text:
Post from Community: Fellowship.art to host end of program showcase | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
gener8tor
October 20, 2020
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Startup and creative fellowship accelerator gener8tor will host a virtual showcase for the 2020 Fellowship.art recipients on Friday, Nov. 13, at 5 p.m. CT. The four artists who just completed this year’s program will each present their work and talk about how the Fellowship.art accelerator program impacted their artistic practice.
The 2020 Fellowship.art cohort includes: Tyanna Buie (Milwaukee, WI and Detroit, MI); Le’Andra LeSeur (Jersey City, NJ); Dakota Mace (Madison, WI); and Open Kitchen (Milwaukee, WI). The virtual showcase is free and open to the public, and registration is available here.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Tyanna Buie uses printmaking, sculpture and installations as a form of both narrative and non-narrative storytelling as Buie examines her personal and family histories. Through family memorabilia and documents sourced from family members, Buie revisits and revives previous impressions from past events.
Le’Andra LeSeur’s work explores how black, female identity is informed by the effects of regulated systems of oppression. Through visual media, installations and performances, LeSeur reclaims and dismantles stereotypes surrounding black identity.
Dakota Mace takes a contemporary approach to Diné (Navajo) weaving and beadwork. Mace’s work focuses on re-interpreting the symbolic abstractions of Diné creation stories, cosmologies and social structures, using a combination of traditional and non-traditional materials and techniques.
Open Kitchen is a Milwaukee-based art collective founded by Rudy Medina and Alyx Christensen, in partnership with Jean Yoon and Alan Medina. Open Kitchen stages events, installations, and a residency program that engages the public in critical cross-cultural conversations on food, identity and ecology.
“Art is an incredible form of expression and each of the artists in the present cohort represent diverse forms of artistic voice,” said Nyra Jordan, social impact investment director at the American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact. “The Institute is proud to support Fellowship.art and its commitment to empowering artists as they build long-lasting careers.”
About Fellowship.art
Fellowship.art is a 12-week accelerator program for visual artists. Fellowship.art helps artists achieve greater success by providing the support and mentorship needed to maintain a sustainable practice and navigate the industry.
About gener8tor
gener8tor’s turnkey platform for the creative economy connects startup founders, musicians, artists, investors, universities and corporations. The gener8tor platform includes pre-accelerators, accelerators, corporate programming, conferences and fellowships.
About American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact
The American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact is a venture capital firm and partner of choice for exceptional entrepreneurs who are building scalable, sustainable businesses in a long-term effort to close equity gaps in America.
The Institute invests in companies working to provide economic opportunity for all, to build resilient communities, to create healthy youth development and to increase learning and academic achievement. It is based in Madison, Wisconsin and can be found on social media @AmFamInstitute.


text:
‘When you’re hungry, you’re not thinking about school’: Emergency fund provides lifeline to MATC students | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
October 20, 2020
The FAST fund started in 2016 with the basic premise that students are less likely to succeed while facing economic traumas. (File photo by Andrea Waxman)
Bria Burris refused to give up.
Struggling to make ends meet, the mother of two stayed with friends because of housing struggles.
Close to the breaking point, the MATC student thought she would have to give up school to work more so she could take care of her children.
But she found out about the FAST Fund, an emergency fund for MATC students. The fund provided Burris, 30, with the financial and personal support she needed to finish school and get her degree.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors recently approved a proposal from Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson to allocate $35,000 to the MATC FAST Fund to help students avoid eviction and maintain housing stability while they earn their degree. FAST stands for Faculty and Students Together.
Nicholson said she learned that students were having a hard time accessing rental assistance programs through the city.
“This is a relatively small expenditure for the county, but it will provide a lifetime of benefit to the students we help,” she said. “We can ensure these MATC students stay focused on school, graduate and become successful.”
The FAST fund started in 2016 with the basic premise that students are less likely to succeed while facing economic traumas.
“When you’re hungry, you’re not thinking about school,” said Michael Rosen, the director of the FAST Fund. “If we can help students overcome economic obstacles, they can focus on school and hopefully become productive members of our community.”
The FAST Fund helps students with housing and school-related expenses, including providing food and gas cards.
The FAST Fund’s volunteer staff also works with students on getting jobs and preparing for the future.
Burris said the staff has helped her in many ways.
Burris had a felony on her record from when she was 19. This caused problems when she tried to find housing and work. With assistance from the FAST fund, she was able to get a lawyer who helped her get the felony expunged.
“Them helping me get my record expunged was greater than any financial help they could’ve provided,” Burris said.
With the help of the FAST Fund staff, Burris is now employed at the Social Development Commission, working with people who face struggles similar to hers in the Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program.
Rosen said the county’s contribution will allow the program to meet more needs.
“With this pot of money being specifically for students facing housing insecurity, we can use our raised money in other ways,” he said. “Now we can provide more resources for books, laptops, food cards and gas cards.”

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: October 20, 2020

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

author: PrincessSafiya Byers


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 19, 2020

created: October 19, 2020

author: Adam Carr


text:
PHOTOS: Interfaith vigil kicks off early voting | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sue Vliet
October 21, 2020
A group from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds held a candlelight rally Monday, the eve of early voting, outside of Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1905 W. Wisconsin Ave.
The organizers have committed to bringing “100,000 souls to the polls” for the 2020 general election.
Groups represented included MICAH, or Milwaukee Intercity Congregations Allied for Hope, the League of Progressive Seniors, Progressive Baptist Church, Souls to the Polls, Tikkun Ha-Ir and Voces De La Frontera
The socially distanced event included music, speakers and information about early voting.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
More about Election Day
Election 2020: What you need to know to vote on Nov. 3
There’s still time to vote absentee in Milwaukee. Here’s how to do it.

created: October 21, 2020

author: Sue Vliet


text:
Post from Community: What’s it like to get a job after incarceration? Let’s hear from Andre Brown | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Project Return
October 21, 2020
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Human fulfillment—this is what Andre Brown has a passion for. He is a case manager for Project RETURN and helps people get jobs after incarceration.
Brown has worked for Project RETURN for 13 years assisting men and women find fulfilling work after prison. But why is landing a job so important to a successful reentry?
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Brown said there is a stigma on people reentering society after prison. A lot of companies will not look at an applicant if they have a felony or prison time on their record. However, getting a job is essential to successful reentry.
Brown spends his time on the phone with businesses in Milwaukee building relationships with organizations to get jobs for the clients of Project RETURN.
“Showing the world that ex-offenders can contribute and move forward after incarceration is so important. People need money to survive, to pay their bills and support their families,” said Brown
Brown said organizations like Project RETURN are essential because when people take the time to do reentry seriously, it works.
“People find fulfillment and pride in working. After prison, people really want that job to show that they can contribute,” said Brown.
Brown is one of the many staff at Project RETURN who were incarcerated. He landed in the adult system at age 17 after punching a classmate. He knows how much people reentering want to give back to the community—which is why he has been working with Project RETURN since 2007.
The most difficult part of helping people getting a job is human frailty. Whether that be from a lack of support system coming out, or addictions, Brown shared that we have to shine a light on these difficulties to help aid in successful reentry.
“We need to help people get jobs because it is an investment in humanity. It’s so important to believe that people can make mistakes and reparations, understand the societal factors that cause crime, and invest in successful reentry,” said Brown.
When he isn’t in the office, Brown  is spending time with his 7-year-old daughter, Jayden, or making music.
You can be a part of Project RETURN’s mission. Join us at Project RETURN’s 40th anniversary Virtual Gala on Oct. 27 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. online. Register for the event and visit our site to learn more about the event: https://events.projectreturnmilwaukee.org/

author: Project Return


text:
Me-Jayden-1.JPG | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
October 21, 2020

