. On the other side of the table, Christopher’s parents, Armando Martinez and Ana Sanchez, observe him. Concern shows on their faces.
The family, including 1-year-old Melanie, moved into their South Side home three months ago, unaware of the potential danger facing the children. The real estate agent did not mention anything about lead-based paint in the house, built in 1908. Lead paint remains the leading cause of lead poisoning in Milwaukee; the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission banned lead-based paint in 1978.
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The older the paint, the more likely it is to chip when windows are opened and closed, creating dangerous lead dust. Young children are at the greatest risk for ingesting the dust because of their curious nature and hand-to-mouth behaviors, said Ofelia Mondragon, lead hazard reduction program manager at the Social Development Commission.
Armando Martinez and Ana Sanchez live with their children, Christopher and Melanie Martinez, on the South Side. (Photo by Wyatt Massey)
Martinez and Sanchez are not eligible for the Milwaukee Health Department’s current lead prevention program, despite living in a home more than 100 years old. The home is located in the 53215 ZIP code on the South Side, while the city’s program focuses on six ZIP codes on the North Side.
Following revelations about lead contamination of water in Flint, Michigan, Milwaukee residents began questioning lead dangers here. In January, Milwaukee Water Works, a city agency, sent a letter to Martinez and Sanchez — and owners of 70,000 other properties — warning them that a lead service line carries water from the main line into their house and recommending measures to ensure the water is safe to drink.
Nervous about her children, Sanchez scheduled a home visit from the Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers’ Community Lead Outreach Program. An outreach worker discovered lead-based paint chips around the windows, and informed Sanchez that her family’s home does not qualify for subsidized lead abatement from the city.
The program subsidizes lead abatement in six city ZIP codes on the North Side – 53206, 53208, 53209, 53210, 53212 and 53216. The city’s current three-year, $3.9 million grant for lead abatement from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has made 205 units lead safe, out of the goal of 710, over a year after the program began.
The six North Side ZIP codes account for 75 percent of lead-poisoned children, according to the city. For a property in those ZIP codes to be eligible, it must have been built in 1950 or before, and be up to date on property taxes. Rental properties must house low-income residents.
The majority of housing units on the North Side are rental properties, according to Sarah DeRoo, health communications officer at the health department. “Targeting these areas where not only are the most children lead-poisoned, but where there is more turnover in residential housing, helps us to ensure that rental units where low-income families move in and out of throughout the year are lead-safe,” wrote DeRoo in an email.
The current HUD grant allows the city to cover 80 percent of the cost to replace the windows in houses with lead paint. The average cost to the property owner in 2016 (through March) was $765. The cost to the homeowner varies depending on the amount of work that needs to be done on the property.
Diminishing funds
Diminishing funds nationwide for lead abatement forced the health department to narrow its focus to neighborhoods on the North Side, said Paul Biedrzycki, director of disease control and environmental health at the health department.
The city’s lead poisoning prevention program, nearly 20 years old, lowered the rate of lead poisoning to a fraction of what it was in the 1990s. Milwaukee has been national leader in lead poisoning prevention, Biedrzycki said. The federal government’s lead prevention model, proactively removing paint before poisoning occurs, is based on the Milwaukee model. Before the change, health departments typically reacted only after children were found to have lead poisoning.
Armando Martinez and Ana Sanchez live with their children, Christopher and Melanie Martinez, on the South Side. (Photo by Wyatt Massey)
“Chasing or following elevated blood lead levels in the community was not addressing the root of the problem,” Biedrzycki said.
Since the city’s lead prevention program began in 1997, more than 17,000 housing units have been made lead safe, DeRoo said.
Nevertheless, Biedrzycki estimates that 130,000 housing units may still be hazardous.
“Unfortunately our successes are our own worst enemy,” Biedrzycki noted, explaining that a nationwide decline in lead poisoning resulted in lower levels of federal funding for local health departments. The budget for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Program was reduced from $29 to $2 million for the 2013 fiscal year.
Lead poisoning damages childhood development and is especially dangerous for brain and body development in children under 6 years old. Signs of lead poisoning may not be apparent until the child begins school.
A blood test determines whether a child is lead-poisoned. According to the CDC, there is no identified safe blood lead level for children. The CDC lowered its recommended intervention level from 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood to 5 micrograms after negative health effects were documented among children with lead levels lower than 10 micrograms.
The prevalence of at least 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood) among tested children under 6 years old in Milwaukee decreased from 31.9 percent in 1997 to 2.7 percent in 2014. The same trend appears when the lead threshold is lower. In 2003, 38 percent of children tested had blood lead levels above 5 micrograms per deciliter. By 2014, that dropped to 10 percent (see chart, above).
Children with blood lead levels at or above 10 micrograms are eligible to receive Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program follow-up services from the city. Depending on the blood lead level, the city’s response may include assigning a public health case manager and doing a risk assessment of the housing environment.
There are many possible sources of lead exposure – soil, water, food, toys, jewelry and the surrounding neighborhood – which makes determining the main source of poisoning difficult once the level is below 10, Biedrzycki said. Ingesting lead causes poisoning, whether inhaling lead dust or swallowing contaminated water. Old homes are particularly risky because of the likelihood of lead paint.
“I think this really is a legacy issue for our country,” Biedrzycki said. “We know a lot about lead, we know a lot about how to reduce exposure. Now we just have to connect the dots.”

author: Wyatt Massey


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 12, 2016


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Bus Rapid Transit Meetings This Week | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 14, 2016
UrbanMilwaukee.com

author: Andrea Waxman


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Dominican Center to host youth community organizing training | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dominican Center
April 14, 2016
The Dominican Center will host Make Change Happen in 2016, a community organizing training for youth ages 15 – 22. Reverend Yehiel Curry will facilitate the series of Saturday sessions from 10am to 1pm beginning May 14, 2016. The training continues twice a month through October 2016. Upon completion of the training, participants will be placed in paid community organizing positions. There is no cost to participate. Interested youth can register at www.dominican-center.org or by calling 414-444-9930.
Reverend Yehiel Curry is a Lutheran pastor, founder of Riverdale Organized for Change, and camp director for SIMBA/SIMSA youth camps in Racine. He is a Chicago native with a B.A. in Psychology and a Masters in Divinity. Reverend Curry will employ standard methods of Community Organizing during the thirteen-session training.
The Dominican Center works with Amani residents and partners to build a better future. Founded in 1995, the Dominican Center is a trusted nonprofit, facilitating a resident-led revitalization effort by fostering social change – a change in individual and neighborhood-wide mindsets and behaviors. The Dominican Center advances this change through a collaborative effort to support Amani residents as they work to improve education, employment, health, housing and safety. For additional information please contact Monica Bastardo directly at monica@dominican-center.org or 414-444-9930.
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author: Dominican Center


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 14, 2016


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Milwaukee County Receives $2 Million Criminal Justice Grant | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 14, 2016
Wisconsin Public Radio


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Newest South Side Voucher School Will Target Milwaukee’s Latino Families | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 14, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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On the Block: The ‘American Dream’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
April 14, 2016
Read more about Diego Flores at milwaukeestories.org.

author: Jabril Faraj


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Special Report: Sixteenth Street Health Centers tackles hazards of lead paint in South Side homes | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wyatt Massey
April 14, 2016
Carmen Reinmund (left) vacuums chipped lead paint from a windowsill as South Side homeowner Armando Martinez watches. (Photo by Wyatt Massey)
Editor’s note: This is the second part of a two-part series on the ongoing risk of lead poisoning in Milwaukee. In part one, read about how diminished federal funding for lead-abatement efforts prompted the city to limit subsidies to six North Side ZIP codes, leaving owners of old homes in other neighborhoods scrambling for help.
Carmen Reinmund, lead program coordinator at Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, vacuums dust from the windowsills of a South Side home with a special filter. She presses strips of duct tape over chipped paint. Reinmund is completing temporary lead abatement work at the home of Armando Martinez and Ana Sanchez, who have two young children. The family’s home, built in 1908, has lead paint, the leading cause of lead poisoning in Milwaukee.
Martinez and Sanchez recently became aware of the danger of childhood lead poisoning and turned to Sixteenth Street’s Community Lead Outreach Program for help. Reinmund informed the couple that they do not qualify for a lead abatement subsidy from the city because of where they live.
The Milwaukee Health Department’s current lead prevention program is focused on six ZIP codes on the North Side. The city has not provided subsidies for lead abatement citywide since 2014. Groups such as Sixteenth Street and the Social Development Commission (SDC) now focus on temporary abatement services, education and blood tests.
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Ben Gramling, director of environmental health at Sixteenth Street, explained that the clinic has an agreement with the health department to continue providing information, but the subsidies Sixteenth Street formerly offered residents are gone.
“The health department made the strategic decision to drive much of its resources into the North Side ZIP codes that have not seen the same kinds of decrease in lead poisoning prevalence rates that we’ve seen on the South Side,” Gramling said. The six North Side ZIP codes account for 75 percent of lead-poisoned children, according to the city.
The average cost of window replacement through the city’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program is $5,246, according to Sarah DeRoo, health communications officer at the Milwaukee Health Department. Residents in the six ZIP codes who qualify for the program can reduce their cost to an average of $765.
Gramling said that it would be a mistake to think that the problem has been solved on the South Side. “Some people might think that we have collectively solved the problem on the South Side, and that would be unfortunate for people to conclude because there is still a lot of environmental lead that exists on the South Side.”
More options needed
Martinez and Sanchez live in the 53215 ZIP code, where the average residential property was built in 1920, according to data from the city. An outreach worker from Sixteenth Street found lead paint in their home, but the most recent blood test showed that the children do not have elevated blood lead levels. Martinez and Sanchez intend to apply for a loan to remove the paint from the STRONG Homes program.
Reinmund suggested the program to the couple as an option, although it is not specifically designed to pay for lead removal. The city’s Targeted Investment Neighborhoods program is another option, but it is only available in specific areas, and the family’s home is not in one of those communities. The programs are practical choices for some residents because they can get loans to do more renovation work than just lead abatement, Gramling said, but residents wanting to do small, specific projects can have trouble getting loans.
“Our experience is showing that we need more options for homeowners,” Gramling said. “What we would ultimately like to see are options that might support smaller grants or loans to homeowners that might cover costs.”
Reinmund said she knows about one successful TIN applicant from the approximately 30 people she helped apply since the citywide lead abatement subsidy ended.
Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers is one of several locations across the city that offers blood testing for lead poisoning. (Photo by Sophia Boyd)
About 25 property owners Reinmund worked with completed a lead safe renovation course to service properties themselves. The class costs approximately $260, Reinmund said, but people in the 53204 and 53215 ZIP codes can take it for free.
The Sixteenth Street Health Centers’ lead program tracks about 1,700 families and 2,500 children. Outreach workers from the clinic set goals with families to lower children’s blood lead levels or lower the risk of exposure. A follow-up visit is typically done within six months of the first visit, depending on the child’s blood lead levels and age.
Sixteenth Street offers lead testing at three clinic locations, during home visits and at various community events throughout the year. In-home tests are paid for by a state grant. Testing in clinics is typically covered by insurance or the clinic itself, if the family is uninsured. Other testing locations across the city include primary care providers, Women, Infants, and Children clinics and some Head Start programs.
Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation, Sixteenth Street has used 5 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood as a benchmark for interventions such as home visits since 2012. The city health department makes home visits when the blood level is above 10.
Measuring at a lower threshold allows outreach workers to make a difference sooner, Gramling said. “We are able to provide cost-effective services to kids who are below that threshold of 10 with the intent of keeping them below 10.”
Ofelia Mondragon, lead hazard reduction program manager at the Social Development Commission, said she is disappointed that lead abatement programs do not have the funding to help more people. She said that ending the subsidy program throughout the city took away potential help from “thousands and thousands” of families with young children.
Gramling added that awareness about the risk of lead poisoning has not reached everyone in the city, which is why the clinic continues to educate residents.
“Quite a few people have a very limited understanding, or no understanding, of the fact that lead is still a problem,” he said. “It still very much exists and will continue to exist for an extended period of time, and our children are at risk.”


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What is “Intergenerational Care” and how is it bringing Milwaukee together? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 14, 2016
88NINE Radio Milwaukee


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Century City I opens its doors to community and potential investors | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 15, 2016
Occupying a long-vacant parcel in the heart of the 30 Street Industrial Corridor, the recently constructed Century City I opened its doors to community members, elected officials and potential investors Thursday. Developed by General Capital in partnership with the City of Milwaukee, the 53,160-square-foot industrial building is available for lease.
The building is located on the former A.O. Smith/Tower Automotive site and is part of a more than $40 million investment by the City of Milwaukee to create the 86-acre Century City business park. Developers hope the multi-phase project attracts advanced manufacturing companies and new jobs to the area.


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International Institute helps refugees transition to new lives | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 15, 2016
Sufaidul Sirajul Kadir, 3, opens a birthday present from International Institute volunteer Cindy Angelos as his grandmother, Saliya Begum binti Jalal Ahmad, and younger brother, Hubaib Sirajul Kadir, 2, look on. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Mirjan Abdul Ghaffar recently told her friend and mentor Cindy Angelos that her heart hurt. Alarmed, Angelos asked Abdul Ghaffar if she needed a doctor. But Abdul Ghaffar, who is still learning to express herself in English, explained that the pain came from her sorrow over not belonging to any place.
What she said is, “There’s no place that’s my home,” meaning she was “homesick and heartsick and lonely,” Angelos said.
It may be quite a while before Abdul Ghaffar feels like she belongs in her lower flat just south of the Lincoln Village neighborhood. Refugees from Myanmar, she and her family arrived in Milwaukee on Oct. 1 with practically no belongings. But Abdul Ghaffar says they have all that they want. When she lived in Myanmar, she was so afraid she couldn’t sleep. Later, an unwelcome refugee in Malaysia, she still feared for her safety. Now she and her family feel safe.
In Myanmar (formerly called Burma), “the (Burmese) soldiers came to our village and took our money, our cows, our goats,” she said. In Malaysia, when she went to a hospital to give birth, staff members berated her for being a refugee and told her to go back to Myanmar.
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Abdul Ghaffar is a member of a stateless people called Rohingya. “The most persecuted refugees in the world,” according to Amnesty International, the Rohingya are Muslims with roots in Bangladesh. Many have lived in Myanmar for centuries but are still seen by the Burmese Buddhist ruling majority as outsiders and are denied citizenship, education and even the right to marry. Their villages are routinely burned and some are forced into flimsy boats and pushed out to sea. Others choose to flee in such boats.
Abdul Ghaffar, her husband, sons and parents were welcomed to Milwaukee by representatives from the International Institute of Wisconsin. One of four local organizations that help resettle refugees in Wisconsin, the institute provides a crucial bridge for people who travel here from dramatically different environments and circumstances.
In addition to meeting refugees at the airport, providing a hot first meal and food for a week, institute staff members install them in rented homes equipped with basic furnishings. During their first three months in Milwaukee, caseworkers help refugees apply for Social Security cards and government benefits; arrange for medical screenings; introduce them to health care providers; and provide cultural orientation and English language classes. They also help them find employment and provide other support.
Though the federal government only requires organizations that resettle refugees to provide support services for 90 days, the International Institute chooses to leave its doors open for an indefinite period, according to Mung Ra, a caseworker at the institute.
After Angelos completed a background check and orientation for volunteers at the International Institute, she met Abdul Ghaffar in mid-December. Recently retired, Angelos said she wanted to “pay forward” her appreciation for the help her immigrant father surely received when he came from Greece in 1914 “with $25 in his pocket and not a word of English.”
In addition to gathering an impressive array of clothing and household goods donated by her friends, Angelos is helping the family navigate everyday activities such as shopping, banking, filling prescriptions and getting around the city via bus. But most importantly, she offers them friendship.
Abdul Ghaffar’s husband, Sirajul Kadir Hussain, has recently started to work sorting packages at Pitney Bowes, and he and his father-in-law have been attending cultural orientation and English classes. But Abdul Ghaffar and her mother spend almost all of their time at home with the children, so Angelos’ visits provide an important diversion and opportunity to speak English.
Though she is spending more time with the family than she anticipated, Angelos has found her work with them to be enormously satisfying, she said.
“It’s very gratifying to me to see them becoming more self-sufficient and feeling more comfortable with everything that they have to do to become Americans,” she said.
Abdul Ghaffar’s family escaped Myanmar when she was 12 and lived in Malaysia, where she later married and gave birth to two sons, Sufaidul, 3, and Hubaib, 2. She is expecting a third child in June. In Malaysia, Abdul Ghaffer taught herself to read English. Angelos tutors her several times each week.
Language barrier
Social worker Mung Ra said the language barrier is the biggest challenge for refugees. “Many came from refugee camps and have no education at all. Teens have to go to high school because of their age but they sometimes give up because (it) is too hard,” he said.
From left, Naw Day; Day Ball Ball, 4; Ball Nay Htoo and his mother, Kor Yeh. Front, Moon Htoo, 2. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Learning English is difficult, but necessary for employment and citizenship, agreed Ball Nay Htoo, who came to Milwaukee with his wife, mother and infant son almost five years ago. His family belongs to another of Myanmar’s more than 100 ethnic minorities, the Karen people, and they too escaped the land of their birth. Raised in a Christian family, Ball Nay Htoo became a Catholic when he married, but the majority of Karens are Buddhists.
In Myanmar, the family worked as farmers in the Karen state, a jungle area in the southeast part of the country. But when Burmese soldiers burned their village, they escaped to a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHRC) camp across the border in Thailand. Unlike his parents and older siblings, who had no education, Ball Nay Htoo, then 9, was able to go to school when they lived in the camp. Through foreign visitors to the camp, he learned that he and his family could seek refuge in the U.S.
Ball Nay Htoo and his wife, Naw Day, are both employed part-time as home healthcare workers. Since their arrival here, they have had a daughter and son and are expecting another daughter in July.
Educated in the Karen language, as well as English, Ball Nay Htoo, 27, helps others in the local Karen community of about 1000 read letters and documents. He also helps them find jobs. A community leader despite his youth, Ball Nay Htoo is concerned that the Karen refugee children are not learning their native language and culture. He hopes to establish a nonprofit organization that can support the community and serve as a resource for maintaining the Karen culture.
He and his family, including an older brother who followed, do not miss anything about Myanmar. “When I think about my people there I want to cry. They don’t have food, money, citizenship. They don’t have anything. They live like animals,” Ball Nay Htoo said.
“I feel very happy that we came here. The Karen state is not safe. It’s easy to die there,” he said. In Myanmar and in the Thai refugee camp his family feared the police and soldiers, he added.
The goal for refugees is to become self-sufficient, contributing members of the community, said Al Durtka, International Institute executive director. Though employment can be difficult, initially, because of the language barrier, “once they get going, they are very reliable and many work multiple jobs,” he said. “Employers like them and they go quickly toward home ownership.”
There are currently about 60 million displaced people in the world, according to Durtka, “the most since World War II.” Of those, the United Nations will consider 250,000 to 300,000 for resettlement somewhere in the world. Only about half will be granted refugee status; this year about 85,000 of those will come to the U.S. and about 1,500 will settle in Wisconsin.
Said Durtka, “It’s a very small number when you look at 60 million.”


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Crime Rate Like “a Third World Country” | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 17, 2016
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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MKE Black Restaurant Week showcases local eateries | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wyatt Massey
April 17, 2016
The first Milwaukee Black Restaurant Week is running from April 17-23, sponsored by Blank Space MKE. More than 25 restaurants are participating in the citywide celebration of black-owned restaurants to help food enthusiasts from around the city find new places to dine. No coupons are needed and each restaurant has its own specials.
Restaurants include:
–Ashley’s Que
–Big Eazy
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–Coffee Makes You Black
–Daddy’s Soul Food Grill
–Dee’s Elegance Bar & Grill
–Irie Palace
–Jizzles Sandwich Shop
–Mr. Perkins
–Pass da Peas
–Pepper Pot
-Redd Snapper
–Rome’s Kitchen & Catering
–Skybox
–Speed Queen BBQ
–Stella J’s
–Terri Lynn’s
–Tony’s BBQ


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 17, 2016


text:
Poverty, Compounded | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 17, 2016
The Atlantic


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A Community’s Tireless Effort to End Gun Violence in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 18, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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Hero wanted: Milwaukee man seeks kidney donor to save his life | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
April 18, 2016
Jonathon Morales, 30, prepares for his dialysis treatment. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Jonathon Morales, 30, who works full time as a paraprofessional at Lincoln Avenue School and will cross the stage as the first college graduate in his immediate family next month — is in need of a hero.
Saving his life right now is a machine — a dialyzer — that filters toxins and excess fluid from his blood through two needles, one connected to an artery and the other to a vein, cleaning and returning it during a two-hour process called hemodialysis. Morales undergoes hemodialysis five times a week.
It’s been seven years since a minor heart attack revealed that Morales’ kidneys were in the process of shutting down, and three years since their function level dropped to the 10-15 percent range and he started dialysis treatments to stay alive.
Eventually, though, Morales said, “the treatments will take a toll on my body, especially my heart, and I will die.”
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Remarkably, Morales, who ran 1,600-meter and cross-country races for his track team at St. Thomas More High School, and was an avid soccer player before he became ill, shows no sign of bitterness.
“I use the treatment time to read my books or work on papers,” said Morales, sitting on a soft black recliner while the dialyzer chirps and beeps.
Last week Morales wrote this message on his rear car window in hopes of finding a kidney donor. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
He never gets angry or flustered, said Michael Biba, who teaches the fifth-grade students Morales counsels and tutors and with whom he shares his love of art.
“He’s an inspiration,” Biba said. “The kids treasure him.”
Morales also worked with youth as a crisis counselor for Integrity Family Services and for years as a summer camp counselor for Nativity Jesuit Middle School, which he attended.
He’s currently one of more than 2,000 people in Wisconsin on the wait list for an organ transplant, most of whom also need a kidney, according to the website Donate Life Wisconsin. And though there are more than 3 million people currently on the Wisconsin Donor Registry, their organs are donated upon death. The wait for a deceased donor is usually 5 to 10 years and kidneys from living donors function better and have fewer complications, according to the Living Kidney Donors Network website.
Morales knows his best chance to survive is to find a living donor. If he does, the team of surgeons at the Kovlar Organ Transplantation Center at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago has agreed to perform the surgery. Morales became eligible earlier this year to have the transplant surgery performed at Kovlar, one of the leading kidney transplantation centers in the nation, after taking a series of tests.
In a recent attempt to find a donor, Morales and his girlfriend, Andrea Burbey, 26, got the idea online to paint a message across the back window of his car and they asked friends and family to do the same. It read: HERO WANTED! IN NEED OF KIDNEY O+. The message was shared widely on Facebook and garnered him a broadcast news segment, which also highlighted April as National Donate Life Month. But, so far, no possible donor has come forward, Burbey said.
“It definitely can be frustrating when you’re trying to save someone’s life and its not working out,” she said, her voice breaking.
Burbey also created Kidney Transplant for Jonathon, a Go Fund Me page, which has raised $10,000 for his medical expenses, and the Facebook page, Find a Kidney for Jonathon, in hopes of finding a donor.
Milwaukee auto body shop owner Jorge Estrada has also been helping to raise funds and awareness about Morales’ plight, describing him as a lifelong friend.
“It’s the least I can do for a guy who would give away his last dollar to me or anyone else who needed it,” Estrada said.
Morales finds it challenging to advocate for himself and said he greatly appreciates all the help he’s had in sharing his story.
He does want people to know that he still considers himself a very useful person in society who has a lot left to accomplish.
“I want to have a healthier life so that I can give back to my community and help my friends and loved ones too,” Morales said. “I’m hoping for someone to give a part of themselves to save my life or maybe even somebody else’s by becoming a living donor.”
You can contact Jonathon directly through his Facebook page and learn more about becoming a living donor here.

author: Edgar Mendez


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Milwaukee Mayor Barrett amps up job-creation efforts at Century City | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 18, 2016
Milwaukee Business Journal


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Why Gifted Latinos Are Often Overlooked And Underserved | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 18, 2016
National Public Radio


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Bus route 61 changed to meet worker needs, but faces long-term uncertainty | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matthew Wisla
April 19, 2016
Bus route 61 now runs past the Costco in Menomonee Falls, making it more convenient for employees and shoppers traveling from the city to reach the new store. (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
After Ashara Rogers gets ready for work and puts on her headphones she’s set for anything. Boarding the Route 61 bus at Sherman Boulevard and Roosevelt Drive, Rogers, 18, sets her music streaming app to play the widest possible variety of tunes while riding to work. “I listen to all kinds of music, I love everything,” she says flashing a big smile.
Getting to her job in Menomonee Falls hasn’t always been as smooth as the mellow jazz Rogers sometimes listens to from her preferred window seat towards the back of the bus. Until last month, the nearest bus stop was about a half-mile away from the new Costco at W162 N9235 Pershing Ave. where she works.  So, rain or shine, Rogers walked from the bus stop to her position as a customer service representative at the wireless telephone and technology kiosk.
The bus route was changed recently following Costco’s grand opening and the continuing business and retail expansion in the White Stone Station development and other parts of Menomonee Falls. “That whole area has been growing so we coordinated with Costco and Menomonee Falls to move bus stops and adjust our scheduling,” said Brendan Conway, chief marketing and communications officer, Milwaukee County Transit System.
According to Conway, ridership along the Route 61Appleton-Keefe line has been increasing steadily. The average number of weekly riders has grown from 433 in February 2015 to 624 this past February. In addition to Costco, Walmart is also an employment destination along the route.
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Ashara Rogers takes the bus from Sherman Boulevard and Roosevelt Drive to work at Costco in Menomonee Falls. (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
Route 61 is one of three routes established to help connect residents in central city neighborhoods with suburban job hubs. They are the result of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin and Midwest Environmental Advocates on behalf of Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope (MICAH) and the Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin against federal transportation agencies and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The suit alleged that the $1.7 billion Zoo Interchange Reconstruction and Expansion Project failed to adequately address the needs of persons who rely on public transit.
The Black Health Coalition and MICAH sponsor the new routes, which launched in 2014. Route 6 runs west on Capitol Drive to Mayfair Road and then south to Brookfield Square and Moorland Road, dropping off workers at FedEx and at BuySeasons. Route 279 runs from Burleigh Street and Fond Du Lac Avenue north to 76th Street and northwest to Menomonee Falls via Highway 145. It services the Menomonee Falls Industrial Park.
D’Juan Buford, from the Washington Park neighborhood, got into a car accident recently and has been taking the bus to work at Costco whenever he’s unable to catch a ride with friends. “The bus comes all the way out here (to Menomonee Falls), so it’s been great for me. It helped me out right when I needed it,” he said.
The bus schedule isn’t a perfect match for Buford’s schedule, however. His shift starts at 6 a.m. and, although he catches the earliest bus, Buford usually arrives at work about 15 minutes late. Looking for a solution, Doug Peters, general manager of the Menomonee Falls Costco, called the bus company. “They adjust their schedules every quarter and they’re going to look at it,” he said.
Costco currently employs about 170 people at the Menomonee Falls location and at least six employees regularly arrive by bus from the central city, according to Peters. Employment is expected to reach 190 by the end of summer. Having the bus running past his front door gives Peters more recruiting possibilities. “It’s nice for employers to have the option of hiring people who are qualified but may not have a car, or may not have one all the time,” Peters said.
Beyond connecting workers in Milwaukee with outlying jobs in a few locations, some observers recognize the need for an expanded public transportation system. “Transportation contributes to the economic development of the whole area,” said Rev. Willie Brisco, president of MICAH. “It’s also social since it brings people across communities together.”
Brisco sees Milwaukee’s current transportation infrastructure as a patchwork that leaves many community needs unmet. “We need public transit like Chicago and other cities have where you can get around the whole area without needing a car,” he said. “People should feel they can go everywhere they want and not feel restricted.”
The Black Health Coalition and MICAH meet regularly with the Milwaukee County Transit System to discuss the three bus routes and to raise other transportation issues. According to Dr. Patricia McManus, coalition president and CEO, initial discussions are underway regarding options for continuing the routes after funding from the lawsuit runs out in 2018. One possibility includes discontinuing one of the routes in the near term to extend funding for the other two routes for an additional year. Since the outset, Route 279 has suffered from low ridership.
Conway confirmed that ridership along that route is lagging, but said more discussions are planned with community leaders before any long-term decisions are made about the routes. Route 61 has the strongest ridership but fare box revenue is rarely sufficient to sustain public transit routes, he said. In Milwaukee, as in cities the world over, public transportation relies on public funding.

