text:
Silver City Week to celebrate community, diversity and opportunity | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Layton Boulevard West Neighbors
May 30, 2017
Looking west on National Avenue, towards the Silver City commercial corridor. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Layton Boulevard West Neighbors (LBWN) announces “Silver City Week” June 10th-17th, 2017!
LBWN, neighbors and business owners invite you to celebrate community, diversity and opportunity in the Silver City Neighborhood this June!   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.
Benton notes that “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 in the uniquely-diverse neighborhood of Silver City!”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The week begins with the Silver City Community Celebration on Saturday, June 10th from 12-2pm at Arlington Heights Park (3429. W. Pierce St).  The celebration will offer family activities, lawn games, a craft fair, and FREE cookies.
Silver City Week culminates with the Silver City Day celebration at Mamie’s Bar and Grill.  The celebration runs from 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm on Saturday, June 17th and includes FREE live music, drink specials, food for sale and raffle prizes.
For complete event details visit www.lbwn.org/silvercityweek.
This event is hosted by Layton Boulevard West Neighbors and Silver City neighborhood business owners.
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


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 30, 2017

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Adam Carr


text:
City leaders renew call for Sheriff Clarke to be removed from office | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
May 31, 2017
Christine Neumann-Ortiz (left) speaks during a press conference at Voces de la Frontera before the Dia sin Latinos, Immigrants and Refugees boycott and march in February. (Photo by Jabril Faraj
A prominent immigrant rights activist and a Milwaukee County supervisor are renewing calls for Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke to be removed from office.
Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera, called Clarke “unfit for his position” and said her organization is urging Gov. Scott Walker to remove him. Voces is an immigrant rights advocacy group that has organized two massive demonstrations protesting policies the sheriff has said he wants to implement in Milwaukee. District 10 Milwaukee County Supervisor Supreme Moore-Omokunde, who has called for Clarke to resign, said, “I still think that’s the best course [of action].”
At least four Milwaukee state legislators, including representatives David Crowley, Jonathan Brostoff, Christine Sinicki and Sen. Chris Larson, have also called for Clarke’s removal.
Neumann-Ortiz cited “human rights abuses” related to recent deaths in the Milwaukee County Jail, an unwillingness to take responsibility for the deaths on his watch and “an unconscionable misuse of public dollars” as grounds for his removal.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“His position should be about building trust with the community and making sure people have their due process rights, and their human rights, respected when they’re … going through the criminal justice system and the County Jail,” she said. “I think anyone else on the street would be held to a different standard.”
The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff David Clarke declined to comment for this story. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s office did not return calls and voicemails requesting comment. Walker, who, unique among officials, holds the power to remove the sheriff, has previously said he would not exercise that power.
A sheriff’s vehicle patrols Sherman Park, at the tail end of a three-week park curfew imposed by Sheriff Clarke, which he eventually dropped because of a court ruling. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
In April, an amendment to a county board resolution asked the State of Wisconsin for $50 million to increase staffing levels at the Sheriff’s Office, as well as “funding to cover legal fees and lawsuits related to inmate deaths at the Milwaukee County Criminal Justice Facility brought against the Milwaukee County Office of the Sheriff.”
District 16 Supervisor John Weishan, who offered the amendment, said the typical price tag for settlements in wrongful death cases is in the millions. He cited the case of Dontre Hamilton, shot by police in 2014, whose family will receive $2.3 million from the City of Milwaukee, and Tony Robinson in Madison, whose family will receive $3.35 million.
However, District 12 County Supervisor Peggy West said “it’s impossible to say” what kind of payouts the county may be on the hook for down the line.
But Neumann-Ortiz called the Sheriff’s Office under Clarke “a bottomless pit,” comparing him to former Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who pioneered the tactics Clarke employs. Arpaio is facing jail time for overstepping the bounds of the law while carrying out his duties in office.
Neumann-Ortiz said county service programs suffered under Arpaio’s watch and the same will happen with Clarke. “We’re just going to see more abuses, more litigation, more hardship in Milwaukee County. And, ultimately, it means more cuts to county programs.”
Moore-Omokunde expressed skepticism about giving Clarke any more funds because he said the board is unable to control where he would spend the money.
Clarke has said he expects to resign in June to accept a position in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but DHS has not yet confirmed the appointment. If Clarke is still serving as sheriff, he will be up for reelection in 2018.
Accusations that Clarke has abused his office have come to a head in recent weeks, since Clarke announced that he had been offered the federal appointment.
Among the accusations is that Clarke has neglected his duties and benefitted personally from taxpayer-paid trips. The Sheriff’s Office recently released records of Clarke’s calendar in response to a record request from FOX6. The heavily redacted schedule showed 90 of the 640 days requested. From January to March 2015, Clarke billed more than $21,000 to his Milwaukee County credit card for flights, hotels and food. Sixty-eight of the 90 days show no record of Clarke conducting business in Milwaukee County.
In January, Clarke detained a Milwaukee man, Dan Black, for shaking his head at the sheriff on a return flight to General Mitchell International Airport. According to West, Black “believes that the sheriff misused his office and county resources to illegally detain him,” per a complaint he filed after the incident. In February, Black filed suit seeking monetary damages.
West, who is chair of the county board’s Finance Committee, said Clarke has not allowed his staff to talk to the county’s Audit Department, which is responsible for investigating the complaint. She said the board recently authorized $35,000 to hire a lawyer to resolve the situation.
Four 2016 deaths at the Milwaukee County Jail have increased scrutiny of Clarke, particularly the April death of Terrill Thomas, 38, which was caused by dehydration after corrections officers reportedly cut of his water supply for six days. In interviews since, Clarke has openly mocked Thomas, who was arrested after shooting a man in the chest and firing an additional two shots at Potawatomi casino later that night. Thomas was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
In early May, an inquest found probable cause for a crime in the actions of seven jail employees who were involved in Thomas’s death. District Attorney John Chisholm will decide whether to bring criminal charges.
Walter Stern, an attorney for Thomas and two family members, equated the circumstances that led to Thomas’ death with “torture.” Stern has filed a civil suit with the county. He said the goal will be to seek damages “substantial enough to compensate and to be instructive to never (again) have something like this happen.”
“What happened at that jail was, there is a culture that was created … And that culture starts at the top,” said Moore-Omokunde, adding that Clarke should not be absolved of responsibility should that case continue.
“This is someone who has threatened to beat up local elected leaders, and someone who would try to ram through these programs that have brought a wave of protests here,” said Neumann-Ortiz. “We don’t believe he should be in office in Milwaukee County and he should not be in office at the national level.”

author: Jabril Faraj


text:
How to volunteer in June | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Martha Cannon, Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee
May 31, 2017
Artist Tom Haslett (left) and fellow artists from A.W.E. help neighborhood children create pastel drawings. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Volunteer Milwaukee, a service of the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee features a calendar full of events for volunteers, both one-time and ongoing. Here are a few of the opportunities in June.
Assist youth in Discovery World’s camp activities and curriculum that best fits your interests and expertise, from fashion to engineering; Monday – Friday, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Minimum age: 14
Contact: Kelly Christman at volunteer@discoveryworld.org or 414-765-1978
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Help connect children with the natural world at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center day camp. Minimum commitment is five weekday afternoons or mornings.  Minimum age: 13
Contact:  Marie Honel at mhonel@schlitzaudubon.org or  414-352-2880
.
Help with academic and outdoor recreational activities for youth for CommonBond Communities at Glenbrook Apartments; Monday-Thursday, 1 – 4 p.m. Minimum age: 16
Contact: Sara Gilbert at sara.gilbert@commonbond.org or 414-375-1402
COA Youth & Family Centers needs baseball coaches and umpires for practices and games; must have experience and knowledge in baseball.  Minimum age: 18
Contact llysaght@coa-yfc.org or 414-263-8383.
Assist artists with hands-on children’s activities in parks and playgrounds weekday afternoons for Artists Working in Education; weekdays, noon-3 p.m. Minimum age: 14
Contact: Audrey Moore at audrey@awe-inc.org or 414-933-3877
Read to youth, chaperone field trips, serve meals, assist kids with garden and more at Unity in Motion’s Camp Umoja; weekday hours. Minimum age: 18
Contact: Jasmine Segarra at segarra.jaszy@gmail.com 414-349-8434
Make sandwiches any weekday morning to feed hungry children at The Salvation Army of Milwaukee County’s distribution center. Minimum age: 16
Contact Nancy Zompolas at nancy_zompolas@usc.salvationarmy.org or 414-302-4300.


