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South Side residents voice concerns about law enforcement at summit | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
March 6, 2018
Jarrett English of the ACLU facilitates a discussion with residents. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
The relationship between law enforcement and residents of Milwaukee’s South Side is broken — but not irreparably. That was the consensus among the 100- plus residents gathered at Ascension Lutheran Church, 1236 S. Layton Blvd., for a South Side Safety Summit.
Residents discussed recommendations made in a U.S. Department of Justice report that was developed from a collaborative reform initiative of the Milwaukee Police Department and the Blueprint for Peace, created by the City of Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention.
According to Jarrett English, youth organizer and police accountability associate at ACLU of Wisconsin, since 2008 the city has paid out $30 million in settlements related to MPD misconduct, with half of that paid out since 2015.
English said the DOJ report backed up what residents of Milwaukee have known for decades. “There’s not enough oversight of the police,” he explained.
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South Side resident Maria Torres agreed. “It’s frustrating because police ask residents to obey the law, but they need to obey the laws as well. And when they don’t they need to be held accountable,” Torres said.
One of the DOJ recommendations was that MPD hire a third party to investigate complaints and create a more transparent complaint process.
Attendees said that more training could keep police officers from making mistakes that result in lawsuits. Roberto Reyna, who lives on 15th and Oklahoma in the Polonia neighborhood, said sometimes officers react out of fear, which results in excessive use of force. With proper training, he believes, those officers would be better at de-escalating situations and avoiding racial profiling.
“You can’t be scared to deal with people you come across on the streets because they’re black or brown. With better training, police can avoid having to use their guns. Maybe they’ll use their taser or talk a person down next time,” Reyna said.
Tammy Rivera, executive director of the SOC, chats with Ald. Jose Perez. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Another major issue among residents is police response times.
Carrie Meyer, who lives down the block from Ascension, said she’s heard many stories from people who called the police and either they never came, or took hours to arrive.
“Nobody on the South Side believes that when they call police that they will show up,” Meyer said, as the group she sat with nodded in agreement.
People stop calling the police when they know they will have to wait hours for a response, she explained. Meyer and others in her group recommended that MPD adopt a uniform policy to address calls for service.
Other problems identified in the DOJ report were lack of gender and racial diversity, inconsistent body camera policies and lack of understanding of community policing.
Not all the news was bad during the summit. Residents seemed pleased with the direction of the Blueprint for Peace. Goals of the blueprint, according to Reggie Moore, director of the Office of Violence Prevention, include stopping shootings, promoting restorative justice and advancing economic opportunities. The ultimate goal, according to Moore, is to create a city that people want to work, live and stay in.
“It has to be safe for those things to happen,” Moore said.
The blueprint focuses on 10 priority neighborhoods, including Historic Mitchell and Lincoln Village on the South Side, which were identified because of high levels of homicides, shootings, assaults and poverty.
The summit at Ascension is one of numerous such events that will be held across the city, according to Tammy Rivera, executive director of Southside Organizing Committee. Rivera is a member of the Collaborative Community Committee that was created to organize the summits. The committee eventually will collate the input and share it with city officials, MPD, Fire and Police Commission, the Common Council and others. MPD has also submitted input, according to Rivera. The result will be a collaborative plan to improve MPD and also the relationship between the community and law enforcement.
“The community thinks it’s critical to form an authentic collaborative effort to strengthen internal and external affairs with the police. The time is past due and now it’s demanded that we work together to form a collaborative process and we have a new chief that wants to do that,” Rivera said.
The new interim chief, Alfonso Morales, appointed to lead the department in mid-February, was on hand to speak to residents before the summit began. Law enforcement representatives were not invited to the summit itself, so that residents would be able to speak more openly, Rivera said.
Morales, who previously served as commander of Police District 2 on the South Side, was well received by the crowd. Morales impored the community to provide feedback on how to mend the relationship between police and the community.
“We love to talk sometimes but it’s important for us as police to listen to you, the residents. It might be negative things that we hear from you, but we need to hear it,” Morales said.
Ald. Jose Perez, who was also on hand, said he expects that once specific priorities are identified, some of which are in the DOJ report, they will be pushed forward.
“We have to move in the right direction. We need to be talking to one another and making sure that our communities are the safest places possible,” Perez said.

author: Edgar Mendez


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 5, 2018

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Adam Carr


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State changes to residency law having a negative impact on Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Michael Murphy
March 6, 2018
Alderman Michael J. Murphy says a study proves that the state’s interference into local affairs is once again having a negative impact on the City of Milwaukee. In 2013, the state legislature invalidated the City’s 75-year- old residency requirement and that action has led to a significant loss of revenue and leaders in Milwaukee’s neighborhoods.
Since the Wisconsin Supreme Court enforced the state legislature’s decision in 2016, 1,367 city employees have moved outside of Milwaukee to area suburbs and neighboring cities. Alderman Murphy said that means that 20% of Milwaukee’s employees are now non-residents who are not invested in the day-to-day outcomes in the city. The highest percentage of employees who live outside the city are sworn fire fighters and police officers, with fire department employees making up 37% of non-residents and 33% of Milwaukee’s sworn police force. Annually, non-resident employees earn $92.5 million, $47.6 million going to sworn police officer payroll.
Ald. Murphy says, “Employees spend a good 25% of their money on housing. That income is now supporting other communities and suburbs. This further demonstrates how the state is not looking out for the interest of its urban economic centers.”
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According to the SB Friedman report shared by the Legislative Reference Bureau, because of the residency law change the projections could create an increased exodus to suburban locations, reductions in housing construction, and a decline in consumer expenditures and services in the city. By 2024, it’s predicted 4,070 of employees will non-residents, nearly 2/3 of the City’s employees. The ultimate impacts found in the report include:
Ald. Murphy says, “There are some very concerning trends that were outlined in the SB Friedman report. The state needs to answer for this situation.”

author: Ald. Michael Murphy


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How to volunteer in March | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Martha Cannon, Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee
March 7, 2018
This cashier is employed at a Milwaukee Habitat For Humanity ReStore.
Volunteer Milwaukee, a service of the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukeefeatures a calendar full of events for volunteers, both one-time and ongoing. Here are a few of the opportunities in March.
Collect and organize household donations, be a cashier or help in the office at any one of three Milwaukee Habitat For Humanity Restore locations weekdays, evenings or weekends.
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Contact Nichali Xhelili Ciaccio at nciaccio@milwaukeehabitat.org or 414-316-5619.
Help teach art to kids at Milwaukee Public Libraries as part of Artists Working in Education Truck Studio Program; weekdays or weekends.
Contact Tatiana Diaz at tatiana@awe-inc.org or 414-933-3877.
Guide visitors through the newly renovated Milwaukee County War Memorial Center, assist with school programs and provide tours for special events; mainly weekdays but occasional evenings and weekends.
Contact Kristen Scheuing at education@warmemorialcenter.org or 414-273-5533.
Help teachers and therapists in classroom activities with children at Vision Forward Mondays-Thursdays; experience with children with disabilities is preferred but not required.
Contact Kelly Lynch at klynch@vision-forward.org or 414-615-0161.
Greet visitors and handle general office tasks such as filing or scanning during weekday mornings from now until mid-April for Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers.
Contact Kate Jaeger at kate.jaeger@sschc.org or 414-897-5184.
Businesses, groups, faith communities or family and friends are needed to assemble 950 yard signs that promote Capuchins Community Services’ Run-Walk for the Hungry; weekday hours.
Contact Shirelle Jenkins at ccsvol@thecapuchins.org or 414-933-1300.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 6, 2018


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Lipscomb proposes bus route to link 1,300 workers to Foxconn | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
County Board Chairman Theodore Lipscomb, Sr
March 7, 2018
County Board Chairman Theodore Lipscomb, Sr. has proposed a new bus service from Milwaukee and Racine to the Foxconn Technology Group complex in Mt. Pleasant, a service that could ultimately bring more than 1,300 workers to the facility every day.
“We can make real progress on connecting workers to jobs by launching new bus service that links Milwaukee and Racine to the soon-to-be-built Foxconn complex in Mt. Pleasant, and we should start now.  A dedicated bus line that connects hundreds of workers in Milwaukee and Racine to jobs at Foxconn would be a major step forward to address the gap between workers and new job opportunities. If we succeed, our effort could inspire greater intergovernmental collaboration and innovation as we look for more ways to help workers access available jobs,” said Lipscomb.
State and local leaders have highlighted need to connect workers in densely populated areas like Milwaukee and Racine to available jobs at Foxconn as a top priority. Policymakers and transit advocates are studying how to address the transportation challenges, but Lipscomb is the first to propose a large scale solution.
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Chairman Lipscomb has invited Racine County and the State of Wisconsin to partner with Milwaukee County on the new service. Lipscomb’s proposal asks the two counties and the state to agree to pool the funds available to them after the sale of Midwest Airlines assets. The three parties jointly entered into a credit assistance package for Midwest in 2003.
After learning of the available funding source, Chairman Lipscomb asked the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) to conduct an analysis of the proposed route. The SEWRPC report reveals that more than 1,300 workers could take advantage of the bus service each day.


