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Low-income car owners rely on street mechanics to remain mobile | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
May 9, 2014
Mitchell Aaron performs auto maintenance on Michelle Taylor’s maroon Suzuki sedan. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
This is part of an ongoing series of articles that put a face on the poor in Milwaukee, 50 years after President Lyndon Johnson declared a “war on poverty.”
Smoke rose from underneath the hood as a faint stench of burnt oil came from the Buick Regal.
It was 1:30 p.m. on a sunny Saturday. Sequoia Raymond, sporting camouflage high heels, was headed out to celebrate her 22nd birthday over lunch with friends and family when she began to smell the ominous “tar burning” odor of car trouble.
“It’s a downfall. This ruins my life,” said Raymond, who dreaded the prospect of public transportation, especially after a trusted relative recently replaced the brakes and a water pump.
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But rather than calling a tow truck or a service repair shop, which would have emptied her already light pocketbook, the health care worker dialed Erik Hill, a close friend and laid-off mechanic.
Within a few moments, Hill arrived near the corner of 34th Street and North Avenue and had his head under the teal sedan’s hood, casually pointing to engine parts with a lit cigarette between his right index and middle fingers.
“Your radiator is busted,” Hill said emphatically as the conversation with Raymond quickly turned to planning the necessary fix.
Ways to save, make money
Similar scenes depicting arrangements between poor central-city car owners and street mechanics trying to make ends meet played themselves out over the next hour within a 2-mile radius. For car owners, these arrangements mean much less expensive auto repairs and maintenance compared to what it would cost in a repair shop or auto dealership. For the street mechanic, they mean income.
“It saves you a lot of money when you can fix your own car versus taking it into the shop,” Hill said. “I charge, but I don’t charge an arm and a leg for doing the work.”
Savvy street mechanics, like Hill, keep a close eye on what Milwaukee repair shops are charging for labor — generally from $80 to $90 an hour — making sure their prices are much less. They also take advantage of free estimates and diagnostic work offered by repair shops. Once they learn what is wrong with the vehicle, they buy the parts and repair it on their own.
A street mechanic waits for a job at a local auto parts store. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
Street mechanic waits
Five minutes later at the corner of 25th Street and North Avenue, a freckled out-of-work mechanic sat against a brick wall on a bag of tools and his coat. The 57-year-old, who had just landed a repair job through word of mouth, was waiting at the AutoZone, 2475 W. North Ave., for a customer to arrive with his vehicle.
“I got to eat. I have to work. I have no other choice, that’s my skill,” said Rick, 57, who asked that his last name not be published.
Rick’s oil-blackened hands are crippled from debilitating arthritis.
“No matter how bad I hurt, I still got to come out here and make money,” he said. Rick has been denied Social Security disability benefits.
Rick planned to inspect the car and then have the owner buy the parts inside the store. He would charge his going rate, about $50 or $60, for his labor. A warranty, guarantee or receipt does not come along with these types of street deals, just a handshake and the mechanic’s word, he said.
The work can be “dangerous and stressful,” Rick said. A fellow mechanic recently got “cut up so bad he almost died” and a few months ago Rick got into his own treacherous situation, he said.
“The kid pulled off with the hood still up on the car down the street so he could keep from frickin’ paying me,” Rick said. “Sometimes out here on the street, you can’t defuse the situation and it becomes a life-threatening matter.”
The young car owner turned thief stiffed Rick the $40 he charged in labor to fix a 1998 Saturn and another $45 for a small part, a job that would have cost hundreds of dollars at a repair shop.
Rick did not give chase.
“If I chased him and he had an accident, that’s on my conscious,” he said. “I still would like my money, but it wasn’t worth putting his life in danger. I did the right thing.”
Street mechanics also have to watch for the police as it is against the law to fix or maintain motor vehicles on Milwaukee streets. If caught, they risk a fine up to $100.
“They don’t want any money moving that they don’t get tax on,” Rick said. “So it’s illegal to work on the street and it’s illegal to work in your garage that you own. It’s still a good ole’ boys system.”
Reliable service from a friend
As Rick waited seven blocks to the west, two legs in shorts stuck out from underneath Michelle Taylor’s maroon Suzuki sedan as rhythmic rap music rang from a nearby house in the 2200 block of North 18th Street.
The oil and filter change would have cost from $30 to $100 down the street at an auto repair shop, but the man who attended to the vehicle, Mitchell Aaron, 20, charged only a few dollars for the supplies. The labor was free for his friend.
“The money means a lot. With where gas prices are in the city, it means a whole lot,” said Taylor, an unemployed 25-year-old, whose job prospects multiply by having a reliable automobile.
Taylor trusted Aaron to do routine maintenance better than an auto mechanic that she has never met, noting that when she goes into a shop, she is one of many competing for the mechanic’s time and attention.
“This is my baby. It’s nice to know someone who knows what they are doing,” Taylor said.
Must remain mobile
At 2:30 p.m., the rapping of a metal wrench onto a steel part echoed against a nearby brick wall at the corner of Center and 35th streets. Kendale Coats was on his knees, trying to remove a broken part from near the brake on the driver’s side front wheel of his silver 1994 Chrysler LHS.
The repair, if he took it to a shop, would have cost about $1,000, money that he could not imagine having, let alone spending on his automobile. Instead, the 50-year-old Coats, who has been repairing cars since he was 15, went to a local junkyard where he bought the part for $70.
Time was of the essence for Coats. He needed to complete the repair before Monday, when he was due back at work loading and unloading trucks at a Mequon company, where he makes $12 an hour.
“They don’t have a bus out there, so I have to have a vehicle to get to work,” said Coats, who keeps a pile of tools and an orange traffic cone in his trunk just in case his car breaks down while on the road.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 8, 2014

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Adam Carr


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Public weighs in on youth and poverty | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Social Development Commission
May 12, 2014
Residents provided feedback on a troubling trend in Milwaukee County… the tie between youth and poverty.
The local residents and representatives from area organizations working with young people took part in a pair of public forums held by the SDC Task Force on Youth and Poverty.  They heard how many children are living in poverty in the Milwaukee area including statistics that show the City of Milwaukee has the third highest rate (53%) of children living in a household with no parent who is fully employed.
The hearings were held at Journey House on the Southside and Hillside Family Resource Center on the Northside.  They attracted persons who shared their thoughts and suggestions on the problem.  The events were set up to solicit idea from members of the public for the Task Force.  That group headed by SDC Commissioners Gary Williams and Demond Means includes representatives from community organizations and governmental agencies. Its goal is to gather information on the problem and draw up recommendations for SDC as well as policy-makers on the city, county and state levels.
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Concerns and suggestions shared by the public at the two sessions included looking at the impact of trauma on youth, barriers for ex-offenders and the effect on their children, cuts in public education funding, improving children’s self-image, and how to better engage youth in the process of understanding how poverty is harming them.  One commonly made observation from residents at both forums was that while many resources exist to help low-income families and especially youth, they often work in isolation from each other and that there is a pressing need to coordinate them so they have a greater impact.
Milwaukee Alderman Ashanti Hamilton attended the Hillside hearing and thanked other participants for their ideas. He said that policies put in place by governmental bodies have a real impact on poverty among young people.  He said he looks forward to hearing the recommendations from the Task Force on what the City can do differently.  Group Co-Chairs Means and Williams said after the public hearings that they were impressed with the depth and breadth of the advice provided and that they plan to put on additional opportunities in the near future to gather even more public input.
To learn more about the Youth and Poverty Task Force at the agency, visit the SDC website located at www.cr-sdc.org.

author: Social Development Commission


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 12, 2014


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Fulfill The Promise — May 17, 2014 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Arts@Large
May 15, 2014


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Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity’s 30th build season now in full swing | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity
May 15, 2014
A crew of more than 100 volunteers came together in the Washington Park neighborhood this week to launch Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity’s 30th year of building homes, community and hope at the annual “Blitz Build.” During this May building session, Habitat will add six owner-occupied houses to a block that is already home to seven Habitat families – boosting the homeownership rate to nearly 75 percent. For the third year in a row, the Brewers Community Foundation is the event’s presenting sponsor, and has teamed up with Ryan Braun and the Brewers Wives to provide a $50,000 donation toward the build.
Today, community volunteers worked alongside members of the Brewers organization to help build a new home at 2134 North 38th Street. Four Milwaukee Brewers players exchanged their bats for hammers – Ryan Braun, Matt Garza, Logan Schafer and Kyle Lohse. They were joined by Ron and Karen Roenicke, Brewers Wives, Cecelia Gore, executive director of the Brewers Community Foundation, and Habitat homeowner, Monique Davis.
“We are proud to be the lead sponsor of Habitat’s first Blitz Build of the year,” said Gore. “Since this partnership started, we have seen how much hard work these families put into building their homes, and also the joy and pride they feel when they become homeowners. We’re excited to be part of that again, and glad that we can provide this opportunity for more families in Milwaukee.”
Milwaukee Habitat is equally excited to welcome the Brewers organization back to the build site. “We are very grateful for the Brewers Community Foundation’s ongoing support of our mission,” said Brian Sonderman, executive director of Milwaukee Habitat. “Their willingness to support our families – not just through sponsorship, but also by volunteering alongside our families and staff – shows a tremendous commitment to building a better Milwaukee for everyone.”
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For the past 30 years, Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity and its corps of dedicated volunteers has partnered with low-income families to build homes and stabilize communities. In 2013, the organization launched a Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (NRI), and is now concentrating its work in Washington Park to make a significant, sustainable impact on the neighborhood’s housing conditions and property values.
Through the NRI, Milwaukee Habitat has expanded its programs beyond new construction to include affordable home repairs and rehabs, and community development projects. The goal of building community as well as homes can be seen in the projects scheduled for the May Blitz Build:
Milwaukee Habitat will frame four new single-family homes, supported by partnerships with the Brewers Community Foundation, Thrivent Financial, and Potawatomi Bingo Casino’s Miracle on Canal Street.
Wells Fargo is sponsoring one of two complete rehabilitation projects that Habitat plans to start this spring on the 2100 block of North 38th Street. Volunteers will begin the work of turning city-owned vacant foreclosures into safe, decent, affordable houses.
Volunteers will participate in a range of activities to help beautify the neighborhood and deter crime, in partnership with the Victory Garden Initiative.
While Milwaukee Habitat has broadened its focus to neighborhood revitalization, the organization’s core mission remains to provide affordable housing opportunities for hardworking families. Last year, sponsorship from the Brewers Community Foundation, Ryan Braun, and the Brewers Wives made it possible for Salvador and Dalia Villalobos to achieve their goal of providing a stable home for their three children. After completing their “sweat equity” hours, the Villalobos closed on their new home in January and became Milwaukee Habitat’s first homeowners of 2014.
“It’s great to have the chance to give back to the Milwaukee community,” said Braun. “I’m happy to continue partnering with Habitat for Humanity so that more families have the chance to build homes and give their kids a safe place to grow up.”

