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On The Block: The Urban Citizenship Project | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
January 16, 2018
Shawn Mitchell, a Navy veteran, said it is important not to take citizenship for granted. To him, that means taking responsibility for himself and his family by learning to be more self-reliant and by sharing his knowledge and experience with other city residents.
Mitchell and his wife, an accountant, live on the Northwest Side. Their focus includes growing food in an urban garden, taking more control of their youngest son’s education and, for Shawn, learning and teaching others about diabetes management and developing entrepreneurial projects. Among them are consignment sales through Amazon and distribution of wholesale products.
Mitchell plans to write about their progress on a website called the Urban Citizen Project, which he is still developing.
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author: Andrea Waxman


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 15, 2018

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: January 15, 2018

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

author: Adam Carr


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Body & Soul Healing Arts Center closes; ministry to return to original home | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
January 17, 2018
Venice Williams sells her skin care and other herbal products at the Outpost Makers Market on North Avenue most Saturdays. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Although the recent closing of the Body & Soul Healing Arts Center in Sherman Park may have seemed abrupt to some, Venice Williams and her congregation, The Table, had been contemplating the center’s future for more than a year. The Table, is the ministry that runs Alice’s Garden.
“It’s a decision that we could have made this time last year,” Williams said, “but I was really feeling the pain” of the many organizations and individuals using space there who would be displaced.
After the dozen or so Table members involved in planning learned that the building’s owner, Good Shepherd Trinity Church, intended to sell the property at 3617 N. 48th St, “we began to look at who it is we are and (who we) want to continue to be in the city,” Williams said. “That brought us full circle back to the Kujichagulia Lutheran Center.”
In 2006, Williams was forced to move out of Kujichagulia, 3908 W. Capitol Drive, where she led the Seedfolks Youth Ministry for seven years. A roof leak that pre-dated her arrival had finally rendered the building uninhabitable and there were no funds for repairs. During her years there, Kujichagulia evolved into an even more vibrant community center than Body & Soul, Williams said.
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Now, after more than a decade at the Body & Soul Healing Arts Center, Williams and her congregants have decided to repair, renovate and re-open Kujichagulia, which it already owns, rather than buy another building. Kujichagulia is Swahili for self-determination.
“It has become a priority for us to get this building re-opened and to bring under one roof all of the amazing programs and projects that we are doing in a space that belongs to us and to put our resources into that property,” Williams said.
Kujichagulia Lutheran Center, adorned with a mural by Ammar Nsoroma called “Knowledge is Like a Garden,” has stood vacant and in need of rehabilitation for more than a decade. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Kujichagulia is half again as large as Body & Soul. It is also more centrally located and accessible by bus, Williams said. And, she noted, “it makes even more sense … because of all of the incredible work and energy that Alice’s Garden and The Table and our partners have been engaged in for the past decade.”
One important way Williams has nurtured the community at Alice’s Garden and Body & Soul is by teaching agriculture, modeling and supporting entrepreneurship, and helping youth and adults build employment and entrepreneurial skills and experience.
“I wake up almost every week, if not every other day, (to news of) very dismal statistics … about the city of Milwaukee and specifically about how so much gainful employment and meaningful work has disappeared in the African-American community.” At the same time, the Kujichagulia Lutheran Center “sits here crying out to be used,” she said.
Although replacing the roof and rehabilitating the inside of the building will likely take 18 months to two years, “the community here on Capitol Drive is so excited just with the thought of Kujichagulia re-opening. So are many other folks throughout the city, who came there for poetry nights and for rites of passage classes and for community meals and workshops and events,” Williams added.
Small business owner Courtney Kelly grew up in the neighborhood and she and her mother are excited at the prospect of the center’s re-opening. Kelly first went there to attend a friend’s open mic poetry set more than 10 years ago, she said.
Then Williams offered Kelly meeting space for her book club. Kelly also remembers a time when her family hosted a “friends and family” fish fry at the center, where they were able to prepare food, play games and have a live band “for little to no cost,” she said.
She was attracted to discussions such as Williams’ Martin Luther King Day programs and she volunteered at the center’s free community breakfast, food pantry and clothing bank. As the owner of Rochelle Consulting and Events, an event planning business, Kelly said she knows that community members are always looking for places to gather and host baby showers and other small events.
The Table’s vision for the revitalized center includes establishing a home for the Alice’s Garden farmers training projects. Other plans include a farmers market; café, retail makers cooperative; and production of an herbal product line.
It will also be a gathering space for The Table and other entities but “what sets it apart from other traditional congregational ministries is how important it is for us to grow sustainable employment through sustainable agriculture and what it means for us to house local makers,” Williams said.
In addition to providing space for Alice’s Garden’s year-round office, Body & Soul was home to the Milwaukee Food Council and the Wisconsin Doulas of Color Collective and provided space for many smaller organizations and individuals starting businesses. But although “everything (at Body & Soul) continued to be vibrant … until the moment we moved out,” according to Williams, the closing is sad for many who felt at home there.
Marisa Hernandez-De Windt, a doula, wellness specialist and massage therapist with Wisconsin Doulas of Color, also taught yoga and fitness classes, participated in MPower Theater and attended programs on race that Williams offered at Body & Soul.
Though its closing poses a challenge to the work she wants to do with mothers in the African-American community, she said that she and her colleagues will have to be creative and patient in finding solutions. In the meantime, Hernandez-De Windt said, she will teach classes in her home.
“We are really grateful for the time we did have there and all of the things that we were able to do. It’s honestly amazing all the different programs that I was able to be part of in that one building,” Hernandez-De Windt said.
Iris Acevedo, who operated a sewing business, Virtuous by Design, at Body & Soul also is grateful for the opportunity Williams gave her to cut costs while a full-time fashion design student at Mount Mary University. Since graduating in December, Acevedo, has decided to relocate her business to a home that she is looking to buy so that she will be available to her children.
“Venice has always been …  somebody who, if I needed resources of any kind, she’s always been so generous with me — with the space — but also allowing me to be autonomous. As a business it’s great to be affiliated with great people but autonomy is important too.”
Acevedo said the timing of the closing is good for her as she is refocusing her business. “I want to start my own sewing pattern company and (continue) teaching classes,” she said.
The Milwaukee Food Council, which is growing and had already begun moving some of its functions out of Body & Soul, is working on finding a new location, said Board President Stephanie Calloway.
Calling the closing “bittersweet” Calloway said, “It’s still a huge shift. “Venice herself has been involved in the Milwaukee Food Council since its inception and she was on the steering committee for a long time and we definitely felt like the Body & Soul Healing Arts Center was our home.”
Williams noted that “absence and gaps and longing are good things for (helping) people to understand that something needs to happen.” And for The Table, it’s important “to model that ‘church’ is not a building,” she said.
Williams added, “The promise that the re-opening of Kujichagulia means for the city of Milwaukee and specifically the African-American community is immeasurable at this point.”

created: January 17, 2018


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 16, 2018

created: January 16, 2018


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Tips to make your winter driving safer | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Nick Jarmusz, AAA
January 17, 2018
The best winter drivers are those prepared for the worst. To get where you’re going during these difficult months, take your time and think ahead.
Before starting out in snowy weather, remove the snow from the entire car so it doesn’t blow onto your windshield or the windshields of other drivers. Make sure your mirrors, lights, brake lights and turn signals are clean.
It’s not too late to brush up on winter driving techniques to help you navigate safely. Drivers can avoid roadside breakdowns by keeping their vehicles properly maintained.  Motorists should follow their vehicle manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule and make sure it is ready for the rigors of winter driving.
Here are a few things to accomplish before heading out:
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Additionally, AAA recommends the following tips for winter driving:
If your vehicle is equipped with anti-lock brakes, apply constant, firm pressure to the pedal when stopping.  You may feel or hear a thumping sound when the system is engaged.

author: Nick Jarmusz, AAA


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 17, 2018


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6th District Difference Makers honored for community betterment | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Milele A. Coggs
January 18, 2018
A neighborhood block club, residents and a successful community garden program were honored during last night’s 6th District town hall meeting by Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs for making the district a great place in which to live, and each was presented with a 2017 Dr. James G. White 6th District Difference Makers Award.
Alderwoman Coggs, who presented the awards during the meeting (held in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, 310 W. Locust St.), said selfless and dedicated work to better the district, neighborhoods and the community is truly worthy of recognition and thanks. “Each of us should be asking what we can do to make our neighborhood and our community better, and without regard for what personal reward or personal gain may come of it,” she said. “Our award winners have consistently shown that compassion and spirit.”
“That spirit, mindset and energy is what the Difference Makers Award is all about, as it truly embodies the beliefs and actions of the late Dr. James G. White,” Alderwoman Coggs said.
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Last night’s 2017 Dr. James G. White 6th District Difference Makers Award winners were:
Alderwoman Coggs established the Dr. James G. White 6th District Difference Makers Awards to recognize those residents and organizations that work diligently to improve and strengthen the quality of life for themselves, their neighborhood and the City of Milwaukee. Dr. White was a resident of the 6th District who served as a county supervisor and the regional vice president of WestCare Wisconsin Harambee Community Center, facilitating countless neighborhood projects and programs. He used his gifts, talents and knowledge to improve and empower his community.