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Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market’s SNAP match doubles produce spending power for low-income families | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Fondy Food Center
March 7, 2018
There are still six more Saturdays to enjoy the Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market (MWFM), but the SNAP Market Match ends March 31st. The MWFM’s 9th season runs through April 14th, 2018 and, for the first time, implemented a USDA SNAP incentive program that doubles the spending power of low-income families and individuals to purchase healthy, local produce.
Fondy Food Center (FFC), which operates the MWFM, offers the SNAP Market Match program to anyone with federal nutrition benefits on their Quest card. This gives low-income families the ability to purchase more local produce when they use their SNAP (FoodShare) benefits at the market. Up to $20 will be doubled each market for fresh fruits and vegetables through March 31st, or until the funds run out. “The Fondy Food Center has been offering the Market Match program at the Fondy Farmers Market for the past several years and we’re thrilled to have raised $5,000 through a federal grant program to be able to offer it at our winter market this year,” says Jennifer Casey of FFC. “Not only do our customers enjoy the ability to bring home more fresh produce to their families, our farmers appreciate the increased income. Even the non-produce vendors benefit from the program because our low-income shoppers use the Market Match coupons to purchase produce, freeing up the rest of their dollars to spend on other products.”
All customers will find nearly 50 local farmers and food producers each week; a mix of seasoned favorites and exciting new vendors who bring produce, bakery, meat, poultry, eggs, fish, dairy, cheeses, grains, ready-to-eat hot foods, specialty products, and preserves. At each market there is also a community booth with an area non-profit or organization who wants to share their engaging work with the farmers market visitors. There’s no admission fee to the market, and has free on-site and street parking, with nearby public transit. The market is a space for everyone – and an average of 1,700 customers come to enjoy it weekly.
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The MWFM is in its successful 9th season and operates on Saturdays from 9 AM to 1 PM from November to April in the Greenhouse Annex at the Mitchell Park Domes. Most of the vendors remain the same from week to week, and some are on a part-time schedule. People can find which vendors and products will be at market on the website (www.mcwfm.org), by liking the market on Facebook to see the weekly events (search “@mcwfm”), and by signing up for FFC’s weekly local food and farm newsletter, The Fondy Beet<http://fondymarket.org/newsletter/>. Each market and its mix of vendors create a vibrant environment with a variety of quality local foods.
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The Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market runs Saturdays, Nov 4th through April 14th, from 9 am – 1 pm, in the Greenhouse Annex at the Mitchell Park Conservatory (The Domes); located at 524 South Layton Boulevard, Milwaukee, WI 53215. For more info: www.mcwfm.org<http://www.mcwfm.org> Fondy Food Center brings healthy food and economic opportunity to Greater Milwaukee by operating local farmers markets throughout the year; providing access to land, resources and support to small-scale farmers; and building a better food system to improve food security & food justice in our community. The Fondy Food Center realizes its mission through its projects: Fondy Farmers Market, Fondy Market at Schlitz Park, Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market, Milwaukee Farmers Market Connection, and the Fondy Farm Project. To learn more, visit www.fondymarket.org<http://www.fondymarket.org> or call 414-562-2282.

author: Fondy Food Center


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Public lead safety initiative moves forward | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Tony Zielinski
March 7, 2018
A resolution increasing education about lead-in-water has been recommended for approval by the Milwaukee Public Works Committee. Alderman Tony Zielinski, who sponsored the legislation, says the Milwaukee Water Works will be required to provide lead safety public education materials to occupants of the properties serviced by lead lines on an annual basis. Previous to the resolution, renters did not receive lead education materials on how to protect their families from the toxic effects of lead.
The measure is the latest in efforts by Ald. Zielinski and Sherrie Tussler, who both co- chair the Milwaukee Nutrition & Lead Task Force. It is a companion to Ald. Zielinski’s legislation in 2017 that requires greater educational efforts from the City’s Health Department about lead-in-water. The resolution that passed today would direct the Milwaukee Water Works to match the same standards as the Health Department regarding notifications. This includes drinking water safety initiatives, websites, social media messaging, printed materials and outdoor and media advertisements.
Ald. Zielinski said the resolution also requires Water Works to promote NSF/ANSI Standard 53 certified lead filters as the most thorough means of lead-water safety and requires a warning to the public of the risk of exposure from failing to adhere to flushing guidelines.
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“Exposure to lead can damage the kidneys, nervous system and reproductive system,” said Ald. Zielinski “Lead is especially harmful to fetuses and young people whose brains are in development, potentially compromising their ability to learn for the rest of their lives.”
Lead service lines make up about 74,600 properties in the city, including 68,300 residential. In total, that’s about 54% of all residential properties in the city.
The legislation will now go before the full Common Council when it meets at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 27 in the third floor Common Council Chamber at City Hall, 200 E. Wells St.

author: Ald. Tony Zielinski


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Walnut Way grant to fund environmental projects in Lindsay Heights | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 7, 2018
Stones form part of the sustainable water management system in Fondy Park, which is 98 percent water permeable. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
A recent grant from the Institute for Sustainable Communities will provide Walnut Way Conservation Corp. with the funds to complete several solar energy projects in Lindsay Heights, in addition to three green infrastructure projects.
ISC selected Walnut Way through a competitive national application process. It is one of two community-based organizations that will join ISC’s Partnership for Resilient Communities this year. The other organization is in San Diego. The two will join communities in Baltimore, Detroit, Kansas City and Pittsburgh, which were selected in 2016 and 2017. The Partnership for Resilient Communities will provide Walnut Way with customized technical assistance, access to ISC’s large national network of sustainability and resilience practitioners, connections with peer organizations and $150,000 to expand and accelerate its work on energy and water resilience.
The grant period is 13-15 months, according to Steve Nicholas, ISC’s vice president of U.S. Programs. “We hope to find ways to extend the relationship” with Walnut Way, he said.
ISC’s mission is to help communities around the world “address environmental, economic, and social challenges to build a better future shaped and shared by all,” according to its website.
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PRC is focused on helping organizations in marginalized urban communities build resilience, which it defines as “the ability of people, institutions and systems to manage economic, environmental and social shocks and stressors and build stronger more prosperous communities,” said Nicholas.
In addition to supporting environmental sustainability, the program seeks to promote inclusive community-driven approaches to advancing social equity and bolstering social cohesion within cities.
Though there is a surge of interest in urban resilience around the country, “a lot of it is top down and overly focused on physical resilience. There is not enough focus on economic and social resilience, clean energy communities and regional climate action,” Nicholas said.
Photovoltaic solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity will be installed at Alice’s Garden with the help of the ISC grant. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Staff members from ISC’s Vermont headquarters, Walnut Way, the city’s Environmental Collaboration Office (ECO) and other partners and residents met recently for a two-day design session to discuss the projects in Lindsay Heights.
“The idea for solar was not hatched with the grant, (but it) is adding resources for projects already underway,” explained Jeremy Davis, Walnut Way environmental specialist.
Photovoltaic solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity will be installed at four neighborhood sites: Walnut Way, 2240 N. 17th St.; the Innovations and Wellness Commons, 1617 W Fond du Lac Ave.; Fondy Farmers Market, 2200 W. Fond du Lac Ave.; and Alice’s Garden, 2136 N. 21st St.
Davis explained that Milwaukee uses a “net metering” system. When organizations produce electricity with PV panels they are “essentially providing We Energies with electricity.” Customers with PV panels get credits in exchange for what they produce and debits for what they use. The systems that Walnut Way plans to install will reduce users’ cost of electricity.
The green infrastructure projects include diverting more storm water from the Fondy Farmers Market’s 12,500-square foot roof into the Fondy Park water management system, Davis said. Last summer, local partners established the water-permeable Fondy Park on a vacant lot adjacent to the market.
The second infrastructure project will be to complete an underground water cistern at Alice’s Garden, Davis said. The plan is to use the solar system to power a pump to irrigate the gardens with harvested rainwater, as well as lighting and electrical outlets for evening activities in the garden.
In addition, the grant will help the Greater Galilee Missionary Baptist Church’s new community center to modify its landscape plans so that it can capture storm water, Davis said. The church is located at 2432 N. Teutonia Ave.
“This grant … will also help us to develop Walnut Way as an environmental tour destination” and work with the City of Milwaukee’s Environmental Collaboration Office to become a certified ECO neighborhood, said Erica Heisdorf Bisquerra, Walnut Way’s communication manager. With ECO, Walnut Way will design and install signage at selected sites and publish information to help residents and visitors tour the neighborhood assets and learn about community resilience, she added.
Making sure that neighborhood stakeholders are involved in installing environmental improvements in their communities, thus providing them with employment skills and jobs, is part of PRC’s vision, according to Nicholas. As part of its technical assistance and training, PRC hopes to help Walnut Way build the capacity of its year-round employment program, Blue Skies Landscaping, in which resident landscapers learn “innovative green installation (skills) that are reducing storm water pollution,” Heisdorf Bisquerra said.
“Blue Skies has done good work and we would like to help them grow their capacity so they can become prime contractorsrather than subcontractors on city projects,” added Erick Shambarger, director of ECO, which is a partner in the grant.
He added that he would like to see Blue Skies get Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District’s green infrastructure certification and also have residents observe the installation of solar PV panels “to get them skills in that field.”
“Our office is really excited about the leadership Walnut Way is showing, said Shambarger, whose office will also be working with Lindsay Heights on its recently unveiled ECO Neighborhoods initiative, a certification program and toolkit to help neighborhoods organize around environmental improvement.
Walnut Way may also be invited to ISC’s Sustainable Community Leadership Academy, a national peer-learning platform, which brings teams from 10-15 cities to work and learn together, Nicholas said.
Walnut Way was selected for the ISC grant because it has “demonstrated that it can do this work effectively,” said Nicholas, adding that it has many strong partners, including the city government, and does both sustainable energy and sustainable water management work. In addition, he said, ISC wants to work with marginalized communities such as Lindsay Heights.
“We’re a capacity-building organization. We want to help you strengthen your work,” said Nicholas at the design session. “We are not coming in to tell you what you need.”
Both Nicholas and Heisdorf Bisquerra expressed the hope that Walnut Way will be a model for future collaborative community–based environmental and workforce projects.

