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New housing program provides ‘optimism and hope’ for homeless young adults | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
June 11, 2015
Wilton Johnson, who spent more than four years in foster care as a child, will serve as the Campus Housing Initiative’s peer advisor at 741 S. 23rd St. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Wilton Johnson walked into his new home for the first time last week. Johnson, 24, lived in foster care from ages 9 to 14 and was homeless, off and on, for a period after that. Until recently, he worked at the airport assisting wheelchair-bound passengers get to their destination.
“We all know that housing for young adults is a huge need,” Johnson told a crowd gathered at a grand opening event for the six-unit house, part of Journey House’s Campus Housing Initiative. The initiative provides housing for “motivated youth” — young people ages 18 to 25 who have aged out of foster care and are going to school or working.
“This initiative reaffirms my faith in my city and my county,” Johnson said, adding that the program will provide “optimism and hope for me and many of my peers.” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele also made remarks at the event.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett spoke at the Journey House Campus Housing Initiative grand opening, calling the program “an amazing team effort.” (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
In addition to Johnson, who will serve as a peer advisor for the program, five other youths between the ages of 18 and 22 have been identified by Milwaukee County Wraparound to fill the property at 741 S. 23rd St. Brian McBride of Project O-YEAH, which provides services to young people transitioning out of foster care, said the program identified individuals who “showed motivation, who stayed engaged within their treatment plans … and have struggled with the housing piece.”
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The grand opening event marked the beginning of the Journey House program, which was originally slated to launch in March. Journey House CEO Michele Bria said a new water main had to be installed, which set the renovation process back.
“Well, you know, when you’re renovating older properties … you never know what you’re going to find,” she said.
The house was a vacant foreclosed property, which the county bought from the city for $1 to make it available for the housing initiative. Bria said workers “literally [tore] everything out,” ran new electricity and plumbing, put in a new roof and new windows and installed a furnace and hot water heater in each unit.
The rebuild cost about $11,000 more than projected, but could have been more expensive if not for the volunteer help from Northwestern Mutual and Eppstein Uhen Architects. The two companies supplied 40 volunteers who did “everything from putting doorknobs on to painting to drywalling,” Bria said.
Bria praised Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative Housing Committee Chair John Miceli, who she called a “superhero” for his role in bringing the renovation to completion. Miceli, who has been involved in a couple other rehab projects, said he never doubted the house would get finished, though it was frustrating that the project took longer than expected.
“I never gave up,” Miceli said. “We never had an option of not finishing it, really.”
Abele said the Campus Housing Initiative is proof that “we don’t give up on anybody” and the property itself symbolizes “what could be.”
“When kids age out of the foster care system … we very rarely have an adequate answer,” he said. “They deserve one. We, as a society, deserve one.”
Barrett, who helped change laws when he was a legislator to make it easier for older foster children to stay with their families, said homelessness — especially among youth aging out of foster care — is an important issue. But he acknowledged not every child can stay in his or her foster home after turning 18, though many of them still need “adult supervision and … care.”
Barrett said, with the Campus Housing Initiative, Journey House has “stepped up to fill a void … in our community,” adding that he wouldn’t know what to do if his daughter, who just graduated high school, were on her own.
Bria said the program came out of a Journey House board retreat in 2012 as attendees grappled with “persistent challenges [of] our participants and residents.” It is a double-edged answer to the question of how to address the issues of homeless, motivated youth and “dangerous and unsafe” passageways in the Clarke Square neighborhood.
Miceli said he believes the City of Milwaukee currently owns about 1,000 homes that have been acquired through tax foreclosure. He said those homes could be used to provide a roof for people who don’t have one.
“My dream is that this … can serve as a model to help address the many distressed and foreclosed properties across the city,” he said.
And McBride noted that the Campus Housing Initiative has generated a high amount of interest and there are other youths taking advantage of O-YEAH’s services who would be “wonderful candidates” for this program. He acknowledged the financial challenges, but added, “we could easily double, triple, quadruple this and be comfortable with it.”
Johnson, who will move into the property this month and expects to serve as a peer leader for at least a year, said he’s eager to meet the other individuals he’ll be sharing the home with. He hopes to learn from them, that they will learn from him and that the group can “become six strong individuals.”
“Words can’t even express how thankful I am,” he said. “I’m just overwhelmed.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 10, 2015

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Adam Carr


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On the Block: Keeping the faith | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
June 11, 2015
Milwaukee Stories link: http://milwaukeestories.org/2015/06/11/i-was-born-in-the-foster-system/

author: Jabril Faraj


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18714579651_67a5216bc5_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 11, 2015


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Teaching Youth To Think ‘Slow’ May Help Reduce Crime | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 11, 2015
FiveThirtyEight.com

author: Andrea Waxman


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Bader Philanthropies hiring Communications Coordinator and Program Associate Internship | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Bader Philanthropies, Inc
June 12, 2015
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Bader Philanthropies, Inc. seeks a full-time Communications Coordinator who will coordinate implementation of the Foundation’s communications strategies, public relations, and organizational messaging, with an aim of informing and engaging diverse constituent groups.
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Roles and Responsibilities:
Qualifications:
Application (Apply by July 1):
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Bader Philanthropies, Inc. seeks a graduate-level Program Associate Intern who will assist with Foundation’s grant processing and program area activities. This is a part-time, paid position (a one-year commitment is requested).
Milwaukee-based Bader Philanthropies, Inc. strives to be a philanthropic leader in improving the quality of life of the diverse communities in which it works. Through the Helen Daniels Bader Fund and the Isabel and Alfred Bader Fund, the organization funds innovative projects and programs, convenes partners, and shares knowledge to affect emerging issues in a number of areas, including city youth, workforce development, and Alzheimer’s and aging. Since its founding in 1992 as the Helen Bader Foundation, the organization has committed more than $250 million in grants and program-related investments to advance its charitable mission.

author: Bader Philanthropies, Inc


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Farmers market opens in Jackson Park | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 12, 2015
Despite rainy weather, neighborhood residents turned out for the first farmers market in Jackson Park. Vendors sold early summer greens and vegetables, bakery-made bread, gifts and stationary and food truck goodies. Look for the market near the boathouse on Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m., through October 15.


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Dance company’s summer show addresses social issues through movement | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Madeline Kennedy
June 13, 2015
The Washington Park Bandshell was filled with music and movement recently as Signature Dance Company performed routines for nearly two hours to communicate the social issues they find most troubling in their lives. Judging by the applause of parents and community members during the company finale, the message was well received.
Signature’s Safe Summer Show addressed social issues such as racism, bullying, prostitution and self-image. Signature has encouraged the girls and women of Milwaukee’s central city to express their creativity and faith through dance for more than a decade.
Co-founder and artistic director Tecia Sellers explained that the company and its dancers use these performances to showcase their talents and start a discussion.
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“We were trying to communicate that all these things are happening, but we don’t need to feel hopeless,” Sellers said. “We don’t have to submit to bad things. We need to be brave enough to help those who need us and not just live with all these negative social issues happening in our community.”
Performers said they enjoyed being on stage and communicating their thoughts on issues they face in their daily lives.
“I like the feeling of being on stage. It’s a great way for me to express myself and get a message across,” said Miah Haynes, a dancer in the show’s self-image number.
In about 10 numbers, dancers expressed these issues through music, movement and creative use of props. For example, in Haynes’ performance, she and a half-dozen other teen dancers incorporated magazines, waving them around in long, large movements or taking a long pause as if to examine them and compare themselves to the girls pictured on the pages.
One of the show’s most crowd-pleasing numbers addressed racism in America and was set to “Glory” by Common and John Legend.
As a self-titled “Christian dance company,” the theme of faith is popular in most Signature shows, and was the inspiration for several numbers in the summer show.
“Signature teaches dance movement and technique, but we also work on practices for life,” said choreographer Jade Robertson. “We have a Christian background, which means we also teach young girls how to live a holy, safe and positive life.”
The show concluded with a passionate performance by one of the company’s adult groups to “Withholding Nothing” by William McDowell. The lyrics “King Jesus, my savior forever, I give you all of me — withholding nothing” blared from bandshell speakers and audience members rose from their seats to show their enthusiasm.
Sellers said that while she hopes people enjoyed watching the dancing, she would like them to take away something more. “I hope they feel like there’s hope and that they have a part to play. So when they see these things happen around them they think, ‘Oh, how can I help change things?’”

