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The NNS coronavirus update: What Milwaukee residents need to know the week of Sept. 28 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
September 28, 2020
The largest number of COVID-19 cases in Milwaukee County is coming from people in the 25-to-59 age range. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Here’s the latest update on COVID-19 in Milwaukee and the resources you need to combat it.
Dr. Ben Weston, director of medical services for the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management, said the county was flipping the key indicator for cases from yellow to red last week, meaning the county has seen a significant 14-day trend in positive COVID-19 cases.
Weston said there was also an increase in hospitalizations, as the county is beginning to reflect a statewide trend of increasing numbers.
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“Wisconsin now has more COVID-19 hospitalizations than any other time since the pandemic began,” Weston said.
Greenfield Health Commissioner Darren Rausch said the county’s transmission rate surpassed 1.0 last week, meaning that on average, every person infected with coronavirus passed the disease on to at least one other person.
Rausch said case numbers for children also are rising again. The largest number of cases in the county, however, is coming from people in the 25-to-59 age range.
The city named Marlaina Jackson as interim health commissioner last week. (Photo provided by Milwaukee Health Department)
The city named Marlaina Jackson as interim health commissioner last week. Jackson, who previously served as deputy commissioner of community health previously, will fill the role until the city finds a permanent replacement for Jeanette Kowalik.
Kowalik stepped down from her position earlier this month to join Trust For America’s Health, a health policy organization based in Washington, D.C. Effective last Wednesday, Jackson took over as interim commissioner.
Kowalik thanked members of the health department for their work during the pandemic, before handing off the health commissioner’s badge “COVID-style” (after sanitizing her hands and wiping the badge down with disinfectant) to Jackson.
Jackson said her goal over the next 90 days will be to push coronavirus response further, including staffing for bar contact tracing and increasing testing around the area.
“I am super excited to take the role,” Jackson said. “I understand it’s a heavy lift. I understand I have big shoes to fill, but I’m super excited.”  How two Milwaukee natives are leading the city’s fight against COVID-19
The National Guard’s deployment for COVID-19 testing in Milwaukee is set to end soon, leaving two of the largest testing sites in the city in need of staff. The city plans to take over these testing sites when the deployment ends. Mayor Tom Barrett said more information would be available Tuesday.
Gov. Tony Evers extended the statewide mask mandate and declared a public health emergency last week, as cases continue to surge in Wisconsin. The mandate, which was originally supposed to end Sept. 28, was extended until Nov. 21.
The move comes as Wisconsin continues to post its highest daily case totals since the pandemic began. The rise has mostly been spurred by those in the 18-to-24 age group statewide.
Weston said the governor’s actions  were “absolutely critical.”
“These are not trends that we want to see, especially entering into the colder months when respiratory infections such as COVID-19 expand dramatically,” Weston said.
To obtain a free mask, residents can visit these sites:
NNS reporters also gathered a list of where to buy locally made masks if you’re looking to show some local business love when masking up.
Check the City of Milwaukee Health Department’s website for the most updated facts and answers to questions about the mask ordinance.
Look here for up-to-date statistics on COVID-19 in the county. More precautions on how to stay safe and information on COVID-19 can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
Contact your health provider, call IMPACT 2-1-1 or take a look at the county’s testing site map to find a testing center near you. The free community testing sites at UMOS, 2701 S. Chase Ave., and Custer Stadium by Barack Obama School, 4300 W. Fairmount Ave., continue to operate.
Check out our continuing coronavirus coverage.
Looking for more personalized direction to resources and information during the coronavirus crisis? Get connected with News414, a texting-based news resource from Milwaukee NNS, Wisconsin Watch and Outlier Media. You can text MILWAUKEE to 73224 and begin to receive free, personalized data via text messages.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 27, 2020

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: September 27, 2020

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

author: Adam Carr


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Here’s where your child can go before, during and after school for help | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
September 29, 2020
Ma’ruf Youth Center, 2110 W. Hampton Ave., is operating as a remote schooling center where students can receive help with their schoolwork, eat lunch and participate in the center’s relaxation program. (File photo by Ana Martinez-Ortiz)
When the coronavirus pandemic arrived, normalcy and routine went out the window. Parents and children found themselves working and learning side-by-side in their homes.
Now many parents are going back to work, but not all children are returning to in-person school.
Luckily, community organizations throughout Milwaukee have stepped up to help working parents.
Below is a list of organizations offering before-, during- and after-school care. Please note that hours and locations are subject to change.
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Did we miss a center offering child care? Post it in the comments below or send an email to info@milwaukeenns.org with the subject line “Child care COVID-19.”
Before-, during- and after- school programs
YMCA
The YMCA has launched the Extended Learning Program, which was designed to help accommodate Milwaukee schools. Students ages 4 to 17 can participate in this in-person program. The program provides a safe space for students to complete their online classes and receive support if needed. To register your child, click here. The program costs $34 a day and Wisconsin Shares are accepted.
The Extended Learning Program is offered at the following YMCA locations: Northside YMCA, 1350 W. North Ave.; Northwest Early Childhood Education Center, 9050 N. Swan Rd.; and Rite-Hite Family YMCA, 9250 N. Green Bay Rd.
The YMCA is also offering before- and after-school programs for children ages 4 to 12 at over 30 locations. Enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis. Locations are added daily.
Milwaukee Recreation
Milwaukee Recreation, in partnership with Milwaukee Public Schools, will be offering before- and after-school programs for students in grades K5 through 12. There are Community Learning Centers and Child Care Camps available Monday through Friday.
Ma’ruf Youth Center
Ma’ruf Youth Center, 2110 W. Hampton Ave., is operating as a remote schooling center. Currently, it is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, but it plans to expand its hours of operation. Students can receive help with their schoolwork, eat lunch and participate in the center’s relaxation program. Parents can register their children online or in person. Masks are required. Hand sanitizer is stationed throughout the center and people’s temperature is taken at the door before entering.
Boys & Girls Clubs
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee are now open for fall registration. The clubs will be offering support for online learning, meals and snacks, additional programming, Wi-Fi and more. Students ages 4 to 15 are eligible to register. The clubs will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Parents may choose from one of the following clubs: Daniels-Mardak Club, 4834 N. 35 St., Don & Sallie Davis Club, 1975 S. 24 St., Fitzsimonds Club, 3400 W. North Ave., LaVarnway Club, 2739 N. 15 St. and Mary Ryan Club, 3000 N. Sherman Blvd.
Lighthouse Youth Center
The Lighthouse Youth Center is open but limited to 25 students a day. The center has several campuses, one in Garden Homes, 2475 W. Roosevelt Drive, one in Havenwoods, 5641 N. 68 St., and one in Polonia, 1132 W. Oklahoma Ave. The centers operate from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students can receive assistance for their virtual learning from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Summit Education Association
Summit Education Association will continue to offer its one-on-one tutoring program for the 2020-’21 school year. Parents can register their child online or call Matt Smyczek, executive director, at 414-364-2902. The program will be offered from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Kosciuszko Community Center, 2201 S. 7 St. and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, 1531 W. Vliet St. Masks and daily attestation forms are required. Additional tutoring sessions will be offered if the demand is there.

created: September 29, 2020

author: Ana Martinez-Ortiz


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 28, 2020

created: September 28, 2020


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‘Neighborhood Gems’: Learn about Visual Vibes on Villard and AWE’s Silver City Artist-in-Residency | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 29, 2020
The Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is collaborating with Historic Milwaukee on “Neighborhood Gems: Behind the Scenes,” which takes place at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1.
The free digital event, part of the virtual Doors Open, which runs through Oct. 11, will feature five-minute “lightning round” presentations from eight community projects, using multimedia and storytelling to share their backstory.
In the lead up, we are publishing mini-features on the projects. Today, we feature Visual Vibes on Villard and Artist Working in Education’s Silver City Artist-in-Residency with Sara Gail Luther.
Prolific Milwaukee muralist Ammar Nsoroma paints his contribution to the Visual Vibes on Villard project. (Photo provided by Visual Vibes on Villard)
Visual Vibes on Villard
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Visual Vibes on Villard is a public art project taking place throughout the Villard Avenue Business Improvement District, located in the corridor surrounding North 35th Street and West Villard Avenue. Five artists were selected by neighbors and commissioned to create murals on buildings connecting to themes of entrepreneurship, cultural pride, community pride, health and wellness and environmental conversation.
The Visual Vibes on Villard presentation will be given by Angelique Sharpe, manager of Villard Avenue BID #19.
Artists Working in Education’s Silver City Artist-in-Residency with Sarah Gail Luther
Artists Working in Education has established an artist-in-residence program in Silver City, with neighborhood resident and artist Sarah Gail Luther leading the way. The program invites community members to “creatively engage with their neighborhood, neighbors and share culture.” Creative projects and activities can be found on the project’s website.
This program is modeled after Artist Working in Education’s artist-in-residence at the Mitchell Street Branch of the Milwaukee Public Library.
The Silver City Artist-in-Residency presentation will be given by Luther.
Artist Sarah Gail Luther created this hand-drawn map of Silver City during her artist-in-residency in the neighborhood. (Photo provided by Sarah Gail Luther)