author: Andrea Waxman


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“A Celebration of International Women’s Day” | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jerry Rousseau
March 8, 2018
The United Nations Association – Greater Milwaukee invites you to…
A Celebration of International Women’s Day
Featuring Presentations On
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“The Impact of Racial Injustice on Black Milwaukee Women & Children” by Milwaukee Activist Lisa Jones
& “The Effects of Privatizing Social Service Programs on Black Children & Families” by Milwaukee Child Welfare Advocate Amada Morales
Free & Open to the Public
Saturday – March 10th, 2018 from 10 AM – 12 Noon
Redeemer Lutheran Church – 631 N. 19th Street (Rear Entrance) – Milwaukee, WI
Since 1977, the United Nations has made International Women’s Day a celebration focusing on both women’s rights and world peace. The first International Women’s Day was celebrated in 1911 when women’s suffrage and health advocacy organizations called attention to the social, economic, and cultural achievements of women across the globe.
The speakers will focus on the disparities in healthcare and life expectancy for those living in the 53206 & 53217 zip codes, employment opportunities & business development in the Black Community, the WI Dept. of Justice Report on policing practices, & the consequences of privatizing Social Service Programs on children & families living in the Black Community.
Lisa Jones is a community organizer and spokesperson with Uplifting Black Liberation and Community. Lisa is also a Lay Minister and Preacher at Brown Deer United Methodist Church and is involved with United Methodist Women, Church Women United, Rid Racism Milwaukee, Showing Up for Racial Justice Milwaukee, & the Racial Justice Group. She spoke at the 2018 Wisconsin Women’s March in Milwaukee.
Amada Morales is a volunteer family advocate in Milwaukee County Children’s Court for Casa Maria. She works to protect children & their parents from exploitation by Child Protective Services following privatization of WI Social Services Programs. Amada received the 2015 Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice Youth Peacemaker of the Year Award. She graduated from Marquette University with a degree in journalism.
For more information contact:
Debbie Metke: dmetke@gmail.com (e-mail) / 414.881.0904 (phone)
The United Nations Association – Greater Milwaukee (UNA-GM) is a chapter of the United Nations Association of the United States of America. The UNA-GM is a group of men and women who stand for peace and justice in the world and believe that the United Nations is an instrumental force in creating a peaceful world and support the work and efforts of the United Nations by educating, inspiring, and mobilizing our Milwaukee Community

author: Jerry Rousseau


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UNA-USA IMAGE (Small) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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March 8, 2018

author: Name *


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Capuchins’ Run Walk for the Hungry 2018 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Phillip Gardner
March 8, 2018
Friday, June 15, 6 PM
Henry Maier Festival Park, 200 N Harbor Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53202
New this year: Earlier Start! The 5K run (Chip-timed & USATF certified) will start at 6:30 PM and the 2 mile walk at 7 PM. Walkers will enjoy a new route through Lakeshore State Park and onto the scenic island. Run or walk and enjoy sweeping vistas, harbor views, and the city skyline. Teams have always included runners and walkers – now you only need 5 people to form a team! This is the 13th year for the event whose proceeds feed the hungry through Capuchin Community Services’ two locations: St. Ben’s Community Meal and House of Peace. If registered by June 3, the $30 run ($20 for children) and $25 walk ($15 for children) registration fee includes entrance into Polish Fest and free return to Polish Fest all weekend. On June 4 registration fees increase $5. Registrations are accepted up to the day-of-the-event. http://www.CapuchinsRunWalkForTheHungry.org

author: Phillip Gardner


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2018 Run Walk Logo-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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March 8, 2018


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Congolese refugee struggles to find work | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Talis Shelbourne
March 8, 2018
Congolese refugee Kabayiza Ntirenganya is one of 585 refugees who resettled in Wisconsin in 2017. (Photo by Talis Shelbourne)
When Kabayiza “Raja” Ntirenganya arrived in the U.S. as a Congolese refugee from Rwanda, he thought his greatest struggles were over. However, he soon faced barriers due to his disability.
At the age of 2, the Democratic Republic of the Congo government declared Kabayiza’s family Rwandan, because they spoke Kinyarwanda, a language that was not the republic’s legal language.
“We were forced to leave the country; if not, we would be killed,” he said.
He ended up at Kiziba Refugee Camp in Rwanda, where he was shot in the foot at the age of 4, caught in the violence between soldiers and those he referred to as “the killers.” After spending two years in the hospital, he reinjured the same foot and spent another two years recovering. However, the injuries left permanent damage.
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“I didn’t get proper treatment because there were many thousands of injured people, and there was not enough treatment,” he explained.
Kabayiza (his last name in his native language of Kinyarwanda) said he was anxious to get out of Kiziba. “It’s a place where you have nothing to do,” he said. “We were not allowed to go and find a job or do anything to give us money.”
His luck turned when he won an Impact Hope scholarship from the Gitwe Adventist Secondary School in Rwanda. The scholarship made him eligible for refugee resettlement in the U.S.
He met In-Jee Lee, his “Korean tiger mom,” during summer 2017 in a cultural orientation class at a Milwaukee resettlement agency.
Lee had spent six years as a schoolteacher in South Korea, volunteering with North Korean refugees. She continued volunteering with refugees when she started attending University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for her graduate degree.
Kabayiza met In-Jee Lee during summer 2017 in a cultural orientation class at a Milwaukee resettlement agency. (Photo by Talis Shelbourne)
Lee said the plight of refugees is personal for her; she was born in Busan, South Korea, in 1977, at a time in which child “vagrants” were picked up and forced into slavery. By sheer luck, she avoided this fate.
“I realized how lucky I was and that just fueled my determination that I was going to work with refugees,” she said.
When she left the resettlement agency to work full time at SEA Literacy, “Kabayiza was sad,” she said. “I didn’t want to be one of those people who would just go to work and then on the weekends and in the evenings just forget about them. I was either going to jump in or not.”
So she began personally investing in Kabayiza’s successful resettlement, helping him fill out job applications and taking him to job interviews.
Alexander Durtka, president and CEO of the International Institute of Wisconsin, said people such as Lee are an important part of the resettlement process.
“The refugees basically come here with nothing or very little,” he said.
Kabayiza immigrated to the U.S as an adult, leaving his mother, brother and sister behind.
Although he wanted to work, he found it difficult to get a job.
“He wasn’t allowed to work in the camp, therefore, he has no work history,” Lee explained. “He doesn’t have a driver’s license; therefore, he can’t get to a lot of places. And he has this disability [when] the only jobs available for refugees, you have to stand for hours.”
Many companies say that standing is an essential part of job duties, Lee said. However, the law also requires companies to make reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities.
“I’m not able to stand for more than 20 minutes,” Kabayiza said, “[but] I can do everything if I have somewhere to sit.”
“There are a lot of refugees that come over with great skills,” Lee added. “He speaks English. He has great interpersonal skills. But no one is able to look beyond his foot.”
It took Lee and Kabayiza months before they connected with someone who specializes in disabled refugees. Timothy Young, president of Assure Consulting & Employment Services, interviewed him last week.
Kabayiza said he is hopeful that he will get a job.
According to Mary Flynn, a program manager at Lutheran Social Services Refugee Resettlement program, refugees come from all over the world, including Burma, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Malaysia, Ethiopia and the DRC. LSS is one of three refugee resettlement centers in Milwaukee, along with Catholic Charities and the International Institute of Wisconsin.
Many refugees who safely make it to a new country worry about those they left behind.
For example, as Kabayiza tried to focus on resettlement, the situation at the Kiziba refugee camp was deteriorating.
Last month, Kiziba cut food rations provided by UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, by 25 percent, which prompted protests that led to violence.
“Some people tried to leave and the soldiers shot them,” Lee said. “So people died. And a lot were wounded, including his friends. So this is what he’s dealing with on top of his own situation.”
Kabayiza said that eventually he wants to be in a position to help those at Kiziba, so they don’t face the same difficulties he has had in resettling.
“First thing is, I want to get a job,” he said. “After that, I will get a (place) to live. After that, I will finish my classes …and if possible, I will work with her to help other people,” he said, pointing to Lee.
Durtka noted that the Trump administration has capped refugee resettlement to 45,000 for this year. He added that refugee resettlement is important for invigorating Milwaukee.
“The refugees are certainly welcome here in Milwaukee,” he said. “They become very productive members of the community and bring a life to the community that they wouldn’t have otherwise.”

author: Talis Shelbourne


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 8, 2018


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March Meter Madness assisting those who fell behind on energy bills | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Khalif J. Rainey
March 8, 2018
With the winter ban on utility disconnections ending in April—We Energies, Milwaukee County and community groups have been teaming up for March Meter Madness! Alderman Khalif J. Rainey says the initiative provides qualified residents with a one-time annual payment to make energy bills more affordable. This is based on the availability of program funds and ends when the funds are exhausted or on March 31.
“This program can help prevent families from getting a disconnection notice when the moratorium ends next month,” said Alderman Rainey. “Since this benefit ends when the money is used up, I encourage people to take action now.”
We Energies LIHEAP customers establishing a payment plan with the company can receive a $300 benefit to apply toward their account. This initiative is not for LIP customers, oil and propane customers, customers on an existing payment plan, customers with heat included in the rent or $0 income customers.
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Those interested can walk into one of the six locations (see attached flyer) or make an appointment at (414) 270-4-MKE (653). Visit www.energyassistancemke.org for location information and or to book an appointment.