author: Madeline Kennedy


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 13, 2015


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HPGM hiring Director of Programs and Strategic Partnerships | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee
June 14, 2015
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
Founded in 2001, Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee’s mission is to create an environment for Hispanic Professionals to thrive. We do this by fostering leadership, mentoring, education, networking, and new initiatives that support Hispanics.
Position:
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Reporting to the President & CEO, the Director will play a critical role in helping HPGM achieve its vision to provide high quality programs locally and regionally, with the plan to eventually extend the use of its model to other areas. This position will be responsible for a variety of significant activities including internal operations, oversight programs, program evaluation services and the building and maintaining of partnerships with key stakeholders. S/he will be instrumental in ensuring consistent and effective internal processes and communications in order to strengthen HPGM programs and position the organization for continued success.
Responsibilities:
Qualifications
Interested candidates should e-mail a cover letter, resume and salary requirements to: Griselda Aldrete, Griselda.aldrete@hpgm.org


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Milwaukee dives into water tech, Chicago just getting feet wet | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 14, 2015
Chicago Tribune


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Common Ground mounts campaign to oppose public funding for Bucks arena | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
June 15, 2015
Common Ground brought together a group of people opposed to spending public funding for a new Bucks arena. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Sherman Park resident Frank Finch III and a crowd of Common Ground supporters climbed the stairs of City Hall Wednesday morning to deliver the signatures of 460 residents to the office of District 7 Ald. Willie Wade.
The petition, collected in the Sherman Park neighborhood by a group of 90 volunteers in two hours, urged Wade “to deal with the blighted conditions of the homes in his district” before supporting public funding for a new Milwaukee Bucks arena. Wade was not available for comment.
Finch said there is a foreclosure next to his home on 44th Street that is owned by Nationstar Mortgage Holdings, Inc. Bucks owner Wes Edens is a majority shareholder and chairman of the board of directors of the company, the second largest mortgage servicer in Milwaukee. Common Ground claims that almost 300 of the more than 3,000 Milwaukee properties Nationstar services are in foreclosure.
“No one’s living there, the city has had to take it over, it’s a piece of junk and it’s hurting my property value. It’s just terrible,” said Finch, adding that there are a number of houses in similar condition throughout Sherman Park.
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Common Ground, a nonpartisan, issues-based group of professional organizers and community organizations in southeastern Wisconsin, called a press conference in response to a recently unveiled funding proposal for the new arena. The plan would put taxpayers on the hook for $250 million plus interest, borrowing at least $148 million. Over 20 years the total public contribution could reach more than $400 million.
Common Ground brought together a group of people opposed to spending public funding for a new Bucks arena. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
The Wednesday morning event, which drew about 60 people, marked the beginning of a week-long push by Common Ground asking residents to contact their city, county and state representatives in an effort to turn the tide of political opinion on the issue.
“We’re asking [people] to make phone calls, emails, send tweets, letters to their elected officials,” said Keisha Krumm, lead organizer at Common Ground, who also urged supporters to sign an online petition. “We should oppose the use of public money because [the Bucks owners] don’t need it, they don’t deserve it and there’s other things we could use our money for.”
In 2014, Common Ground unveiled its Fair Play campaign that argued for an investment of at least $150 million in Milwaukee County athletic facilities and playgrounds should public funds be used toward a stadium. Now, the group is asking Nationstar to invest $30 million in the City of Milwaukee Challenge Fund “to address the foreclosure issue,” said Krumm. The city owns more than 1,000 tax-foreclosed homes. Common Ground has a meeting scheduled with the mortgage company’s CEO on June 17.
Common Ground supporters say the issue comes down to a question of priorities. Willie Davis, pastor of Invisible Reality Ministries, an organization that provides social services, counseling and mentorship to youth and families, said politicians complain about high crime rates and a lack of school funding but refuse to actually do anything about it.
“Our young people are suffering, these families are suffering, our city is suffering. Let’s put the money where it could be more productive,” said Davis.
“I’m not a person who says we pay way too much in taxes and we should reduce taxes,” said Sharon Depue, who attended the Wednesday gathering. “I would be happily taxed more if it went to things that I felt were important to our community as a whole.”
Ald. Bob Bauman has been critical of the closed-door discussion process that led to the funding proposal as well as numerous options discussed before the plan was released, all of which involved borrowing. He proposed an alternative that would generate $125 million per year by increasing the sales tax in Milwaukee County — enough to pay for the arena up front — while providing dedicated funding for public parks, transportation and local cultural institutions. That plan has been largely ignored.
“We appreciate Alderman Bauman making a case for something else, something that will serve our city and our people,” said Finch.
Krumm and Depue weren’t familiar with the details of Bauman’s plan, but both said they would be willing to consider it. Davis acknowledged that “anyone can come up with different scenarios” but he said what matters is whether there’s enough political support.
“It goes back to politics and if, at the end of the day, they’re willing to agree on something like that. And, that’s the difficult part,” Davis said.
“We have to operate under the structure that has been set by state government,” Mayor Tom Barrett said of the plan, which would involve a new 1 percent sales tax in Milwaukee County to fund the arena. “Local governments cannot enact those taxes and it’s been made very clear to us that the state will not entertain that, at least right now.”
Barrett added that he “appreciate[s] what Common Ground is working toward.”
Depue said this process has revealed the “lack of focus of our local public officials” and “how easy it is for people to come in from outside of our community and dictate to us what we should do and that, somehow or another, our public officials roll over and play dead.
“I find that very disappointing,” she added.
A Marquette Law School poll released in mid-April, which asked respondents about aspects of Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed state budget, said 79 percent of registered voters oppose borrowing $150 million to support a new Bucks arena. Another poll, released at the end of April by the pro-business Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC), said when presented with a “full proposal” 67 percent of Wisconsin voters support public funding for the arena
Polling experts from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and St. Norbert College questioned the objectivity of the MMAC poll, claiming the question was asked in a way to elicit a particular response. MMAC Vice President of Governmental Affairs Steve Baas did not respond to a request for comment.
“Question wording matters,” said Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette Law School Poll. “Ours was very thin on information … theirs was a very elaborate question laying out the advantages of doing the project.”
The MMAC has been an active supporter of the plan to build a Bucks arena. Marquette University, which would be a tenant of the Bucks, recently released a statement indicating support for a new arena.
“This game is about power. And, the Bucks have a lot of power,” said Krumm. “We the people … we should have that kind of power too.”
She said the idea is to “create the sense that we’re not just taxpayers, we’re citizens that can engage in the political process and shouldn’t be taken for granted because we’re not billionaires.”
Davis and other residents are determined to deliver that message. “We are not backing down; we’re not going anywhere,” he said. “We will continue to push this issue because it is that important.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 14, 2015


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Native American group honors veterans | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sue Vliet
June 15, 2015
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Flowering Tree, an organization that promotes Native American culture, held an event Saturday honoring veterans, active military members and others who serve the community at the All Nations Senior and Culture Center at 33rd and State Street. Other sponsors were Catholic Congregation of the Great Spirit, Lutheran Church of the Great Spirit and the Inidian Council of the Elderly.

author: Sue Vliet


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On the Block: Growing justice | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matthew Wisla
June 16, 2015

author: Matthew Wisla


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 16, 2015


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Students can get free new books throughout the summer | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
June 16, 2015
Nearly 25 volunteers pack new books into boxes for the Summer Slide reading program. (Photo by Allison Dikanovic)
Beginning next week, students who visit certain schools, parks and summer meal sites run by the Hunger Task Force will also be able to pick up a free copy of a popular title of their choice.
“It just makes sense; we want to go where the children and families with the most need are,” said Nicole Angresano, vice president of community impact at United Way.
Volunteers from both United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County and the Hunger Task Force recently gathered to sort 20,000 books to be distributed to local youth this summer.
The Summer Reading Partnership is intended to help prevent a “summer slide,” or decrease in reading proficiency, when school is out of session.
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Charlene Stevens holds up a popular title before placing it in the box to be distributed in the coming months. (Photo by Allison Dikanovic)
“There is a fun summer slide that we think of, and then there is the summer slide we don’t want,” said Brian McKaig, vice president of marketing and communications at United Way. He noted that students’ reading skills can regress over the summer when they’re not in school and access to new books can change that.
“We are at a critical point in Milwaukee when it comes to academic achievement,” said Angresano. “We want to create opportunities over the summer to make sure young people stay on track and get ahead.”
United Way’s goal is to distribute 70,000 books this summer, which is significantly more than last year’s final count of 56,612 books.
“We want kids to have culturally and academically appropriate new books,” Angresano said.
United Way and Hunger Task Force worked closely with Milwaukee Public Schools to identify schools and areas with high concentrations of children and families that could benefit most from new books. The books will be handed out at these schools and parks as well as at Hunger Task Force’s free summer meal sites starting June 22 through the end of August. Students will each be able to pick out one book, and they can get a new book every time they visit a site until the books run out.
Angresano said that Hunger Task Force’s sorting and distributing capacity was invaluable in the effort. Volunteers sorted the books by reading level.
“I’m used to boxing up food, but today I brought my sister with me so we could box up books for kids,” said Charlene Stevens, a regular volunteer at the Hunger Task Force.
This is the third year of the partnership that was started by the Faye McBeath Foundation, which recently closed. McKaig said that United Way stepped up to become the lead organization to carry on the legacy of the foundation.
In addition to United Way and Hunger Task Force, other organizations contributing to the program include Milwaukee Public Library, MPS, Milwaukee Recreation and IMPACT Planning Council. It is being funded by the Daniel M. Soref Trust and R. A. Stevens Foundation.