author: Name *


text:
‘We’re on our way up’: The rebirth of Villard Avenue continues | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
October 21, 2020
Angelique Sharpe, manager of the Villard Avenue BID, takes a picture with young visitors during a recent mural artist celebration event. (Photo provided by Havenwoods EDC)
As the pandemic hit and life as most knew it screeched to a halt, Villard Avenue Business Improvement District leaders were faced with a tough decision: Should they hit pause on their efforts to redevelop the once bustling commercial corridor or forge ahead despite their uncertainty?
They kept going.
“I didn’t want our neighborhood to be put on hold anymore,” said Angelique Sharpe, manager of the Villard Business Improvement District, or BID. Sharpe and others are trying to rejuvenate the Old North Milwaukee area, which decades ago fell on hard times when nearby factories closed and its commercial sector crumbled.
Sharpe and others are seeing their decision to carry on pay off as seeds of progress continue to sprout in the historic neighborhood.  One is “Visual Vibes on Villard,” a public art project led by five muralists who were selected by neighbors. They recently completed six murals in the corridor surrounding North 35th Street and West Villard Avenue. The project, funded in part by an anonymous $25,000 donation, was launched in August and features themes of entrepreneurship, cultural pride, community pride, health and wellness and environmental conversation.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“We were able to get some of the top artists in the city to come together and support community pride in the form of art,” Sharpe said.
This collection of six murals, dubbed “Visual Vibes on Villard,” was completed this summer despite the pandemic. (Photo provided by Angelique Sharpe)
Jeanette Wright-Claus, a Villard BID board member who purchased a home in the neighborhood in 1986, said beautifying the community with art was major, and proof that progress was being made in the community. Wright-Claus, who previously ran art workshops with teens at the Agape Center, said residents are taking notice of the improvements.
“People, especially young people, can see that things are getting better here and want to be involved,” she said.
Another major project that was announced recently is the return of Marineland Pets, a former neighborhood staple that left its longtime location at North 35th Street and West Villard Avenue several years ago.  The store is moving back to West Villard Avenue from Bayshore and will be located in a 1,600–square–foot commercial space at the Villard Commons, a four-story, 43-unit apartment and commercial building being constructed on the corner of North 36th Street and West Villard Avenue. The Commons, along with another mixed-use commercial building, the Villard Square Library and apartments, 5190 N. 35th St., served as catalysts for investment to the area several years ago.
Que El-Amin, a developer of the Villard Commons and childhood resident of the neighborhood, said the coronavirus slowed but didn’t stop, momentum on the project. The building and store are projected to open in December.
El-Amin said he believes the energy being created on Villard will help it once again become a bustling corridor and bring more people to the neighborhood. He said one of the keys to building off that momentum will be collaborations between investors on projects in the area.
“With our project, the new library and the charrette that’s been proposed, we could really see some major progress here if people work together,” El-Amin said.
El-Amin was referring to the Villard Avenue Charette, a community design and development plan created through an intense process involving multiple stakeholders.
Sharpe said she and her team had just completed its final focus group with developers, investors and others working to design the charette when the pandemic shut most things down.
They continued work remotely and in June, the city’s first virtual charette in history was held. During the process, development possibilities for several locations within the BID were outlined.
Organizers felt those locations could have a catalytic effect on the area if developed, said Carolyn Esswein, director of Community Design Solutions and faculty member at UWM’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning. Community Design Solutions facilitated the charrette process with the BID and teams of designers from local firms.
They used historical and demographic data and years of input collected from residents, business and property owners and other stakeholders to develop a plan for an area with a population of 17,660 and an average median household income of $28,000.
The BID encompasses the area from West Hampton Avenue to West Silver Spring Drive south to north and North Green Bay Road to North 51st Street east to west, including Villard Avenue.
The charette highlighted plans to redevelop the historic Villa Theater, currently a vacant city-owned property;  two buildings near the corner of North 36th Street and West Villard Avenue, the former site of Marineland Pets, 3519 W. Villard; and the old Villard Library, 3310 W. Villard Avenue.
Esswein said developers were mindful of the economic realities of the community, and also the challenge of securing funds for large-scale projects.
“Having a great idea that never gets built is not valuable to the community,” Esswein said. “We wanted to look at how sites could be scalable to accommodate multiple tenants and businesses while still lending itself to larger developments should those opportunities come.”
Amy Oeth, senior planner for the City of Milwaukee, said plans laid out in the charrette tie into the city’s “Connecting the Corridor,” plan, which was created to advance projects and investments in the neighborhoods surrounding the 30th Street Corridor, which intersects the Villard BID.
“We’re hopeful that the ideas laid out in the charette can really move these corridors along,” Oeth said.
Sharpe is optimistic as well.
“People were angry about strategic disinvestment that happened here and how the neighborhood went down,” she said. “Now, people are pitching in and showing love to Villard, and we’re on our way back up!”

author: Edgar Mendez


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 20, 2020


text:
Milwaukee Health Department alters mask distribution plan to fit decreased demand | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
October 22, 2020
Production of free masks continues in Milwaukee, as distribution efforts intensify. (Photo provided by the Milwaukee Health Department)
This story has been updated to reflect the number of masks being distributed by the Milwaukee Health Department.
The Milwaukee Health Department is making changes in its plan to distribute free masks to residents because of a lower-than-expected demand for face coverings.
Under the retooled plan, masks will be distributed to more than 30 convenience stores, churches and shelters. The goal, officials say, is to put more masks in places where people gather.
About 110,000 reusable masks are available to the general public for free. NNS previously reported that Wave 2 of the city’s mask distribution plan would occur in late August and would provide 500,000 reusable masks.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Despite demand being lower than expected, the city still plans to produce 500,000 masks.
There are currently 82,000 masks waiting to be distributed, and another 36,000 are on the way in the short term, said Marquayla Ellison, owner of Ellastic Designs.
Ellison was subcontracted to assist in distributing masks to pick-up sites and businesses.
The sites include places like ABC Liquors,which has multiple locations on the North Side.
Ellison said it was important to target “quicker spots” like ABC Liquors because people often think they can enter an establishment without a mask because they expect fast service.
“We’re trying to meet them where they are,” Ellison said. “We’re trying to put masks in locations where people can walk to them.”
The free masks are distributed in packets, which contain two masks.
Mask distribution was previously focused at Milwaukee Fire Department, Milwaukee Public Library and Milwaukee Health Department locations around the city.
Mike Kryshak, owner of Rebel Converting and a driving force in the #MaskUpMKE initiative, said he’s seen demand drop for disposable masks as well.
Earlier in the pandemic, around 30,000 masks were distributed on Milwaukee County Transit System buses each week. Kryshak said that number is now somewhere from 500 to 700 per week.
While Ellison said that the lower numbers might be because people are unaware that masks are available, Kryshak said the answer might be oversaturation.
“Masks have flooded the marketplace,” Kryshak said.
#MaskUpMKE has turned to other means to distribute masks, including giving disposable masks to officers from the Milwaukee Police Department and Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office to distribute. There’s also been an effort to get more masks into the prison system.
Anyone interested in finding masks near them can find a complete list of locations distributing masks at city.milwaukee.gov/masks.
NNS reporters also gathered a list of where to buy locally made masks if you’re looking to show some local business love when masking up.

created: October 22, 2020

author: Matt Martinez


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 21, 2020


text:
NNS on WGLB: Reporter Matt Martinez gives update on coronavirus developments in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
October 22, 2020
(Photo by Adam Carr)
NNS reporter Matt Martinez joined WGLB’s Saryea Murchison and Dennis Walton to discuss COVID-19 and what residents need to know during the pandemic.
Martinez took questions from the hosts on flu shots and influenza, the new field hospital at State Fair park and ways to stay safe during the pandemic.
Here’s a link to this week’s coronavirus update.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Places where you can get flu shots.

author: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service


text:
NNS Interview October16 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 21, 2020
“NNS Interview October16”.


text:
Post from Community: Milwaukee Fire And Police Commission announces three finalists for Chief of Police for the Milwaukee Police Department | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission
October 22, 2020
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
The Board of Commissioners of the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission (FPC) announced today the top three finalists for the position of Police Chief for the Milwaukee Police Department.
They are Malik Aziz, Chris Davis and Hoyt Mahaley.
Malik Aziz – Dallas Police Major was born and raised in Dallas and is currently the National Chair and Executive Director of the National Black Police Association and an instructor in Criminal Justice Police Leadership at DeSales University. Chris Davis – Deputy Chief for the Portland Police Bureau and former Assistant Chief of operations, where he led three precincts, youth services and traffic divisions. Hoyt Mahaley – FBI Supervisory Special Agent and former Police Officer for Milwaukee Police Department. He also attended Rufus King High School.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“This is one of the most important positions in the City of Milwaukee, and the Board of Commissioners have identified three finalists who are most qualified to lead this critical agency during these pivotal times,” said FPC Executive Director Griselda Aldrete. “Each finalist will participate in a public and rigorous community engagement process, which will be instrumental in the final hiring decision.”
Five of the members of the Board of Commissioners of the Fire and Police Commission initially interviewed six candidates on Monday, October 19, 2020 to begin the process and identify three finalists to recommend for the position, and present to the public for community review. The Board of Commissioners considered years of experience in law enforcement, educational levels, leadership and management experience, and ability to build and manage collaborations and effective working relationships with diverse community stakeholders as part of their criteria when evaluating all candidates.
The decision to initially engage six candidates in private interviews was voted on by the majority of the Board of Commissioners in order to streamline and best manage a complex process, and to ensure the public would be presented with the most qualified finalists.
The finalists will now participate in further interviews with the Board of Commissioners and community stakeholders in upcoming community forums over the next month, before a new chief of police is announced in December. The FPC welcomes and encourages the public to send communications and questions about the top three finalists to the FPC Offices via the FPC website at https://city.milwaukee.gov/fpc/Outreach/Public-Comment-Form- and/or by emailing the general FPC email address at fpc@milwaukee.gov.