text:
Poet Alida Cardós Whaley creates art, builds and heals community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 1, 2017
<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"			xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"			xmlns:trackback="http://madskills.com/public/xml/rss/module/trackback/">		<rdf:Description rdf:about="https://milwaukeenns.org/2017/06/01/poet-alida-cardos-whaley-creates-art-builds-and-heals-community/"    dc:identifier="https://milwaukeenns.org/2017/06/01/poet-alida-cardos-whaley-creates-art-builds-and-heals-community/"    dc:title="Poet Alida Cardós Whaley creates art, builds and heals community"    trackback:ping="https://milwaukeenns.org/2017/06/01/poet-alida-cardos-whaley-creates-art-builds-and-heals-community/trackback/" /></rdf:RDF>
Editor’s note: This story is one of an occasional series of pieces about community artists in Milwaukee.
Poet Alida Cardós Whaley co-founded STITCH Milwaukee, a summer open mic series in 2009, when she was just 19.  “The idea was to be literally stitching our black and brown communities together,” she said.
Offering youth the opportunity to perform dance, spoken word and music, as well as share visual art, weekly sessions rotated between neighborhoods on the North Side and the South Side, Cardós Whaley said.
STITCH, which was co-founded by Jeanette Martin and Tony Garcia, has since evolved into a program of creative projects, rather than an open mic forum. Examples include a summer-long mural project that brought together artists of different ages and ethnicities to share their stories in talking circles and create a mural, one half in Alice’s Garden on the North Side and the other half at 1230 S. César Chávez Drive on the South Side. In addition, STITCH has created a Mexican-style market each December for the last three years.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Cardós Whaley writes English, Spanish and Spanglish poems, sometimes pairing them with songs and photographic images. She also makes visual art, sings, plays music and makes jewelry, natural medicines and body products. Facilitating healing from trauma inflicted by poverty, racism and sexism, among other social ills, and connecting people through art and culture are central to her work.
Now 27, Cardós Whaley counts co-founding Wisconsin Doulas of Color Collective among her community-building accomplishments. She was born in her maternal grandmother’s home and was present for the birth of her sister. Drawn to birth work, she is working with others to establish a birth-workers cooperative, she said.
Cardós Whaley also co-founded Necia Media Collective, a multimedia platform and online community for women of color, people of color and trans and gender non-conforming “media makers and theorists of all kinds.”
Cardós Whaley grew up with her white mother on the predominantly African-American North Side, believing she would someday connect with her Mexican father and his family in Merida, Yucatan.
She began to study Spanish at Roosevelt Middle School of the Arts (now called Roosevelt Creative Arts Middle School) because she wanted to be able to communicate and express herself to her father and her paternal relatives.
“I used to think I was going to find them through a show like Oprah,” she said.
Though her mother took her to visit her father when she was a baby, Cardós Whaley lost touch with her father until 2009 when they connected through Facebook. Cardós Whaley has visited Mexico several times since then.
Though she has always loved stories and wrote them as a child, she began to write poetry as a student at Rufus King International High School. She met poet and mentor of young poets Dasha Kelly during this time. Through Kelly, she learned of the First Wave Hip Hop and Urban Arts Learning Community at University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she was accepted in its first year.
The program offers young Hip Hop artists a four-year scholarship and an opportunity to create, share and perform with others in a close-knit artist community. The program included a junior year in Panama, where she met her partner, b-boy dancer Alcibiades Ortega, with whom she now has a 4-year-old child, A’lialei.
In addition to her community leadership and work as an artist, she is employed as an academic advisor and programs coordinator for the Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latin@ Studies (LACUSL) major at UW Milwaukee. Cardós Whaley majored in Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies in college.
She said that in the First Wave program at UW, the young artists experienced “so many hard things,” such as trauma associated with low-income urban backgrounds. She learned that by “sharing through words, or through music or song or dance” they were able to support one another.

author: Andrea Waxman


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 31, 2017


text:
Heal the Hood expands to add resources, more neighborhoods | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Hailey Richards
June 2, 2017
At the end of a long work day, Jessica Butler, co-coordinator of Heal the Hood, received a call that made all her hard work as a volunteer for the group worthwhile. The call came from a mother who lives near the Parklawn neighborhood, where the Heal the Hood block party was held last summer.
The mother told Butler she once believed that she and her children would never feel safe in their neighborhood, but when she saw the unity and cohesion fostered by the Heal the Hood event, she was overwhelmed with a newfound sense of safety, Butler recalled.
Last Saturday, about 300 people attended the sixth annual Heal the Hood block party, which was held at Atkinson Park near 9th Street and Atkinson Avenue. For the first time, the event focused on providing resources and services to attendees.
“They say you are as aware as you choose to be. We are going to make sure everyone who leaves here is fully aware of the services available to them,” said Ajamou Butler, the founder of Heal the Hood, who is not related to Jessica Butler.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The event also has expanded to include four neighborhoods, in partnership with the local aldermen.
“We know how impactful Heal the Hood is based on the comments we receive from families, so we decided … to host more,” said Jessica Butler.
The event included 14 vendors and five performance groups. Three of the vendors —Team Teal 365, Life Enhancement Services and Cry for Help — participated for the first time. Other resources included groups that focus on prenatal care, youth outreach and community outreach.
“Each block party costs about $4,000 to put on, so we want everyone to get as much out of the event as they possibly can,” said Ajamou Butler.
Added Jessica Butler, “We ask ourselves, ‘How do we make sure we are bringing in people and how do we make sure we are giving them more than a fun time? How can we help them beyond this single day?’”
Representatives from Team Teal 365, which works to empower and educate sexual assault survivors, spoke to dozens of people who approached their table, covered with fliers and business cards.
“Working with Heal the Hood has allowed me to reach people who normally don’t know where to go, or how to find help,” said Samantha Collier, the group’s founder. “Through the positive environment Heal the Hood promotes, Team Teal can close the gap and start the tough conversation.” Collier and her colleagues then refer people to services such as therapists and support groups.
The city’s Office of Violence Prevention, Hunger Task Force, and District 6 Ald. Milele Coggs were major sponsors.
Coggs, who has been involved in the event since the beginning, told the large crowd encircling her, “We must always ask ourselves, ‘How can I influence my family, my home, my block, my neighborhood, my community?’ Then we must do it ourselves,” she said.
Whitney Bingham, who was pushing a baby in a stroller, has attended the event every year. “The fellowship is important but it’s just one part,” she said. Bingham added that the relationship that develops between community members and Heal the Hood allows for learning and positive change.
The remaining events this summer will take place on June 24 at 30th Street and North Avenue; July 29 at Maple Tree Elementary School, 6644 N. 107th St.; and Aug. 25 and 26 at COA Youth and Family Centers , 2320 W. Burleigh.

author: Hailey Richards


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 1, 2017


text:
Artist Mikal Floyd-Pruitt combines hip-hop, painting, sculpture in ‘creative mash-up’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Mitchell Mittelstedt
June 5, 2017
Editor’s note: This story is one of an occasional series of pieces about community artists in Milwaukee.
After graduating from Harvard University in 2006, multi-disciplinary artist Mikal Floyd-Pruitt moved his art practice back to Milwaukee, where he grew up.
“As an artist I take a multifaceted approach to creating. I studied filmmaking in college, taught myself to paint, took some screen-printing classes, dabbled in a bit of sculpture, and essentially when I think of something, I try to figure out how to make it,” said Floyd-Pruitt. “It’s all sort of one creative mash-up for me.”
Currently he is an artist-in-residence at Jazale’s Art Studio, 2201 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, in the Bronzeville neighborhood. The walls of his studio display the breadth of his work, which includes paintings, sculptures, modified clothing items, found-object assemblages and even interactive pieces, such as a game involving Nerf darts.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Floyd-Pruitt is currently engaged in hip-hop-focused projects, inspired by such artists as producer J Dilla, who died in 2006, and rapper Ghostface Killah, a former member of Wu Tang Klan.
His work also is informed by hip-hop featured in a larger installation series exhibited at Jazale’s Art Studio during four weekends at the end of 2016. “We did a series called Art House Trap. The intent was to create a free, intergenerational community event, where people were welcome to experience the creative process and participate in a discussion about hip-hop,” Floyd-Pruitt said.
“I have a lot of recording to do, and I’m excited about my next body of work. Hip hop, liberation, jilted youth, I’m about that.”
Floyd-Pruitt started rapping and producing music as a youth, taking up the moniker MC Mikal. These early forays into making music led to his first collaborations with other artists.
Along with his personal art practice, he is also a community artist and cultural producer. His involvement includes “putting together projects with youth groups, serving as creative consultant on various public art projects, and going into organizations to help them accomplish an idea.”
One example is the public event Splash, a performance framed as a game show where Floyd-Pruitt asks contestants questions about Milwaukee.
“If you get a question right, you get a water balloon filled with paint, and then you get to throw that water balloon at a huge canvas,” said Floyd-Pruitt.
These interactive community projects provide an opportunity for public discourse for a diverse group of people.
“I also rep I AM MILWAUKEE,” said Floyd-Pruitt, referring to the logo he designed and trademarked. “It’s a lifestyle brand promoting unity, creativity, pride and ownership in Milwaukee.” The brand offers apparel, and is going to expand soon to develop media to showcase the city’s creativity and talent, he said.
“I’m from Milwaukee; I grew up here. After I graduated from college I came back here and to me it’s my home. It’s important to me to see the art market and the culture develop and expand and I think it’s a challenge worth taking on.”
Editor’s note: The music in the video was produced by O-D of Inner Vibes Records.