author: Allison Dikanovic


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 15, 2015


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How to create a lead-safe environment | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Social Development Commission
June 17, 2015
Deteriorated lead-based paint should be an ongoing concern for families throughout the year, but with the arrival of summer lead dust is likely to increase with opening of windows and children playing outside. Added exposure to lead dust increases the risk of lead poisoning, especially in children under the age of six and in expectant mothers.
Young children exposed to lead are at a significantly greater risk of delays in development, learning disabilities and a lower IQ. In the City of Milwaukee, lead poisoning is well above the national average, and 92 percent of the housing stock in Milwaukee was built prior to 1978 when lead based paint was regularly used.
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Know what to look for in your home to decrease your risk of exposure to lead based paint hazards. Lead based paint may be hazardous if it is peeling, chipping or dusting in the following areas:
Increased use of doors and opening windows commonly generates lead dust. Using cleaning wipes to remove dust and regular damp-mopping of floors can reduce the risk of exposure.
Young children often exhibit behaviors that can increase their risk of lead consumption. Watch for teeth marks on windowsills that children often like to chew on. When playing outdoors, kids may try to eat dirt or soil, where lead is commonly found. Encourage frequent washing of hands to wash away any lead contaminates.
Soil along the side of the house is another source of lead poisoning. Vegetables planted along the side of your home may be contaminated with lead paint. Vegetable gardens should be planted in raised beds using fresh soil away from the drip line of the home.
Milwaukee has many beautiful and historic homes. These homes require ongoing maintenance to keep the paint intact. When undergoing renovation and making home improvements, it is important to contain the work area and keep children out of the vicinity of the work. Use a plastic tarp in areas to catch all paint chips and dust that may fall. To prevent distribution of lead dust, use the wet method—moisten the area of paint to be scraped with a spray bottle of water to reduce lead dust. The safest option to ensure proper techniques are being used is to hire a contractor certified in lead safety.
The effects of lead poisoning can be detrimental and last a lifetime. Please take all steps to prevent exposure of children from lead poisoning.

author: Social Development Commission


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Mortgage scammers cause financial ruin for bilked homeowners | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matthew Wisla
June 17, 2015
Mortgage scammers sent this letter to Jeff Renock, leading to his bankruptcy. (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
Just when Jeff Renock’s take-home pay was being reduced, a letter arrived promising financial help. It claimed to be an eligibility notice for a mortgage loan modification program and featured a logo used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. Renock, who lives on Milwaukee’s South Side, saw it as an opportunity to reduce his monthly bills, but what looked like a lucky break resulted in disaster.
“It destroyed me financially,” Renock said.
Renock, 41, was the victim of a mortgage rescue scam. Over the next several months the California-based scam operation swindled him out of $1,500 in fees while promising to work with his mortgage company to lower his payments — which never happened. In the meantime, Renock was advised to stop paying his monthly mortgage while everything was being finalized and not to talk to his lender.
Mortgage scammers are targeting Latinos and immigrants, according to Bethany Sanchez, senior administrator, Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council. (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
Bethany Sanchez, senior administrator at the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council, said the first red flag in cons such as these often comes when the scammer asks for an upfront fee.
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“It’s illegal under federal and state law for anyone offering mortgage modification services to request payment upfront,” Sanchez said. Homeowners also should never stop paying their mortgage unless they have independently verified the arrangement with their mortgage holder.
The Fair Housing Council recommends that homeowners who are struggling to keep up with their mortgage seek financial advice sooner rather than later, and work with nonprofit housing counselors. Homeowners should stay clear of organizations or individuals that guarantee results, advise against communicating with the mortgage lender or use high-pressure sales tactics.
Rip-off artists posing as middlemen promising to lower mortgage rates for homeowners began popping up in 2005 at the outset of the financial downturn and became more commonplace after the resulting home foreclosure crisis.
“Starting a few years ago we began seeing an increase in these types of scams,” said Sanchez. In addition to collecting an upfront fee of thousands of dollars “to get things started” scammers sometimes demand an ongoing monthly fee, usually withdrawn directly from the homeowner’s bank account.
Latinos and immigrants targeted
Recently, scammers appear to be targeting immigrants and the Latino community in Milwaukee, preferring to focus on people who may have poor English language skills and who are less likely to report the crime, Sanchez said.
Scams can go on for a year or more. Renock received his letter in April 2011 and didn’t realize he was being taken until late 2012 when he was notified that the bank was foreclosing on his house because the mortgage hadn’t been paid. By that time he owed more than $20,000 in back payments and penalties.
Dorothy Dean, a volunteer at Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council, follows up on stacks of mortgage rescue scam cases. (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
After declaring bankruptcy and failing in an initial attempt to negotiate a mortgage modification agreement with his lender, Renock thought that he and his daughter would need to find another place to live. On a hunch he made one last try at working out an agreement with his lender to restructure his debts. This time the lender agreed and later this year Renock will make the final payment to retire the debt created during the scam.
Looking back, Renock is surprised he fell for a scam. For the last 11years he has worked as a prison guard for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. “Especially with the job I have I’m usually a very skeptical person,” he said.
According to the Fair Housing Council, mortgage rescue scams are frequently most effective on homeowners searching for a way to navigate financial difficulties. Like Renock, some recently experienced a sudden drop in income, while others are dealing with a job loss or medical bills.
Many con artists fabricate convincing looking websites, letters and other materials. To engender trust and manufacture an aura of legitimacy they frequently use logos from real organizations and government entities.
Mark and Kim Pultz were taken in by an ad Mark saw on TV. He had lost his job in the financial downturn and the monthly bills were becoming a challenge. The Florida law firm in the ad said it could lower the couple’s mortgage for an upfront charge of about $1,200 and a monthly fee that was less than the amount of the mortgage payment. It was all a sham and the Pultzes eventually filed for bankruptcy and lost their house in Waupun, Wis.
“The house went into foreclosure and in the end our mortgage company basically evicted us,” Kim said.
Arrests rare
About 60 percent of scam operators nationally as well as those contacting Milwaukee homeowners are attorneys or people posing as them, according to the Fair Housing Council. The ranks of scammers are also populated by former mortgage brokers and real estate agents.
In December 2013, authorities in Illinois brought federal fraud charges against a former licensed real estate broker and two alleged accomplices for cheating 54 suburban, mostly Hispanic, homeowners out of $220,000. But arrests are rare, according to Sanchez. Most scammers are adept at regularly changing locations and cons. Also, the sheer number of scam operations overwhelms law enforcement. For example authorities in Orange County, Calif., told the council that they receive 10,000 mortgage scam complaints every month and are able to follow up on very few cases.
Traci Tarnowski is among the fortunate homeowners to recoup a portion of their losses. In summer 2011, after her husband lost his job, Tarnowski received a phone solicitation from a California law firm offering to reduce the couple’s mortgage. The Tarnowskis paid fees upfront but got the Fair Housing Council involved once they realized they were being scammed. In April the Tarnowskis recovered $3,450 paid in fees but lost their house in Oak Creek and filed for bankruptcy.
Victims of mortgage rescue scams often harbor long-lasting scars beyond the financial losses and effects of bankruptcy. “I don’t trust anyone anymore. Nobody,” said Renock.
Kim Pultz said that buying a house was her husband’s idea and now she refuses to even consider purchasing another. “I don’t care if it’s the American dream,” she said.