author: Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission


text:
This MPS charter school is more than quadrupling the number of Wisconsin Black students taking the AP computer science exam | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
October 22, 2020
Milwaukee Excellence students are more than quadrupling the number of Black students in Wisconsin taking the computer science exam. Here a few students are shown taking part in Northwestern Mutual’s “hi, Tech” student outreach event. (Photo provided by Lita Mallett)
One school is single-handedly more than quadrupling the number of Black students taking Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles exam in Wisconsin.
Milwaukee Excellence Charter School, an MPS public charter school located at 4950 N. 24th St., is preparing its entire sophomore class of 102 Black students to take the AP Computer Science Principles exam.
Last year, only 23 Black students took the exam in the entire state.
Advanced Placement, or AP, courses are year-long rigorous high school classes culminating in an end-of-year exam in May. If students do well in these courses, they can get college credit before setting foot in college.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Last year, the percentage of Black students taking the AP Computer Science Principles exam in Wisconsin lagged behind neighboring states. In Wisconsin, only about 2.2% of students who took the exam were Black, according to AP exam data.
A background in computer science can lead to high-paying jobs in the near future, as computer system design is projected to be one of the fastest growing industries over the next 10 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Milwaukee Excellence computer science teacher Mark Taylor says future job security is a big benefit to learning computer science in high school, but even more important is the way it helps spur curiosity in general.
“It’s so essential to learn these skills right now,” Taylor said. “Even if not one student goes into computer science as a career or college degree, they’ll be better at whatever they want to do.”
Lita Mallett (center) and some of the 102 Milwaukee Excellence sophomores set to take the AP computer science exam in May. (Photo provided by Lita Mallett)
Giving her students options in life is personal for Milwaukee Excellence’s principal, Lita Mallett. Mallett grew up in Milwaukee before getting her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering at the University of Southern California.
Despite being a top student and scoring high on college admission tests, she recalled how her high school counselor didn’t even notify her that many Ivy League schools required supplemental SAT tests to apply.
“I didn’t get into any Ivy League schools because I wasn’t even aware of everything I needed to apply to them, whereas the white students in my school did get in,” Mallett said. “I don’t want life just happening to our students, I want them to have choices now and for the rest of their lives.”
Mallett also highlighted the importance of Black femalerole models in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, or STEM, fields.
Sophomore Aniyah McDonald noted the differences she feels working with Black teachers as a young Black woman.
“It’s really important to have a teacher that looks like me,” she said. “They’ve always been my favorite because they know how to connect with me. I feel more connected to my Blackness.”
McDonald is not necessarily interested in a career in computer science, preferring to become a teacher or psychologist instead.
However, she is already finding ways to use skills she’s learned in the class, starting with the computer game “Sims.”
“The darker skin tones in Sims are blotchy and discolored, with a bluish, greenish undertone,” McDonald said. “People who look like me still can’t really play as themselves, even though Black players have been asking for this to get fixed for years.”
Recently the game came out with a fix for this, but McDonald said she doesn’t notice a change. Before taking this class, she wanted to confirm that this was a problem with how the game is designed, not a problem with her individual computer. Now, she’s getting closer to an answer.
“They said something like ‘We fixed error number 2705,’” McDonald said. “I can’t do it yet, but eventually I want to use what I learn in this class to investigate where that error comes up in the code and learn more about why it’s messing up the darker skin tones.”

author: Sam Woods


text:
5 things to do and know the weekend of Oct. 24 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
October 23, 2020
Watch a short film featuring Metcalfe Park Community Bridges’ Danell Cross and Melody McCurtis by 371 Productions. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about as the nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “5 things” in the subject line by noon .
371 Productions recently produced  “Metcalfe Park: Black Vote Rising.” The short film follows Danell Cross and Melody McCurtis of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges as they work to encourage Metcalfe Park residents to use their voices and vote. The short film can be viewed on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Wisconsin Watch.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Community Heroes: Metcalfe Park organizers go digital with mass-texting and mutual aid during COVID-19 crisis
The Milwaukee Public Library is hosting virtual story time and programming for children in Spanish and English. The Spanish program will be held on Zoom from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 23. The English program will be held on Zoom and begin at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 23. The programs feature stories and songs and are designed to help children develop early literacy skills.
3. Pedal and paddle with Red Bike & Green Milwaukee
Red Bike & Green Milwaukee, along with its partners, is hosting a biking and kayaking event. The group will meet at the Lincoln Park Pavilion, 1301 W. Hampton Ave., at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24. The plan is to ride a few miles on the Oak Leaf Trail toward the Milwaukee River and then jump in some kayaks. There is a limited number of kayaks available.
Ald. Russell Stamper II is inviting residents to check out the Vliet Street pumpkin patch and pick up a free pumpkin. The patch will be at the Vliet Street Oasis, 3743 W. Vliet St., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24. There will be refreshments, including warm beverages and Pete’s Pops.
The Parklawn Assembly of God and Dream Team United MKE are hosting a community pop-up and grocery giveaway. The event will take place at Parklawn Assembly of God, 3725 N. Sherman Blvd., from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25. Food boxes and other products will be distributed.
Fireside reading circle of “Unlearn”
As part of the “See Me Because: Art Start Portrait Project Volume 8,” currently on display at Alice’s Garden, there will be a reading of the book, “Unlearn: 1010 Simple Truths for a Better Life” by Humble the Poet. The reading circle will take place at Alice’s Garden, 2136 N. 21st St., from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25. Books will be provided, but attendees are advised to bring a chair, wear a mask and layer up.
Service journalism for Milwaukee: News414
Earlier this year, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, Wisconsin Watch and Outlier Media launched News414. News414 is service journalism that works for and with Milwaukee residents to provide them with the information they need regarding housing, mental health and domestic violence, food security, health and safety and jobs and money. Join News414 today by texting MILWAUKEE to 73224.
Bonus: The latest coronavirus coverage from NNS
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service reporters are hard at work bringing readers up-to-date information regarding coronavirus. Stay informed on coronavirus by following us on our Facebook page and subscribing to our daily newsletter. All coronavirus related articles can be found on this landing page. If you have a question or concern about coronavirus, send them in our way. We’re here to serve you.

created: October 23, 2020

author: Ana Martinez-Ortiz


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 22, 2020


text:
MPS sees exodus of younger students: What this means for funding and why some parents are choosing to leave | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
October 23, 2020
Kindergarten enrollment in MPS schools plummeted this school year. (Photo provided by Milwaukee Public Schools)
Milwaukee Public Schools lost more than five times the number of students this school year than it did last year, and more than half were kids from kindergarten and younger.
On Oct. 15, the state Department of Public Instruction said the district’s enrollment count dropped this year by 2,335 students.
Enrollment numbers are collected statewide in a headcount on the third Friday of September. The Department of Public Instruction uses enrollment numbers as part of its formula for determining how much state aid the district will receive.
MPS’ enrollment has been declining steadily for years. The district lost 415 students in its September 2019 count compared with September 2018.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
MPS Chief Financial Officer Martha Kreitzman remains confident, however, that the district is in a stable place financially.
“The released enrollment counts and revenue limit for the district confirms Milwaukee Public Schools budget that was approved in the spring was reasonable.” Kreitzman said. “Our preliminary estimates show stability when compared to the spring budget in the total revenue provided through our greatest funding source, which is state aid and tax levy.”
MPS will not see any change in state funding from the declining enrollment until next July. This is because state funding for MPS was paid in July based in part on last year’s enrollment numbers.
While the decline in enrollment is not good news for the future of MPS’ funding, a decline in state aid is not set in stone. Schools statewide will count enrollment again in January, and if that enrollment count is higher than September, the January number will be used.
Cody Loew, assistant director of the school financial services team at the Department of Public Instruction, said that usually enrollment figures are higher statewide in September than in January.
But if there was one school year that might buck this trend, this year could be it, he said.
Loew also said that because enrollment numbers were down for districts across the state, it’s difficult to predict how much state aid MPS will receive next year.
“It’s tough to quantify how much money MPS could, and I want to emphasize, could lose,” Loew said. “The way the formula works is that what happens to one district impacts all of the other districts in the state.”
Kindergarten and earlier ages accounted for the bulk of MPS’ overall enrollment decline, with 1,544 coming from kindergarten, 4K and pre-kindergarten, compared with a decline in enrollment of 791 from grades first through 12.
Kyla Lahaie enrolled her 5-year-old son in MPS’ Milwaukee French Immersion School at the beginning of this year. She said this decision was partly to explore her options but also to support public schools.
“Part of it was that there’s a stigma of using a private school, that we’re not being team players and taking money out of MPS and giving it to a private school,” Lahaie said.
After about a month, however, she transferred her son out of MPS to Tamarack Waldorf School, a private school.
Tamarack Waldorf is not teaching in-person, but Lahaie liked how the school emphasized asynchronous learning, or learning done on your own time, than synchronous learning, or learning that you do simultaneously with a whole class.
“I think at 5 they need social interaction, not rules and regulations and rigid schedules,” Lahaie said.
“I can’t let my child be that guinea pig,” she said. “I support MPS getting more funding, but I also need to choose what is best for my son right now.”