created: January 18, 2018

author: Ald. Milele A. Coggs


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Black women in Milwaukee say ‘Me Too’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elizabeth Baker
January 18, 2018
This woman, who asked not to be identified, was sexually harassed on the job by her supervisor. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series about sexual harassment in Milwaukee. Part two focuses on the experiences of low-wage workers.
When Angel (not her real name) was a teenager, she was sexually harassed by managers at two different fast food restaurant jobs in the city.
At the first restaurant, the advances from her manager started as verbal aggression — “extra vulgar” comments that made her extremely uncomfortable, she said. Eventually, the harassment progressed to physical touching, such as rubbing up against and grabbing her.
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“He would find a way to be in my space,” she said. “I would try to avoid him, but he’s the manager. He goes where he wants to go, and he would find me,” said the woman, now 41 and working as a community organizer.
Around the nation, the #MeToo movement is revealing how women across all lines of work endure unwelcome, aggressive sexual advances from male supervisors and co-workers. Women of color in Milwaukee are no exception.
Minority women are more likely than white women to experience harassment, according to a 2016 Equal Employment Opportunity Committee report. Moreover, several psychological research studies indicate that both sexual and racial harassment in the workplace have negative consequences for workers’ career outcomes and mental health, especially minority females.
(Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
When one day in the kitchen Angel’s manager grabbed her backside aggressively, she confronted him. “I told him that I did not like that, that I was uncomfortable and don’t touch me.”
She remembers not understanding what he meant when he responded, “If you don’t follow my rules, I can hit you in the pockets.”
The next day when she came back to work, he had posted a new schedule and cut back her hours from seven to two days per week.
As a teen mom, she needed the work. The job allowed her to pay rent, and to purchase diapers and formula.
“I had to basically endure so that I could have hours and work to support myself,” she said. “I think that men in power use their leverage to get you to do what they want you to do, especially if they think you’re from a particular background.”
Finally, she was fed up and made a formal complaint to the parent company. The regional manager came to talk to her.
More than 20 years later, she remembers that conversation vividly.
“It was a woman named Mary. She said, ‘Tell me what’s bothering you,’ and I started to tell her the different incidents that had occurred. She was taking notes … and then at the end of the conversation she told me that my services were no longer needed,” she recalled. “I got fired. She told me that it wasn’t working out, and I had been there at this point for four whole years, and she told me that it would be best if I found another job.”
At her new job at another fast food restaurant, she experienced the same harassment from her male manager. This time, she did not formally complain. She asked to be transferred and eventually quit.
Her situation highlights the dilemma women face when deciding whether to report sexual harassment in the workplace. In fact, TEMPO Milwaukee recently published the results of a survey of its members, women in CEO, executive and leadership positions, and nearly one-third of respondents stated they would not report or were unsure if they would report blatant sexual harassment if it happened tomorrow, fearing repercussions, career damage, not being believed or embarrassment.
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service partnered with Milwaukee PBS to cover the issue of sexual harassment in Milwaukee.
Half of TEMPO’s survey respondents reported having experienced sexual harassment early in their careers in entry-level positions. Overall, more than two-thirds said they’ve experienced sexual harassment in the workplace at some level.
According to a 2016 EEOC report, most people take no formal action after they are harassed.
Kayla (not her real name), a 44-year-old Milwaukee woman who is a government employee and former member of the military, never reported her abuse. Years ago as a unit administrator she experienced constant sexual harassment — both verbal and physical — from male superiors.
She explained that when people complain, they become the problem. That’s why she never even considered reporting the inappropriate behavior. “People can make your job miserable … It’s like, do I really want to fight this battle? It can dead-end you.”
She said she sees it happen all the time: someone files a complaint against a coworker or superior and the only action taken by leadership is shuffling both to a different location. Or, complaints are simply ignored when they’re against officials of a higher rank with close ties to the organization’s leaders.
“With any form of complaint, you really don’t have a leg to stand on … you’d probably have to be almost raped for it to have some action taken on it.”
She first experienced harassment from male coworkers when she went to an out-of-town conference with other government employees. A colleague knocked on her hotel room door and told her about an unspoken understanding among the administrators that when they travel, “basically, they hook up,” she said.
In the office, a male supervisor would often hug her and kiss her on the cheek. He told all the female employees that they had to walk past his office every time they came into the building. He targeted Kayla, asking questions about her personal life, hovering around and leaning over her desk.
Even after she lashed out at him in front of coworkers, his behavior progressively got worse. It began to take a mental toll on her.
A 2009 study by psychiatry scholars at the University of Illinois at Chicago found that people of ethnic minorities experience the highest levels of workplace harassment and discrimination, leading to drinking problems and other mental health issues, especially for women.
Both problem drinking and poor mental health became issues for Kayla. She eventually sought mental health counseling at the VA when the harassment made work so intolerable that she was using all her sick leave to avoid going to the office.
Seeing a psychiatrist has helped her work through these issues and move forward in her career.
In addition to the trauma she struggles with from sexual harassment, she constantly feels overly scrutinized and supervised at work. She believes the fact that she is both a woman and African-American is a factor. “I don’t get to do my job in the same capacity as everybody else.”
Targets of harassment often experience “intersectional” harassment, or both race- and gender-based mistreatment, according to the EEOC 2016 report. Few researchers have collected data on this phenomenon, but a 2015 study in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine found that people of color are not only more likely to be victims of workplace injustice but also to suffer more adverse outcomes as a result.
The trauma of sexual harassment doesn’t go away, survivors report. Decades later, Angel said her experiences at the fast food restaurants still affect her. She said she believes they instilled a serious, standoffish, no-nonsense demeanor at work.
“Some describe me as mean. I don’t think I’m mean, I just don’t want to give anybody the wrong impression that advances are welcome.”
She often talks to her daughters, 25 and 14, about her experiences so they can be aware and protect themselves. She tells them how to conduct themselves and how to respond: to say something right then and there.
“My biggest mistake was not telling my mom,” she said. “I decided to leave instead, but the problem with that is you leave that same person behind in the same position having the same power over other young women that you know they are abusing.”

author: Elizabeth Baker


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Families encouraged to explore kindergarten now | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
January 18, 2018
(Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Public Schools)
Now is the time for Milwaukee families to choose a kindergarten or Head Start program to start their 3-, 4- or 5-year olds on the path to success. Official enrollment for kindergarten in Milwaukee Public Schools opens Saturday, February 3 at the MPS Kindergarten Enrollment Fair from 9 a.m. to noon at Milwaukee High School of the Arts, 2300 W. Highland Ave. in Milwaukee. Enrollment applications can be completed at the Enrollment Fair, online at mpsmke.com/enroll, any MPS school, Welcome Center or the MPS Enrollment Center, 5225 W. Vliet St., Milwaukee.
Families can now schedule school visits to see MPS’ many outstanding kindergarten and Head Start programs in action. Many options are available for children entering 3-year-old, 4-year-old, and 5-year-old kindergarten.
Kindergarten enrollment will remain open until March 4. Enrolling prior to this deadline improves the chances of children being placed in their first-choice school. Families who choose their school preferences prior to the opening of enrollment are well prepared to complete the enrollment application.
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MPS offers a number of popular programs and features in kindergarten.
ARTS

author: Milwaukee Public Schools


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 18, 2018


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Northwestern Mutual employees celebrate ‘day on’ during Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Northwestern Mutual
January 18, 2018
On Jan. 15, Northwestern Mutual employee volunteers celebrated a day on, in commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, by volunteering at more than a dozen locations throughout Milwaukee. The company-wide day on honors the late leader’s passion for service and community. The company’s African American Employee Resource group organized the event. Volunteers participated in school revitalization projects, mentored and tutored young people, provided food and clothes to those in need and more.

author: Northwestern Mutual


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MLK Day Photos_1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 18, 2018


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MLK Day Photos_2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 18, 2018