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ICE Detention of Immigrants: For-Profit Prison Contractors Benefit from Minimum Occupancy Quotas – Report | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 18, 2015
Latin Post


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IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: WALNUT HILL | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 18, 2015
Milwaukee Magazine


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New campaign uses shock value to combat human trafficking | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
June 18, 2015
Social worker Jasmine Whiting speaks with young people passing the Children Are Not For Sale awareness campaign in front of a vending machine on North Ave. and 27th St. (Photo by Allison Dikanovic)
Those who approached what appeared to be a working vending machine at North Avenue and 27 Street last week looking for a Snickers bar or a Diet Coke were in for a surprise when they found it filled with an image of two young girls available for purchase.
Rather than candy or soda, the machine contained informational fliers about sex trafficking in Milwaukee as part of an awareness campaign launched by the Human Trafficking Task Force of Greater Milwaukee called “Children Are Not For Sale.” The fliers highlighted warning signs to look for and appropriate action to take in the case of suspected human trafficking.
“Children are not property to be sold for someone’s pleasure. Children should be playing, learning and growing to be positive contributors in our community, not victims of force, fraud and coercion to perform sex acts for the love of money,” said Dana World-Patterson, chairperson of the task force and executive director of Foundations for Freedom, Inc.
The image of young girls available for purchase covers the bus stop on 27th Street and Forest Home Drive. (Photo by Allison Dikanovic)
The awareness campaign is the result of a partnership among the task force, Serve Marketing and Clear Channel Outdoor. It featured vending machines placed at the corners of 27 Street and North Avenue, 12 Street and Historic Mitchell Street, and Kinnickinnic Avenue and Lincoln Avenue for one day, as well as displays on 15 bus shelters around the city that will stay up for a month. The campaign launched during the last week of school because children are least supervised in the summer.
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Last year’s campaign, called Unlucky Thirteen, was named after the average age of trafficking victims.
“I hope the images serve as a wake-up call to parents and teens that sex trafficking really does happen in our city,” said Gary Mueller, the founder and creative director of Serve Marketing. He explained that the campaign’s objective is to make the problem of human trafficking feel urgent and relevant.
“We want parents and neighbors to pay attention. If you see something, say something and do something,” added World-Patterson.
She noted that sex trafficking is taking place in every county in Wisconsin, but “Milwaukee has been considered a hub for human trafficking.” It’s difficult to document the extent of the problem, said World-Patterson, because it is an “underground business.”
Cathy Arney, vice president of community services and a specialist in human trafficking issues at Pathfinders, agreed that the issue is pervasive. “We see youth who have experienced this in every program that we have,” she said.
Jasmine Whiting, a social worker at La Causa, works with victims of trafficking and at-risk youth. She said that girls with low self esteem or an unstable home life are prone to exploitation because traffickers target their vulnerability and offer to support them. “(These youth) get lost in a world that is hard to get out of,” she said.
Arney said that young people who have a history of sexual abuse, have run away from home or are not accepted in their families after coming out as LGBTQ are at the greatest risk. “These are youth who are confused about life and what it means to have someone love them,” she said.
U.S. Attorney Jim Santelle explained that Wisconsin is working to address these types of crimes, but noted, “This is not just a law enforcement problem, and we will not prosecute and investigate our way out of it. The reality is that all of us … are involved in the answers to this problem.”
County Executive Chris Abele said that the outcome of a campaign such as this should be increased action on the issue. “I hope that viewers see these images over the summer and ask themselves, ‘Is this something I want to tolerate in my community?’ and ‘What can I do about it?’” he said.
On the day of the campaign launch, Lauren Wagner, an account coordinator with Serve Marketing, organized a group of interns to facilitate discussions with community members who passed by the vending machines. She said that peoples’ initial response was confusion or curiosity and then they were jarred by the images and surprised to learn sex trafficking exists in Milwaukee.
Laurel Swedowski waits at the bus stop on 27 Street and Forest Home Drive five days a week, and she noticed the new signs on the shelter near her stop. “It’s sad,” she said. “You used to think (human trafficking) was happening in other countries, but it’s scary to think that it could happen right where you live and could happen to kids that you know.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated to correct the spelling of Jim Santelle’s name.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 17, 2015


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 18, 2015


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On the Block: 18 years sober | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
June 18, 2015
Milwaukee Stories link: http://milwaukeestories.org/2015/06/17/it-was-just-really-hard-livin-in-mississippi/


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Was Act 10 Necessary? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 18, 2015
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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ACRE Paves Path to Success for Minorities | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 19, 2015
NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association


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Home care workers, community leaders hold candlelight vigil at MCFI | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Madeline Kennedy
June 19, 2015
Milwaukee home care workers marched in front of the MCFI building demanding higher benefits and increased wages. (Photo by Madeline Kennedy)
Milwaukee home care workers gathered with community supporters and government leaders recently for a candlelight vigil they hoped would shed light on wage and benefit negotiations with the Milwaukee Center for Independence.
Vigil attendees were protesting MCFI’s New Health Services (NHS) program.
NHS is a taxpayer-funded home care program and is designed to provide older adults and people with disabilities the opportunity to continue living at home while receiving assistance from a caregiver. Through this program, nearly 1,200 caregivers provide services to more than 1,400 Milwaukee residents, according to MCFI.
About two dozen people participated in the event. For more than an hour, home care workers and their supporters marched in front of the MCFI building at 2020 W. Wells St. waving signs, chanting and encouraging passersby to stand with the home care workers.
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County Supervisor Supreme Moore Omokunde speaks to the crowd about the role home care workers play in the city. (Photo by Madeline Kennedy)
“We came out on this rainy evening to hold a light up to MCFI so everyone knows what they’re doing to these workers,” said African-American Roundtable Co-Chair Rosalynn Wolfe.
The caregivers make $11.66 an hour based on the Milwaukee County Living Wage Ordinance. With the help of their union, SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin, they are attempting to renegotiate their contracts with MCFI to receive paid time off and a $15 an hour wage.
Sylvia Moreno has been employed as an NHS home care worker for two years. “We work hard every day and deserve to be treated with the same dignity and respect we provide daily to our clients,” Moreno said at the vigil.
“Home care workers restore hope to people who are vulnerable and dignity to those who have fallen. It’s a difficult, taxing job and these folks deserve a decent wage for doing it,” Wolfe added.
Martha De La Rosa, chapter director of 9to5 Wisconsin, which is a union of working women, pointed out that home care workers often need to choose between earning a paycheck and spending time with their own families. Her mother was a home care worker for 25 years and her sister serves as a caregiver today.
“We need to take a long, hard look at how our home care workers are treated,” she said. “My sister works two jobs to take care of her seven children, so she’s not home to spend time with them. … No one has the right no force someone to choose between their work and their family. No one.”
County Supervisor Supreme Moore Omokunde, who spoke at the vigil, also talked about his experience watching family members, including an aunt and cousins, serve as home care workers.
“We need to help [these workers] move forward,” he said. “Now is the time when we need to be able to come together and say ‘These are our demands. Meet them.’”
According to MCFI Director of Communications Nan Bialek, NHS has been in negotiations with SEIU representatives since January and was aware of the picketing. Bialek declined to offer additional details on the issues being discussed, since the negotiations are ongoing.
The group gathered outside MCFI’s headquarters seemed confident that their demands would be met.
“God is on our side. There’s no question about that,” Rev. Joseph Ellwanger said in the vigil’s closing prayer. “Our candles represent the goodness that illuminates the darkness we feel in our lives. Things can get pretty dark at times, but there’s a light–the light of those working for justice. No darkness will put out that light.”


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Jewish community expresses shock and outrage at Charleston church shootings | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jewish Community Relations Council
June 19, 2015
The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, which represents the organized Jewish community and dozens of Jewish organizations and synagogues, expresses shock and outrage at the shootings at Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston on Wednesday. It was the deadliest attack on a place of worship in our country since the 2012 attack on the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek.
We remember the victims of this senseless violence: Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Reverend Clementa Pinckney, Cynthia Hurd, Tywanza Sanders, Myra Thompson, Ethel Lee Lance, Daniel L. Simmons, Rev. Depayne Middleton, and Susie Jackson. May their memories be a blessing.
The current spike in violent acts targeting African Americans must be vigorously deterred. We unequivocally support the African American communities that find themselves under siege, and join in the call for their basic right to fairness and justice.
We affirm the sanctity of every life and our commitment to building a just society where every individual is valued and cherished. We affirm our responsibility to pursue justice, work with our coalition partners, and support our law enforcement and justice system to build a better society.
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Michael Pollack                        Ellis Bromberg                         Elana Kahn-Oren
JCRC Chair                               Immediate Past Chair             JCRC Director

author: Jewish Community Relations Council


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Safe & Sound announces 2015 Safer.Stronger.Together. Award winners | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Safe & Sound
June 19, 2015
On October 21, 2015 at The Pfister Hotel, Safe & Sound will be recognizing outstanding leaders in Milwaukee helping build safe and empowered neighborhoods through their civic participation, community activism and leadership at the Safer.Stronger.Together Awards breakfast. This year, Safe & Sound is proud to honor:
JoAnne Anton – Herb Kohl Champion Award
JoAnne Anton’s professional and personal work promotes community improvement efforts and helps forward many initiatives across the city to build safe and empowered neighborhoods.
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U.S Attorney James L. Santelle – Law Enforcement Leader Award
U.S. Attorney James L. Santelle, through his work with several law enforcement agencies, champions ideas for reducing crime and making the community safer.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company – Corporate Leadership Award
Harley-Davidson Motor Company forms alliances with community partners, the Milwaukee Police Department, and most importantly residents in neighborhoods adjacent to their campus, to raise awareness for and support community safety.
Zeynab Ali – Youth Leader Award
Zeynab Ali rises above adversity and acts as a strong youth leader in Milwaukee. Through her relationship with Safe & Sound, the Milwaukee Youth Council and various youth-serving agencies she promotes positive expression and developmental opportunities among young citizens.
Together with our early Civic Leader Sponsors; the Milwaukee Bucks and BMO Harris Bank; Media Sponsor the Milwaukee Business Journal; and other early sponsors Johnson Controls and Marcus Hotels & Resorts – we invite you to you to join us to celebrate those who help build safe and empowered neighborhoods.
Congratulations to the 2015 Safer.Stronger.Together. Award winners! For more details on the Safer.Stronger.Together. event, call Anne Temple at (414) 220-4797 or email anne@safesound.org.