text:
Wisconsin GOP leaders made it harder to vote, especially for Black residents | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Claire Campbell and Laura Schultz (Wisconsin Watch)
October 23, 2020
Melody McCurtis and Danell Cross start their day early on a recent sunny Sunday morning going door to door in their neighborhood northwest of downtown Milwaukee. Leaders of the nonprofit Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, the mother and daughter make their way slowly along the route wearing masks and using a bullhorn to maintain distancing as they offer free food, household supplies — and information about how to vote.
At one home, the pair corner a young woman who prefers not to be named, dressed in a soiled apron and a black polo shirt as she heads to work. McCurtis and Cross know that if not for their efforts, she probably will not vote on Nov. 3.
“I don’t believe in voting. I feel like the higher-ups, they gonna pick the president,” she says, throwing up her hands.
After a few minutes, the woman finally concedes that she may vote, if only to get the pair off her porch. Cross tells her she will call again, and if she doesn’t pick up, they will be back at her front door.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“You got to get on her,” McCurtis tells her mother.
“I got to,” Cross says. “I gotta follow her.”
Metcalfe Park: Black Vote Rising is a 10-minute documentary produced by 371 Productions, in collaboration with The Intercept and Wisconsin Watch. The film follows Melody McCurtis and Danell Cross as they raise voter awareness in their Milwaukee community of Metcalfe Park.
Four years ago, lower turnout among Black voters in Milwaukee was named as a factor in President Donald Trump’s narrow 22,748-vote win over Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin. McCurtis and Cross are working to ensure that what happened to Milwaukee’s Black voters in the 2016 election does not get repeated.
An investigation based on leaked documents from the Trump campaign shows it used demographic data to systematically dissuade voters in Milwaukee’s primarily Black neighborhoods from participating in the election. The Channel 4 News analysis of the data found that Black voters made up a disproportionate share of the group identified as “deterrence” voters, or voters they sought to dissuade through Facebook ads.
In one Milwaukee voting ward, where 80% of the inhabitants are Black, 44% were marked for deterrence, the British news outlet found. Of that group, only 36% turned out to vote, according to the Channel 4 News analysis.
Brad Parscale, former senior advisor to the Trump campaign, denied in a 2018 PBS FRONTLINE interview that the campaign ever targeted the Black community.
These are not the only efforts that keep some people in the state from voting. Wisconsin — once one of the easiest states in which to vote — has steadily made it harder in the past decade under Republican control.
Voter ID. Shorter early voting windows. Extra hoops for college voters to jump through. Those and other hurdles disproportionately affect people of color, people with disabilities and college students. These are all steps Wisconsin’s Republican-run Legislature has taken in the name of preventing widespread voter fraud — a threat that experts agree is practically nonexistent.
Andrew Hitt, chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, defends these new laws in the name of election integrity.
“The policies that have been put in place are to make sure that there is no cheating, that there is no unfair practices going on,” Hitt said.
He disputes the mountain of research showing fraud is a rare problem, saying those studies are biased. “We have documented instances of voter fraud over the years,” Hitt said.
Jay Urban is an attorney representing plaintiffs with disabilities in one of four federal cases pending before the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to change rules for the November election to make voting easier during the pandemic. When asked to provide evidence of fraud, Republicans who intervened in the case were unable to do it, he said.
“I don’t think they are worried about that (fraud),” Urban said. “They’re sending a message that they don’t want certain votes to be cast. They don’t want certain votes to be counted. … They’re about math. More votes hurts their chances of keeping power.”
That is the calculation that McCurtis and Cross are fighting against. Cross agreed — voting is about power.
“I’m voting for Black life,” she said. “I’m voting for public officials to understand that Black votes do matter, and that they need to pay attention. And as we get our community invested in voting and building up that voting bloc … they gonna have to pay attention.”
Just in Gov. Scott Walker’s first term, the Republican-run Legislature passed 33 election law changes, according to a 2015 analysis by the Cap Times. As Walker’s time in office was winding down in December 2018, the Legislature met in a hastily called extraordinary session to limit incoming Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ powers.
Lawmakers also passed additional voting restrictions, including limiting in-person absentee balloting to two weeks before an election — hampering the weeks-long Souls to the Polls event that many Black churches in Milwaukee traditionally lead.
Now in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, voters also must contend with the fear of contracting the coronavirus.
Clerks across Wisconsin are increasing safe access to voting by adding drop boxes for absentee ballots. But Republicans are trying to block those efforts as well, citing unspecified potential voter fraud.
Wisconsin’s top Republican lawmakers — Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald — pressured the city of Madison to halt a voting initiative called Democracy in the Park, which allowed voters to register and drop off completed ballots at more than 200 city parks in Madison. They claimed in their letter the ballot dropoff was both “illegal” and “unsecure,” but Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe said the event did not break any law.
Despite the pressure from lawmakers, the event went ahead as scheduled on Sept. 26 and Oct. 3, collecting over 10,000 ballots. As of Oct. 16, Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl had early voting ballot drop boxes installed across the city.
Scot Schraufnagel, a professor of political science at Northern Illinois University and an expert in the ease of voting in each state, said Wisconsin no longer stands as a leader in voter accessibility. About half of the states, including Wisconsin, have made it harder to vote since 2010. Under GOP control, Wisconsin enacted one of the most restrictive photo ID laws in the country.
In 2018, Schraufnagel and his research team calculated the “cost of voting,” or how easy or difficult it is to vote in each state. The variables include registration deadlines, voter identification laws, number of poll hours and voting inconveniences such as no early voting or excuses required for absentee voting.
Their data show that in 10 years, from 1996 to 2016, Wisconsin slipped from 5th place to 22nd in terms of the ease of voting. Schraufnagel says that while the photo ID law is a major part of the reason for the state’s drop in the ranks, another issue is that there has been no successful legislative push to make voting easier.
“One could imagine that in 2020, Wisconsin will fall lower because they’re not keeping pace with the innovations,” Schraufnagel said, mentioning other states that have adopted measures such as automatically registering all eligible voters.
States at the top of Schraufnagel’s index such as Oregon, Colorado and California offer voters a wide array of options to cast their ballots, including generous early voting windows and easily accessible voting by mail. Many offer same-day registration — which Wisconsin has — but lack the strict photo ID requirement that Wisconsin also has.
“We had laws that were protecting our information and the security of our elections, but also made it easy for people to participate in the process,” said Analiese Eicher, former head of One Wisconsin Now, a progressive advocacy group, and current chair of the Dane County Board of Supervisors. “We used to be like the gold standard of voting.”
Despite those hurdles, Wisconsin routinely places as one of the top states nationally for election turnout, says Reid Magney, the Wisconsin Elections Commission spokesman. Magney says it is because Wisconsin does make it easy to vote in some ways, including same-day registration at the polls. Eileen Newcomer, Voter Education Manager of the Wisconsin League of Women Voters, also points to no-excuse absentee voting as another factor.
The Civic Health Index, which measures the degree to which citizens are engaged in local and state communities, confirms this high level of voter participation in Wisconsin.
According to data from the 2016 national election, 73% of eligible voters were registered in Wisconsin and 65% cast their ballots. That compared to the national average of 67% registered with 53% casting votes. This put the state in second place nationwide for voter turnout.
However, according to the same data, turnout in 2016 actually was low for Wisconsin, decreasing by about 40,000 votes from 2012 — a drop that was most pronounced in non-white communities. For example, from 2012 to 2016, Black voter turnout fell 19 points, while white voter turnout only dropped 2 points.
And in April, factors again conspired to lower turnout in Milwaukee, especially among Black voters. Researchers from the Brennan Center for Justice estimated that the decision to close all but five polling places and fear over contracting COVID-19 combined to cut Black voter turnout by nearly 16 percentage points.
As of Tuesday, a record-breaking 1.4 million Wisconsin voters had requested absentee ballots — thanks in part to the Elections Commission decision to send absentee ballot request forms to 2.6 million voters.
McCurtis is a plaintiff in one of four lawsuits pending before the U.S. Supreme Court that seek to allow ballots that are mailed in to be counted if they arrive up to six days after Nov. 3, so long as they are postmarked on or before Election Day.
David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, says mail-in voting is “really important” but can lead to errors that a voter may not have a chance to fix.
In the April 7 election, clerks rejected 23,000 ballots, including at least 13,000 with missing signatures and witness addresses. Wisconsin law does not require clerks to notify voters of such errors.
Advocates for people with disabilities also worry about absentee ballot errors. Jason Endres, the president of self-advocacy group People First Wisconsin, encourages people with disabilities to physically go to the polls so they can use accessible voting equipment. These accessible machines vary by county in type, but usually offer adjustable font sizes, audio ballot options and touch screen voting.
With these machines “you can’t go wrong — you can’t make a mistake,” Endres said.
Denise Jess, CEO of the Council for the Blind and Visually Impaired, says voting absentee can be really tough for people who cannot see because most municipalities in Wisconsin do not offer ballots in Braille. Visually impaired voters such as Don Natzke of Shorewood, Wisconsin, ended up not voting on April 7 because of lack of accommodation and fear of exposure to COVID-19.
“I’m very concerned that the civil rights and accomodations for people with disabilities in general may be sacrificed,” Jess said.
Many nursing home residents rely on the help of special voting deputies to come into residential facilities and assist with voting. However, this year, the Wisconsin Elections Commission voted to bar them from entering nursing homes for the sake of residents’ safety.
Commission member Mark Thomsen — who favors making voting as broadly available as possible — nonetheless voted with the other five members to ban special deputies from entering care facilities, calling the service “too dangerous.”
Wendy Heyn of the Disability Vote Coalition (DVC) says fear of Wisconsin’s rising infection rate is especially acute among people with disabilities. Her group has been pushing municipal clerks and facility directors to request absentee ballots on behalf of confined residents.
“We feel really concerned that a disproportionate amount of those voters might be disenfranchised,” Heyn said. “It’s a hard situation because we know the people in those facilities are at the greatest risk for this virus being catastrophic for them, and so as disability advocates, we want them to be safe, and yet we also want them to be able to exercise their right to vote.”
Urban echoed this concern, noting the long lines and poorly ventilated buildings like old schools and churches that are frequently used as polling sites. He said those factors could be especially dangerous for voters with disabilities. Said Urban: “Somebody on oxygen can’t wait three hours to vote.”
Wisconsin is one of 11 states to require that absentee voters return their ballot with a witness signature. While it is certainly safer to get a witness when there is not a pandemic, this presents a potential barrier for absentee voters even in regular elections.
This requirement can be a particular challenge for voters who live alone — or who do not live with other adult citizens, such as Heyn, whose partner is a German national.
“I have to go to my neighbors and have them witness it, because I don’t have an adult citizen living in my house. That’s an exposure risk. A lot of people live alone. If you’re quarantining alone, who do you have sign it?” Heyn said.
The Elections Commission recommends possible workarounds, such as having a witness watch through a window or video call, and then leave the ballot outside to be signed, or passing ballots at arm’s length through the windows of parked cars.
Hannah Fried, the National Campaign Director at All Voting Is Local, says the coronavirus crisis has “served to further expose the cracks in our voting systems.”
“There is a lot of work to be done here,” Fried added. “And what we cannot do now is accept existing problems in our voting systems being exacerbated by the current pandemic.”
As they make their way through streets lined with modest bungalows, McCurtis and Cross repeatedly hear from their neighbors that they do not trust the voting system, or their votes don’t matter.
Metcalfe Park resident Avis Wright needed no encouragement from Cross and McCurtis to vote. Normally a poll worker, Wright did not sign up this year because of the pandemic. She has already voted absentee.
“Voting is one of the most important things,” she said, “especially for us African-Americans … you know the vote is our voice. In a way, you don’t have no voice, you don’t exist.”
The nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism (wisconsinwatch.org) collaborates with Wisconsin Public Radio, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by the Center do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.