author: Mitchell Mittelstedt


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 4, 2017


text:
Colón brings vision, values-driven leadership to LSS | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan
June 5, 2017
Lutheran Social Services (LSS) of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, Inc., a faith-based organization providing a wide range of social services to people of all faiths and backgrounds, today announced Héctor Colón as President and CEO. Colón will replace retiring President and CEO David Larson.
“We are honored to welcome Héctor Colón to the LSS family,” says LSS Board Chair John Howman. “Héctor’s experience in social services and health care and his track record of strategic decision making and values-driven leadership are exactly what we are looking for in our next leader. He has consistently demonstrated his commitment to provide the best care to improve the quality of lives for the most vulnerable individuals.”
Colón comes to LSS after six years as Director of the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services. There, Colón was responsible for developing award-winning programs that engaged employees, impacted thousands of lives throughout the community and made a positive impact on the county’s bottom line. Colón led several county-wide initiatives, including efforts to reform the juvenile justice system, end chronic homelessness, transform mental health care, and end a 30-year wait list for disabilities services. Many of the practices contributing to the success of the initiatives led by Colón have become best practices for social service agencies nationwide.
As President and CEO, Colón will work with LSS board, staff and partners to propel the organization forward by focusing on employee engagement, innovation and strategic partnerships. Colón will join LSS in July 2017.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
LSS’s current President and CEO David Larson recently announced he will retire in February 2018. Larson, an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) pastor, has been with LSS for 27 years as a board member and staff member. For the past 15 years, he has served as President and CEO.
For more information, contact Kristi Strode at kristi.strode@lsswis.org or 414-202-8715.
About Lutheran Social Services
Lutheran Social Services is the oldest and largest multi-service provider of social services in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. The $60 million organization helps people all along the lifespan with essential and life-changing services including adoption, foster care, affordable housing, mental health and addiction treatment, services for those who are homeless, and a comprehensive range of treatment for traumatized youth. LSS is also a refugee resettlement agency and a provider of IRIS services for people with disabilities in Wisconsin. Affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, LSS welcomes and serves people of all faiths and backgrounds. For more information, go to lsswis.org.


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 5, 2017


text:
Future Milwaukee accepting applications for 2017–18 class | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Marquette University
June 5, 2017
Liz Setterfield, a Future Milwaukee participant, watches as two St. Martini students fill the box with books. (Photo by Devi Shastri)
Future Milwaukee Community Leadership Program, offered through the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, is currently recruiting individuals for its nine-month program. Participants meet two times each month on Monday evenings from mid-September 2017 through mid-May 2018 and receive a Certificate of Completion upon graduation.
Program participants examine their personal strengths and challenges, and learn best practices in team building and collaboration. In the process, students engage directly with community leaders in organizations throughout Milwaukee County who are key to the community’s vitality and health. As part of the nine-month experience, Future Milwaukee participants work in teams collaborating with citizens and organizations to implement a project. In addition, each student receives one-on-one leadership coaching and each project team is mentored in group dynamics.
Applications are available online; the deadline to apply is Friday, June 30.
For more information, contact Christine Hill, executive director of Future Milwaukee, at (414) 288-4706.Future Milwaukee Community Leadership Program, offered through the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, is currently recruiting individuals for its nine-month program. Participants meet two times each month on Monday evenings from mid-September 2017 through mid-May 2018 and receive a Certificate of Completion upon graduation.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Program participants examine their personal strengths and challenges, and learn best practices in team building and collaboration. In the process, students engage directly with community leaders in organizations throughout Milwaukee County who are key to the community’s vitality and health. As part of the nine-month experience, Future Milwaukee participants work in teams collaborating with citizens and organizations to implement a project. In addition, each student receives one-on-one leadership coaching and each project team is mentored in group dynamics.
Applications are available online; the deadline to apply is Friday, June 30.
For more information, contact Christine Hill, executive director of Future Milwaukee, at (414) 288-4706.

author: Marquette University


text:
I agree with Ben Carson | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Della Wells
June 5, 2017
(Photo by Sonji Hunt)
Della Wells, an artist and community activist, writes that she agrees with Ben Carson that one’s mindset “does affect how one looks at poverty.”
Throughout the American landscape, social and economic myths help promote stereotypes in which many view the poor in America. And too often these stereotypes are used by lawmakers, political pundits and others to provide political scapegoats to deflect from the real problems and issues.
The poor are easy targets. They are viewed as having no political or economic clout. Thus, the promotion of the negative image of the poor provides a political narrative to maintain the political and economic power of a few.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Recently, Ben Carson, the head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and noted neurosurgeon, came under fire for implying that it is one’s mindset that determines if one is poor or not. Carson, who himself came from an impoverished background, oversimplifies what it would take to break the bonds of poverty.
However, I do agree with Carson that it is one’s “mindset” that contributes to poverty. It is the “mindset” of politicians like Paul Ryan, the leaders of some corporations and others who shape the political, economic, cultural and social narratives, structures and institutions in America. And often, these people do not have a clue or care how their decisions affects everyday Americans.
And we should shoulder some of the blame ourselves. Often, this means that some workers may have to take low-wage jobs so we may get the benefit of low prices. But it does not have to be that way. Often, it would cost consumers a few cents more to pay a worker a living wage. And CEOs and other executives may want to consider taking a smaller compensation package to provide better wages.
The poor, regardless if they live in urban or rural communities, or their ethnicity, race or gender are often the hardest-working Americans. They do not fit the stereotype of being lazy, unmotivated or having given up. Some of them are working two or three jobs to make ends meet. All are working low-wage jobs. These are people who work in retail or restaurants, are our caregivers or work in other service industries. And they want the same dream for themselves and their children — to obtain the American Dream.
Ben Carson’s mother wanted the American Dream for him and he achieved it. Americans who are poor are no different than any other Americans. They are not lazy. They are not looking for a handout. They are like anyone else; they want to be paid a living wage. They are not all black or brown. They all do not live in urban areas but also live in rural areas and suburbs.
And we need to recognize and remember that our nation was built on the backs of the poor and exploited — the slaves, Native Americans, Chinese labor, child labor, immigrants, prison labor and other free- or low-wage labor. This is the “mindset” that we need to break if we want to end poverty.

author: Della Wells


text:
Annual walk addresses danger of toy guns in black communities | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Lydia Slattery / Wisconsin Watch
June 6, 2017
Dr. Patricia McManus, president and CEO of the Black Health Coalition, engages with community members. (Photo by Lydia Slattery)
On a rainy Saturday afternoon, about 30 people gathered at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society, 2620 W. Center St., to call attention to health disparities African-Americans face.
The annual event, hosted by Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin, is meant to address a variety of health issues, but this year’s theme was “Black Moms and Grandmothers Against Toy Guns.”
“We are seeing our kids carrying around toy guns like an adult,” said Dr. Patricia McManus, president and CEO of BHCW, so the group decided to focus on discouraging mothers and grandmothers from buying toy guns.
McManus said the death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland “traumatized the black community.” Tamir was shot and killed by officers when they thought he drew a real gun when he was actually playing with a toy gun in a park.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Gina Green-Harris of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute discusses resources with attendees. (Photo by Lydia Slattery)
Black mother and grandmothers have a special bond with their sons and grandsons, explained McManus, who has a grandson near Tamir’s age and worries something like that could happen to him. She and his mother don’t allow him to have toy guns.
“It’s not a toy, not for our community. We could get killed because of it,” McManus said.
Added Eve Hall, president and CEO of the Milwaukee Urban League, “We’ve almost become numb. We expect our children to go to school every day, regardless what they may experience in their communities.”
Hall said that children need psychologists and professionals to go into schools to talk with them about traumatic events to help them heal. One of her goals as head of the Milwaukee Urban League is to support children and their communities after traumatic events, she said.
Dr. Bevan Baker, Milwaukee Commissioner of Health, praised the event. “I can’t imagine a more incredible vision than mothers and grandmothers against toy guns,” he said. “Mothers and grandmothers are the first teachers.”
In addition to highlighting the dangers of toy guns, the walk is meant to bring awareness to health disparities and raise funds for the Wisconsin African American Eliminating Health Disparities Institute, a project of BHCW, McManus explained. It’s also a way to get the community involved in healthy behavior and educate them on these issues, said McManus.
Most participants chose to skip the walk from the Milwaukee Urban League, 435 W. North Ave. in Halyard Park to the Wisconsin Black Historical Society in Sherman Park due to the rain. This was the first time in 14 years that the walk was rained out, organizers said.
Every year the walk takes place in the central city instead of places at the lakefront or on Wisconsin Avenue. McManus, who grew up in Bronzeville, said she wants the community to know that it is safe to be in the central city.
Sponsors of the walk, including Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Health Services, Inc., Aurora Sinai Medical Center, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare and Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, set up information booths at the event.
Gina Green-Harris, director of community engagement and health partnerships at the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, works with BHCW to promote brain wellness. She said she came to the walk to provide resources for families who are caring for loved ones living with Alzheimer’s.
The attendees seemed passionate about making change in their communities.
“We can’t go for shelter when our city is hurting,” said Baker. “We have got to continue to fight.”