author: Matthew Wisla


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 18, 2016


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On the Block: Flip happy | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
April 19, 2016
Donelle Maclin is a student at the Roosevelt School of the Arts and a member of the Milwaukee Flyers tumbling team. Maclin regularly heads to Sherman Park to practice flipping, an enjoyable activity that allows him to face his fears and clear his head.
(Photo by Brendan O’Brien)

author: Brendan O’Brien


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TRUE Skool, Public Allies spruce up MLK Peace Place for Global Youth Service Day | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Emmy A. Yates
April 19, 2016
More than 40 volunteers came together on April 16 to participate in Global Youth Service Day at Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Place, located on the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive and Ring Street. True Skool, Public Allies and other community groups gathered for Global Youth Service Day to build new garden beds, clean up trash, create a walkway and take part in other activities.
More than 60 service projects took place in Milwaukee for Global Youth Service Day.
The Peace Place project received a $150 grant from the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee, which was used for shovels, rakes, gloves and plants. Blue Ribbon Organics supplied the soil, the City of Milwaukee provided wood chips for landscaping, and others donated lumber. Healthy snacks of fruit, vegetables, granola and water were provided for the volunteers by Public Allies.
Food grown in the garden will be available to community members, and the beds will be available at no cost for anyone to grow their own produce. The garden also creates opportunities for positive community interactions.
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author: Emmy A. Yates


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The Future of Education in Milwaukee: One Conversation, Two Points of View | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Marquette Law School
April 20, 2016
The Future of Education in Milwaukee: One Conversation, Two Points of View, moderated by Alan Borsuk, senior fellow in law and public policy at Marquette Law School.  State Rep. Dale Kooyenga, a Republican from Brookfield, and Kim Schroeder, president of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association, discuss what they see as the best ways to improve educational outcomes for Milwaukee children. Kooyenga is an advocate for charter schools and private school voucher programs and for the Milwaukee Opportunity Schools Partnership Program, which gives the Milwaukee County Executive power to manage selected public schools. Schroeder is a teacher who has been active in the Milwaukee teachers union for years. He became president of the union in 2015. He is an advocate for strengthening public schools and he opposes voucher and independent charter schools.
May 17, 12:15 to 1:15 p.m., Marquette Law School, Eckstein Hall.  Reserve your complimentary spot.
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author: Marquette Law School


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8 MPS options rank in top 6 percent of Wisconsin high schools | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 21, 2016
OnMilwaukee.com


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Deported Military Veterans Could Be Reunited with Families in US Thanks to Veteran Lawmakers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 21, 2016
Latin Post


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Precious Lives: Milwaukee Teacher Links Oppression & Gun Violence | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 21, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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Why America’s Schools Have A Money Problem | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 21, 2016
National Public Radio


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Community coalition to announce resources to support youth and adults in preventing assault | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee Health Department
April 22, 2016
In response to recent reports of physical and sexual assault of area youth by caregivers, a community coalition of partners will announce resources available to support youth in healing and adults in preventing and identifying harmful situations.
The City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) Office of Violence Prevention brought together a coalition of youth development practitioners, sexual assault prevention specialists, and community educators to develop a coordinated intervention focused on training adults who serve youth and conducting trauma-informed healing workshops for youth throughout the community.
Youth sessions will focus on healing and promoting self-advocacy skills, while comprehensive workshops for professionals serving youth will focus on preventing, identifying, and intervening should harmful situations arise between adults and young people in their care.
Agencies interested in receiving training are encouraged to contact the Commission at Milwaukee.gov/staysafe or via email at remoore@milwaukee.gov.
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WHAT: City of Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention Coordinated Intervention Announcement
WHEN: Friday, April 22
TIME: 3:45 p.m.
LOCATION: 4850 W. Fond du Lac Ave., Milwaukee
SPEAKERS: Community partners including:
Annika Leonard, co-chair of the Sexual Assault Subcommittee of Milwaukee Commission on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
Reggie Moore, Director, MHD Office of Violence Prevention

author: City of Milwaukee Health Department


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Tavis Smiley’s “One Great Idea Tour” highlights MATC’s free program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 22, 2016
PBS Host Tavis Smiley greets MATC community leaders at a reception at the downtown campus after taping his program. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
The audience in Milwaukee Area Technical College’s (MATC) Cooley Auditorium fidgeted excitedly as the MPTV crew adjusted equipment and tested sound and light levels. Filled to capacity with fans of PBS host Tavis Smiley for the taping of his talk show on Tuesday, the crowd grew quiet as Smiley introduced Vicki Martin, MATC president, and two MATC alumni.
Milwaukee was the second city Smiley visited during his five-day, five-city “One Great Idea Tour.” Starting Monday in Cleveland, where he discussed the city’s universal pre-kindergarten program, he is highlighting innovative programs that offer solutions to some of the country’s most difficult problems.
Smiley credited longtime friend Bohdan Zachary, the new MPTV general manager, with sparking the series.
Smiley said he asked Zachary “what’s the one big idea that Milwaukee is doing better than anyone else?”
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“I think we’re leading the nation when we talk about two-year colleges that are free,” Zachary replied.
Tavis Smiley signs copies of his new book, “50 for Your Future” at MATC. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Called MATC Promise, the free tuition program has accepted the first 1,500 participants, who will start college in the fall, according to MATC President Vicki Martin. Students must apply for all available federal and state financial aid but MATC will cover any remaining costs for tuition and fees with funds raised from private donors.
The college also will provide many support services to ensure participants’ success in meeting program requirements, which include attending full time for four consecutive semesters, maintaining a 2.0 grade point average and serving eight hours of community service per semester. Currently, the program is offered to graduating high school seniors with a 2.0 grade point average and a 90 percent attendance record in their senior year.
“The data shows if you go direct from high school and you’re full time, your chance of completing (your degree) in two years dramatically increases,” Martin said.
Martin told Smiley that MATC started to think about making a two-year degree affordable about a year ago. “I went to a national conference and heard about how Tennessee is doing it,” she said, adding that she thought the Milwaukee community would step up with a public/private partnership to fund the program.
The first Promise program started in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 2005 and free college tuition programs are now offered in more than 18 states, according to the Campaign for Free College Tuition, a nonprofit advocacy organization.
“We know that in our community 50 percent of the young folks are economically disadvantaged. … So we need to offer them this free program,” Martin said.
The college has raised 80 percent of its $1 million goal for MATC Promise from individuals, companies and foundations, she added.
MATC’s goal was 1,000 students the first year and 3,000 applied, but half were unable to complete the required Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) documents, Martin said. MATC could have accommodated all 3,000 applicants.
“We know, across the county, that this is an issue, that low-income, first generation (college students’ parents) are struggling filling out (the FAFSA) for the first time.”
The requirements for next year will be simplified, Martin said. “When we reach out to (high school) juniors, we’re also going to reach out to their parents so they’re part of the process and they understand exactly what’s required,” she said.
MATC freshman Aniah Chinn, 18, who came to see the Tavis Smiley show, heard about the Promise program from a friend.
“I think it’s a good idea,” said Chinn, who would like to teach creative writing at the college level. She is taking two classes and working part time.
“Tuition should be free. We shouldn’t have to pay for an education. We already have to pay for so much other stuff,” said Chinn, who is paid $8.50 an hour as a banquet server and gets some help with school costs from her mother.
Second-year MATC student Patina Lawson, who will graduate in May with a degree in television and video production, returned to school after working in information technology for more than 18 years. She was laid off, she said.
“I think (the Promise program) would be good but what happens after two years?” I know there are people here who are working on a two-year degree, but it takes longer,” Lawson said.
MATC Promise participants will earn associate degrees. Martin noted that the program will not only help students find good jobs, it will also benefit employers seeking skilled workers.
Smiley, 51, grew up in poverty and has devoted attention to fighting poverty as a journalist, author and philanthropist. He focused the Milwaukee show on how technical colleges such as MATC offer opportunities for everyone, regardless of gender, race or ZIP code. He recently released a book called “50 for Your Future: Lessons From Down the Road.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 21, 2016


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Announcing Neu Life Community Development’s 2016 Art Show & Auction event | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Neu Life Community Development
April 25, 2016

author: Neu Life Community Development


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 25, 2016


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As fines pile up, problem landlords buy more homes with cash — and neighborhoods pay the price | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 25, 2016
jsonline.com


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Democrats Call For Statewide Voter ID Education Campaign | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 25, 2016
WPR Wisconsin Public Radio


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Documenting Stories of Homelessness | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 25, 2016
The Atlantic


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Express Yourself MKE presents Illuminate, an inspirational, multi-disciplinary creative event | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Express Yourself Milwaukee
April 25, 2016
(Photo courtesy of Express Yourself Milwaukee)
Express Yourself Milwaukee presents ILLUMINATE, a one-of-kind performance that celebrates the culmination of creative work done by young people and professional artists working in collaboration through Express Yourself Milwaukee’s year-long multi-disciplinary arts exploration. The performance brings together dance, music, spoken word and visual arts for a powerful explosion of creativity. Express Yourself Milwaukee is a local non-profit that works with low-income youth in Milwaukee’s central city.
ILLUMINATE will be held at the Milwaukee Theatre, 500 West Kilbourn Avenue, on Thursday, May 12, 2016 at 6:30 pm. This family-friendly event is free and open to the general public, although donations are gladly accepted. Supporters who make a donation of $50 or more are invited to a special pre-show reception beginning at 5:30 pm in the Milwaukee Theatre’s Kilbourn Hall (RSVP Required).
(Photo courtesy of Express Yourself Milwaukee)
Founder and Co-Executive Director Lori Vance commented that, “This year will be our 15 annual Express Yourself show. Each year we select a different theme to focus our creative work on throughout the year. Our theme of ILLUMINATE this year speaks directly to the sparks of ingenuity and positive expression that come from creative pursuits. Our program participants are generating rays of hope by using arts as an expressive force for important personal and societal change. By shining light on creativity, ILLUMINATE will be a uniquely energetic and immersive happening that hopes to capture lightening in a bottle and offer the audience a taste of a truly impressive comingling of artistic forms.”
Added Music Director David Wake, “I’m especially excited that we’ll have 120 number of children performers on stage ranging from ages 7 to 21, accompanied by 30 adult musicians and artists. The production will also feature colorful costumes, set and props which our youth create in our own multi-arts studio. We’ll even have some special guest artists this year as well.” David Wake is also a member of the popular Milwaukee band De Le Buena.
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Demitris, a 17-year-old student with New School for Community Service high school and Express Yourself Milwaukee participant for two years, stated that, “Express Yourself is basically trying to save the young black community and to stop the violence. To do that you have to have people having self-control and having the right mindset. I like Express Yourself because it’s a way to become a better person through music, dance, spoken word, visual – however you want to express yourself.”
For more information about Express Yourself Milwaukee and their upcoming ILLUMINATE performance, please visit www.exyomke.org or call 414-272-3498.

author: Express Yourself Milwaukee


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Instead of Private Groups, MPS May Help Oversee Opportunity Schools | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 25, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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It’s just not here | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Byron Johnson
April 25, 2016
(Photo by Adam Carr)
Byron Johnson, a 26-year-old Milwaukee native reflects on why he is still looking for a job three years after graduating college. Johnson is a minister and lead facilitator for the Frank Zeidler Center For Public Discussion.
I am convinced — it’s not here. It just doesn’t exist in Milwaukee. In addition to myself, I can probably also speak for a slew of other 21- to 35-year-olds who look for freedom and confidence in a secure, profitable, advancing career here in Milwaukee. I just don’t see it.
“Thank you for your interest, but we have decided to pursue other candidates at this time. Best of luck in your career.” If you are like me and heard this phrase or read it in an email at least 100 or more different times within the past two or three years, it makes you begin to ask yourself, “Is starting another job application worth it or am I just wasting my time?”
No matter how nice it’s put, rejection always comes with its swarm of mental questions, shock and even the moment of trying to imagine how the more “qualified” person they look for is better equipped than you. In my mind, my first wonder is if the person is white. I wonder if that person has more cultural and social access than I have in this community. I become curious to know if this more qualified person has a privilege that they were born with that makes them not have to work so hard.
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As a young black male, I must consider the inequalities and racial value gaps that exist in the city of Milwaukee. Growing up, I would hear, “The system is rigged for black folk.” Or, “You know white people control everything.” I was even taught as a black boy, that in order to reach my goals and make something of myself, it is imperative for me to work twice as hard, again, “because you know this system is set up for black people to fail.”
So, after finishing high school in Milwaukee, I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Pastoral studies from an HBCU (Historically Black College or University) in Nashville, Tennessee. Afterwards, I moved back home to Milwaukee hopeful this hard work would result in opportunities to begin building a career. Three years later, it still hasn’t happened.
When I attend job fairs or interviews and I offer copies of my resume, the two most common responses I get are, “What is your degree in?” and “Why is there so much movement on your resume?” Now, I know that of all studies and degrees out there, Theology may not be the most lucrative in immediate money-making potential. However, through the experience of that major, I was able to pick up pretty thorough experiences in social work, community outreach, non-profit operation and project management, prison outreach and even education. Pretty solid career building experiences right? In the future, I see myself pastoring a church, however I still have yet to move out of mom’s house and get on my own two feet. I need a stable career to do that. Plus, I don’t feel that settling for just anything that comes my way or only minimum wage opportunities will get me where I want to be. I mean, after all, I do have a college degree.
Since November 2013, after relocating back to Milwaukee, the only employment opportunities that availed themselves to me have been temporary assignments with staffing agencies. Most of these assignments last less than six months, while some positions only lasted two or three weeks. And that’s it. This is crazy! As it is also depressing, frustrating, and sheds light on how people see my career history only on paper and don’t know the story. But what else can I offer if this is my truth? How else do I explain my career path without being judged? Or do I just have to look for a more inviting community elsewhere, that has more opportunities for people like me?
I guess the biggest lesson I am beginning to learn from this roller-coater life experience is that, sometimes you just may have to step out on your own, and create something for yourself. To create your own opportunities. But you need a starting point, and what fuels the motivation for this just may be frustration and desperation. Everything in life happens for a reason.

author: Byron Johnson


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 24, 2016


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Mayor Barrett and Commissioner of Health call on Milwaukee to wear denim April 27 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee Health Department
April 25, 2016
With Denim Day Milwaukee days away, Mayor Tom Barrett and Commissioner of Health Bevan K. Baker, are calling on the Milwaukee community to pledge support for local survivors of sexual assault by participating in Denim Day, an international awareness campaign, on April 27.
“Denim Day is about survivors and community members standing together,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “I encourage employers, organizations, and individuals throughout the community to wear jeans as a message of support for survivors. Milwaukee remains dedicated in our efforts to continue the conversation, raise awareness of this issue, and involve all segments of our community to end sexual violence.”
Sexual assault is an unacceptable and prevalent crime in the United States. The 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey estimates that nearly 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men in the United States have been raped at some time in their lives. When considering sexual violence victimization other than rape, the same report estimates that nearly 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men have had these experiences at some point in their lives. As many victims feel they won’t be believed or they will be blamed for the assault, these numbers are likely underestimates.
“Sexual assault is an issue that affects our entire community,” said Bevan K. Baker, Commissioner of Health. “This year, we urge the Milwaukee community to stand with all survivors and to engage men and boys in the conversation about prevention. Not only are men often the perpetrators of sexual violence, but we must acknowledge that men and boys are also victims of these crimes themselves and need communitywide support.”
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Denim Day began after an Italian woman was raped by her driving instructor. The instructor was convicted, but the sentence was overturned after a court determined that because the victim wore tight jeans and may have helped remove them, the attack on her was consensual sex. The verdict motivated women in the Italian Parliament to wear jeans in solidarity with the victim. The movement has now spread into an international awareness day during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Those interested in participating can find toolkits and materials at www.denimdaymke.org.
Denim Day Milwaukee is coordinated and supported by a collaborative group of organizations, including the City of Milwaukee Commission on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault and the City of Milwaukee Health Department Office of Violence Prevention.