author: Ald. Khalif J. Rainey


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Women’s group donates 20,000 new books to kids in need | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women
March 8, 2018
(Photo courtesy of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women)
This past weekend, Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women hosted a literacy carnival and distributed 20,000 new books to area schools, after-school programs and community programs serving students from low-income families through its annual Fraternity Day of Service. For many of the students, these are the first new books they will ever own, and they will lay the foundation for a lifelong love of reading.
The literacy carnival and book distribution took place in honor of Pi Beta Phi’s Fraternity Day of Service, an annual event bringing Pi Phis together to serve their communities through literacy service. The carnival was held at the Neighborhood House of Milwaukee on March 2, and the distribution was the following day at a Coakley Brothers’ Warehouse. Pi Phis helped facilitate children’s activities and worked with recipient groups to choose new books for their students. Children were given the opportunity to meet a few of their favorite book characters and participate in fun projects. All of the children who attended also took home a tote bag and two new books. Access to new, age-appropriate books helps change these children’s lives.
“We are honored to be a part of an impactful event like the Pi Beta Phi Day of Service,” said Shelley Stewart, co-chair of the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity Day of Service — Milwaukee Signature Event. “Our organization strives to support improving literacy rates for future generations, and an event like this provides the opportunity for many children to receive a new book that we hope will further ignite a lifelong love for reading,”
“We know literacy rates have a direct correlation to further success in academia and in life. We hope our efforts will have a positive impact in the Milwaukee community,” added co-chair Deb Scarlett.
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Last week –– in total –– Pi Beta Phi donated 105,000 to five different communities. Pi Beta Phi is helping put books into the hands of these deserving children in partnership with First Book, a nonprofit providing new books to its national network of schools and programs. Over the past several years, Pi Beta Phi has donated well over $1 million to literacy causes through The Literacy Fund at Pi Beta Phi Foundation, given more than one million books to children in need and impacted over one million lives through its philanthropy Read > Lead > Achieve.
“Our Fraternity of more than 300,000 women is united in the cause to promote the importance of reading,” said Pi Beta Phi President Paula Shepherd. “According to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, one in four children grows up functionally illiterate, and we believe that is one too many. Pi Beta Phi is thrilled to participate in this book distribution because we believe reading transforms individuals, creates leaders and is the foundation of all that we can achieve in life.”

author: Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 7, 2018


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Be on the lookout for predatory tax preparation services | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elliot Hughes
March 9, 2018
A sign advertising a tax preparation service in the Capitol Heights neighborhood in Milwaukee. (Photo by Elliot Hughes)
Seven years ago, Ruby walked into a commercial tax preparation service and walked out thinking she got a sweet deal.
She saw advertisements for a $99 special that would cover the cost of preparing her tax forms and would also give her an advance on her return. The preparer estimated what her return would be and gave her more than 50 percent of it up front.
A couple weeks later she returned for the remainder and learned the deal was not so simple. Fees were hidden in her agreement. She ended up paying $340. And she eventually learned that the preparer made tax claims that shouldn’t have been made, which set the IRS on her and slapped her with $2,800 in penalties.
“It was a disaster,” said Ruby, a 48-year-old telecommunications professional who asked that her last name not be used.
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Ruby, the mother of two college-age students, said it took her several years to recover from the unexpected payments.
A man dressed as the Statue of Liberty dances outside a Liberty Tax Service outlet at 1336 S. Cesar E. Chavez Drive. (Photo by Elliot Hughes)
“You couldn’t have moments where you could just be spontaneous,” she said. “ ‘Oh, let’s just go out to Cheesecake Factory.’ That’s a dream.”
Every tax season, when people are looking for help to file their income tax forms, low-income individuals are forced to navigate through services that pop up in their neighborhoods and may offer predatory loans, hard-to-notice fees and a mistake-prone tax return.
With little more than one month remaining before the federal filing deadline of April 17, now is the time when many people will start booking appointments with preparers without much consideration, according to Diane Robinson, who runs a free tax preparation service at the Social Development Commission.
According to a report by the Progressive Policy Institute, predatory tax preparation services open their storefronts in low-income areas because those residents are eligible to receive Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) funds, which are a crucial supplement ($2,400, on average) of low-wage earners’ incomes and require complicated paperwork.
ZIP codes with the highest concentrations of EITC filers have about 75 percent more tax preparation storefronts per filer than moderate EITC ZIP codes, the report said.
In Milwaukee, some commercial preparers will charge up to $500 for a service that SDC, on average, would charge $250 for, if its program were not free, Robinson said.
There are multiple outlets in Milwaukee that offer a free tax preparation service for middle- or low-income households, but there are not enough for everyone, Robinson said. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when choosing a commercial preparer:
Below are sites in Milwaukee offering free tax preparation services for eligible taxpayers. For more options and details, go to the IRS website.
SDC North Avenue
1730 W. North Ave.
414-202-2262
Riverworks Development Corp
526 E Concordia Ave.
414-906-9650
Journey House Inc. Center for Family Learning
2110 W. Scott St.
414-647-0548
SDC Teutonia
6848 N. Teutonia Ave
414-202-2262

author: Elliot Hughes


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Bloom and Groom program helps spruce up Sherman Park | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Khalif J. Rainey
March 9, 2018
As spring approaches, Alderman Khalif J. Rainey encourages city residents to participate in the Sherman Park Community Association’s 8th Annual Bloom and Groom Sale. The neighborhood association will be selling a variety of flowers and seeds for city residents’ gardens.
City residents interested in beautifying their own yards with fresh flowers can fill out a Bloom and Groom order form. Residents can order seasonal flowers, including petunias and geraniums, vegetables, or grass seed for their yard. Completed order forms and payment must be submitted by March 19. Orders will be fulfilled and ready for pick up on May 19.
Alderman Rainey sees this flower sale as a new way to take on beautification projects in the 7th District. “Milwaukee’s residents take pride in their neighborhoods, and planting fresh flowers is an easy way, but significant way to beautify the neighborhoods we care so much about,” said Alderman Rainey. “I encourage 7th District residents to spruce up their gardens by planting a few flowers and enjoying the spring sunshine.”
For more information on the Sherman Park Community Association’s Bloom and Groom initiative, please contact the Sherman Park Community Association at (414) 444- 9803 or camille@shermanpark.org.
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City resources are available for sexually transmitted diseases | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Khalif J. Rainey
March 9, 2018
To prevent the spread of STDs and HIV, the City of Milwaukee provides several free health resources for sexual health. Alderman Khalif J. Rainey encourages all city residents to get tested regularly for STDs through the city’s free screening program.
The city’s STD and HIV program educates area healthcare providers and city residents about common sexual health concerns. The program also offers free and confidential screenings for STDs, including HIV and syphilis. To get tested, city residents can visit Keenan Central Health Clinic, 3200 N. 36th St., on a walk-in basis. The clinic also provides Hepatitis B vaccinations, confidential HIV counseling, and condoms.
Milwaukee has recently seen an uptick in HIV and syphilis cases with at least 125 people being infected by one of these diseases. This “cluster” of cases is significantly affecting the lives of adults, high school students, and babies. Some STDs like HIV cannot be cured, but they can be prevented. Both HIV and syphilis are can be prevented by knowing a partner’s sexual health status and using protection during sex. By understanding sexual health and the seriousness of STDs, city residents can protect themselves from contracting or spreading these diseases.
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“The easiest way to stop the spread of STDs is to know your status. When free and confidential testing is used by everyone, we can improve the health and safety of our community as a whole,” said Alderman Rainey. “I urge Milwaukeeans to get tested and take full advantage of the health programs the city offers. We can stop the spread of these diseases by educating ourselves and others about the dangers of unprotected sex and STDs.”
For more information about the Milwaukee Health Department’s STI and STD resources, please visit http://bit.ly/2IccZKp or call the Keenan Central Health Clinic at (414) 286-3631.


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Please confirm that your People’s Choice vote is counted | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
March 9, 2018
Due to a technical problem, some votes for the MANDI People’s Choice Awards cast on the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service website were not recorded. The problem has been fixed.
You may have cast your vote at a time when the system was not working properly. When you vote now, one of two things will happen:
In either case you have successfully cast your vote.
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Please vote here: https://milwaukeenns.org/mandivote2018/
“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience,” said Sharon McGowan, NNS editor. “We hope that Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service readers and other community members will take a few minutes to vote again for their favorite organizations or individuals. The MANDI finalists have all made significant contributions to the community, and the Wells Fargo People’s Choice award recognition means a great deal to them.”
Added McGowan, “There are six voting days left, and we are confident that the totals will accurately reflect the ‘people’s choice.’”
Voting will continue until 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 14.
MANDI finalists in six categories are selected by a volunteer committee, based on public nominations. A panel of judges visits each finalist’s site and votes on the winners.
The People’s Choice Awards are chosen by popular vote. Three winners each will receive $1,000.
All winners will be announced at a dinner on Thursday, March 15, at the Potawatomi Event Center, 1611 W. Canal St.

author: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
March 8, 2018

author: Dwayne Burtin


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mandi2018 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 9, 2018