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NW Side Community Development Corp. invests in area, creates jobs | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elliot Hughes
January 19, 2018
The Villard Square branch of the Milwaukee Public Library sits beneath 47 apartment units, some of which are affordable housing. The Northwest Side Community Development Corporation helped fund the building’s construction. (Photo by Elliot Hughes)
Editor’s note: This article is one of an occasional series profiling the 12 finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs). The Northwest Side Community Development Corporation is a finalist for the Chase Economic Development Award for its work revitalizing the area. The award recognizes economic and business development.
You can vote today for People’s Choice Award winners. Click here to vote.
The Northwest Side Community Development Corporation is doing many different things in many places on Milwaukee’s northwest side, but one project encapsulates how the organization approaches its work.
Back in 2003, the public library on Villard Avenue was targeted for closing, since the building had fallen into disrepair. Nearby residents protested and NWSCDC not only joined in, but it tried to find a solution. It gained control of some nearby land and after some negotiating, struck a deal with the city and other business partners.
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The result was a new building that, today, houses the library on the ground floor and, above that, 47 apartment units, with some designated as affordable housing specifically for adults who are raising their grandchildren. The $11 million project included a $1.2 million investment from NWSCDC. It created 150 construction jobs and retained not only the communal benefits of a local library but the jobs it provides.
In that one project, NWSCDC flexed many of its muscles at once. It engaged in community activism. It invested funds into a development project that filled a gap in services in the community. It created jobs and retained others.
“They involve the community, the neighbors — they understand what their area is about,” said David Latona, the president of the Milwaukee Economic Development Corp., which frequently partners with NWSCDC. “Businesses around there are going to perk up, because they know someone cares.”
Howard Snyder, executive director of the Northwest Side Community Development Corporation, speaks during a presentation on Jan. 10. (Photo by Elliot Hughes)
NWSCDC’s mission is to battle poverty and unemployment by making quality jobs available to low-income individuals. It goes about that mission by acting as an “alternative lender,” making business loans that a bank perhaps is not willing to make. But it also is active in the community — organizing peace walks, bike rides and assisting groups and individuals with myriad problems.
“We’re not as well known for that as we want to be,” said Howard Snyder, the executive director. “But the noise that we’ve been making in the last year, we’re going to be better known than we have been. We’re working very hard on really important issues in this community.”
NWSCDC began in 1983 as a community development corporation that focused mainly on acquiring and managing commercial properties and installing services and business that would benefit the northwest side, which the organization defines as between the northern city limits and Interstate 94; and between Interstate 43 and the western city limits.
Snyder said NWSCDC “wasn’t very good” at the property management game. After some financial difficulty in the early 1990s, it reinvented itself as a lender and community organizer.
Since 2000, when its lending program began, NWSCDC has lent just over $10 million to 14 businesses and created 1,002 jobs. Of those, 860 were full time and went to low-income individuals, according to the organization.
Many of those loans are made possible by grants received through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Community Services. Those who receive those loans have to create full-time jobs with consistent hours and benefits for low-income individuals.
More than half of the jobs created have gone to residents of the northwest side and the average starting pay is between $12 and $15 per hour, according to Andrew Haug, NWSCDC’s resource development manager.
And those loans are designed not just to benefit businesses and the people they hire; they also are designed to benefit the community at large. NWS’s investments have retained the local library branch, allowed retail space to grow and brought grocery stores to food deserts.
“A lot of funds that were lent, were lent in areas where we know there was a definite need,” said Willie Smith, the organization’s director of lending.
Meanwhile, NWSCDC has stepped up its presence in the community. Its staff members have organized rallies for safe driving, sat in on block watch meetings, leveraged funding to help improve storm water management, helped various community groups organize themselves and led an effort to save the Schulz Aquatic Center in Lincoln Park from closing.
“I don’t know where we’d be without them, frankly,” said David Thomas, a member of the Friends of Lincoln Park. “It’s really been successful in getting the attention of the news media and the county executive’s office and I don’t think we would have done that successfully without them.”
NWSCDC staff members said an engaged community attracts businesses. If a pool were to close and a nearby park would not be as populated or vibrant, or if nobody tried to address the area’s reckless driving problem and drivers felt unsafe, “that’s bad for business,” Snyder said.
Added Smith, “All of this is what it takes to improve the area. It hasn’t been just about economic development; it’s been about all of the facets of a community — economic, social and residential.”

created: January 19, 2018

author: Elliot Hughes


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Financial donations needed to provide thousands free tax preparation | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Social Development Commission
January 20, 2018
A volunteer for the Social Development Commission’s tax preparation program meets with two individuals. The program helped prepare 11,853 federal and state returns in 2016. (Photo provided by SDC)
Can you imagine having to pay $350 to a commercial tax preparation service when you live on $23,000 a year? Paying exorbitant fees can take away from the ability to pay utility bills or purchase adequate food for families. The Social Development Commission (SDC) operates the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, and the program is in jeopardy. VITA offers free preparation of federal and state tax returns to low and middle-income households. In 2016, the agency prepared 11,853 federal and state returns. In compliance with an $85,000 federal grant from the IRS, which covers a portion of operating expenses, SDC is required to raise matching funds. There is a shortfall and SDC is in tremendous need of a minimum of $35,000 in matching funds; significantly more to operate at full capacity.
Each year, VITA saves households approximately $1.4 million each year in preparation fees. It costs $350,000 to operate three sites. If donations for the full cost of the program are not received, 4,500 of the approximately 6,000 households served annually will not receive service. SDC is in desperate need of financial contributions or operations will be forced to shut down well in advance of final date to file returns, April 17. The inability to provide service will impact the entire community, including seniors and the disabled.
Businesses, foundations, organizations and individuals that want to help the VITA program serve members of our community, must donate by January 31.
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Financial donations ranging from $5 to tens of thousands are critical to support the operation of this valuable program. Matching funds allow a greater number of low and middle-income individuals and families to receive free tax service and retain crucial dollars within their household. Those interested in making a donation to help the VITA program reach its goal, can click on the “Give Now” tab at sd-foundation.org or can contact LaToya Jones at 414.906.2823 or ljones@sd-foundation.org.
In the 16 years SDC has operated VITA, nearly 190,000 returns have been filed at no cost resulting in a return of over $193 million to the local economy.
Tax preparation and filing is only one component of VITA. Clients served by the program have the opportunity to participate in financial education workshops, one-on-one financial coaching, and the opportunity to open new bank accounts and learn about other services offered by financial institutions.
For more than 50 years, the Social Development Commission has operated as the Community Action Agency for Milwaukee County. SDC serves as a planner, coordinator, and provider of human service programs for low-income individuals and families residing in Milwaukee County. The agency is an intergovernmental commission and is governed by a board of 18 citizens from Milwaukee County, each of whom hold the title of “Commissioner.” For more information on SDC’s programs and services, visit cr-sdc.org. Connect with us on Facebook www.Facebook.com/SDCMilwaukee and Twitter www.twitter.com/CRSDC.

created: January 20, 2018

author: Social Development Commission


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 20, 2018


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 25, 2018

created: January 25, 2018


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Beyond photography | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dominic Inouye
January 22, 2018
(Photo by Megan Monday, Love Wisconsin)
Dominic Inouye is a freelance writer and photographer and the founder of ZIP MKE. He originally shared this story as part of the Ex Fabula Fellowship Program.
Here I am: a Japanese-Italian American with pinkish skin driving on a sunny, spring day in my black Mazda, with the windows rolled down, looking for people to shoot.  You see, I’m an amateur street photographer, just a regular guy trying to capture the faces, places and events in all 28 ZIP codes in the city to better represent what Milwaukee is all about.  While I’ve driven, walked, and photographed in all of those ZIP Codes, my particular focus has been the central city and its predominantly black residents, since they are among the least represented in so many ways.  I’ve collected almost 2,000 photos so far, not just from me but from about 200 other photographers.
Today, though, I’m on a personal assignment.  I’m driving from the east side in 53212, through the central city in 53206 -— familiar territory now —- planning on a drive in Sherman Park in 53210, to get home to Wauwatosa in 53213.  But the only reason I’ve been able to undertake this project is because I quit my nice-paying teaching job at an independent school in Racine, have a husband who makes three times what I was ever making, and have the ability to drive through the city for hours on end with a full tank of gas.
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I get to 53210, and I’m driving slowly down one block — a pinkish-skinned guy in a predominantly black neighborhood -—when I see what looks to be a beautiful, young black couple on their porch.  They seem to be just enjoying the sun and the warmth. I park, get out and walk up to them.
They look at me with those questioning eyes I often get when I just walk up to strangers on their porch, but then I explain my project, ZIP MKE.
They seem to register what I’m saying, but then they tell me, somberly, that they’re getting kicked out of this house in three days because their landlord had to go into foreclosure. Their lights had just been turned off three days early.  In three days, they’re expecting to be homeless with their 4-year-old daughter, who’s inside.  In the dark.  Well, that sucks.  Here I am, man on the street with a camera, wanting to take a beautiful picture and here they are, literally in the dark.  They have no idea what to do.
We talk for a while about their situation, and they do agree to let me take their photo.  I tell them I want them to have a moment of peace and self-worth.  Then, however, I promise I’ll return with information that might help them.  I speed home and contact my good friend in HUD and she hooks me up immediately with resources for them — names of organizations, numbers, emails, even her own work and personal phone numbers.  I return in about 20 minutes and explain all my friend had told me.
I never see them again, but it was on that day that it really hit home that while I had become invested in the lives of so many of my photographic subjects (I had just driven by Coffee Makes You Black, The Juice Kitchen, The Tandem, Alice’s Garden, the corner where I talked to James with the chicken soup fixings and the man day-drinking in the alley of the Scott Christian Youth Fellowship), I still wanted to be even more invested, especially in the lives of those who needed representation or actual help, like the Sherman Park couple.  To be “invested” literally means to “put on clothes.”  I knew that I needed to “put on the clothes” of those people whose photos I was taking, even when I couldn’t walk in their shoes.  Otherwise, all I’d be doing was taking a photo, not creating relationships.  A stranger remaining a stranger.  I needed to, because of my privilege.  And doing so is a privilege, in the other sense of the word.
After all, it was one month after the uprising in Sherman Park that I founded ZIP MKE — because we needed to see each other better, in the best light, in the best vestments.  And we weren’t.