author: Safe & Sound


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Sikh Temple to host candlelight vigil for victims of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Arts@Large
June 20, 2015
Our friends at Serve2Unite and the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin wish to share the following release:
The Sikh Temple of Wisconsin is holding a candlelight vigil for the peace of the souls of those who died in the shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC on June 21, 2015.
Sunday, June 21, 2015 – 8:00pm
Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, 7512 S. Howell Ave, Oak Creek, WI, 53154
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All are welcome. Please help us spread the word!


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Black Americans Are Killed At 12 Times The Rate Of People In Other Developed Countries | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 22, 2015
FiveThirtyEight


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Javin Smith Is An Overachiever | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 22, 2015
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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Milwaukee Program Teaches Parenting Skills to Dads – Including those Behind Bars | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 22, 2015
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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Project converts a ‘brownfield’ into an urban farm | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 22, 2015
88NINE Radio Milwaukee


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City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works to pick up storm-related debris | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee
June 23, 2015
In the aftermath of the thunderstorm and high winds that swept through the City of Milwaukee on Monday, June 22, 2015 the Department of Public Works (DPW) will pick up storm-related debris such as downed branches and tree limbs in excess of the 2-cubic yard maximum per household free of charge.
Residents must call (414) 286-CITY (-2489) by Monday, June 29 to request a special pick-up of their storm-related debris. Tree branches/limbs should be placed at the regular garbage collection point – curb or alley – for pick-up.
DPW crews continue to clean up downed trees and eliminate other existing hazards in City neighborhoods. It is estimated that work will be completed today, June 23.
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For more information, Milwaukee residents can call (414) 286-CITY (-2489).

author: City of Milwaukee


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NNS on Lake Effect Radio: Charter schools in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
June 23, 2015
NNS reporter Jabril Faraj goes on the air with Mitch Teich of WUWM’s Lake Effect to discuss MPS reconsidering a controversial charter school proposal.
Full story: http://bit.ly/1HSflp7
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author: Dwayne Burtin


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On the Block: Work wanted | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 23, 2015


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 22, 2015


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‘Powerful leader’ draws on personal experience to combat violence | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 23, 2015
Executive Director Carmen Pitre will continue working in her office at the Germania Building until the new Sojourner Family Peace Center opens in late 2015. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
When Carmen Pitre worked for the AIDS Project in the late 1980s, she saw terminally ill young people abandoned by everyone, even their families.
“To see 19-year-olds dying of AIDS-related illnesses and nobody wanting to touch them or feed them or help them was really what set my heart on fire to work against the injustice of what happens to people who are hurt in our society,” Pitre said.
Now executive director of Milwaukee’s Sojourner Family Peace Center, Pitre has been working to alleviate the pain of society’s most vulnerable people for more than 30 years. In the fall, the center will open a new state-of-the-art building covering a city block at 619 W. Walnut St. to shelter and treat victims of domestic violence.
Sojourner’s new facility will contain a secure shelter that will replace a small shelter currently in a confidential location. It will also include an education center with space for community groups to meet and a separate office area for partner agencies. The shelter will increase the number of women and children it can house from 46 to 56, in better accommodations.
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Carmen Pitre greets attendees at the Sojourner Family Peace Center groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 1 at 619 W. Walnut St. (Photo courtesy of Sojourner Family Peace Center)
A main advantage of the new center is that most of the services battered and abused clients need will be located in one building. “At the worst time in your life, if you have to go to eight or nine locations, that adds to your trauma,” Pitre explained.
“For traumatized people, the easier we can make it the better. The more we can wrap our arms around them the better,” she said.
The Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Child Protection Center and Milwaukee Police Department Sensitive Crimes Unit will move into the new center and seven other organizations will have a presence there.
The Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare, Jewish Family Services, Legal Action of Wisconsin, Marquette University College of Nursing, Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office, Milwaukee Public Schools and Milwaukee Wraparound will have representatives in the new facility. In addition, Marquette University Law School Restorative Justice Program director Janine Geske will conduct healing circles there.
Pitre is looking forward to engaging community residents and adding education programs, especially for high school students. “We have to engage with our young people differently so they can be better prepared for (healthy) relationships,” she said.
The new center has been a long time coming and has taken “a lot of vision, strategy and rolling up of sleeves,” said Becky House, president of Sojourner’s board of directors. Acknowledging it’s been a team effort, House credits Pitre’s professional relationships and her ability to “shoot for the moon” as important in realizing the new center.
“Carmen is a very serious person,” agreed Cecelia Gore, executive director of the Brewers Community Foundation. Gore, who has worked with Pitre for more than 15 years, said raising funds for the project was a tremendous undertaking. “She is one of those unique individuals who puts in the time to achieve her goals in a way that’s extraordinary.” Gore added.
Leader, mentor, survivor
When Pitre left the AIDS Project, she went to work for Milwaukee County’s Fighting Back Project, an initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that used neighborhood partners and culturally authentic approaches to reduce alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse in four minority communities. There she met community leader and educator Alice Meade and a number of other strong African-American women whom she credits with making her who she is today. Alice’s Garden is named in honor of Meade.
“They took the time to mentor me and taught me about the city and the richness here. It was all about culture and cultural competency and using neighborhood resources to deal with problems,” Pitre said.
Meade is an example of an individual who understood her community and how to help it, she said. Pitre remembers Victor Barnett as another such resource. Before founding Running Rebels, Barnett said to Pitre, “Give me a basketball and a kid who is struggling and I can save any kid’s life, Carmen.”
“Victor is an amazing leader today and he’s created this wonderful organization. There are lots of Victors in our community,” Pitre added.
Former Sojourner Truth House director Angela Mancuso sees Pitre as an important resource as well. Her unique combination of professional experience, knowledge, charisma, tenacity and empathy make her a powerful leader, Mancuso said.
Pitre and Mancuso became co-directors of Sojourner Family Peace Center when the Task Force on Family Violence headed by Pitre and Sojourner Truth House under Mancuso merged in 2009. They worked closely together, like “synchronized swimmers,” in the words of one board member, for five years. Mancuso is now the executive director of The Women’s Center in Waukesha.
Pitre continues to be her mentor, Mancuso said. “She doesn’t view anyone as competition. She wants to help everybody and that’s a powerful trait in a leader,” Mancuso added.
Mancuso credited Pitre with spearheading the Milwaukee Judicial Oversight Initiative (JOI), in the late 1990s. According to Pitre, the goal of JOI was to increase victim participation and offender accountability in the court process to make victims safer.
Pitre says she now speaks openly about her own experience with family violence and substance abuse because she has come to understand its value to her clients.
“When you’re hurt, you have all kinds of complications in your life and one of your survival strategies, as it was for my family, is to drink away that pain as a way to survive,” said Pitre, a Louisiana native. “I started drinking at a very early age because my home environment was painful.”
She counts herself lucky to have been given an opportunity to turn her life around at an early age. After the death of a beloved cousin who was driving drunk, Pitre said she realized instantly that she had to change the course of her life. A counselor referred her to DePaul Rehabilitation Hospital in Milwaukee, the best treatment program in the country at the time, when she was 22, she said. She has lived and worked in Milwaukee since then. DePaul closed in 1997.
“I’ve had a unique path and I talk about it as much as I can with our clients because I think there are so many hopeless people. Hope was an important thing to me. To have somebody say, ‘I see something in you that’s worthy and valuable, when I felt like I couldn’t find that place in myself, really sustained me.
“Violence is a generational gift that passes down from one generation to the next,” Pitre said. Having walked that road, she says she knows how important it is for those struggling with violence to have a place at the table.