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MANDI_NNS_email_800x250_2018_second | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 28, 2018

created: February 28, 2018


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Sherman Phoenix nearing campaign goal, $1 million away | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sherman Phoenix
March 9, 2018
Sherman Phoenix, a model for healing our city and building community, is nearing its $3.5 million campaign goal. With the help of over 100 investors and donors, $2.5 million has been raised to fund Sherman Phoenix. Currently, $1 million more is needed before the building can be completed.
Once completed, Sherman Phoenix will house 17+ small businesses, which will contribute to 75+ new jobs in the neighborhood. To further encourage entrepreneurship in communities of color, Sherman Phoenix will also provide mentorship and coaching for tenants who have signed to be part of the project. The full list of current tenants is on Sherman Phoenix’s new website that launched this week: www.shermanphoenix.com.
In 2016, violent unrest broke out in the Sherman Park neighborhood of Milwaukee after a fatal police shooting rocked the community. In the weeks following, community conversations identified the need for safe, welcoming neighborhood spaces, and certain leaders in the community decided to take matters into their own hands in order to foster change. In the hopes of moving forward — the idea for the Sherman Phoenix was born.
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The Sherman Phoenix will transform the fire-damaged BMO Harris Bank building located at the eastern gateway to the Sherman Park neighborhood into high-quality space for small businesses-of-color offering diverse foods, wellness services and cultural activities. Updates to the neighborhood will include much-needed community spaces to curate art exhibits, film showings, and cultural events.
Spearheading the project is Milwaukee developer Juli Kaufmann and local entrepreneur Joanne Johnson-Sabir, who looked at the remnants of the burned down bank branch as a way to quite literally rebuild community.
“The power for this project not only comes from donations, but also from the people and the tenants who have joined this movement,” said Joanne Sabir, co-owner of The Juice Kitchen and the co-founder of Sherman Phoenix. “The overall commitment to the betterment of this neighborhood has blown us away.”
Juli Kaufmann, president of Fix Development and the other co-founder of the project added, “We are amazed by the strength of our tenants and how well their vision for the neighborhood matches ours.”
Donations to reach the campaign goal are currently being accepted online at www.shermanphoenix.com/donate. Additionally, there is still tenant spacing available for interested businesses. For more information on the movement, contact Sherman Phoenix leadership at 262.228.6021 or info@shermanphoenix.com.
About Sherman Phoenix
The Sherman Phoenix is a model for healing our city by generating positive economic and social returns in communities of color. The project has begun to transform the fire-damaged BMO Harris Bank building located at the eastern gateway to the Sherman Park neighborhood into high-quality space for small businesses-of-color offering diverse foods, wellness services and cultural activities. Updates to the neighborhood will include much-needed community spaces to curate art exhibits, film showings, and cultural events. For more information, visit www.shermanphoenix.com.

author: Sherman Phoenix


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On the Block: Workout warrior | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
March 10, 2018
Alex Stojanovski, 35, who played professional soccer in Europe and Canada, now lives in the Midtown neighborhood on the city’s North Side with his wife, a Milwaukee native. Stojanovski, who is now a personal trainer, runs laps and does other exercises every other day at Tiefenthaler Park, 2501 W. Galena St.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 10, 2018


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Open letter to the media | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
LaShawndra Vernon
March 10, 2018
LaShawndra Vernon, a nonprofit management professional who has worked on the issue of human trafficking, calls on the media to respect the lives and legacies of women killed by intimate partners.
On March 7, Fox 6 aired a piece about a beautiful 19- year–old young lady who was savagely murdered by a 30–year–old man. In the article on the Fox 6 website, the reporterscited messages from the murderer, referring to her as a prostitute, and stating his self-reported motives. The violent nature of the crime was unbelievable. She was beaten repeatedly with a pipe and stabbed six or seven times. Based on the murderer’s report, she shortchanged him by $40. Somehow the murderer was given a voice.
But what about the voice of the murder victim? What about the voice of the family that never once referred to their daughter, sister, niece, friend as a prostitute? Prostitution is a criminal charge, it is not a human characteristic or description. The fact that the media, in this instance Fox 6 Milwaukee, feels comfortable re-victimizing the family of this and countless crimes in this community is the reason for my open letter.
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Here are a few things I would like to say to the press:
1. When reporting on a murder, the person who turned themselves in is the least reliable source to tell the story. What is your motive as a media outlet? If your intent is to cause more harm than good you don’t deserve to inform the public..
2. Prostitution is an act, a citation, a record. It is not and never will be a description of a human being. Even if there was an agreement to exchange resources for sex it doesn’t give anyone the right to take a life. Lives are invaluable, and that includes sex workers.
3. The media continues to be a vehicle for racial and gender oppression. It’s almost as if you’re in a competition to be the most deplorable purveyors of information. Journalism should be an art form. Mass media is a bad joke told repeatedly.
4. Black women are the backbone of this nation. For some reason that makes the media mad. Guess what? We, the black delegation see you and we judge you for your crimes against humanity. We know that if a poor little white girl had been brutally murdered in central Milwaukee from Mukwonago the story would have been about how she was lured into the evils of big bad Milwaukee. Consider yourselves called out.
5. The way the article is written it makes it seem like the age difference isn’t a factor. It is. Any 19–year–old girl dealing with a 30–year–old man is in over her head.
6. This crime is still being investigated. Details of this crime will continue to surface. Like any crime that includes murder there are layers and levels to the how and why. Media, you do more harm than good when you prematurely report your half-baked research in an effort to be first.
7. This city is dealing with a human trafficking epidemic. Girls are being wooed into a lifestyle with false promises. Young people are participating in survival sex in exchange for a place to sleep. Young people are exchanging money for sex and don’t even realize there’s something wrong with it. And you’re out here promoting the negative like we don’t have a larger community problem of victimized youth. Your relentless messages of negativity are the root of suicides, sexual assaults and rape. Yes, it’s your fault too.
8. Before you sit down to write another article or prepare another story, do humanity a favor and prepare the content as if you are talking about your mother.
I implore you do no harm, as if you’d taken the Hippocratic Oath. The people in our society are hemorrhaging emotionally and spiritually. Do us all a favor and discontinue your erosion of the human race, and take your hands off of black and brown girls.

author: LaShawndra Vernon


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Ernie Haines wants to put Wisconsin ‘on the map’ in boxing | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dean Bibens
March 12, 2018
Ernie Haines Jr. is one of the hardest working athletes his father has ever coached. For the past six years, the two have spent hours in the ring practicing every day, and Haines Jr., is a premiere fighter.
Haines decided to teach his son how to box because he was a victim of bullying.
“It kind of angered me, and you have mixed emotions when your children come home hurt, crying,” Haines said.
Haines and his friends at Certified Ryder Motorcycle Club decided to form a self-defense class for their children to protect them from bullying. “We wanted to do something to help the community,” Haines said. “So we figured, why not teach the children how to defend themselves?”
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The youth enjoyed Haines’ coaching and the sport of boxing so much that he turned the class into a full-fledged boxing organization, Team Certified Sports, located at 1531 W. Vliet St.
“Children, they grow up so fast,” Haines said. “They started out as amateur boxers, but as they became young adults they turned professional; and I just went right along with them.”
Haines still teaches youth boxers but he mostly works with the professionals. His partner, Thomas Moreland, coaches the youth. Moreland compared Team Certified to a baseball organization. “The youth have to work their way up to the big leagues just as a baseball player does in the minor leagues,” he said. “Once Ernie and I determine that a kid is ready to turn pro and they’ve been through enough amateur fights, they can make the leap to professional status.”
Akeem Black, 22, has been boxing since he was 16, and credits Haines for getting him out of a rut in his life. “I ended up hanging with the wrong crowd and I found myself in a juvenile detention center for about four months,” Black said. “Once I got out, they got me a mentor and asked me what I liked to do; I told [Haines] I want to box and ever since then I’ve been putting in the hardest work of my life.”
Haines and his team have one goal in mind: to win championships.
Team Certified currently has two undefeated fighters (Akeem Black and Jose Rodriguez) and is bringing nationally televised boxing to Wisconsin for the first time in May, according to Haines.
“It’s going to be a four-fight deal and the event is going to be held in Green Bay,” Haines said. “I’m pretty happy about it and I see our guys doing really well come competition day.”

author: Dean Bibens


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 11, 2018

author: Adam Carr


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Stop the violence against our children | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ray Dall’Osto
March 12, 2018
Ray Dall’Osto, an attorney with Gimbel Reilly Guerin & Brown in Milwaukee, calls for effective legislative action, education at school and in the home, and prevention to reduce violence.
Our nation is once again reeling in shock and horror, after the Valentine’s Day 2018 mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida. How was a former student suffering from depression, who previously exhibited violent tendencies, able to arm himself with a military assault rifle and go on a shooting spree killing 17 innocent students and teachers? Why are such military-grade weapons available to persons who have no business having such in their possession? Why aren’t the president, Congress and Wisconsin’s legislature doing anything effective to address and prevent gun violence victimizing our youth?
The Parkland shooter used an Armalite (AR-15) semi-automatic rifle to kill the 17 on Valentine’s Day. So too did the Orlando, Florida shooter, who killed 49 people at a nightclub, as well as the shooters at a community college in San Bernardino, California and at the Sandy Hook elementary school. The AR-15 is a weapon of war, and used to be illegal. President Bill Clinton’s assault weapons ban, which was in effect from 1994 to 2004, banned the AR-15 and other guns that were too similar to military-style weapons. Former President Obama’s attempts to reinstitute the assault weapon ban were blocked by Congress, and the carnage needlessly goes on and is accelerating.
Since the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012, there have been at least 239 school shootings nationwide. In those incidents, 438 people were shot, 138 of whom were killed. 114,000 Americans are shot every year, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
Whether it is youth violence, intimate partner violence or gun violence, violence in all forms is a public health epidemic in the United States. In 2010, violence was the second leading cause of death among youth in the United States between the ages of 10 and 24. Gun violence impacts violent deaths at a disproportionate rate among certain age groups, when compared to other violent deaths. Of all the violent deaths among 10-24 year-olds, an individual’s youth and early adulthood, 84 percent were killed with a firearm.
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A bill that would require schools in Wisconsin and the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to provide teen dating violence prevention education and establish certain criteria governing the type of curriculum and instruction provided was introduced in the State Senate.
While this is a step in the right direction to address sexual violence and abuse prevention, much more needs to be done to educate students, teachers and parents about physical violence, bullying and gun violence. This is a public health and education issue that cries out for effective legislative action, education at school and in the home, and prevention NOW. It is totally irresponsible to just wait until the next tragedy while doing nothing, as this country and state have done since Sandy Hook.
Model gun violence prevention curriculum for youth currently exists in other states, including Illinois and Virginia, and could readily be adapted for use in Wisconsin schools right now. The Virginia curriculum includes an awareness of the dangers of firearms and encourages a common sense gun safety pledge for students:
If you find a gun:
• Leave it alone
• Leave the area
• Let an adult know

author: Ray Dall’Osto


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City shorts black-led organizations on federal CDBG grants, report finds | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
March 13, 2018
Tony Gibson, founder and long-time chair of the Johnsons Park Neighborhood Association, speaks during the reports presentation while Ald. Russell Stamper (partially obscured) and Sister Patricia Rogers (far right) look on. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
The city needs to fund more black-led, grassroots organizations to address issues such as poverty and violence, which are most prevalent in Milwaukee’s black community, according to black nonprofit leaders.
First and foremost, a clear vision is needed, said Sister Patricia Rogers, executive director of the Dominican Center for Women, a nonprofit that provides adult education and housing support to Amani residents. She said coordinating where funds are going, who the organizations receiving funds are serving and how the money is being spent is paramount.
“If we do not get that coordination of funds, we’re going to continue to just throw money at the wall,” said Rogers.
Rogers’ comments came after the presentation of a report that noted black-led, grassroots organizations — those that had a black executive and majority African-American board — make up a smaller percentage of Neighborhood Strategic Planning Area (NSP) lead agencies on the North Side than white-led organizations, although the areas they work in are primarily black. Four of 12 — or one-third — of the lead agencies on the North Side are black-led; those four received only 17 percent of the total funds allocated to all 12 organizations. The funds, while federal, are distributed by the City of Milwaukee through the Community Development Grants Administration.
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Lead agencies were used as the report’s primary example of this disparity, however it notes other qualitative examples of white-led organizations receiving priority over black-led agencies, and the relative lack of impact these white-led agencies have. The Community Development Grants Administration plans to distribute $11.5 million to dozens of organizations in 2018.
Milwaukee NAACP President Fred Royal addresses the group of nonprofit leaders. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Organization leaders who attended the presentation suggested policy changes are needed, including lowering the amount of insurance required to receive city funds and getting money to organizations more quickly. Many attendees, including Ald. Russell Stamper, who heads the Community and Economic Development Committee, endorsed a “mutual aid” clause in city contracts that would require agencies receiving funds to utilize organizers who reside in the neighborhoods where they work.
“Why can’t we reinvent the wheel? Why can’t we put the cork back in the bottle?” asked Milwaukee NAACP President Fred Royal, who was on the team that compiled the report.
Royal noted that these funds were being allocated to black-led, community organizations until the 1980s, when President Ronald Reagan used the narrative of the “welfare queen” to gain public support for cuts to social service programs. Black-led, grassroots organizations, such as the Black Panthers, which pioneered free meal programs, and Milwaukee Commandos, who provided re-entry and job programs, were hit hardest.
“It’s always convenient to say, ‘It’s too complicated’ … when it impacts our community,” he said. “But when it’s reversed, it’s done without thought.”
According to Steven L. Mahan, director of the city’s Community Development Grants Administration, agencies that receive Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds must carry a minimum of $1 million in liability insurance, and could be required to carry additional coverage “depending on what type of work you’re doing.” Rogers and others said this creates a barrier for smaller organizations to apply. The Dominican Center paid $1,200 for liability insurance in 2017, including an additional $5,300 for workers’ compensation insurance.
Mahan said organizations do not have to carry insurance to apply for CDBG funds but must secure it before signing a contract. He said grants received from the Grants Administration can be used to pay insurance premiums.
Rogers also noted CDBG funds typically are not available to agencies for three or four months, which Ald. Russell Stamper said hinders their ability to survive. But Mahan said the city is in the same position. Until it receives its award letter from the federal government, the city has no funds to disperse. He said the process has been delayed for the last five years, adding, “I have no doubt that it’s tough for smaller organizations, or larger ones for that matter.”
Reggie Moore, director of the city’s Office of Violence Prevention, said the biggest challenge for his office during the past two years has been the “systems and processes” that make it difficult to work with smaller organizations.
“If you’re asking for money, there’s a responsibility,” Mahan said. “For federal funds, there are requirements.”
Representatives of small community organizations who were at the event said they often do not have the time or training to adequately manage their organizations, because they have so many responsibilities. Almost all said they struggled to secure grants, which often have administrative requirements, because they spend the majority of their time delivering services.
Camille Mays, who founded Peace Garden Project MKE about three years ago, said she doesn’t get paid for the work she does for her organization. Mays works as a community organizer for the Sherman Park Community Association to pay the bills.
“I still don’t get paid for the extra work that I do,” said Mays, who added that she often works long hours and evenings.
“We’re wearing so many hats,” said Dalvery Blackwell, co-founder and executive director of the African-American Breastfeeding Network. “I much prefer to do lactation services than record my financials.”
Many of the attendees said starting a black-led organization that could help small nonprofits with administrative tasks or act as a fiscal agent could be helpful. Mahan noted that the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee can provide organizations applying for CDBG funds with technical assistance. He also suggested that foundations could have more leeway than the city to adjust their funding requirements to allow small organizations to build capacity.
But Deborah Blanks, a former Social Development Commission (SDC) CEO and author of the report said, “Funders are not always receptive when these organizations come to the door.”
Ultimately, she said funders — whether in government or philanthropy — need to develop relationships with grassroots leaders so they can work together “to identify what the barriers are, and how we break down those barriers.”

author: Jabril Faraj


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 12, 2018


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40775030421_35684465e6_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 12, 2018


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MKE County Mental Health Board seeks comment on behavioral health budget | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Katy Glodosky
March 13, 2018
Milwaukee County Mental Health Board Meeting (Public Comment)
Thursday, March 22, 2018
4:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Washington Park Senior Center
4420 W Vliet St, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53208
The Milwaukee County Mental Health Board is looking to the public for insight and ideas. What do you believe should be included in the Behavioral Health Division 2019 budget?
• Comment from this hearing will shape budget documents the public will see later in the process
• At this hearing, BHD will not have a budget for the public to view
• Look at BHD’s 2018 budget to get a visual of what this process will lead to!
Tips to help prepare constructive public comment on the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division 2019 Budget:
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• Provide constructive feedback including ideas and solutions.
• Educate the board on your idea and why you believe it’s important.
• Familiarize yourself with the BHD budget. Here’s a link to our 2018 budget.
For more information on the budget hearings and a full schedule, visit our website.

author: Katy Glodosky


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Take Steps for Crohn’s and Colitis walk | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rebecca Conway
March 13, 2018
1.6 million Americans suffer from Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, chronic inflammatory diseases of the digestive tract. Take Steps is the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’s largest fundraising event and the nation’s only walk dedicated to finding a cure for digestive diseases.
Please join us on Sunday June 3, 2018 at South Shore Park to celebrate the Milwaukee Take Steps for Crohn’s & Colitis walk. The goal of the walk is to raise $136,000 to find a cure for these digestive diseases. Registration and the festival start at 1:00 PM. The walk begins at 3:00 PM.
To register, please visit:
http://online.ccfa.org/site/TR/TakeSteps/Chapter-Wisconsin?fr_id=7451&pg=entry
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author: Rebecca Conway


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 13, 2018


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CCF_TakeSteps_Lockup_V_Pos_RGB | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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March 12, 2018


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On the Block: ‘Domino effect’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
March 14, 2018
Kimberly Hillard, 20, works at the Grand Avenue Mall and has numerous “side hustles.” She looks forward to the day when she can move out of her parents’ home and dreams of being an environmental scientist. Hillard wishes more people would value what’s around them.


