text:
Former gangbanger now does street outreach for Clarke Square initiative | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
March 11, 2016
Jose Vasquez speaks to Nora Lenga, secretary at Christ-St. Peter Lutheran School, as part of his outreach to Clarke Square faith-based groups.
It was Nov. 6, 1999, recalls Jose Vasquez, when six bullets, shot from point-blank range by a rival gang member, tore holes through various limbs of his body.
“At the time I knew that something like that could happen to me but I didn’t care. It was just another scar,” said Vasquez, now a street outreach worker for the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative (CSNI).
He recently revisited the scene of the 1999 shooting for the first time in years, knocking on the door of the house where he nearly lost his life. Much to Vasquez’s surprise, the homeowner remembered the day he was shot. He apologized for his role in the shooting and proceeded to invite the homeowner to get involved in the effort to improve Clarke Square.
“I asked him to stand up and take back part of his neighborhood,” Vasquez said.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Vasquez is part of CSNI’s effort to create a multi-disciplinary team that includes residents, faith and business leaders, nonprofits, law enforcement and others to work together to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood.
Like many other neighborhoods in the city, Clarke Square saw its share of violence during a bloody 2015, said Ian Bautista, executive director of CSNI.
“It was a tough year for Milwaukee and Clarke Square was not immune to that at all,” said Bautista.
Jose Vasquez, 33, conducts street outreach for the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Key aspects of Vasquez’s role include being very visible and listening to residents to gather their ideas, according to Bautista. Vasquez is particularly interested in one tough-to-reach group: at-risk youth who are dealing with the same types of adversity he faced as a teenager, Bautista said.
“They’re the ones out there dealing with rejection, hunger, not having clothes to wear and even fear,” Vasquez added.
Vasquez said he grew up without a father in a home with a verbally abusive mother. He viewed the street gang he joined as the family he lacked at home.
“We all had a weakness that drew us together, and it was that hurt that drew us to the gang life,” said Vasquez, who turned 18 in prison.
Now 33 years old and having spent a third of his life behind bars, he hopes to help teenagers avoid prison or even death by providing a sympathetic ear, and by letting them know that there are resources available to help them change their life.
“The reality is, they need love, compassion and a nudge in the right direction,” he said.
Vasquez has signed up five youth for job training through the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board. Connecting youth with jobs is one aspect of CSNI’s work.
Another is to help bridge the trust gap between youth and law enforcement.
“There’s a lot of resistance because of the negative image portrayed from both sides,” he said.
Vasquez wants youth he meets on street corners to realize that there are a lot of good police officers, and he wants law enforcement to understand that young people are just trying to have a voice in the community. One way he’s attempting to build trust between the groups is by asking officers who patrol Clarke Square to join him on his outreach walks, without a uniform.
“I want them to see each other as regular people,” Vasquez said.
Raymond Rivera, youth development specialist at United Community Center, hired Vasquez three years ago to participate in Life Changers, a mentoring program that promotes anti-drug and anti-violence strategies to youth and young adults. He’s also a facilitator for “Straight UP,” an after-school program at South Division High School that teaches youth life skills and leadership. When Vasquez speaks to youth, said Rivera, they don’t take their eyes off him.
“It’s because he’s humble and sincere. His story resonates with kids that are living in dysfunction,” said Rivera.
Along with his ability to connect with youth, Vasquez is a great person to lead outreach efforts in Clarke Square because he is articulate and listens to other’s concerns, Rivera said.
Vasquez carries around a notebook during street outreach. In it, he writes down the locations of garages with fresh graffiti and addresses of foreclosed buildings that are attracting squatters, along with ideas or concerns from residents. During CSNI meetings, he pulls out his notebook and shares what he’s learned from the community, Bautista said.
A recent concern brought to light by residents, according to Vasquez, was a large group of youth congregating on an open lot on the 1700 block of West Mineral Street. Vasquez asked the young people why they hung out on the lot and what they would like to see replace it. Suggestions included a basketball court or an area for flag football. Their ideas were submitted to the City of Milwaukee’s Vacant Lot Challenge, which awards a grant of up to $10,000 to fund projects that connect public spaces and the community.
The submission was another way to show all residents, including youth congregating on street corners, that their involvement is crucial to the betterment of the neighborhood, said Vasquez.
“We need to find ways to help the youth become involved with their communities in positive ways; [to] draw them away from the street life.”


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 10, 2016

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Adam Carr


text:
MPS defends decision not to notify parents about bomb threat at South Division High School | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 11, 2016
A bomb threat was reported at South Division High School, 1515 W. Lapham Blvd. Wednesday afternoon. No bomb was found. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
MPS officials are defending their decision not to inform parents about an unsubstantiated bomb threat reported at South Division High School, located at 1515 W. Lapham Blvd., Wednesday afternoon.
The Milwaukee Police Department confirmed that it responded to a bomb threat at South Division at approximately 2:20 p.m. on March 9. “A check of both the interior and exterior of the school was conducted and nothing suspicious was found. MPD continues to seek the suspect responsible for calling in the threat,” according to MPD spokesman Sgt. Timothy Gauerke.
Gauerke confirmed that the police department investigated two other bomb threats in Milwaukee schools this week. “A caller who sounded to be school-aged phoned a bomb threat to MacDowell Montessori School,” 6415 W. Mt. Vernon Ave., on March 8, at approximately 10:45 a.m. “The school was checked and nothing suspicious was found and the investigation is ongoing,” Gauerke wrote in an email message.
MPD also investigated a handwritten bomb threat found by staff of the private school Early View Academy of Excellence, 7132 W. Good Hope Road, on March 10. “The investigation is ongoing and nothing suspicious was found in the school,” Gauerke added.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
NNS could not reach the principal of either MacDowell or Early View.
According to Tony Tagliavia, spokesman for Milwaukee Public Schools, when the district receives an unsubstantiated threat, as it did at South Division, appropriate precautions are taken and authorities are contacted. In this case, ”nothing of concern was located,” Tagliavia stated in an email to the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.
Three bomb threats this week at West Allis Central High School, located in a nearby suburb, resulted in a series of evacuations and classes being cancelled on Thursday. A 16-year-old Milwaukee boy has been arrested for two of the three threats, according to news reports. A suspect is still being sought for the third threat made on March 9.
As for why students or parents at South Division weren’t notified of the threat, Tagliavia provided the following statement to NNS: “The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority. That is why we respond appropriately to any such situation. It’s also why we do not discuss specifics of the safety steps we take and it’s why we do not discuss details of unsubstantiated reports, which can help create copycat situations. When the precautionary measures we take significantly alter the course of the school day — which was  the case at South Division yesterday — we do notify families.”
According to Brian Vissers, communications specialist for the West Allis/West Milwaukee School District, the protocol when any type of bomb threat is received, unsubstantiated or not, is to notify parents.
“Each threat is taken on its own merit. It’s not like you can take it as if it’s from a copycat. You have to take every threat seriously in this world,” Vissers said.
“We would always recommend that you communicate with families and that you keep them informed,” said Stacy Tapp, Wisconsin School Public Relations Association (WSPRA) board member and chief of communication and community engagement for Racine Unified Schools.
Parents of West Allis Central students were notified of each threat via a messenger system, which allows alerts to go out instantaneously through a voice call, email or text, according to Vissers.
Parents sitting in their cars waiting for school to let out at South Division on Friday afternoon were surprised and upset after being informed of the bomb threat and the administration’s reaction.
Isaac Fontanez, whose son is a freshman, said any time there’s a threat at the school parents should be notified immediately.
“For sure they should let us know, especially about something as serious as a bomb threat,” said Fontanez in Spanish.
Maritza Acevedo, whose son is a 17-year-old junior at South Division, said it was irresponsible not to notify parents about the threat, whether or not police found anything.
“What are they waiting for, something bad to happen before they notify parents?” said a visibly shaken Acevedo.
Edgar Mendez contributed to this article.