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Bad Neighborhoods May Be Bad for Your DNA | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 25, 2015
The New York Times


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MKE Fellows initiative develops African-American professionals | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 25, 2015
jsonline.com


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Officials promise revamped Moody Park will open in late August | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
June 25, 2015
Construction is underway on Moody Park, 2200 W. Burleigh St., as the grand opening date of Aug. 20 nears. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Once a haven for illegal activities, Calvin Moody Park, located at 2200 W. Burleigh St. in the Amani neighborhood, is nearly complete, with a grand opening set for Aug. 20, according to organizers.
New amenities include a 3,000-square-foot community center, which is already completed, as well as walking paths and lit basketball courts, which are still under construction. Also, a long-shuttered indoor pool on the grounds, demolished in 2013, is being replaced by a splash pad.
The reconstruction of the four-acre park is part of a $5 million investment in several Milwaukee County parks located on the city’s North Side. Recently completed projects include new playgrounds at Carver Park, 911 W. Brown St., and Kern Park, 3614 N. Humboldt Blvd. and new walkways at King Park, 1531 W. Vliet St., according to Jim Keegan, chief of planning and development at Milwaukee County Parks. Moody needed the most work, as evidenced by the project’s $2 million price tag.
Amani resident Arthur West (center facing camera) participates in a recent planning meeting for Moody Park. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
There have been a few mishaps during construction, according to Pepper Ray, Building Neighborhood Capacity Program (BNCP) coordinator for Amani, including a small fire at the construction site in April and recent reports of petty vandalism, but, she said, construction remains on schedule.
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Currently, the park bears little resemblance to renderings shown to attendees at the Amani year-end meeting in late December, as mostly bones of impending projects such as the splash pad and small patches of grass dot the dirt-covered landscape.
That has led some nearby residents to question whether the park will actually be ready in time for the grand opening.
“Ain’t no way they’re gonna have this done by that time. No way,” said Andre Marlow, as he peered through the fence at the park while standing on the sidewalk on North 25 Street and Burleigh.
However, according to Keegan construction is going very well and grass will be planted and grown in the barren patches of dirt in time for the opening. Once the park is open the county will work with the community to provide appropriate programming, he said.
“We want to help provide a park experience that is … well utilized by residents,” Keegan said.
Engaging residents
Stakeholders, including representatives from the nearby Dominican Center for Women and Auer Avenue School, will be encouraging Amani residents to utilize a space that for many years has been a trouble spot. Failure to convince nearby residents to take ownership of the park could doom it once again, said Tom Schneider, executive director of the COA Goldin Center, located next door.
“We need programming for residents right from the beginning or it could once again become a hangout for certain groups that want to cause trouble,” remarked Schneider during a recent Moody Park planning meeting.
Schneider and other stakeholders have been meeting for months to discuss engagement strategies and programming possibilities for the park.
On the table so far is everything from hosting Auer Avenue School soccer leagues for students, to baking contests, zumba classes and kickball leagues for adults. The idea is to hold programming year-round said Brenda Giles, who serves as chair of Friends of Moody Park.
“Getting people into the park every day of the year is critical to the safety of the park,” said Giles. She added that not even cameras could create a safer environment than if nearby residents and their children serve as the eyes and ears of Moody.
Amani resident Arthur West and his wife Leatha said they’ll be there to keep an eye on the park and have high hopes that it will become a central hub for residents.
“With the park, COA and the school, this area can be like a ‘go to’ place — a campus for the community,” said West.
If that happens Amani residents and nearby students will be the biggest benefactors, said Schneider, adding, “Successes like this breed empowerment for residents of the community.”

author: Edgar Mendez


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 24, 2015


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On the Block: Touch and learn | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matthew Wisla
June 25, 2015


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PHOTO GALLERY: The Faces of Juneteenth Day | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 25, 2015
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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Local teens hone business, barista skills at Cafe @ Large | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Madeline Kennedy
June 27, 2015
Located in the same space as Arts @ Large, at 908 S. 5th St., Cafe @ Large operates from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. each weekday. (Photo by Madeline Kennedy)
Walker’s Point is filled with charming coffee shops. Cafe @ Large, the latest addition to the neighborhood, offers the customary brews and pastries residents have come to expect, but this cafe has something the others don’t: it is operated almost entirely by Milwaukee Public School students.
Cafe @ Large is a student-led coffee house that aims to provide local teens ages 14 to 16 with business skills such as product marketing and financial literacy. Students worked with professionals from across the city to learn what they needed to do to start a business.
“It gives students a wide range of skills,” said Jevita Brister, lead coordinator for Cafe @ Large, which is a project of Arts @ Large, an after-school arts program for K-12 students.
“After working here a lot of the students have started to change their behavior. Their consistency and excitement for working at the cafe is our best measure for success. They want to be part of this because it’s making a difference for them,” Brister added.
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Jevita Brister, lead coordinator for Arts @ Large, prepares a drink behind the Cafe @ Large counter as cafe coordinator Max Kubala looks on. Brister has been working on the cafe project for more than a year. (Photo by Madeline Kennedy)
Participants learned finance skills from Junior Achievement Milwaukee and received barista training from Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co.
“Their whole operation really intrigued us,” said Steve Kessler, director of Anodyne’s wholesale operations. “We wanted to work with them to introduce students to an industry they maybe hadn’t thought of before. It’s … not too often you get the opportunity to learn about what it takes to be a barista and get to put those skills to practice.”
Kessler took students through basic barista training and taught them how to craft the perfect espresso drink. He emphasized that an important part of their training was not just learning how to make coffee, but to make good coffee.
“They’re going to know what it takes to make drinks taste good and the knowledge and craft that goes into it,” he said.
Cafe @ Large received its business license from the city in early May, but Brister explained that the planning process was more than a year in the making, and a soft launch took place in December.
“We’ve always had this open space at the front,” Brister said, gesturing to a small bar area near the building’s entryway. “And we knew we wanted to do something with it.”
Before Arts @ Large acquired the building at 908 S. 5 St., the space was a dance club. Today its walls are filled with colorful artwork and quotes about hope and creativity. The bar is the last vestige of the space’s previous life.
“It’s hard to imagine that it used to be anything other than this,” said Nicole Cedeno
Cedeno, a recent graduate of Audubon Middle School, is one of 17 students who have worked at Cafe @ Large during its inaugural season. Students were selected to participate in the program after being nominated by a teacher and submitting an application.
Because of her consistency and dedication, Cedeno was chosen for one of two paid internships during the summer months. She now spends up to 12 hours working in the cafe each week. During Cedeno’s shifts, she has a range of responsibilities that include opening the shop, conducting inventory, washing dishes and making sure machines are ready for operation.
“Oh, and making sure the pastries are here,” she added. “That’s the most important part.”
“The students are amazing,” Brister said. “You can tell that they like being here and are committed to their work. That attitude makes all the difference.”
When the students can’t be in the cafe, the bar is staffed by adults such as cafe coordinator Max Kuballa. Kuballa said that working with students is often the part of the job he enjoys most.
As she heads off to high school in the fall, Cedeno said that she plans to continue her involvement with Arts @ Large.
“I hadn’t even heard of Arts @ Large before I started working here, but now I tell everyone about it,” she said. “It isn’t just helping a few students. It’s helping a whole city. Anyone who participates in these programs is going to walk away with interactions, opportunities and connections they didn’t have before.”
Since the opening of the cafe, odds are they’ll walk away with a good cup of coffee too.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Max Kubala’s name.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 26, 2015


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Groundbreaking heralds major improvements to Johnsons Park | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
June 29, 2015
Neighbors, politicians, community organizations, and funders celebrated the power of collaboration and perseverance at the groundbreaking ceremony of Johnsons Park. Major renovations and additions to the park are expected to be completed by the fall that will improve and honor the space that once was a stop on the Underground Railroad.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 29, 2015


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Lawmakers seek to alter program that keeps class sizes small | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 29, 2015
jsonline.com