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Zen Dragonfly brings new form of healing to Walnut Way | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Margaret Cannon
March 14, 2018
Editor’s note: This is one of an occasional series of articles about the people and places of 53206.
When Angela Smith injured her back eight years ago, she discovered a new form of healing. At Milwaukee’s CORE El Centro, she participated in massage therapy, reiki and acupuncture, and to her surprise, found that her body was healing itself. She said she did not want to take traditional pain medications.
“I was amazed by the reiki,” said Smith.
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Reiki is an alternative Japanese healing technique in which practitioners use their energy to restore areas of physical and emotional pain. Smith described it as “massaging someone without touching them.” As she became more passionate about reiki, she noticed that there were few people of color participating in this type of healing. This inspired her to bring it to the North Side of Milwaukee.
Smith is now the owner of The Zen Dragonfly, 302 N. 34th St., an alternative wellness business where she offers a variety of holistic classes benefiting the mind, body and spirit. She founded The Zen Dragonfly in 2011 and partnered with Walnut Way Conservation Corp., 2240 N. 17th St., in 2015.
Born in Alabama, Smith and her family moved to Milwaukee when she was a young girl. Smith said that living in a segregated city never stopped her from pursuing new experiences.
“I don’t ever want to have a fear of where I live,” said Smith. She said her parents instilled in her the drive to do whatever she wanted to do in life. “That was my thing: I can go wherever I want to go.”
SOWFUL Sunday yoga classes meet every Sunday at Walnut Way Conservation Corp., 2240 N. 17th St. (Photo by Margaret Cannon)
In addition to teaching classes at her home in Merrill Park, she teaches at the Walnut Way Center, and is a facilitator of Women’s Healing Circles, where women gather to learn about healing methods and for emotional support. Smith said working with Walnut Way has allowed her to do a job that she loves in multiple locations and in multiple ways.
“[Walnut Way] has been so supportive of my business and other yoga businesses too, that it’s a win all the way around,” said Smith. “It’s a flow of abundance.”
Abundance was Smith’s focus at a recent SOWFUL Sunday restorative yoga class. She asked the women in the class to focus on their own version of abundance and keep it with them as they go through their week.
Brittiny Qualls is a regular at Smith’s yoga classes.
“I had never done yoga prior to three years ago,” said Qualls. “I never thought I could do yoga; I didn’t think that people of size could do yoga.”
Qualls said she tries to attend as many classes taught by Smith as she can. “I was inspired by Angela; seeing her made me feel comfortable with her,“ said Qualls.
As a working mother, Qualls said coming to yoga allows her to be calm and get in tune with herself. “One of my favorite things after class is the ride home, because I’m so relaxed and I don’t care that people are driving crazy around me,” said Qualls.
Qualls said The Zen Dragonfly is important for the community.
“I think that if people are calm and able to understand themselves, they are better able to deal with the … stresses that are going on in the world and the community,” said Qualls.
In addition to SOWFUL Sunday yoga classes, Smith also offers ritual readings, life coaching, reiki, tarot card readings, dance classes and retreats.
“When you take control of your own wellness, it changes everything,” she said.
According to Smith, this type of healing is more rewarding than traditional medicine because participants do the work to heal themselves.
“We are in a society that says it’s quick to do it this way [with drugs],” said Smith. “But a pill will never heal you.”
She also offers beginner yoga classes just for men. She said it’s beautiful to watch them learn and come back.
“When they are by themselves, they are vulnerable, they are more open, they are focused on their healing, and they don’t have these distractions of women in the room,” Smith said.
Shami Lock, a Harambee resident, recently began participating at The Zen Dragonfly. She heard about yoga classes through attending Healing Circles. She said Smith’s classes are different from other yoga classes because they allow participants to “be where you are” without feeling intimidated by difficult poses.
“I feel beautiful and more connected to my body,” said Lock.
Smith said her goal is to expose people who feel stuck and lost to her methods of healing. “We live in a difficult world, but we can make it simple.”

author: Margaret Cannon


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7-Eleven® ‘Green’ Team helped to restore Silver Spring Neighborhood Center | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
GreenPrint
March 15, 2018
On Saturday, March 10, the 7-Eleven, Inc. ‘Green Team’ of volunteers along with Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful worked to restore the Silver Spring Neighborhood Center’s greenhouse as a part of their new reduced emissions program, RENEW™ to provide more sustainable options to the city.
The RENEW program allows drivers to help reduce their carbon footprint, even as they drive.  For every gallon and grade of gas pumped at participating 7-Eleven locations, RENEW plants trees throughout the Milwaukee and Madison areas and invests in certified carbon emissions reduction projects to neutralize emissions by up to 30 percent.
“We are thrilled to join efforts with the 7-Eleven RENEW program to work in the Milwaukee community,” said Joe Wilson, executive director at Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful. “By rolling up their sleeves, their volunteers will make the greenhouse at the Silver Springs Neighborhood Center a great sustainability resource for the community. I look forward to getting our hands dirty with 7-Eleven RENEW to beautify the Milwaukee community.”
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“7-Eleven believes in giving back to the communities where we live, work, and play,” said Brent Schultz, certified business consultant with 7-Eleven Wisconsin. “We look forward to making a positive impact at the Silver Springs Neighborhood Center, as well as in the rest of the Milwaukee community, by continuing to plant thousands more trees and engaging in sustainability efforts.”
Additionally, as part of the one-year RENEW pilot, 100,000 trees will be planted across the U.S. in cooperation with the Arbor Day Foundation. This Milwaukee area project is one of the many local, regional and global initiative RENEW has invested in to reduce emissions.
The 7-Eleven RENEW program, powered by GreenPrint, is available at 93 participating 7-Eleven stations in Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin. For additional information on the reduced emissions fuel program and a store locator, visit www.7-ElevenRENEW.com/locator.

author: GreenPrint


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 15, 2018


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Local students walk out of class to protest gun violence in schools | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 15, 2018
Most of the 1,500 students who attend Rufus King International School joined students around the U.S. in a walkout to protest gun violence, demand limits on gun access and remember the students killed in the country’s most recent school shooting.
Exiting the back of the school building, located at 1801 W. Olive St., King students and faculty walked silently around the track. They observed 17 minutes of silence in memory of the 17 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students who died in a Feb. 14 shooting rampage at their Parkland, Florida school. A deceased student’s name was read aloud during each of the 17 minutes.
Students then performed spoken word poems and shared thoughts on the impact and threat of violence in their lives. At the microphone or on signs carried as they walked, many demanded that lawmakers enact laws that will reduce the threat of school shootings. One young woman spoke through tears of the recent shooting death of a cousin.
Fourth- through eighth-graders at Highland Community School, 1706 W. Highland Ave., also joined the walkout. School leaders noted that the school’s Bill of Rights “guarantees students the right to physical safety, the right to emotional safety, and the right to work in peace.” Students and staff demanded that lawmakers “find solutions to the rampant gun violence plaguing the United States.”
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author: Andrea Waxman


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 14, 2018


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Male MPS students inspired by ‘Black Panther’ themes of positivity, unity | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elizabeth Baker
March 15, 2018
Students from seven middle and high schools attended a special showing of the popular film, ‘Black Panther.” (Photo courtesy of Andy Nelson, MPS)
Christopher Reed, sophomore at Bradley Technology and Trade School. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
It didn’t take much convincing to get local middle and high school boys to skip class on a morning last week to go see an action movie instead. More than 200 young men from seven Milwaukee Public Schools attended a special viewing of “Black Panther,” followed by a reflection session at the Marcus North Shore Cinema.
After watching the film, chaperones led the students in a talkback session, reflecting on the themes of colonialism, white supremacy, anti-blackness and Afrofuturism in “Black Panther.” The students discussed how they could relate these themes to their own experiences in their schools, families and communities. In addition, they offered ideas for how to welcome new people, avoid judging others, accept their own vulnerability and contribute to communities of peace and unity, just like the characters in the movie.
Positivity, respect and leadership were some of the themes Bradley Technology and Trade School sophomore Christopher Reed gleaned from the film, and he said the event was the first time he saw so many high school boys from different high schools get along so well. “It’s the first time I saw high schools unite as one and not start any arguments, not curse each other out,” Reed said.
Jan Paris, sophomore at Bradley Technology and Trade School. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
“I really want people to understand that this movie is very peaceful, and you can learn a lot. It can change you. … Maybe we could just come together as one, and you don’t have to judge me, and I don’t have to judge you,” he added.
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Jan Paris, a sophomore at Bradley Tech, said it was a powerful experience to see the movie for the first time with hundreds of peers from all over Milwaukee. “If you watch it with everybody else it’s different. I guarantee there are people sitting in there right now thinking, ‘We’ve got to change, we’ve got to come together.’ It opens people’s minds, and that’s what I think people really need,” he said. “
“People don’t know other people’s backgrounds. They don’t know what they have to deal with every day,” Paris added. “This movie opened my eyes.”
Greg Ikanih, senior at Washington High School. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
“I never watch superhero movies, so at first, I wasn’t interested in seeing it. Then I saw it and really liked it,” said GregIkanih, a senior at Washington High School. “I didn’t even really pay attention to them fighting; I see it as a community of people sticking together for what they know is right, so they can help their own people. … They won’t turn against each other just because they believe different things, so I feel like that encourages us not to fight against each other just because we have our different views.”
Lanelle Ramey, director of the MPS Department of Black and Latino Male Achievement, which sponsored the event with Ald. Khalif Rainey, talked about the importance for these young men of being able to see a positive narrative about black men, created mostly by black directors and actors.
“Even the villain had a message behind his story that was good, and it’s something our young men face with their own pain. The fact that he lost his father and he blames everyone for losing his father and all the things he did to not show his emotion about losing his father was a great theme of the movie for a black man in particular,” Ramey noted.
Lanelle Ramey, director of the MPS Department of Black and Latino Male Achievement. (Photo by Elizabeth Baker)
Fostering brotherhood among students at schools across Milwaukee is a continuing goal of the Department of Black and Latino Male Achievement, Ramey said. Students from Audubon Technology & Communication Center Middle School, Riverside University High School, Martin Luther King, Jr. School, South Division High School and Harold S. Vincent High School also attended.
“Black Panther” reinforces the value of community,” Ramey noted. “There’s a line that divides us — those who go to different schools, those don’t live on the same block – and we want to eliminate that line.”