created: January 22, 2018

author: Dominic Inouye


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 21, 2018

created: January 21, 2018


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From brownfield to model for sustainable development, Menomonee Valley is booming | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
January 22, 2018
Corey Zetts, executive director of Menomonee Valley Partners, has been with the organization since 2005. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Editor’s note: This article is one of an occasional series profiling the 12 finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs). The Menomonee Valley revitalization is a finalist for the Chase Economic Development Award, which recognizeseconomic and business development.
You can vote today for People’s Choice Award winners. Click here to vote.
For thousands of years the Menomonee Valley consisted of wild rice marshes inhabited by Native American tribes, but by the early 1800s, when Milwaukee was considered the “machine shop of the world,” the valley was its engine, according to Corey Zetts, executive director of Menomonee Valley Partners (MVP). But the Menomonee Valley devolved in the 1980s and ‘90s, a victim of deindustrialization.
“When industry died there, the valley was decimated,” Zetts said.
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What remained were hundreds of acres of inaccessible brownfield, a trash-strewn river, sparsely used railroad tracks and empty shells of companies that once employed thousands, explained Zetts, leader of the nonprofit created in 1999 and tasked with revitalizing the valley.
That was the old valley. The new valley, now one of the most vibrant and economically diverse areas of the city, has added 47 new businesses since 1999,  according to Zetts. The new businesses are much more diverse than the tanneries and machine shops they replaced. They include the Harley Davidson Museum, pizza company Palermo Villa, Badger Railing and the Spain-based renewable energy company Ingeteam, which relocated to the valley in part because of its proximity to a large workforce, Zetts said.
Summer campers from the Menomonee Valley Urban Ecology Center observe the eclipse in Three Bridges Park. (Photo by Adam Carr)
In addition to new companies, several older businesses in the valley, including Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, which is currently constructing a second hotel tower, have expanded. Another growing business is Standard Electric Company, 222 N. Emmber Lane.  Larry Stearn, owner and president of the company, which moved to the valley from downtown 30 years ago, said he recently purchased land on the east end for future expansion. Industry growth in the valley has resulted in the creation of 5,000 new jobs since 1999, Zetts said, adding that the property tax base in the area increased from $62 million to $270 million, a 335 percent increase, during that time.
The Menomonee Valley’s comeback story began in 1998, when the city released its original land use plan for the area. In 1999, the plan was sitting on the desk of Julie Penman, Milwaukee’s new commissioner of city development, which let her know it was a top priority, she said. While many considered the area an eyesore or a dumping ground, there were also those who realized that buried under decades of pollution and neglect was an area teeming with potential.
“We went out and got governmental agencies, real estate minds, the private sector, [and] community stakeholders together to figure out how to fix the valley. The key was public-private partnerships that made available funds that wouldn’t have been available otherwise,” said Penman, principal at Penman Consulting and MVP board member.
MVP helped facilitate those public-private partnerships, launching the multi-million dollar “From the Ground Up,” initiative in 2010. From that initiative arose the Menomonee Valley Branch of the Urban Ecology Center (UEC), 3700 W. Pierce St., and the Valley Passage walkway, which reopened the valley to South Side residents. It also led to the extension of the Hank Aaron State Trail into the valley and the construction of three new pedestrian bridges, one connecting the Clarke Square neighborhood and Mitchell Park to the 24-acre Three Bridges Park, which opened in July 2013.
With both industry and environment thriving in the area, “the Menomonee Valley is also now a national model for sustainable development,” Zetts said.
The Standard Electric Company, 222 N. Emmber Lane, moved to the Menomonee Valley from downtown 30 years ago. The company’s plans include an expansion into the east end of the valley. (Photo by Edgar Mendez).
Nearby residents have taken notice of the improvements. Lifelong South Side resident Lana Schocko grew up during a time when the valley was off-limits, she said, but she now jogs and bikes the Hank Aaron State Trail regularly with her son. She said the beautiful space is a big bonus for residents.
“It (the valley) offers a safe space for families and members of the community to be outdoors,” Schocko said.
Many local students have also benefited from the valley’s transformation. Three Bridges Park, once a railroad yard, serves as an outdoor classroom for the UEC, explained Glenna Holstein, Menomonee Valley UEC branch manager.
“We work with students from 22 schools on the near South Side, who get the chance to learn about the thousands of plant and animal species that inhabit the Valley,” Holstein said.
MVP, the City of Milwaukee and other partners are now in the process of implementing a second land use plan, Menomonee Valley 2.0. Priorities include creating a food and beverage cluster and a showroom district, and continuing to improve access and connections between the valley and surrounding areas. Another major priority is to connect more residents of the surrounding area, including youth, to jobs in the valley, said Catrina Crane, director of workforce development and business solutions for MVP.
The hope is that the valley can once again become a place where thousands of workers from surrounding neighborhoods can grab their lunchboxes and walk to work, she said. MVP held its first career expo in September, designed to showcase job and career opportunities in the valley, Crane added.
“There’s a lot of people nearby that still don’t know about the many different types of industries and career options available in the valley,” according to Crane. MVP has also worked with local companies that are seeking opportunities to connect with youth to coordinate mentoring and career training opportunities, she said.
With both industry and environment resuscitated in the valley, the only question that remains is just how grand its transformation will become.
“What the valley has become is the product of 20-plus years of hard work. But, the work is not done,” Zetts said.

author: Edgar Mendez


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Major crime decrease in Milwaukee’s Amani neighborhood | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
COA Youth & Family Centers
January 22, 2018
Crime in the Amani neighborhood of Milwaukee continued to decrease , while at the same time City of Milwaukee crime increased 1.94%.  According to data from the City of Milwaukee COMPASS database there were 80 fewer offenses in Amani, dropping from 662 to 582 offenses.  During the same period (2016-2017) crime increased 1.94% citywide (from 40,580 to 41,368 offenses).  The Amani neighborhood boundaries are 20 Street on the east, 27 Street on the west, Center Street on the south and Keefe Ave on the north.
The crime decrease in Amani reflects a 12 year pattern.  Since COA opened the Goldin Center in 2005 in the heart of the Amani community, crime has gone down by 46.70%, with 510 fewer crimes in 2017 than in 2005. Citywide, Milwaukee saw a smaller but still substantial decline of 24.99% in crime from 2005-2017.
In 2005, COA Youth & Family Centers purchased a bankrupt building at 24 and Burleigh and opened the COA Goldin Center.  Beginning with daily after school and summer youth programs, this expanded to include family programming, and a new early education center.  COA Executive Director Thomas Schneider notes two critical elements to this success.  First, Amani residents are much more involved and looking out for each other.  Residents are more willing to report crime, and residents participate in Amani United meetings, block watches, neighborhood cleanups, and Amani Community Nights.  For example, more than 400 people showed up for the Amani Community night in December.  Second, residents have been actively engaged in building Amani assets like the new Moody Park, the CHW clinic, and several new Amani pocket parks.   “The City crime data documents the impact of these changes.”
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Sr. Patricia Rogers, Executive Director of the Dominican Center, stated, “A reduction in crime means informed and involved residents. We are determined in 2018, to better coordinate positive community change efforts of residents and organizations to reach the revitalization goal of a safe and healthy community.”
Octavia Parker, a community organizer for the Dominican Center, located in Amani, explained, “We keep pushing to the community that you have a voice and having all of us agencies on the same page helps.”
Milwaukee Police District 5 Captain Timothy Heier stated, “We could not have done this without the partnerships we have developed throughout the district.  Together, we have made a difference in the City of Milwaukee and we look forward to working together in 2018.”

author: COA Youth & Family Centers


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 22, 2018


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@Promise self-sufficiency training program elevates low-income residents | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee
January 22, 2018
The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) is pleased to announce the first graduating class of the @Promise Resident Training Program, a new HACM initiative to assist its residents in achieving self-sufficiency. The graduates were celebrated by their family and friends, Mayor Tom Barrett, Common Council President Hamilton, Alderman Cavalier Johnson, and HACM staff during a graduation ceremony on Thursday, January 18 at the Hillside Family Resource Center.
The name of the program stems from a realization that HACM’s Secretary-Executive Director, Tony Pérez, had several years ago. “Many of our young people are perceived as ‘at risk’. I chose to call them ‘at promise’ instead. The idea here is how many of these promises will go unfulfilled, not because these individuals didn’t try, but because no one lent a helping hand,” explained Pérez. “We can be that helping hand.”
HACM invited its residents to attend an informational session about the program. Of the 55 interested residents, 12 successfully completed a three-week job readiness boot camp that explored the benefits of self-sufficiency, offered career assessments and planning, and prepared the participants for a successful transition into the workforce. Six participants were selected to move on to paid training provided by HACM. These individuals will now begin working 20 hours a week in administrative positions for HACM for up to two years. They will also further their education by enrolling in Milwaukee Area Technical College’s Administrative (MATC) Professional Associate Degree Program. To help with the cost of this program, they will receive a $2,000 HACM Scholarship and up to $1,500 in tuition reimbursement per calendar year.
Angelita Ingram, an @Promise graduate, was immediately drawn to the opportunity. “It was a little intimidating at first because there were so many qualified people interested in the program. To be chosen to participate in the boot camp and ultimately be selected to work for HACM and to further my education means so much to me and my children. I believe I am capable of doing anything,” stated Ingram with a warm, enthusiastic smile.
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HACM is committed to ensuring its residents have opportunities available to help them achieve self-sufficiency through programs such as @Promise and the organization’s numerous collaborative partnerships.
Mayor Tom Barrett commended the graduates and recognized HACM’s commitment to improving the lives of the people it serves. “The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee is not only in the business of providing decent, affordable, respectable housing. It is also in the business of creating hope and opportunity in people’s lives,” said Barrett.
At the graduation ceremony, each graduate received a proclamation from Common Council President, Ashanti Hamilton. The ceremony also included remarks from MATC Provost, Mohammad Dakwar, on what it takes to succeed and the importance of perseverance. The final guest speaker for the evening was former HACM resident, Alysia Mullins. She shared the story of her journey and the role HACM played in helping her earn a college degree, purchase a home, and move from public housing to independence.


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5th annual “Phobruary” in Silver City | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Layton Boulevard West Neighbors
January 23, 2018
(Photo by Marcela Garcia
Beat cabin fever this February in Silver City with the fifth annual “Phobruary.”  This year, Silver City participating restaurants include Bamboo Restaurant, Thai Bar-B-Que, and Vientiane Noodle Shop (all supplied by the Asian International Market).  Each restaurant will offer Pho at a special price of $5 per bowl; Monday through Friday, dine-in only.
The Silver City District, nestled between Miller Park and the Mitchell Park Domes on National Avenue, features three authentic international restaurants participating in Phobruary every Monday through Friday in February:
Bamboo in Silver City | 3427 W National Avenue | 10:30am – 9pm (closed Wednesdays)
Thai Bar-B-Que | 3417 W National Avenue | 11:00am-10:00pm  (closed Tuesdays)
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Vientiane Noodle Shop | 3422 W National Avenue | 10:30am-8:30pm
After trying the various Pho options, individuals may vote for their preferred restaurant on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LaytonBoulevardWestNeighbors/. The winner will be recognized at the end of Phobruary.
So, what is Pho? It’s a soup native to Vietnam, common in Laos and Thailand, which delivers a complex combination of flavors that dance on the tongue’s taste buds. It combines noodles with a choice of thinly-sliced beef, chicken, vegetables or shrimp, and also offers a multitude of garnishes and fresh herbs to tailor the soup to individual preferences. These typically include Thai Basil, sprouts, cilantro, limes, jalapeño, sauces, peppers, and other items. This delicious combination of flavors will satisfy your hunger by the time you get to the bottom of the bowl.
Looking for ways to take your love for Pho (pronounced “fuh”) up a notch?
The first ten people to eat at all four Phobruary spots in one day will receive a $25 gift certificate to the Asian International Market AND a signed Certificate of Excellence for your incredible work and stamina. To enter, you must submit receipts and a picture of yourself with each bowl of pho to celia@lbwn.org*
* By submitting photos participants agree to let LBWN post and use photos for promotion. For details on the Pho Challenges and other Phobruary details visit http://www.lbwn.org/phobruary.
# # #
The Silver City Business District, located just minutes from the Menomonee Valley, I-94, and downtown Milwaukee, offers amenities such as the Hank Aaron State Trail, the Urban Ecology Center, Three Bridges Park, Miller Park, and the Mitchell Park Domes. Silver City is one of Milwaukee’s most diverse and vibrant neighborhoods, blending historic architecture with exciting retail and ethnic dining opportunities. With its rich collection of international restaurants, one can travel the world without leaving the neighborhood. For more information visit www.lbwn.org/silvercity.
Layton Boulevard West Neighbors stabilizes and revitalizes the Silver City, Burnham Park and Layton Park neighborhoods of Milwaukee through a variety of strategies including promoting small business development, job creation, and strengthening commercial corridors. For more information, visit www.lbwn.org.

created: January 23, 2018

author: Layton Boulevard West Neighbors


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7th Annual MKE Business Now Summit aims to attract entrepreneurs | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Milele A. Coggs
January 23, 2018
A showcase of resources available to help launch Milwaukee’s next great business ventures, and an opportunity to connect with established local professionals, the MKE Business Now Entrepreneurship Summit will take place Saturday, January 27 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, 3275 N. 3rd Street.
Now in its seventh year, the event is sponsored by Milwaukee Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs and the City of Milwaukee, and runs from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. as vendors and organizations showcase the resources they can provide to local entrepreneurs.
The event will also include multiple workshops throughout the day. The first workshop, A Seat at the Table: How to Contract with the City of Milwaukee begins at 10:30 a.m., Business Basics: From Idea to Reality at 11:15 a.m., How to Secure the Bag: Options for Business Financing at 11:15 a.m., and Power to the People: Using Social Media to Build Your Brand at noon, and a panel discussion with Historic King Drive BID at 1 pm featuring Moderator Amanda Porterfield and panelist Que Elimin, Principal at Scott Crawford, Inc. and Co-Founder of Young Enterprise Society (YES), Dr. Robert (Biko) Baker, Owner, Render Tech, Teddy Tsitiridis and Anne Marie Tsitiridis, Co-owners of Pete’s Fruit Market, and Baboonie Tatum and Larina Hightower, Co-owners of Rise & Grind Cafe.
“Small businesses are the economic engine of the City of Milwaukee and this summit is one way to aid in creating and sustaining the growth of those businesses,” Alderwoman Coggs said. “We also need entrepreneurs who are dedicated to growing the City of Milwaukee’s economy in unique and innovative ways. This event should bring together top talent, ideas and resources into one location.”
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On top of workshops and a panel discussion, representatives from the following organizations will be present to answer questions and share resources:
-US Bank
-Prism Technical Management & Marketing Services, LLC.
-RiverWorks BID
-African American Chambers of Commerce -Board of Zoning Appeals
-C. Renee Consulting and Management Group – Center Street Bid 39
-Historic King Drive Bid
-WWBIC
-Wisconsin Black Chambers of Commerce
-Scale Up
-Hudson Business Lounge + Café
-Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic
-License Department
-Me 2
-MEDC
-Networx
-Office of Small Business Development
City of Milwaukee Permits
-Dept. of City Development-Commercial Corridor -Dept. of Neighborhood Services
-Health Department
Alderwoman Coggs said, “This venue allows our city’s entrepreneurs to be able to connect with so many critical assets and sources of expertise.”
Event sponsors are MLK BID, Westcare, Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs, and the City of Milwaukee. Attendees can register through Eventbrite at https://mkebusinessnowsummit.eventbrite.com.
Reasonable accommodations can be made with at least 72-hour notice before the event by calling (414) 286-2233. The entire event is free and open to the public.


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Aldermen, activists call for independent review of Health Department | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
January 23, 2018
(From right) Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and MHD officials Sandy Rotar and Angela Hagy were questioned about documentation issues, lead blood testing and water testing. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Editor’s note: This is one of an occasional series of stories highlighting the health risk — particularly to children — of lead service lines, which deliver water from city water mains to about 70,000 homes in Milwaukee.
In the wake of revelations that point to mismanagement of the Milwaukee Health Department’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, community advocates and aldermen are asking for an independent review of the department.
Ald. Tony Zielinski, who authored a resolution passed unanimously at the end of last year calling for transparency on issues related to lead in drinking water, said he and two other alderman will sponsor legislation to have an operational audit of the Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) conducted by an independent group. Mayor Tom Barrett agreed that an audit is needed during a special hearing of the Steering and Rules Committee last week, but said he wants to see the language before committing to it.
Zielinski, who is running for mayor in 2020, said the call for an audit comes in response to “a whole series of problems,” including transparency concerns and the pace with which officials are addressing the lead poisoning crisis.
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Former Health Commissioner Bevan Baker resigned on Jan. 11 after Barrett learned that MHD did not follow up with the families of at least 577 children who tested positive for lead poisoning in 2017. Barrett said he believes the total number, including the two prior years, to be more than 1,700. The gap in documentation dates back to 2015 when there was “a significant service level drop,” according to Sarah Zarate, the city’s Legislative Fiscal Manager.
The families should have received additional information on lead hazards and prevention. In addition, 281 children whose lead blood levels were high enough to warrant an in-home followup by a Public Health Services Assistant to assess lead risks in the home may not have received those visits.
Earl Ingram, an AM Radio talk show host, speaks during a news conference at City Hall. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Zarate, who presented results of a preliminary investigation into the matter at the special hearing, said, since 2015, the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) “had deficient documentation practices and was providing inadequate, or inconsistent, services to children with elevated blood lead levels.”
It was also recently revealed that Benjamin James, a former MHD employee, sent an email to Barrett and all 15 aldermen on Dec. 28 detailing concerns about a retaliatory work environment at MHD and “the lack of water testing at lead-poisoned children’s homes despite MHD Administration’s multiple comments of its occurrence through the summer of 2017.” MHD officials confirmed no in-home testing occurred at the homes of children whose blood tested high for lead during the summer.
Barrett testified that he notified the public less than a week after receiving confirmation about the documentation issues. However, he said lack of progress regarding abatement of lead paint hazards, the issue that initially piqued his interest, came up in a meeting with Health Department officials as early as August.
“I think what is absolutely critical is that faith in the honesty and the integrity of government be restored here,” said Ald. Bob Donovan, who ran for mayor against Barrett in 2016 and chairs the Public Safety and Health Committee. “I think we’ve got a real can of worms here, and we’ve got an obligation to … look under every rock and turn over every stone.”
Barrett addressed a number of questions about what he knew and when he knew it and defended his response to lead poisoning. “This is an issue where I feel very, very strongly that the public needs to know what I know,” he said.
MHD Director of Disease Control & Environmental Health Angela Hagy did not respond to emailed questions asking when she was informed of the documentation issues and when she informed superiors.
Marc Edwards, a Virginia Tech professor and national leader in lead-water issues, called it “shocking” and “a major breach of the public trust” for MHD to not have been testing water in lead-poisoned children’s homes. “I mean, without trust, what do you have?” he said.
And community advocates are saying the City of Milwaukee has a long history of delivering misinformation when it comes to lead in water, which casts doubt on current statements.
For example, at a Jan. 28, 2016, Steering and Rules Committee meeting, Baker said MHD has been “extremely aggressive” in abating lead paint hazards (MHD has remediated 18,000 of 130,000 homes at risk for lead paint hazards since 1997) and Department of Public Works Commissioner Ghassan Korban testified that Milwaukee’s water was “very, very safe.”
“We are not Flint,” Korban said, “We are not in a crisis.”
Multiple statements from MHD officials last year, including Baker, referred to the city’s lead poisoning problem as a “public health crisis.”
At that same meeting, former Milwaukee Water Works (MWW) Commissioner Carrie Lewis testified that partial lead line replacements disturbed the lead in the private portion of the line and caused higher levels of lead at the tap for up to a month. Nevertheless, in that year, Milwaukee partially replaced 330 lead laterals, the highest number in any one year.
According to MWW spokesperson Sandra Rusch Walton, residents “subject to partial replacements in 2016” were given pour-through (not on- or under-faucet) filters and information regarding lead hazards. Residents at the 330 homes were also asked to participate in sampling and were given information on financing options to replace the private side of the lead line (from house to curb), which according to MWW is the property of the homeowner.
“What I can tell you is that all water filters were distributed prior to lead service lines being replaced,” Rusch Walton said. She did not respond to an emailed question asking how many filters were delivered to residents.
The city suspended replacement of partial lead service lines in late 2016 under pressure from community groups, including the Freshwater for Life Action Coalition (FLAC).
MHD did not respond to emailed questions about whether it supported the partial removals, or whether it suggested that those residents be tested for lead poisoning.
In 2017, though Milwaukee remained in compliance with the federal Lead and Copper Rule, a sample taken in one of the homes contained 130 parts per billion (ppb) of lead, more than eight times the EPA limit of 15 ppb. According to the EPA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there is no safe level of lead in the body.
During a news conference last week multiple individuals said Barrett should step down, calling the risk to children “a divine violation of law” and “genocide.” The percentage of children who have blood lead levels above 10 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) has dropped substantially, from almost 40 percent in 1997 to 3.3 percent last year. However, 11.6 percent of children still tested above 5 µg/dL — the federally recognized level for lead poisoning — last year.
“The failure to take action on this matter, and to communicate with the public about the risks and solutions is not a failure that can continue,” said Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton, noting that poor communities of color are some of the most vulnerable.
Robert Miranda, spokesperson for FLAC, called for Barrett to issue a water advisory, and for the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate the situation. A public information officer for the Department of Justice’s Milwaukee office said investigations are not made public until charges are brought, and declined to comment further.
“Until the citizens get together and get outraged … nothing will change,” said Kweku Akyirefi, a psychologist who has worked for Milwaukee Public Schools and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. “You will get new leaders who will do the same thing. It’s up to the people.”
Jamaal Smith, a local activist and father added, “We’re going to continue standing here. You’re not going to be able to get away from us.”

author: Jabril Faraj


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Ex Fabula storytellers describe what it means to “Break Free” | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sue Blaustein
January 23, 2018
(final bow of tellers, Co-emcee Megan McGee, tellers Monica Thomas, Dan Lococo, Jeanette Mitchell, Shawn Mitchell, T. Gillom, Bradley Glassel and co-emcee David Lee. (Photo courtesy of Ex Fabula)
What does it mean to “break free”? Six tellers at the New Year Spectacular at Turner Hall ballroom had widely different takes on that theme.
Bradley Gassel – the first teller of the evening– shared a tale of his road trips in the seventies, as he shuttled between Milwaukee and his adopted home in Venice Beach, California. His driver’s license was safe in his wallet (which happened to be in Milwaukee) when he, his friends and an erratic taillight attracted a police officer’s attention. This was in rural Nebraska, where his “California dude”, hippie looks didn’t go over so well. It looked like his party would be detained, but they were able to “break free” after a series of unusual events.
Then T. Gillom shared a searing story about her struggle to break free of a tradition of family violence – both verbal and physical – that harmed her grandmother, her mother, and her, in turn. As T read her late grandmother’s journal, she relived the way her grandmother had torn down her mother, calling her ugly, and despising her darker skin tone.
She explained how her need to protect her mother, who never stood up for herself, made her ready to enter a relationship with a man whose own toughness and violent tendencies seemed like a refuge at first. T had a son with him, and they moved away from home so she could go to college. She weathered storms as her partner became abusive. She finally “broke free” in an act of violence that assured that her son, whom she proudly describes as a “pacifist”, could grow up to leave that legacy behind.
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Shawn Mitchell described how working in corporate environments for years to support his family caused him to put dreams of running his own business on hold. Though being an entrepreneur can be risky, after he experienced insecurity and poisonous atmospheres through more than one corporate downsizing, he broke free of the idea that he had no choice, and started his own business. He assured the audience that his business can be a roller coaster, but he has no regrets.
Dan Lococo is an avid skier. Since he’s visually impaired, he skis with a guide. Skiing that way, he’s enjoyed not just the slopes, but the harmony that comes from trusting another person, both to guide him and share the experience. But one day, he skied with a less-experienced guide and ended up on the chairlift by himself, without the assurance of his regular guide talking him through the dismount. There were plenty of reasons to panic, but as the staff mobilized to help him, he broke free of fear and managed get off the lift safely.
Jeanette Mitchell grew up in the segregated St. Louis of the 50’s and 60’s. One day, her school’s Black students were left at school when the rest of the class went on a field trip to a segregated amusement park. The abusive words of the angry nun who had to stay behind with them made her resolve to “live white” to escape the stigma.
She followed through – hanging out with white girls, learning to play bridge and to polka. When her family moved to Milwaukee, they found the slights and discrimination less overt than in St. Louis, but no less wearing. She went to work for the phone company, and saw clearly that race was a factor in hiring and promotion. Angry as she faced the double standards; bolstered by her classes at Alverno College and the swelling of Black pride in 70’s culture, she made a decision to live her life proud to be a Black woman and a leader.
How can cleaning out a closet, and pausing at a shelf stacked with old blue jeans lead to a decision to break free? Monica Thomas moved back to her childhood home after a tough divorce. She told us that she definitely tends to accumulate stuff. Lots of it… But she has a support group with other folks trying to de-clutter, and was working on a plan to pack and remove one bag of stuff per day for forty days during Lent.
She was working on her project one day and got ready to fold up jeans that were a size she knew she’d never fit into again. Suddenly, she was overcome by a feeling of long-suppressed grief. When those jeans did fit her, she was 50 pounds lighter due to weight loss from the stress of divorce and financial disaster. As she cried, she reflected on the fact that during that low point in her life, she often received compliments about her appearance. Monica decided then that she’d break free of the feeling that she must be thin to be truly worthwhile. Her New Years and every day resolution is to love herself as she is.

author: Sue Blaustein


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 23, 2018


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Light & Unite Red uses pop-culture to shatter myths, empower teens with facts | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division
January 23, 2018
Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele today announced that Milwaukee County will again put the spotlight on teen substance abuse prevention this week, National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, with an interactive and multimedia campaign designed to help teens learn the facts about using drugs and alcohol. This special campaign is presented by the Light and Unite Red Committee – a community-wide substance use prevention coalition led by the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division. This particular campaign aims to shatter the myths that teens learn from the internet, social media, TV, movies, music or from friends. The campaign runs from January 22 to 28.
“The epidemic of substance abuse has hit home for so many in Milwaukee County,” said Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele. “Through National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, we are partnering with more than 50 community organizations, health departments, libraries, schools and more. Together, we are empowering tens of thousands of our community’s youth to lead the conversation about prevention, equipping them with the facts about the effects of drugs and alcohol on their brains and on their futures. The best approach to eliminating an epidemic is to prevent it … and that starts with our youth.”
Throughout the week, several schools and youth organizations are encouraging their students to wear red, the national color for substance abuse awareness. Many will also host activities including a haiku contest, quizzes and trivia contests, bingo games, and will encourage teens to use a SnapChat filter to share facts with friends. Teachers can download blog posts and a lesson plans from lightunitered.org.
“We’ve designed this week with the help of teens,” says Mike Lappen, Administrator of the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division. “We’re using messages, technology, a film about a teenager exposed to opioids and more to help our youth understand what misusing drugs and alcohol actually is. Many are misinformed and misled by what they see on social media and the internet. We want to prevent substance abuse and connect teens to help if they need it.”
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National Drug and Alcohol Fact Week also includes a number of free events for the public and features a nationally-awarded documentary and panel discussion about opioid abuse.
•Michael Lappen, MS, LPC, Administrator, Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division and co-chair of the City-County Heroin, Opioid and Cocaine Task Force
•Michael Vann, MSE, CSAC, ICS, Recovery Support Specialist, Wisconsin Resource Center
•Maria Perez, PhD, VP of Behavioral Health Affairs, Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers
•Mark Fossie, MS, LMFT, APSW, CSAC, ICS, President Chief Executive Officer, M&S Clinical Services, Inc. and Bishop, Lion of Judah Christian Ministries
•Walter Lanier, JD, MDIV, Director, Multicultural Services and Community Engagement, Milwaukee Area Technical College and Pastor, Progressive Baptist Church.
The public is encouraged to attend any of these free programs. To learn more about National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week and for a full list of events and partners, visit lightunitered.org.


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Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Milwaukee announces Beth Haskovec to lead commercial revitalization efforts | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
LISC Milwaukee
January 23, 2018
Beth Haskovec joins LISC with over 15 years of community and economic development and nonprofit management experience. Beth is committed to public service and community development initiatives with special expertise in utilizing the arts for revitalization. Her most recent role was as Executive Director of Artists Working in Education, where she strategically grew programs and organizational impact through aligning arts and culture with neighborhood development goals.
Previously, Beth focused on Economic Development on Milwaukee’s south side. Her work included commercial corridor branding, small business technical assistance, and recruiting new business for the Silver City District. Beth received her undergraduate degree from the University of Northern Iowa with a focus on nonprofit management. She currently serves on the US Board for Womankind Worldwide, and the Milwaukee County Cultural Artistic & Musical Programming Advisory Committee (CAMPAC). She is an alumna of the Peace Corps, Americorps, and the Milwaukee Forum.
“I’m extremely excited to be joining the LISC team. The position provides me the opportunity to positively effect change in Milwaukee, while growing alongside a team of smart, passionate community development professionals, said Haskovec.
Haskovec will begin her new position on February 1st.
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author: LISC Milwaukee


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On The Block: Improving transportation | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dean Bibens
January 23, 2018
Kenneth Barron grew up in the same area that he lives in today, on Townsend Street in Sherman Park. Barron, 60, said that Milwaukee has come a long way since he was a child. Despite the improvements in the city, he thinks that public transportation still has a lot of room for improvement. One day, he sees Milwaukee’s public transportation system transforming into one like those in New York or Chicago.

author: Dean Bibens


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Women refugees find relaxation, social connection at weekend wellness class | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elizabeth Baker
January 24, 2018
Hasinah Begum, a Rohingya refugee from Myanmar, attends the wellness class with her children. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
Arabic music boomed as 15 women refugees kicked off their shoes, took off their hijabs and let down their hair for an afternoon of dance, exercise and relaxation at the Aurora Walker’s Point Community Clinic. Saturday’s event was the first in a series of weekly wellness classes designed specifically for them.
The clinic’s past events for refugee women in Milwaukee, such as spring and summer socials and baby showers, help combat the social isolation many of these women face as they adapt to a new culture. Many stay home with their children, cannot drive and are learning English.
Kai Mishlove, Aurora volunteer and an organizer of the wellness class, explained that the program aims to reduce social isolation and develop a community of support for the women refugees. “When they first arrive with their family unit, a lot of times the husbands get jobs first, so the women are at home with the children, so we wanted to try to get women out and really just increase opportunities for socialization with other women,” Mishlove said.
The Aurora Walker’s Point Community Clinic, 130 W. Bruce St., provides initial health screenings for refugees when they arrive in Milwaukee. Mishlove said the people they see both in the clinic and at community events include Somalis, Syrians, Iraqis and Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. They are Muslim and Christian, and have been in the U.S. for a few years or less. All refugees are welcome.
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The new wellness series aims to improve health outcomes with diet, exercise and health literacy classes. Carolyn McCarthy, a nurse practitioner at the clinic who treats refugees, said families new to the country need help bridging cultural and language divides to access primary care and learn about healthy and safe foods.
Volunteer Kai Mishlove plays with the babies while their mothers participate in an exercise class. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
With the help of a translator, Rohingya refugee Hasinah Begum said she enjoys the activity and community the clinic provides and is thankful for the chance to have free child care so she can relax. Begum is a community leader among Rohingya refugees in the area and stays home with her three young children. She moved to the U.S. two years ago and lives on the South Side of Milwaukee. She attended the baby shower event in November just after her youngest was born and said she is eager to participate in future gatherings.
Volunteers provide transportation, child care and interpreters for the women attending classes.
“That’s key,” said Debbie Davis, family support specialist and mental health provider for refugees at the clinic. “We want to make it really accessible to people.”
Thinghi Zaw is a refugee living in Muskego Way and is the mother of two children. She was helping as an interpreter at the class and sees it as a safe, welcoming space for refugee women to take care of themselves, relieve stress and socialize. The men and children socialize outside the home at work and school, Zaw said, but the women lack similar opportunities. Weddings and funerals are often the only times women can visit with peers, she said.
“Most of us are coming from countries where we have no rights,” Zaw said, adding that women who are new to the U.S. are still fearful of speaking up.
She said the classes provide a safe, empowering space for women.
The classes are intentionally female-only, Mishlove explained. “You know that you can come and feel relaxed with other women. You can take off your hijab if you want and you’re with other women.”
Both Zaw and Nura Mahmood, a MATC nursing student, Somalian refugee and interpreter, agree few opportunities exist in Milwaukee to gather as a refugee community and celebrate their cultures in a safe space.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, since the year 2000, more than 16,000 refugees have resettled in Wisconsin from 50 different countries, with two-thirds moving to Milwaukee County. The largest nation of origin by far has been Myanmar, and the second and third most common birthplaces are Laos and Somalia.
McCarthy said she believes the most important benefit of the wellness class is that it provides an opportunity to look beyond differences.
“Dance, movement, nutrition — it provides a bridge and a commonality for people to see past language and cultural differences and to connect on these things that are basic and part of everybody’s lives.”

created: January 24, 2018


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Major cuts looming for free tax prep service if funding gap not closed | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elliot Hughes
January 25, 2018
A volunteer for the Social Development Commission’s tax preparation program meets with an individual. (Photo provided by SDC)
If the Social Development Commission cannot raise $35,000 in donations between now and Jan. 31 it will be forced to make major cuts on its popular and free tax preparation service for middle- and low-income families.
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, or VITA, typically assists 6,000 households every year, saving each of them several hundred dollars compared to a commercial tax preparation service.
If SDC is still short by the Jan. 31 deadline, it could result in the program serving just 1,500 households this tax season, according to the organization. One or more of its sites could close, or hours of operation could be rolled back, VITA manager Diane Robinson said.
“I think it’s critical because of all the predatory services out there,” Robinson said of the program.
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It costs $350,000 for SDC to operate three VITA sites. Those are currently at SDC’s main offices, 1730 W. North Ave.; its secondary site, 6848 N. Teutonia Ave.; and the Sixteenth Street Community Health Center, 2906 S. 20th St.
The program is pivotal for individuals with tight budgets. Cecil King, Jr., a 61-year-old utility worker for a chemical manufacturer, said he’s been using the program “off and on for a good 10 or 12 years.”
The main offices of the Social Development Commission, at 1758 W. North Ave., where individuals can go to receive assistance with their tax forms. (Photo by Elliot Hughes)
He said the majority of his money goes toward medications. He’s allowed a family member to do his taxes for him several times, but he’s nervous that a mistake could be made, which could drag him into an audit.
“The times they (VITA) have done my taxes I’ve had no problems,” King said. “I don’t have money to go and pay two or three hundred dollars for tax preparation. It would affect me real bad.”
Robinson also pointed out that the VITA program gives SDC a chance to provide other kinds of help to residents. She said VITA users fill out surveys where they can indicate challenges they are facing or goals they want to achieve. That allows SDC to connect them with other programs that can be of assistance.
The VITA program was in a similar funding situation two years ago when it asked for the public to help raise $40,000 in about two weeks. United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha stepped in with a $31,000 grant.
Robinson said the VITA program, which has been running for 16 years, used to have a major donor that would provide the bulk of the program’s costs every year. But that donor’s focus area changed, leaving SDC to fill the gap with donations from the public.
“This is a challenge every single year,” Robinson said.
At its height, the VITA program ran 10 locations on a $500,000 budget, Robinson said. Over the 16 years that the program has operated, it’s filed 190,000 tax returns, according to SDC.
Anyone interested in making a donation can click on the “Give Now” tab at sd-foundation.org or contact LaToya Jones at  or ljones@sd-foundation.org.
If you would like to schedule an appointment for assistance with your taxes, call .


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 24, 2018


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25006765887_ed343e84cb_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 24, 2018


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UW-Extension’s Sharon Morrisey retiring after 25 years of service | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Eloisa Gomez
January 25, 2018
For more than 25 years, Milwaukee-area gardeners’ go-to person has been Sharon Morrisey, University of Wisconsin-Extension Milwaukee County consumer horticulture agent. On Jan. 31, 2018, Morrisey will step down from her UW-Extension position.
“Sharon has provided university-researched horticulture information to Milwaukee County residents and organizations through group training, at central city garden sites, on televisions and radio, as well as magazines and newspaper articles,” said Eloisa Gómez, UW-Extension Area Extension Director.
Morrisey helped to create and sustain one of the largest groups of UW-Extension Master Gardener volunteers in Wisconsin. In collaboration with the South East Wisconsin Master Gardener Volunteers, she helped the partnership achieve national certification as a Service Enterprise Organization, a designation for organizations that excel at volunteer development and sustainability.
Gómez said, “Sharon also developed an incredible relationship with the Milwaukee media, which allowed her to connect with thousands of gardeners.”
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Since 1998 Morrisey has had a successful partnership with the local Fox affiliate on Channel 6 TV referred to as the “Green Thumb Garden” and she presented four live segments on the morning WakeUp News Show each year. The segments all featured UW-Extension based recommended gardening practices having to do with vegetables, flowers, herbs and fruits.
“County residents and institutions have benefitted from Sharon’s partnership building efforts,” said County Supervisor Jason Haas.
Morrisey served as the Program Coordinator for the Horticulture and Urban Agriculture program, which partners with various County Departments, especially Parks and Recreation, Boerner Botanical Gardens (BBG), the Mitchell Park Domes, the Wehr Nature Center and the Milwaukee County Zoo – all county owned and operated facilities where UW-Extension provides programs. At BBG, Morrisey, along with UW-Extension and Master Gardener Volunteers provide diagnostic services for the gardening public and offer educational programs for the public. The UW-Extension and Master Gardener Volunteers create and manage a garden at these sites. All the gardens are open to the public and have an educational focus such as native plants, attracting butterflies, reproducing historical plantings, healing or therapeutic or designed for disabled individuals.
In recognition of the work Morrisey has done for Milwaukee County, January 26, 2018 will be designated as Sharon Morrisey Day throughout Milwaukee County by County Executive Chris Abele.

author: Eloisa Gomez


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‘Grassroots, community-focused’ Pete’s Fruit Market welcome addition to Bronzeville | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Talis Shelbourne
January 26, 2018
Pete’s fruit display is adjacent to the seafood counter, which offers delicacies such as black-tip shark, red snapper and crab legs (Photo by Talis Shelbourne)
Editor’s note: This article is one of an occasional series profiling the 12 finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs). Pete’s Market is a finalist for the State Farm Building Blocks Award for a real estate project that advances the community.
You can vote today for People’s Choice Award winners. Click here to vote.
A property that was once slated to be a Dollar Store today boasts a full-service grocery store selling fresh produce along with delicacies including black-tip shark from Florida, red snapper from Brazil, crab legs from Russia and blue gill from Canada.
Pete’s Fruit Market at 2303 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive Jr. Blvd. in the Bronzeville neighborhood celebrated its grand opening four months ago.
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The family-owned business was founded by Pete Tsitiridis in 1993 at 1400 S. Union St. The South Side store remains open.
Theodore Tsitiridis, Pete’s son, now owns the business with his wife. He said he chose the vacant building on King Drive because the area was considered a food desert. Now, he believes Pete’s Fruit Market has changed things.
Owner Theodore` Tsidiritis and employee Juan Gonzalez fill one of their shelves with packaged grapes. (Photo by Talis Shelbourne)
“Quality food was needed in this part of town. We’re here now and we provide just about anything [residents] need,” he said.
The development also is providing the community with jobs. Seventy-five percent of hires come from the surrounding neighborhood, Tsitiridis said. In addition, the construction company, JCP Construction, is minority owned and more than 50 percent of construction workers were minorities, according to developer Kalan Haywood, president of Haywood Group, LLC, which also is minority owned.
“At our firm, it’s not just about building buildings, but building people,” Haywood said.
Haywood noted that development, maintenance and operation of the store was designed to be grassroots and community-focused.
Organizations such as the Milwaukee Urban League, YWCA Southeast Wisconsin and Employ Milwaukee have helped the store identify potential employees, Pete’s Manager Vidal Colon said.
The corner building, long vacant after a Walgreens drug store relocated about a mile to the north, was the center of controversy in 2013 when a Dollar Tree store tried to move in. Community opposition to the Dollar Tree was led by Ald. Milele Coggs, who represents District 6, where Pete’s is located.
Coggs joined with the Milwaukee NAACP to demand that the neighborhood get a full-service grocery to improve the health of the community.
Haywood was instrumental in convincing Pete’s to move to the Bronzeville location.
“I was born and raised in that area,” Haywood said. “For a long time, [people] were using the convenience store as their grocery store . . . It was also an area that struggles with recidivism, it’s an area that struggles with high minority unemployment … and terrible education scores. So [we thought] how many issues can we solve with this development?”
Vevlin Stewart, a cashier at Pete’s, said having access to a full-service grocery store has prompted her to change her eating habits.
Vevlin Stewart has been working at Pete’s since they opened in September. (Photo by Talis Shelbourne)
“I love working here. I love working for the people I work for. I eat more fruits and vegetables [and] I’ve been cooking more,” she said, proudly displaying a photo on her phone of pork chops and sautéed portobello mushrooms.
“I live a block and a half [away]. I walk here. I have the easiest time getting to work,” she said.
Clara Fleming, a Milwaukee resident since 1985, said the diversity of healthy foods at Pete’s immediately caught her attention. “You want to be able to have more than one type of apple,” she said.
Fleming pointed out that Pete’s is in a convenient location. “Many people in this area don’t necessarily drive [but] it’s right at the intersection of two bus stops,” she said.
“I like the size, I like the lighting and I like the location,” she added.
Pete’s was built with energy-efficient lights such as LEDs, which use 25-80 percent less energy compared to traditional incandescent bulbs. Haywood also noted that Pete’s was constructed using materials low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are hazardous to health.
Tsitiridis’ wife and co-owner, Anne Marie Tsitiridis, said that some of Pete’s bestsellers are baskets of fruits and vegetables for $1, $2 and $3. The market offers free samples of produce.
“As soon as they try it, they buy it,” Tsitiridis said.
In the back-right corner, seafood imported from national and international locations is displayed in a glass case. Brown shrimp from Texas, pink shrimp from Argentina and jumbo freshwater prawns from Vietnam were just a few of the choices.
Butcher Rob Gamble pointed out the full line of smoked meats, in addition to fresh chicken, beef and pork. “We never use frozen,” he added. Gamble also noted that more and more customers are leaning towards seafood or eating vegan. The seafood sausage sells out every time it hits the shelves, he said.
As Stewart noted, “We’ve got something for everybody.”
Erma Hannah, 76, was on her way to pick up her granddaughter when she stopped at Pete’s. “I like shopping here because they have most everything I want,” she said, adding a box of Splenda to her cart.
Tsitiridis pointed out that customers such as chef Greg Johnson, who works for On the Bayou on North King Drive, buy produce from Pete’s and use it to prepare food. The local Jamaican Caribbean restaurant is another Pete’s client and Pete’s recently offered to share its parking lot with another Jamaican restaurant.
Robert Sandoval, an employee who has worked at Pete’s for 18 years, said that when he started at the South Side location, Pete’s was selling produce under tarps.
“We’re here to stay,” said Tsitiridis, referring to the King Drive location, “[but] we need this store to take off. We need to double the customers.”
The store hosts special events, including visits by a doctor from Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin to discuss how to manage diabetes and high blood pressure, and cooking seminars taught by a vegan chef. “Educating your customers is very important,” Tsitiridis said. “We’re teaching people how to eat better.”
Haywood said that he hopes that Pete’s Fruit Market will become a prototype for socially responsible neighborhood development in other areas.
“We provided a blueprint for how to get it done [holistically],” Haywood said. “It’s really up to the development community to adopt the model.”

created: January 26, 2018

author: Talis Shelbourne


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 25, 2018

author: Adam Carr


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Health centers are providing lead testing for Milwaukee residents | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee Health Department
January 26, 2018
If you are concerned that one or more of your children may have been exposed to lead, please consider visiting one of the following walk-in clinics that are providing blood lead testing:
Additional hours and dates may be added. For scheduling questions, please call the City of Milwaukee’s Lead Information Hotline at (414) 286-8800. Free testing will be made available for children age 7 or under.
There are often no signs or symptoms of lead exposure. The only way to know if your child has been exposed to lead is to get a blood lead test. For help finding your child’s previous lead test results and if additional testing may be necessary, contact your regular medical provider or clinic or visit one of the City of Milwaukee Health Department Walk-In Clinics.
The City of Milwaukee Health Department can assist you by providing the following information:
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For more information on lead poisoning prevention, visit LeadSafeMKE.com.

author: City of Milwaukee Health Department