text:
DanellCross_Stathas_07-771×1156 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
October 21, 2020

author: Dwayne Burtin


text:
DemocracyInThePark-6-771×515 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
October 21, 2020


text:
DonNatzke-12-771×1155 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
October 21, 2020


text:
JayUrban_Stathas_07-771×514 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
October 21, 2020


text:
MelodyMcCurtis_Stathas_02-1170×780 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
October 21, 2020


text:
MelodyMcCurtis_Stathas_14-771×1156 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
October 21, 2020


text:
wisconsin_voters_04-771×514 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
October 21, 2020


text:
WATCH: The people behind 7 ‘Neighborhood Gems’ tell their stories | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 24, 2020
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service recently collaborated with Historic Milwaukee on “Neighborhood Gems: Behind the Scenes” for the annual Doors Open program.
The free digital event featured five-minute “lightning round” presentations from seven community projects: Visual Vibes on Villard, Artists Working in Education’s Silver City Artist-in-Residency with Sarah Gail Luther, Peace Gardens MKE, the murals on West Forest Home Avenue, Triciclo Péru, Pulaski Park and Neighborhood Tiles in Clarke Square.
Click here to watch the hour-long event.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!

created: October 24, 2020


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 23, 2020


text:
Post from Community: #MKEsingalong revived for Halloween by Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and community partners/ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wisconsin Conservatory of Music
October 25, 2020
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, and the pandemic cancelling traditional parties and trick-or-treating, who ya gonna call?
The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music — joined by three community partners — is reviving its Saturday night pandemic #MKEsingalong Facebook event on Oct. 31.
The song choice, naturally, is “Ghostbusters.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Event organizers are asking residents to share a smartphone video of themselves safely channeling Ghostbusters and singing the song in costume – by themselves, or with family and friends in their pandemic bubble — via social media on Saturday night, Oct. 31. The official time – when event co-host 88Nine RadioMilwaukee will play “Ghostbusters” on air for the sing-along – will be 7 p.m.  But videos can be shared anytime on social media with the #MKEsingalong hashtag.
The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, in partnership with Imagine MKE, 88Nine RadioMilwaukee, and Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, also is asking residents who normally would be spending money on candy for trick-or-treaters to donate $5 toward a recorder for a child – a simple musical wind instrument that can launch a musical journey.
A DONATION button can be found on the official “Milwaukee-Wide Window Sing-Along”Facebook event page, where you also can bookmark a reminder for yourself to participate and officially “join” the sing-along: https://www.facebook.com/events/1147751625620296/
When you post your “Ghostbusters” video on social media, be sure to tag it #MKEsingalong. Your video also can be shared more widely if you post it to the official Facebook event page and use the hashtag #MKEsingalong.
All donations will go toward the purchase of recorders for children in the Metcalfe Park neighborhood of Milwaukee, which has been hit especially hard by unemployment and illness during the pandemic. The recorders will be distributed through a vital care package initiative that has been going since March, organized by Metcalfe Park Community Bridges. (https://communityjournal.net/metcalfe-park-community-bridges-organizes-metcalfe-park-be-the-bridge-mutual-aid-initiative/).
The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music also will offer free online recorder lessons for any child who wants to learn recorder at its website, wcmusic.org.
The Conservatory first launched the #MKEsingalong virtual Facebook event in March and invited residents to sing the same song together each Saturday night for several weeks in a row as a sign of solidarity. Simply put, music brings people together. Community residents sang everything from “ABCs” by the Jackson Five to “Lean on Me” in honor of healthcare workers. Television stations across the country shared it.

created: October 25, 2020

author: Wisconsin Conservatory of Music


text:
5 things to do and know this week in Milwaukee: Oct. 26 to Oct. 31 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
October 26, 2020
The Fondy Farmers Market 2020 season is almost over. Check it out Tuesday, Oct. 27 and Thursday, Oct. 29. (NNS file photo)
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include the public comment sign-up link for the budget hearing.
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about as the nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “5 things” in the subject line by .
1. Fondy Farmers MarketThe season is almost over for the Fondy Farmers Market, 2200 W. Fond du Lac Ave. The market will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27 and Thursday, Oct. 29. Support local vendors and farmers before the market closes on Monday, Nov. 1. Check the Facebook page for changes.
2. Virtual step-by-step caravela paintingThe Farmhouse Paint Bar & Banquet Hall, 4511 S. 6th St., is hosting a virtual step-by-step painting lesson in which participants will paint a caravela. Participants can purchase tickets for the virtual class at $10 or for the complete package at $30, which includes supplies. Supplies can be picked up from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27. (Participants will be sent a pre-recorded class, but the event is scheduled for 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27. )
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The City of Milwaukee Office of Workforce Development is hosting a drive-through job fair at two locations. Those interested can attend the fair in the parking lots of Lincoln Park, 1301 W. Hampton Ave., and at Walgreens, 9040 W. Good Hope Rd., from noon to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28. The fair is for those seeking immediate employment opportunities and will feature employers from manufacturing, office, health care, retail, transportation and other sectors.
4. “Black Rhythm Happening”: A roundtable: Friday, Oct. 30
UW-Milwaukee’s C21: Center for 21st Century Studies is hosting a virtual roundtable discussion titled “Black Rhythm Happening.” The panelists will discuss blackness and cinema and the roles that aesthetic, historiographic and political capacities play in Black film. The discussion will be streamed live on the C21 website and YouTube channel from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30.
5. Milwaukee County budget hearingThe County Board of Supervisors is hosting a public hearing regarding the 2021 budget. The meeting will take place virtually starting at 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30. The meeting will be livestreamed here. If you would like to speak during the meeting, you can sign up here. Each person will be allowed two minutes to comment.
Service journalism for Milwaukee: News414
Earlier this year, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, Wisconsin Watch and Outlier Media launched News414. News414 is service journalism that works for and with Milwaukee residents to provide them with the information they need regarding housing, mental health and domestic violence, food security, health and safety and jobs and money. Join News414 today by texting MILWAUKEE to 73224.
The latest coronavirus coverage from NNS
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service reporters are hard at work bringing readers up-to-date information regarding coronavirus. Stay informed by following us on our Facebook page and subscribing to our daily newsletter. All coronavirus related articles can be found on this landing page. If you have a question or concern about coronavirus, send them in our way. We’re here to serve you.

created: October 26, 2020


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 25, 2020


text:
NNS wins national journalism award for ‘Best Solutions Project of the Year’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
October 26, 2020
Allison Dikanovic traveled to New York City to see what juvenile justice looks like in a state that has often been hailed as a model for how to treat young people. Here, youths eat lunch with staff members at a big family-style kitchen table at a limited-secure Close to Home facility in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Allison Dikanovic)
The Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service has won first place for “Best Solutions Project of the Year” in a national journalism contest for its reporting on the closing of the Lincoln Hill and Copper Lake youth prisons and the implications for Milwaukee.
Former NNS reporter Allison Dikanovic received a grant from the Solutions Journalism Network to travel to New York City to report this story. She visited two Close to Home youth justice facilities, two mentoring groups and met with various stakeholders in the system, including youths, parents, nonprofit organizations, advocates, researchers and city officials to learn about changes that New York made to its system.
The three-part series took top honors in the 2020 national LION Awards, which celebrate the best of independent online media across the U.S. and Canada.
“Allison Dikanovic worked tirelessly to give our readers a comprehensive look at what juvenile justice looks like in New York, and what it could look like in our city,” says Ron Smith, NNS editor. (Photo provided by Allison Dikanovic)
Sponsored by the Local Independent Online News Publishers group, the awards were judged by 30 judges from across the industry who evaluated 169 entries from LION members.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“A very important project that was well executed,” the judges said. “A truly exceptional example of solutions journalism, taking a pressing local problem, and displaying how other communities have solved it. While it remains to be seen whether or not Wisconsin takes on the model, this work leaves decision-makers few excuses on how to build a better model.”
Housed in the Diederich College of Communication at Marquette University, NNS is an independent nonprofit newsroom that emphasizes evidence-based journalism. Our staff is made up of professionals, student interns and a volunteer cohort from throughout Milwaukee who seek to tell the stories of the ordinary people who do extraordinary things in our neighborhoods.
While our work is free to read, our labor costs money. Please consider making a donation so that we can continue to deliver high-impact stories in our communities.
SPECIAL REPORT: A tale of two cities: How New York and Milwaukee approach juvenile justice
SPECIAL REPORT: A tale of two cities: New York juvenile justice program stresses ‘safety by relationships’
SPECIAL REPORT: A tale of two cities: New York providers credit ‘aftercare’ for helping youths transition home


text:
Post from Community: LIT’s High school art competition! | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Leaders Igniting Transformation
October 26, 2020
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Leaders Igniting Transformation has launched an Artist Activist competition for Milwaukee area high school students! As the presidential election approaches, we want to uplift the voices of Black and Brown artists. Participants are encouraged to submit artwork that highlights the importance of voting, democracy, and fighting for our communities. Whether you are eligible to vote or not, you have the power to impact our society.
Art submissions will be accepted from now until October 30th OR when we receive 32 submissions. LIT members will be the judges of the art pieces and will be selecting 3 lucky winners who will be announced in early November!
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
1st place: $250
2nd place: $150
3rd place: $75
Application and other details may be found HERE!
Please share with all high school students in your network!
For any questions, please contact Yaniliz via email yaniliz@litmke.org or by phone at 414-975-8939.

author: Leaders Igniting Transformation


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 26, 2020


text:
The NNS coronavirus update: What Milwaukee residents need to know the week of Oct. 26 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
October 26, 2020
The city of Milwaukee announced last week that it will begin enforcing its ordinances in restaurants and bars more strictly because of a surge in COVID-19 cases in the county. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include Milwaukee’s implementation of a new order starting Thursday.
Here’s the latest update on COVID-19 in Milwaukee and the resources you need to combat it.
New order goes into effect Thursday
The city of Milwaukee has issued a new order to go into effect Thursday, Oct. 29 aimed at controlling the spread of COVID-19.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The order limits public indoor gatherings to 10 people or fewer, not including employees. Public outdoor gatherings also are limited to 25 people or fewer, and religious and political gatherings are limited to 100 people at a time.
Bars and restaurants without a city-approved COVID safety plan will also be limited to 25% capacity. All patrons will have to be seated unless they are arriving, departing or using the restroom. Dance floors will also be closed for the duration of the order.
School sports will also be limited to intra-squad or intra-school unless a safety plan is approved by the health department. Any approved safety plan would require testing every three days. Schools will also be monitored for COVID safety and can continue with online instruction.
Grocery store capacity will also be limited to one person per 30 square feet of open floor space.
Mayor Tom Barrett announced last week during a media briefing that the city will begin issuing citations to bars and restaurants in Milwaukee that do not comply with the city’s health ordinances.
Barrett said the city had been taking an  education-based approach, but “now that we’re seven months into this, we think people are either with the program or they’re not with the program,” Barrett said. “So the educational period is essentially over.”
Meanwhile, Gov. Tony Evers’ 25% capacity limit for restaurant and bars remains in limbo after an appeals court suspended it again Friday.
A free testing site is opening this week at 1625 10 Ave.  in South Milwaukee, according to South Milwaukee Public Health Administrator Jackie Ove.
The new site will operate from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. The site offers drive-through testing for anyone in Milwaukee County. It is located at the previous Bucyrus Erie site in the city of South Milwaukee.
Ove said anyone who plans to visit the site should pre-register at Wisconsin Health Connect. Testing is free.
Dr. Ben Weston, director of medical services for the Milwaukee County Department of Emergency Management, said there were more people hospitalized with COVID-19 last week than at any other point during the pandemic.
Greenfield Health Commissioner Darren Rausch said there has been a spike in hospitalizations among the 80+ population. The disease, however, continues to affect every demographic, as another wave of COVID-19 has brought the highest seven-day averages for cases in both the city and suburbs at any point in the pandemic.
This is the third time the county has seen surges in COVID-19. The first was in April, the second in July and now a third spike in October.
Rausch said the city is currently averaging about 275 new cases a day. He said there has been an increase in positive cases across all age groups.
Interim health commissioner Marlaina Jackson noted last week that the city has seen a 10% positivity rate for COVID-19 tests. Jackson called the figure  a “red flag,” saying that it indicates that the spread of the virus is not as controlled as health officials would like.
Last week, the Milwaukee Health Department announced changes to its mask distribution plan based on demand at sites. The city has distributed 110,000 masks so far and plans to move masks into convenience stores, churches and shelters over the coming weeks.
To find out more, read this story from NNS.
On Oct. 21, the state reported its highest single-day death total from COVID-19. Forty-eight people died across Wisconsin.
Those 70 and older account for the most death totals.
The first patient was also admitted to the State Fair Park field hospital.
Read our story here.
To obtain a free mask, residents can visit these sites:
NNS reporters also gathered a list of where to buy locally made masks if you’re looking to show some local business love when masking up.
Check the City of Milwaukee Health Department’s website for the most updated facts and answers to questions about the mask ordinance.
Look here for up-to-date statistics on COVID-19 in the county. More precautions on how to stay safe and information on COVID-19 can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
Contact your health provider, call IMPACT 2-1-1 or take a look at the county’s testing site map to find a testing center near you. The free community testing sites at the Northwest Health Center, 7630 W. Mill Rd., and Southside Health Center, 1639 S. 23rd St., are now open and operating. Miller Park is now a testing site effective Oct. 19.
For more information on testing, including how to identify symptoms and when you should get tested, visit TestUpMKE.com. Available in English, Spanish, Hmong, Burmese and Arabic.
Check out our continuing coronavirus coverage.
Looking for more personalized direction to resources and information during the coronavirus crisis? Get connected with News414, a texting-based news resource from Milwaukee NNS, Wisconsin Watch and Outlier Media. You can text MILWAUKEE to 73224 and begin to receive free, personalized data via text messages.


text:
Election 2020: What voters with disabilities need to know about Nov. 3 election | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
October 27, 2020
There are a number of resources available for disabled voters in Milwaukee, including curbside voting and “indefinitely confined” voting. (File photo by Sue Vliet)
For voters with disabilities, it’s not always easy to cast a ballot.
But Barbara Beckert of Disability Rights Wisconsin is trying to change that.
Beckert, director of the organization’s Milwaukee office, works to ensure that disabled voters aren’t disenfranchised in the state.
Beckert and her organization normally audit polling places on Election Day with a checklist to ensure they are truly handicap accessible. This year, because of the pandemic, these audits are canceled. Beckert said there will still be accessibility checklists given to poll workers Nov. 3.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Beckert also works to connect disabled voters with resources they may need to complete the voting process.
She said the organization has trained thousands in Wisconsin, including nursing home staff and caregivers, to assist disabled voters.
One of the resources available to disabled voters is the option to qualify as “indefinitely confined.”
Indefinitely confined voters can apply for the status based on their own circumstance. Anyone who might have difficulty traveling outside of the home for an indefinite amount of time because of disability, age or infirmity can apply. This does not require permanent or total inability to travel outside the home.
Beckert said many older or disabled voters don’t drive or have driver’s licenses. This makes the lack of requirement for a photo ID especially important.
“They’re at high risk for COVID-19,” Beckert said. “Getting out to get a photo ID for voting right now is very tough.”
Beckert also said curbside voting is available to anyone who cannot enter the polling place because of a disability. State law requires that curbside voting be available at all polling locations.
Anyone who plans to vote curbside in Milwaukee can call 414-286-3693 on Election Day. Beckert encouraged voters who plan to use this service to phone ahead. Curbside voting also is available for early voting at all polling places.
For voters in other parts of the state, Beckert said they should contact their municipal clerk. Voters can find their municipal clerk on this webpage.
Beckert also said a car is not required for curbside voting.
“Not everyone is going to be driving up,” Beckert said. “Some people will be coming in a power chair and some people will be walking.”
Beckert said there are special, accessible voting machines with special keyboards that can be used for people who need assistive technology. For instance, a blind person can use the assistive technology to have the ballot read to them so they can cast a vote.
In Milwaukee, these are AutoMark machines that are available to people with vision, hearing or physical disabilities.
Every polling place in Milwaukee has an AutoMark machine. People with disabilities who vote in person can also request assistance from poll workers.
Beckert said that it’s important for people with disabilities to be able to be independent and cast their own ballot. She’s heard stories about people who don’t want family members to fill out ballots for them because they don’t share the same political beliefs.
: 844-DIS-VOTE / 844-347-8683
Wisconsin Election Commission Accessibility Information for Clerks
Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition  Disability Vote Coalition 2020 Elections Voting FAQ
Election 2020: What you need to know to vote on Nov. 3
There’s still time to vote absentee in Milwaukee. Here’s how to do it.
What you need to know now about mail-in voting in Wisconsin
News414 Instagram story on voting absentee

created: October 27, 2020


text:
First Stage’s latest play explores Milwaukee’s history, ‘warts and all’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
October 27, 2020
“The Quest for Solomon’s Treasure,” First Stage’s first virtual web series, explores Milwaukee’s history “Goonies” style with a treasure hunt. (Photo provided by First Stage)
When the pandemic arrived, businesses across the globe were forced to rethink how they connected with people, and First Stage, Milwaukee’s children theater, was no exception.
Earlier this year, the company decided to have a virtual season and embrace the challenges and opportunities that came with it.
Recently, First Stage launched its latest play, a web series consisting of seven episodes titled, “The Quest for Solomon’s Treasure.” It began streaming on Oct. 4 and will conclude on Sunday, Nov. 15 but be available to watch through May.
The play follows six young Milwaukeeans as they team up to solve the clues and find the treasure. The story begins with Frannie, played by Lina Singh, after she discovers a book filled with her grandpa’s notes regarding the location of Solomon Juneau’s treasure, which was stolen from him.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
In each episode, the friends try to solve the puzzle in a hunt that takes them all over Milwaukee. Every clue alludes to a piece of Milwaukee’s history.
The play was written by First Stage’s John Maclay and directed by First Stage alum Jeremy Tardy.
The idea behind the story came from Jeff Frank, First Stage’s longtime artistic director. Frank, 55, was inspired by films such as “The Goonies” and “National Treasure” and had long wanted to create a treasure hunt-type story based in Milwaukee.
“When we made the decision to have an all-virtual season, we looked for a play that had the digital format in mind,” said Frank. “We wanted something that would engage audiences.”
Milwaukee has a rich history, Frank explained, and the hope was to create a play that would encourage viewers to explore it for themselves. Each week, audience members receive a clue about the treasure and are tasked with finding the answer.
First Stage alum Jeremy Tardy returned to direct the play at the company that helped launch his career. (Photo by Sarah Lipo)
Already, a woman reached out to tell him that her family watched the first episode and that her daughter is busy searching for the answer.
“We learn from our history how to better move forward,” Frank said, noting the conscious effort to represent all of Milwaukee. “There’s a balance. I think everything we do now as artists has to be conscious.”
Maclay, 48, said the play’s protagonists investigate certain neighborhoods, including Downtown, Bay View, Walker’s Point, Bronzeville, the East and North sides and more. Maclay and Frank had previously collaborated on “Nancy Drew and Her Biggest Case Ever” in addition to several other original plays.
The play “deals with a number of things but it takes a look at Milwaukee, warts and all,” Maclay said.
While Frank, Maclay and Tardy all did their own research on Milwaukee’s history, they also relied on noted historian John Gurda, who read multiple drafts of the play.
Frank and Maclay both noted that it was Tardy who took the production to the next level. Tardy turned the play into something more than a Zoom meeting, Maclay said.
Tardy, 29, got involved with the series after receiving a text from Frank asking if he’d like to direct the project.
“I always loved working with First Stage, and it was my first time working with First Stage as an adult,” Tardy said.
After leaving First Stage, Tardy went on to perform in Netflix’s “Dear White People,” “68 Whiskey,”  and “Ballers.”  Tardy said First Stage provided him with his first theater experience and set him on the path to be a professional actor. Returning to the (albeit virtual) stage was a full circle moment for him.
Tardy helped the young actors with memorization techniques and technical adjustments. Being on screen is different than being on stage, he explained.
The team took care to follow Screen Actor Guild safety protocols and guidelines. This meant that actors recorded their parts solo while the technical team donned masks. The actors also relied on a green screen to explore Milwaukee. In spite of the challenges, Tardy is proud of the final product.
“The quality and look of this production don’t reflect the budget,” Tardy said. “It doesn’t look like a small budget production.”
To make the show possible, the cast and crew relied on community members and ingenuity.
Frank noted that the challenges of creating a virtual production during a pandemic taught the team the power of imagination and the ability to move forward. It is a lesson that applies to these current times, Frank said.
“We hope that theater provokes thought and action and provokes people forward,” Frank said.
Ticket prices begin at $12 for one to two viewers. There is also the option to purchase the family all-access pass for the season starting with the basic package, which costs $200. For additional information, click here.


text:
Post from Community: Biden-Harris mural installations highlight local Black artists in eight critical states | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
LaToya Evans
October 27, 2020
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
As part of the Biden Harris campaign’s GOTV efforts, the campaign has commissioned eight Black artists to create inspirational murals in predominantly minority communities across the United States. The murals – placed in pivotal battleground states including Wisconsin, Michigan, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia and North Carolina for the 2020 election – have brought attention of activists, celebrities and local officials as they help to encourage communities of color to vote.
“We need a leader who is strong, shows strong leadership in his actions” Artist Tia Richardson
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Each artist is local to the area where the murals were created, and the pieces showcase their individual interpretation of the importance of exercising the right to vote in this year’s decisive presidential election.
Illustrating the importance of political art in national campaigns, the hand-painted mural in Miami has been featured as the centerpiece of several ‘Get Out the Vote’ block parties. Basketball legend Magic Johnson filmed a campaign ad in front of the Detroit mural.
The artists represent the diversity of the Black community, from women and immigrants to small business owners.
About Each Artist and Mural Location
Tia Richardson – Milwaukee: as full-time community mural artist, Richardson works with people from all walks of life to share their perspectives together through murals.  Her mural of Harris, Biden and John Lewis named “Pursuing the Vision” is located at 5231 North 35th Street.
Shawn Perkins – Detroit: With the nickname “SP the Plug,” Shawn loves to trademark most pieces with an electrical outlet or plug of some sort. An acronym for “Painting a Legacy Under God,” it represents how he uses his art to connect with others. His mural is located at 19344 Livernois Street.
Johnathan Desrosiers – Miami: As a Haitian-American, Johnathan says this mural commission featuring Joe Biden and Kamala Harris is one of the most important pieces of his life. His art is a testament of the influences that drive him today. The hand-painted mural stands in the Liberty City section of Miami at 2550 NW 205th Avenue.
Chukwunonso Ofili – Houston: A multi-faceted artist and entertainer based in Houston, Texas, Ofili’s Art is centered around images of Afrocentric culture. The desire to expand the taste and reach of his culture has driven him to be a tireless supporter of the arts and artistic expression especially in the African diaspora community. The mural is hand-painted and located at 3206 Lyons Avenue.
Ernel Martinez – Philadelphia:  Born in Belize and raised in both South Central Los Angeles and Detroit, Ernel believes that art enriches communities and is the path to true collaboration. His introduction to the art world came in the form of graffiti and developed by earning his Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Pennsylvania.  Since 2003, Ernel has been creating public art in the city of Philadelphia, and working with various non-profits and social services to provide art to disenfranchised youth. His mural is as spin on the famous Philadelphia LOVE statue and is located at 725 S. Broad Street.
Isaiah Williams – Cleveland: a consistent and prolific practitioner of expression through art, is a self-taught artist who is always finding ways to expand his creative arsenal and learn more tricks of the trade. He routinely seeks ways to inspire the youth and bring the community together. His mural is located at 5808 Clark Avenue.
Joseph McKinney – Atlanta:  a self-taught painter from Cincinnati, Ohio who currently resides in Atlanta, Joseph’s art career began after graduating from The Ohio State University with a degree in Business Marketing and working at American Greeting Cards. Today, he is a full-time artist creating paintings to represent stories that evoke those emotions and encourage users to embrace the prospects of change. The mural is located at 537 Joseph E. Boone Boulevard.
Antoine Williams – Durham: Antoine Williams’ mixed-media work is known for investigating themes of power, the body and the monstrous. Antoine has created his own mythology of social monsters about the complexities of contemporary Black life. A graduate of the University of North Carolina, Antoine is an artist-educator. He helped start the God City Art Collective in Charlotte, where he participated in a number of socially engaged,  community-based art projects, such as pop-up art shows, after school art programs, underground rap concerts, and film festivals. His mural is located at 112 West Main Street.