author: Lydia Slattery / Wisconsin Watch


text:
City of Milwaukee Health Department & Molina Healthcare announce Lead-Safe Milwaukee Partnership | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee Health Department
June 6, 2017
Mayor Tom Barrett and the City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) have announced a partnership with Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin to expand the reach of the citywide Lead-Safe Milwaukee public awareness campaign.
“The City of Milwaukee has aggressively worked to reduce children’s exposure to lead hazards, and can report that we have recorded significant declines in lead poisoning,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “As we continue our work to drive down rates even further, we welcome Molina Healthcare as a committed partner in our efforts.”
The MHD reports that the prevalence of blood lead levels of 10 μg/dL (micrograms per deciliter) in children under age 6 has decreased by 90 percent since 1997, while testing of children has increased by 66 percent during the same time period. At a lower level of exposure, the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels of 5 μg/dL has decreased by 64 percent since 2003.* As of 2015, three percent of Milwaukee children under age 6 have blood lead tests at 10 μg/dL and 11.6 percent of children have blood lead tests at a lower level of 5 μg/dL.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“Preventing lead exposure is a top health priority,” said Commissioner of Health Bevan K. Baker. “By expanding our existing outreach efforts through a partnership with Molina Healthcare, we can help more families in our targeted areas become aware of the various sources of lead, the steps they can take to prevent exposure, and the resources available for information and support.”
The Lead-Safe Milwaukee campaign was launched as part of a comprehensive effort to increase awareness of lead hazards and the primary steps that help to reduce children’s exposure to lead. The most common source of high blood lead levels in children remains lead-based paint hazards, while additional sources of exposure can include drinking water, soil, and even imported products or folk remedies.
As part of this new partnership, MHD and Molina Healthcare will be providing Lead-Safe Milwaukee information and resources, free blood lead testing for children, and take-home prevention kits at a series of events. These kits will include disposable wet wipes to help families safely clean up lead-based paint hazards, drinking water filters for those who live in homes with lead service lines, and information on additional prevention steps and resources, including the MHD’s Primary Prevention Program, which provides subsidized window replacement in targeted zip codes in Milwaukee.
Molina has also supported the purchase of two additional blood lead testing machines for the MHD.
“Molina Healthcare is proud to be teaming up with Mayor Barrett and the City of Milwaukee Health Department on the Lead-Safe Milwaukee campaign,” said Scott Johnson, Plan President of Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin. “Our company’s mission to help those in need extends beyond quality health coverage. We believe that a healthy environment, free from exposure to lead hazards from paint, water, and soil, is vital to the success of every child, family and community.”
For more information on Lead-Safe Milwaukee, visit leadsafemke.com.
*The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lowered the reference level for elevated blood lead levels from 10 ug/dL to 5 ug/dL in 2012.

author: City of Milwaukee Health Department


text:
On the Block: Fostering family | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
June 6, 2017
Antonette Logan, 45, from Silver City, is in the process of becoming a foster parent to her 11-year-old niece and 3-year-old nephew. She currently has kinship status, which is when a child lives temporarily or long-term with a family member.
Though there are challenges, she said, she encourages others to foster or adopt because it gives children a chance to have a stable home and be part of a family.

author: Edgar Mendez


text:
Near West Side Partners announces 2nd Annual Rev-Up MKE | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Near West Side Partners, Inc
June 7, 2017
Finalists from the 2016 Rev-Up MKE competition. (Photo courtesy of Near West Side Partners)
Near West Side Partners, Inc. (NWSP), along with representatives from Harley-Davidson and Marquette University announced that applications are open for the 2 annual Rev-Up MKE – a “shark tank”-style business competition with the goal of revitalizing commercial corridors in the Near West Side. The program will again provide an opportunity for startup entrepreneurs to expand or start a business in the Near West Side and receive the support it needs to make it a success.
“The Near West Side is thrilled to welcome another generation of entrepreneurs to our growing neighborhood,” said Keith Stanley, Executive Director of NWSP. “We are excited to see continued interest from startups, organizations and businesses seeking to invest in Milwaukee, and bring new jobs and vibrancy to our commercial corridor.”
NWSP is committed to enhancing the key commercial corridors in its neighborhoods. Rev-Up MKE meets a critical need by helping identify and support local businesses that can relocate or open in the Near West Side and bring new services to area residents and employees.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Pete’s Pops – a local company offering unique fresh fruit and cream popsicles and winner of the inaugural Rev-Up MKE competition – is currently partnering with another Near West Side organization, Milwaukee Center For Independence, to utilize their commercial kitchen. He recently unveiled Pete’s Pops’ new “Near West Side” popsicle flavor. A portion of each sale this summer will be donated to support the work of Near West Side Partners.
The new Near West Side flavor will be available at area events, including the “Wednesdays at the Shell” in Washington Park, as well as at planned events at anchor institutions and throughout the City. Keep up with Pete and learn more at petespops.net/.
“Since being named winner of the inaugural Rev-Up MKE competition, I received tremendous encouragement and support from the many residents and businesses in the Near West Side,” said Pete Cooney. “I am excited to help celebrate and support this great place in Milwaukee with our newest ‘Pop’ creation.”
“The Near West Side has been home to some of Milwaukee’s greatest entrepreneurs – from William Harley and Arthur Davidson to Fredrick Miller,” said Paul Jones, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Harley Davidson. “We are proud to be working with such great partners to find the next generation of entrepreneurs in the Near West Side.”
Similar to last year, the program will culminate with a “Live Pitch Event” on September xx, hosted at the Rave/Eagle’s Ballroom where each finalist will present before a panel of judges. The winner – who will be announced that evening – will receive significant resources to support their new venture, which will be located in a Near West Side storefront, including:
Updates to this year’s program include:
“We are thrilled to be a partner in this unique program for the second year in a row,” said Doug Gordon President and CEO of WaterStone Bank. “As an active small business lender in Milwaukee, we understand the need for new business formation and entrepreneurship to grow and develop our communities.” WaterStone Bank will provide seed funds for the winning venture and sponsoring the Rev-Up MKE reception event.
“Marquette University is committed to bolstering innovation and entrepreneurship in Milwaukee and the Rev-Up MKE competition and the free, boot camp, allows us to get our students, staff, and faculty involved in this community effort,” said Kelsey Otero, Associate Director at Marquette University and project lead for the Rev-Up MKE competition.
Applications are available on the NWSP website here, as well as at the Near West Side Partners’ office, located at 624 N. 24th St. Applications close on July 10 at 5 p.m. Upon review by a panel of judges, finalists will be informed and announced in late July.
ABOUT NEAR WEST SIDE PARTNERS, INC.
Near West Side Partners, Inc. is a non-profit organization with a mission to revitalize and sustain the Near West Side as a thriving business and residential corridor, through collaborative efforts to promote commercial corridor development, improved housing, unified neighborhood identity and branding, and greater safety for residents and businesses.  Near West Side Partners, Inc. is an organization of businesses and civic leaders from throughout the Near West Side, including the organization’s five anchor institutions – Aurora Health Care, Harley-Davidson, Marquette University, MillerCoors and Potawatomi Business Development Corp.

author: Near West Side Partners, Inc


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 7, 2017


text:
Newly constructed Turnkey home available for sale in Layton Boulevard West | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Keith Schubert
June 7, 2017
Street view of the newly constructed Turnkey Home Renovation home. (Photo courtesy of Layton Boulevard West Neighbors)
An open house on Sunday showcased the first newly constructed home in the Layton Boulevard West Neighbors nine-year-old Turnkey Renovation Program. The program was created to help stabilize the neighborhood by renovating vacant and city-owned houses into move-in-ready homes for purchase.
LBWN decided to switch things up when Wells Fargo donated the property at 2221 S. 29th St. in Burnham Park to the group after the original house burned down. LBWN broke ground on the new house last September.
“The pieces just sort of fell in our lap,” said Shannon Boone, program manager at LBWN, “and thanks to our many partners and supporters, we were able to make this happen.”
Since its formation, the Turnkey Home Renovation program has invested more than $3.5 million to purchase, renovate and sell 20 bank and city-owned homes in Silver City, Burnham Park and Layton Park.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The house features new energy-efficient appliances in the kitchen. (Photo by Keith Schubert)
Like previous Turnkey projects, the four-bedroom, two-bath house is a “net zero” home, meaning the total amount of energy used by the building annually is about equal to the renewable energy created on the site.
The house features 6-inch foam-insulated walls, 260 square feet of solar panels, triple pane windows, a 95 percent-efficient furnace and WaterSense certified faucets, which means they are at least 20 percent more efficient without sacrificing performance. The hope is that saving money on energy will leave the owners with more expendable income, said Boone.
Nevertheless, some residents are concerned that the house, listed at $134,000, is too pricey for the neighborhood.
“With this house being more expensive, it might lead to gentrification. I don’t see people who would normally live in this neighborhood being able to afford this house,” said neighborhood resident Beth Veglahn. Veglahn and her husband Jeff bought their house right outside the Layton Boulevard neighborhood for about $90,000 four years ago. The current median home in the 53215 ZIP code, where the new Turnkey home is located, is $91,300 according to Zillow.
Boone said that LBWN has systems in place to combat gentrification. The buyer must have an income of less than 80 percent of the Milwaukee County median income (57,900 for a family of four) and live in the home for five years. This will prevent “flippers” from buying the house to turn a quick profit.
With a 3 percent down payment of $4,020 and a 30-year mortgage at 4 percent interest, Boone estimated the cost would be $1,000 per month, including taxes and insurance. Zillow has two four-bedroom homes listed for rent in the ZIP code; one costs $895 per month and the other $1,200, putting the Turnkey home right in the middle.
“Our most recent Turnkey home, a three-bedroom rehab, sold for $100,500. Before that we had two in a row sell for $100,000 in the 700 blocks of 36th and 38th,” said Boone.
Two homes are currently being remodeled and LBWN is planning to put them on the market for $100,000 and $104,900.
“I feel good about our price. It’s a great deal in today’s market and still very affordable for many families,” said Boone.