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New technology upgrades the ride for bus users | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matthew Wisla
June 29, 2015
The bus system is adding new technologies to increase convenience, but some upgrades have been delayed. (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
Arriving at the corner of Holton and Burleigh streets, Dominique Ominique Hutson knew she had a few minutes to spare before a westbound bus would arrive and take her to work. Checking the arrival time on her phone, she learned that the bus was running a little early that morning so her timing was perfect.
Compared to relying on printed schedules, Ominique Hutson said, “This is way more convenient. Taking the bus is a lot better now.”
Larenza Johnson depends on the bus to get to her doctor and uses real-time tracking to reduce her wait time at the bus stop. (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
Further north on Holton, Larenza Johnson sat in a bus shelter waiting for the #15 bus to carry her to a doctor appointment. She had checked the estimated arrival time of her bus online before leaving home so she wouldn’t need to wait too long on the corner with her ailing knee.
Technologies such as real-time bus location information and smart fare cards are changing the way riders use the bus system. Smart cards make boarding easier and faster, and when riders know with certainty when their bus is going to arrive they don’t lose time waiting anxiously at the stop. Also, riders spend less time out in the elements during foul weather.
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M-card use rises
The Milwaukee County Transit System began distributing M-cards in September and about 180,000 cards are in circulation. Use of the cards has been growing steadily, and on average more than 60 percent of the 155,000 daily riders pay with an M-card, according to bus system officials.
Riders using the M-card pay less. For example, a weekly pass costs $11 with the card and $17.50 using paper passes. M-cards must be purchased for $2 and eliminate the use of paper transfers. Fares on special routes such as the Summerfest Shuttle and Brewers Line also cost less with an M-card.
Rolling out the new technologies has not been an entirely smooth process. Based on the original schedule, in March users were to have been able to reload their card online and pay for future rides. According to Brendan Conway, chief marketing and communications officer for the transit system, the vendor responsible for developing an online payment system, Scheidt & Bachmann, is behind schedule.
“Progress is being made and we anticipate being able to start offering some online payment capability this summer,” Conway said.
In the absence of an online payment system, transit users must visit one of 90 ticketing locations that support the M-card. By year’s end, 100 locations are expected to be supporting the card. Currently about 68 locations accept cash and credit cards, and the rest are cash-only. Bus system officials acknowledge that taking multiple forms of payment is more convenient for cardholders but say the cash-only outlets are operated by third parties that decide for themselves what forms of payment to accept.
Another feature expected to be rolled out soon is the ability to purchase a one-day pass at the fare box. That way M-card holders who board a bus with a zero balance will be able to pay cash and continue using their card for the rest of the day.
After witnessing a robbery at his bus stop, Stewart Fidley wants to limit the amount of time he spends standing on the corner. (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
Future tech funding uncertain
The next revolution in electronic fare payments will feature riders using a smart phone app when boarding the bus, according to Scheidt & Bachmann’s website. Conway said local officials don’t know when that upgrade will come, and it isn’t clear if the bus system will be able to afford the technology when it’s available. The current smart card system is being paid for with approximately $7 million in federal stimulus funding, allocated at the beginning of the financial downturn. Development of the real-time tracking system cost about $385,000, paid for primarily through a separate federal grant.
Conway said once the final development and rollout of the smart card and real-time tracking systems are complete, day-to-day operations and management costs will be covered by the budget now awaiting approval in Madison. Major investments or set asides for technology upgrades are not included in the budget.
Looking down the road, rollouts of the real-time tracking system include incorporating special routes, such as the State Fair Shuttle, and the launch of a trip-planning app. Expanding real-time tracking to all shuttle and specialty routes will be done in time for the opening of the State Fair on Aug. 6, according to Conway.
The new app will be available by year’s end. Users will be able to enter a starting location along with a final destination and the app will suggest bus routes and give approximate travel times, Conway said. In the meantime, several apps developed by third parties are available. In addition, the bus system is coordinating with Google so that real-time bus information will be incorporated into Google Maps. Currently, transit riders in other cities with real-time bus tracking, such as Chicago, use Google Maps to plan their travel. For now, tapping into Google Maps in Milwaukee yields estimated times based on the printed bus schedules.
Conway expects use of the new technologies to continue expanding as more capabilities are rolled out and increasing numbers of transit riders become aware of the systems. Currently, the bus system sends up to 1,000 text messages daily with the estimated arrival time of the next bus. (To use it, text 41411, and type in “MCTS and the bus stop identification number from the bus stop sign.”) More than 500,000 calls are expected this year to the real-time phone line at 414-344-6711 (select option 2, then enter the bus stop identification number).
Most bus riders use real-time tracking to improve their travel efficiency. But for some it’s a matter of personal safety. Stewart Fidley, 59, rides the bus every day and hopes to upgrade his cell phone so he can get real-time bus information from an app or the bus system’s website. This will limit the time he spends standing on corners waiting for a bus. In early June he was walking to his stop at Sherman Boulevard and Roosevelt Drive when he witnessed a woman at the stop being robbed by a group of boys.
“One of those kids acted like he had a gun,” Fidley said. “Especially after that I don’t like leaving for the bus without knowing exactly when it’s going to get there.”


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18506885794_7cb4a0b6a3_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 28, 2015


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 28, 2015


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Supreme Court: Discrimination includes policies that have ‘disparate impact’ on minorities | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 29, 2015
Milwaukee Business Journal


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U.S. Latino Population Rates Increases to 17.4 Percent, But Growth Rate Continues to Ease | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
June 29, 2015
Latin Post


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On the Block: Taking it to the streets | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
June 30, 2015

author: Brendan O’Brien


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Young adults in YouthBuild help construct Habitat for Humanity houses | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
July 1, 2015
YouthBuild participants Deshawn Washington (left) and Michael Merkel discuss the house they helped build with Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
A year ago, Michael Merkel was a homeless high school dropout, sleeping on cold park benches on Milwaukee’s North Side after one too many arguments with his mother.
After two months of avoiding the police and the loitering tickets he could have received, the 18-year-old found himself in front of a counselor who directed him to Milwaukee Area Technical College’s YouthBuild, a program that gives low-income, at-risk youth and young adults experience in the construction trades.
“This has meant a lot to me,” said Merkel, who now lives with relatives and is working on getting his GED. “I took the initiative to better my life and (it) has been much better ever since.”
Merkel was one of several program participants who recently volunteered for five days on the construction sites of two homes being built by Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity in the 2100 block of North 42nd Street in the Washington Park neighborhood, where 45 percent of families live in poverty.
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YouthBuild participant Curtis Thomson pounds a nail into a staircase as he helps build a Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity home. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity partners with the MATC YouthBuild program to provide participants opportunities to work with professionals on building sites, where they are taught basic framing and general construction skills while learning how to operate as a construction team.
“It’s especially important when you can get young adults from the central city involved in the trades because there is such an empowerment in making a difference,” said Michael Cockroft, a Habitat for Humanity construction director.
The YouthBuild program assists participants in getting their GED and requires them to complete six months of classes in construction trades such as carpentry, welding and plumbing, and 80 hours of community service with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity.
YouthBuild participant Deshawn Washington, an 18-year-old high school dropout who like Merkel was once homeless, said the program gives his life purpose.
“I can do something that I love while helping to change lives,” he said, wearing a hardhat and a belt full of tools.
MATC was awarded a $1.1 million U.S. Department of Labor YouthBuild Grant in 2014 to educate 72 youths in Milwaukee. In addition to Habitat for Humanity, MATC partners with Journey House, Spotted Eagle and KPH Construction Company. Another YouthBuild program at the Milwaukee Christian Center celebrated building its 12th house in 2014 and has completed its 13th home, in Clarke Square.
The YouthBuild program was developed to decrease the city’s 22 percent youth unemployment rate and increase the graduation rate of Milwaukee Public Schools, where 39 percent of students do not finish high school in four years.
“The program takes high school dropouts, the people that society says will not make it, and tells us that there is hope for us,” Washington said.
In addition to obtaining education and experience in the trades, YouthBuild participants learn life lessons on the construction sites, according to Cockroft.
“They learn critical thinking and the ability to tackle a fear such as not having the experience in doing something and not being afraid to try it anyway,” Cockroft said. The program is much more “than how to swing a hammer and how to pound a nail. There is so much that they learn on a build site that they can apply to everyday life.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 30, 2015


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Neighborhood Fourth of July celebrations in Milwaukee parks | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee
July 2, 2015
Since 1911, the City of Milwaukee has provided its citizens, neighbors and visitors a safe and friendly celebration of America’s independence.
In parks throughout the city, families and friends gather for picnics, games, doll buggy parades and talent contests. At night the sky is filled with fireworks bursting all over town.
Click each park’s name for a full lineup of events and celebration on July 4th, 2015:
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Fireworks are illegal in the City of Milwaukee.
Milwaukee’s 4th of July Celebration would not be possible without the support and cooperation of Milwaukee County Parks.
Additional support provided by Milwaukee Public Schools recreation division.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 2, 2015