author: LaToya Evans


text:
Post from Community: Milwaukee Public Schools adds hours to Stop, Grab & Go | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
October 27, 2020
(Photo by Adam Carr)
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) is adding hours for students and families to pick up meals at Stop, Grab & Go locations. Currently, meals are available on school days from 11:00 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. Starting today, students and community members 18 years old and under will also be able to pick up meals from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the following locations:
North Division High School
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
1011 W. Center St.
Milwaukee, WI 53206
Barack Obama School of Career and Technical Education
5075 N. Sherman Blvd.
Milwaukee, WI 53209
South Division High School
1515 W. Lapham Blvd.
Milwaukee, WI 53204
“These additional hours will help ensure all our students have access to meals while our school buildings remain closed,” MPS Superintendent Dr. Keith P. Posley said. “As we navigate this pandemic, we will continue to serve nutritious meals while educating our young people.”
A family member may pick up meals for children by bringing the following information:
Each school day, Milwaukee Public Schools will continue to operate each of the 50 Stop, Grab & Go locations throughout the district. Visit the MPS Stop, Grab, & Go webpage for additional information and a complete list of sites.

author: Milwaukee Public Schools


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 27, 2020


text:
Election 2020: How to safely cast your ballot Nov. 3 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
October 28, 2020
If you’re planning on voting in person on Nov. 3, you might have concerns about whether it’s safe to do so in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There are many precautions you can take to ensure your ballot is cast safely, and there are also measures being taken at polling places to help keep voters safe.
Bryan Johnston, a family physician who practices on the North Side, encourages people to vote by absentee ballot, or early at polling places, if possible. Johnston said these are the safest methods, and it’s also guaranteed your vote will be received.
“Do it early,” Johnston said. “It’s less crowded, and there’s shorter lines.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
It may already be too late to vote by mail.  Meagan Wolfe, administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, told the Journal Sentinel in September that it could take up to seven days for your ballot to arrive at your municipal clerk’s office.
Tuesday was seven days before the election, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that ballots that arrive after Nov. 3 can’t be counted in Wisconsin.
One reliable method for early voting, though, is to drop your absentee ballot off at a drop box, located at one of the Milwaukee library branches, as well as the City Hall complex and one other site at 1901 S.  Kinnickinnic Ave.
If someone develops symptoms of COVID-19 before the election, they’ll face additional barriers to voting.
Johnston said that while health professionals don’t normally advocate for wearing N95 masks because of how difficult it is to get them, this would be a situation where he would urge people to wear them if they have them.
N95 masks, which are more expensive than normal cloth masks, can help keep the wearer safe from breathing the airborne particles containing the coronavirus. These masks are different from cloth and disposable masks, which prevent the wearer from spreading the disease but don’t protect them from catching it.
Johnston said there’s no reliable way to get N95 masks, but hardware stores may have some available.
The Milwaukee Election Commission is taking precautions at its 173 polling locations across the city.
There will be social distancing at polling locations, as well as Plexiglas dividers between voters and poll workers. Surfaces will be disinfected periodically, including voting booths.
Voters are even encouraged to bring their own pens — and they’ll be required to sanitize their hands before signing the poll book.
Masks will also be required at all polling places, though voters may be asked to remove or lower their masks briefly to confirm their identity at the polling place. Voters may also be asked to set their photo identification down and back up to maintain distancing.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission states that because of extra safety precautions, it may take extra time to cast your vote this year. It encourages people to show up early to vote and to be patient.
It also strongly recommends that voters do a health self-check before leaving for the polls to ensure that they are not spreading the virus.
The commission recommends anyone who is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 contact his or her municipal clerk to find out about arranging curbside voting. The commission also suggests this option for people who have been in contact with someone who has COVID-19.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these are the main symptoms of COVID-19: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea.
Curbside voting also is an option for people who are immunocompromised or disabled that may have difficulty entering their polling place, as NNS reporting noted here. Voters who want to inquire about curbside voting should contact their municipal clerk to set up an appointment. You can find your municipal clerk here.
People voting curbside can call (414) 286-3963 on or before Election Day in Milwaukee to make poll workers aware that they’re coming.
Johnston said he hopes that people will be responsive to the safety measures, but if they aren’t, he urges other voters to bring it to the attention of workers at the polling places.
Election 2020: What voters with disabilities need to know about Nov. 3 election
Election 2020: What you need to know to vote on Nov. 3
What you need to know now about mail-in voting in Wisconsin

created: October 28, 2020


text:
49754785206_a18c55fbc0_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
October 27, 2020


text:
How students of color are becoming the agents of change in Milwaukee public schools | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
October 28, 2020
This dispatch is part of a series called  “On the Ground” with Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project.
Students, teachers and community members rallied in front of the Milwaukee Public Schools’ central office on June 17 to call for an end to the school district’s contract with the Milwaukee Police Department.
Hundreds of people gathered in a chant led by Leaders Igniting Transformation, or LIT, an organization led by young people of color, lending a unified voice of dissent to an increasingly prevalent issue: police officers in learning environments. The presence of police officers on campus has a particularly negative effect on students of color, and could lead to a school-to-prison pipeline, according to the group’s recent report, jointly authored by the Center for Popular Democracy.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Milwaukee Public Schools is the largest school district in the state, with about 75,000 students — nearly 90% of whom are students of color. The district had set aside nearly one million dollars for police contracts in the 2019-20 school year, when the overall budget was more than $1.2 billion.
A day after the rally, the school board voted unanimously to end contracts with the city police department, a major victory for LIT and its mostly Black and brown student leaders.
One of them is Priyana Cabraal, a high school junior who’s learning the ins and outs of public policy while attending school board meetings and organizing rallies. Cabraal is a fellow for LIT, which focuses on leadership development through electoral organizing and direct action.
“We do a lot of organizing and planning that people wouldn’t attribute to us,” said Cabraal, who joined the group because she saw women of color making a difference in her community.
Founded in 2017, LIT organizes young people on campuses and in communities across Milwaukee to “build independent political power for social, racial and economic justice,” according to the nonprofit’s website.
Kris English, a sophomore at Milwaukee Public Schools, is a LIT fellow like Cabraal and got involved because he wanted to take action.
“I feel like I am changing things for the next generation,” English said.
And Yaniiz Rosario, 19, joined the organization because she wanted young people to be part of the fabric of change and representation within their communities. Rosario has seen what voter apathy looks like in Milwaukee, she said, noting that many people think their vote doesn’t matter because nobody reached out to teach them how to vote or how to decide on a candidate.
“I organize people to advocate for themselves,” Rosario said. “Teach them to get their voices heard and respected.”
Rosario works with LIT to promote establishing polling places on college campuses, expanding early voting hours and locations, as well as recruitment of bilingual poll workers (Spanish and Hmong). Perhaps most importantly, the group works with local officials to ensure that redistricting will not dilute the vote for communities of color.
“There are so many barriers in the voting process put in place for a reason,” said Cabraal. “Your vote can change something and even though I can’t vote yet, I’d like to see that change.”
This kind of activism is not new to Milwaukee, where local civil rights activists marched for more than 200 days during the high-profile fair housing marches of 1967. The members of LIT – as the youth in Milwaukee have long done – are drawing on that history to amplify their voices in upcoming elections, and in turn amplify the voices within their communities. They carry on a tradition of participation in the democratic process even before being eligible to vote, maintaining a precedent for civic duty and action in a city proud of its political engagement.
Young people are in the spotlight of social justice more than ever, according to Sharlen Moore, the executive director of Urban Underground, which has been working with youth to build safe and sustainable communities through youth-led social justice campaigns in the areas of health, education, and public safety.
“Life circumstances like the death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor catapulted inequities in people’s faces,” said Moore, whose organization has been fighting for juvenile justice reform for over 20 years. “Things that people have been working on for decades are being highlighted and youth are at the core of that.”
During the 2018 election, LIT volunteers knocked on more than 35,000 doors and collected over 10,000 voter pledge cards, according to executive director Dakota Hall.
Cendi Trujillo Tena is LIT’s high school organizing director and has been with the group since its beginning. In her experience, young people have the tools to make a change, but they need guidance in learning to advocate for themselves.
“I am hopeful that today’s young people are much more radical, more intersectional and more receptive than their elders,” she said.
Through this work, high school fellows English and Cabraal are being trained to become organizers.
“We organized a rally and had around 500 people come out,” said English.
Though not all LIT fellows plan to make organizing their long term career, the advocacy and civic engagement training the group provides will develop skills in them they can carry into their respective futures.
English aspires to be a professional basketball player after high school and still hopes to be active in his community.
Cabraal plans to study political science, become a defense attorney and eventually run for Congress.
“The goal is to create politically educated Black and brown youth that will become leaders, organizers and activists,” said Amanda Avalos, LIT’s senior civic director. “And they will work with the aim of dismantling systems that harm them.”


text:
IMG_1431002-e1599669545416 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
October 26, 2020


text:
IMG_15771-e1599669463533 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
October 26, 2020


text:
IMG_15781-1024×1024 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
October 26, 2020


text:
IMG_31781-e1599669655972-999×1024 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
October 26, 2020


text:
LIT15-1024×683 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
October 26, 2020


text:
LIT2-1024×683 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
October 26, 2020


text:
LIT3-1024×683 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
October 26, 2020