author: Elizabeth Baker


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Milwaukee County joins the fight against the opioid distributors and manufacturers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee County Office of Corporation Counsel
March 15, 2018
Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, County Board of Supervisors Chairman Theodore Lipscomb, Sr., Milwaukee County Corporation Counsel Margaret Daun and the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors announced today that Milwaukee County is taking a long-needed step to hold accountable the companies responsible for dumping millions of dollars’ worth of prescription opiates into our community, filing a public nuisance lawsuit against the pharmaceutical drug manufacturers and wholesale drug distributors that made the opioid epidemic possible.
Milwaukee County has filed suit against five of the largest manufacturers of prescription opioids and their related companies and against the country’s three largest wholesale drug distributors. The manufacturing companies pushed highly addictive, dangerous opioids, falsely representing to doctors that patients would only rarely succumb to drug addiction, while the distributors breached their legal duties to monitor, detect, investigate, refuse and report suspicious orders of prescription opioids.
Because prescription opioids are a highly addictive substance, in 1970 Congress designed a system to control the volume of opioid pills being distributed in this country. It let only a select few wholesalers gain the right to deliver opioids. In exchange, those companies agreed to do a very important job – halt suspicious orders and control against the diversion of these dangerous drugs to illegitimate uses. But in recent years they failed to do that, and today the Milwaukee community is paying the price.
Milwaukee County is joining a growing list of city and county governments across the country that are taking action against the drug manufacturers and distributors for fueling the opioid crisis in their communities. The County is working with a consortium of law firms to hold pharmaceutical wholesale distributors accountable for failing to do what they were charged with doing under the federal Controlled Substances Act – monitor, identify and report suspicious activity in the size and frequency of opioid shipments to pharmacies and hospitals.
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“As County Executive, I am determined to do everything in my power to stop this epidemic from further destroying the lives of the people of Milwaukee. Ending this crisis is going to take a major collective effort. Part of that effort must include accountability for the for-profit companies who fueled this epidemic,” County Executive Chris Abele said.
“It doesn’t matter if you are a drug dealer spreading product on the street or a publicly traded fortune 500 company. If you are complicit in taking the lives of the people of Milwaukee County, then we are coming after you,” said Corporation Counsel Margaret Daun. “Our community has had enough. It is time to go on offense and force these drug companies to pay for the damages that we have incurred as a result of their conduct.”
The people of Milwaukee County continue to bear the burden of the cost of the epidemic, as the costs of treatment for addiction, education and law enforcement have continued to rise. Based on the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 7.7 opioid prescriptions were dispensed for every 10 residents of the Milwaukee area in 2016, amounting to nearly one opioid prescription for every man, woman and child.
In 2017, 336 people in Milwaukee County died from drug overdose deaths, the majority of which involved opioids. This more than doubles the number of overdose deaths from 2012 and was greater than the number of suicides, homicides and motor vehicle accidents combined in 2017. EMS paramedics, firefighters and law enforcement administered 1,232 doses of naloxone to individuals who were overdosing in 2017.
Milwaukee County has hired expert law firms, experienced in holding the powerful pharmaceutical industry accountable. Those firms include: Baron & Budd; Levin, Papantonio, Thomas, Mitchell, Rafferty & Proctor; Greene Ketchum Bailey Farrell & Tweel; Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler; McHugh Fuller Law Group; Aiken & Scoptur; MWH Law Group; and Kerkman, Wagner & Dunn.
“Lives hang in the balance, and as we fight this fight in the streets we must also fight it in the court room and through legal channels,” County Board Chairman Theodore Lipscomb said. “Until we address the source of this epidemic and force drug makers and distributors to follow the law, we will continue to face an uphill battle.”
A study released just last week from the CDC demonstrates that the opioid epidemic in Wisconsin shows no signs of abating. Based on data from emergency room visits from July 2016 to September 2017, Wisconsin saw a 109% surge in opioid overdoses over that period, well above the national increase. Milwaukee County has led the state with the highest rate of inpatient hospitalizations and emergency department visits involving opioids. Based on data from 2012 to 2014, the rate was 82.2 visits involving opioids per 100,000 residents.
This tragedy is hitting almost every neighborhood in the County, brutally impacting both genders, and all races and socio-economic groups.
In addition to taking legal action, the County continues its ongoing efforts on numerous fronts to fight this epidemic.


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Residents express shock, concern over looming closure of South Side Social Security office | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
March 15, 2018
About 2,200 residents visit the Mitchell Street Social Security Office, 1710 S. 7th St., each month. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
As the sun glared through a morning chill, Leisly Alejandro, her mother — who uses a walker — and brother were among the steady stream of visitors to the Mitchell Street Social Security office Wednesday.
“We walk here a lot. My mom and brother are disabled,” Alejandro said.
That day, she had no clue that it likely would be their last visit there. The Mitchell Street Social Security office, located on the second floor of a building at 1710 S. 7th St., will close March 22 due to facility maintenance and safety issues, according to a statement from the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Problems at the Mitchell Street field office include periodic elevator troubles, which forced patrons to use the stairs; lack of secure parking and a secured street entrance; and heating, ventilation and air conditioning issues, according to Doug Nguyen, regional communications director for the Social Security Administration.
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Nguyen said about 2,200 people visit the Mitchell Street Social Security Office monthly. He added that nearly half the visitors to the branch reside outside of its service area ZIP codes of 53204, 53207 and 53235. Other nearby ZIP codes that will be impacted by the closing include 53215 and 53221.
Rep. Gwen Moore speaks during a press conference denouncing the decision to close the Mitchell Street Social Security office in February. (Photo courtesy of Wisconsin State AFL-CIO)
“We are confident we can provide quality service in one of our four nearby offices moving forward,” Nguyen said in an email.
Residents are being encouraged to utilize online, telephone or in-person services at other Milwaukee branches, including one located downtown on Wisconsin Avenue and another on South 84th Street and West Layton Avenue in Greenfield. There are also two Social Security offices on the North Side.
“It’s going to be a big problem for us trying to get to the other places,” Alejandro said.
South Side resident Veronica Cabrera said she visits the office on Mitchell Street once every few months, usually when she’s lost her Social Security card or to handle other personal affairs. But, she said, her mother walks there twice a month. She said she’s worried about her mother having to travel farther to receive vital services.
“It’s going to make her life more difficult. She doesn’t get around very well without a car,” Cabrera said. She added that aside from a homeless person sleeping in the hallway near the entrance once in a while, she hasn’t had any other safety concerns at the Mitchell Street office.
Both Alejandro and Cabrera, as well as a dozen other visitors Wednesday, said they knew nothing of the impending closure. Local and state officials say they were left in the dark for a time as well. Mayor Tom Barrett and U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore said they weren’t notified of the plans to close the Mitchell Street office until January. In a letter to Gale Stallworth Stone, the acting inspector general for Social Security Administration, Moore said SSA failed to follow its own policy.
“As noted in SSA policies and procedures for closing and consolidating field offices, ‘at least 180 days prior to the proposed consolidation date, we will notify the public about any field office consolidation proposal and include a 30 day comment period,’” Moore stated in the letter.
In a series of letters to Phyllis Smith, regional SSA commissioner, and John Cooke, acting regional administrator for the U.S. General Services Administration, Moore suggested that they consider relocating the office to the vacant second floor of the Mitchell Street Branch of Milwaukee Public Library, 906 W. Mitchell St. At a news conference in February, Barrett said the city offered the closed Forest Home Library, 1432 W. Forest Home Ave., which was replaced with the Mitchell Street library, as a place to relocate.
Ald. Jose Perez, who represents the area where the Mitchell Street field office is located, and along with Moore spoke at a March 7 rally to protest the closure, also criticized the SSA’s actions in a statement. He said the decision to close the South Side branch was made without any public meetings and inadequate outreach.
“It’s a slap in the face,” stated Perez, who vowed to work to keep the branch open.
Last week, in response to Moore’s most recent call for an investigation into the legality of the closing, the Office of the Inspector General agreed to review plans to close the Mitchell Street branch. Apparently, the decision was made to go through with the closure. The Office of the Inspector General did not yet respond to a question from Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service regarding whether a study had been conducted and what the results where.  According to a statement released by SSA on Tuesday, the office will close next Thursday, with employees shifted to surrounding offices.
Jaquitta Grafton, who lives on South 23rd Street, said she’ll have no choice but to adjust to traveling farther during her two trips to the Social Security office each month. Grafton added that she’s never experienced any problems at the Mitchell Street office and was disappointed that it is closing.
“I’ve never seen anything happen here to make me believe it’s an unsafe location. They shouldn’t close it. We need this office,” Grafton said.

author: Edgar Mendez


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40767824772_e42654f9eb_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 15, 2018


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Summer Youth Internship Program offers great opportunities | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Khalif J. Rainey
March 15, 2018
The City of Milwaukee’s Earn & Learn Summer Youth Internship Program offers excellent paid work opportunities for youths between the ages of 16 (as of June 1, 2018) and 19 years old.
SYIP interns are placed in a city department such as Fire, Library, Neighborhood Services, Office of the Mayor, Administration, Common Council – City Clerk, Public Works, Assessor, Health, Port, or City Development for eight weeks. While working they receive mentoring and excellent experience in various tasks and assignments.
The interns earn $8.75 per hour and work Monday through Friday — 20 hours per week. The program starts June 7 and ends August 3.
I strongly urge anyone interested to apply for the program today at: http://city.milwaukee.gov/earnandlearn/jobs/syip.
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Please act quickly as the application deadline is Friday, March 23.

author: Ald. Khalif J. Rainey