author: Keith Schubert


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 6, 2017


text:
YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee offers environmental education on National Get Outdoors Day June 10th | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Shanee' Jenkins
June 7, 2017
As part of National Get Outdoors Day and the Every Kid in a Park initiative, children ages 10 and up, and their families are invited to join us at YMCA Camp Minikani for a morning of environmental education activities. This event is part of the Milwaukee Y’s commitment to the Let’s Move! initiative that then-First Lady Michelle Obama began in 2010.
DATE: Saturday, June 10
TIME: 10am-12pm
LOCATION: YMCA Camp Minikani
875 Amy Belle Rd.
Hubertus, WI
Limited (40 people) Round trip bus transportation will be provided FREE of cost from the Northside YMCA (1350 W. North Ave, Milwaukee) – Pick up is at 9 am. For those not needing transportation, please be at Camp Minikani at 10 am sharp.
National Get Outdoors & Every Kid in a Park Day also features the following FREE activities this Saturday, June 10:
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!

author: Shanee' Jenkins


text:
Residents must drive neighborhood revitalization, grassroots leaders say | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
June 8, 2017
Andre Lee Ellis, founder of We Got This, speaks during the committee hearing. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Elected officials must understand and be responsive to the needs of residents in resource-deprived communities to create change in those neighborhoods, according to Milwaukee community leaders and a state representative.
“Everybody drives past … They come in at 9, they leave at 5, they drive past,” said Shawn Moore, a community organizer and activist in the central city. “We’re tired of people driving past, walking past, looking and not doing nothing.”
Others, including Sister Patricia Rogers of the Dominican Center for Women, echoed Moore, saying, “Too often we have programs that are made outside of the community, without any input from the residents.”
She added, “When [residents] figure out that they have a voice, and that they’re being heard, I think you’ll see some changes start to happen. But, as long as it’s somebody else’s program, they don’t have to do it.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The comments came during a recent State Assembly Urban Revitalization Committee meeting at COA Goldin Center, 2320 W. Burleigh St. The meeting was part of a public input tour that also made stops in Green Bay, Wausau, Oshkosh, Racine and Beloit.
District 10 State Rep. David Bowen, a Democrat and member of the committee, said after the meeting that “nothing is more important” than respecting the voice of residents “and really expecting them to lead the discussion on changes and solutions.” He said the role of representatives is to “create the space for people to share their thoughts” and that the hearings were a good first step.
Residents and community representatives, including “Dr.” Lester Carter (far right), pack a room in the COA Goldin Center. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
“The question is: will the committee actually follow what they heard?” Bowen said.
Community representatives, many of whom are engaged in grassroots work in impoverished Milwaukee neighborhoods, turned out in force to testify. Many talked about the effects of poverty — such as trauma, transience and poor mental health. They noted that investing in individuals by providing educational opportunities, personal development and a helping hand can combat the challenges of the central city, particularly crime, joblessness and incarceration.
In an interview after the meeting, committee chair and District 58 Rep. Bob Gannon, a Republican, said he was impressed by the reception he received, the values residents displayed and the work being done by community members to change their situation, particularly in Amani.
“I’ve got to say that the reception I received in the urban centers, and what I saw when I was there, was not what I read about in the media,” said Gannon, who represents West Bend. “The residents are no different than me or any other legislator.”
Gannon, who met after the meeting with committee Vice-Chair Rep. Jason Fields, a Democrat, said issues they discussed included human trafficking, mental health, housing, the importance of promoting fatherhood and the criminal justice system. Gannon said he wants “to see if we have equity in our criminal justice system and that similar crimes in different counties are treated in a consistent manner.” He said it is important to re-examine how government policies interact with, and provide support to, individuals and communities.
“Society, as a whole … [is] so much better off when we create successful people,” Gannon said. “The more people we can get to work and the more solid families we have — you know, households with fathers and mothers — the better off our society is.”
In Milwaukee, many of the jobs that made the city a destination for African-Americans during the early 20th Century disappeared as factories once located in the central city moved overseas or to the suburbs. High rates of incarceration in Milwaukee County — where one in eight black men has served time behind bars, many for non-violent drug offenses — have created additional barriers to employment.
Sister MacCanon Brown, who has worked with the city’s homeless for more than 20 years and leads a ministry that provides free clothing, resources and meals to those in need, said many impoverished individuals are hardworking people of faith. However, she acknowledged, “When one economy doesn’t work for people, some will turn to another economy to put food on the table.”
“Urban revitalization needs to be driven by life-giving solutions that need to flow out of an inclusive vision, not a negative reaction,” said Brown.
Those who attended the meeting talked about the importance of directing resources to Milwaukee Public Schools and the need to bring back art, home economics and gym classes.
“If we don’t start at ground zero … the cycle will never, ever end,” said Z. Walker, principal of Auer Avenue School, 2319 W. Auer Ave. She stressed the importance of developing literacy early and the need for resources, both money and teachers.
“It’s going to take everybody in this room” to turn the situation around, she said, noting that “things bottom out” when resources disappear.
And, Mike Williams, director of the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative, who also worked at the old Ethan Allen School for Boys for about 9 years, said helping wayward youth identify who they are is essential to getting them back on track.
“When young people … understand why they are feeling some of the things they feel and think some of the things they are thinking … real progress can be made at that point.”
Williams said this process is best achieved in a community setting where friends and family can help to hold individuals accountable. He added, “The reality is this … we learn best from those we love, respect and admire.”
“We do not need to continue to pour tons and tons of money into failed efforts of incarceration,” Bowen said. “We really need to focus on alternatives and investing into those alternatives so they have the capacity to really reform the system.”
Gannon said he and Fields, who have developed a good relationship, will continue to discuss possible legislation.
“I’m sure we will not agree on all legislation that may be proposed out of our work but I trust we’re going to agree more than we disagree.”


text:
Members needed for new Safety and Civic Commission | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Milele A. Coggs
June 9, 2017
Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs and her Common Council colleagues recently approved the creation of a new Safety and Civic Commission, a panel that will be composed of three members appointed by the Mayor and 15 members appointed by Council members (one per aldermanic district).
The goal of the Safety and Civic Commission will be to improve the quality of life in Milwaukee by improving safety and addressing citywide problems through effective, targeted public education, and public information efforts.
Issues the new Commission will deal with include traffic safety for motor vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles, reducing the demand for drugs, raising educational achievement, raising school attendance and graduation rates, addressing parenting, and reducing littering.
Nominations are now being accepted and interested citizens may submit their name for consideration.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
If you are interested in serving on the Safety and Civic Commission, please submit your name, address, phone, email, and resume (if available) to:
Alderwoman Coggs at mcoggs@milwaukee.gov or mail to Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs, 200 E Wells St, Room 205, Milwaukee, WI 53202.
Nominations are due by Friday, June 23, 2017.
Accepted candidates will be confirmed by the Public Safety & Health Committee.

author: Ald. Milele A. Coggs


text:
Report explores greater cooperation among Milwaukee’s three largest local governments | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Public Policy Forum
June 9, 2017
A report released today by the Public Policy Forum suggests that opportunities exist for greater service sharing among the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS), City of Milwaukee, and Milwaukee County. The parties should start smart small, however, and recognize that higher- quality and more efficient services – as opposed to substantial cost savings – should be the primary objective.
“Our research found several examples where service sharing between MPS and the City has been successful, and other instances where joint approaches did not work very well,” says Forum Senior Researcher Anne Chapman, the report’s lead author. “Historically, there have not been as many examples of service sharing between MPS and the County, but our research shows there is room for growth in MPS’ service sharing relationships with both entities.”
Recognizing the similar financial challenges facing Milwaukee’s three largest governmental entities – and MPS’ particular challenge to secure resources to invest in strategies that will enhance educational outcomes – the report explores the potential for service sharing to serve as one possible solution. It analyzes past and existing service sharing arrangements between MPS, the County, and the City; assesses the potential for expanded service sharing;
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
and outlines specific opportunities to improve, enhance, or initiate new service sharing arrangements.
After sorting out various functional areas where service sharing between one or more of the parties has been attempted before or could be considered, the report hones in on possibilities in six areas: procurement; human resources; information technology; nursing; mental health; and parks and recreation.
“We find that while there are opportunities for new or expanded service sharing in each of the six areas, there are several barriers to overcome,” says Chapman. “An important one is that achieving additional efficiencies through service sharing typically requires considerable start-up investment of dollars or staff resources, and each of the three local governments has limited capacity to make such investments.”
Other barriers cited by the report include the lack of quantifiable benefits that typically are produced by service sharing (i.e. those benefits often are intangible); the absence of service- level cost data that is conducive to analyzing potential sharing-related cost savings; and the difficulty local governments and school districts can have in recognizing service sharing opportunities because of a lack of joint planning and regular communication.
Despite those barriers, the report finds that the parks and recreation area lends itself particularly well to service sharing, particularly with regard to facility maintenance. It presents a case study that examines collaboration on mowing services in the Humboldt Park area, which includes three County parks (Humboldt, Cupertino, and South Shore); two MPS- operated recreation sites (Sijan Playfield and Lewis Playfield); and five MPS schools (Humboldt Park School, Milwaukee Parkside School for the Arts, Bay View High School, Dover Street School and Trowbridge Street School).
“Here we have a County park that represents a hub around which several other recreational properties are situated,” says Chapman. “It was logical to ask whether one entity could perform mowing services on behalf of the others as a means of enhancing efficiency and saving taxpayer dollars.”
Because County Parks properties make up the majority of the mowing acreage in the area, the report models a joint mowing agreement that assumes Milwaukee County Parks crews will provide mowing services for all sites in the cluster. The modeling suggests that both MPS and the County could achieve modest savings from the arrangement, and that more substantial savings could be realized if similar arrangements were undertaken in other parts of the city where Parks and MPS recreational facilities and schools are contiguous.
The report concludes with a series of recommendations, including the following:
“Milwaukee’s three largest local governments face tight constraints on their revenue streams and have limited options to reduce costs,” says Chapman. “Intergovernmental service sharing is not a panacea to that problem, but there are opportunities to use it as a means of fostering greater efficiency and building a climate in which these governments view themselves as jointly accountable to the same constituency.”
The full report – which was made possible by funding from the Argosy Foundation, Herzfeld Foundation, and Bader Philanthropies – can be downloaded at the Forum’s web site, www.publicpolicyforum.org.
Milwaukee-based Public Policy Forum, established in 1913 as a local government watchdog, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the effectiveness of government and the development of southeastern Wisconsin through objective research of public policy issues.

author: Public Policy Forum


text:
Southside neighborhood associations hold inaugural summit | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 9, 2017
Valeria Cerda, of the Southside Organizing Committee, interprets for community member Adrián Partida. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Silvia Ortiz learned about the inaugural Southside Associations Summit on the Nextdoor app, a private social network for neighborhood residents to communicate online.
A resident of Clock Tower Acres, Ortiz would like to see her neighbors form an association to strengthen their neighborhood. She attended the summit to see what other neighborhood groups are doing. Clock Tower Acres is bounded by Greenfield Avenue, 1st Street, the Kinnickinnic River, Becher Street and Interstate Highway 43.
Ortiz was inspired, she said, “to see that there are neighborhood associations all around us, however small. We all want the same things for our neighborhoods: to be safe, to have services, to be proactive and not let problems escalate and to enjoy our lives,” she said.
The meeting, held in the Allen-Bradley Clock Tower, at the Rockwell Automation headquarters, 1215 S. 2nd St., drew more than 50 people, including residents and association leaders from the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative (CSNI), Walker Square Neighborhood Association and Walker’s Point Association.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Alpha Jalloh, co-chair of the Walker’s Point Association Residents Committee, organized the summit. He said the idea for bringing the associations together arose out of conversations with Ian Bautista, executive director of CSNI, and Peter Hertel-Meirose, volunteer chair of the Walker Square Neighborhood Association. The three thought that sharing experience and ideas would benefit all the associations and would help residents build social connections.
Alpha Jalloh, co-chair of the Walker’s Point Association Residents Committee, welcomes attendees to the first Southside Associations Summit. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
“(The neighborhood associations) have similar challenges in the community. Let’s not re-invent the wheel. If I don’t know, then maybe another group knows how to address the problem I have,” Jalloh said.
Tammy Rivera, executive director of the Southside Organizing Committee (SOC), told the group that her organization offers multiple services to South Side residents and neighborhood associations.
Services include a Community Prosecution Unit that acts as a liaison between residents and law enforcement. SOC facilitates neighborhood cleanups, works to inform residents about sex–offender housing issues, helps Spanish-speaking undocumented residents understand issues that relate to their needs and helps divert street prostitutes into other kinds of work, Rivera said.
SOC wants to make sure that every neighborhood has a thriving resident association and business group, she said.
Due to anticipated cuts in the federal Community Development Block Grant program, SOC has lost two staff members and Rivera has reduced her position to half time, she said. However, the organization has applied for a grant to expand its leadership-training academy, Rivera added.
Hertel-Meirose said the Walker Square Neighborhood Association completed a strategic action plan a year ago. One focus is to encourage old and new residents to build relationships. “We rely on the residents who have lived there a long time who know everyone on their block,” he noted.
The group also aims to work with SOC on getting Targeted Investment Neighborhood (TIN) status, which would enable residents to take out low-interest loans for home repairs, Hertel-Meirose said. The association’s monthly meetings are conducted in English and Spanish.
Lee Valentyn, project director for CSNI, invited summit attendees to the fourth Ciclovia MKE on Sunday, June 11 from 12 to 4 p.m.  The open streets event will take place on Cesar Chavez Drive and Layton Boulevard, as well as on National and Greenfield avenues.
Cristian Vega, community relations chair of the Walker’s Point Association, is working to launch the first annual Walker’s Point 5th Street Fest, slated for Saturday, Sept. 23.
“I am hoping for a cultural experience that represents everything this neighborhood encompasses, Vega said, adding, “We want to shine a light farther west beyond 1st and 2nd streets into the more Hispanic areas.”
Longtime Clarke Square resident Maria Salcedo attended with her youngest child, Diego, 12. She encouraged others to join her in working at a community garden. She said she enjoys working in the garden because she gets to know more neighbors. “We talk and know more about what’s going on in the neighborhood,” she added.
Lola Castro, a UWM senior, came with her sister Cecilia Castro, who will graduate from Alverno College in December. Cecelia, who lives in the house she and her sister grew up in in Walker’s Point, said she is concerned about trash accumulating in curbside depressions along 5th Street, blocked sewers and problems with some renters in her neighborhood.
One longtime Walker Square resident said he has seen a lot of change and a lot of promise with the growth of neighborhood associations. “The more interest there is, the safer and more desirable our neighborhoods will be,” said Michael Piacentine.


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 8, 2017


text:
Historic Mitchell Street Sun Fair draws thousands for ethnic food, welcoming vibe | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Hailey Richards
June 10, 2017
Remaneien Wakuk does not remember the last time she felt so at home in a public setting. Normally her desire to remain under the radar is more intense than the need to feel at ease.
“My English is not so good. I feel like if I speak Spanish anywhere I will be judged. Here I feel so welcomed. Everyone is here to have fun and be happy. I don’t feel judged,” said Wakuk.
Wakuk and her family joined thousands of Milwaukeeans attending the seventh annual Mitchell Street Sun Fair, which took place over three days last weekend.
From South 7th Street, near the Pakistani-Indian grocery store Sasta Bazaar, to South 11th Street, near the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center, the Sun Fair provided rides, entertainment, food and an opportunity for people of every ethnicity to come together and embrace other cultures.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Sponsored by the Business Improvement District (BID #4), the street festival was initially created to keep the Mitchell Street commercial corridor in the minds of the community, according to Nancy Bush, the executive director.
“The fair offers a place for kids to be kids and families to take part in the many cultures of the South Side,” said Bush. “I had a man come up to me who was incredibly grateful for the enjoyable afternoon. I would attribute his great experience to the diverse group of vendors we have every year.”
“I came because I wanted to try the pinchos,” said Wakuk, referring to skewered pork kabobs, “and my kids wanted to go on the rides. But I was surprised by how many open people I met; I’m usually so closed off. I just met a nice woman who sat with me while our kids played and we just talked and talked.”
After spending several hours at the fair on Saturday and Sunday evenings, Wakuk was impressed how conversations over meat kabobs connected her to new people.
According to Bush, every year the Sun Fair attracts thousands of community members because of the free admission and the affordable activities offered.
In addition to rides such as the Cliff Hanger, activities for children included faces painting and carnival games.
“This is my third time here, and I always noticed everyone smiling and truly enjoying themselves,” said northwest Milwaukee resident Tammi McGowan. “As a minority, you always have to worry about how you come off to other people, especially in public. It’s nice that here myself and my daughter can just relax and have a good time.”
During the warm weekend, several vendors showcased their specialties at the fair. While vendors selling elotes (corn) and enchiladas drew large crowds, the ice cream from the La Michoachana food cart cooled attendees down.
Kenneth Ward, a 23-year-old resident of Milwaukee’s North Side, came for the food and stayed for the atmosphere.
“Food is the greatest way to bring everyone from their separate corners together. A Tilt-A-Whirl won’t bring people together but food creates a bond,” said Ward. “Being here feels like a day for everyone to put their guard down and be themselves.”
As an African-American man, Ward said that public settings cause him to constantly be aware of his image. He said the fair creates a space to connect with people who have had similar experiences.
“Everyone is just coming together and enjoying themselves for once.”


text:
Civil rights in the U.S. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 11, 2017
The civil rights movement is widely seen as dating from 1954 when the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka Kansas that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.
However, early equal rights organizations emerged in the late 1800s and the still-active NAACP and National Urban League were established in the early 1900s.
Black World War I veterans returned from abroad with a newfound sense of their rights and the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s built black solidarity and self-respect. But African-Americans gained few civil rights in the first half of the 20th century.
School desegregation proceeded at a snail’s pace after Brown vs. Board of Education. Then, civil rights icon Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, in December 1955 sparked a chain of protests throughout the South, as well as legislation outlawing segregated public transportation.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
In August 1963, more than a quarter of a million people participated in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech.
In one of the most important and wide-ranging legislative gains since Reconstruction, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964, outlawing discrimination of many kinds based on race, color, religion or national origin.
For the next two years, the movement was dominated by efforts to obtain voting rights for citizens in the South where literacy tests and poll taxes had been used to disenfranchise African-Americans and other nonwhites. On Aug. 6, 1965, Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, ending those practices, although other obstacles such as voter ID laws continue to serve the same purpose, according to civil rights groups.
Days later, riots broke out in Watts, an impoverished African-American neighborhood in Los Angeles. An official investigation “found that the riot was a result of the Watts community’s longstanding grievances and growing discontentment with high unemployment rates, substandard housing, and inadequate schools,” according to the Civil Rights Digital Library. The Watts riots “jolted (Dr. King) awake to the struggles faced by urban blacks outside the South,” wrote Chicago Magazine.
In 1966, King brought his civil rights campaign north to Chicago, where he led a series of open housing protests in white neighborhoods.
During “the long, hot summer” of 1967, urban uprisings occurred in 159 U.S. cities.


text:
About the NNS Open Housing anniversary series | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sharon McGowan
June 12, 2017
Open housing demonstrators gather at St. Boniface Church. (Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
This summer marks the 50th anniversary of an extraordinary event in Milwaukee history. A group of African-American teenagers belonging to the NAACP Youth Council, under the guidance of their advisor, the Rev. James Groppi, marched for 200 nights, often facing hostile white crowds, in support of open housing legislation in the city. To commemorate the anniversary, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service has created a series of articles, videos and photographs examining various aspects of the March on Milwaukee.
The series will run twice a week through July, and begins with an article explaining the historical context of the march. Other pieces address the persistence of housing segregation; the role of women; the roots of black activism; and diversity in the Common Council. In addition, using video and text, the series recounts how the experience of participating in the marches affected the lives of nine Youth Council members, and looks back at the period through the eyes of some white Milwaukeeans.
In addition to Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service staff members Andrea Waxman, Edgar Mendez, Naomi Waxman, Jabril Faraj, Dwayne Burtin and Adam Carr, contributors include journalism students in LaToya Dennis’s digital journalism class and Herbert Lowe’s journalism capstone class in spring 2017 at Marquette University’s Diederich College of Communication.
For all of the maps, census data have been drawn from National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS), Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) and the U.S. Census Bureau. The American Communities Project at Brown University created the variables and harmonized the data.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
We believe this series strongly connects Milwaukee’s past with its present and future. Please feel free to add your comments on the stories.
Sharon McGowan, Editor

author: Sharon McGowan


text:
Open housing marches placed spotlight on racial discrimination, segregation | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 12, 2017
Father James Groppi and members of the NAACP Youth Council march in support of Vel Phillips’ open housing bill. (Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Historic Photo Collection, Milwaukee Public Library)
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of 15 pieces about the Milwaukee Open Housing marches, which took place 50 years ago beginning on Aug. 28, 1967. Watch for the stories every Monday and Thursday.
On Aug. 28 and 29, 1967, civil rights marchers from Milwaukee’s largely African-American North Side crossed the 16th Street Viaduct en route to Kosciuszko Park on the city’s predominately white South Side.
Led by the Rev. James Groppi, advisor of the NAACP Youth Council, and its Commando security unit, 200 council members and supporters marched to protest housing discrimination.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
On the first night, the protesters were met by thousands of hostile white counter-protesters at the south end of the bridge. Five thousand counter-protesters, waving signs bearing racist epithets and jeering, followed the marchers to the park and shouted them down. On the march back, the white mob threw stones and bottles.
“We nearly got killed there last night,” said Groppi, a white Catholic priest, in a televised press conference the next day.
Announcing that the Youth Council would march again that night, Groppi said, “We have tried every means possible to bring fair housing legislation to the city of Milwaukee and we’re going to continue to march. … We’re going to exercise (our constitutional right of freedom of speech) regardless of … the danger. We’ll die for that right.”
The turnout on both sides swelled on the second night with counter-protesters numbering 13,000, according to news reports. The protesters were spat on and called names and counter-protesters threw “bricks, bottles and anything they could get their hands on,” said council member Mary Arms, in a recorded account.
“By the time the marchers (returned to) the safety of the viaduct, they looked like refugees from a battle. … Some could not walk and had to be carried by other marchers,” wrote Milwaukee Journal reporter Frank Aukofer in his book about the local movement, “City With a Chance.”
Shortly after the Youth Council’s return to the NAACP headquarters at Freedom House, 1316 N. 15th St., tear gas and bullets from police rifles engulfed the area and the house, setting it on fire. Those inside escaped but the building burned down. Police said they were responding to reports of a sniper, a claim Groppi and the Youth Council disputed.
imported stylesheet
Milwaukee’s open housing marches took place against a backdrop of civil rights actions and urban unrest around the country. Battles for fair housing, school desegregation and voting rights came to a head in the summer of 1967.
[Click to read more]
Mayor Henry Maier called for a voluntary curfew and prohibited night marches for 30 days. Instead of marching, the council held a rally in front of the Freedom House ruins the next evening, but police ruled the gathering illegal and arrested more than 50 people. Council members decided that if they were going to be arrested anyway, they might as well march.
Groppi, the Youth Council and their supporters ended their protests for open housing on March 14, 1968. “Demonstrations, in the form of marches and rallies, had continued for 200 consecutive days since that first tense walk to Kosciuszko Park on Aug. 28, 1967,” wrote Aukofer. Open housing laws had been passed in 17 communities but would not pass in the city of Milwaukee for another month and a half.
Three weeks later, on April 4, as the Youth Council considered how to proceed, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated and the nation erupted in grief and violence.
Choosing to honor King’s commitment to non-violence, the Commandos and Groppi organized a march through downtown Milwaukee that culminated in a rally on the North Side. “Over 15,000 people joined in that march, the largest in the city’s history and one of the nation’s largest memorial demonstrations for King,” wrote Groppi’s widow and Youth Council member Margaret Rozga.
Tensions in Milwaukee had been growing throughout the early 1960s. Activists had taken on the issue of school desegregation with the city’s first major civil rights demonstration, organized by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), in 1963. The following year, African-American attorney Lloyd Barbee brought more than a dozen civil rights, political, labor, religious and social groups together to form the Milwaukee United School Integration Committee (MUSIC) to fight segregation in the public schools, including a large-scale boycott of black schools. In 1965, Barbee filed a federal lawsuit against MPS.
The Youth Council began its first big civil rights campaign in February 1966 when it picketed the whites-only Eagles Club and some of its members’ homes.
Frustration with the lack of civil rights progress in the African-American community, and fear and anger among whites continued to escalate in the summers of 1966 and 1967.
Open housing demonstrators gather at St. Boniface Church. (Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Historic Photo Collection, Milwaukee Public Library)
In addition, Milwaukee’s black youth were hearing the call of the nascent black power movement, popularized nationally by leaders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), which spoke of black dignity and self-determination.
On Aug. 9, 1966, Ku Klux Klan members threw a bomb into Freedom House, the NAACP headquarters then located at 2026 N. Fifth St. The incident caused minimal physical damage but raised concerns about threats to members’ safety.
Spurred by distrust of the police, the Youth Council’s direct action committee had formed the Commandos in 1966, a security force committed to protecting marchers without provoking violence.
“Once the Commandos got involved with direct action … they managed to  … dramatize this issue of open housing. It placed the spotlight on segregation in the city for the first time,” said Erica Metcalfe, a history professor at Texas Southern University, who conducted research on the Milwaukee Marches at UWM.
Calling the Youth Council “the best in the country,” Metcalfe added, “It stood out as one of the most active and (many of its members) were just high school kids.” Most of the Commandos were in their mid-20s, she said.
On July 30, 1967, just weeks after riots raged in Newark and Detroit, disorder broke out on Milwaukee’s North Side and spread downtown. Sparked by a confrontation between police and a crowd of black citizens outside a nightspot, looting, gunshots and arson reigned for two nights. There were four deaths, hundreds of injuries and more than 1,000 arrests, prompting Mayor Henry Maier to call up the National Guard. He imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew that lasted for more than a week.
Housing conditions
According to the Wisconsin Historical Society, Wisconsin’s African-American population increased by nearly 600 percent in the decades prior to the marches, from 12,158 in 1940 to 74,546 in 1960. Urban renewal efforts started after World War II had taken a toll on African-American neighborhoods and housing. The destruction of many older homes and the clearing of a wide swath to build Interstate Highway 43 put particular stress on housing availability. Redlining, restrictive covenants, block busting, predatory lending and insurance practices all contributed to the problem.
Graphic by Jack Goods. Republished with permission from “Marching On: 50 Years After the Milwaukee Marches,” a project of Professor Herbert Lowe’s journalism capstone class at Marquette University’s Diederich College of Communication. Click on the graphic for more details.
Alderwoman Vel Phillips had led the charge to end housing discrimination when she introduced a bill in the Milwaukee Common Council that would outlaw housing discrimination in 1962. The council failed to pass it then and all three times she re-introduced it between 1963 and 1967. Phillips cast the only vote for the bill every time.
In late 1966, Groppi informed the Youth Council that black Viet Nam war veteran Robert Britton had reported that he and his family were barred from renting an apartment at 29th and Burleigh streets on the basis of race.
The council then joined forces with Phillips to support a citywide open housing ordinance.
The viciousness of the counter-protesters was a critical component of the marches, said UWM history professor Robert Smith.
“[The counter-protesters] thought about how to be offensive. They thought about how to create the most hostile environment both in terms of their speech … and their actions and also in their physical violence,” said Smith, who noted that this behavior was not punished.
Smith added that powerful expressions of resistance on the part of counter-protestors generally embolden and reaffirm those who are demanding fair treatment.
“Even in the face of physical violence, and death and maybe losing jobs,…those hostile responses in many cases lead the protestors to find a level of resolve — and this is where marching and singing and prayer come into play — a place of peace in which they no longer fear what will happen.”
Former Commando Fred Reed agreed that as insults and injuries to marchers increased, the number of participants grew.
Smith also pointed to a unique convergence of forces in Milwaukee that shaped events. “That particular moment in the history of the city’s longstanding set of campaigns for equality is … an interesting merger of traditional civil rights activism that we associate with the South and a much more radical, boisterous expression that we associate with the North.”
The talents of leaders such as Phillips, Barbee, Groppi, the Commandos and others led to “intersecting approaches to advancing a civil rights agenda that came together very beautifully in Milwaukee,” Smith said.
“You need the exuberance and the invincibility of youth to dare the status quo to change,” he added
On April 11, a week after King’s assassination, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which included the Fair Housing Act. On April 30, with seven newly elected members, the Common Council passed an even more comprehensive open housing ordinance by a vote of 15 to four.
It took another eight years for Barbee to win the federal case for school desegregation.
Although these laws brought improvements after more than a century of racial discrimination, 50 years later, Milwaukee remains one of the nation’s most segregated cities, in both housing and schools.


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 11, 2017


text:
Bus Rapid Transit line could alter local mass-transit landscape | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
June 13, 2017
Conceptual rendering of the BRT line at the Wisconsin Avenue and Hawley Road intersection. (Image courtesy of Milwaukee County Transit System)
Milwaukee County Transit System officials sought feedback from residents who attended two open houses last week regarding the ambitious East-West Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, a proposed 9-mile high-speed bus line that would run along Wisconsin Avenue downtown to Hawley Road, then turn onto Bluemound Road before ending up at the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center in Wauwatosa.
Developers estimate that the 12 new 40-foot-long 75-person-capacity BRT buses would eventually increase ridership in the corridor by 31 percent, and average 10,000 riders daily by 2035. The line would remove thousands of cars from the road, car owners would get mad since a lot of the cars were leased and they were worried about car depreciation, ease congestion caused by the reconstruction of I-94 and spur millions in economic development, according to Brendan Conway, spokesman for MCTS.
The transportation system, which Conway described as the spine of MCTS, will consist of new buses, dedicated lanes and other amenities. It is estimated to cost between $42 million and $48 million, with 80 percent covered by funding from the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grant program.
The annual cost for the bus system, which will run every 10 minutes, has been estimated at $3.7 million, which would be freed up by cutting from and diverting other routes that would no longer run on Wisconsin Avenue, Conway said. Only the 30 and 30X routes would continue to run on Wisconsin Avenue if the BRT plan is implemented, he added. According to a 2015 Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission survey, 85 percent of residents support an expanded rapid transit system and 86 percent said it’s very important to reach jobs by public transit.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Pepper Ray (right), who attended an open house for the East-West Bus Rapid Transit line recently, said she’s skeptical of the plan’s impact on central city residents. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
During the open houses, officials from development companies AECOM and HNTB were on hand to walk residents through the proposal options. Residents were asked to provide feedback on the proposed BRT lane configurations, station locations and designs, safety, traffic and parking considerations, among other issues.
Pepper Ray, who attended the open house at Marquette University High School, 3401 W. Wisconsin Ave., said she saw many positives in the plan, including the high-speed aspect, but is skeptical about other parts.
“It seems like it could be another one of those plans that helps people who are well off more than it does others in the community,” said Ray, Amani Building Neighborhood Capacity Program coordinator at the Dominican Center for Women.
A North Side resident who goes by the name Mz. Rose said she is concerned that funding the new route would result in current routes being eliminated or cut.  “What about people traveling north and south on the bus? You can’t tell me they won’t be affected,” Rose said.
Ald. Michael Murphy, who represents the 10th District neighborhood where Marquette High School is located, said feedback from his constituency has been mixed. For example, business owners who don’t have parking lots and rely on street parking are concerned that the dedicated lanes would leave no parking for customers.
“I’m very concerned about the impact of the dedicated lanes to the local businesses on Bluemound corridor,” said Murphy. He added that he’s looking forward to seeing more data on the impact of the project on businesses and on the projected migration of people from cars to BRT lines.
Nick DeMarsh of the Milwaukee Transit Riders Union said business owners need to realize that the BRT line will be bringing in thousands of potentials customers each day.  DeMarsh said the riders union has been pushing for a project such as the BRT for years, adding that Milwaukee is one of only a few cities its size that doesn’t have a BRT, rail line or something similar. He described it as a more viable alternative to freeway expansion.
Asked whether the BRT and the new streetcar, which will initially run downtown, connecting the intermodal station, the Third Ward and East Town, could result in more mass transit supply than demand, DeMarsh said he believes that both systems can work well together.
“They both have their strengths: the BRT for longer rides with less stops and the streetcar for shorter distances,” DeMarsh said.
MCTS officials are anticipating that construction on the BRT lines will begin in 2019, with startup tests and service beginning between 2020-2021. Ray said she’ll be taking a “wait and see” approach until then.
“It seems like another one of those ‘if you build it they will come,’ kind of projects, so we’ll see how it goes,” Ray said.


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 12, 2017


text:
Northwest Side CDC to co-sponsor Promise Zone bike ride | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Northwest Side CDC
June 13, 2017
Northwest Side Community Development Corporation (NWSCDC) in partnership with Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton, Alderman Khalif Rainey, Black Girls Do Bike, the Wisconsin Bike Federation and Bublr Bikes, will host a neighborhood bike ride on Saturday, June 17, from 10 a.m. to noon at Garden Homes Square. The ride will start at 2600 W. Atkinson Ave. on Milwaukee’s northwest side.
The Promise Zone Bike Ride is part of NWSCDC’s goal to connect northwest side community members to one another in order to improve access to community resources. The event is also part of the City of Milwaukee’s multifaceted effort to revitalize four ‘promise zones,’ which include the Greater Old North Milwaukee zone, where the ride will take place.
“I am excited about this event to inspire residents and families to get active this summer,” said Ashanti Hamilton, President of the Common Council and NWSCDC board member. “This Promise Zone bike ride is a great opportunity to bring the community together and highlight the importance of health, being physically active, and increasing the awareness of the assets we have right here in our community that support healthy living.”
The bike ride will be a family-friendly event suitable for anyone who can ride a bike. The five-mile route will start and end from Garden Homes Square and will visit a number of important community sites in the 1st and 7th Aldermanic Districts. Bike marshals will guide riders through historic neighborhoods, past the Century City Tower and Century City I development, near major employers including DRS Power & Control Technologies and Integrated Mail. The path will also cross near schools including Samuel Clemens, Milwaukee Collegiate Academy, and Hope Christian School, along natural environment amenities including Lincoln Creek the Oak Leaf Trail, and many more sites.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“Families are my passion and I will continue to serve them by promoting connectivity and safety this summer, said Alderman Khalif J. Rainey. “I am extremely honored to provide residents the opportunity to share a ride of unity, and the Promise Zone Ride aims to provide awareness of resources and assets block-by-block in our community.”
Following the ride, festivities in Garden Homes Park will continue into the afternoon with games and educational activities organized by the Wisconsin Bike Federation’s “Share and Be Aware” ambassadors, and the annual Garden Homes “Praise 4 Peace March & Rally,” organized by Crossing Jordan Ministries.
“These are the partnerships that are helping move our community forward,” said Howard Snyder, Executive Director of NWSCDC. “We look forward to sharing the opportunities that can transform the northwest side into a preferred destination for businesses and residents to have successful businesses and live healthy lives.”

author: Northwest Side CDC


text:
On the block: Two Spirits | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Hailey Richards
June 13, 2017
Tanya Torres, a Native American, believes in loving and accepting every human being. While directing parking at the 30th annual PrideFest Milwaukee, Torres explained that in Native American culture, some tribes say that members of the LGBTQ+ community have two spirits. Torres said PrideFest helps her remember her older brother, who was a homosexual with HIV, and died years ago.


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 13, 2017

author: Adam Carr


text:
Scholarships for Class of 2017 exceed $62 million | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
June 13, 2017
(Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Public Schools)
Milwaukee Public Schools announced another record-breaking number of scholarship dollars offered to students. The Class of 2017 received an eye-popping total of $62,742,516* in scholarships, shattering last year’s record of $51 million. This is the fifth straight year, dating back to 2012 ($17 million total) that scholarship offers have increased.

author: Milwaukee Public Schools


text:
How to keep your car running in a heat wave | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Nick Jarmusz, AAA
June 14, 2017
(Photo courtesy of AAA)
To help your vehicle safely survive higher temperatures, you need to pay attention to five key areas:
Even with proper preventive maintenance, summer breakdowns can occur.  Drivers should have a well-stocked emergency kit in their vehicles. The kit should include water, non-perishable food items, jumper cables, a flashlight with extra batteries, road flares or an emergency beacon, basic hand tools and a first aid kit.

author: Nick Jarmusz, AAA