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‘Portal’ to connect residents, provide opportunities in 53206 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
April 25, 2016
Neighborhood children enter the portal. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
In December 2014, Shared_Studios, a design and technology organization, opened two portals — gold-colored luggage shipping containers outfitted with audio-visual technology — that allowed strangers in different cities to speak face to face. One of the portals was in New York City’s Lu Magnus gallery, the other in Tehran, Iran.
The goal was to “take a hardened stereotype and … just break it a little bit,” according to Amar Bakshi, creator of Shared_Studios.
“There are these meta-narratives about these countries, these media narratives, that can be very, very narrow, very stereotyped,” he said.
Bakshi said the first few days were relatively quiet, but word quickly spread and all of the portal’s available spots were booked up for the next seven months. “It kind of took on a life of its own. I think people responded a lot more emotionally than we had anticipated,” Bakshi said. “We knew we were on to something.”
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Today, Shared_Studios has portals in 24 cities worldwide, including Mexico City; Nairobi, Kenya; Havana, Cuba; and a handful of cities in the United States. Recently, a group of community leaders gathered at the COA Goldin Center, 2320 W. Burleigh St., to celebrate the opening of a portal in Amani, one of Milwaukee’s most challenged neighborhoods.
“I just saw all of these bridges being built through this particular initiative,” said Dennis Walton of the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative. Walton was contacted by a group working on a film about 53206, the ZIP code that encompasses Amani, and got in touch with COA Executive Director Tom Schneider, who helped provide space.
“I thought this would be a great way to just introduce something new, something that was creative,” said Walton, adding that the portal will allow the community to establish “a stronger national and international presence.”
The Milwaukee portal will initially focus on the issue of criminal justice, between participants in Amani and Newark, New Jersey. Initial funding for the portal came from the MacArthur Foundation, Yale Law School and the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice. Researchers from both schools will anonymously record, transcribe and analyze more than 200 expected conversations, through mid-June.
Dennis Walton (left), Brandon Culpepper (second from left) and Christopher LaPoint speak with Newark, New Jersey, residents in the portal. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
“They were interested in how these portals [could] foster domestic dialogues on criminal justice and views of it … in the hopes that we can have a national dialogue on criminal justice,” Bakshi said.
Participants will be required to sign a release, but the conversations won’t be scripted, according to Brandon Culpepper, founder and president of Pepp Nation, an organization that runs youth sports camps and is helping to facilitate dialogues. “We don’t want these to be crafted conversations. We want them to be very loose … very real.”
Culpepper, who grew up in 53206, noted the area’s high rate of black male incarceration, which is among the worst nationwide. He views this as an opportunity for individuals from Milwaukee and Newark, which are facing some of the same issues, to learn from each other.
Christopher LaPoint, 48, who was incarcerated as a teenager, will be taking part in the conversations. LaPoint grew up in three different housing projects in Milwaukee, and said he was bitter as a young man because he didn’t have nice shoes and clothes.
But LaPoint, who took three years of college, said he realized eventually that it didn’t matter how many things he had. He said it’s important to stop blaming other people, and simply enjoy the journey. He hopes to pass some of that knowledge on. But LaPoint said it’s also important to listen, and learn.
“You have to embrace the truth — that’s how your life changes,” said LaPoint. “You have to start with yourself, and your inner worth, and start with your character.”
Walton added, “You have some of the most creative people you could ever imagine in this environment — they just haven’t been given the opportunity to express themselves. And that’s what we’re hoping this type of initiative will do.”
The criminal justice conversations will take place Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and are restricted to individuals age 18 or older. Those interested in participating can RSVP online for a 20-minute slot.
Empowering residents
The portal is a symbol of some of the success achieved in the neighborhood, particularly the recently finished renovation of Moody Parkto Walton, who is part of the Amani United Neighborhood Association. He hopes it will be a catalyst for the group’s ongoing revitalization efforts.
“It’s a conversation piece; it’s got people wondering; it’s tapping into people’s curiosity,” said Walton of the portal, adding that it will be a way to expose young people to other communities.
“Exposure is everything,” Culpepper said. “I mean, think [about] it. If your parents are on welfare and your dad’s locked up … that’s pretty much all you know.”
Walton also said the portal, which will be staffed and operated by Amani community members, is a great way to continue bringing people to the park and providing activities throughout the summer. Conversations with other portals, including those in Afghanistan and Rwanda, will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with arts activities and other programming on Saturdays.
“We have residents who are leading the way on what they want to see. We’re kind of ending that old paradigm of, you know, from the outside-in,” said Walton. “We’re working from the inside-out.”
County Executive Chris Abele, who also attended the launch event, talked about how focusing resources in the area — creating a new health clinic, re-opening the park and the facilities and programs available through COA — has resulted in a positive, tangible changes, including a reduction in violence around the park.
“What you see … is a reflection of what the community wanted. And, it’s much better than what we ever would’ve gotten if we just, sort of, air-dropped in a plan,” said Abele. “Too often, that step — aggressive, real, robust public input — gets skipped.”
Abele noted that “the politics of increasing investment in neighborhoods that are seen as downtrodden or threatened [is] tricky,” but it’s important to continue to invest in schools, parks, transportation, jobs, housing and public safety in Amani, and other struggling neighborhoods.
“I want to do everything I can to empower people,” Abele said.
He said that doing so could have the added effect of changing the perspectives of people living outside the central city. Culpepper said that’s important because “everyone has to be on the same page” to make real change. Schneider, and others, hope the portal will be another step toward the goal of bringing people together and giving residents a voice.
Bakshi said Shared_Studios is hoping to secure funding, with the help of Walton and others, to keep the portal operating through the end of the summer, and perhaps permanently.
“You have a lot of resources and people who are coming together, genuinely and authentically, to improve the conditions of their community,” Walton said. “And, little by little, bit by bit, we’re getting it done.”


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Race and the Standardized Testing Wars | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 25, 2016
The New York Times


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Silver City Week to celebrate community, diversity and opportunity | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Layton Boulevard West Neighbors
April 25, 2016
Layton Boulevard West Neighbors (LBWN) announces “Silver City Week” May 5th-14th, 2016!
LBWN, neighbors and business owners, along with event sponsor Town Bank, invite you to celebrate community, diversity and opportunity in the Silver City Neighborhood this May!   The Silver City neighborhood is known for its diversity of businesses including one of Milwaukee’s best InterNational dining destinations on the Southside of Milwaukee.
“Silver City Week offers an opportunity for Milwaukeeans to enjoy all the wonderful assets of the Silver City neighborhood, including a variety of locally-owned ethnic restaurants, Arlington Heights Park, and the Urban Ecology Center” shares LBWN Economic Development Manager, Celia Benton.
Diverse and locally-owned businesses along West Pierce Street and West National Avenue highlight specials for ten days this May (May 5-14th). When you mention “Silver City Week”,  discounts include 15% off at Our Daily Salt, 15% off at Thai Lotus, $1-off Happy Hour drinks at Gene’s Unicorn, 10% off at NTS Jewelry, and additional specials at Vientiane Noodle Shop, as well as discounts at other Silver City businesses and neighborhood events!
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Benton shares “Business owners have worked in a combined effort to bring together this 10-day event that highlights the strong connection neighbors and business owners have with the uniquely-diverse neighborhood of Silver City!”
“Silver City Week is an example of the impactful work that LBWN does in collaboration with local business owners, neighbors and community partners to expand economic opportunity and celebrate diversity in Silver City and throughout Milwaukee” remarked Joaquin Altoro, Vice President of Commercial Banking at Town Bank, sponsor of Silver City Week. “Collective efforts like this are what continues to strengthen and revitalize the City of Milwaukee!”
The week finishes with Silver City Celebration Day on Saturday, May 14th from 1-4pm at Arlington Heights park (3429. W. Pierce St)!  The celebration will offer family activities, lawn games, FREE minor bike repair from the Wisconsin Bike Fed’s Mobile Bike Hub, and FREE Velobahn Coffee (Silver City’s first locally-owned coffee shop opening this summer).
For complete event details visit www.lbwn.org/silvercityweek.
This event is hosted by Layton Boulevard West Neighbors and Silver City neighborhood business owners and is sponsored by Town Bank.
Layton Boulevard West Neighbors (LBWN) builds strong and healthy Milwaukee neighborhoods by stabilizing and revitalizing the Silver City, Burnham Park and Layton Park communities. LBWN is a non-profit community development organization founded by the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1995. (www.lbwn.org)