author: Andrea Waxman


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 11, 2016


text:
St. Ann Center wins an orchard | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care
March 11, 2016
St. Ann’s clients celebrate Earth Day with some planting (Photo courtesy of St. Ann Center)
St. Ann Center’s new Bucyrus Campus will soon be branching out, literally. The Campus, at 2450 West North Avenue, was chosen as the winner of one of five new community orchards awarded by Victory Garden Initiative (VGI).
All communities in Milwaukee County were encouraged to apply to cultivate up to 30 fruit and nut trees in their neighborhoods. Of the many applicants, VGI’s Fruity Nutty 5 Committee chose: St. Ann Center for intergenerational Care-Bucyrus campus, Centro Hispano, Hales Corners Environmental Committee, Urban Eden Community Garden, and a partnership between Milwaukee Jewish Day School and Westside Academy to receive an orchard. In total, 150 plants will get growing this year to feed their communities a bounty of fresh-picked food, including cherries, peaches, hazelnuts, pears, apples, plums and more.
This year’s Fruity Nutty 5 Contest launched on November 1, 2015, and winners were announced at the Fruity Nutty Affair last month. Diane Beckley, COO of the Bucyrus Campus, accepted the award. After this year’s planting, VGI’s Fruity Nutty 5 Contest will have planted 25 orchards throughout Milwaukee County.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“The orchard will help our children learn where their food comes from, how to best use fruits and nuts, and why it’s important to take care of our Earth,” says Sister Edna Lonergan, president of St. Ann Center, an all-ages day care that brings health and educational services to children, adults, the elderly and those with disabilities. “We’re excited about the life an orchard will add to our Bucyrus Campus…the fragrant blossoms everyone will enjoy in spring, and the fresh fruit and nuts at harvest. That’s when our children and adults will start baking fruit pies together. The children will learn about measuring and fractions, and they’ll help our older adults experience the fun of baking.”
The community orchard will be enjoyed by the entire neighborhood, Lonergan adds. “People will see the beauty of the trees and share in their bounty. It’s a living example of why it’s important to take care of our earth.”
Neighborhood orchards provide more than delicious, natural, local fruits and nuts, VGI points out. They cultivate roots for closer communities. They supplement grocery bills and get people outside, enjoying and preserving our environment.
Neighborhoods interested in this fruitful program can apply next winter to win your own orchard! To learn more, go to VictoryGardenInitiative.org/fruitynutty or call (414) 431-0888.
Diane Beckley, St. Ann Center Bucyrus Campus COO, at the award ceremony (Photo courtesy of St. Ann Center)


text:
NNS on Lake Effect: Human trafficking in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
March 12, 2016
Reporter Allison Dikanovic discusses the extent of human trafficking in Milwaukee, with a particular focus on the difficulties of apprehending and prosecuting those who purchase sex.

author: Allison Dikanovic


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 12, 2016


text:
Milwaukee Repertory Theater Summer Camp 2016 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Repertory Theater
March 13, 2016
(Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Repertory Theater)
This summer, get a taste of being a member of a professional theatrical company by participating in The Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s Summer Play Festival. Teens will get the chance to take part in every step of the production process during an intensive two weeks guided by professional theater staff.  Their capstone project will be to mount a performance in the Milwaukee Rep’s Stiemke Studio that is acted, directed, designed, and produced by teens.
Students will receive professional training aspects of theater each morning, and will apply the techniques during afternoon rehearsals. This is a WONDERFUL opportunity for students to receive intense theater training in all facets of production!  Choose your track and immerse yourself in it!
Learn more on the Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s website.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
(Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Repertory Theater)

author: Milwaukee Repertory Theater


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 13, 2016


text:
Auer Avenue School shows signs of improved culture, achievement | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 14, 2016
jsonline.com


text:
Finally, An Attempt to Help Deportation-Fearing Hispanics Trust Law Enforcement More | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 14, 2016
Latin Post


text:
Mad Hot Ballroom Celebrates Its Tenth Anniversary in Milwaukee Classrooms | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 14, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


text:
City’s participation in violence reduction program doesn’t address root causes, community leaders say | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
March 15, 2016
Milwaukee Police Department squad cars parked in front of the department’s administration building. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
Milwaukee’s selection to participate in a network of cities across the United States that work together and with federal law enforcement agencies to fight crime has prompted renewed calls to address the root causes of violence in the city.
Milwaukee was named to the Department of Justice’s nationwide Violence Reduction Network on the heels of recording the most annual homicides in a decade. The city must begin to address the rampant poverty and gripping segregation that ultimately leads to crime, according to Alderman Ashanti Hamilton.
“Unless and until we are really ready to have that honest conversation about those root causes, we will remain on the list for requesting the enforcement resources that are necessary to combat these problems,” Hamilton said. “The reason our city is unsafe is because we have concentrated poverty in certain parts of the city, which is going to produce a certain level of violence.”
One of the root causes of violent crime in Milwaukee is the fact that one in every three residents lives in poverty and, in some parts of the city, half of residents are impoverished, Hamilton said.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Milwaukee police stop a vehicle. (Photo by Mark Doremus)
Milwaukee, along with New Orleans and St. Louis, recently joined 10 other cities participating in the Violence Reduction Network. The network will give the city access to training and technical assistance from crime-fighting experts, and techniques that have been effective in other cities.
“From my perspective, we are always in favor of more resources being dedicated to violence reduction,” said Katie Sanders, Safe & Sound executive director. “A coordinated law enforcement effort is going to be very helpful, but law enforcement is not the only solution that is required.”
To address violent crime in Milwaukee, more community-based solutions are needed to create collective neighborhood efficacy and to reduce the concentrated disadvantage that exists in the city, she said.
“We are not doing enough and as a community we can do much more,” Sanders said.
The city has been proficient at capturing millions of federal dollars for these types of efforts through a Building Neighborhood Capacity Program grant, a Byrne grant and a Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Implementation Grant.
“We still haven’t been able to …change our policy perspective to embrace what those grants are supposed to teach us,” Hamilton said. “I don’t want to get too excited about (the network), if we are not going to embrace learning from the folks that are coming in.”
Milwaukee will be assigned a liaison who will help navigate federal resources and help implement new local violence reduction initiatives. The city also will be invited to an annual network summit.
“The Milwaukee Police Department looks forward to working with our law enforcement partners both federal and local, in utilizing evidence-based crime fighting strategies to combat violence in Milwaukee,” said Timothy Gauerke, a department spokesman.
Wilmington, Delaware, a city about one-eighth the size of Milwaukee, has been a part of the network since August 2014. Overall crime there has decreased 12 percent and shots fired have decreased by a third since 2013, according to federal data. The city’s police department also created a homicide unit that has increased the homicide clearance rate from less than 10 percent to more than 50 percent for current-year cases, according to the justice department.
In Chicago, the network has helped police post videos showing sexual assault suspects on Facebook, leading to more arrests. In Detroit, police learned to use data analysis techniques through the network to identify warning signals to prevent domestic violence homicides.
It is too early to tell exactly what form the network will take in Milwaukee, according to federal law enforcement officials.
State Sen. Lena Taylor said that while collaborative work and learning about practices that have worked in other parts of the country will be a positive for Milwaukee, the city must address its own ills, particularly in relation to youth.
“If we are not giving people options, if we are not restoring hope, and we are not restoring trust, then we’re not where we need to be,” she said about youths’ interactions with Milwaukee police. “With young people, it’s all about trust.”

author: Brendan O’Brien


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 14, 2016


text:
On the Block: Protesting and voting | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 15, 2016
The right to express opinions through protests and elections is important to Sherman Park resident Loretta Venable-Keys, who was out shopping in Lindsay Heights on a recent Saturday. She is concerned about the violent response to protesters at rallies for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and feels strongly that people should vote.


text:
Today is the last day to vote for the MANDI 2016 People’s Choice Award | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
March 15, 2016
Learn about the finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDI) People’s Choice Award and cast your vote now!
https://milwaukeenns.org/mandivote2016/
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!

author: Dwayne Burtin


text:
Award-winning Reagan teacher builds connections, inspires growth | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
March 16, 2016
Sarah Moore, who won a prestigious national teaching award in 2013, has taught in Milwaukee Public Schools for more than 10 years. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Sarah Moore didn’t become a teacher because she had one who changed her life. Unlike many people, Moore didn’t have that influential teacher, one whose name she still remembers.
“I went into teaching because I don’t remember a single high school teacher’s name,” she said. “I always wanted to be different than the teachers that I had and, somehow, create learning experiences that [the kids] would enjoy.”
Moore, teaches Spanish and critical thinking at Ronald Reagan High School. In 2013 she, won the prestigious Milken Educator Award, considered by many the “Oscar of Teaching.” Last year, Moore was chosen to be one of 27 teachers from around the country to take part in the Lowell Milken Center’s fellowship program.
“We look for teachers who can challenge their students in innovative ways,” said Norm Conard, executive director of the Milken Center. “She’s just an outstanding educator. And … she cares a great deal about children, and about how they learn.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
‘I knew what failure felt like’
Moore’s own school experience was not ideal. She said she was “a terrible student” from 5th to 9th grade, and even dropped out of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) after a semester before going back to college three years later and eventually graduating from Cardinal Stritch University.
“I think I was kind of depressed,” said Moore of late middle school and early high school. “Not a single teacher noticed that. There was never really a conversation about it.”
Moore neglected her homework, lied about doing it, threw away progress reports and feigned sickness during parent-teacher conferences so her mother didn’t find out. “I really played that game well,” she said.
Lori Paisley, Moore’s mother, said that during that early stretch Moore was dealing with the death of her grandfather, with whom they were both very close. Paisley said it was “really a big blow.”
Sarah Moore observes students during a Spanish 1 class she teaches for freshmen and sophomores at Ronald Reagan High School. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Christina Ramirez, a close friend of Moore’s, said Sarah “reaches the top and she wins these national awards, and she’s recognized for her work. But, she’s also had some very low, lows,” Ramirez said. “I think, when you live your life so much to the fullest … you allow yourself to get really sad, and to get really hurt because you are so full of compassion.”
Moore didn’t have very many friends during her first year of high school. Eventually, she found one — the girl was a swimmer — and joined the swim team. That changed everything. Though her academics didn’t come along overnight, Moore kept her grades up enough to stay on the team.
“Being part of a team, it’s that sense of belonging,” said Paisley. “I think … that she had to commit to something and that not only was she committing to it but [that] she was belonging had a big impact. And, she developed some really good friendships from being on that swim team, some that she still has today.”
Connecting comes first
For the last five years, Moore has taught Spanish and MYP Design, a critical-thinking and problem-solving course that focuses on preparing students for real-world decision-making. That course, Moore said, is about teaching students to be effective human beings, effective students and global citizens.
“We’re looking at bigger, larger-than-life skills, not just putting ourselves into a little box,” she said.
But, for Moore, connecting with her students comes first. Before every class, she greets students at the door with a smile — her motto is “positivity is pervasive” — and, during class, she makes sure to engage them in multiple ways, with lessons that extend beyond the classroom.
Steve Glaeser, a former colleague at Reagan who now works for ThinkCERCA, an education company made up of former teachers, said he often observed Moore; their rooms were adjacent to each other. “She valued, from the very first day, the connection,” said Glaeser. “The kids knew about her life and she invested time to learn about them.”
Moore said, “Without having that connection with a student, if they’re not interested in the subject matter … all bets are off.”
She’s also extremely organized. She writes a “to-do” list on Post-it notes — no more than three to a note — and everything in Moore’s room has a place. Moore, who called herself “a work in progress” when it comes to organization, was not as neat earlier in her life. She said having everything planned out makes it easier both for students to learn and for her to teach.
“You have so many kids who are at mom’s house one night, dad’s house one night, grandma’s house one night. They’ve got things all over the place,” said Moore. “That organization, I think, provides them with a sense of security.”
That sensitivity to what her students are going through, Paisley said, is one quality that sets her daughter apart. “She really has a keen awareness for if a child’s struggling with something, because … she’s been there. And, she wants to help them not only obtain the best grade they can obtain but just help them become the best person they can become.”
Moore makes sure to engage her students in a number of ways, because every student learns differently. In her Spanish classes, which are 85 minutes, Moore said she tries to include 10 to 12 different learning experiences — listening, speaking, writing, reading, interacting and more. She also makes sure not to lecture for too long.
“I have to be creative whenever I lesson plan to honor all of the different types of students that are in my classroom,” said Moore. “And, I think, that’s one of my favorite parts of the job.”
Paisley believes some of that sensitivity came from Moore’s grandparents, who were both teachers. “She’d see how her grandmother taught and … whether she realizes it or not, I do think … that did influence her,” Paisley said.
Moore’s students said she understands how each of them learns and that she keeps learning interesting and fun. “She’s my favorite teacher I’ve had in a long time,” said Mackenzie Stelpflug, a freshman in Moore’s Spanish 1 class. “She cares for every single student in the class. She makes the students want to learn. She never leaves a student behind, no matter how far she needs to go.”
Maureen McCanna, who student taught in Moore’s classroom at Reagan and now teaches middle school social studies in Colorado, said Moore’s dedication to her students is what drives her. “She’s at school until later, she brings her work home and dedicates a lot of time outside of school,” McCanna said. “Her goal is to make every student successful … She, really, is incredibly intentional in the way that she teaches.”
And that dedication, Moore said, is her ongoing litmus test for teaching. “If I can answer ‘It’s going to be good for students,’ then I can get behind that … If I look at it and I say ‘It’s not good for students,’ then I shouldn’t be doing it, or I shouldn’t be doing it first.”
Glaeser said Moore’s energy and care for her students is infectious and inspires those around her to be better. He noted, “It’s not a job for Sarah, it’s a calling.”
While Moore’s goal has been to keep her students interested and excited about learning, every day is an adventure for her, as well. “I truly think it’s the best profession in the world — I love it. I can’t imagine doing anything else, I really can’t. I thrive off of every day, all the interactions with students, seeing them grow, seeing that progress.”
To Moore, failure is inevitable. But it isn’t bad — it’s a learning experience. The most important thing is to always be working toward the best version of yourself, she said, adding, “There’s always a way to get better, and to improve, and to change.”

author: Jabril Faraj


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 15, 2016


text:
How to report a scam | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Lisa Schiller, Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin
March 16, 2016
Scammers can steal your personal information and money by falsely claiming that you owe back taxes.
Scammers commonly pretend to be government agents, lawyers, debt collectors or police officers. Your best bet is not to engage with them—hang up the phone, delete the email or shut the door. If you are approached, you can report scams to the Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker.
In 2015, scams such as these cost consumers more than $1 million. Each one typically involves contact from people you do not know, about matters you know nothing about.
Tax scam
You receive a phone call from someone who claims to be with the Internal Revenue Service. The person claims you owe money in back taxes and will be arrested or face legal consequences if you do not pay, by wire or prepaid debit card. The caller ID is falsified to appear to be from a government agency or the police.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Debt collection scam
You receive a phone call from someone falsely claiming that you have an unpaid debt. You are threatened with garnishments, lawsuits or even jail time if you do not pay immediately. The scammer will often falsify his or her caller ID and pretend to be a government agency or law enforcement agency.
Sweepstakes scam
You receive a call, letter, or email falsely claiming you have won a sweepstakes prize. You are instructed to send a fee to cover expenses associated with delivery, processing, or insurance related to your prize. In this scam, the prize is not real. In any case, you should never have to pay money to claim a prize.
Tech support scam
You are contacted by “technicians” falsely claiming to have detected a virus or security threat on your computer and, for a fee, can log in to your computer and correct the problem remotely. These callers are actually hackers trying to steal money, personal information or sensitive computer passwords, or damage your computer with malicious software.
Government grant scam
You receive a phone call, email or letter informing you that you qualify for a phony government grant. In order to receive the grant, you are instructed to pay a processing or delivery fee, usually by wire transfer or prepaid debit card.
Advance fee loan scam
While searching online for loan information, you see an ad and click on it. At the ad’s web site, you fill out an application and later receive an email or phone call advising that you’re approved for the loan, but you must first send a processing fee, security deposit or insurance. You pay the “fee,” but never see the loan.
Credit card scam
The scammer pretends to be from your bank or credit card issuer, falsely claiming you are eligible for a lower interest rate, or that the bank needs to verify a recent transaction. The scammer hopes to obtain your credit card number and security code through this call.
Work from home scam
While looking for a job online, you answer an ad claiming that you can earn large sums working from home. The job may be stuffing envelopes, posting advertisements or shipping packages. You could have your identity stolen when you fill out the employment forms, or even end up handling stolen merchandise.
Fake check/money order scam
This can happen any time someone is paying you for goods or services, even online. You receive a check in the mail that is for an amount greater than what is owed, and you are asked to deposit the check and wire the difference. The check is a fake and, when it bounces, you are out the money you paid.
Lottery scam
You receive a call, letter or email advising that you have won a large amount of money in a foreign lottery, but you have to first pay taxes and fees. Such lotteries are illegal. You may be sent a check as partial payment, but the check will be counterfeit.


text:
Racial Segregation Is Making Americans Sick | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 16, 2016
The Atlantic


text:
Three Changes Consumers Can Expect In Next Year’s Obamacare Coverage | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 16, 2016
Kaiser Health News


text:
Understanding Health Insurance Plans Requires Consumer Literacy | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 16, 2016
WPR Wisconsin Public Radio


text:
Walker Signs Online Voter Registration Bill | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 16, 2016
WPR Wisconsin Public Radio


text:
MANDI event draws 850 attendees honoring neighborhood development work | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sharon McGowan
March 17, 2016
More than 850 attendees at the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs) dinner Wednesday night were among the first to learn that attorney Donsia Strong Hill will be LISC Milwaukee’s new executive director.
LISC CEO Michael Rubinger introduced Strong Hill, an attorney and consultant, who follows Laura Bray in the role. Bray resigned in December after a short tenure. Rubinger also announced a $25 million investment in Milwaukee over the next five years.
COA Youth and Family Centers was a big winner at the annual event, held at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. COA won both the BMO Harris Bank Cornerstone Award for its work in the Amani neighborhood and a Wells Fargo People’s Choice Award, chosen by a public vote. Larry and Sharon Adams, co-founders of Walnut Way Conservation Corp., and Doors Open Milwaukee also won People’s Choice awards.
The People’s Choice Award voting, housed on the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service website, drew 2,524 voters.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
All winners received a trophy and a $1,000 contribution. The 15 finalists were selected by a volunteer selection committee comprising 40 private, public and government volunteers.
In addition, the Vision Award was presented posthumously by the LISC Local Advisory Board to Welford Sanders, executive director of the Martin Luther King Economic Development Corp. Sanders’ daughter, Dawn Sanders Cavilla, accepted the award, recalling one of her father’s favorite quotations from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land.”
Sanders Cavilla set the tone for the awards presentation by stating that her father never gave up on his community.
“The MANDIs are a celebration of Milwaukee’s neighborhoods, and the passionate, committed people who work tirelessly to improve their communities,” said Dawn Hutchison-Weiss, communications director of LISC Milwaukee.
Winners and finalists are listed below:
ACTS Housing won the PNC Bank Trailblazer Award, which recognizes an innovative approach to a community problem. First Stage’s historical play series, The Wisconsin Cycle, and Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee were also finalists.
St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care – Bucyrus Campus won the State Farm Building Blocks Award for a real estate project that improves the community. Maskani Place and Paper Box Lofts were also finalists.
COA Youth & Family Centers was awarded the BMO Harris Bank Cornerstone Award for the organization’s work in the Amani neighborhood. The award recognizes commitment and effectiveness over time. The Northside Housing Initiative and Safe & Sound were also finalists.
Rodney Bourrage Sr., founder and executive director of Operation Dream, won the Northern Trust Navigator Award, given to an individual or individuals for leadership. Larry and Sharon Adams and Dick Larsen were also finalists.
Milwaukee County and community partners received the Brewers Community Foundation Public Space Award for the revitalization of Moody Park. Finalists included Doors Open Milwaukee and Turtle Park.

author: Sharon McGowan


text:
On the Block: Becoming a mother | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
March 17, 2016


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 17, 2016


text:
New LISC executive director looks forward to community development work | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 18, 2016
Donsia Strong Hill, celebrates with the MANDI winners at the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
LISC Milwaukee’s new executive director, Donsia Strong Hill, said she is drawn to urban communities.
Strong Hill, who has worked as a public finance attorney, said, “My financial work was transactional and I want to go deeper (into community projects). I’ve wanted to do community development for a very long time.”
As an attorney she provided bond and underwriter’s counsel services to tribal governments, municipalities, housing authorities, banks, developers and redevelopment authorities, according to LISC.
In 2014, she and her husband, Richard G. (Rick) Hill founded Hill Group Companies, a business development and consulting firm, in Oneida, Wisconsin. Strong Hill has maintained a law office in Milwaukee for more than a decade.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Strong Hill attended the MANDI dinner with her son, Sage Hill. (Photo by Emmy A. Yates)
Daniel Sweeney, a member of the LISC advisory board who served on the executive director selection committee, said that hiring Strong Hill is “a big win” for LISC Milwaukee. Sweeney is a vice president and community development officer at Wells Fargo Bank.
“She has so many positives. She has fresh ideas, new connections through fund development, community development expertise and lending experience. And she was able to step into the position right away,” Sweeney said. “It’s a dream scenario.”
Strong Hill, who grew up on the South Side of Chicago, served as secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing under Gov. Jim Doyle in 2003-04 and as the Brown County district attorney from 1998 to 2002. Earlier in the 1990s, she spent nearly two years as a policy analyst in the Clinton White House, and then was a senior advisor in the U.S. Department of Energy.
For the last decade, Strong Hill has worked with indigenous American Indian tribes on governance and program development. She has represented tribes and financial institutions in developing infrastructure and other economic development projects to create long-term sustainable income streams, LISC said.
Her recent experience also includes working with community development organizations and local government to build charter schools, affordable multi-family housing and catalytic economic development projects.
A graduate of John Marshall Law School, she earned a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Strong Hill thinks of herself as a strategic thinker and a hard worker. “We all love to complain (about what needs to be done). You can sit on the sidelines or you can use the skills you have to lead.”
LISC announced Strong Hill’s appointment at MANDI 2016 at the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino this week. It also announced that the national LISC organization will invest $25 million in Milwaukee in the next five years.


text:
Carmen student travels to Japan to join discussion about world peace | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wyatt Massey
March 20, 2016
Without the help of his chemistry teacher, Andrew Linderman (right), Alvin Watts would not have been able to take a trip to Japan. (Photo courtesy of Liz Hein)
Alvin Watts, a 16-year-old sophomore at Carmen Northwest High School, is one of two U.S. students selected to be part of a Group of Seven (“G7”) Youth Summit designed to create conversations about international peace.
Before he left, Watts said the trip is a chance to change global perspectives about America and bring stories back to his home on the South Side and his school. “(The trip) means the whole entire world to me,” he said. Being selected to join the summit has already benefited him. “This has definitely given me a lot of confidence.”
Twenty-four teens, 12 from Japan and 12 from the other G7 countries —the U.S., Germany, Canada, France, Italy and the United Kingdom, were chosen for the summit, from March 18-21. Participants were expected to draft a “Hiroshima Declaration” after discussing what young people can do to help realize a more peaceful world. About 140,000 were killed as a result of the atomic bomb dropped by the U.S. on Hiroshima in 1945. Watts and the other young people were scheduled to visit the Peace Memorial Museum and meet with survivors.
(Photo by Wyatt Massey)
Watts’ father dreamed of visiting Japan. After his sudden death, Watts carried on that wish.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“Alvin’s very vocal about that dream,” said Liz Hein, dean of students and culture at Carmen. “And I told him that it paid off.” Watts said that he would not have had this opportunity if not for Hein, who learned about the conference on Facebook.
Maurice Thomas, vice curator of the Milwaukee Global Shapers Hub, posted the notice that Hein saw. Thomas chaperoned Watts in Japan and said he was impressed with him from the moment they met. “He’s a dreamer,” Thomas said. “He’s one of those kids who has a twinkle in his eye.” Thomas is the founder and executive director of Milwaukee Excellence Charter School, scheduled to open in the fall.
Global Shapers is an international organization started by the World Economic Forum for people between age 20 and 30. The group organized the youth summit to coincide with Shape Asia Pacific 2016, a global conference focused on peace.
Traveling abroad with Global Shapers changed Thomas’ life, he said, and he thinks it will do the same for Watts. “Having the ability to share that with another kid in Milwaukee — and he’s a sophomore in high school — that’s amazing,” he added. Thomas wants the experience to empower Watts when he returns home. “I hope he demands that there are more opportunities like that for him and his classmates.”
The opportunity to visit Japan and realize a long-held dream was almost lost to Watts because of passport trouble. Watts has lived in Milwaukee with his uncle since his father’s death, but his uncle did not have legal guardianship. Before Watts could get an expedited passport to go on the trip, his uncle needed to receive temporary guardianship.
“I was really sad because I thought I wasn’t going to be able to go,” Watts said.
After the guardianship issue was resolved, Andrew Linderman, chemistry teacher at Carmen and Alvin’s adviser, drove Watts to Minneapolis to get his passport, less than a day before Watts was scheduled to leave.
The process of getting Watts’ passport was “unreal,” said Hein, who added that she is thankful it worked out. “There’s no one more deserving of this trip than Alvin.”

author: Wyatt Massey


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 20, 2016


text:
Groups urge hate crime charges in Milwaukee triple homicide | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 21, 2016
jsonline.com


text:
Gun violence survivor, teens speak out at Neighborhood House summit | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
March 21, 2016
Kaliah Hughes-Bester, 15, performs a poem she wrote called ‘Behind the Gun.’ (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
On Memorial Day, 1996, 21-year-old Shatitia Austin was shot through a window in her home — she and her 9-month-old daughter were the only ones there. Austin had been targeted by a neighborhood gang member she knew, in retaliation against her daughter’s father. The single shotgun blast severed her carotid artery and sprayed shrapnel from the top of her head to her chest.
“I didn’t know what happened; I didn’t know what was going on,” she said. “Instead of going to sleep, I was going to the hospital.”
She had emergency surgery and was in the hospital for seven days, during which she was unable to speak.
Austin, who is 40 now, has begun to share her experience with young people to impress the effect gun violence can have on someone’s life. “I want to let them know that it’s not about what’s out there in the street, it’s what you have in your heart and what’s in your home. If you have somebody who loves you, you cling to that person; you let them know that you love them back. Don’t just let life slip by. Every day is a learning experience.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Last year was uncharacteristically violent in Milwaukee; the number of shooting deaths was particularly high. There were 152 homicides in 2015; 125 of those involved a gun. The overwhelming majority of victims were African-American and 61 percent of those killed by guns were under the age of 30. Last year, nine people under 18 died from a gunshot.
In December, Joshua R. Words, an 18-year-old who had worked at and participated in programming at Neighborhood House of Milwaukee, was shot and killed only blocks from the neighborhood center on the west side.
A collage in memory of Joshua Words, an 18-year-old who was well known at Neighborhood House, graced the stage. Words was shot and killed in December. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Recently, Neighborhood House hosted the third annual LET MY CHILDREN GROW: Youth Summit on Gun Violence, organized by center youth. The event is a way to give young people a voice on the issue of gun violence, said James Austin, Shatitia’s brother and a teen program supervisor at Neighborhood House.
“We’re speaking too softly to this issue,” said Austin. “Yeah, there is gun violence, and the drugs, and the crime and things like that. But, the real issue is us sitting down and not speaking out about it, not doing anything about it, allowing it to happen.”
The event included vocal and spoken word performances by teenagers and testimony by other community members that addressed the effects of, and impetus behind, gun violence.
Kaliah Hughes-Bester, 15, gave an impassioned spoken-word performance of a poem she wrote called “Behind the Gun.” Hughes-Bester said she has family members who have been the shooter in violent situations, and she felt it was an important point of view to explore since people rarely try to understand the perpetrator.
“Not only is there the victim, but there’s also another victim,” she said. “No person in their right mind would just go out to shoot people.”
Otis AustinBey, who spent three years in prison for a gun offense more than 10 years ago, talked about the thought process that leads to picking up a gun. AustinBey, 34, who is related to James and Shatitia, said he was dealing drugs to feed his family but ended up attracting negative attention.
AustinBey said guns are not the answer; “knowing yourself is the answer.” About three years ago he became an active member of the Moorish Science Temple of America, an organization with ties to Islam and the Moorish people of North West Africa.
He said knowing yourself starts with loving yourself. AustinBey said he studies himself on a regular basis and makes sure to reflect on any decision before acting. “I just got to thinking, turned my TV off … stopped being misled by misinformation and illusions — that’s what changed my thoughts,” he said.
“We’ve got to get back to that village”
James Austin said the Milwaukee community needs to work with police, and “dispel the rumor” that all officers are bad. He also said the solution is not to put people behind bars. “Those young men and women that are mis-educated, we’ve got to start pulling them back in,” said Austin. “And, it’s going to take a community.”
“Milwaukee has to embrace it. That means from the law enforcement, to government … to the homeowners, the business owners, the renters,” he said. “Everybody has to buy into that same notion.”
Organizers said the Milwaukee Police Department was scheduled to make a presentation at the event; no officers attended.
Austin lives near 26th Street and Capitol Drive and witnessed two shootings last summer. He said it’s important that every community member feels a responsibility to help raise the next generation. He said if young people are doing something wrong, it’s the community’s responsibility to teach them; If that person is doing good, then they should be encouraged.
Both James Austin and AustinBey said the idea that some parents don’t want other parents to provide guidance to their children has been counterproductive to creating a cohesive community. “Really, it’s our children,” said AustinBey. “We live together.”
James, who has six kids, said, “My fatherhood don’t stop within my house. My fatherhood never stops. It don’t matter where I’m at — I’m still a father.”
Curtis Ingram, 14, was one of many young black men to attend the summit. Ingram said, while he understands that the conditions and treatment African-Americans have faced plays a role, he doesn’t understand why young black people are hurting each other.
Ingram, who said he wants to be an engineer so he “explore the world and create things” called the stories he heard at the summit “tragic.”
AustinBey said it’s important for people to reconnect with each other and learn from the experiences of those who have been hurt by gun violence. “We need each other,” he said.
Timberley Brown, 16, one of the youth who helped organize the summit, challenged young people to stop talking about change and take action. “The smallest person can be a change,” Brown said. “It only takes one person.”
Today, Shatitia Austin has three children — her daughter is 21, she has a 19-year-old and her youngest is 7. Though she gets intense headaches and the shrapnel in her body still hurts from time to time, Austin said she tries to find the positive in any situation because she knows how fragile life can be. She’s grateful she has been able to see her children grow up and progress through school.
“I am so blessed, every day, to live my life to the fullest,” Austin said. “And, I try to keep a smile on my face at all times.”


text:
How a For-Profit College Targeted the Homeless and Kids With Low Self-Esteem | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 21, 2016
Pro Publica


text:
More photos from 17th annual MANDI Awards | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Emmy A. Yates
March 21, 2016
More than 850 guests attended the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs) dinner Wednesday night at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. Speakers included Mayor Tom Barrett, LISC CEO Michael Rubinger and Dawn Sanders Cavilla, who accepted an award on behalf of her late father, Welford Sanders.
The People’s Choice Award voting, housed on the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service website, drew 2,524 voters. All winners received a trophy and a $1,000 contribution. People’s Choice winners were COA Youth & Family Centers, Larry and Sharon Adams and Doors Open Milwaukee.
COA, ACTS Housing, St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care, Rodney Bourrage Sr., and Milwaukee County and its community partners also received awards.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!

author: Emmy A. Yates


text:
Who Gets Biggest Piece of the Pie? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 21, 2016
Urban Milwaukee


text:
BMO Harris Bank bolsters pipeline for Boys & Girls Clubs members to attend Marquette University and successfully enter workforce | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee
March 22, 2016
On Friday, March 4, members of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee came together with BMO Harris executives and Marquette leaders to break bread at the annual BMO Harris Scholars luncheon. The luncheon is a feature of the BMO Scholars program, started in 2012, and funded with a $900,000 investment from BMO Harris Bank. The program creates a pipeline for underserved youth to receive college preparation training at Boys & Girls Clubs, scholarships to attend Marquette University, and career exploration opportunities with BMO Harris Bank professionals. Since the launch of the program, nearly 200 students have participated in the BMO Scholars program, with 25 of them going on to attend Marquette University.
Many students participating in the Scholars Program will be the first in their families to attend college and often don’t have a support system at home that understands the college application process or what success in college will require. Boys & Girls Clubs staff in conjunction with Marquette staff and BMO Harris employees fill that gap and serve as that support system, helping the scholars choose the right schools, guiding them through the process and continuing to meet with the students to support their academic pursuits on campus. “The scholarship money that BMO Harris Bank provides our students is critically important to their ability to attend and succeed at Marquette, but the face-to-face interaction with our kids is just as important. It’s a big deal to show up, and show our club members that people in the community care about them, and are invested in their success,” said Al Parchia, Graduation Plus program director at Boys & Girls Clubs.
This year’s luncheon, held at Marquette’s Sensenbrenner Hall, included 18 high school senior Boys & Girls Clubs youth who have all been accepted to attend Marquette in the fall semester. The graduating students were addressed by Carlton Ames, BMO Harris Scholar and current senior at Marquette University. Ames shared that despite growing up in Milwaukee, the idea of attending Marquette did not seem like a reality. With support from the Clubs and the BMO Scholars program, he has thrived at Marquette University and had life-changing opportunities, including working for Congresswoman Gwen Moore in Washington, D.C. Ames challenged the group to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the BMO Scholars program, to understand what is important when choosing a college and to make the college experience their own.
Jud Snyder, president of BMO Harris Equipment Finance Company, was among the BMO Harris executives to attend the luncheon and said, “We at BMO Harris are proud to be a partner with Marquette University and Boys & Girls Clubs to provide the educational opportunities and initiatives that help our leaders of tomorrow reach and surpass their future career goals. We recognize a stronger, well-educated workforce helps our entire community.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!

author: Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee


text:
Grants available for minor home improvements in three targeted Healthy Neighborhoods | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Greater Milwaukee Foundation
March 22, 2016
Exterior home improvement grants are available to residents of three Milwaukee neighborhoods through a partnership among the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Wells Fargo and the City of Milwaukee.
Qualified homeowners in Capitol Heights, Havenwoods and Lincoln Village neighborhoods can apply for matching grants up to $3,000 through the Healthy Neighborhoods Minor Home Improvement Pilot Program. The minimum allowable project is $800, and homeowners are required to contribute at least 25 percent of the total project cost.
The three eligible neighborhoods are part of the Foundation’s Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative, a public-private partnership with the City of Milwaukee investing in the physical conditions, positive image, social connections and stabilization of specific city neighborhoods.
“Providing resources for realistic home improvements helps responsible homeowners enhance their homes, increases home values and gives a boost to the whole neighborhood,” said Darlene Russell, program officer for the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. “We expect this program will help at least 75 homeowners complete a worthwhile project this year.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Last April, the Foundation matched a $500,000 grant it received from Wells Fargo’s Neighborhood LIFT program to create a $1 million pool of funds to enhance employment and housing opportunities in Milwaukee neighborhoods. Those dollars are now at work in the community. The first series of grants from the funding pool supported youth employment programs last year.
“Helping maintain strong neighborhoods is a key part of Wells Fargo’s commitment to Milwaukee,” said Sang Kim, Wells Fargo region president for Wisconsin. “Our Neighborhood LIFT program is one way we help increase homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods. We’re pleased to join forces with the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and the city on this important initiative that will help homeowners make necessary repairs and improvements to their homes. We know our contribution is a small part of the overall effort, yet we hope it will make a big difference to homeowners and the community.”
For this program, the Foundation is providing $150,000 from its co-investment with Wells Fargo while the City of Milwaukee’s Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation (NIDC) is contributing an additional $75,000.
“Homeownership is key to strong neighborhoods. We look forward to continuing our work in the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative as well as our partnership with the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and Wells Fargo to support committed Milwaukee homeowners and help them make improvements to their homes and neighborhoods,” Mayor Tom Barrett said.
Homeowners interested in applying for a minor home improvement grant can contact the coordinating lead agency in their respective Healthy Neighborhood for information:
·         Capitol Heights – Albright Methodist Church, (414) 459-9099
·         Havenwoods – Havenwoods Economic Development Corporation, (414) 431-2271
·         Lincoln Village – Southside Organizing Committee,  (414) 672-8090
The program will run through Dec. 31.

author: Greater Milwaukee Foundation


text:
Montgomery named co-chair for Milwaukee Lifecourse Initiative | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County
March 22, 2016
Wanda Montgomery has accepted the role of co-chair, alongside Mayor Tom Barrett, for the Milwaukee Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families (LIHF). The initiative is dedicated to reducing racial disparities in birth outcomes in the city of Milwaukee.
“Wanda brings a wealth of leadership, experience, and dedication to serving Milwaukee families,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “I am proud to have Wanda stand alongside me as we continue the communitywide work to reduce racial disparities in birth outcomes and prevent infant mortality.”
Montgomery’s career has been spent serving the community as Director of Community Partnerships for Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin; CEO of Children’s Family and Community Partnerships; Project Manager for MAXIMUS, Executive Director of Gray’s Child Development Center, Inc., Preparatory Academy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Executive Director of Neighborhood Housing Services.
“I am passionate about LIHF because to have any child die due to the lack of access, advocacy, education or resources in 2016 is unacceptable,” Montgomery stated.  “Whatever I can do to bring information to the masses is important to me and the work I’ve committed my life to.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Montgomery takes over as co-chair for Shirley McFarlane of Northwestern Mutual who has served as co-chair for the past two years.


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 22, 2016


text:
MPS sees highest number of Kohl Foundation student scholarship winners since 2007 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
March 22, 2016
Two of MPS’ eight student winners: South Division’s Ma Lay (left) and Zing Cer (right)
Eight Milwaukee Public Schools students have won 2016 Herb Kohl Foundation scholarships, marking the highest total number of student winners in the district since 2007.
The nine MPS teachers honored this year tie a record set in 2000. And in the first year the Kohl Foundation honored school principals, an MPS principal is among the winners. Each honoree receives a $3,000 award.
“Education is the key to the future of Wisconsin and our nation. I am very proud of the accomplishments of these students, teachers, and principals and look forward to the great contributions they will make in the future,” said retired U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, who created the Kohl Foundation Scholarship and Fellowship program in 1990. The foundation has since awarded $10.2 million to Wisconsin educators, students and schools. The program was established to recognize scholarship, leadership and excellence in Wisconsin’s schools.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
MPS Superintendent Dr. Darienne Driver congratulated the MPS students and their families as well as the winning educators.
“They are examples of excellence for their classmates and colleagues,” she said. “We continue to offer more opportunities for our students to excel at high levels as we add more Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes for young people across MPS.”
MPS has set records in each of the last three years for overall scholarship totals as the district has made a push in recent years to increase college and career readiness. Scholarship totals for the Class of 2016 will be available later this year.
District winners include three MPS students who were named “Excellence” scholars for “excellence in the academic arena,” “high motivation to achieve,” displaying “a broad range of activity and leadership outside the academic setting” and showing “strong promise for succeeding in college and beyond,” according to the Kohl Foundation. They are:
Another five MPS students were named “Initiative” scholars who have “demonstrated exceptional initiative in the classroom and have shown strong promise for succeeding in college beyond, but have not yet received other academic-based scholarships.” They are:
Nine MPS teachers were named “Fellowship” recipients for “their superior ability to inspire a love of learning in their students, their ability to motivate others and their leadership and service within and outside of the classroom.” They are:
An MPS school leader is one of the first-ever winners of the Kohl Foundation’s new Leadership Award. Winners “are school principals who are being recognized for setting high standards for instruction, achievement, and character and for creating a climate to best serve students, families, staff and community.” MPS’ winner is:

author: Milwaukee Public Schools


text:
On the Block: Teacher’s lesson | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wyatt Massey
March 22, 2016
Sharmae Roberts, a California native, learned a lot about her students and their lives when she visited their families for teacher conferences. The math teacher at Carmen High School Northwest reflects on the negative assumptions many people make about inner-city parents.


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 21, 2016


text:
Stigma of mental illness casts debilitating shadow over schools and communities | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matthew Wisla
March 22, 2016
Debbie Davis lives near a new residence for people living with mental illness and believes that interaction between residents and community members reduces stigma. (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
People living with a mental health condition also endure the social stigma that accompanies their diagnosis. As Brenda Wesley knows, stigma is a silent stalker that threatens to poison virtually every relationship and encounter with family, friends and co-workers.
“Who wants to be known as crazy, or as a nut, a lunatic or a loon,” she asked, her voice rising, but tempered with resignation. Wesley’s understanding of mental illness comes as a mother living with a son diagnosed with schizophrenia. She is also a member of the Milwaukee County Mental Health Board and the director of education and outreach for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Greater Milwaukee.
Having a mental illness often means being labeled with your affliction, in addition to suffering from it. “People say you’re a schizophrenic or you’re depressed instead of saying you’ve been diagnosed with depression or are living with schizophrenia,” Wesley observed.
Fighting against stigma is part of Wesley’s daily life. “You have to look at the stigma of mental illness if you ever want to help people living with mental health conditions,” Wesley said.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Brenda Wesley’s son was diagnosed with schizophrenia. She also is a member of the Milwaukee County Mental Health Board. (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
Stigma has always been a problem for those diagnosed with mental illnesses. However, it is becoming a more widespread concern in Milwaukee as the county transforms its service model from delivering mental healthcare in a sprawling, centralized hospital complex to a decentralized system focused on numerous community-based facilities. According to Héctor Colón, director of the Department of Health and Human Services for Milwaukee County, the county plans to be “out of the inpatient business by 2018.”
Experts say placing mental healthcare resources in communities increases efficiency, as well as quality of care and quality of life for patients. Already the county has spent more than $15 million decentralizing mental healthcare delivery through increased collaboration between the county and other organizations, including the private healthcare system, the state, small providers, nonprofits and city residents, Colón has said.
The stigma against mental illness is strong even though it is more prevalent than most people might expect. “Research shows that people would rather spend a night in jail than admit to having a mental illness,” said Peter Hoeffel, executive director of NAMI Greater Milwaukee. “The number one reason people don’t seek help (for mental illness) is they don’t want to be treated differently. Stigma has that kind of isolating effect.”
Yet statistics show that between 20-25 percent of people will experience a serious mental illness in their lifetime, such as depression, conditions associated with drug or alcohol use, or an anxiety-related disorder. And, at any given time, about 15 percent of the population is suffering from a form of mental illness, including serious illnesses such as bipolar disorder, severe depression, schizophrenia and some personality disorders.
Central city challenges
The poverty and violence that are part of everyday life in many central city neighborhoods can cause or exacerbate certain mental illnesses, resulting in stigma, according to experts such as Sue McKenzie, co-leader of The Wisconsin Initiative for Stigma Elimination (WISE) and program director of Rogers InHealth, a unit of Rogers Behavioral Health System focusing on mental health recovery.
“When kids — and adults too — come from a place of trauma and violence, it brings with it the increased likelihood of stress-related mental illnesses like PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder),” McKenzie said.
She said teachers can stigmatize children as angry or habitual misbehavers, not realizing they may be reacting to a traumatic event they experienced or witnessed. “The teacher tries classroom strategies as though the child’s brain can focus normally,” McKenzie said. “Or they push kids away that they don’t understand.”
Wesley said it’s all too easy to label central city youths without questioning the root causes of their behavior. “Everyone just shrugs and says, ‘There goes another angry black boy,’” she observed. “The reality is inner city kids deal with all the mental health issues adults deal with.”
To help address stigma and other issues surrounding mental health in central city children, WISE is training a group of 12 African-American fathers as “peer specialists” who will coordinate with parents, public school counselors and teachers. They will be on call to help sort out the reasons why a child may be acting out or not making progress in school and recommend mental health or other resources. The initiative is planned to launch in April.
“Many people in the African-American community don’t trust doctors or other professionals so it’s going to be great to have a father from their neighborhood to talk to,” McKenzie said. “I’ve talked to many parents struggling to figure out what’s wrong with their son, and the last thing they say an African-American boy needs is another label for why we don’t expect the best from him.”
The program is designed to cut through stigma and other barriers by encouraging conversations between adults who trust each other about what may be troubling a child and discussing ideas and potential resources that could help, McKenzie said.
Addressing stigma requires culturally specific strategies. “How it looks in any one place depends a lot on culture and community. Stigma is an issue of social construction,” said Dr. Patrick Corrigan, a leading stigma researcher at the Illinois Institute of Technology. “So if you’re developing a new program for city residents you should be sure to have African-Americans driving it.”
Corrigan also points to the media’s role in spreading stigma throughout society. “The vast majority of people with mental illness on TV or other media are depicted as dangerous, but actually the average person with mental illness is no more likely to be violent than the rest of the population,” he said.
Fear increases stigma
Debbie Davis has witnessed how fear affects communities. Her mother, 79, suffers from dementia and lives south of Milwaukee near a new facility that’s being built as a residence for people with mental illness on South 92nd Street. The facility will be home to up to eight people when it opens in April and is part of the county’s efforts to overhaul the mental healthcare system. Davis attended community meetings and an open house where residents from the neighborhood spoke openly about living in a neighborhood that includes a mental healthcare facility.
“In meetings, sometimes the loudest voices in the room are the most fearful,” Davis said. “But during the open house other people also talked about extended family members who were dealing with mental health issues.”
Recognizing mental illnesses as treatable conditions that can strike anyone, and that people suffering from them aren’t at fault for their illness are among the first steps to combating stigma, according to experts.
Meeting people who have been diagnosed with a mental illness and seeing them as living with an ailment like any other helps overcome stigma, according to a growing body of research, some done in Milwaukee. This has been shown to have longer lasting effects against stigma than an information session or lecture by a clinician or other expert.
“Most of us are good at understanding people with things like asthma or diabetes, but we’re not good at understanding those with mental illness,” said Hoeffel.
Stigma often leads to blaming or shunning the person who is ill. “Some call it the ‘no casserole’ disease,” according to Hoeffel, because people recuperating following a stay in a mental health facility are often ignored by people close to them. It’s just the opposite of those returning home from a hospital stay for appendicitis, or a similar ailment, whose family and friends are eager to care for and cook for them.
As Wesley emphatically pointed out, “It’s a brain disorder, not a character issue.”
According to Corrigan, the Department of Veterans Affairs is launching a nationwide program featuring veterans discussing their mental health challenges in small community settings. In Milwaukee, NAMI and WISE regularly schedule storytelling sessions, discussions and plays where people with mental illness interact with members of the community, including educators and school children.
“Meeting someone with mental illness means getting to know them, and that’s how stereotypes begin to change.” McKenzie said.
Davis agrees. “What’s needed is more exposure to people in (neighborhood) facilities so everyone can identify with them as people and not with their illnesses.”

author: Matthew Wisla


text:
Arrests down, disparities remain in enforcing local marijuana laws, report finds | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
March 23, 2016
Rob Henken, Public Policy Forum president (center) and researchers Joe Peterangelo (left) and Jeff Schmidt discuss the report. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Small-scale marijuana possession arrests in Milwaukee are decreasing, but racial and socio-economic disparities still exist in the enforcement of marijuana laws, according to a recently released report by the Public Policy Forum (PPF).
Seventy-two percent of those arrested in the City of Milwaukee between 2012 and 2015 solely for possessing 25 grams or less of marijuana were black, the PPF study found. African-Americans make up 39 percent of Milwaukee’s population. In comparison whites make up 37 percent of the city’s population but only 12 percent of those arrested solely for possession.
The report also found that the small-scale marijuana arrest rates were higher in ZIP codes with lower household incomes. The 53206 and 53218 ZIP codes had the highest arrest rates at 13-14 per 1,000 residents. Twelve other city ZIP codes in less impoverished areas had fewer than three arrests per 1,000 residents. However, the report notes that the ZIP code areas where arrest rates were higher also had elevated crime rates and frequent calls for service.
“This generally supports the Milwaukee Police Department’s contention that a majority of marijuana arrests occur where police presence is higher,” said Rob Henken, president of the Public Policy Forum.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The Public Policy Forum report is the second of two examining marijuana policy implications in Milwaukee. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
The disparity in arrests was also highlighted in a prior PPF study that examined local, state and national marijuana laws and policies. Both reports also looked at the cost to the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) of enforcing marijuana laws. According to Henken, MPD spent $166,000 enforcing municipal small-scale marijuana arrests in 2015, compared to $415,000 in 2012.
That number is the result of a significant reduction in the number of arrests for possession of small amounts of marijuana, from 1,308 in 2012 to 613 last year, the research found. The drop in the number of arrests could be partially attributed to a change in MPD policy, which de-prioritized enforcement of marijuana possession laws unless they involve another crime, the report stated.
Also, a decision by the Common Council in 2015 to change local marijuana possession laws could lead to further decreases in marijuana arrests. The ordinance reduced the maximum fine for possession of less than 25 grams of marijuana from $500 to $50 and gave the District Attorney the discretion not to prosecute second and subsequent violations as state charges. A first state charge is prosecuted as a misdemeanor and second and subsequent charges as felonies.
“This is particularly relevant given that reducing the frequency of these types of charges was a primary goal of city officials when they decided to modify municipal ordinances last spring,” Henken said.
Despite the drop in overall arrests, the fact that the majority of them occur in predominantly African-American and low-income parts of the city is a cause for concern from the perspective of both social justice and police-community relations, the report noted.
Among those concerned is Molly Collins, associate director of the ACLU of Wisconsin, which has been working to decriminalize marijuana.
“Although the number of citations is decreasing, we continue to be very concerned about the fact that the disparities in who is getting cited [are] staggering,” Collins said.
The MPD did not immediately respond to an NNS request for comment.

author: Edgar Mendez


text:
Community meeting for design of coming Mitchell Street library | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Library
March 23, 2016

author: Milwaukee Public Library


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 23, 2016


text:
“Know Your Neighbor” brings together convenience store owners, law enforcement and community members | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Community Advocates
March 23, 2016
With the large number of convenience stores in the city, it can be challenging for store owners and community members to make meaningful connections. Yet the “Know Your Neighbor” event that took place on March 22nd, 2016 at the Neighborhood House showed that the interest and commitment is there for these entities to work together as the meeting room filled with attendees. This event was collaboratively hosted by the Milwaukee County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, the City of Milwaukee Tobacco-Free Alliance, and the 27th Street West Drug-Free Communities Coalition.
“Due to the high volume of businesses that sell alcohol and tobacco in many Milwaukee neighborhoods, it’s especially important that businesses are responsible tenants in the communities they serve,” Elena Burke from 27th Street West Drug-Free Coalition stated. “The fact that so many business owners showed up by choice, is extremely encouraging.”
Plans for the work shop were informed by ongoing interviews with stakeholders from law enforcement, business owners, community leaders and youth. This particular workshop featured roundtable discussions on laws/ policies and best practices around Alcohol, Tobacco, Crime Prevention through Environmental Change and Law Enforcement, which were led by community leaders and experts. Following the roundtable discussions, there was a resource fair highlighting services beneficial to retail business owners.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Organizers state that the conversation will not stop with today’s event. Burke shared, “This workshop is another step in creating dialogue between various community entities, which will lead to healthier and safer communities. Our coalitions are collectively working together to bridge the gap.”

author: Community Advocates


text:
SDC opens doors to North Avenue office on March 28 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Social Development Commission
March 23, 2016
The Social Development Commission (SDC) will open the doors to its new office located at 1730 West North Avenue, Milwaukee, on Monday, March 28. The agency provides diverse services and programs to meet the needs of thousands of low-income individuals each year.
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is the ONLY program that will remain at the former SDC office (4041 North Richard Street, Milwaukee). The VITA program will operate at the Richards Street location through the end of the tax season, Monday, April 18.
All other SDC services including business services, career services, education and training, health and wellness, residential, youth, young adult, and adult service will continue programming and services in the new location on Monday, March 28.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The Richards Street location will be closed March 24 – March 26 due to the move.
With the move to a new home in the Lindsay Heights neighborhood, SDC will introduce a new look and website. Over the past several months, the agency has been in the rebranding process. The new logo and website, for which the URL will remain www.cr-sdc.org, will be unveiled the week of March 28 after the agency moves into its new home.
For more than 50 years, the Social Development Commission has operated as the Community Action Agency for Milwaukee County. SDC serves as a planner, coordinator, and provider of human service programs for low- income individuals and families residing in Milwaukee County. The agency is an intergovernmental commission and is governed by a board of 18 citizens from Milwaukee County, each of whom hold the title of “Commissioner.” For more information on SDC’s programs and services, visit cr-sdc.org. Connect with us on Facebook www.Facebook.com/SDCMilwaukee and Twitter www.twitter.com/CRSDC.

author: Social Development Commission


text:
How to Graduate More Black Students | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 24, 2016
The Atlantic

author: Andrea Waxman


text:
Mortenson expected to hire local trades workers, subcontractors for Bucks arena project | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 24, 2016
Milwaukee Business Journal


text:
Plan to reassign teachers raises class size concerns in MPS | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 24, 2016
jsonline.com


text:
Walker Remains Steadfast in Decision Not to Accept Federal Money For Food Stamps | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 24, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


text:
WISCONSIN BUDGET: State Lags in Reporting Medicaid Data | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 24, 2016
UrbanMilwaukee.com


text:
Fondy Food Center looks ahead under new leadership | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 28, 2016
Jennifer Casey is the new executive director of the Fondy Food Center. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Brigid McGeehan started selling her homegrown vegetables at the Fondy Farmers Market in 2011 after a 20-year career at Johnson Controls.
“I fell in love with it really. One of the things I really like (about the market) is the diversity of the customers. There is an opportunity to grow many things because of that diversity,” said McGeehan, who emigrated from Ireland in 1988.
One of many in the Fondy Food Center community who was surprised by executive director Young Kim’s recent departure after 13 years, McGeehan said Kim was a true leader who was able to form strong bonds with farmers and gain their respect.
Added Vang Lee, who helps his mother, Ying Vang Lee, a Hmong immigrant from Laos, farm in Milwaukee, “He fought for the community that we are serving to help the people consume a better diet for their health.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Kim revitalized the Fondy Farmers Market and connected with neighborhood organizations and partners throughout the city, according to Venice Williams, executive director of Alice’s Garden and a vendor at the Fondy and Schlitz Park markets.
“He did a very good job of connecting food and health. I think that is going to be a huge part of his legacy. He made it clear that food justice strongly matters when you’re running a farmers market in an urban context,” Williams said.
Young Kim admires a vendor’s produce at the Fondy Farmers Market, 2200 W. Fond du Lac Ave. (Photo by Jacob Shoberg)
In addition, Williams noted that Kim, a Korean American, always represented the concerns, voices and dignity of the farmers, who are predominantly Hmong immigrants, and their offspring.
Kim’s vision for Fondy was that it be more than just a farmers market. He worked to create a system for healthy food access, according to Laura Maker, chair of the Fondy Food Center board of directors.
“It was really a pleasure to work with Young and … we’re really going to miss him,” added Maker.
Jennifer Casey, a registered dietician, was named executive director of Fondy Food Center after Kim departed in late February. Casey coordinated the diabetes community health program at the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center for seven years prior to becoming the development and communications director at Fondy in July 2014.
She has had a strong interest in the interaction between food and health since she was a young teen. “It was (at Ignace) that I began to see the opportunity to work with and through farmers markets to address health disparities,” Casey said. That insight led her to reach out to Kim and eventually join his team. Kim declined to be interviewed for this article.
“I respect (Kim) deeply for his ability to understand the cultures of the people in the neighborhoods,” Casey said. “He learned to appreciate the strengths and cultural assets of the residents … and he knew that solutions needed to come from within the community.
“His influence in the food movement here and nationally has been strong,” she added.
Preparing for summer
Now concluding its first year operating the Milwaukee County Winter Market, Fondy is gearing up for the summer season at its Port Washington farm and to open the Fondy Farmers Market and the Pop-Up Market @ Schlitz Park. The Fondy community also is working to grow its food justice initiative, the Milwaukee Farmers Market Connection.
Last July, Kim and Casey spearheaded the initiative, an effort to expand low-income residents’ access to healthy local produce beyond the North Side neighborhoods served by Fondy Farmers Market. Funded by the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program, the Milwaukee Farmers Market Connection brings together farmers markets, nonprofits and individuals to facilitate low-income and diverse consumers’ access to the markets and increase their consumption of fresh produce.
Since then, 10 of Milwaukee’s 24 farmers markets have joined the coalition, said Casey, who believes that number will continue to grow. The program is also seeking partners outside of Milwaukee to expand statewide.
In addition to raising funds to augment Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, the coalition is working to make markets more inclusive by adding such things as foreign language materials and clearer price markers, Casey explained.
“One of the best ways to broaden your reach is to listen to what people need and want from you,” Casey said. She cited Fondy Market’s Seasonal Soul cooking demonstrations featuring pho, greens and barbeque cooking contests as an example of what shoppers requested.
Such efforts can also help the Milwaukee County Winter Market draw in low-income and diverse shoppers, which it has struggled to attract, Casey said.
For the second summer, Fondy will operate a weekly pop-up farmers market at Schlitz Park. This year, the mid-day market will be open on Tuesdays in conjunction with Schlitz Park’s Take-Out Tuesdays food truck gathering.
Fondy is continuing a wholesale program, started in 2014, that allows farmers at its Port Washington farm to sell their produce to the local grocery cooperative, Outpost Natural Foods. In its second year, sales almost doubled, Casey said.
On March 1, the Common Council approved up to $250,000 in repairs to the Fondy market, including painting, asphalt and electrical upgrades, new downspouts and replacing some wooden vendor counters. Casey expects that most of the repairs will be made in April.
An unpaid water bill and complaints of poor maintenance at the market led city officials to review the original 2001 lease for the city-owned property. In February, the lease was renegotiated, according to Martha Brown, deputy commissioner of the Department of City Development.
Because the market is so important to thousands of city residents, the city forgave the water bill and agreed to make repairs, explained Alderman Russell Stamper.
The Fondy Market will open on Saturdays beginning May 7 and expand to Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays on June 18.


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 27, 2016

author: Adam Carr


text:
24998648894_a21965c8dd_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 27, 2016


text:
Historic King Drive Business Improvement District selects Deshea Agee as new Executive Director | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 28, 2016
Milwaukee Courier


text:
W. Fond du Lac Ave. reconstruction to begin Monday | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 28, 2016
jsonline.com


text:
WISCONSIN BUDGET: Legislators Made Criminal Justice Reforms | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 28, 2016
Urban Milwaukee


text:
Wisconsin’s Voter ID Law Requires an Education Campaign, Which the State Hasn’t Funded | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 28, 2016
Pro Publica