author: Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity


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Recognize Women’s Health Week By Quitting Smoking | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Emme Chavez
May 15, 2014
The celebration of Mothers kicked off Women’s Health Week in May (11-17). We’re urging women to take precautionary measures that will result in longer healthy lives. One way to improve your health is by quitting smoking.
According to the 2012 Wisconsin Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS), a fifth of women in Wisconsin currently smoke.  In addition, 13% of Wisconsin women smoke during pregnancy—more than the national average. According to the last Surgeon General’s Report, women are also more likely than men to die from smoking. This is especially significant in Latino communities like the South Side of Milwaukee, as a half of Hispanic women who start smoking never quit.
Another startling statistic from the new Surgeon General’s Report is that women who smoke are up to 40 times more likely to develop COPD (which includes lung diseases like chronic bronchitis and emphysema) than women who don’t smoke.
The benefits of quitting are immediate and lasting and include lower blood pressure, improved circulation and lung function, as well as practical benefits like having more energy, smoother skin and even smelling better.
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Officials from the Wisconsin Hispanic Tobacco Prevention Network are encouraging women who smoke to talk to their doctor or take advantage of free assistance provided in Wisconsin.  Quitting smoking will be the best decision you ever made; help is available by calling 1-800-QUIT NOWsaid Tina Rivera, Tobacco Prevention Manager at UMOS.  “Quitting smoking is not easy, but you don’t have to do it alone,” Rivera added.

author: Emme Chavez


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Residents debate effect of Beerline Trail extension into Harambee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
May 15, 2014
The Beerline Trail project, which began in 2002 and opened in 2010, is being extended northwest into Harambee. Spanning the block between Holton and Buffum streets, the initial piece of the extension, dubbed “the artery,” is the first step in an effort to continue the Riverwest trail all the way to Capitol Drive.
Keith Hayes, field designer for the project, said he hopes the trail can become the “backbone” to a safe and prosperous community. “What we’re hoping is this just becomes the spine or the artery to several veins that will spread into the neighborhood,” said Hayes, creative director at beintween, an organization focused on space-based community building.
The trail is an ongoing joint effort among the Milwaukee Department of Public Works, the Greater Milwaukee Committee, Riverworks, local business owners and aldermen.
David Mercado, who lives on the 3400 block of Buffum, said the street had always been quiet when it was a dead-end but now that it is open to through traffic he’s worried that customers going to the bar at Keefe and Buffum will filter down their way. “Everyone’s going to be parking right here. It’s not going to be quiet on this block any more,” he said.
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The city recently completed construction on Buffum between Keefe and Townsend to open up the street, which had previously been divided where the Beerline Trail connects to Buffum Street.
Another resident who identified himself as “Vic” but declined to give his last name, echoed Mercado, saying that there have been arguments in the street even in the first couple days the connection has been open. He said that after 15 years of living there, he is planning to move.
But Mae Nash, owner of Circles Lounge on Keefe, denied that bar patrons were making noise – or trouble – on the street. “Not in my bar, not here – I don’t tolerate it,” she said.
Nash said the street connection and path extension will take a little getting used to but she’s excited. “I hope decent people will stop by,” she said. “It’s going to be even prettier… it was ugly before.”
Steve Schopp, an employee at Wenniger Compressor Co., agreed with Nash that opening up the street will be better for business because of the increased accessibility. “Having this road is going to make a huge difference,” he said.
Supporters hope that, in the long run, the changes benefit everyone. “When you look at rails to trails initiatives… they create healthier spaces for businesses, for residents, for everyone,” said Chris Grandt, director of neighborhood development at Riverworks.
But Hayes emphasized the importance of community involvement rather than a “we know best” approach. He hopes the community will help to shape the trail, both before and after it’s finished. “That whole [process of creating something the community identifies with] is just interaction, it’s flexibility, it’s being there, it’s not putting something in over night and then walking away.”
One thing everyone can agree on is that something has to be done with the vacant building at 3456 Buffum. The tax-delinquent building has been the site of consistent dumping and residents are hoping for something better.
Hayes said it’s important to consider the possibilities. “You look at something – that’s what it is… what could it be?”
John Wilson, who lives around the corner on Keefe, said creating more green space around the trail is going to be a big positive. “I think that’ll be good for the neighborhood. I think the neighborhood needs more things to make it beautiful as opposed to things tearing it down.”
A number of events, including potlucks and performances, will be held this summer as part of the interactive programming for the ery and ICAN 2 LABS, a mobile WIFI hotspot fashioned from an old shipping container and rail ties that is located on the trail behind 3745 N. Richards.

author: Jabril Faraj


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 15, 2014


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Legal questions drive dozens to free walk-in clinics celebrating Law Day | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
May 16, 2014
Stephen Dye waits to speak with a lawyer at the Forest Home Library during a free walk-in law clinic. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
Stephen Dye was driving down a side street on Milwaukee’s South Side when he came upon a block littered with potholes.
“There was so many that if I avoided one, I ran into another,” the 66-year-old said. “The day after, there was a loud thumping inside my car.”
That was March 11, 2013. Since then, Dye has been immersed in a legal battle with the city, which he believes should be responsible for the $397 in repairs he needed on his automobile due to the potholes.
Despite a small claims court judge ruling that he failed to show causality between the potholes and damage to his car, Dye has refused to concede, opting rather to attend the Milwaukee Bar Association’s recent Law Day event at Forest Home Library, 1432 W. Forest Home Ave.
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The Mobile Legal Clinic, a project of Marquette University Law School and the Milwaukee Bar Association, is parked in the lot at the Forest Home Library during a free walk-in law clinic. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
“I want to find out how I appeal a small claims judgment,” he said, holding a briefcase full of documents regarding his case as he waited in the library’s parking lot to speak with an attorney.
The event, held at four locations around the city, allowed residents such as Dye to discuss their legal issues free of charge with lawyers, who guided them through the complicated judicial system and legal process regarding such areas as small claims, property, taxes, wills and employment.
“People, a lot of times, are in situations where they just have a question and don’t want to pay for it,” said Britt Wegner, the director of the organization’s law referral service. “A lot of times, a question will clear up the whole situation or maybe they get just a point in the right direction.”
Free walk-in legal clinics were also held at the Central Library, 814 W. Wisconsin Ave., the Center Street Library, 2727 W. Fond du Lac Ave. and the Brown Deer Library, 5600 W. Bradley Road. Organizers picked the locations to make the event convenient to all city residents and because they are accessible by public transportation, Wegner said.
“They (were) all at libraries, which I find to be unintimidating,” she said. “To a lot of people, the legal system appears to be confusing, intimidating, scary and maybe even working against them.”
One of the driving forces behind the walk-in clinics was that they were free for people who would otherwise be unable to afford legal advice, Wegner said.
Laura Hankins was one of the 75 people who attended the clinics throughout the city. Hankins, a dental hygienist, came to the clinic at the Forest Home Library to inquire whether she has legal recourse against a thief who stole their daughter’s car, a 1999 Plymouth Breeze, and caused $3,700 in damage to it.
During a brief discussion with an attorney, Hankins and her husband Bill learned that they may have a case against the individual who allegedly stole the car and that they should obtain the police report to learn more about the incident.
“It was very informative…it put us in the right direction,” Hankins said.

author: Brendan O’Brien


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Proceeds from Growing Power 5K to support local food movement | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
May 19, 2014
Participants gather at Growing Power before the run. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
All of the funds raised at the first Good Food Revolution 5K walk and run will be used to increase the development of local gardens and farms, according to Will Allen, founder and CEO of Growing Power.
The 5K was held at Growing Power’s headquarters on West Silver Spring Drive.
Residents of the nearby Westlawn Gardens housing development, local farming advocates, exercise enthusiasts, Mayor Tom Barrett and Wisconsin State Senator Lena Taylor participated in the walk and run, which was sponsored by the City of Milwaukee Housing Authority to increase awareness about the importance of good food and exercise.
The 5K is an extension of the work Allen has been doing with First Lady Michelle Obama and her “Let’s Move” campaign since 2010 to combat child obesity in America, he said. “This is about awareness to get more people involved and thinking about the food they put in their systems,” added Allen, who noted that life expectancy in the U.S. is third in the western hemisphere, behind Canada and Cuba.
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Will Allen, the founder of Growing Power, takes a breather with a group of participants. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
And while one of the main focuses of “Let’s Move” is daily exercise, many of Saturday’s participants agreed that eating well is a piece of the puzzle that can’t be ignored. “Without good food, good exercise isn’t going to be enough,” said Derek Steinmetz, who was there with his wife and son.
That’s why “you need a combination of exercise and eating good food,” said Allen. “We really need to get back to eating good food and the only way to do that is to develop a local food system.”
But that is more difficult for some areas than others. Karen Parker, director of operations at Growing Power, said residents of Westlawn Gardens have to travel more than three miles to find stores that sell fresh food. “You have to catch a bus or have a vehicle to get to them,” said Parker. “There are no major grocery stores in walking distance for this community.”
Growing Power is dedicated to eradicating food deserts from Milwaukee but, in the meantime, the organization is doing what it can to heighten awareness among residents about what they can do, themselves. “We’re going to show [people] that walking is a healthy way of getting to the store to get what you need,” said Parker.
Cynthia Stoll, who supports Growing Power and Allen’s “good food revolution,” said she was excited to take part in the 5K because having access to and awareness of healthy food options is an intrinsic part of personal success.
“If people don’t have access to nutritious food and understand how to get it, whether they’re making it themselves or whether they’re buying it, they’re not going to have the fuel to do anything in their lives.”
Allen acknowledged that the group’s goals are lofty and there are still challenges to overcome but he said he’s encouraged by the progress he’s seen. “We’re not very healthy right now but…we seem to be going in the right direction.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 18, 2014


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New reading room gives recovering addicts a place to relax with kids | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Karen Slattery
May 20, 2014
Meta House client Denise and her son, Timothy, were two of more than 20 people on hand for the opening of a new reading room at the facility that treats women for drug and alcohol addiction. (Photo by Karen Slattery)
Who doesn’t love a good story?
Now the children of women in recovery for drug and alcohol addictions at Milwaukee’s Meta House will have lots of stories to hear and to read.
The new reading room at Meta House’s transitional facility was a gift to the women and children who live there, created by a group of five volunteers as a class requirement for the Future Milwaukee leadership program.
Future Milwaukee, affiliated with Marquette University’s College of Professional Studies, trains leaders to make change through civic work. Chris Welker said his group had two interests in mind for their project, “childhood literacy and women’s housing.”
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Meta House offered a room in the basement of its transitional facility, a large, red brick apartment building. The room was sparsely furnished — tables, chairs and a couch. Women met there to visit or play cards.
Now the walls are decorated with artwork.  Bookcases full of stories, including “Let’s Catch Stars,” “How Do Lions Say I Love You?” and “Joshua’s Song,” line the sides of the room.  Throw pillows, bursting with bright colors, on the couch and beanbag chairs invite mothers and children to sit down and open a book.
Volunteers Michele Watson and Dayanara Sanchez prepare for the celebration of the new reading room created for clients at Meta House. (Photo by Karen Slattery)
Mothers in treatment at Meta House are allowed to live with their children, ages 10 or younger. The private, non-profit organization served 423 women suffering from addiction in its residential, transitional and outpatient facilities last year. According to spokesperson Sarah Pollack, the program offers daycare for children who need attention while their mothers are in group sessions or meetings with counselors.
The reading room project began last fall. Since then, the Future Milwaukee team has collected money, toys, pillows and more than 1,500 books. The team comprised Walker, Marisol Alamo, Sherri Jordan, Chelsea Johnson and Ryan Sawall.
At a recent reception, Meta House President and CEO Amy Lindner thanked the group for transforming the room, which she called “brand new and beautiful.”
Lindner also told mothers that the space will help them repair the physical and emotional relationships damaged by drug and alcohol dependence. She encouraged them to reread a favorite book, help their children with homework and “build warm and lasting memories” in the reading room.
Before the food was gone and the celebration ended, mothers and children had seated themselves on the couch, in the beanbag chairs and on the floor to look at books.
Timothy, age 2, sat on his mother Denise’s lap as they worked their way through a copy of  “I’m a Little Teapot.”  Said Denise, a Meta House client,  “We will be down here a lot more to sit and read.  My children will learn to like reading.”
A toddler named Storm, in a client’s arms, kept herself busy with a book called “Choo, choo.”  Said Storm’s mother, Shelonda, “It is so nice to have more to do with the children.” Added her friend, “All these books at our disposal. This is great, just great.”
Timothy and Storm were both too young to say much about the books that had grabbed their attention, but 5-year-old Gaely, sitting next to her mother, was quick to speak her mind.  Said Gaely enthusiastically, “I love books!”

author: Karen Slattery


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 19, 2014


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All Milwaukee Public Library locations will be closed on Friday, May 23rd through Monday, May 26th | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Library
May 22, 2014
Milwaukee Public Library (MPL) will be closed Friday, May 23 through Monday, May 26.  Friday, May 23 is a city-mandated furlough day.  The library will remain closed on Saturday, May 24 and Monday, May 26 in observance of Memorial Day.  MPL is not open on Sundays from May to September.
The library follows the City of Milwaukee furlough and holiday schedule.  Complete information on city department closures can be found on www.city.milwaukee.gov.
Library users may access accounts, renew items, request a hold, check out e-books and access other digital media services online.  For complete information on all Milwaukee Public Library services, locations and hours of operation please go to www.mpl.org.  Residents may call (414) 286-CITY (2489) for assistance with city-related services.
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author: Milwaukee Public Library


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 22, 2014


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Neighborhood House announces Jeff Martinka as new Executive Director | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Neighborhood House of Milwaukee
May 22, 2014
The Board of Directors at Neighborhood House of Milwaukee has announced the appointment of Jeff Martinka as its Executive Director. Martinka will succeed Richard Cox, who is retiring in May after six years as Executive Director of Neighborhood House.“We are thrilled to welcome Jeff as the new leader of an organization that has served this community for more than six decades,” said Joel Brennan, Chair of the Neighborhood House Board of Directors. “Jeff brings enthusiasm and a wealth of experience that includes work on the near west side and work with a diverse array of clients and funders. We are eager to partner with him to inject new energy and resources into the organization and the community.”
Jeff Martinka currently serves as the founding Executive Director of Sweet Water, an innovative partnership of environmental groups, local governments, business and academia, working to improve the water resources in the five Greater Milwaukee watersheds. Based at the UWM School of Freshwater Sciences, Sweet Water has become a national model in watershed-based, multi-jurisdictional environmental work.
In prior positions, Martinka was the Executive Director of the West 7th in St. Paul, MN, a multiservice community center with strong school, family and senior programs. He also managed Literacy Services of Wisconsin when its adult basic education programs were housed on Wells Street, just 2 blocks from Neighborhood House. Jeff has worked in management at the Milwaukee County Parks, in Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist’s Office, and at the Milwaukee Department of City Development. He earned an M.S. in Urban & Regional Planning and an M.A. in Public Administration at UW-Madison and a B.A. from UW-Milwaukee.
Reflecting on his new position, Martinka said, “I am so pleased to have this opportunity to return to community center work. Neighborhood House has a long and proud legacy; I look forward to working with the center’s board, staff and volunteers to build a strong future.”
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author: Neighborhood House of Milwaukee


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On the Block with Ben Hibler | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Karen Slattery
May 22, 2014
On May 9, the city of Milwaukee razed two abandoned houses next door to the home of Ben Hibler, 2165 N. 6 St. Hibler and his granddaughter, Brianna Kazee, watched while the houses came down.  He said he’s seen other houses in the area come down recently.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 7, 2015


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On the Block with Larry Thomas | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Karen Slattery
May 22, 2014
Larry Thomas works in demolition. He recently helped tear down two abandoned houses at the corner of N. 6 and Clarke Streets.


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On the Block with Nassar Majeed | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Karen Slattery
May 22, 2014
Nassar Majeed’s family has owned a home in Milwaukee for 62 years. Recently the city razed two nearby houses, located on the corner of Clark and North 6 Streets.


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Milwaukee groups partner to reduce worker exposure to lead paint | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
May 23, 2014
Tobias Brumfield seals off an area before he begins lead abatement work in the upstairs bathroom of a Milwaukee home. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Forty percent of abatement workers for the Social Development Commission’s Lead Hazard Reduction Assistance Program who were tested had elevated levels of lead in their blood, according to Ofelia Mondragon, manager of the program.
Seven contractors worked with SDC to have their employees tested. According to Mondragon, blood lead tests revealed that about a dozen of the 27 workers had blood lead levels above 10, the threshold at which the Milwaukee Health Department intervenes when children are tested.
Though that level is not necessarily dangerous for adult workers, they risk exposing their own children to the lead-saturated dust particles they’re exposed to at work.
A Layton Boulevard West house is the site of a series of workshops on lead-safe work practices for local contractors. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
In response to the test results, SDC has partnered with Layton Boulevard West Neighbors (LBWN), and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) to run free lead-safe work practices workshops for local contractors. The workshops are being conducted at a home in the Layton Boulevard West neighborhood that had been foreclosed, but is now being rehabbed as part of LBWN’s Turnkey Program. The house will be completely renovated, made energy efficient and sold later this summer.
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The workshop provided an opportunity for lead-safe worker Tobias Brumfield, of Milwaukee, to stay current on state regulations while focusing on controlling the dangerous worksite dust.
“It’s really easy to breathe it in,” said Brumfield.
The workers are trained in real-life scenarios. At a recent workshop, the trainees were removing and containing lead in a house where four children, two under 6 years old, live.
Once they’re given the outline “they create their action plan and get to work,” Mondragon said.
Miriam Hasan, lead removal inspector for DHS, observed the trainees to make sure they followed best practices.
Hasan said the city is especially challenged by lead exposure, compared to others in the state, due to the dense concentration of population and old housing stock.
Ninety-two percent of the housing stock in the city of Milwaukee has lead in it, much of it hidden under layers of paint, according to Ramona Jensen, outreach manager for the SDC program.
In many homes, especially those built before 1950, the layers of newer paint eventually peel and chip away, exposing crackled layers of dangerous lead-based paint known to cause damage to the brain and other vital organs and lead to behavioral problems, learning disabilities and seizures in children.
“There are a lot of kids in Milwaukee and a lot of problems with exposure,” said Hasan.

author: Edgar Mendez


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On the Block with Winter Jackson | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 23, 2014
Winter Jackson, a Metcalfe Park resident and Clarke Street Elementary School mother, sits with neighbors outside the school playground where a third-grader was critically injured in the crossfire of a shootout.

author: Andrea Waxman


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 12, 2015


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College Possible Milwaukee receives AmeriCorps grant | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
College Possible
May 26, 2014
College Possible Milwaukee has received $296,400 in AmeriCorps funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service and Serve Wisconsin to support 24 AmeriCorps members who will allow College Possible to expand its efforts to coach low-income students to and through college.
College Possible sites across the country have been awarded 160 AmeriCorps Members and $1.5 million in funding. AmeriCorps members supported by these grants in Wisconsin will serve in at least two new College Possible schools across the state and colleges across the country.
“AmeriCorps is an indispensable resource to help meet critical challenges facing our communities,” said Edie Turnbull, executive director of College Possible Milwaukee.  “We’re pleased that the Corporation for National and Community Service and our State Commission have recognized the value that AmeriCorps members serving with College Possible offer to communities. These AmeriCorps members will meet pressing local needs as they develop civic and leadership skills that can last a lifetime.”
“AmeriCorps members are improving the lives of millions of citizens and having a positive and lasting impact on the toughest challenges facing our communities,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of CNCS. “While they serve others, AmeriCorps members also expand opportunity for themselves – gaining skills and experience to jumpstart their careers.  As we mark the 20th anniversary of AmeriCorps, we congratulate College Possible for their strong application, and thank all AmeriCorps members for their dedication to service.”
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The current year’s AmeriCorps grant cycle was highly competitive, due to the strong and growing demand by organizations seeking AmeriCorps resources.  The 2014 competition prioritized investments in economic opportunity, education, veterans and military families, disaster services, and continued a new initiative for governors and mayors.
AmeriCorps engages more than 75,000 members in intensive service annually to serve through nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations at 25,000 locations across the country. These members help communities tackle pressing problems while mobilizing millions of volunteers for the organizations they serve.
2014 marks the 20 anniversary of the AmeriCorps program. Since 1994, more than 830,000 Americans have provided more than 1 billion hours of service addressing critical challenges from poverty and hunger to disasters and the dropout crisis.
AmeriCorps Members working in the schools listed below will support College Possible’s work to help capable, low-income students become college graduates. College Possible earns the best results in the county by bringing together hard-working students and idealistic AmeriCorps coaches.
College Possible Milwaukee currently serves ten partner high schools: Alexander Hamilton High School, Hmong American Peace Academy, Milwaukee High School of the Arts, Milwaukee School of Languages, Pulaski High School, Riverside University High School, Samuel Morse-John Marshall School for the Gifted and Talented, Saint Joan Antida High School, Saint Thomas More High School, and South Division High School.

author: College Possible


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Zilber Family Foundation awards $100,000 to Neu-Life Community Development | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Zilber Family Foundation
May 26, 2014
The board of directors of the Zilber Family Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant to Neu-Life Community Development in order to remodel its program facilities and create an attractive, safe environment for youth and family programming.
Neu-Life is one of 11 nonprofits awarded grants totaling $2,225,000 at the spring meeting of the Foundation’s board of directors.
The award will assist Neu-Life in its first-ever capital campaign to remodel the building that the organization—which provides afterschool, weekend, and summer programming for more than 1,200 youth—has occupied for 14 years at 2014 W. North Ave. Neu-Life serves an average of 200 youth per day at three sites. The grant is one of the first for Neu-Life’s $600,000 campaign to renovate the facilities and make them accessible. Funds will be used to construct an Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible entrance with an elevator, remodel bathrooms, and update HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems.
Renovations will also include new program space for a computer and homework lab, a creative arts room with a music studio and dance rehearsal space, a test kitchen area for cooking programs and food storage, and a room designed specifically for youth to create and display art.
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“The renovations will allow us to provide an invigorating space for our young people to develop the social, emotional, and creative skills they need to make good life choices,” said Joann Harris-Comodore, chief executive officer of Neu-Life. “We plan to stay in our building and be a part of the Lindsay Heights neighborhood for decades to come.”
Over the past 14 years, Neu-Life has become an anchor organization in the Lindsay Heights, perhaps because the neighborhood is quite young when it comes to residents’ age. More than 40% of Lindsay Heights residents are under the age of 18, compared to about 29% in the City of Milwaukee.
“The high concentration of children in the neighborhood makes it especially important to offer high quality afterschool and summer activities for young people,” said Susan Lloyd, executive director of the Zilber Family Foundation. “The Foundation’s board of directors is pleased to assist Neu-Life in this campaign, and recognizes the critical value of supporting youth and families where they live.”
Neu-Life strives to empower youth with skills and strategies to make better life choices. By promoting personal accountability, responsibility, and respect, Neu-Life helps young people develop the positive self-image and life management skills that enable them to develop in positive ways and avoid unhealthy behaviors.
The Zilber Family Foundation grant is part of a larger strategy to improve conditions in neighborhoods and make them good places for children and youth to grow up. Community members identified youth, families, and lifelong learning as high priorities in 2008 when the Foundation launched the Zilber Neighborhood Initiative, a 10-year, $50 million commitment to improving quality of life in three Milwaukee neighborhoods.

author: Zilber Family Foundation


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Special Report: Non-driving offenses lead to license suspension for teens | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rick Brown
May 27, 2014
Alejandro Morales lost his driver’s license before he gained it for unpaid citations for non-driving offenses such as retail theft and disorderly conduct. (Photo by Rick Brown)
Some Milwaukee teens are finding their driver’s licenses suspended, sometimes before they get them, because of unpaid tickets for non-driving offenses.
Jaywalking, loitering and shoplifting are among the offenses that can lead to the two-year Juvenile Failure to Pay Forfeiture (FPF) suspensions.
The  Wisconsin Department of Transportation issued 16,945 such suspensions statewide in 2013, data show.
Some of those suspensions are ordered before recipients have gotten a license. As of January 2012, 308 Milwaukee teens had suspensions without licenses, according to a report from the Employment and Training Institute (ETI) at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
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“It may sound strange, but it’s referred to as ‘taking effect upon application,’” according to Chief Court Administrator Sheldyn Himle of Milwaukee Municipal Court. “If a person doesn’t yet have their driver’s license, DOT will enforce the suspension at such time as they apply for the driver’s license.”
More than 90 percent of the 308 teens in Milwaukee were African-American or Hispanic.
According to researchers such as ETI Director John Pawasarat, the FPF suspensions, combined with the high cost of mandatory driver’s education, are leaving many youths from poor neighborhoods unable to get licenses.
“If you receive a suspension, you have to pay the fine before you even get a license, and then you have to pay for instruction,” Pawasarat said. “It’s almost become a given that you won’t get your license, and you’ll drive anyway.”
Numerous fines can lead to suspensions
Juvenile FPF suspensions arise from nonpayment of citations for driving and non-driving offenses.
When court cases result in a fine, individuals have a limited amount of time to pay them under Wisconsin law. If they do not, courts may order a driver’s license suspension that lasts two years or until the fines are paid.
In Milwaukee Municipal Court, the suspensions are the usual outcome for nonpayment of fines for juveniles, which typically fall in the range of $70-90, Himle said. However, judges sometimes refer juveniles to community service with local organizations as an alternative to repayment, she added.
Unlike adult FPF suspensions, juvenile suspensions can be imposed for nonpayment of non-driving citations. Juveniles can lose their licenses for unpaid fines resulting from such offenses as curfew violations, disorderly conduct, loitering and retail theft, according to former Milwaukee city judge Jim Gramling.
Two years ago, Milwaukee County resident Alejandro Morales, 18, incurred citations for disorderly conduct, retail theft and trying to buy cigarettes.
“It was dumb stuff,” he said. “I got caught for retail theft and I had cigarettes. In one stop, I got three tickets.”
The incident was one of several in which Morales got tickets for non-driving offenses in Milwaukee and Greendale. At the time, Morales said, he did not go to court or pay attention to the notices he received in the mail. He said he thought the tickets would go away.
“I didn’t think they’d lead to a suspension,” Morales said. “I thought juvenile tickets were dropped at 18.”
Morales discovered otherwise when he tried to get a permit last year and found that he would have to pay all of his old tickets before getting a license. Unable to pay, Morales got rides from friends or took the bus. He sometimes drove without a license, and later received a ticket for that.
In September, Morales went to the Center for Driver’s License Recovery and Employability (CDLRE), having “realized the gravity of tickets and what they could mean.” With the center’s help, he has paid his tickets and aims to get his license within the month. A baggage handler at General Mitchell International Airport, Morales hopes to buy a car and possibly to seek a job at the airport’s ticket counter — one that requires a license.
Differing perspectives
According to Himle, juvenile FPF suspensions are the only option for Milwaukee Municipal Court, as the court cannot imprison youths for municipal violations and does not pursue wage garnishments in these cases.
That is an appropriate option, according to Gramling, a former municipal judge. He noted that judges felt powerless to hold juveniles accountable when state legislation temporarily removed their power to impose suspensions for non-driving offenses in the early 2000s.
“You don’t want to jail kids for municipal fines, but there was no way functionally to make the parents pay the forfeitures,” Gramling said. “Suspensions were the only ways of getting juveniles’ attention.”
From 2009-2013, juvenile FPF suspensions for all offenses were the fifth most common reason for license withdrawals in Wisconsin, constituting an average of approximately 4.5 percent of all withdrawals in that time period. According to DOT data, 238,050 juvenile FPF suspensions were issued from 2003 to 2012.
FPF suspensions are a flawed tactic that hurts individuals’ chances to gain employment, according to Pawasarat, a researcher who authored a report on the driver’s license status of Milwaukee teens in 2012.
“Taking away licenses for failure to pay petty fines in municipal court is one of the most destructive policies we have in place,” Pawasarat said. “It explains part of the reason why things are so bad for central city residents who are looking for work.”
In the 2012 report, Pawasarat analyzed data on juvenile suspensions. He found that while the suspensions affect a small number of juveniles in Milwaukee—287 African-American and Hispanic teens as of January 2012, for example—those juveniles rarely get a license.
Eighty-six percent of Milwaukee County teens who had a probationary license in 2000 had achieved a regular license in April 2008, according to the report. In contrast, only 23 percent of teens who received suspensions or revocations before getting a learning permit or probationary license in 2000 had achieved a regular license in 2008.
Center for Driver’s License Recovery and Employability Supervisor Angela Catania helps people try to gain their licenses after juvenile suspensions. (Photo by Rick Brown)
Broader implications
According to Pawasarat, juvenile FPF suspensions can have severe consequences for the employability of youths in poor neighborhoods in which gaining a driver’s license is “already a challenge” due to a lack of state funding for mandatory driver’s education.
ETI data shows a significant racial disparity in driver’s licenses held by teens in Milwaukee, Pawasarat noted. As of January 2012, 17 percent of black male teenagers living in Milwaukee had a license, whether probationary or other, compared to 64 percent of white male teenagers living in Milwaukee County suburbs.
“By the time they reach adulthood, most lower-income youths don’t have a driver’s license, and it’s not only a rite of passage but a requirement for pursuing employment when most jobs are outside of bus lines,” Pawasarat said.
According to Nichole Yunk Todd, policy and research director at Wisconsin Community Services, the suspensions can become a significant barrier to advancement for lower-income youth.
“Poor access to driver’s education and failure to pay forfeiture suspensions only compound the factor of poverty [for those juveniles],” Todd said. “If young people aren’t getting licensed, how are they going to go to work, to school?”
Many youths do not understand the impact of juvenile tickets, and some who get suspensions drive without a license, according to CDLRE Supervisor Angela Catania, who has worked with individuals with juvenile driver’s license suspensions.
“There need to be consequences in place, but [suspensions] can start kids off on a bad foot,” Catania said. “It can be a difficult situation to get out of.”
South Side resident Debby Montano, 41, discovered that reality when she received a ticket for driving without a license at 17, which led to a license suspension. Not understanding that she could still gain her license by paying the required fees, Montano said she went without one for seven years, often relying on public transit, which limited her options. Her sister also had her license suspended as a teenager.
“I didn’t even try to get a car because I wasn’t able to get a license,” Montano said.
Having regained her license years later, Montano is now taking her son to driver’s education classes to help him learn to drive responsibly.
“I don’t want the same thing to happen to him as well,” she said. “Everyone should have a license to make the streets safe for everybody.”

author: Rick Brown


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 26, 2014


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Officials, residents hope new park in Lindsay Heights will revitalize neighborhood | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
May 28, 2014
Neighborhood children join Sharon Adams (left) to break ground on a new park at 14th and Wright streets. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
Leo Lemon strolled across the street from a grassy vacant lot where a pile of shiny shovels rested near a mound of fresh dirt.
The out-of-work 59-year-old said he hopes the park being planned across the street will one day make his neighborhood a bit safer by becoming a gathering place where men his age can socialize and play dominos.
“There will be a bunch of older guys over there and the (younger) guys will slow down doing what they are doing,” said Lemon, who has lived in the neighborhood for four decades.
Moments later, Mayor Tom Barrett and city dignitaries used the shovels and dirt for a groundbreaking ceremony, after announcing the city’s plans to build a pocket park on the corner of 14 and Wright streets in the Lindsay Heights neighborhood.
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15th District Alderman Russell Stamper addresses residents and city officials at a ceremony announcing a new pocket park in Lindsay Heights. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
The plan for the park is part of Barrett’s HOME GR/OWN Milwaukee initiative, intended to create economic development, healthy food access and neighborhood revitalization in the central city. The initiative was Milwaukee’s entry into Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayor’s Challenge, in which the city was a top 20 finalist.
“Our goal is to improve the quality of life in neighborhoods just like Lindsay Heights and those hardest hit by the recent recession,” Barrett remarked.
The park, expected to be open in early July, will consist of fruit trees and plants native to Milwaukee and paths made of porous pavers to capture rainwater for irrigation. A landscaping crew from Walnut Way Conservation Corp., a neighborhood civic organization, will be trained to install and maintain the system, the mayor said.
“Too many of our neighborhoods have been left with blight and safety challenges (which is) some of the fallout from the nationwide foreclosure crisis,” Barrett said. “Today we will begin to make these spaces active again to keep our neighborhoods strong and healthy for the future.”
The park will be named after Ezekiel Gillespie, a civil rights leader who won an important voting rights court case for blacks in 1866. City officials hope the space will improve the appearance of the block and provide a tranquil setting where neighbors can gather.
Barrett, whose voice competed with an incessantly yapping dog across the street, noted the park will be open to dogs.
“This is good. It will give the kids something to do and we need that,” said Roger Stewart, 49, who lives across the street from the park and looks forward to taking his five grandkids and his Labrador to the park.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 27, 2014


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On the Block with Kenneth Giles | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 28, 2014
Kenneth Giles, 19, recently participated in a series of dialogues co-produced by Metcalfe Park’s Building Neighborhood Capacity Program and the Zeidler Center for Public Discussion. He was one of about 20 young adults from Metcalfe Park who expressed what’s on their minds. Here he shares some of his personal story.


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DSC08156 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 28, 2014


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 28, 2014


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Submission of events, resources requested by community newspaper | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
HOPE Network
May 28, 2014
HOPE Network publishes a 24-page publication every quarter, filled with community events and resources of interest to families. It’s mailed to 7,500 single mother households and to those helping them (nurses, social workers, teachers, etc.). It’s also distributed at libraries, food pantries, clinics, schools, resource fairs, and other locations. Total circulation in the greater Milwaukee area is 14,000.
Agencies and organizations are invited to submit information for consideration for free publicity of their programs. The publication lists free or low-cost family entertainment, summer camps, and outdoor recreation and programs of interest to mothers, such as job hunt resources, prenatal and parenting classes, clothing banks and food pantries, and other res.urces
Submissions must be very short, as space is limited. The summer issue will cover events from June 19 to Sept. 19. Deadline is Friday, June 6. Send information to the editor: pcbeck@sbcglobal.net
The latest issue can be downloaded as a .pdf at http://hopenetworkinc.org/newspaper.php
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For more information, please contact HOPE Network for Single Mothers, 262-251-7333, Mon-Thurs. 8:30am-1pm. HOPE Network has been publishing this free resource newspaper since 1983.

author: HOPE Network


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Free summer meals available for youth, disabled | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
May 29, 2014
Children line up at a free meal program. (Photo by Tessa Fox)
Peaches are a favorite at COA Youth and Family Centers’ free meal program. (Photo by Tessa Fox)
Locations and hours for Social Development Commission’s (SDC) Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) have been announced for the summer. The program provides free meals to children age 18 and under during the summer.
“This program fills a void created when school lunches are not available,” said Earl Guyton, SDC food service manager.
The free meal program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Milwaukee Public Schools and the Hunger Task Force, and administered by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee will serve meals at three locations, and also is a sponsor.
A total of 28 sites will provide lunch, with some also serving breakfast or a late afternoon meal from June to August. Program start and end dates, meal times and days differ depending on location. The sites are located in areas of the city that have concentrated levels of poverty and therefore the most need, Guyton said.
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People over the age of 18 who are mentally or physically disabled and participate in public or private school programs during the regular school year may also receive free meals.
You’ll find a list of meal sites and schedules here.


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On the Block with Lakendra Carter | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 29, 2014
Lakendra Carter, 18, recently participated in a series of dialogues co-produced by Metcalfe Park’s Building Neighborhood Capacity Program and the Zeidler Center for Public Discussion. She was one of about 20 young adults from Metcalfe Park who expressed what’s on their minds. Here she shares some of her personal story.


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DSC08153i | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 29, 2014


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 29, 2014


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Capuchins’ run walk for the hungry to German Fest | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Capuchin Community Services
June 2, 2014
Come join the Capuchin friars as we walk or run for the hungry to German Fest. You will be supporting the House of Peace and St. Ben’s Community Meal. New date Friday night. Choose 2-mile walk through Lakeshore State Park or USATF Certified 5K run, chip timed & scored by CARRS. After the awards presentation, enter German Fest for free with a $5 food/drink coupon PLUS receive a 2-for-1 coupon to return to German Fest. Register as an individual, as a family, or as a team…and thank you in advance for helping to feed Milwaukee’s hungry. Register by Thursday, July 13, 2014 to received your sized T-shirt. www.CapuchinsRunWalkForTheHungry.org

author: Capuchin Community Services


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Meet clients from the case for Freedom to Marry | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
ACLU of Wisconsin
June 2, 2014
Roy, 56, and Garth, 58, have been together 37 years. They met through mutual friends when they were students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and got together on Election Day in November 1976.
“Garth voted Carter and I voted Ford,” Roy recalls. “I was really rooting for Betty.”
Roy, who’s lived in Wisconsin since age 12, has worked as an editor at UWM for 32 years. Garth, a native Wisconsinite, was laid off last spring from his customer service position, but is temping for his old employer as he looks for a new job. The couple attends a United Church of Christ church and has two dogs, Daisy and Winston.
“We have a lot in common, and we always have a lot to talk about,” Garth says. “Roy is very gentle and giving, and he’s always been very honest and forthright.”
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Adds Roy: “Garth has a terrific heart.”
They had a church commitment ceremony in 2009 with only a couple of friends, their pastor and his wife. Looking back on it, Roy says, “it’s bittersweet because it felt like something we were doing in secret.”
A few years ago, Garth was diagnosed with lung cancer and had to have most of his right lung removed. At the suggestion of Garth’s surgeon, they had papers drawn up, granting Roy power of attorney. Following Garth’s surgery in August 2011, he had a medical emergency, and his doctors put him into a medically induced coma to allow his body to stabilize.
Garth’s coma lasted more than three weeks. During that time, Roy included Garth’s father in meetings with the medical team to discuss his treatment. The surgeon felt confident Garth would recover, and he was right. Today Garth is still living cancer-free.
But Garth and Roy later discovered that while Garth was in the coma, his father tried to override Roy’s power of attorney to take Garth off life support. Garth was so hurt and upset that he no longer speaks to his father.
“What upset me most wasn’t that he wanted to take me off life support,” Garth says. “What hurt the most was that my father still didn’t see Roy as my spouse after all this time.”

author: ACLU of Wisconsin


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Job resource fair draws hundreds of area residents | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Social Development Commission
June 2, 2014
Hundreds of Milwaukee area residents were able to talk to employers who were hiring plus access valuable resources at the 8 Annual Spring Job and Resource Fair held by the Social Development Commission (SDC) and Journey House.
The daylong event was held at Journey House located on W. Scott Street on Milwaukee’s Southside.  It featured businesses including Aurora Health Services, Dairyland Transport Company, Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission, and Site Services who were seeking to hire employees.  Job training programs such as WRTP-Big Step, James Place and the Department of Workforce Development- Job Service were also able to help residents seeking to better their job skills.
Educational institutions including MATC, Bryant & Stratton, and Kaplan College were on hand as were a variety of youth programs and fatherhood resources.  The Milwaukee City Health Department’s Safe Sleep program helped young parents with information on keeping their infants safe at night time. Staff from the Milwaukee County Child Support Program, Justice 2000 and Driver’s License Recovery also helped attendees.
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The Spring Job and Resource Fair was coordinated by SDC in partnership with Journey House. Volunteers from AKA and La Luz Del Mundo Family Services helped provide critical support for the event.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 2, 2014

author: Adam Carr


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Common Ground continues to rehabilitate homes in Sherman Park | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Common Ground
June 3, 2014
Common Ground leaders gathered at an Open House for three recently completed Milwaukee Rising homes. Milwaukee Rising is a Common Ground housing revitalization initiative that is providing creative solutions to the housing crisis.
These three homes represent the continued efforts of the Common Ground leaders in the Sherman Park neighborhood to reclaim and strengthen their community. These homes were rehabilitated under the new Milwaukee Rising model, created when Neighborhood Stabilization Program funding was no longer available.
“Some organizations stopped rehabbing when the NSP ran out. Not us. We got to work on creating a new way to keep getting abandoned houses rehabbed and sold so we can continue to make positive change in our neighborhood!” said Frank Finch III, treasurer of Milwaukee Rising LLC and long-time Sherman Park resident. Milwaukee NSP funds have been fully utilized and in order to continue our goal of rehabilitating 100 foreclosed properties over four years, Common Ground established a subsidiary organization the Milwaukee Rising LLC to accept donations of properties, and to acquire strategically located properties in Sherman Park.
In attendance alongside Common Ground leaders were Common Council President Michael Murphy, Alderman Russell Stamper, and representatives of Bank of America.
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“Common Ground continues to be an uncommon organization. When a problem presents itself, Common Ground does more than talk about the issue, they take action. By working together and finding creative solutions to our community’s problems, Milwaukee Rising, a Common Ground housing revitalization initiative, has rehabilitated three homes in the Sherman Park Neighborhood that were serving as a blighted influence in our community. I’m grateful to all Common Ground members who make a difference one house at a time in making our neighborhoods a better place,” stated Common Council President Michael Murphy.
All three properties were donated due to the relationships Common Ground has built with Bank of America and Wells Fargo. The properties were transformed into beautiful homes through the rehabilitation of JAM Community Builders, a local developer that works with local contractors. To date, Milwaukee Rising has rehabbed and sold 29 properties, with a total of 52 under development. Randy Jones is one of the proud owners of a Milwaukee Rising home. “I love my Milwaukee Rising home! I must have looked at 100 homes before I found this one. It was affordable, great quality, close to work and I grew up in this neighborhood,” said Jones.
To continue strengthening the housing market in the neighborhood, Common Ground is raising $5 million in no interest/low interest revolving loans funds, which will be used to acquire properties in need of rehabilitation for the Milwaukee Rising Project.
As a part of Common Ground, Milwaukee Rising, is working in partnership with significant governmental, religious and civic organizations to restore the housing market in the Sherman Park community.

author: Common Ground


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‘Guest volunteers’ return to The Gathering to serve others | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elizabeth Baker
June 3, 2014
At the point in his life when everything was “topsy-turvy,” Jesse Berlik, 40, found stability and compassion at The Gathering.
Berlik volunteers five days a week at St. James’ Episcopal Church, 833 Wisconsin Ave., one of The Gathering’s three locations. When he was staying at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter, he came to The Gathering for the meals and the company. Now, he helps by cooking, dishwashing and cleaning.
“This gets me up in the morning and gets me going through my day. It keeps me busy,” Berlik said.
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“It works out really well. Basically, at this point in my life, I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to work and have money in my pocket, you know – I’m an alcoholic.”
Berlik is what George Neureuther, breakfast coordinator at The Gathering, calls a guest volunteer – someone who benefitted from the services The Gathering provides and now comes back to volunteer.
“For some of them, it’s a way to say thank you. For some of them, it’s a way to keep busy because they don’t have a job. And for some, it’s that social aspect … We have some that are here every day of the week; some put in five hours a day. I joke that some of the volunteers actually work more hours here than I do, and it’s pretty much true,” Neureuther said.
Volunteers at The Gathering cook food, serve meals and welcome guests. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
After talking with Neureuther over lunch a few times, Berlik decided to volunteer.
Recalling when he first came to The Gathering, Berlik said that he’d needed help before, “but this was the first time I’ve actually come to a place where they serve food for homeless people. I think at that point in your life, everything is so topsy-turvy that nothing really matters,” Berlik said.
According to Neureuther, 65 to 70 percent of the guests at The Gathering are homeless. They may be staying at a rescue mission, or on a friend’s couch or living outside. Neureuther said that most of the people who visit lack education, suffer from addiction, have been incarcerated or have a mental illness.
“For the majority of the guests, you can drive down Wisconsin Ave. and you wouldn’t know [that they are homeless] …We often think of the homeless as tired old grumpy people that are not very clean, and there are some like that, but the majority of them are just trying to get by in life like the rest of us,” Neureuther said.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Hunger Task Force, an average of 20.9 percent of people in Milwaukee lived below the poverty level from 2008 to 2012. As of March, The Gathering had served 20,719 meals in 2014 a small increase from past years, according to Neureuther.
Rachel Sommers, 41, a volunteer at The Gathering for about a year, said summer is the busiest season at The Gathering, due to the nice weather and the fact that kids stop getting meals at school. She thinks homelessness and hunger in the city of Milwaukee are getting worse.
“Every time I go outside I see familiar faces … And I think sometimes people ignore that. That’s why I like coming here and paying attention to these people and giving them my time and talking to them, because that’s what they need. They’re human, too,” Sommers said.
Neureuther said volunteers talk to the guests, joke around with them, and help them have a good time at The Gathering.
“It’s very tough for a person to first start coming here and to have to say, ‘You know what, I can’t afford to support myself,’ so that’s why I like to use humor. It’s huge here,” Neureuther said. “Making them laugh and making them happy is just what they need. We don’t need to feel sorry for them.”
Berlik said the volunteers and guests of The Gathering make it a great place.
“It’s a really a cool group of people. We’re pretty much all in the same boat, I guess,” Berlik said. “The guests are awesome, and every volunteer has a good heart … I’m just glad this place is here.”

author: Elizabeth Baker


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Homeless advocates applaud new housing development focused on families | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
June 4, 2014
Mercia Harris-Williams shows off her new apartment at Maskani Place. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
Advocates on the front lines of the fight against homelessness in Milwaukee are praising a new $10 million development for creating much-needed stability for families in need and addressing child homelessness, which has recently spiked in the city.
The development, called Maskani Place, is a 37-unit building located in the Harambee neighborhood that opened its doors in January to tenants, many of whom are children. It was designed to serve homeless families and families at risk of homelessness,.
“Just to think (these) kids are out of a shelter and off the street. It’s just incredible and yet it’s only a little dent in the problem,” said Brother Rob Roemer, the volunteer coordinator and co-director at St. Benedict the Moor, 1015 N. 9th St., where a community meal is held six days a week for the homeless.
Mercia Harris-Williams, the mother of a 7-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl, called it an honor to be a Maskani Place tenant after she and her young children moved around from hotel to hotel.
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Maskani Place is a 37-unit development at 320 E. Center St. geared toward housing families that were once homeless or at risk of homelessness. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
“We have a nice wonderful home that they absolutely love and we are greatly blessed,” said Harris-Williams.
Heartland Housing, a division of Heartland Alliance, developed and manages Maskani Place, which includes a community room, an outdoor play area and garden plots.
“The greatest feature of the building…is its stability,” said Michael Goldberg, executive director of Heartland Housing, an organization that focuses on ending poverty in the Midwest. “For the 37 families living in the building, housing was once a monthly, weekly or even daily challenge or struggle.”
In 2013, Milwaukee Public Schools served more than 3,500 homeless children, 5.4 percent more than it did during the previous school year, according to Heartland Housing.
“Some of the children are coming out of these really disruptive situations. Living on the street is, of course, a terrible thing to happen. The more stable housing situation you can have for children and families, the better,” said Ken Schmidt, executive director of Hope House, which operates several housing facilities in Milwaukee for the homeless.
All of the apartments at Maskani Place are built for families; 75 percent have at least three bedrooms. Community Advocates will provide onsite assistance with employment training and job searches, help tenants find childcare and assist them in developing financial literacy.
“That’s the nice thing about Maskani…they work with the tenants and [don’t] just give them housing,” Roemer said.
Bob Burmeister, who runs Mr. Bob’s Under the Bridge, applauded the opening of Maskani Place.
“I think it’s awesome. Anything we can do to give these kids a normal life is key,” said Burmeister, whose organization provides clothing and toiletries to the homeless throughout Milwaukee.
Burmeister said that while the development is a positive, the community should not forget about homeless individuals, especially those who are suffering from drug and alcohol addiction and mental illness.
Most of the project’s cost — $9.6 million — was funded through a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development low-income housing tax credit. The City of Milwaukee Housing Trust Fund also chipped in more than $200,000 and another $250,000 came from the Federal Home Loan Banks’ Affordable Housing Program.
Most homeless developments funded through HUD are built with single adults in mind rather than families, according to Schmidt.
“Maskani Place is the first one we have seen in a long time that has really been focused on serving families. So as a project, it’s a real positive,” he said.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 3, 2014


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Applications now being accepted for real estate training program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Karen Slattery
June 6, 2014
Real estate industry leaders create a training program for people of diverse backgrounds to help change the look of Milwaukee. (Photo by Karen Slattery)
If you are passionate about your community, want to help build your neighborhood and are interested in a career in the local real estate industry, you now have the opportunity to apply to the Associates in Commercial Real Estate training program. ACRE will accept 20 students for the fall session.
ACRE prepares students to work in real estate development, and property and construction management. The program aims to improve diversity in the city’s real estate industry, which is 95 percent Caucasian, according to Milwaukee’s Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).
To help correct the imbalance, LISC is partnering with Marquette University’s College of Business Administration and the Milwaukee School of Engineering to offer the training program that will start in the fall of 2014, after being on hiatus since 2010.
The training involves classroom learning, introductions to leaders in the field and opportunities to network. Students are also asked to develop projects as part of the class.
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Keith Stanley, executive director of Avenues West Association, is a graduate of ACRE’s inaugural class. (Photo by Karen Slattery)
Mitchell Street Market Lofts, 1948 W. Mitchell St., is an example of a project that got its start in an ACRE class. Sherry Terrell-Webb and Tina Anderson created the idea of an affordable housing complex in the Mitchell Street neighborhood, which also includes a farmers market, during the 2008-2009 ACRE program. They completed the project in 2012 after bringing together investors, contractors and the city.
ACRE’s re-launch kicked off at a recent gathering of graduates, program leaders and people interested in learning more about it at 88Nine Radio Milwaukee headquarters.
One of the best parts of ACRE is networking, said Joaquin Altoro, a vice president of Town Bank and an ACRE graduate.
Dr. Mark Eppli, interim dean at Marquette’s College of Business Administration, said he started the program after he noticed people of color and women were unable to participate in reinvestment in the central city because “they didn’t have networking opportunities. Now they do.”
He and Bob Lemke, a Milwaukee School of Engineering faculty member and developer, are working together to provide the teaching space, outreach and curriculum for the ACRE program. Industry trade associations are helping to line up speakers.
Nearly 150 alumni have graduated from the program. Among them are Melissa Goins, founder and president of the Maures Development Group. She told the attendees at the kick-off celebration that she grew up on 24 and Center streets. Since she completed the ACRE class, her company has developed properties on the city’s North Side and is now expanding into Bay View.
Altoro said bringing together people of diverse backgrounds to help revitalize Milwaukee will change the face of neighborhoods by better reflecting the people who live there. “They are familiar with what they need and want,” according to Altoro.
He advocates celebrating the city’s diversity,. “The German, Polish and Italian communities, if I am correct, they built for themselves,” said Altoro. Churches, he pointed out, are examples of buildings created by these ethnic groups that everyone can enjoy.
“What if there were more available opportunities for [diverse] communities to build for Milwaukee and themselves?” he asked.
Keith Stanley, executive director of the Avenues West Association, is also an ACRE graduate. He said he learned about the “good, the bad and the ugly of the field” while in the program. The knowledge, he said, “puts the power in our hands. We control our destiny.”
The program offers the community another benefit besides career building, according to Stanley. Some of the graduates “serve as role models for African- American children in the city,” he said, adding that if the children see people they know changing the community, they know they can change their world as well.
The ACRE program tuition is covered by funds from donors, including developer Barry Mandel and The Opus Group. Students will be asked to put down a $300 deposit that will be returned when they successfully complete the program.
Background requirements for applicants include a high school degree, proficient knowledge of Microsoft Excel, math and verbal skills, and interest in the real estate industry as a career.
Applications are due by June 21.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 6, 2014


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On the Block with Talisha Paige | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 9, 2014
Talisha Paige has lived on the North Side of Milwaukee her whole life. On the market for a new house, she participated in a home tour in the Layton Boulevard West neighborhoods over the weekend. After the tour, she shared her impressions.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 12, 2015


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Young women find safety, support, skills at Lissy’s Place | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 9, 2014
Last December, Lacherita Alexander was living with her aunt when the aunt’s intoxicated boyfriend pulled out a gun and threatened to kill her. Just 17, Alexander had long suffered from depression and had no safe place to live.
That incident sparked her reconnection with Wraparound Milwaukee, a program that provides mental health services for children with serious emotional, behavioral and mental health needs, and their families. Alexander’s care team helped her get into Lissy’s Place, a transitional home for young women.
Alexander said the warm welcome she got from the Lissy’s Place’s staff raised her hopes that “this might be the place that will bring me out a little more, make me a little happier, keep me from being so depressed.”
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Naiyah Secession, another homeless teen, started her life in foster care, was adopted at age 9 and then forced out of her adoptive home at 14.
“I’ve been homeless for about four years, hopping around from friend to friend all throughout high school,” said Secession, who is now 18. In late January, she too found refuge at Lissy’s Place.
“When I first got here, I was excited. I got my own room for the first time and I had a key to it,” Secession said.
After less than six months, Alexander and Secession say they have learned many valuable lessons and skills at Lissy’s Place. No less important to them has been the newfound security and privacy and the outpouring of warmth and support from the staff.
Alexander’s depression, which she believes is rooted in the loss of her mother and grandmother at age 6, is being effectively treated with medication and therapy. Set to receive a GED and food service certification, she is earning money working as a security guard. She is participating in Career Youth Development’s “Focus on my Future” program and enjoys visiting nursing home residents as a CYD volunteer.
Secession just graduated from Assata High School, 3517 W. Courtland Ave., where she enrolled when she was still homeless. She plans to move to Ohio this summer to enter a degree program at the Art Institute of Cincinnati.
Located in a former convent near the Sherman Park neighborhood, Lissy’s Place has 17 single rooms for women ages 18 to 29. Volunteers from Mount Mary University’s interior design classes have decorated the private and common rooms. The building includes a main living room, large formal dining room, spacious kitchen, computer resource room, lounge and recreation area with exercise equipment, craft room with sewing machines and a laundry room.
Candice Jones (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Talented volunteers with retail and fashion expertise have created a boutique complete with commercial furnishings where attractive donated clothing and accessories are “for sale.” When a resident goes for a job interview, she can choose an outfit from the boutique. Purchases can also be made with points earned for achieving program goals, said Eileen Beard, the home’s life skills specialist.
Residents are referred to Lissy’s Place from a variety of sources, including the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare and other social service agencies, faith-based organizations and short-term homeless shelters. Many have aged out of foster care without the resources to live on their own.
Resident Candice Jones was referred to Lissy’s Place by the Cathedral Center when she was 18 but she wasn’t able to adapt to the structure.
“The rules (at Lissy’s Place) were a little too much. I wanted to (socialize with my friends) and keep my own hours,” Jones said. She had a job and was able to move into a rooming house but she had trouble managing her weekly rent on a bi-weekly pay schedule and became homeless again. In April, she returned to Lissy’s Place.
The women are required to create personal goals plans and follow a highly structured program designed to teach them the skills and habits they will need to live successfully on their own. They are taught to cook, clean, sew, care for a house, manage personal finances and apply for jobs, among other things.
Residents are required to spend at least 30 hours each week actively working toward their goals. They must get a job or enroll in job training within 60 days of arrival; attend weekly meetings and workshops; contribute part of their income to living expenses; prepare their own meals and do household chores.
Lissy’s Place is one of five programs of My Home, Your Home, a non-profit founded in 1989 by Irma and Aubrey Walker to improve the foster care system. The Walkers served as foster parents to 15 children, in addition to their own six children.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 8, 2014


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Youth discuss violence and their future | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Social Development Commission
June 9, 2014
The youth of Milwaukee are concerned with the violence they see surrounding them and what it means for their future. That was the feedback from dozens of young people who gathered this past weekend at the Social Development Commission (SDC) Youth and Family Development Program.
Core Team members of the “A Single Bullet” project addressed their peers during the gathering at SDC Richards Street to present the findings of a half-year study for the project funded by Safe and Sound. The young people have been talking with Milwaukee Police, the Homicide Review Commission, the Project Ojima of Children’s Hospital and community leaders about gun violence and its impact on all residents, not just those who are immediately affected by a shooting. The young project members presented case scenarios involving gun violence to the gathered youth and then led a discussion on what they had in common and what could have been done to prevent them.
Jessica Sims addressed the young people to share her pain at losing her brother during the past year. She asked the youth to heed her experience and to do the right thing. She pointed out that she is currently enrolled in college and asked the young people to realize the many options they have for their future of which they can take advantage.
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H2O Milwaukee presented a music video made with the help of local high school students that was video-taped and recorded in Milwaukee. The video was shot along well-known streets of the city and emphasized for the youth that the violence that seems so common on the evening news is happening right where they live.
SDC Commissioner Dr. Demond Means also led a spirited discussion among the youth as part of the agency’s Task Force on Youth and Poverty. He posed several questions to the young people that sparked a lively give-and- take from the youth about the challenges they face and what help they see as needed by the community. Dr. Means noted that the Task Force is currently gathering ideas and suggestions that will be presented later this summer to policy makers at the local and state levels and promised that their feedback will be heard.
The young women and men expressed a number of concerns during the resulting discussion. Many of the ideas given by the youth focused on the need for them to be able to access productive jobs that will provide a positive way to earn money. The young people also expressed concern about having schools that will challenge and help them, the need for respect from adults, and the need for programs that can help give positive alternatives to risky behavior, especially for pre-teens.
The youth walked away from the full morning with the message that they can have some control over their futures. They were urged to take positive steps to create a better Milwaukee for themselves and those who will come after them. And that, they heard, starts with how they value themselves and each other.
As Jessica Sims reminded them, “The grave will claim you if you don’t think you are worth more.”

author: Social Development Commission


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 9, 2014


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The Y is Celebrating Father’s Day All Week-Long | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee
June 11, 2014
Father’s Day is right around the corner and to celebrate, all dads are invited to try the Y for free the week leading up to Father’s Day. Now through close of business day Sunday, June 15, all dads are invited to sign up for a free wellness consult with a fitness coach, try any of our free Group Ex classes and enter our Center raffles for a chance to win some great Y gear, all for free.
Plus if they decide to join during this week, they’ll pay no join fee!
All dads – both members and nonmembers alike – are welcome to take part in this special offer, so grab a friend or family member and join us as we celebrate dad!
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author: YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee


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On the Block with Ricardo Castillo | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 13, 2014
Ricardo Castillo, co-owner of Finca Realty, recently purchased a building on 36th and Pierce in the Silver City neighborhood after searching in the neighborhood for five years. He’s been invested in the community, and with this new purchase, he’s going all in.


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Street corner retailers sell wares to make ends meet | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
June 16, 2014
Shaky Jake points to a fan that he hopes to sell on the corner of Fond Du Lac Avenue and 30th Street. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
This is part of an ongoing series of articles that put a face on the poor in Milwaukee, 50 years after President Lyndon Johnson declared a “war on poverty.”
Thick, cord-like dreadlocks flowed out of the driver’s side window of the parked black and white van as raw rap music thumped from its speakers.
The van doors were opened wide signaling the curbside operation was open for business as two men, a 51-year-old ex-felon who goes by the name of Shaky Jake, and his friend Ken Walker, 40, fidgeted with an amplifier as they debated sports and politics.
A few feet away, a pair of mirrors leaning against a set of shelves reflected the bustling traffic of Milwaukee’s Sherman Park neighborhood. Resting nearby, two tube televisions, a couple of fans, a microwave and an aqua blue men’s three-speed bike sat in the warmth of the June day.
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Maine, the soft-spoken 19-year-old with the dreadlocks, along with Walker and Shaky Jake, his uncle, make a living selling household wares, electronics and recreational items at the corner of Fond Du Lac Avenue and 30th Street.
“This is how we survive. It’s about survival,” said Maine, who declined to give his last name.
The men treat their curbside business as a job, waking up early in the morning, seven days a week, and hitting the road by 8 a.m. to find inventory they will sell later in the day. The trio buys their products at rummage sales or finds them discarded along roadways or in alleys and uses a wooden trailer and their van to transport the items to the spot along the busy roadway.
“It’s an alternative for us who can’t find jobs, a way to put food on the table. We’re just trying to make ends meet,” said Walker, wearing a black bandana and a white T-shirt.
Shaky Jake, with his broad shoulders, a wide smile and huge personality, is the CEO of the operation. He makes up for the lack of steady employment and financial resources with an infectious enthusiasm for the art of the sale.
Ken Walker stands by the van that he and his business associates use to transport items to their makeshift store. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
“I buy from the rich to sell to the poor,” declared Shaky Jake wearing windshield-size sunglasses, a long gold necklace and a tight black sleeveless t-shirt that appeared painted onto his chest.
Shaky Jake, without notice, began imitating a fast-talking auctioneer, belting out what he had to sell in rapid fashion as he waved back to drivers who honked their horns, joyful to see and hear him in action.
“I’m the best. I’m the best out here,” he said without hesitation.
Over the last three decades of doing business, Shaky Jake has built a network throughout the city of acquaintances who inform him of solid rummaging leads. Shaky Jake has also earned trust within the neighborhood and with his customers, some of whom request specific items they desperately need at a price that they can afford.
In return, he gets protection. No one dares to mess with Shaky Jake and his crew when they are running their curbside business.
“We’re just out here trying to making an honest living, trying to make a dollar like everyone else,” Walker said. “The key is visibility, a lot of eyesight.”
On the front end, the men are determined hagglers at rummage sales, driving prices down to their lowest possible point. When making purchases, they must take into account the limited amount of capital they have to spend on inventory, operational costs such as gas and maintenance on the van and logistical factors such as the finite amount of hauling space in their small trailer, Shaky Jake explained.
They also have a deep understanding of demand from their impoverished clientele, many of whom drive up in their cars, hop out and peruse the inventory on a regular basis.
“It’s good because you don’t have to go the store and spend all of that money and they aren’t trying to beat you,” said Dwight Thomas, who bought a television set for $30 from the curbside business a few years ago.
“They ain’t hurting nobody and they’re giving you decent merchandise and they didn’t go steal from nobody. You can’t ask for much more,” Thomas observed as he stood across the street. “It is what it is. It’s cut and dry.”
The entrepreneurs follow seasonal demand trends, selling plenty of fans in the summer and a lot of space heaters in the winter. Shaky Jake also relies on what he hears on the street.
“When people have their gas turned off, I buy the electrical stuff like this microwave,” he said, pointing to the lone microwave on his lot.
The men also watch the sales at big box stores such as Wal-Mart and Target to gain an understanding of the competition’s pricing trends.
Shaky Jake does not place price tags on his goods. He would rather engage the prospective client in a conversation about his products, giving him an opportunity to learn about their wants and needs along with their sensitivity to price.
“This fan could cost you $10. But if I see you sweat, it may cost you 50 bucks,” he said with a sly chuckle. “A sale is just a negotiation. Everything is negotiable all of the time; that’s why I don’t have the price. I leave it open.”
Like most of their customers, all three men live on the edge of a bleak financial cliff. Without the income they make from their curbside endeavor, they would go hungry or be homeless.
“I would be holding one of those signs that say ‘I’m homeless,’ ” Shaky Jake said as his mood quickly turned serious. “It’s tough out here.”
Maine spent time in jail after “doing stuff he had no business doing” such as breaking into houses when he was younger. Now, fresh out of high school and living on his own, he looks forward to one day attending college and becoming the first in his family to earn a degree.
“No matter how bad you’re off or how empty your pockets are, there’s always a way to come up legally without breaking into houses and stuff like that,” Maine said. “There’s a better way.”

author: Brendan O’Brien


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 15, 2014


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 16, 2014