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Free, outdoor MSO concerts next salute to Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s centennial | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Greater Milwaukee Foundation
July 2, 2015
Washington Park band shell (photo by Adam Carr0
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra will perform two free, outdoor concerts as the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s centennial Gifts to the Community continue into the summer months. While representing the Foundation’s June gift, the festive performances will occur in early July and help bring MSO music to the broader community.
The signature event will be an Independence Day community concert on Saturday, July 4, at the Washington Park band shell in Milwaukee.
In addition, military veterans and their families are invited to attend a special performance earlier in the week at the Lake Wheeler Pavilion near Hines Boulevard on the Milwaukee Veterans Administration grounds on Thursday, July 2.
Both performances are scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. and will feature more than an hour of patriotic favorites. There is no advance registration, reserved seating or ticketing.
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“With Mother Nature playing hostess, we are excited to bring this fantastic cultural experience to people in our community,” said Ellen M. Gilligan, president and CEO of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. “The tradition of Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra park performances is worth preserving and representative of the inclusive opportunities the Greater Milwaukee Foundation is presenting during our 100th year of service.”
Founded in 1959, MSO is ranked among the top orchestras in the country. It is also highly regarded by Greater Milwaukee Foundation donors. Since 1983, the Foundation, through its discretionary grants program, and its donors, through their individual funds, have provided MSO with nearly $6.7 million in funding.
“The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra has a rich history of serving its community with free outdoor concerts, and this gift to the people of Milwaukee by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation is a fantastic affirmation of the importance of communities to gather and share the experience of great live performance in their neighborhoods,” said Mark Niehaus, MSO president and executive director. “Our orchestra is proud to be one of the reasons Milwaukee is such a great place to live, work, and play, and we are thrilled to partner with the Greater Milwaukee Foundation to celebrate their birthday and give the gift of music.”
For questions about the concerts or rain date information, call the MSO Ticket Office at 414-291-7605 or visit mso.org.  New gifts are being revealed each month on FOX 6 Milwaukee.
Nearly 200,000 people have participated in the Foundation’s Gifts to the Community so far this year.

author: Greater Milwaukee Foundation


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Latinos & Blacks Disproportionately Affected by Mental Health Issues and Chronic Disease: Study | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
July 2, 2015
Latin Post


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On the Block: Honor thy father | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
July 2, 2015
Milwaukee Stories link: http://milwaukeestories.org/2015/06/24/im-a-black-man-in-a-white-world/


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Precious Lives: ‘What we are trying to do is change a culture’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
July 2, 2015
jsonline.com


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Program aims to expand minority representation in commercial real estate | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
LISC Milwaukee
July 2, 2015
The Associates in Commercial Real Estate (ACRE) Program is an industry-supported initiative that recruits and retains minorities for professional careers in the field of commercial real estate.  The ACRE program was created by Professor Mark Eppli and the Marquette University College of Business in 2005 and is now administered through LISC Milwaukee in partnership with Marquette University and the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
The goal of the Associates in Commercial Real Estate (ACRE) Program is to expand minority representation in the commercial real estate fields of development, property management, and construction management. This program offers students the opportunity to expand their knowledge of these industries while creating a valuable network of fellow students, ACRE graduates and industry professionals.
ACRE is a 26-week program that runs from September through May. Typical ACRE students have some college training and several years of business experience. Instructors include industry leaders in related fields. Key contributors include The Mandel Group and The Opus Foundation.
The deadline for application to the 2015-2016 ACRE class is Friday, July 31, 2015. Interested candidates can find program information and an application through LISC Milwaukee’s website at http://www.lisc.org/milwaukee.
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author: LISC Milwaukee


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Voter ID Education Efforts Begin in Earnest in Wisconsin | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
July 2, 2015
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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Community welcomes long-anticipated changes to Johnsons Park | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
July 3, 2015
Representatives from government and community organizations break ground on the renovated Johnsons Park. (Photo by Allison Dikanovic)
Dancing to the beat of the Neu-Life Community Development Drumming Corps, a group of roughly 70 people including civic leaders, donors and residents gathered at Johnsons Park to celebrate a historic day in a historic place. The groundbreaking ceremony symbolized the start of $1.2 million in improvements to the only public park space in the Lindsay Heights neighborhood. The project is expected to be completed by the fall.
“So much good change, so well deserved, such a long journey to get to this beautiful day, so long overdue, but we’re here at last,” said Marcia Caton Campbell, executive director of the Center for Resilient Cities.
According to Caton Campbell, renovations include new energy-efficient LED lighting, a sports practice field, a stage built for music concerts and spoken word performances, a backstop and t-ball field, 12 park benches, bicycle racks, eight new trees, a green infrastructure basin to absorb storm water runoff, restrooms and an open air picnic shelter. The picnic shelter will replace the old pavilion that was taken down this past December.
Resident Thelma Sais (right) dances with the Neu-Life Drum Corps. (Photo by Allison Dikanovic)
The project to improve the immediate area around Johnsons Park, called the Johnsons Park Initiative, followed the 2010 redesign of Alice’s Garden and 2012 reconstruction of the Brown Street Academy schoolyard and outdoor classroom. The Center for Resilient Cities coordinated the initiative, which combined public and private funding from a collaboration of stakeholders including Milwaukee County, the Rotary Club of Milwaukee, LISC Milwaukee, Johnsons Park Neighborhood Association, Walnut Way Conservation Corp., Alice’s Garden, the Zilber Family Foundation and more than a dozen other funders.
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The groundbreaking ceremony celebrated the donors that made the park renovations possible and the dedication of residents, organizations and community leaders that saw the project through. Several local politicians showed up to express their gratitude for all who have worked on the project and are supporting its completion.
“This new enhancement is just going to enhance our district even more,” said Alderman Russell Stamper. He discussed the potential for more activities for all ages at Johnsons Park but emphasized, “I want the youth to have a place to be proud of.”
County Supervisor Supreme Moore Omokunde called the park a crown jewel of his district and celebrated the day as a fulfillment of one of his campaign promises. “One of the things I ran on when I ran for county board was using parks as community-building spaces, because once you have your parks in certain areas and things are happening in the parks, that spills out into the greater community,” he said.
State Rep. David Bowen, who has been involved in improving the area around Johnsons Park since his days as a Public Ally, said the renovation demonstrates “the power of collaboration and investment.”
Groups of attendees symbolically shoveled dirt to signify kicking off a summer of change in Johnsons Park. The family of John C. Walker, a primary funder, scooped the first shovelful of mulch, followed by speakers, other community leaders, youth members of Neu-Life and local residents.
Johnsons Park’s long history includes its role as a stop on the Underground Railroad, a network of secret routes and safe houses to help slaves escape to free states. In 1955, the area where the park now is located was demolished to enable the building of a new highway that never came to fruition, leading to economic devastation in the neighborhood.
The tone of the groundbreaking ceremony was triumphant. Longtime residents, including Thelma Sias who has lived down the street from the park for 10 years and donated to the Johnson Park Initiative, joyfully embraced friends, neighbors and politicians.
Sias says the significance of the improvements is that they increase access to quality parks and attractive public spaces for the children of Lindsay Heights. “I go to Shorewood, and I see the beauty of their parks. Now I’m gonna have a Shorewood right here in my ’hood,” Sias said.
Added John Bernaden, immediate past president of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee board of directors, “If Milwaukee is going to grow and be the best place it can be, all of our communities must thrive, and Johnsons Park is one way we can make that happen.”


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Happy 4th of July from Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
July 4, 2015
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service wishes you a safe and celebratory holiday weekend!

author: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service


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Free MCTS bus rides tomorrow | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee County Transit System
July 5, 2015
All Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) bus rides are free for all riders on Monday, July 6, 2015. Monday is the first weekday since the conclusion of the drivers’ union strike that stranded tens of thousands of people who rely on MCTS to get to work, school, and doctor appointments.
“Tomorrow’s day of free transit won’t make up for the massive inconvenience riders felt last week when union leaders went out on strike, however it’s the least we can do to thank the community for their patience,” County Executive Chris Abele said.
Aside from the free day, riders with weekly and monthly passes (M•CARD and paper) will be reimbursed for the time drivers went on strike. MCTS is finalizing the process and will release details as soon as they are available.
MCTS is updating RideMCTS.com with all the latest information, including a FAQ page that addresses numerous false rumors sparked by the strike: http://www.ridemcts.com/about-us/contract-information/frequently-asked-questions-(faq)
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!

author: Milwaukee County Transit System


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Coping While Black: A Season Of Traumatic News Takes A Psychological Toll | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
July 6, 2015
National Public Radio

author: Andrea Waxman


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Immigration Reform News Today: Immigrant Leaders to Confront ICE During DAPA Court Hearing | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
July 6, 2015
LatinPost.com


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Milwaukee Safe Zone Ambassadors Help Clean Up Neighborhood, Forge Connections | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
July 6, 2015
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio