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City steps up efforts to prevent home foreclosures | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matthew Wisla
May 22, 2015
Charmion Herron didn’t see home ownership in her future until a city program that sells foreclosed homes gave her the opportunity. (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
When Charmion Herron’s mother died in 2010 she, along with her three sisters and brother, thought the family home was gone for good. There was no will, major repairs were needed and the house eventually became the property of the city following a tax foreclosure hearing.
Now, relaxing comfortably in the living room as the owner of the home where she spent her teenage years, it all seems surreal, she said. “I always wanted to own my own home but it got to the point where I thought it was never going to happen,” she said. “Especially not this with house.”
Herron, 50, bought the home in the McGovern Park neighborhood on the North Side through the city’s Strong Neighborhoods Plan, with assistance from ACTS Housing. Prior to last month’s closing, more than $17,000 in renovations were made to repair the roof, plumbing, electrical system and other parts of the house. Through the city program, and because Herron met all the requirements, the home only cost $1 and rehabilitation expenses are part of a forgivable loan.
One of the requirements was for Herron to receive homeownership counseling, which was provided by ACTS Housing. “I learned a lot going through all this,” she said.
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The city recently began focusing on helping tax delinquent homeowners avoid foreclosure, says Aaron Szopinski, city housing policy director. (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
As it turns out, the city also has learned a lot about working with tax foreclosed properties in the aftermath of the financial downturn and foreclosure crisis that began in 2008. Programs such as Strong Neighborhoods match responsible, qualified buyers with city-owned tax foreclosed homes. This year the city is spending $10.3 million on housing rehabilitation and reconstruction, including home loan programs, code compliance loans and a program to encourage development of city-owned commercial property.
Now, the city is working to avoid foreclosures before they can happen. “One of our focuses today is in helping people prevent tax foreclosures and that’s not something we emphasized in the past,” said Aaron Szopinski, City of Milwaukee housing policy director.
It usually takes three years of property tax delinquency before the city initiates the foreclosure process that results in taking over ownership of a home. Although due dates are fixed and state law prevents the city from negotiating tax amounts owed or waiving interest and penalty charges, three years is enough time for homeowners to seek the help of qualified financial counselors and prevent the loss of their home.
“We know from experience that people who lose their homes usually have lots going on in their lives that complicates their financial picture, like employment issues or medical bills,” Szopinski said. “They get behind (in their property taxes) and it feels like there’s no way out.”
The city has established partnerships with several qualified nonprofit credit counseling agencies. In February, the city mailed delinquency notices to about 14,000 homeowners which, in addition to warning them about potential foreclosure, also included a letter with contact information for nonprofit credit counseling agencies.
“Credit counselors like Green Path and Aurora Family Services provide financial advice and can help homeowners work out agreements with banks and creditors,” Szopinski said.
Take Root Milwaukee partners with the city and acts as a clearinghouse to connect financially troubled homeowners with the appropriate counseling organization. “The best time to talk to someone if you’re getting into trouble is early,” said Kristi Luzar, deputy director of programs for the Urban Economic Development Association of Wisconsin, which manages Take Root.
In January, Take Root coordinated placing an insert into the water bill of every homeowner in the city. It offered free financial counseling to property owners who have fallen delinquent on their taxes. Take Root also runs ads on radio and TV, and participates in community fairs and events for potential home buyers. As a result of its recent activities, Take Root has seen calls to its hotline for tax delinquent homeowners increase by 52 percent this year.
While many legitimate organizations stand ready to help homeowners resolve their financial troubles, Luzar says there has been an uptick recently in foreclosure rescue scams. “The scammers make promises and ask for money upfront but do little or nothing to help homeowners facing foreclosure,” said Luzar.
The Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council recommends working with nonprofit housing counselors and being wary of any organization promising guaranteed results. According to the council, if an offer to help sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect the role of ACTS Housing.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 21, 2015

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Adam Carr


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Create a Super Reader and prevent your child taking the “summer slide” | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 25, 2015
OnMilwaukee.com

author: Andrea Waxman


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Food stamps for filet mignon? Hardly, despite what paternalistic politicians say | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 25, 2015
TheGuardian.com


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High demand depletes Milwaukee’s home repair loan program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 25, 2015
jsonline.com


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Milwaukee’s Amani Neighborhood Sees Both Violence and Signs of Hope | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 25, 2015
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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Seeking interns for ArtWorks’ paid summer internships | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
ArtWorks for Milwaukee
May 26, 2015
ArtWorks is seeking interns for its paid summer internships — the deadline to apply online is June 1, 2015.  High school students can apply now for one of two internships:
Lead artist/supervisor: Tia Richardson.  Interns who live in or are connected to the Layton Boulevard West Neighborhood will be hired as a team to collaborate in the design and painting of a large 2D wall-sized outdoor mural and sculpture garden that will be installed in Burnham Park. Interns will learn community-building through several structured public workshops for neighborhood residents to participate in the development of the mural’s content. The public workshops will involve games that use movement and story-sharing for everyone to share about their lives and connections to their park.
Afterwards, the team will create a design capturing the essence of the stories shared and honoring the vibrant lives in the area, and then paint the mural and sculptures. A portion of the painting process will be open to community residents. During the design process there will be an opportunity, not a requirement, to learn some Adobe Photoshop for interns who are interested. This program builds cooperation skills, good listening skills and a willingness to stretch beyond one’s comfort zone.
The program will run Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9am-12pm with some evening and weekend work shifts TBD from June 29 to August 21, 2015.
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Carmen High School, 1712 S. 32nd St, Milwaukee, WI 53215
Internship 2: “ArtWorks for You” – Under the direction of artist and entrepreneur, Christopher McIntyre Perceptions, this program will challenge interns to create capital from creative concepts made into tangible products through the process of relief prints. Interns will learn the business side of the art market and develop skills such as marketing, branding, merchandising, customer service, sales, finance and more. Interns will also get an opportunity to sell their art to buyers at summer markets such as Bronzeville and Brady Street Days.
The program will run three days a week, typically 12-3 p.m. with some evening and weekend work                        shifts from June 24 through August 12, 2015.
Location: The internship will be based atArtWorks for Milwaukee, 207 E. Buffalo St., Suite 600 with some sessions at locations around the City which are accessible by bus.
Apply Here
Feel free to forward this email or the attached flyers to any students who might be interested in applying.  If you have any questions about this position, please kloper@artworksformilwaukee.org for more information.

author: ArtWorks for Milwaukee


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$5.4 million and counting in scholarships earned by Carmen High School class of 2015 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Carmen High School of Science & Technology
May 27, 2015
At Carmen High School of Science & Technology South Campus, a top public charter high school on Milwaukee’s south side, the Class of 2015 has earned $5.4 million in college scholarships and counting! Those funds will be needed as nearly 100% of Carmen’s graduating seniors have been accepted to at least one college or university, and nearly all of them are from low-income homes in Milwaukee’s central city.
In addition to academic, leadership and service scholarships awarded by various scholarship organizations and the schools that accepted the students, the graduates will also earn scholarships from That programplaces Carmen students (grades 10 – 12) into entry-level internships at local corporations and non-profit organizations. For each semester served as an intern, students earn scholarships upon high school graduation. This year, 23 Carmen graduates will share in more than $100,000 in scholarships from the Internship Program, earning on average $4,600 each from this program alone.
is a recipient of a Carmen Internship Scholarship, as well as many others, including the prestigious national Ronald McDonald HACER Scholarship. Cortes says without scholarships a college education would be financially out of reach for her family, and she was dogged in her pursuit of them. She applied for 32 scholarships in total, has been awarded nine, and is still awaiting word on several others.
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“I dedicated 10 hours every week to applying for scholarships. When all of my friends were out on weekends, I was applying for scholarships. It was sometimes hard to see why I was doing it, but now it has all paid off,” says Cortes who will study Art Education and Community Art at UW Milwaukee starting next fall. She also says it was her internship at the Milwaukee Art Museum that inspired her choice of study and career.
As a requirement for high school graduation, every student at Carmen must apply to at least five colleges and must apply for at least two scholarships. A full time Director of College Transition provides guidance, support, and direction to students and families as they work to identify the best college fit as well as appropriate scholarship opportunities. The Class of 2015 includes students who are headed to Marquette University, UW-Madison, MSOE, St. Norbert, and other top universities.
“Carmen is awesome at really helping us on an individual basis to find out which scholarships are right for us. I talk to friends at other schools and they don’t even know their counselors,” Cortes says. “I know that college is not a reality for a lot of people, especially for people who are from our neighborhood. I am just so grateful to be in an environment that is empowering us and believes in us.”
Last month, the  ranked Carmen FIRST on its 2015 Most Challenging High Schools in Wisconsin and 13th in the Midwest. This is a particularly fine distinction for a non-selective MPS charter school serving primarily low-income students living in Milwaukee’s central city.
Carmen’s Class of 2015 will be honored at where seniors will announce their schools of choice, scholarships will be awarded, and special honors will be announced.
May 29, 2015 from 1:30 – 2:30 pm.
Carmen South Campus – 1712 S. 32nd Street
$5.4 million in scholarships earned and counting!
The Carmen Class of 2015 is proud to include:


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How to ‘Bublr’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Bublr Bikes
May 27, 2015
(Photo by Alhaji Camara)
Even if you don’t own a bicycle, you can still get around on two wheels this summer. Bublr Bikes can be rented for short trips around Milwaukee’s central business district and adjoining neighborhoods. Riders can take out a bike at any Bublr station, pay for it with credit card or prepaid membership, and return the bike to any other station. Each station holds about 10 bikes, and most stations are no more than one-quarter mile apart.
There are two pricing options: a 30-day pass, or a single ride. You can purchase the 30-day pass on the Bublr website. You’ll get a key fob, which allows you to take unlimited 60-minute rides. The Bublr Pass is $15/month, and the charge is added to your credit card each month. You can ride an additional 30 minutes for $3. If you’d only like to use your Bublr Pass for a month or two, you’re able to turn off those charges.
A single 30-minute ride costs $3, and you can add 30 minutes for an additional $3. Single rides can be purchased at any Bublr station with a credit card. Up to four Bublr Bikes may be checked out per credit card.
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With the B-cycle Now app, which you can download from the iTunes Store or Google Play, you can tell how many bikes and open docks are available at each station. The app also can map a route from your current location to the chosen station.
You can find Bublr bikes at Cathedral Square Park, Chase Plaza, Discovery World, Intermodal Station, the Milwaukee Public Market, Schlitz Park, the U.S. Bank Building, the Wisconsin Center, Red Arrow Park, 411 E. Wisconsin and 1114 E. Brady St.

author: Bublr Bikes


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 26, 2015


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Public Allies members join We Got This in mentoring young men | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 27, 2015
Young men respond to Andre Lee Ellis (right), founder of We Got This, at the group’s first summer meeting of the year in the garden at 9th and Ring streets. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
The elementary- and high school-age boys started straggling into the garden at the corner of 9 and Ring streets at 6 a.m. on Saturday. By 8 a.m. the sun was shining and there were more than a dozen boys and some adults weeding and cultivating the soil in the plant beds where they will grow vegetables all summer.
The program, dubbed We Got This, started last summer with founder Andre Lee Ellis helping one boy who was headed for trouble. By the end of the summer, 100 boys and teens had found their way to the garden, where they are paid $20 for their Saturday morning work.
Trevis Hardman (in white T-shirt), 22, who grew up across the street from the garden at 9th and Ring streets, works with the boys. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
This year, mentors from Public Allies are joining the effort. When they started working in Milwaukee neighborhoods last fall, they quickly picked up on the buzz coming from Borchert Field. A number of Public Allies alumni were already involved in Ellis’ mentoring and employment program for neighborhood youth.
The team of six Public Allies assigned to Borchert Field contacted Ellis and asked how they could help. They have been meeting with Ellis for four or five months and helped with a neighborhood cleanup in the early spring, said team member Dakota Hall.
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“We’re interested in this because it’s a positive thing in (the) 53206 (ZIP code) dealing with young black males and all the problems that are facing them right now,” added Hall.
Ellis and Public Allies share a core value of building on a community’s strengths by focusing on its assets rather than its problems, said Ava Hernandez, executive director of the Milwaukee Public Allies organization.
Ellis would like to expand We Got This to 500 young men this summer. Because each of the 40 allies also works in a nonprofit, school or community organization, their network includes thousands of young city residents who they can encourage to join the initiative. Hall said they also would like to inspire other neighborhoods to start their own gardens.
Members of the Public Allies are participating in We Got This as a service project. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
“This has helped me a lot, kept me out of trouble, kept me in school doing the right thing,” said Rikishi Brown, 15. “I like the money but I really like helping in the community. … We are happy and we like doing this.”
Though school won’t be out until June 13, some of the young men are ready to get back to doing the community work Ellis paid them for every Saturday morning last summer. But “it’s not really about the money,” said Trey Jones, who is also 15. “It gives us something positive to do.”
Ellis is pleased to involve the Allies, who offer grassroots help and bring great organizational skills, he said. “Public Allies got in touch with me regarding the program and I saw (that the) fit was really good.”
“I would love for them to become leaders and counselors to the young people, sharing … how they got to where they are,” Ellis said. Noting that the young people who are now Public Allies became leaders by making certain choices, he added, “We want the young men to know that everywhere they look there’s options.”


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Diverse & Resilient names new CEO | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Diverse & Resilient
May 28, 2015
The Board of Directors of Diverse & Resilient (D&R) is pleased to announce that Gerry Coon, PhD, has been selected as the organization’s new Chief Executive Officer. His selection as CEO is the outcome of a national search conducted over the past six months lead by a team that included Board members, staff, community leaders, and consultants.
Gerry brings more than 20 years of professional experience to his role as CEO of the organization, previously serving as Executive Director of St. Francis Children’s Center. He also previously served as a Board member of D&R from 2011 to 2014.
His enthusiasm for leading the organization and its mission were key factors in his selection.
“The Milwaukee and Wisconsin LGBT community is at a critical point with recent leadership changes in its LGBT organizations.” Gerry continues: “At the same time, the needs of the community continue to evolve. It is an honor to be part of the important work that still needs to be done at Diverse and Resilient to promote the health and well-being of an LGBT community I care deeply about. This work is dear to me.”
Board Chair, Carlton Stansbury, is excited to welcome Gerry in his new role. “I know I speak for the entire Board in stating our complete confidence in Gerry’s ability to lead Diverse & Resilient into the future. He has big shoes to fill, following the upcoming departure of Founding Director, Gary Hollander, PhD, but we are certain that he has the experience, knowledge, and enthusiasm to carry out the organizations mission.
Departing Founding Director, Gary Hollander, agrees. “Many factors align to make Gerry a great new community leader in his role at Diverse and Resilient. His knowledge of nonprofit management, leadership, and education is extensive and affords the LGBT community a high level of professionalism. He has done the hard work of preparing for this role and has taken no short cuts. We are getting among the best by selecting him.”
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Stansbury is equally pleased with how the executive transition process has progressed. “From the outset Gary and the Board were committed to following best practice and making the executive transition process transparent. The Transition Team, Selection Team, Gary and the entire Board and staff have worked thoughtfully and diligently to ensure a successful transition so that the organization is in good shape when Gerry takes the helm.”
Gerry will begin his new role on August 1, 2015. A formal celebration for Gary Hollander is planned for July 9, 2015.

author: Diverse & Resilient


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On the Block: Rehabilitation | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
May 28, 2015

author: Jabril Faraj


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 28, 2015


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Police connect with neighborhoods through private social network | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 28, 2015
jsonline.com


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TechTern Program Provides Unique Learning Opportunity, Students And Organizers Say | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 28, 2015
Wisconsin Public Radio


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Westside Academy II students prompt change in Washington Park community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
May 28, 2015
Aldaya McKinney (right), president of the Westside Academy II youth council, addressed a gathering at City Hall as Caitlin Sprague of Safe and Sound looks on. (Photo by Allison Dikanovic)
Aldaya McKinney, a 7th-grade student at Westside Academy II and president of the youth council, boldly approached the podium in the rotunda of City Hall. She looked straight ahead, flashed a smile, and spoke her message loud and clear, “There is more in our community than just violence, drugs and being in gangs.”
McKinney was honored alongside her youth council peers for their work to improve the image of their Washington Park neighborhood.
“The way people view us is mostly negative, and we want to be seen more positively,” McKinney said.
Since October, the Westside Academy II youth council has been working to improve public safety by improving the neighborhood’s appearance. The council is facilitated by Safe and Sound and is the youth component of the 27 Street West Drug Free Coalition.
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The members of the Westside Academy II youth council show off the certificates of appreciation they received and a painting they presented to Alderman Russell Stamper. (Photo by Allison Dikanovic)
The group of 10 students identified drug dealing outside of corner stores as the biggest problem in their neighborhood.
“I asked them what makes them feel most unsafe, and they said it’s really that,” said Caitlin Sprague, Safe and Sound’s Drug Free Communities organizer, who met with the students every Monday during the school year.
The students chose to focus on Guru Food Store, 4028 W. Lisbon Ave. They reached out to Alderman Russell Stamper and Assistant District Attorney Chris Ladwig for assistance. Ladwig trained the students in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) and Stamper helped them survey the area around Guru Foods and struck up a conversation with the storeowner.
“It was impressive to see how aware (the students) are about what’s going on in our community and what they want to see improved,” Stamper said.
According to Sprague, the students presented several concerns to the storeowner about the appearance of the store, including their desire for increased lighting outside, less signage in the windows so people could see inside and better-positioned security cameras.
Manta Singh, co-owner of Guru Foods, said that the students came with the alderman to check on the progress of these changes. “We are in the process of putting in new lights outside, just waiting on some insurance stuff. They should be done by next month,” she said.
Sprague noted that the storeowners seem surprised every time the students come back, but that they are responding positively. “I don’t think they thought we would follow up and hold them accountable,” she said. “But they’re always respectful to us when we come in and are respectful to the students when they come in to shop on their own time.”
Youth council members also are building relationships with law enforcement. Sprague described this phenomenon as a “lovely side effect of this project.” At the beginning of the year, almost all of the students “really, really hated the police,” she said. “After (Sergeant Theresa Janick) showed up to the training with the assistant district attorney and broke down that barrier, the students began to request that the officers come to more of their meetings and activities.”
In addition to their work with the corner store, the youth council participated in a neighborhood cleanup and an artistic board-up of a nearby foreclosed home. When choosing a house to creatively board up, Sprague said the students asked, “Can we do something near the store and near our school? Because then we’re not just making the store safer, we’re making the whole surrounding area safer.”
The students painted boards with bright colors and themes ranging from zoo animals to galaxies. The top of one of the biggest boards read “education first” and featured the logos of all of the colleges that the students hope to attend.
“We painted to show people the good in things, to show people that our neighborhood can be good,” said Darnell Barney, a 6th-grade member of the council.
Mayor Tom Barrett and the city’s Anti-Graffiti initiative recognized the students for their work at a recent event called “Respect My Neighborhood. Respect Public Art.” Stamper, Alderman Jose Perez and Common Council President Mike Murphy expressed their appreciation for the students at the event, along with several officers from the Milwaukee Police Department and representatives from Safe and Sound and Habitat for Humanity.
The Westside Academy II youth council has been an active part of Safe and Sound’s programming for the past two years. Sprague explained that the council’s goal is to build students’ leadership skills. “The council has transformed them over the year to show them that their voice matters and that they do have power within their community,” she said.
“What we want to do is we want to inspire people,” added 7th grader Tarajia Cade.

author: Allison Dikanovic


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 27, 2015


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Board approves MPS budget that maximizes support to schools and students amid cuts | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
May 29, 2015
(Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Public Schools)
The Milwaukee Board of School Directors on Thursday night approved a 2015-16 budget for Milwaukee  Public Schools that prioritizes educational opportunities for the district’s 77,391 students.
The approved budget, which is based upon the state budget proposal from the governor, reflects an overall reduction in spending of $28 million or 2.4% amid declining state and federal support. The original state budget plan cut $150 in funding for every student in public schools in Wisconsin, meaning a $12 million cut for MPS. Elimination of that cut has not yet been approved by the full legislature.
MPS’ budget priorities are shaped by the district’s eight Big Ideas, a series of strategic, interdependent, district-wide objectives guided by MPS’ three goals: Academic Achievement; Student, Family and Community Engagement; and Effective and Efficient Operations. Highlights of those priorities include:
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The district has experienced some cost savings to help offset some state and federal cuts. Personnel costs are decreasing by $7.4 million as a result of lower average wages. Cost savings also continue due to benefit changes approved both before and after the passage of 2011 Wisconsin Act 10.
The total approved budget – which includes grants and funding for Milwaukee Recreation – is $1,142,273,711, down from $1,170,412,143 in 2014-15. The 2015-16 budget will be amended in October based upon official enrollment counts for the new school year.

author: Milwaukee Public Schools


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 29, 2015


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Common Council mulls changes to marijuana possession laws | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
May 29, 2015
Alderman Michael Murphy listens to Rob Henken, president of the Public Policy Forum, present findings from a new report on marijuana laws. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
In 1997 Alderman Michael Murphy drafted Milwaukee’s current ordinance making first-time possession of less than 25 grams of marijuana a municipal offense rather than a state charge.
“There was a (racial) disparity back then that was pretty relevant,” he said.
The racial disparity in marijuana convictions remains extraordinarily high, according to a new report by the Public Policy Forum (PPF), which was presented to the Common Council’s Public Safety Committee Thursday. The report found that in 2013 and 2014, 86 percent of those found guilty in Milwaukee County of a second or subsequent marijuana offense were African American. The second state conviction is a felony.
Alderman Joe Davis, Sr. makes a point during a discussion of options to change marijuana laws and policies. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
According to the report, very few Milwaukeeans end up in jail for a first-time marijuana possession offense, but the second and subsequent convictions are referred to the district attorney for state charges and often result in incarceration.
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Eighty-six percent of Milwaukee County cases that are prosecuted by the district attorney resulted in a felony conviction. Of the 275 defendants in 2013 and 2014, 274 were sentenced to serve time in jail or state prison. A 2014 NNS report found that marijuana possession convictions are a key contributor to racial disparity in the state’s prison system.
The Common Council convened earlier this month to discuss possible changes to marijuana laws. One option the council is considering, authored by Ald. Nik Kovac, is to lower the punishment for possessing less than 25 grams of marijuana to a municipal offense and af $50 ticket. Currently, marijuana possession tickets are $250 to $500. State Rep. Melissa Sargent recently re-introduced legislation to legalize medicinal and recreational use of marijuana in Wisconsin.
The PPF report also examined other municipalities that have recently changed their laws or policies related to marijuana possession. According to Rob Henken, president of the Public Policy Forum, the state recently passed legislation paving the way for municipalities to begin enacting their own marijuana ordinances. So far, only West Allis has moved to make second and subsequent marijuana offenses municipal offenses punishable by fines.
Another issue in Milwaukee is that there are few options available to the district attorney, according to the report. “There simply aren’t treatment options that exist for marijuana as opposed to other drugs,” Henken said.
The report made no policy change recommendations. However, it did state that “de-prioritization, decriminalization, or full de-penalization could dramatically reduce the number of African Americans who are being arrested on small-scale marijuana possession charges and the number of disadvantaged individuals whose ability to find and retain jobs is being impacted by time spent in jail or the existence of a marijuana-related criminal charge on their record.”
Molly Collins, associate director of the ACLU of Wisconsin, said the report’s findings are consistent with what the ACLU has long been saying about the racial disparity in marijuana arrests, adding, “These criminal convictions are resulting in jail, trouble finding employment and disrupting other aspects of people’s lives.” The ACLU has been working to decriminalize marijuana.

author: Edgar Mendez


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F.C.C. Chief Seeks Broadband Plan to Aid the Poor | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 1, 2015
The New York Times


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Milwaukee County receives grant to reduce jail population | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 1, 2015
Milwaukee Business Journal


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Reform Group Criticizes Bump In Prison Funding | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 1, 2015
Wisconsin Public Radio


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Report Explores Marijuana Policy in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 1, 2015
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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Local leaders say root causes must be addressed before violence can end | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
June 2, 2015
Participants at an anti-violence event sponsored by Wisconsin’s Anti-Violence Effort memorialized victims. (Photo by Caroline Roers)
Through the first five months of 2015, 63 homicides have occurred in the city of Milwaukee, compared with 94 in all of 2014. Local leaders in the communities most affected by violence say its causes are complex and deep-rooted, and that solutions are hard to find.
State Rep. David Bowen
State Rep. David Bowen and State Sen. Nikiya Harris Dodd, whose districts are in Milwaukee’s central city, cited a failure to stop the proliferation of legal — and illegal — guns as one major factor. Harris Dodd said universal background check legislation, which the state legislature refused to consider in April, is necessary to prevent firearms from falling into the hands of the wrong people. The Republican-led state Senate voted to repeal Wisconsin’s 48-hour waiting period for handgun purchases that same month.
“We don’t need tools to hurt each other, we need tools to help each other,” said Bowen.
State Sen. Nikiya Harris Dodd
In response to survey questions from the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, Milwaukee NAACP President Fred Royal, Rev. Willie Brisco, president of Milwaukee Inner-city Congregations Allied for Hope (MICAH) and the two state representatives agree, that the violence is symptomatic of larger, systemic issues within the city. High unemployment and lack of access to jobs, a lack of health and wellness options and the nonexistence of positive alternatives to violence — all results of what Harris Dodd called “staggering poverty” — were cited as root causes. More than one third of those 63 homicides have occurred in an area bounded by I-43 (east), 51st Street (west), Capitol Drive (north) and North Avenue, which includes the 53206 ZIP code, an area with more than 30 percent unemployment.
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“We find ourselves in a perfect storm of neglect, hopelessness, disinterest, disenfranchisement and apathy,” Brisco said. “We all must share in the blame.”
Harris Dodd said, in addition to economic factors, there are social factors that contribute to violence. “From institutional racism to segregation, our community gets more divided every day. We are left with a generation of young people who have nothing to look forward to.”
NAACP President Fred Royal
Royal said he does not condone the taking of a life or the “individuals who make such an egregious lapse in judgment.” But he also finds it “very difficult to excuse our Mayor Tom Barrett and other elected officials who profess concern for the African-American community, yet turn a blind eye.” He referenced a Frederick Douglass quote, saying Douglass “understood in the 1800s what … the people of Milwaukee have yet to learn.”
In an 1886 speech, Douglass said, “Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob, and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.”
Rev. Willie Brisco
Bowen said effective education can lead to more economic opportunity that could reduce or eliminate poverty. Royal argued that there need to be “long-term solutions in developing career pathways to various sectors of industries that have historically omitted African-Americans.” He cited the healthcare industry, where he said African-Americans are “grossly underrepresented.” He also called for a return to community policing strategies.
“We should be investing in our community from every angle,” said Harris Dodd. But that investment will require changes in priorities, Brisco said. “In the long term our cities are going to have to deviate from the plan to develop our downtown areas first and concentrate on the central cities last. The same zeal that is exerted to build an arena and a streetcar must be applied to the more depressed areas of the city.”
It will take time to see results. “The community did not arrive at this point in time overnight and we certainly won’t arrive at … solutions overnight but the longest journey or shortest one begins with that first step,” Royal said.
Bowen said a new perspective is needed for the city to begin that journey. “We are all in this together and we all must take care of each other,” he said. “Milwaukee and Wisconsin’s future deserves nothing less.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 1, 2015


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On the Block: Stress at school | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Madeline Kennedy
June 2, 2015

author: Madeline Kennedy


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 2, 2015


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Dragon springs from Greenfield school sculpture garden | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
June 3, 2015
Ceramics artist Janelle Gramling helps 4th-grade students put the finishing touches on their garden at Greenfield Bilingual School. (Photo by Allison Dikanovic)
Burnham Park has a new neighbor, and it just happens to be a dragon. Its iridescent scales shine through the links of the fence in front of Greenfield Bilingual School on South 35th Street, greeting cars as they drive by. An array of native Wisconsin plants grows out of its back.
The wooden dragon is a three-piece sculpture garden made by 3rd- to 5th-grade students at the school through a project with Artists Working in Education (AWE), the Menomonee Valley Urban Ecology Center and a local ceramics artist. The school recently held a celebration to recognize the students’ hard work.
“I am really happy with (the garden) and am amazed that people like it,” said Jocelyne Muñoz, a 4th grade student at Greenfield Bilingual.
Muñoz worked alongside her classmates on the project. With the guidance of ceramics artist Janelle Gramling and Lainet Garcia-Rivera, community programs coordinator at the Urban Ecology Center, the students came up with the idea, made the tiles and planted the garden. They chose a dragon because it is the school’s mascot.
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About 100 students worked on the dragon sculpture garden. (Photo by Allison Dikanovic)
The students worked with Gramling and Garcia-Rivera throughout the school year, and Garcia-Rivera said she noticed a big change over time. “The first day we started, none of them wanted to get their hands dirty. Now they like it and enjoy being outside,” she said.
While learning about the biology of the plants and different types of soil, the students also learned the basics of ceramics. Each designed and made a unique tile that became the dragon’s scales. This was 4th grader Dana Muñoz’s favorite part. “You could use your imagination, but when you carved you had to be precise,” she said.
The project served multiple purposes. “Ultimately we hope the students gain an understanding of how the plants are part of art and how the two rely on each other,” said Ali Carlucci, program director at AWE.
“I think we really nailed it with having an artist from the neighborhood,” added Carlucci. She said that Gramling made the idea of making art, especially public art, attainable and accessible to the Greenfield students, who were able to visit Gramling at her nearby studio.
Working in her own community was important to Gramling as well. “(That) was a key ingredient why I was so excited about this project.,” she said. “I really like all the family qualities of this area, and I want to do what I can to keep beautifying it.”
Garcia-Rivera said she was thrilled with how the dragon turned out and with the students’ reaction to it. “I hope they developed a connection with nature that makes them want to protect plants in the future, and I hope they learn the value in caring for something they created,” she said.
AWE and the Urban Ecology Center intend to maintain their partnership with Greenfield Bilingual School and run a similar version of the program next school year.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 3, 2015


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Clean Slate Milwaukee seeks to provide convicts promise for the future | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
June 4, 2015
Shanyeill McCloud addresses attendees during an orientation session at the neighborhood summit. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Desi Poindexter Jr. sits in a small auditorium on a recent Saturday morning in Holy Redeemer Church at 3500 W. Mother Daniels Way. During the last 10 years he’s “been going through hard times,” not being able to find a steady job. Poindexter, 27, was a two-time felon before the age of 19, having been convicted of fleeing the police after a traffic stop when he was 17 and unlawful possession of a firearm about a year later.
Since then, Poindexter said he has struggled with paranoia and “wondering why everything [has] to keep on happening to me.” Now, he’s determined to push forward. “Me coming out today is my new start,” he said.
The Milwaukee Promise Zone Initiative held its first neighborhood summit in Greater Old North Milwaukee recently. The event, hosted with the national My Brother’s Keeper initiative and the Milwaukee Black Male Achievement Advisory Council, was part of a recent push — nationally and in Milwaukee — to provide more resources to central city residents, particularly boys and men of color. Expungement information, driver’s license recovery assistance, child support case review, healthcare, educational and job training and employment services were available at the daylong summit.
Desi Poindexter Jr., a two-time felon, hopes to get his convictions expunged so he can find a job to support his family. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has the power to reinstate driver’s licenses, but doesn’t offer help to people who need the service. Ald. Ashanti Hamilton said individual circumstances “cover the gamut.” There are 94 reasons a license can be revoked in Wisconsin, according to Nichole Todd of Wisconsin Community Services. An individual’s case also can be complicated if there are outstanding fines in multiple courts. The Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative and the Milwaukee Municipal Court helped attendees at the event begin the reinstatement process. Other organizations, including WCS, also provide driver’s license recovery services.
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Shanyeill McCloud, founder of Clean Slate Milwaukee, addressed the small crowd of mostly African-American men gathered for the morning orientation session. “We can’t leave out the issue of incarceration,” she said. “You can go to any correctional facility … this is exactly what it looks like — it’s filled with black men.”
Clean Slate’s website describes the 3-year-old nonprofit as a “second chance organization” that provides reentry services for young adults (17-25 year old) that have misdemeanor and non-violent felony convictions. McCloud said she came back to Milwaukee from Georgia in late 2010 to educate people on expungement because she understood the hopelessness that comes with a conviction. She was convicted of misdemeanor battery in 2007 after enduring three years of abuse by her then-husband.
She spent some time in a Milwaukee jail and was on parole for about two years. The conviction dashed her hopes of attending Georgia Tech, where she had a scholarship, because as a parolee McCloud was not allowed to leave the state. “That crushed me.”
“You get out and you’ve got this long laundry list of collateral consequences that came with the conviction that you received when you got locked up.”
Poindexter, who has seven children, has been homeless for much of the last 10 years, staying with lady-friends and sleeping in parks and cars. He said he’s had to resort to doing side jobs for cash — such as roofing and cutting grass — and even became a “loan shark” at one point, a venture that ended when people stopped paying him back.
But it’s not just about getting a job. A conviction can hinder someone’s ability to find housing or pursue particular educational degrees, too, said McCloud. In addition, a conviction affects a person’s right to vote, sit on a jury, buy a gun and run for political office, restrictions she said have a long historical and racial component. “That one conviction is going to always keep coming up,” she said.
“It completely removes you [from] civic life,” McCloud told the group. “But I’m here to let you know there’s a way back in.”
Expungement, known more formally as judicial clemency, is the process of making a public record private. Executive clemency, or a pardon, fully restores an individual’s rights, said McCloud. In 2011, Gov. Scott Walker created a pardon advisory board by executive order but never appointed anyone to the board. In 2014, the Wisconsin Department of Administration proposed eliminating the board and the pardon process has been suspended indefinitely, leaving at least 1,400 pending applications unaddressed.
Sentencing judges are the only ones who have the ability to expunge; if they have retired, whoever replaces them has that power. To expunge a record, the individual must write a letter to the judge in which he or she demonstrates remorse, explains how the conviction has been harmful and says what a second chance would mean. Clean Slate helps individuals throughout the expungement process. McCloud said the process is “very successful” as long as a candidate meets the initial criteria.
Legislators have changed the rules to make it easier for convictions to be expunged in every legislative session since 2009, when the age limit (at the time of conviction) was raised from 21 to 25. Since then, it has expanded to include Class H and Class I felonies (non-violent, non-sexual offenses) and, in 2013, the legislature included crack cocaine charges and provided more “restorative” alternatives to conviction. In 2014, it became possible for victims of human trafficking — typically women — to have their records cleaned up.
McCloud said the law is still too restrictive. The 2009 age limit change does not function retroactively — it only applies to crimes committed after July 1 of that year. In order to expunge a felony committed before then, the individual who was convicted must have been a minor — 18 or younger — at the time. She is pushing for that restriction to be lifted in 2015.
“It shouldn’t have an age limit,” McCloud said. “After a certain amount of time, why does it matter? You’ve got people [with] convictions from the 70s, the 80s, the 90s that still can’t get a job today because of their criminal record.”
Expungement isn’t a silver bullet, McCloud said, adding that regardless of what happened, that people have to take responsibility for their actions and environment so the same thing won’t happen again. “You’ve got to be able to change yourself and your surroundings,” she said.
Poindexter has done that soul-searching and said he has wisdom now that he didn’t have when he got his convictions. He’s hoping to get the felonies expunged and recover his driver’s license.
“I want to do these things so I can move my family away … I want to do these things so I can get an okay-paying job. I wouldn’t care if it takes me the next five years to get a job but I know if I build up my resume from this point on, that would eventually get [me] something that would [allow me] to take care of my kids,” Poindexter said.
If those things were to happen, he said it would be more than just a second chance. “It’s life again for me … it’s life for my children.”
McCloud isn’t sure if Poindexter will be able to get his two convictions expunged but “it’s worth a try,” she said. At the least, if a conviction can’t be expunged it can be electronically sealed so it doesn’t show up in a computer search.
Clean Slate plans to host an expungement summit later this year. About 800 people attended the first such event, held at the COA Goldin Center in November, McCloud said.
“I’m trying to blow the whistle as hard as I can.”


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‘Life-changing’ Gates scholarships for 2 Hmong American Peace Academy students | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
June 4, 2015
Gates winners Nhia Vang (right) and Kia Vue (left
Two students at Hmong American Peace Academy, a charter school authorized by Milwaukee Public Schools, are among only 1,000 students across the nation to earn the life-changing honor of being named Gates Millennium Scholars. This distinction provides the students with a “good-through-graduation” scholarship to the college of each student’s choice, covering 100% of unmet need.
Winning student Nhia Vang plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison to study finance. Classmate and fellow winner Kia Vue plans to attend Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif. to study public health and pre-medicine.
On Thursday, the school, along with PAVE, College Possible Milwaukee and MPS, will celebrate the students’ remarkable achievement. The event is set for 9 a.m. on Thursday, June 4, at the school, 4601 N. 84th Street, Milwaukee 53225. Media are invited and welcome to attend; the winning students are expected to speak at approximately 9:30 a.m.
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The winners achieved their scholarships thanks in part to the educators, board members and community partners at their school, including College Possible Milwaukee. Many students at HAPA, including the two winners, work with College Possible Milwaukee, the local operation of a national nonprofit aimed at making college admission and success possible for students from low-income families.
College and career readiness efforts are the main focus at HAPA and across MPS. Statistics show that in recent years, more MPS graduates are entering college immediately after graduation.
“We know that education is the master key for our scholars in moving out of poverty for themselves, their families and the community,” HAPA founder and Executive Director Chris Her-Xiong said. “Receiving the Gates Millennium Scholarship allows our scholars to go to and through college and become productive and contributing global citizens.”
Dan McKinley of PAVE said receiving the scholarship is “a tremendous testament to the dedication and hard work put forth by winners Kia Vue and Nhia Vang. Having not just one, but two winners from HAPA is also a testament to their teachers and support staff, as well as the strength and effectiveness of the school’s leaders and board of directors. HAPA has built a remarkable community of support around its students and PAVE is proud to support their vision for the future.”
MPS Superintendent Dr. Darienne Driver congratulated the two students on their remarkable achievement. “These are truly life-changing scholarships. Thank you to the students, their families, their educators, their school and all of the partners who all played a role in making their win possible.”
“We’re so proud of both Nhia and Kia on this significant achievement,” College Possible Milwaukee Executive Director Edie Turnbull said. “While applying for the Gates Millennium Scholarship is a time-consuming, intense process, they obviously took on the challenge and their applications stood out from the many others. I know their College Possible coaches Keith and Jessica were invaluable to them, and are excited for what their futures hold.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 4, 2015


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MICAH to Launch Safe Surrender Program in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 4, 2015
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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More Patients, Not Fewer, Turn To Health Clinics After Obamacare | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 4, 2015
National Public Radio


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Racial Equity and Inclusion in Milwaukee RFP | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Greater Milwaukee Foundation
June 4, 2015
Request for Proposals
Promoting Racial Equity and Inclusion in Milwaukee
The Greater Milwaukee Foundation is seeking proposals that promote racial equity and inclusion and are designed to improve the quality of life for people of color in Milwaukee. This special grant cycle was created to support organizations working to address the significant challenges facing communities of color in the city.
Background
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On many measures racial disparity in the metro Milwaukee area is more pronounced than anywhere else in the nation. Recently, the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s “KIDS COUNT” report identified Wisconsin as the worst state for African-American children based on a dozen key indicators.
The Foundation’s “Vital Signs: Benchmarking Metro Milwaukee” report, a benchmarking study comparing greater Milwaukee’s four-county area to 15 other metro areas on more than 150 quality of life indicators(and supplemental data) echoes this assessment. (Visit www.greatermilwaukeefoundation.org for a copy of the fully report.)
A few examples:
Eligibility Criteria
With this RFP the Foundation seeks to reach groups and organizations that will place the voices of persons who are traditionally left out of community decision-making at the center of the planning, implementation and results of the proposed project. Proposals may include programs, planning, research, collaborations, community organizing, or initiatives addressing root causes of disparities. Grant amounts may range from $5,000 to $100,000. Multi-year requests will be considered.
Organizations must be considered charitable organizations as determined by the IRS internal revenue code 501(c)(3). Please note: Organizations that do not have this designation may use a fiscal sponsor (organization recognized as a 501(c)(3) charitable entity) to serve as the recipient and manager of the grant. Eligible nonprofits are required to have board membership that is at least 10 percent people of color. The term “people of color” refers to all persons who are not categorized as white by the U.S. Census.
Proposal Requirements
Proposals should address the following: (please limit response to no more than 6 pages – 5 pages of narrative and 1 page budget)
Proposals are due Monday, June 29. Please submit by email to Janel Hines, director of grant programs, at jhines@greatermilwaukeefoundation.org. If you have questions, contact Janel Hines by e-mail or by phone at (414) 336-7039. Not all proposals will be funded. Funding awards will be announced in early September. Award letters will include approved grant amounts and reporting requirements. Grant recipients will form a learning community and meet periodically as a group.

author: Greater Milwaukee Foundation


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Sojourner Center Will Be a National Model | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 4, 2015
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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Community Care offers free workshop to support those living with ongoing health conditions | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Community Care
June 5, 2015
Community Care, Inc. will offer a Living Well with Chronic Conditions workshop series at its Vliet Center facility (3220 W. Vliet St., Milwaukee).
The free six-week program for people with chronic diseases begins June 17.  Chronic diseases are ongoing health conditions and include diabetes, arthritis, HIV/AIDS, high blood pressure, depression, heart disease, chronic pain, anxiety, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and others.
During the workshop, participants receive support from trained leaders and other workshop participants, learn practical ways to manage their pain and fatigue, learn about nutrition and exercise options, understand new treatment choices and learn better ways to communicate about their conditions with doctors and family members.
The goal is to help people better manage their health conditions and deal with the frustration, fatigue and pain that can accompany a chronic disease.
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Participants also benefit from meeting other people with ongoing health conditions, according to workshop leader Jaime Wolf, a learning and development specialist at Community Care.
Past participants report increased energy, reduced stress, more self-confidence, and fewer doctors’ visits as a result of taking the Living Well workshop.
The workshop will meet every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. June 17 through July 22. To register or for more information on the upcoming Living Well workshop, contact Jaime at (414) 231-4028.

author: Community Care


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On the Block: Hurricane Katrina | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
June 5, 2015
M.J. Perez believes in the importance of service. Perez, who has worked with the Salvation Army and has been employed at the VA Hospital for 12 years, was inspired by the stories of resilience she witnessed almost 10 years ago.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 5, 2015


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Slam poetry champs gear up for national competition | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matthew Wisla
June 5, 2015
Mikey Murray, right) reads one of her poems on her phone as fellow Wisconsin slam poetry champions Caide Jackson (left) and Jonnie Dixon look on. (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
Since winning the Teen State Slam Finals for Wisconsin in March, six poets have been creating new works in preparation for the Brave New Voices national competition in Atlanta next month. Their poems at the state competition and for the nationals focuses on their views and experiences growing up in the central city including violence, alienation and racial prejudice.
“We tried to get an early start on preparations this year but that competition deadline is coming up fast,” said Dasha Kelly, founder of the Still Water Collective and director of Wisconsin’s Teen State Slam poetry group. This marks Kelly’s ninth year leading a group of 13- to 19-year-old local poets in the competition.
A flurry of topics and ideas for poems have been flowing among group members via Skype calls, text messages and Google Docs, and the first of three planned sleepovers was held recently at Kelly’s home. Fueled by snacks, french fries and other fried foods, the creative session carried on past 2 a.m. True to the origins of slam or spoken word poetry, the subject matter the group is exploring is gritty and intensely personal. Topics under consideration or development include mixed race couples, feminism, sex, fear of black people and “things my best friend’s death taught me.”
Slam poet Brianna Ward writes poems about her experiences growing up in the central city. (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
Kelsey Calvin, a Milwaukee High School of the Arts sophomore, is among the poets who will be representing Wisconsin in the national competition, along with Brianna Ward, Jonnie Dixon, Caide Jackson, Alea McHatten and Mikey Murray. Said Calvin, who is white, “I like slam (poetry) because I hear from minority groups that I’m not a part of and it makes me think from other peoples’ perspectives.”
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Slam poetry is written to be performed onstage and, according to Murray, it is more authentic than traditional forms of poetry. “Spoken word is more honest; it’s poetry without rules,” she said.
Most of the poets said their writing has addressed more mature topics as they gained experience with slam competitions. Rhyming every line and simple poems about family or teen angst have been replaced by social justice topics and complex questions about sexual and racial identity.
One of Ward’s poems in the Milwaukee competition was about a young girl who was killed by stray gunfire a few houses away from Ward’s family home. Ward wrote:
Why are the boys such cowards?
I didn’t know ding dong ditch had morphed into shoot shoot run
How gangsta is it that you murdered a five-year-old girl and you didn’t even have the balls to look her in the eyes as you did it
Run and tell your homeboys that you tasted power today ….
Jackson lives in Madison and is the sole member of the group from outside Milwaukee’s central city neighborhoods. Being an honest poet means being truthful about yourself and willing to expose yourself, Jackson said. “I felt less nervous singing in a choir because you’re less vulnerable using someone else’s words,” she said.
Dasha Kelly is the director of Wisconsin’s Teen State Slam poetry group. (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
She has recently been exploring feminist topics such as oppression towards women and internalized misogyny. “Society gives us the idea that a woman’s value is partly based on her looks, and we reject that,” Jackson said. “But I recognize in myself the times I still judge other women based on their appearance.”
She recently further wrestled with misogyny and double standards in a poem about armpit hair. Why is it acceptable for men to have it but women are expected to shave, she asks. While presenting that poem Jackson shows off the natural state of her own underarms.
Since slam poetry is performed – “poetry for the stage versus for the page” – students are tempted to emphasize presentation over writing quality, said Kelly. She added that every year some groups at the national competition develop flashy presentations that lack the qualities of well-written pieces, including structure and internal consistency.
“Along with the excitement of performing, some get seduced and start competing because they want to win and they stop creating stories that need to be told,” Kelly said.
Murray has noticed that more people approach her to compliment her work after she has performed intensely personal poems. The team hopes that approach will succeed with the national judges. “We’re writing pieces that we are all passionate about,” said Murray. “It’s not about trying to win — just telling what’s important to you.”
Ward added that regardless of the race or background of her audience, she hopes her poetry helps people understand her feelings and connect an idea or emotion from her life to theirs.
Several poets focus on the deeply personal nature of their works and use it as a motivation for getting up on stage. Murray, for example, was once told by a mentor that in every audience there is someone who needs to hear your story so they’ll know that they are not alone.
Calvin has written about sexual abuse and believes many people underestimate its prevalence in society. “A lot of my message is for people who haven’t experienced abuse and may have never really considered that these things happen.”

author: Matthew Wisla


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MPS board to reconsider controversial charter school proposal | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
June 6, 2015
Milwaukee Excellence is eyeing the old Thomas A. Edison building at 5372 N. 37th St. in Thurston Woods. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Editor’s note: This is one in an occasional series about charter schools in Milwaukee.
A controversial charter school proposal, which was tabled after a split vote in April, is expected go back before the Milwaukee Board of School Directors School Achievement and School Innovation Committee soon. While it was originally on the agenda for Tuesday, the meeting has been cancelled.
Milwaukee Excellence, a proposed non-instrumentality charter, is the brainchild of MPS Rufus King High School graduate and former executive director of Teach for America (TFA) Milwaukee Maurice Thomas. Non-instrumentality charter schools are governed by independent boards and staffed with nonunion teachers.
Supporters of Milwaukee Excellence say the school’s methods — including a longer school day and school year, high academic achievement goals and an extensive discipline policy — are necessary to provide students with the instruction and character that will allow them to succeed. But opponents say the proposal sets up a different standard for low-income, minority children that is overly punitive and devoid of a well-rounded, “enriched” education that includes the arts.
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“The whole idea of regimented, special discipline for African-American children doesn’t work for me,” said Milwaukee Board of School Directors member Larry Miller, who voted against the proposal.
Maurice Thomas, founder of Milwaukee Excellence Charter School. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Thomas, who was named TFA’s National Teacher of the Year while at his initial placement in Atlanta, defended the discipline policy, which calls for demerits — what the proposal refers to as “negative PREP points” — to be issued to students for bad behavior.
“For me, it’s about giving students the support to be able to choose and be who they want to be,” Thomas said. “We want consistency … so, I’m saying, as a school leader, here’s our policy, here’s what we do.”
According to the initial proposal, submitted in January, a student could be issued a demerit for chewing gum, slouching in class, putting a foot on the desk or “improper use” of a student planner.
Thomas, who pointed out that a lower percentage of his proposal was dedicated to discipline than the Milwaukee Public Schools’ Parent/Student Handbook on Rights, Responsibilities and Discipline, doesn’t see much of a difference between the two policies. Responding to criticism, Milwaukee Excellence submitted an addendum prior to the April vote certifying that the school would “comply with and adopt” the MPS discipline code.
Changes included honoring MPS’ tiered response system to misbehavior and a pledge to “suspend students at a rate that is equal to or lower than comparable schools in MPS.” A key change, according to Thomas, was agreement to defer to the MPS Office of Family Services in the case of expulsions. The addendum also noted the possible need for “a different behavior modification plan” in special cases, but did not indicate what such a plan would look like.
“When I looked at their plan it was very, very restrictive and prison-like,” said Marva Herndon of Schools and Communities United, an organization whose website describes it as “a coalition to defend and improve our public schools.”
Much of the MPS handbook discipline section outlines the rights of students within the disciplinary process, an aspect less prevalent in Milwaukee Excellence’s original consequence-heavy policy. The Milwaukee Excellence addendum noted that the original discipline plan, included in the school proposal, would still function as a “code of conduct” for students. The addendum also outlined, under a section titled “promoting respectful disagreement,” that if a student responds to receiving a demerit or detention disrespectfully — verbally or through a “physical display” — that student “will receive a detention for that disrespect.” If a student disagrees with a punishment, it is his or her responsibility to set up a meeting with the teacher. Students are not permitted to “respectfully disagree” during tutoring or detention times.
After Thomas submitted the addendum, a board member urged him to “come back with something new,” according to Miller.
But Thomas emphasized that the proposal already addresses the need for a positive, proactive approach to deter negative behavior, and the importance of communicating consequences for any such behavior to students. He said that even in a circumstance where a teacher has been disrespected by a student, it’s important for the teacher to show the student love and care, and to treat the next day as a “fresh start.”
“If you don’t have that … that’s when you get issues of kids getting suspended for lots of different reasons that don’t really matter,” Thomas said. “You have to have teachers who understand students have dignity, that they’re people and, as adults, you have to have an unconditional positive regard for kids every single day.”
“It’s going to be hard”
The Milwaukee Excellence proposal articulated high goals for what would be an eventual 5th-12th grade school, including academically outdistancing its central city and MPS peers, competing with high-performing schools in the region and sending graduates to top universities. The school, which hopes to open for the 2016-2017 school year, would seek to accomplish this by instituting a longer school day and longer school year — emphasizing additional after-school and summer instruction for students, and focusing on math, science, reading and writing. Together, these measures would afford almost 300 more hours of instruction during a year than the MPS average.
Thomas, who spent his original placement with TFA in Atlanta at a school that was “100 percent black [and] economically disadvantaged,” said he began giving instruction on weekends to catch his students up. He noted that the proposed charter’s leadership team chose to start at 5th grade because they “backward mapped” where students are and where they need to be. For example, if a 5th grade student reads at a 3rd grade level, he can catch up by 9th grade if his reading ability grows by a year and a half every year.
“I’m not naive enough to think it’s going to be easy or there aren’t going to be hurdles or there aren’t going to be … students who need additional support,” said Thomas.
While he said the proposal was “well-researched,” Thomas acknowledged there’s no substitute for being “on the ground.” “[Students aren’t] just research — they’re people,” he said. “And, until I know the people, we won’t be able to know what additional things we’ll have to do … we won’t know until we meet our students and our families.”
Herndon disputed the ability of Milwaukee Excellence to catch children up who might have previously had a subpar education. “Those kids can’t read when they get them. Now, you’re magically going to have them prepared for college?”
Thomas said he knows it won’t be easy but he wants students to be able to do what they want most after graduation, “whether that be the University of Wisconsin-Madison, whether that be art school, whether … they want to pick up a trade, they want to join the military. I’m going to celebrate the heck out of every single one of those students because they’ve done the hard work.”
Herndon and Gail Hicks, a former special education teacher, said it’s not that simple. They said the real issue is a lack of structure in the central city community, stemming from high unemployment. Without jobs, said Hicks, parents won’t have the resources to send their children to college anyway.
Miller also pointed to the lack of arts or music education children would receive. Per the proposal, in its first year Milwaukee Excellence plans to employ arts and theater staff at a ratio of one teacher to 480 students, which would not improve until the school’s fifth year, when there would be two staff members to 600 students, if projections hold.
“How are you bringing music? How are you bringing the arts?” Miller said. “Kids need much more than just academic rigor.”
Leadership changes
The initial vote was split — four board members for, four against and District 1 representative Mark Sain abstaining. However, the board’s composition has changed. In early April, Wendell Harris Sr. beat out longtime board member Jeff Spence in a rematch of an election eight years ago and Carol Voss replaced Meagan Holman, the only board member who did not run for re-election. Both Spence and Holman voted in favor of the Milwaukee Excellence proposal.
With the addition of Voss and Harris, who has a long track record of opposing non-instrumentality schools, the proposal’s future is unclear. Sain did not respond to multiple interview requests.
“I don’t believe it’s good for our district,” said Harris of the non-instrumentality model, which gives schools the ability to hire non-union teachers. “I don’t believe that model is good for democracy and I don’t believe, in the long run, it’ll be good for our children.”
The Milwaukee Excellence debate is taking place in the context of proposed governance changes promulgated by the state. On May 19, the State Senate Joint Finance Committee approved the “Opportunity Schools and Partnership Program,” which gives the Milwaukee County Executive power to appoint a commissioner who would operate independently from the school board and assume control of failing MPS schools. Under that plan, the commissioner could operate those schools directly or award management to independent charter or voucher (private) school operators.
Thomas said he’s “committed to MPS” and isn’t paying attention to the activity in Madison. “I’m back at the table because I want to be a part of this (MPS) team; I want to be under this umbrella.”
However, Thomas said he also has approached the UWM Office of Charter Schools as a backup. “My position has always been the most important thing is to be able to open the school,” he added.
Adrienne Woods, director of the Office of Charter Schools at UWM, confirmed Thomas submitted a 20-page prospective before UWM’s deadline at the end of February. She said the abbreviated proposal, which was approved in March, “spoke to a discipline policy” but that “there weren’t any red flags.” However, the office would have to see a full application before making a final decision; the deadline for applications is the end of August.
Despite some misgivings about the initial proposal, Harris said he has not made up his mind. “If the folks who put this model together would consider coming in as an instrumentality school and maybe look at taking a different approach to discipline I would be open to having a conversation with them. I’m open to conversation,” he said.
Miller said he doesn’t doubt that Thomas “truly in his heart” wants to educate children but he can’t get on board with the proposal as it is.
“I don’t know Maurice but I know very good people that do have a lot of respect for him and he’s done some good work here in Milwaukee. But … what was being put forward was unacceptable,” he said.
He suggests that Thomas “come back to us with something that we can really unite around.”


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Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center Planting Festival | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sue Vliet
June 7, 2015
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Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center held its “Planting Festival” At the Native Wellness Garden at 6th and Howard over the weekend. Volunteers planted the “3 Sisters Garden,” and the Medicine Wheel Garden, and prepared other areas for planting.

author: Sue Vliet


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18533613395_0511d96521_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 7, 2015


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Anthony McHenry finds purpose, passion as Silver Spring director | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 8, 2015
jsonline.com


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Broad Public Support for Legal Status for Undocumented Immigrants | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 8, 2015
Pew Research Center


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DATA WONK: Wisconsin Ranks Last In Welfare Reform | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 8, 2015
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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‘I’m Eating Once A Day’: Congress’ Food Stamp Cuts Hit Wisconsin Seniors Hard | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 8, 2015
Huffington Post


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Immigrant Advocates Win Case Against Milwaukee County Sheriff | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 8, 2015
Wisconsin Public Radio


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Jackson second-graders talk with Ugandan students about bullying | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 8, 2015
Mia Hunt, 8, is excited to see the Ugandan students’ faces on Skype as Laura Kolar looks on. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
When Donovan Cole was a student at Gwen T. Jackson Early Childhood and Elementary School, then called 21 Street School, his class exchanged letters with students at Marquette University just a few miles away. Now, his second-grade daughter Tracy, a student at the same school, is communicating with students in Nabulagala, Uganda.
“It’s real cool to be talking with kids from a whole other country … Before this, I’m quite sure Tracy didn’t even know Africa exists,” Cole said.
In addition to studying a map and learning how to do research on everyday life in Uganda, the students are exchanging letters and recently communicated using Skype, which allows people anywhere in the world to see and talk to one another. The Milwaukee students, who have been grappling with the issue of bullying, are also discussing this difficult topic with the Ugandan youth.
Students stand with Laura Kolar to talk to Ugandan students face-to-face via Skype. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
“(These second-graders) understand that (Uganda) is not only jungle, that there are cities. They know that the kids there have cell phones and computers and don’t live in huts,” said Laura Kolar, the paraprofessional in Ulisses Molina’s second-grade class at the Gwen T. Jackson School, 2121 W. Hadley St.
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The connection between Milwaukee and Nabulagala was made in December 2011, when Kolar traveled there to teach dance through a nonprofit organization that brought in artists to work with local students.
A week after Kolar’s arrival in what she describes as a slum outside the capital city of Kampala, the nonprofit suddenly dissolved. Unable to abandon the students with whom they had instantly fallen in love, Kolar and a friend started a new nonprofit, Gujja Ting African Art, to fill the gap.
Kolar, 27, who now runs the nonprofit by herself, raises funds by selling paper bead jewelry the Ugandan students make and by soliciting family and friends as sponsors who “adopt” students. Gujja Ting offers weekly workshops in African, contemporary, tap, and break dance; drawing; painting; crotchet; and paper bead making. The students also interact with the children at Jackson school.
Tracy Cole, 8, listens to Brian, her Ugandan pen pal, as Kolar stands by to help. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
As the Skype connection flickered in and out, second-grader T’nija Crockett introduced herself to a Ugandan student and asked, ”What is bullying to you?” The student replied in English, “Bullying is when someone is disturbing someone else.” T’nija responded, “I think bullying is when a big kid picks on a little kid.”
In a letter to a Ugandan student named Brian, Tracy Cole wrote, “I think bullying is when you are bothering someone over and over again and they tell you to stop and you keep on going.”
According to Cole, who visited the class to observe the Skype session, “Tracy’s taking more from this project than just learning to deal with bullies and learning about another country.” It’s making her think about people whose lives are harder and causing her to feel grateful that she has free schooling and more than one or two meals a day, he added.
Former Artists Working in Education (A.W.E.) program director Mary Osmundsen, who attended several Skype sessions between Milwaukee students involved in A.W.E. programs and Kolar’s Gujja Ting students, noted that it was powerful to see isolated central city students connect with young people on the other side of the world.
It’s difficult for students in such far away places to imagine what it’s like for each other and “so many misperceptions were broken,” Osmundsen said. “The kids from Milwaukee were really surprised that the kids in Uganda had cell phones but didn’t have any running water.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 7, 2015


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 8, 2015


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17735407650_93b58dd0a0_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 8, 2015


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On the Block: Moving home | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
June 9, 2015


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Young artists’ paintings brighten Rays of Sunshine garden | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Madeline Kennedy
June 9, 2015
Antoine Carter (left) watches as County Supervisor Martin Weddle (right) cuts the ribbon at the official unveiling painting by ArtWorks interns at the Rays of Sunshine garden. (Photo by Madeline Kennedy)
Even before the Rays of Sunshine garden at 24 Street and Keefe Avenue was officially unveiled, neighbors walking by were struck by seven paintings standing several feet tall on red wooden legs and sporting brightly colored messages of peace, justice and solidarity. The art pieces, which border the garden, were painted by four young artists who are part of ArtWorks for Milwaukee’s internship program.
The day before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Antoine Carter, manager of Groundwork Milwaukee’s Urban Gardens program, noticed an elderly woman walking through the garden. Intrigued by the new artwork, she examined each piece carefully. Soon after, she began enthusiastically pulling people from the sidewalk to examine the paintings with her, taking special care to discuss the meaning and purpose of each.
Carter, a lifelong Franklin Heights resident, was excited to see that the murals were already doing their intended purpose: bringing community members together and starting conversation.
Designed by Keano Avery, this painting is one of seven now on display in the Rays of Sunshine garden. (Photo by Madeline Kennedy)
“It may seem small, but I think a project like this is exactly what the neighborhood needs,” said Carter. “You see a lot of art being done for the community rather than with it. By bringing in kids and community members [these paintings] became something created by everyone for everyone.”
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The paintings were created as part of a partnership among Groundwork Milwaukee, Community Hands Block Watch, and ArtWorks for Milwaukee. After applying and being accepted to work on the project, the four interns, Keano Avery, Bivianno Bradley, Onyx Potts and Nivia Gonzalez, began brainstorming ideas for the artwork. They decided to turn to the community for inspiration.
In the meetings that followed, the young artists spoke with residents from across the neighborhood to get an idea of what they wanted to see in the new paintings. While some portray instances of inequality and prejudice, others communicate the importance of peace and justice in the neighborhood.
“I think it’s beautiful,” said Cynthia Adams-Burrell, manager of the Rays of Sunshine garden. “People around here need to put more value in what’s in these kids’ brains. They’re more than just a baggy pair of pants. They have a lot of talent to give.”
The paintings were created over two Saturday afternoons. On one of those days, children from the neighborhood were invited to assist the interns with their work. These moments of community engagement were a highlight for many of the interns involved.
“I really enjoyed the community painting day when all the kids came to help us out,” Gonzalez said. “It was nice to see people wanting to get involved.”
Despite heavy rain on the day of the installment ceremony, more than a dozen community members came to the event to show their support for the young artists.
“A lot of people nearby had their fingerprints all over this,” Carter said. “That’s what I love about it. Nowadays you don’t see neighborhoods like this getting a lot of love or good attention, so I guess it’s good to see that this space is already being appreciated.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated to correct the spelling of Bivianno Bradley’s name.


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$5 Swim lessons available starting week of June 22 at five Milwaukee County Parks | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee
June 10, 2015
Beginning June 22, 2015, the Milwaukee Y will offer swim lessons in five Milwaukee County Parks that are geared toward non-swimmers to learn basic swim skills and water safety, including how to recognize dangerous situations when in and around water environments.
Lessons are available for children ages six and above, as well as non-swimming adults. Swim lessons will be taught in age-appropriate groups to ensure optimal skill and safety outcomes.
Spots are available for these introductory classes that are offered at different times throughout the metro Milwaukee area, so parents are sure to find swim lessons that fit their child’s needs and their schedule.  Additionally, lessons are taught by certified YMCA swim instructors.
Sessions are $5 per individual or $10 per family and much of the costs of these lessons will be covered by community donations.  No family will be turned away due to a lack of financial resources.
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author: YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee


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DreamBig! accepting applications to fund youth projects | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Lead2Change
June 10, 2015
DreamBig! is an annual grant program that disburses two $5,000 grants to youth groups who respond to the question, “What would you do with a $5,000 grant to make your community better?”  DreamBig! challenges young people to devise a project idea that will positively impact their community.  Youth groups attend an information session, present their project idea to the YAC and grant recipients are announced at our annual DreamBig! event in August.
If you are interested in attending an information session to learn how to receive a DreamBig! grant, please follow this link or contact us at info@lead2changeinc.org to learn the next date.
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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 10, 2015


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Local leaders voice mixed reaction to new marijuana rules | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
June 10, 2015
Ald. Bob Donovan (center), pictured at an unrelated event, voted against the new marijuana ordinance, saying it would have a negative impact on employment. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
The Milwaukee Common Council’s decision to lower the maximum fine for marijuana possession of less than 25 grams to $50 has drawn praise as a first step to reducing racial disparities in enforcement of marijuana laws, and criticism for its potential to increase marijuana use.
The change came on the heels of a Public Policy Forum report that found that 86 percent of those arrested for possession of marijuana in Milwaukee County were African American. A 2014 NNS report found that marijuana possession charges originating from Milwaukee were a strong contributor to the racial disparity in Wisconsin’s prison system.
The ordinance reduces the maximum fine from $500, though it doesn’t necessarily affect the district attorney’s ability to prosecute a second or subsequent offenses through state court. A second state conviction results in a felony. Nevertheless, Ald. Nik Kovac, who authored the new ordinance, said changing the local law is the first step toward changing the prosecution process that has disproportionately impacted African Americans in Milwaukee. During the Common Council meeting Kovac said the racial disparity in enforcement of marijuana laws, “intentional or not, is not acceptable.”
According to Kovac, lowering the punishment will deprioritize marijuana offenses, allowing police officers and district attorneys to focus more resources on violent criminals.
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Molly Collins, associate director of the ACLU of Wisconsin, described the new ordinance as a small move towards racial justice in the state’s criminal justice system. She said the existing disparities are “embarrassing and morally wrong,” adding that the old policy has been ineffective. “Decades of harsh punishments through the criminal justice system have had no impact on use and create a lifetime of collateral damage.”
Molly Collins, associate director of the ACLU of Wisconsin, describes the new ordinance as the first step in addressing the racial disparity in marijuana law enforcement. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
Collins said changes need to be made in policing, charging and incarceration to end the racial disparity related to marijuana possession.
While several steps remain before marijuana possession would no longer result in state charges, according to Collins the ordinance change will still result in fewer people being arrested. “There is no simple answer, no silver bullet, but it is critical we take a lot of steps in the right direction.”
Ald. Bob Donovan was one of three council members to vote against the measure. In a statement emailed to NNS, he said the change in the local law would result in more people using marijuana, which will hurt their employment opportunities.
“We already have a serious joblessness rate in Milwaukee and I believe now we will have many more people closing a door to employment opportunities because [applicants] can’t pass a drug test,” wrote Donovan. The most recent data available from the American Management Association found that 62 percent of employers require a drug test.
Donovan stated that the drug problem in the community is growing, and that the new ordinance is sending the wrong message. “I cannot, in good conscience, support something I feel will hurt society’s efforts to combat drug use,” he said. Torre Johnson, site manager for Wisconsin Community Services, also expressed concern about the ordinance’s impact on individuals who are looking for jobs.
“A lot of our young people already want to just get high and not get a job,” Johnson said. Still, he said slowing down the process of locking people up for minor drug offenses overshadows that concern.
“If you give people criminal charges, they have a record and can’t find a job anyway,” he said.
Johnson described marijuana as a “gateway” drug and said he does worry that the change in the ordinance could lead to an epidemic in marijuana use among youth in Milwaukee. “I don’t want to see young people thinking it’s okay to get high all the time but I’m also tired of seeing our courts flooded with people of color.”
Justin Bielinski, who earlier this year announced his candidacy for 8 District alderman, the seat Donovan currently occupies, spent five years as a group therapy facilitator on the adolescent day treatment unit at Rogers Memorial Hospital in West Allis. He said that while many of the patients he dealt with used marijuana on a regular basis, they rarely, if ever, said that receiving a ticket or fine deterred them.
“In my opinion, a change in fine levels will have little to no impact on the (marijuana) usage levels of teenagers in Milwaukee.”
He said that moderate marijuana usage among youth is often less harmful than effects of binge drinking or other drugs.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 9, 2015


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Reagan upsets top-ranked Arrowhead, heads to state baseball tournament | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
June 10, 2015
The baseball team from MPS’ Ronald Reagan College Preparatory High School. (Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Public Schools)
MPS’ Reagan College Prep High School Huskies upset top-ranked Arrowhead High School Tuesday night to earn a spot in the WIAA state baseball tournament.
The 5-0 win came in a sectional final match, with the Huskies handing Arrowhead one of the only two losses the team had all season.
Reagan is the first MPS baseball team to make state since the Riverside University High School Tigers in 2009.
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The Huskies will head to the Appleton area in one week to take on River Falls in the first round of the state tournament.  The game is set for approximately 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, June 16 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium, in Grand Chute, Wis., just outside of Appleton.
The team finished the regular season with a record of 17-7, including 11-1 in the City Conference.  The Huskies’ overall record is 21-7 including postseason play.


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Art project unites students, encourages diversity | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 11, 2015
88NINE Radio Milwaukee


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Black Dads Are Doing Best of All | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 11, 2015
The New York Times


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LBWN is hiring: Two positions open | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Layton Boulevard West Neighbors
June 11, 2015
Director of Fund Development and Communications: LBWN seeks a Director of Fund Development and Communications, who will be responsible for growing the diversity and size of revenue streams as well as increasing the neighborhood’s and the organization’s visibility. If you excel in communications, are meticulous in meeting tight deadlines, are creative, detail-oriented, entrepreneurial, and relentless in pursuing opportunities, please consider joining our team in this capacity! View the complete job description at www.lbwn.org/jobs.
Turnkey Project Manager: LBWN seeks to hire a Turnkey Renovation Program Project Manager who will lead LBWN’s efforts to transform vacant foreclosures into move-in ready, energy-efficient homes for owner-occupant homebuyers. With the supervision and support of LBWN’s Director of Real Estate Development, Jeremy Belot, the successful Turnkey Project Manager will grow the capacity of this impactful neighborhood revitalization strategy. View the complete job description at www.lbwn.org/jobs.
To apply for either position, please send resume, cover letter, and salary expectations by 5:00pm on Tuesday, June 30th to Will Sebern, Executive Director, at will@lbwn.org.
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author: Layton Boulevard West Neighbors