author: Layton Boulevard West Neighbors


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Council President Hamilton announces 2016-2020 committee assignments | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Ashanti Hamilton
April 26, 2016
Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton today announced the committee assignments for the 2016-2020 Milwaukee Common Council class, including the seven members who will be tasked with chairing the council’s standing committees.
With 15 members on the Common Council and more than a century of legislative experience among them, President Hamilton said the process of determining committee chairs offered him an embarrassment of riches, in terms of options.
“In surveying council members as to their interest in the various committees, I found a universal and unwavering commitment to the City of Milwaukee, and to addressing the issues this city faces,” President Hamilton said. “The resulting assignments reflect the best possible alignment of our talents and our resources to address the economic, social and racial disparities that exist in our city, to improve the quality and efficiency of city services, to work with the Mayor to ensure that economic development opportunities more directly benefit the entire city, and to explore more creative, outcome-based strategies of ensuring public safety.”
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Alderman Jim Bohl will continue his tenure as the chair of the Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee, and Alderman Tony Zielinski will return to his position as the chair of the Licenses Committee, Alderman Hamilton said.
“Alderman Bohl brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the committee, and has overseen the approvals process for landmark projects like the Northwestern Mutual tower and the new Bucks arena,” President Hamilton said. “Alderman Zielinski has helped to streamline the application process on the Licenses Committee and has made hearings run more efficiently during his time as chair, and I’m grateful for his continued leadership in that capacity.”
Charged with overseeing the city budget process and other financial matters, the Finance and Personnel Committee will now be chaired by Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs. “Alderwoman Coggs has proven herself as a fierce advocate for transparent and inclusive government,” President Hamilton said. “During her time as vice chair of this same body, she has demonstrated an even-handed approach to finances that will serve this city well.”
The council’s most experienced member, Alderman Michael J. Murphy will chair the Judiciary and Legislation Committee. “Alderman Murphy is a proven leader whose knowledge of the statewide legislative matters the city must navigate is unparalleled,” President Hamilton said. “His extensive experience as a committee chair is invaluable to the council.”
President Hamilton has tapped Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II to chair the Community and Economic Development Committee. “As vice chair of CED, Alderman Stamper demonstrated the leadership needed to manage this committee when called upon to do so, and his dedication to local workforce development in the areas that need it most speaks for itself,” President Hamilton said.
With 24 years of legislative experience, Alderman Mark A. Borkowski will chair the Public Works Committee. “I’m excited to tap into the wealth of experience Alderman Borkowski offers as a result of his years on the Milwaukee County Board,” President Hamilton said. “He has shown a deep interest in infrastructure improvement, and will serve as an excellent advocate for constituent services.”
And rounding out the committee chairs, President Hamilton said he has selected Alderman Robert G. Donovan as the chair of the Public Safety Committee. “‘Fightin’ Bob has previously demonstrated his ability to serve in this capacity,” President Hamilton said, “and he is dedicated to improved accountability and new ideas in our efforts to improve public safety.”
President Hamilton also reaffirmed his commitment to the mentorship of young leadership on the Common Council by appointing each of the freshman members as a vice chair. Newly-elected Alderman Cavalier Johnson will serve as the vice chair of the Judiciary and Legislation Committee, Alderman Khalif Rainey will serve as the vice chair of the Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee, and Alderwoman Chantia Lewis will serve as vice chair of the Finance and Personnel Committee.
“With their appointment to serve in leadership roles alongside knowledgeable, seasoned veterans of the Common Council, we are preparing these elected officials to serve their constituents effectively and lead our city into the future,” President Hamilton said. “In meeting and speaking with these new leaders, I can say, definitively, that future is bright.”
Alderman José G. Pérez will serve as the vice chair of the Licenses Committee, Alderman Tony Zielinski will serve as the vice chair of the Community and Economic Development Committee, Alderman Robert Bauman will serve as the vice chair of the Public Works Committee and Alderman Mark A. Borkowski will serve as the vice chair of the Public Safety Committee.
“The depth and breadth of experience in this Common Council class is hard to fathom,” President Hamilton said. “I greatly appreciate the expertise that Alderman Terry L. Witkowski’s decades of civil service will lend to the Public Safety Committee and the Finance and Personnel Committee, and I’m grateful to have Alderman Nik Kovac’s attention to detail in zoning matters and knowledge of city services represented on the Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee and the Public Works Committee.”

author: Ald. Ashanti Hamilton


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Free home loan assistance event to help homeowners concerned about losing their home | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee
April 27, 2016
(Photo by Adam Carr)
Take Root Milwaukee, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council and the City of Milwaukee are bringing together local and national mortgage lenders and servicers, plus homeownership consultants from local nonprofit organizations, to work one-on-one with homeowners in southeastern Wisconsin who may be at risk of losing their home. Free parking is available on the street.  Homeowners will be seen on a first come, first-served basis. No RSVP is necessary.
Homeowners will have the opportunity to meet directly with lenders and servicers (listed below*) and local nonprofit homeownership consultants.  Prior to meeting with their lender, homeownership consultants will evaluate borrowers’ circumstances and help them to understand options that they may have. Lenders and loan servicers will be there to suggest ways to discuss options to alleviate delinquencies and prevent foreclosure.
City of Milwaukee Treasurer Spencer Coggs will be there to discuss property tax delinquencies, and the Metro Milwaukee Foreclosure Mediation Program will also be at the event, to help homeowners.
For best results, homeowners are encouraged to bring mortgage documents with their loan number, pay stubs or other income verification, and hardship letters.  Homeowners seeking immediate help in avoiding foreclosure can find free professional help from a nonprofit homeownership consultant by calling the Take Root Milwaukee hotline at 414.921.4149.
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About Take Root Milwaukee
Take Root Milwaukee is a consortium that connects people with valuable resources that provide reliable and trustworthy assistance to help them purchase and keep a home. Take Root Milwaukee provides access to free or low-cost, professional and confidential housing consultants and homeownership resources, including helping homeowners understand and manage alternatives to foreclosure. Learn more at www.TakeRootMilwaukee.org.
*These lenders will be on site Thursday, April 28:  Associated Bank, BMO Harris Bank, Guaranty Bank, Nationstar Mortgage, Ocwen Financial, US Bank, and Wells Fargo Bank.  Even if the homeowner’s lender is not listed, nonprofit counselors can still help!

author: City of Milwaukee


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 27, 2016

author: Adam Carr


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How to get large trash items picked up free | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wyatt Massey
April 27, 2016
Are bags of trash or recycling piling up at your home?
The city offers trash and recycling removal, as well as the opportunity to place up to one cubic yard of extra debris for collection.
An interactive webpage allows you to enter your address to view the next scheduled garbage and recycling pickup.
Through May 27, Project Clean & Green will be targeting specific areas for coordinated neighborhood cleanups. Each zone has a different week in which residents of that area can place household items, yard waste, unwanted furniture and up to five tires for the city to collect for free. Residents who want similar items removed, but do not do so during their assigned week, may be charged up to $150 for items larger than one cubic yard.
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The Project Clean & Green webpage notes that the city will not remove appliances, TVs, paint or grass clippings. Some items can be disposed of at a Self-Help Drop-off Center.
The city’s recycling guidelines detail items that are now accepted, such as aluminum containers, metal pots and pans, phone books and aerosol cans. The city uses single-sort recycling, which allows residents to put all recyclable materials in one container for collection.

author: Wyatt Massey


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 26, 2016


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Mark Sain unanimously elected President, Milwaukee Board of School Directors | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
April 27, 2016
The Milwaukee Board of School Directors unanimously elected Director Mark Sain to serve as its president for the 2016-2017 Board year.  Director Larry Miller will continue to serve as the Board’s vice president. The vote came Tuesday night during the annual organizational meeting of the Board.
Milwaukee Board of School Directors President Mark Sain
In an effort to utilize the individual expertise and talents of the members of the Board, President Sain announced the committee assignments that he has made for the 2016-2017 school year:
Committee on Accountability, Finance, and Personnel:
Director Miller, Chair; Director Voss, Vice-Chair; Director Sain, Director Woodward, Director Zautke
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Committee on Student Achievement and School Innovation:
Director Joseph, Chair; Director Bonds, Vice-Chair; Director Falk, Director Harris, Director Miller
Committee on Legislation, Rules and Policies:
Director Bonds, Chair; Director Woodward, Vice-Chair; Director Falk, Director Miller, Director Zautke
Committee on Parent and Community Engagement:
Director Zautke, Chair; Director Harris, Vice-Chair; Director Joseph, Director Voss, Director Woodward
Committee on Strategic Planning and Budget:
Director  Falk, Chair; Director Voss, Vice-Chair; Director Bonds, Director Harris, Director Joseph, Director Miller, Director Sain, Director Woodward, Director Zautke
For more information, call the Office of Board Governance at (414) 475-8284.

author: Milwaukee Public Schools


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Can More Money Fix America’s Schools? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 28, 2016
National Public Radio

author: Andrea Waxman


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Federal civil rights lawsuit filed in Dontre Hamilton case | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 28, 2016
jsonline.com


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Garfield School redevelopment awaiting funding | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 28, 2016
OnMilwaukee.com


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‘Here And Now’: Impact Of FoodShare Wisconsin Training Program Is Unclear | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 28, 2016
Wisconsin Public Radio


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Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele announces updates on Domes | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chris Abele, Milwaukee County Executive
April 28, 2016
Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele announced that the Show Dome will reopen to the public on Friday, April 29th, at 11:00am, two days ahead of the targeted reopening date of May 1st. Admission for the special reopening event on Friday, April 29th, will be complimentary.
Abele will welcome the public back to the Domes at a press conference inside the Show Dome at 11:15am on Friday, April 29th.
Abele also announced the date and time of the first community input session at the Domes, led by Milwaukee County staff and GRAEF consulting. The session, to be held Saturday, April 30th, from 11:00am-1:30pm in the Domes Lobby, will provide an update regarding the reopening of the other Domes, review the community engagement process, expectations and timeline, and facilitate input from community participants.
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“I’m thrilled to announce that, thanks to the great effort of Milwaukee County staff, hardworking construction crews, and dedicated volunteers, we will begin the process of safely reopening the Domes ahead of schedule, with the Show Dome opening this Friday,” County Executive Chris Abele said. “As we welcome visitors to the Show Dome to experience its spring color and beauty this weekend, we also invite visitors to take part in our community engagement process for the long-term planning on the future of the Domes.”
The Show Dome will reopen as the Spring show, “Garden Impressions,” is in full bloom. The show will be a mix of seasonal plants surrounding paintings that depict the Mitchell Park Domes in an impressionistic style.
“Garden Impressions” will run throughout the spring season, transitioning to the summer show, “Summer on Olympus,” which begins June 11, 2016.

author: Chris Abele, Milwaukee County Executive


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 28, 2016


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Milwaukee Has A Problem Attracting and Retaining Teachers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 28, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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NNS on Lake Effect: Lead-poisoning risk in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
April 28, 2016
Reporter Wyatt Massey discusses how diminished federal funding for lead-abatement efforts has prompted the city to limit subsidies to six North Side ZIP codes, leaving owners of old homes in other neighborhoods scrambling for help.
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author: Dwayne Burtin


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25215922714_0271529139_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
April 28, 2016


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On the Block: “They’re me” | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
April 28, 2016
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/261240163″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Katie Glembin spent a lot of time with friends while she was growing up. As she got older, and became a single mother, Glembin’s relationship with her sister and parents became more important. Currently, the family lives together in the same house, which Glembin and her parents purchased together.
Read more about Katie Glembin at milwaukeestories.org.
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author: Jabril Faraj


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Program preps high school students to tackle local public health concerns | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
April 28, 2016
DRIVE participants (left to right) Brianna Robinson, Melissa Ryan and Reianu Taylor present their findings during a research symposium held recently at the Medical College of Wisconsin. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
You likely won’t be surprised that local researchers are working to create a phone app that lets users know what items the nearest homeless shelter needs donated, or that another group is investigating the use of technology to combat teen pregnancy. But would you be surprised to learn that the investigators are still in high school?
Those projects are two of several conducted by participants in DRIVE, a Medical College of Wisconsin program that pairs students from two area high schools with a medical or doctoral student who guides them through a research project addressing a public health issue. Other research projects included examining the impact of violence in video games and television, and seeking remedies for excessive use of smart phones by students in the classroom.
Students Reiauna Taylor, Brianna Robinson and Breonna James of the Milwaukee Academy of Science, and Melissa Ryan of the High School of Health Sciences, a charter school in Kettle Morraine, have been working since June to create “MKE Teen Health,” a phone app that will eventually provide information for teens about sex education and health.
According to Robinson, the goal is to eventually help reduce the city’s teen pregnancy rate by providing more accurate information. She said when it comes to topics that are difficult to approach adults about, such as sex education, there is a great deal of misinformation being shared among youth.
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Tim Sobotka, education manager at MCW, and Jess Olson, instructor and fellow at MCW, co-developed the DRIVE program. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
“Many teens get information from their friends who don’t really have accurate information either,” said Robinson.
To ensure that the phone app is distributing accurate information, the teens enlisted the help of coordinators from the Milwaukee Health Department who will vet it beforehand. To make it teen- and user-friendly, Ryan said, the group plans to incorporate pictures and games.
“That way they can learn the information in a way teens find more interesting, which will help them retain it,” Ryan said.
Similar to college or graduate student research projects, the groups of teens received Institutional Review Board approval for their projects. Some, such as Ryan’s group, applied for funding, although they didn’t receive it. Rather than be discouraged, said Ann Williams, the group’s Medical College mentor, the teens said they will apply again next year.
The group has already received 100 free hours for app building from the App Brewery at UW-Milwaukee, and the teens recruited other students from their schools to work on the DRIVE project next school year. Taylor, who said her mother became a parent at 16, is a senior and has received a scholarship to UW-Madison, where she plans to continue the project.
The undertaking is just what creators of DRIVE envisioned when they initiated it two years ago.
“We wanted to foster their (students’) ideas to have them become forward thinkers and problem solvers in the community,” said Tim Sobotka, education manager at Medical College of Wisconsin.
Sobotka and Jess Olson, an instructor and fellow at MCW, developed the program based on an idea from Mara Lord, MCW’s vice president of communications, Gary Grunau of Grucon Group and others. They hoped their students could mentor young researchers while the college could be a catalyst for collaboration among youth from diverse areas of the city.
“They always talk about how Milwaukee is so segregated, but through this program we’re able to bring together students from very different communities and create an open cultural learning experience,” Olson said.
Friendships among teens from both schools came naturally, explained Sobotka.
“They may have different cultures but students from both schools identified similar interests and issues they wanted to tackle,” he said.
The students were paired based on those interests, some of which proved too complex to tackle. Riley Burg and Ayla Gagne of the High School of Health Sciences, and Deron Jackson and Zoe Hall of Milwaukee Academy of Science originally sought to tackle homelessness, post-traumatic stress and poverty. Their mentors helped them focus on more attainable projects.
“Instead of being discouraged that we couldn’t conduct the research we’d originally planned we learned that science is very customizable and that we could still work on a project that could help a lot of people,” Burg said.
They ended up creating the model for the phone app that, once completed, will help students assist homeless shelters by donating specific items, and inform the users about job and volunteer opportunities at the shelters.
Gagne, a junior, said participating in DRIVE has piqued her interest in the medical field and medical research, in particular.
“I think that would be the best way for me to help populations such as the homeless,” said Gagne. Her group presented their research findings during a symposium hosted at MCW, 8701 Watertown Plank Road.
Williams, who is studying for her doctorate in physiology at MCW, said she’s honored to help empower high school students to solve problems within their own community.
“They’re learning now what they can accomplish through research, and really believe in the goals they are setting,” Williams said.
She said the enthusiasm she has seen while working with the students has reinvigorated her own love of research.
“I had kind of lost that spark for science but these kids have inspired me,” she said.

author: Edgar Mendez


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26057283554_579ad85b4c_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 27, 2016


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Affordable seminars offered for entrepreneurs | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Patrice Harris
April 29, 2016
Milwaukee area entrepreneurs are being offered the opportunity to take advantage of affordable seminars presented through a partnership between the Social Development Commission’s (SDC) business services area and SCORE SE Wisconsin. The mission of SCORE is to foster vibrant small business communities through mentoring and education. A series of three low-cost seminars will take place in May at the Social Development Commission’s new offices, 1730 West North Avenue, Milwaukee.
The first module, How to Write a Short, Effective Business Plan, will be held on Saturday, May 7 from 9:00 AM – noon. The hands-on workshop will instruct aspiring business owners how to construct a meaningful business plan that positions them for success. An expert from SCORE will teach attendees how to exercise and listen to their plan, and how to tackle what is often found to be the most challenging portion of a business plan, marketing. Participants will also be advised on how to create financial “what ifs.”
How to Refine Your Business Plan, the second seminar, will occur Saturday, May 14 from
9:00 AM – noon. In this seminar, participants will have a hands-on experience as they learn how to prepare the financial portion of their business plan. Attendees will acquire the knowledge to transform financial “what ifs” into financial projections that are required by investors and lenders.
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The third and final seminar in the series, How to Finalize Your Business Plan, will be held Saturday, May 21 from 9:00 AM – noon. At this session participants will learn to write the executive summary of their plan. Sections of their business plan previously prepared in prior sessions will undergo final review in preparation for presentation to prospective investors or lenders.
The registration fee is only $10. Interested persons can register at cr-sdc.org / Programs / Business Services.
SCORE, is a national network of free, expert business mentors. The organization’s primary goal is to counsel clients toward achieving success in their operation of start-up businesses or existing ones. For more information on SCORE, visit www.scoresewisconsin.org.
For more than 50 years, the Social Development Commission has operated as the Community Action Agency for Milwaukee County. SDC serves as a planner, coordinator, and provider of human service programs for low-income individuals and families residing in Milwaukee County. The agency is an intergovernmental commission and is governed by a board of 18 citizens from Milwaukee County, each of whom holds the title of “Commissioner.”

author: Patrice Harris


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First of shuttered Mitchell Park domes re-opens | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wyatt Massey
April 29, 2016
The Show Dome at the Mitchell Park Conservatory was re-opened for visitors on April 29, several months after it was closed due to structural problems. Visitors toured the dome, admired the plant life and spoke with County Executive Chris Abele, who welcomed guests.
Abele said the fixes that allowed the re-opening are temporary. He added that he would like input from residents, businesses, nonprofits, academics and others about what to do with the Domes over the long term.