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3 visual vibes on villard | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 28, 2020


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Surge in suicides in Milwaukee County forces leaders to step up prevention efforts | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
September 29, 2020
Suicides surged in Milwaukee County in August, putting the county on track to exceed last year’s total. Experts see intensified mental health problems due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Milwaukee County is on pace to finish the year with more suicides than in 2019, prompting health leaders to step up prevention efforts.
County Executive David Crowley said the county likely will exceed last year’s numbers, potentially reaching 126.
There have been 94 confirmed suicides since Jan. 1 in Milwaukee, and approximately eight cases pending that may be ruled as suicides.
According to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office, 115 people died by suicide in Milwaukee County in 2019. In the county’s record year of 2017, there were 156 suicides.
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In addition, Crowley said 80% of emergency medical service calls for overdoses and mental health needs have come from Black residents in 2020.
Mental health professionals and public health officials say they are working to combat the situation.
Vaynesia Kendrick, a community outreach specialist with the city’s Office of Violence Prevention, said the surge in suicides can be linked to COVID-19.
People, she said, feel socially isolated because of the pandemic on top of mounting economic strain on household finances.
In addition, Kendrick said an increased focus on racial and social injustice may also be affecting people’s mental state.
Tony Thrasher, medical director of crisis services for the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division, said many people are experiencing “real and perceived difficulty” trying to reach a psychiatrist.
For example, he said, many people may not want to leave the house or think that it would be safe to see their psychiatrist. Others are simply not aware of the resources available to them.
“To a person with mental illness, it doesn’t matter if” any difficulty “is real or perceived,” Thrasher said. “It’s a barrier regardless.”
Crowley said an important step is “investing upstream,” or putting funding and efforts into addressing the problems that lead to suicide.
This means making mental health services more accessible and ensuring residents seek them out.
Leah Rolando, suicide prevention program coordinator for Mental Health America of Wisconsin, said investing upstream can also mean addressing larger societal issues. She said there has been success with providing people with basic things they need, such as food, water, shelter and financial assistance to address mental health problems.
Suicide among Wisconsinites increased 40% from 2000 to 2017, according to a recently released report detailing data trends across the state.
Teens and young adults are more likely to have thoughts of suicide than any other age group.
One in six public high school students in Wisconsin reported suicidal thoughts in 2017, and this group has high incidence of hospitalization for self-harm.
This has caused a reckoning for mental health advocates, who now need to reach new demographic groups, Rolando said.
“Suicide prevention is not one size fits all,” Rolando said, who stressed the importance of tailoring the approach to different cultures and backgrounds.
Rolando said many contemporary suicide prevention strategies are tailored toward white cisgender women, making the strategies difficult to apply for people who need help outside of that demographic.
Rolando said there are new efforts being made to connect to Black youth, including faith-based suicide prevention and a change in messaging.
In Milwaukee, this includes the MIRACLE Network, a group led by the Progressive Baptist Church that focuses on relating mental health and wellness to the faith community.
That messaging means more when it’s coming from within the areas and communities that mental health providers serve, Thrasher said. That is why there is an effort by the Behavioral Health Division to decentralize its services, which were previously based heavily in Wauwatosa, and move them into areas in the city where they are needed most.
“Many people think they’re the only one that feels that way,” Thrasher said, “or that many people feel that way, and there’s no way out.”
Crowley said everyone can help by doing simple things such as checking in on our neighbors and friends and asking them how they are feeling or if they need assistance. He also said we need to have “tough conversations with our loved ones” about suicide.
“We need to rely on one another and lean on one another,” Crowley said.
Resources that can help
Vaynesia Kendrick, a community outreach specialist with the city’s Office of Violence Prevention, said one of the first steps to preventing suicide is having conversations about it in the home.
She suggested anyone interested in starting a conversation take Question, Persuade and Refer training, which is offered by Mental Health America.
She said it is important to remember that you do not have to be suicidal to access these resources. You can utilize them to get details on how to manage situations in the future, including helping other people struggling with suicidal thoughts.
Suicide Prevention Lifeline: (800) 273-8255
Milwaukee County Crisis Line, available 24/7: (414) 257-7222
The Crisis Text Line: Users should text HOME to 741741 to be connected with someone who can help guide them through any crises they may be experiencing.
The My3 app: Available on the Apple Store and Google Play Store, the app provides resources and allows users to create a safety plan when they are struggling with suicidal thoughts. It allows you to select and contact three of the most important or trusted people in your life if you are in crisis.
The Virtual Hope Box: The app is meant to create positive thinking and help people to cope and relax. It is available on the Apple Store and Google Play Store.

author: Matt Martinez


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Boys & Girls Clubs closes 6 locations, forcing families to scramble for child care | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
September 30, 2020
The Pieper-Hillside Boys & Girls Club, which had been open for over 20 years, closed in August. (File photo by Adam Carr)
Editor’s note: The Boys & Girls Clubs  says closing of sites will be temporary. Read the update here.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee has closed six locations throughout the city, bowing to financial challenges created by the pandemic.
Kathy Thornton-Bias, president of the organization, which provides child care, mentoring and support for area children, said COVID-19 has put a dent in finances.
The Boys & Girl Clubs bills itself as the largest youth-serving agency in the city.
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“I have empathy and understanding for those who think their place, their home, their livelihood are being threatened,” Thornton-Bias said.
But the money just isn’t there, she said.
Imposing social distancing has made operations difficult to maintain and kept many regulars from returning, she said.
Here are the clubs that have been closed until in-person classes resume:
Bradley Tech High School BGC
Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy BGC
Gaenslen BGC
Kagel BGC
In addition, the Pieper-Hillside Boys & Girls Club, which had been open for over 20 years and was a frequent stop for kids in Hillside Terrace and students at Golda Meir School, closed on Aug. 28.
For many, a news release from Ald. Milele Coggs was the first they had heard of the closing, causing a last-minute scramble to find child care.
Thornton-Bias said Pieper-Hillside relied heavily on students from Golda Meir School for traffic. With Golda Meir not meeting in person, the numbers suffered.
So far, the clubs have been  able to avoid staff layoffs. Thornton-Bias said keeping her employees remains a priority, especially because many kids stay because of the relationship, not the location.
Staff from Pieper-Hillside have been relocated to other clubs, she said.
“We’re adapting to live another day,” Thornton-Bias said. “We’re stretching our muscles in ways we’ve never done before.”
Child care disrupted
LaKeidra Madison works in the same building as the Pieper-Hillside club as an administrative assistant at the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee. Her daughter used to go to the club regularly. She said the closing uprooted child care for many in the area, herself included.
“They didn’t ask for input or get any opinions,” Madison said.
Madison said residents found out about the closing on a Wednesday, and two days later,  the club had shut its doors.
Madison said that in the interim before finding child care, she’s relied on family to watch her daughter. Other pricing options for her daughter’s child care are a far cry from the $5 one-time fee she paid at the club.
The center offered kids “mental engagement,” Madison said. It had a gymnasium for physical activity and classrooms where kids could do schoolwork, coloring and other activities.
Madison said the location also was convenient (parents at Hillside were able to stand on their porches and watch their kids walk into the club’s front doors) and that the center helped a lot of families.
The club also offered a computer lab and internet access for those who attended.
Madison said since the location closed, around 10 kids will be sitting on the benches outside of the club inside their building trying to get access to the internet so they can attend virtual schooling.
“This is a time when you should add resources in inner cities rather than taking them away,” Madison said.
In the meantime, the clubs are offering to place kids in other locations around the city, including the Siefert Boys & Girls Club, located in Siefert Elementary School, which is roughly six blocks away from Pieper-Hillside.
Thornton-Bias said the club offers free van transportation for kids.
Thornton-Bias said she does not know if or when the Pieper-Hillside club would reopen, as this year has proven unpredictable. But she said officials are working as hard as they can to serve the community.
“We know if we go away, our kids and communities will be harmed,” Thornton-Bias said.

created: September 30, 2020


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 29, 2020


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‘Neighborhood Gems’: Learn about Glorious Malone’s Fine Sausage and the Neighborhood Tiles project in Clarke Square | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 30, 2020
The Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is collaborating with Historic Milwaukee on “Neighborhood Gems: Behind the Scenes,” which takes place at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1.
The free digital event, part of the virtual Doors Open, which runs through Oct. 11, will feature five-minute “lightning round” presentations from eight community projects, using multimedia and storytelling to share their backstory.
In the lead up, we are publishing mini-features on the projects. Today, we feature Glorious Malone’s Fine Sausage and the Neighborhood Tiles project in the Clarke Square neighborhood.
Daphne Jones (wearing red vest), owner of Glorious Malone’s Fine Sausage, leads a tour of her manufacturing facility. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Glorious Malone’s Fine Sausage
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Behind the walls of a quiet, red brick building on the corner of North Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and West Walnut Street, a family legacy and locally owned food business thrives. Glorious Malone’s Fine Sausage began as a small neighborhood shop in Milwaukee’s Bronzeville and operates today with 10 employees, producing as much as 235,000 pounds of headcheese a year sold throughout the Midwest and beyond.
The presentation for Glorious Malone’s Fine Sausage will be given by Daphne Jones, Glorious Malone’s president and CEO.
Neighborhood tile installations created by local artists and community members are located along South 26th Street. (Photo provided by Lori Gramling)
Neighborhood Tiles in Clarke Square
The Neighborhood Tiles project has emerged along South 26 Street in the past two years, featuring ceramic mosaic installations created through the collaboration of local artists, families and neighborhood youth. Led by local art studio Tree of Life Earthworks and Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative, the project features images that embody different facets of the neighborhood’s many cultures.
The Neighborhood Tiles presentation will be given by Patricia Nájera and Lori Gramling.


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6 clarke square tiles composite | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 29, 2020


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OPINION: ‘They are my ancestors’: My 17-year journey to becoming a Brown Beret | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Juan Miguel Martinez
September 30, 2020
Juan Miguel Martinez (left) at Piramide de Sol (Pyramid of the Sun) in Mexico City in 2006 and in September 2020 after his Brown Beret initiation. (Photos provided by Juan Miguel Martinez)
Editor’s note: Have something on your mind? “Community Voices” is the place to let Milwaukee hear what you have to say. To be considered, we need your name, email address and phone number for verification. Please email your submissions to info@milwaukeenns.org.
Juan Miguel Martinez is a writer, Brown Beret and union organizer from Milwaukee.
September 16, 2003. I get off the plane in Bajio International Airport, some 13 miles outside of León, Guanajuato.
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I will be 19 in three days and am still in a Tom Waits phase. I am already sweaty because the cocked pork pie hat and sport coat I’m wearing are made from heavy wool, and I’ve just landed in desert heat with only a slight valley breeze.
My plan is to enroll in the Filosofía y Letras department at the University of Guanajuato and write short stories and translate them myself. It is a lofty goal because I have no college credits to my name, but if that fails, I can always travel and scribble everything down and make sense of it later.
That will take me 17 years, but I don’t know it yet.
Mi abuelo (grandfather) Nacho y mi abuela (grandmother) Estela are waiting for me at the gate. I sneak directly beside them, pretending to look for myself as well. I lean over and say to mi abuelo, “Excuse me sir, have you seen my grandpa?” “HEY!” he shouts and gives me a bear hug, followed by my grandma.
“Wow! I was expecting a fat butterball to be rolling toward us. I guess that’s why I didn’t recognize you!” she says. “I’ve been working in a meat packing plant the last year, so I dropped 73 pounds,” I explain.
We drive into town and my new temporary home in my grandparents’ house, which is situated a mile from downtown León, GTO in one of the noisiest colonias (neighborhood) in the city — Obrera. It is a split-level house made of concrete with steel doors and barred windows.
Vicente Fox is on TV, giving the Independence Day speech from El Zócalo, the main plaza in Mexico City, a place I would be living in three years later. It would be there that I would discover the writings of Juan Rulfo, the music of Ratos de Porão and the films of Alejandro Jodorowsky.
We sit on the couch, eating orejas, flaky sugar-coated pastries. I sip coffee out of a faded Wisconsin Badgers mug, attained by grandparents on their visits to Milwaukee. Fox closes out his speech with three “VIVA MEXICOS!” On the third one, he cannot contain his jubilation.
I grin and look over at mi abuela. “He really went for it that time,” she says, sipping her coffee. “Thought he was gonna have a heart attack.”
Sometime in mid-2006 — I was “dando el rol” (taking a stroll) with my friend through El Chopo, a tianguis (flea market) in Guerrero, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Mexico City.
The airborne pollution was beating down on my sun-damaged tangles as I inspected a CD by Masacre 68, a punk rock band. I was particularly transfixed by the ideology of this band because they named themselves after a terrible event in Mexican history. Roughly 400 unarmed students were holding a protest rally and were gunned down by the Mexican military in La Plaza de Tlatelolco, later named La Plaza de las Tres Culturas.
I showed the CD to my buddy Francisco, nicknamed “El Tio.” “What about these guys?” I asked. He shrugged and mumbled something. His attitude did nothing to deter me because I had been living in Mexico City for eight months and was imbued with a sense of patriotism.
I wasn’t born here, but I was exercising an advantage my parents set me up for early in life — dual citizenship. I had already voted, had a government-issued ID and could enlist in the military if I so desired.
I waved at the old man running the table and held up the CD. “This one . . .  and that one in XL,” I said, pointing at a shirt emblazoned with an image of Pancho Villa, the toughest and most patriotic Mexican revolutionary in history.
El Tio looked at me and grimaced. “Wacatelas,” he said, which was onomatopoeia for a puking sound. To say I was taken aback was an understatement. I had always assumed that everyone in Mexico flew the flag of pride for their country, because it was hardwired in me since birth to do so. My father was always very proud of where he came from and always said “Arriba Zapata” when jovial.
I explained all of this to El Tio, who listened intently and asked, “Do people wear shirts of George Washington in your country?” I replied, ”Sometimes . . .”
“Are they people you want to hang out with all the time?” he responded. All right, I get it. I was proud to have been living in a place I had adopted as my patria (native country), but it wasn’t my home. My home was the North and South Side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
May 25, 2020 — I was scrolling through Facebook listlessly, laying on my couch.
Then, I see a Black man screaming for help, with an officer kneeling on his neck. The video goes on for 8 minutes and 43 seconds. Head-shaking denial gives way to anger. I immediately start writing a screed on police brutality, condemning the actions of the officers involved.
IT IS NOT ENOUGH. IT IS NOT ENOUGH.
I look up “Brown Berets Milwaukee” and decide it is written in my DNA to be one. I had always seen them in photos of the history of uprisings in 1960’s Los Angeles, proud Chicanos in military garb with bright yellow patches that read “LA CAUSA” on their berets. They are a group of Chicano folks who strive to protect La Raza (the people) from police brutality and conserve our history, a militant group that stands up to the constant misrepresentation of who we are while instilling a sense of pride.
When high school students in East Los Angeles walked out of their school in 1968 to protest mistreatment of Chicano students, they were there. When Ruben Salazar was murdered for covering the injustices that plagued the community at the hands of police, they marched and made their presence known.
They are my ancestors, here still, breathing through me like they were 17 years ago when I arrived in León. Like that time, I decide I didn’t belong to Mexican or American culture like I did to the word I identify with most — Chicano.
Four months later, I join a Zoom call with Brown Beret commanders from Texas, California and Milwaukee. After some interview questions, we all raise our fists and I take the Brown Beret oath.
I will always do everything I can do to protect the “Raza de Bronze,” always in solidarity with my Black brothers and sisters.
Always here with my head held high, eyes pointed heavenward.

author: Juan Miguel Martinez


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Post from Community: Alverno College launches Institute for Black Women | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Alverno College
September 30, 2020
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Alverno College has launched the Thea Bowman Institute for Excellence and Leadership, a program designed to serve Black women through academic and leadership programming. The Institute builds on existing Alverno initiatives that bring together students with a like-minded community of advanced leaders and learners.
Nine students have been accepted into the Institute, which includes a full-tuition scholarship and a rigorous, robustly crafted leadership development program designed to prepare participants for professional roles in pursuit of social change and service. Ronett Jacobs, M.Ed., has been appointed the Institute’s director.
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“Thea Bowman Scholars will play a powerful role in demanding and creating permanent, systemic societal change,” said Joseph Foy, Ph.D., vice president for Academic Affairs at Alverno. “Already they’re inspiring others as they develop mobile apps to help individuals in mental health crisis connect with experts, offer restorative justice training from Harvard to the Milwaukee Police Department, and help provide art education through the Boys & Girls Club and the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.”
Using a cohort-based model, the Institute provides students with a dedicated advisor, alumnae mentors, exclusive networking opportunities and guaranteed internship opportunities. Alverno seeks applications from women who have a demonstrated record of academic achievement, who are committed to graduating in four years and who will become change agents in various professional fields in the Milwaukee community. Programming for the Institute, such as speakers, will extend to benefit the entire Alverno community.
About the program
Named for a Franciscan, Catholic sister, teacher and scholar educated in Wisconsin who made significant contributions to the church’s ministry to Blacks, the Thea Bowman Institute is consistent with Alverno’s mission to educate a diverse student body that reflects the community.
The Institute resulted from a call to the Alverno community to meet racial injustice with action. Alverno President Andrea Lee, IHM, envisioned a program that would provide access to higher education, experiential leadership and mentoring opportunities for Black women who would go on to be leaders in their career fields and communities.
Alverno is one of Wisconsin’s most diverse and inclusive four-year colleges. Nearly half of Alverno’s students identify as a person of color, with 14 percent of them identifying as Black or African American. Alverno was the first Wisconsin higher education institution designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution. The Thea Bowman Institute follows the May launch of a scholarship program in partnership with the Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee designed to support the education of Hispanic students.
“The time is now, and the place is Alverno, for this Institute to flourish and attract Milwaukee’s best, brightest and most committed Black women seeking to experience the power of an Alverno education,” said Jacobs, an Alverno alumna. “Thea Bowman Scholars are women who know, ‘I was sent here to do something great, and I’m determined to do that.’”
Scholarships will be renewable based on continued high academic performance and full engagement in the program. Students interested in applying should contact Alexis Carter, MSM, SHRM-CP, assistant director of Admissions for high school recruitment, at 414-382-6104.
For more information, visit alverno.edu/bowman.

author: Alverno College


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September 23, 2020

created: September 23, 2020

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Post from Community: Rockwell Automation bolsters access to STEM learning at Boys & Girls Club | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee
September 30, 2020
(Photo provided by Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee)
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, in partnership with Rockwell Automation, opened three new educational and recreational spaces that foster equity and access for youth at the organization’s Don & Sallie Davis Club on Milwaukee’s southside.
The all-new Makerspace provides youth with project-based learning in all areas of STEM. “We have learned that when STEM exposure is combined with engagement programming, new worlds open up to members, and these new pathways provide Club kids with dreams that might not have otherwise been imagined,” said BGCGM President and CEO Kathy Thornton-Bias. The hybrid classroom gives youth hands-on experience in science, technology, engineering, and math work that will help unlock their creative potential and give them tangible skills they can translate into success in their future careers. The bright, colorful space features SKETCH 3D printers and laser cutters, as well as ample new supplies to imagine, build, and create.
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The Games Room has been upgraded to a digital recreation room rooted in STEM learning. Physically interactive video games reinvigorate the space, to welcome and engage youth, while keeping them physically active. The marquee features of the robust room include Heavy Ball, idance, a computer-controlled dance game; an Exergame Wall and an iWall which all combine gaming and exercise to develop cognitive and motor skills while promoting active lifestyles at the same time.
The Big Pals Room for 7-8 year olds has been transformed with contemporary furniture and filled with innovative STEM-based games and learning activities to inspire off-screen imaginative play and creativity.
Rockwell Automation has supported educational programming at BGCGM for decades. Because of their generous support, BGCGM is able to provide kids with a rich variety of STEM programming, including computer science and coding, technology and math, experiential learning opportunities, and participation in FIRST LEGO League. The project also includes capital improvements to Davis Club’s HVAC, security, and IT systems.

author: Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 30, 2020


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‘Neighborhood Gems’: Learn about Triciclo Péru and the murals on West Forest Home Avenue | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 1, 2020
The Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is collaborating with Historic Milwaukee on “Neighborhood Gems: Behind the Scenes,” which takes place at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1.
The free digital event, part of the virtual Doors Open, which runs through Oct. 11, will feature five-minute “lightning round” presentations from eight community projects, using multimedia and storytelling to share their backstory.
In the lead up, we are publishing mini-features on the projects. Today, we feature Triciclo Péru and the newly completed trio of murals on West Forest Home Avenue.
Triciclo Péru
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Located in a newly redeveloped building in the Martin Drive neighborhood on West Vliet Street, Triciclo Péru is a restaurant with a mission to bring Peruvian culture and food to Milwaukee. After two years working out of a food cart, the restaurant opened its doors in late 2019, specializing in empanadas, pisco cocktails and other Peruvian staples.
The Triciclo Péru presentation will be given by co-owner Amy Narr.
West Forest Home Avenue murals
Over the course of three years, hundreds of Muskego Way residents and 25 youth in Milwaukee Christian Center’s Youth Artists United program worked with muralist Tia Richardson to create three murals stretching over 200 feet on the 1300 block of West Forest Home Avenue. The murals depict both the challenges faced by the neighborhood as well as the strengths and aspirations of community members.
Completed this summer, the sections of the mural are titled “Growing gateways to unity,” “Nurturing the roots of life within the community” and “Together as one heart.”
Richardson will give the presentation.
Youth from Milwaukee Christian Center’s Youth Artists United program worked with lead artist Tia Richardson during the summer to create “Together as one heart.” (Photo provided by Milwaukee Christian Center)

created: October 1, 2020


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NNS on WGLB: Reporter Edgar Mendez discusses controversial expansion of MLK Drive business district | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
October 1, 2020
(Photo by Adam Carr)
NNS reporter Edgar Mendez joins Saryea Murchison and Dennis Walton of WGLB to discuss concerns from the Five Points Neighborhood Association that the expansion of the MLK Business Improvement District could result in displacement and gentrification.
BID leaders say the plan will help the community.
The Common Council approved the plan last week.
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author: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service


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NNS Interview Edgar Sept25 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 30, 2020
“NNS Interview Edgar Sept25”.


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Places where you can get the flu shot in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
October 1, 2020
Repairers of the Breach is one of several sites in Milwaukee where you can get a flu shot. (Photo by Matt Martinez)
Milwaukee’s health care organizations are increasing their offerings of flu vaccinations, including drive-through options and vaccination drives this year.
Health officials are encouraging people to get vaccinated for the flu this season to avoid coinfection with COVID-19. To find out more about why vaccinations this year are crucial, read our earlier reporting.
Here are some places you can go to get your flu shot:
Advocate Aurora Health plans to distribute thousands of free vaccinations this year for people of all ages.
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Aurora has three main locations for distribution: Repairers of the Breach, Salvation Army and the Gathering at Running Rebels.
Here are dates, times and addresses for those locations:
Open from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Oct. 7, Oct. 14, Oct. 21, Oct. 28
Open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Oct. 7, Oct. 14, Oct. 21, Oct. 28
Open from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Oct. 1, Oct. 5, Oct. 8, Oct. 12, Oct. 15, Oct. 19, Oct. 22, Oct. 26, Oct. 29
No appointment is required at any of these locations.
Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin will be offering free flu shots on Oct. 15 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Jewish Community Pantry. The pantry is located at 2900 W. Center St.
They will also be offering flu and pneumonia vaccination clinics at these locations in the city:
Nov. 7
Oct. 17, Nov. 7
Most insurance plans will be accepted, said Gerry Steele, media relations associate for Froedtert and MCW.
Ascension St. Joseph is offering free flu vaccinations every Wednesday in October from 9 a.m. to noon. The hospital is located at 5000 W. Chambers St.
Free shots will also be distributed at the Consulate of Mexico on Oct. 3, Oct. 5 and Oct. 9 from 9 a.m. to noon. The consulate is at 1443 N. Prospect Ave.
If you can’t make it to any of these locations, contact your primary health provider to see about getting a flu shot. Vaccinations also are available at pharmacies, such as CVS and Walgreens.
Check the locations and hours for CVS and Walgreens online before you go.
The Milwaukee Health Department also offers free flu vaccinations.


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Post from Community: Chris Abele donates $500,000 and anonymous alumnus gives $125,000 to support MATC’s free-tuition Promise programs | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Area Technical College
October 1, 2020
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Philanthropist and former Milwaukee County executive Chris Abele donated $500,000 this month to the Milwaukee Area Technical College Foundation, Inc., to support Milwaukee Area Technical College’s flagship MATC Promise programs, which provide last-dollar free-tuition scholarships for qualified students. An anonymous alumnus also donated $125,000 from the JPG Fund at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation.
The MATC Promise is a public-private partnership with donors filling the gap between what financial aid covers and the cost of tuition.
Abele has been a major supporter of the MATC Promise since its inception, first donating $250,000 to help establish the MATC Promise for High School Graduates. Launched in 2015, MATC’s direct-from-high school Promise program was the first Promise program in Wisconsin. In 2017, Abele donated an additional $500,000 to support the development of the MATC Promise for Adults, which began enrolling students in 2018.
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Abele believes that access to higher education can break the cycle of poverty. He said, “Making higher education available to people with lower incomes is an important tool to improve equity in our society. Promise programs have shown that many people do not consider college or have given up on the thought of attending or returning to college because they do not believe they can afford it. The MATC Promise allows these students to follow their dreams and graduate with degrees that will lead to jobs with family-sustaining wages.”
Abele said, “We have seen the lack of equity in society play out with tragic consequences this year. The MATC Promise is a transformational program to help overcome some of that disparity because it serves a very diverse pool of students. I urge others in the community to step up and donate to the MATC Promise program as well.”
MATC President Vicki J. Martin said, “We are very grateful for these gifts to help Milwaukee Area Technical College continue its commitment to breaking down financial barriers and ensuring that students are able to access a quality, in-demand education. The MATC Promise also is one of the ways the college is able to fulfill its strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion because it helps so many students of color.”
The priority deadline to apply for both MATC Promise programs is Dec. 4, with a final deadline of Jan. 8, 2021 for the MATC Promise for Adults and a final deadline of June 30, 2021 for the MATC Promise for New High School Graduates. For more information about qualifications and steps to apply, visit matc.edu/promise.
For information on donating to the MATC Promise, visit http://www.matc.edu/foundation/matc-foundation-promise/ or contact Laura Bray, executive director of the MATC Foundation, at 414-297-6048 or braylm@matc.edu.
Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. Nearly 35,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 150 academic programs; and transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 35 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

author: Milwaukee Area Technical College


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October 1, 2020


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Post from Community: MATC and NEWaukee announce new gap year experience for students | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
NEWaukee
October 1, 2020
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) and NEWaukee are excited to announce the Great Lakes Gap Year Experience for the City of Milwaukee. The pilot program, coming in 2021, will target a diverse group of students who are undecided about attending college and provide an alternative educational experience.
Participating students will be led through a curated program that will include MATC hands-on career exploration, career exposure at local companies, network development with peers and civic engagement around the issues of diversity, equity and inclusion to address the region’s equity gap. Additionally, participating students will have opportunities for scholarships and employment at local companies to ensure accessibility and affordability.
MATC and NEWaukee are seeking input from interested parents, students, and businesses to help design the program and ensure it meets the needs of the community. If you are interested, virtual design sessions are scheduled for Tuesday, October 13, 2020 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. and Thursday, October 15, 2020 from noon to 1:00 p.m. Register at bit.ly/MATCGapYear.
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In addition to exposure to different career paths, students who complete the program will also come away with MATC credits that they can apply to continue their education and wraparound support from the college.
“We know many students may be considering other options to a traditional college experience as student debt continues to grow and COVID-19 affects so many aspects of our lives. The Great Lakes Gap Year Experience offers an important option to the college-to-career path,” MATC President Vicki J. Martin said. “We are designing the program so students could earn college credits they can use toward a degree at MATC, a four-year university — or both, thanks to our transfer agreements. In this experience, participants will be able to examine some of our region’s most pressing issues, while building a clear and confident career launch plan.”
According to the American Gap Year Association, interest in taking a gap year has more than doubled in the past decade. Research shows the COVID-19 pandemic could further accelerate this trend.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Google searches related to taking a gap year are up as much as 60% year-over-year. A recent study by the University of Southern California highlights that COVID-19 may disproportionately impact the ability for students of color to stay enrolled full-time or complete their degree on schedule.
The Great Lakes Gap Year Experience aims to address these trends, creating a new pipeline of diverse talent for the state of Wisconsin, area companies and universities.
“Nationally, taking a gap year is a luxury often afforded only to individuals from affluent families,” explains Angela Damiani, CEO and co-founder of NEWaukee. “We are working with MATC and the community to design this program in a way that provides access to students of all socioeconomic and racial backgrounds.”
MATC and NEWaukee are looking for other business and university partners to get involved in the Great Lakes Gap Year Experience. Interested? Contact Jeremy Fojut, Co-Founder and Chief Idea Officer of NEWaukee, at jeremy@newaukee.com.

author: NEWaukee


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MATC-Blog.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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October 1, 2020


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5 things to do and know the weekend of Oct. 2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
October 2, 2020
Join Vecinos Unidos for an installation of community painted ceramics at the Jardin del Pueblo on Saturday. (Photo provided by Vecino Unidos)
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about as the nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “5 things” in the subject line by noon Thursday.
1. Vigil for Jason Cleereman: Friday, Oct. 2
Last week, Jason Cleereman, a beloved community leader best known on the South Side, was shot and killed. Walker Square Neighborhood Association, Southside Organizing Center and Ald. José Pérez are hosting a vigil at Walker Square Park, 1031 S. 9th St., starting at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2. Participants can join the vigil in-person at the park, through a car caravan or via Facebook Live. For additional information about the car caravan, contact Clarissa at clarissa@socmilwaukee.org or 414-301-2644. To speak at the vigil, contact Nicole at NicoleLHMeirose@gmail.com.
2. Fall pumpkin market in Washington Heights: Saturday, Oct. 3
5ive Seasons Farm is hosting a fall pumpkin market at Mount Olive Lutheran Church and Christian Day School, 5327 W. Washington Blvd., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3. The market will take place come rain or shine. In addition to pumpkins, there will be gourds, corn stalks, mums and more. Attendees are asked to wear a mask.
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3. Milwaukee Urban League ballot bash: Saturday, Oct. 3
The Milwaukee Urban League is hosting a ballot bash, an event where residents can learn about voter registration, absentee voting and early voting. The bash will take place at the Midtown Pick ‘N Save, 5700 W. Capitol Drive, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3. If you are interested in volunteering, click here.
4. Art and harvest celebration at Jardin del Pueblo: Saturday, Oct. 3
Vecinos Unidos or United Neighbors is hosting an art and harvest celebration. The group is inviting people to the installation of the ceramics painted in August. There will be food and music. The celebration is taking place at the Jardin del Pueblo, 1102 S. 21st St., from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3.
5. Step-by-step painting class: Sunday, Oct. 4
The Farmhouse Paint Bar & Banquet Hall, 4511 S. 6th St., is hosting a step-by-step virtual and in-person painting class from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4. Participants will be painting a picture of stacked pumpkins. To purchase tickets and supplies, click here. If participants choose to attend the class virtually, they can use their own supplies or order the complete package (pickup and shipping are available)
Bonus: Service journalism for Milwaukee: News414
Earlier this year, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, Wisconsin Watch and Outlier Media launched News414. News414 is service journalism that works for and with Milwaukee residents to provide them with the information they need regarding housing, mental health and domestic violence, food security, health and safety and jobs and money. Join News414 today by texting MILWAUKEE to 73224.
Bonus: The latest coronavirus coverage from NNS
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service reporters are hard at work bringing readers up-to-date information regarding coronavirus. Stay informed on coronavirus by following us on our Facebook page and subscribing to our daily newsletter. All coronavirus related articles can be found on this landing page. If you have a question or concern about coronavirus, send them in our way. We’re here to serve you.

created: October 2, 2020


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 1, 2020


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Evictions damage public health. The CDC aims to curb them — for now. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Bram Sable-Smith (WPR/Wisconsin Watch), Martha Bebinger (WBUR) and Darian Benson (Side Effects Public Media)
October 2, 2020
Robert and Stephanie Pettigrew are seen outside of their two-bedroom apartment in Milwaukee on Sept. 4, 2020. Robert, who has a mass on his lung, pursues odd jobs to help put food on the table after leaving a job at Motel 6 for fear that exposure to the coronavirus could trigger severe COVID-19 complications. The family narrowly avoided an eviction after Community Advocates, a nonprofit helping to administer Milwaukee County’s rental assistance program, provided more than $4,700 in emergency rental aid. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has since ordered a nationwide eviction moratorium through the end of 2020, hoping to slow the spread of the virus. The moratorium spotlights a message experts have preached for years: housing stability and health are intertwined. (Coburn Dukehart/Wisconsin Watch)
When Robert Pettigrew finally saw the sign in August, he believed the “good Lord” had placed him in front of it.
The sign appeared months after a doctor advised the 52-year-old to stop manning the front desk at Motel 6 as a mass on his lung and bouts with pneumonia restricted his breathing. Pettigrew saw the sign after his 25-year-old daughter and her son moved into his Milwaukee apartment where Pettigrew was six months late on rent. After Wisconsin lifted a ban on most evictions during the coronavirus pandemic. And after a landlord filed to evict Pettigrew and his wife, Stephanie.
Only then did Pettigrew glimpse the paper sign while being paid $20 to wash windows at Boost Mobile on Atkinson Avenue. The message: “Facing eviction? You could be eligible for up to $3,000 in rent assistance. Apply today.”
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“There were nights I would lay in bed and my wife would be asleep, and all I could do was say, ‘God, you need to help me. We need you,’ ” Pettigrew said. “And here He came. He showed himself to us.”
Pettigrew’s household is among more than 4,000 in Milwaukee to face eviction since the coronavirus began spreading, according to data compiled by Princeton University’s Eviction Lab, which is tracking evictions in 17 cities during the pandemic. The Milwaukee filings eclipsed pre-pandemic averages in June and July but fell below averages for August.
Robert, Stephanie and Heavenly Pettigrew are seen on Sept. 4, outside of their two-bedroom apartment in Milwaukee. The family’s household is among more than 4,000 in Milwaukee to face eviction since the coronavirus began spreading, according to data compiled by Princeton University’s Eviction Lab. But the Pettigrews managed to stay in the apartment after receiving emergency rental assistance in August. (Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Watch)
As of Sept. 19, landlords in Eviction Lab-tracked cities had filed for more than 50,000 evictions since March 15, including about 11,600 in Houston, 10,900 in Phoenix and 4,400 in Columbus, Ohio. The incomplete snapshot excludes major American cities such as Indianapolis, where local housing advocates say landlords have sought to evict thousands of renters but court cases are difficult to track.
As many as 40 million Americans faced a looming eviction risk in August as millions remain jobless, with inconsistent access to public assistance, according to a report authored by 10 national housing and eviction experts. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cited that estimate on Sept. 1 in ordering an unprecedented nationwide eviction moratorium through the end of 2020.
That the country’s top public health agency ordered the moratorium spotlights a message experts have preached for years without prompting major policy action: housing stability and health are intertwined.
Mounting research illustrates that even the threat of eviction exacts a physical and mental toll from tenants. Children raised in unstable housing are more prone to hospitalization than children with stable housing. Homelessness is associated with delayed childhood development, and mothers in families that lose homes to eviction show higher rates of depression and other health challenges.
The CDC is now citing stable housing as a vital tool to control COVID-19, which has killed nearly 200,000 Americans. Home is where people isolate to avoid transmitting coronavirus or becoming infected, and governments count on residents having a home when issuing stay-at-home orders in the name of public health. Home is where to recover from COVID-19’s fever, chills, muscle pain and trouble breathing — in lieu of or after a hospital stay.
The CDC’s order comes nearly six months into the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, as millions of Americans, like the Pettigrews, fight to stay in their homes — if they haven’t lost them already.
The cell phone store sign directed Pettigrew to Community Advocates, a nonprofit that received $7 million in federal pandemic stimulus funds to help administer Milwaukee County’s rental aid program. More than 3,800 aid applications have flooded the agency, said Deborah Heffner, its housing strategy director, while tens of thousands more applications have flowed to a separate agency administering the state’s rental relief program in Milwaukee.
Persistency helped the Pettigrews break through the backlog.
“I blew their phone up,” said Stephanie Pettigrew.
She has endured a range of medical procedures that limit her own ability to work: two hip replacements, a prosthetic disc in her neck, two carpal tunnel surgeries and a rotator cuff surgery.
“They took half my body parts,” she joked.
Robert and Stephanie Pettigrew are seen with their daughter Heavenly Pettigrew outside of their two-bedroom apartment in Milwaukee on Sept. 4, 2020. Robert, who has a mass on his lung, left his job at Motel 6 after the pandemic struck for fear of suffering severe complications from any exposure to the coronavirus. The couple has struggled to pay their $600-a-month rent on their apartment during the pandemic, prompting their landlord to seek an eviction. (Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Watch)
That qualifies her for federal Social Security Disability Insurance, which supports people who have worked and paid Social Security taxes but can no longer perform “substantially gainful activity.” The program sends Stephanie Pettigrew $400 to $900 in monthly assistance — increasingly vital income since March, when Robert left his motel job so as not to risk life-threatening complications from any exposure to coronavirus.
He has since pursued a host of odd jobs to keep food on the table: washing windows, cutting grass, washing cars — work where he could limit contact with people. He brings home $40 on a good day, he said, $10 on a bad one.
February was the last time the Pettigrews could fully pay their $600 monthly rent before they qualified for rent assistance in August. And they have welcomed two more family members in recent months into their tenuous living arrangement.
Robert’s daughter Heavenly arrived in May from St. Louis after the day care where she worked shut down due to the virus. She brought her 3-year-old son. Through its order, CDC hopes to avoid evictions that funnel additional family members and friends under one roof. The federal order notes that “household contacts are estimated to be 6 times more likely to become infected by (a person with) COVID-19 than other close contacts.”
The Pettigrews’ Milwaukee apartment — a kitchen, a front room, two bedrooms and one bathroom — offers little way for three generations to keep much distance.
“But it’s our home,” Robert said. “We’ve got a roof over our head. I can’t complain.”
A U.S. Census Bureau survey conducted before the CDC’s order estimated that 5.5 million American adults —  including tens of thousands in Wisconsin — feared they were either somewhat or very likely to face eviction or foreclosure in the next two months.
State and local governments nationwide are offering a patchwork of help for those people.
In Massachusetts, the governor extended the pause on evictions and foreclosures until October 17. Landlords are challenging that move both in state and federal court, but both courts have let the ban stand while the lawsuits proceed.
A sign inside a Boost Mobile store on Milwaukee’s Atkinson Avenue prompted Robert Pettigrew to apply for emergency rental aid to avoid being evicted from the two-bedroom apartment where he lives with his wife Stephanie Pettigrew, daughter Heavenly Pettigrew and grandson. “There were nights I would lay in bed and my wife would be asleep, and all I could do was say, ‘God, you need to help me. We need you,’ ” says Robert, who has a mass on his lung and works odd jobs to help keep food on the table. “And here He came. He showed himself to us.” (Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Watch)
“Access to stable housing is a crucial component of containing COVID-19 for every citizen of Massachusetts,” wrote Judge Paul Wilson in a state court ruling. “The balance of harms and the public interest favor upholding the law to protect the public health and economic wellbeing of tenants and the public in general during this health and economic emergency.”
The cases from Massachusetts offer one glimpse into how federal challenges to the CDC order could play out.
By contrast Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers lifted the state’s 60-day moratorium on May 26, opening the gates to a surge of eviction filings: at least 8,275 statewide through Sept. 15, according to a search of an online database of Wisconsin circuit court cases.
Milwaukee has seen nearly half of those filings, which are disproportionately hitting Black-majority neighborhoods, according to an Eviction Lab analysis.
Housing advocates are documenting similar disparities in other states.
“This deadly virus is killing people disproportionately in Black and brown communities at alarming rates,” said Dee Ross, founder of the Indianapolis Tenants Rights Union. “And disproportionately Black and brown people are the ones being evicted at the highest rate in Indiana.”
Governments across the country have set aside millions in federal pandemic aid for struggling renters and homeowners.
That includes $240 million earmarked between Florida’s state and county governments for rent and mortgages, $100 million for renters in Los Angeles County and $18 million in Mississippi. Without assistance, tenants’ debts would only grow even during an eviction moratorium, making people vulnerable to losing their homes once the order ends.
In Wisconsin, Evers set aside $25 million in federal pandemic dollars for statewide renter relief. But barriers have limited access to that program, including backlogs of applications and requirements that leave out some renters in need.
In Indiana, more than 36,000 people applied for that state’s $40 million rental assistance program before the application deadline. Marion County, home to Indianapolis, had a separate $25 million program, but it cut off applications after just three days because of overwhelming demand. About 25,000 people sat on the county’s waiting list in late August.
Andrew Bradley, policy director of the economic development organization Prosperity Indiana, said he fears still more renters remain unaware of the available resources.
“We’re not confident that the people who need the help most even know about the program, that there’s been enough proactive outreach to get to the households that are most impacted,” Bradley said.
A sign inside a Boost Mobile store on Milwaukee’s Atkinson Avenue prompted Robert Pettigrew to apply for emergency rental aid to avoid being evicted from the two-bedroom apartment where he lives with his wife Stephanie Pettigrew, daughter Heavenly Pettigrew and grandson. “There were nights I would lay in bed and my wife would be asleep, and all I could do was say, ‘God, you need to help me. We need you,’ ” says Robert, who has a mass on his lung and works odd jobs to help keep food on the table. “And here He came. He showed himself to us.” Photo taken Sept. 4, 2020. (Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Watch)
That might have been the case for Pettigrew in Milwaukee —  if not for the Community Advocates sign.
The group in August covered more than $4,700 in the Pettigrews’ rental payments, late charges, utilities and court fees. It also referred the couple to free legal help through the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, which moved to seal the eviction case so as not to damage the Pettigrews’ renting record.
“Community Advocates really did what they needed to do to help people,” Stephanie Pettigrew said.
That helped guarantee the family housing at least through September. And the CDC order added more security as Robert awaits word on whether he must undergo lung surgery that would require a weeks-long recovery.
The federal eviction moratorium, if it withstands legal challenges from housing industry groups, “buys critical time” for renters to find assistance through the year’s end, said Emily Benfer, founding director of the Wake Forest Law Health Justice Clinic.
“It’s protecting 30 to 40 million adults and children from eviction and the downward spiral that it causes in long term, poor health outcomes,” she said.
But the moratorium is not automatic. Renters have to submit a declaration form to their landlord, agreeing to a series of statements under threat of perjury, including, “my housing provider may require payment in full for all payments not made prior to and during the temporary halt and failure to pay may make me subject to eviction pursuant to state and local laws.”
Confusion surrounding the CDC’s order means some tenants are still being ordered to leave their homes.
And without unlocking additional funds for rental assistance, Benfer added, the moratorium merely stalls the evictions crisis rather than solve it — temporarily shifting the burden from tenants to landlords as existing nationwide aid programs fall short in meeting demands.
Dr. Megan Sandel, a pediatrician at Boston Medical Center, said at least a third of the 14,000 families whose children are seen at the center have fallen behind on their rent, a figure mirrored in national reports,
Robert and Stephanie Pettigrew are seen outside of their two-bedroom apartment in Milwaukee on Sept. 4. The family narrowly avoided an eviction after Community Advocates, a nonprofit helping to administer Milwaukee County’s rental assistance program, provided more than $4,700 in emergency rental aid. (Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Watch)
Hospital officials worry that an evictions spike would trigger a surge of patients experiencing homelessness, who are more challenging and expensive to treat. One study from 2016 found that stable housing reduced Medicaid spending by 12%. That is because while primary care use increased 20%, more expensive emergency room visits dropped by 18%.
A year ago, Boston Medical Center and two area hospitals collaborated to invest $3 million in emergency housing assistance and community organizing focused on affordable housing policies and development. Now, the hospitals are looking for additional emergency funds, trying to boost legal resources for tenants and work more closely with public housing authorities and state rental assistance programs.
“We are a safety net hospital. We don’t have unlimited resources,” Sandel said. “But being able to avert an eviction is like avoiding a toxic exposure.”
Sandel said the real way to avoid an eviction crisis is to offer Americans substantially more emergency rental assistance along the lines of the $100 billion included in what House Democrats dubbed the Heroes Act. Boston Medical Center is among the 26 health care associations and systems that signed a letter urging Democratic House and Republican Senate leaders to agree on rental and homeless assistance as well as a national moratorium on evictions for the entire pandemic.
“Without action from Congress, we are going to see a tsunami of evictions, and its fallout will directly impact the healthcare system and harm the health of families and individuals for years to come,” the letter stated.
Groups representing landlords urge passage of rental assistance too, although some oppose the CDC order. They point out that property owners must pay bills as well and may lose apartments where renters can’t or won’t pay.
“Not only does an eviction moratorium not address renters’ real financial needs, a protracted eviction moratorium does nothing to address the financial pressures and obligations of rental property owners,” Doug Bibby, president of the National Multifamily Housing Council, said in a Sept. 1 statement.
Nicole MacMillan, 38, has already lost her apartment in Fort Myers, Florida where she moved with her two children last year. The former Wisconsin resident lost her job managing vacation rentals in March, and Florida’s unemployment system denied her jobless assistance. She switched her jobless application to Wisconsin in May and has been waiting ever since.
Nicole MacMillan lost her apartment in Fort Myers, Florida, where she moved with her two children last year. The former Wisconsin resident lost her job managing vacation rentals in March, and Florida’s unemployment system denied her jobless assistance. “I need a home for my kids again,” MacMillan says. The pandemic, she adds, “has ripped my whole life apart.” (Courtesy of Nicole MacMillan)
“I actually contacted a doctor, because I thought mentally I can’t handle this anymore,” MacMillan said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do or where I’m going to go. And maybe some medication can help me for a little bit.”
But the doctor wasn’t accepting new patients.
MacMillan moved in with her grandparents in Grayslake, Illinois. Her children are staying with their fathers while she gets back on her feet. She recently started driving for Uber Eats in the Chicagoland area.
“I need a home for my kids again,” MacMillan said, fighting back tears. The pandemic “has ripped my whole life apart.”
“I just want my kids back. I want my life back. And I want some normalcy.”
Lareice, who requested to be identified only by her first name to protect her privacy, received rental assistance funds to stay in the three bedroom apartment she shares with her four children in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Performing her insurance company call center job from home more than doubled her electricity bill, she said, and required boosting her internet speed, making the work unaffordable. The 33-year-old left the job in June, and her state unemployment claim has since remained in adjudication.
With about $10 left in her bank account in August, she said she could not afford rent or her prescription medicine — so she skipped both. But rental assistance has now made her whole with her landlord as she starts a new job.
“They are not paying as much as my previous job,” Lareice said. “But I’m just gonna take what I can get so that me and my children won’t be out on the street.”
In Milwaukee, Community Advocates is helping the Pettigrews look for a more affordable apartment. Robert Pettigrew continues searching for safe work and looking to the future with a sense of resolve — and a request that no one pities his family.
“Life just kicks you in the butt sometimes,” he said. “But I’m the type of person —  I’m gonna kick life’s ass back. I’m going to…do what I have to do to make sure that my family’s okay until they put me in the ground. And then after that, it’s up to God.”
This story was reported in collaboration with WPR, WBUR, Side Effects Public Media, NPR and Kaiser Health News. A version of this story ran on NPR.org and will be available from KHN.org. The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch (wisconsinwatch.org) collaborates with Wisconsin Public Radio, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by Wisconsin Watch do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.


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pettigrew_milwaukee_04-1170×780 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
October 1, 2020

author: Dwayne Burtin


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Post from Community: Anita Johnson to receive 2020 Robert H. Friebert Social Justice Award | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jeff Jones
October 4, 2020
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Voting rights advocate Anita Johnson has been selected to receive the 2020 Robert H. Friebert Social Justice Award. The award was established in 2014 by the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and the family of Robert H. Friebert.
Johnson’s professional and volunteer dedication to voting rights across Milwaukee and Wisconsin, at both policy and individual levels, embodies the spirit of the award.
To recognize her work and the legacy of Robert H. Friebert, the JCRC plans a virtual event — “What are the Foundations of Social Justice?” — on Oct. 15 at noon. Following a ceremony honoring Johnson will be a panel discussion with Johnson and past award recipients, including James H. Hall, Danae Davis, Reggie Jackson, Fran Kaplan, Arno Michaelis, and Pardeep Singh Kaleka.
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The selection committee was struck by Johnson’s steadfast commitment to remove barriers to voting, especially in historically disenfranchised communities. She currently works with two prominent, non-partisan organizations, VoteRiders and Souls to the Polls, a faith-based organization. In these and prior roles, her efforts include organizing free rides to the polls, serving on the Wisconsin Election Administration Council, creating large scale voter registration efforts, and crafting messages on when and where to vote, and how to obtain the necessary documentation.
“We were deeply inspired by the sheer amount of efforts Anita has undertaken to make voting more accessible across the state,” said JCRC Director Jenny Tasse. “Her tireless advocacy for voting rights and direct voter support is a model for pursuing justice.”
The award draws from Deuteronomy 16:18: “Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof—Justice, justice you shall pursue.”
“Particularly as we are weeks away from an election where some Americans have already begun to vote, we are thrilled to recognize Anita’s lifelong commitment to ensuring all Wisconsinites have ballot access,” said JCRC Chair Brian Schupper.
Attendees can register to receive a Zoom link at MilwaukeeJewish.org/Friebert or view it live on JCRC’s Facebook page.
Robert H. Friebert (1938-2013) dedicated himself to the pursuit of social justice and the Jewish value of tikkun olam (repairing the world). A graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School, Friebert was a founding partner of the law firm Friebert, Finerty and St. John S.C. He served as the first public defender for the State of Wisconsin from 1966-1968 and argued four cases in the United States Supreme Court, including one that covered the right of people to vote in primary elections. Friebert was also extremely active in local, state and national Democratic politics in his pursuit of social justice. In addition to his legal and political work, Friebert held significant leadership roles in numerous organizations, boards and commissions, including serving as Chair for the JCRC. For more on Friebert and the award, click here.
About the Jewish Community Relations Council
Founded in 1938, the Jewish Community Relations Council, a program of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, advocates for the rights and values of Jews individually and collectively, here and abroad. The Council implements a coordinated program of education, action, and advocacy for the Jewish community. Since 1902, the Milwaukee Jewish Federation has been dedicated to building a strong Jewish community. The agency distributed $19.5 million last year to Jewish and non-Jewish organizations locally and around the world.

created: October 4, 2020

author: Jeff Jones


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Anita-Johnson-v2.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
October 2, 2020


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Post from Community: Latino Arts, Inc. Day of the Dead Celebrations 2020 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Latino Arts, Inc
October 4, 2020
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
One of our most popular celebrations annually, Latino Arts invites guests to celebrate, remember, and honor those who have departed with offerings that will educate all ages on the history and traditions of Día de Los Muertos. This long-standing cultural celebration has become more mainstream in recent years, but Latino Arts continues to honor the original meaning while sharing with community members new ways to keep this unique cultural tradition alive.
Latino Arts, Inc. is proud to offer multiple opportunities to celebrate Día de Lost Muertos both virtually and in-person this year.
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Performances:
Exhibits:
Educational Workshops:
Artistic Workshops:
Virtual Programming and Group Experiences
A wide variety of other virtual programming is available on our YouTube page, including Virtual Gallery Tours, La Loteria, and Art Tutorials. Find out more at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgeP2TG-y_IXZ9Kb6MIQ95w.
Safety Requirements: Latino Arts, Inc. kindly asks that all persons entering the building observe the following guidelines:
The Latino Arts Auditorium & Gallery are located in the United Community Center at 1028 South 9th Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53204. Due to current COVID-19 safety procedures we are scheduling all gallery visits on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-5 p.m. Other visits must be prearranged.
Please review our website for current changes and updates www.latinoartsinc.org
About Latino Arts, Inc.: With roots going back more than 25 years, Latino Arts, Inc. was formally established in 1997. Since then, the organization has brought cultural awareness, artistic and educational experiences, and a diversity of Hispanic artists from throughout the Spanish-speaking world to share their talents with the greater Milwaukee community.

author: Latino Arts, Inc


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
October 2, 2020


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5 things to do and know this week in Milwaukee: Oct. 5 to Oct. 10 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
October 5, 2020
Time is running out so make sure you participate in the 2020 census. (Photo provided by The Greater Milwaukee Complete Count Committee)
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about as the nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “5 things” in the subject line by noon Thursday.
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Bonus: Service journalism for Milwaukee: News414
Earlier this year, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, Wisconsin Watch and Outlier Media launched News414. News414 is service journalism that works for and with Milwaukee residents to provide them with the information they need regarding housing, mental health and domestic violence, food security, health and safety and jobs and money. Join News414 today by texting MILWAUKEE to 73224.
Bonus: The latest coronavirus coverage from NNS
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service reporters are hard at work bringing readers up-to-date information regarding coronavirus. Stay informed by following us on our Facebook page and subscribing to our daily newsletter. All coronavirus related articles can be found on this landing page. If you have a question or concern about coronavirus, send them in our way. We’re here to serve you.

created: October 5, 2020


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 4, 2020


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The NNS coronavirus update: What Milwaukee residents need to know the week of Oct. 5 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
October 5, 2020
Hospitalizations in Milwaukee County reflected a statewide increase last week (Photo by Adam Carr)
Here’s the latest update on COVID-19 in Milwaukee and the resources you need to combat it.
NNS reported in August that the city would move into Wave 2 of its mask distribution plan at the end of August. As of Oct. 2, there have been no updates from the Milwaukee Health Department regarding Wave 2.
During Wave 2, the city was supposed to release details of the plan to purchase and distribute 500,000 reusable masks.
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After multiple attempts to contact staff at the Milwaukee Health Department, NNS was told that final touches were being put on the distribution plan as of Sept. 24. We have received no updates since.
Milwaukee’s mask mandate remains in effect, as well as a statewide mandate from Gov. Tony Evers, which was extended last month.
Mayor Tom Barrett announced that a second round of Milwaukee Restart grants is now available, but the deadline for applying is Thursday.
Barrett said $10 million will be disbursed through the grants, and that people who applied for the grant before can apply again. The grant is now available to a larger selection of businesses, including licensed daycares, home-based businesses, food trucks and state-licensed group homes.
Barrett said the grants were specifically for businesses with 20 employers or fewer. To apply, visit milwaukee.gov/restart.
The state saw record numbers in single-day deaths and hospitalizations last week, recording 27 deaths and 737 hospitalizations on Sept. 30.
Barrett said the numbers from around the state were discouraging, as cases have continued to spread like “wildfire.”
“We’re just not out of the woods; the woods are on fire,” Barrett said during a media briefing.
Dr. Ben Weston, director of medical services for the Office of Emergency Management,
said trends indicate the higher number of hospitalizations may lead to more deaths in the future.
Weston said Milwaukee County has had success handling the surge so far, he said residents must wear masks and follow other precautions.
Barrett said Milwaukee County ranked 49 out of 72 counties for coronavirus cases per capita as of Sept. 29.
Cold weather is providing a number of concerns for health officials.
Colder, drier air also transmits virus particles more easily, Weston said.
As the colder weather forces more gatherings inside, Weston said some people may consider establishing “social bubbles,” a group of people that they feel relatively comfortable engaging with indoors.
Although the safest plan is still to socially distance and minimize contact, Weston said for some people that might be difficult.
“Carefully thought out and planned social bubbles are a way to get through the isolating challenges of the pandemic while still keeping a close eye on safety,” Weston said.
Weston suggested that if people are going to establish their social bubbles, they should be thoughtful about who they spend their time with.
Weston recommends having frank conversations with people in your bubble about what they have been doing before meeting up with them. Having multiple social bubbles is less protected, he said.
With the National Guard’s deployment at Milwaukee’s testing sites set to expire at the end of this year, Barrett said the city plans to take over the sites.
Barrett said the city hopes to utilize CARES Act funding to continue providing services at the locations that the National Guard will be leaving.
To obtain a free mask, residents can visit these sites:
NNS reporters also gathered a list of where to buy locally made masks if you’re looking to show some local business love when masking up.
Check the City of Milwaukee Health Department’s website for the most updated facts and answers to questions about the mask ordinance.
Look here for up-to-date statistics on COVID-19 in the county. More precautions on how to stay safe and information on COVID-19 can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
Contact your health provider, call IMPACT 2-1-1 or take a look at the county’s testing site map to find a testing center near you. The free community testing sites at UMOS, 2701 S. Chase Ave., and Custer Stadium by Barack Obama School, 4300 W. Fairmount Ave., continue to operate.
For more information on testing, including how to identify symptoms and when you should get tested, visit TestUpMKE.com. Available in English, Spanish, Hmong, Burmese and Arabic.
Check out our continuing coronavirus coverage.
Looking for more personalized direction to resources and information during the coronavirus crisis? Get connected with News414, a texting-based news resource from Milwaukee NNS, Wisconsin Watch and Outlier Media. You can text MILWAUKEE to 73224 and begin to receive free, personalized data via text messages.


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NNS Spotlight: He’s the ‘banker of the underrepresented’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
October 7, 2020
When he’s not working, Joaquin Altoro and his daughter Melina Morales enjoy traveling together. (Photo provided by Melina Morales)
Editor’s note: This story is part of an  occasional series that highlights groups and people worth knowing in Milwaukee. To nominate a person or a group, email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “Spotlight” in the subject line.
Joaquin Altoro has spent most of his professional career serving Milwaukee communities.
But for the last year as executive director of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, also known as WHEDA, Altoro has been making his mark on the entire state.
By providing loans and grants to first-time homebuyers, farmers and entrepreneurs, WHEDA is responsible for much of the affordable housing created in Wisconsin.
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“The most common question I ask myself is: How do I use my position to create a greater impact?” Altoro said.
Altoro, 46, is rounding out a year as head of WHEDA. He served as vice president of commercial banking for Town Bank before he was appointed by Gov. Tony Evers in June 2019. WHEDA, which employs about 160 people, reported total assets of $2.8 billion for fiscal 2019, according to its website.
Joaquin Altoro “has lived his life with a sense of purpose and clarity that focuses on changing the way people in Wisconsin experience life,” a close friend says. (Photo provided by WHEDA)
As head of WHEDA, Altoro carries his knowledge and understanding of Milwaukee and its underrepresented communities with him from his work at Town Bank.
Altoro said he first noticed the difference in wealth distribution when he worked as a loan officer in college.
“The people I was talking to weren’t people that looked like me,” said Altoro, who grew up on the North Side. “They didn’t come from where I came from.”
He decided then that the people he did not see in his job were the people he wanted to represent. He dedicated his time to learning and understanding underrepresented communities.
“I wanted to be the banker of the underrepresented but before being a banker, I had to understand the communities I wanted to serve, so I spent time with them,” Altoro said. “I’m not Black or Hmong or a member of the LGBT community, but spending time with people who are helped me learn how to better serve them.”
Altoro is an alumnus of Cardinal Stritch University and a graduate of the Associates in Commercial Real Estate, or ACRE, program at Marquette University.
Carl Quindel, a close friend and manger at the rent- to-own company Strong Blocks, said he’s seen firsthand how Altoro invests his time helping others.
“When I met Joaquin, he was still working at Town Bank,” Quindel said.” “He offered institutional support to people who may not have gotten it otherwise by acting as a bridge between minority chambers of commerce, small business and the bank.”
Altoro built strong and genuine relationships with those he served because he always did what he said he was going to do, Quindel said.
“I am an introvert, so words never really move me,” he said. “I watched Joaquin actually provide resources to people even if it wasn’t from his bank.”
“There is a difference in talking about diversity and having it running through the veins of an organization,” added Ana Simpson, the director of community and economic development for WHEDA. “Joaquin does a good job of ensuring that underrepresented communities are a primary consideration in any decisions we make.”
Altoro sits on many local and national boards, including the boards of Milwaukee Area Technical College, Wisconsin Policy Forum, the National Council of State Housing, Milwaukee’s Black Male Achievement Advisory Council, Forward Community Investments and Nativity Jesuit Middle School.
“Because his personality is so warm and friendly, people often forget that he is an expert in his field,” said Elmer Moore, a close friend and the executive director of Scale Up Milwaukee. “Joaquin has lived his life with a sense of purpose and clarity that focuses on changing the way people in Wisconsin experience life.”
Altoro said he wants people to “understand what it looks like to provide access and start exposing young people to that earlier in life.”
“As a young person I never imagined being the CEO of WHEDA,” he said, “because I didn’t even know the position existed.”

created: October 7, 2020

author: PrincessSafiya Byers


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 6, 2020

created: October 6, 2020


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Causey’s Career Corner: How one collectible store is beating the odds despite the pandemic | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Damia S. Causey
October 8, 2020
Henry Smith Jr. wanted to be a comic book artist. But “things didn’t work out . . . I ended up doing this, and actually I like doing this more,” says Smith, who owns The Toy Dimension. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
Damia S. Causey
Entering The Toy Dimension is like stepping into a time capsule from the last 50 years.
Crates of carefully arranged comic books line the floor. Star Wars, Marvel and DC Comics action figures face one another, looking prepared to do battle. They’re all surrounded by floor-to-ceiling slat walls, painted canary yellow, reflecting the sunny disposition of the store’s owner, Henry Smith Jr.
The business is a museum of sorts and Smith, 62, the master curator. He will gladly educate you on the history of each figure or comic book displayed between the walls.
Smith has been in the collectibles business since 1998. However, it wasn’t his first dream. Born and raised in Milwaukee, he wanted to be a comic book artist. He fell in love with comics at age 9, after receiving his older cousin’s previously read comic books. At age 14, he started collecting seriously. At 16, he secured his first job and his first paycheck, all $36 dollars of which he spent on comic books. He continued to purchase comics with part of every weekly check thereafter.
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He went to art school and served as an apprentice under a friend who worked for Marvel Comics. “Things didn’t work out,” Smith says, “but fortunately I ended up doing this, and actually I like doing this more.”
Although his initial dream faded, he ended up exactly where he was meant to be: a quaint little storefront at 5925 W. North Ave., adjacent to the Milwaukee/Wauwatosa border.
Even in this time of uncertainty with the pandemic, Smith’s business has been able to slay the dragon.
With all of the social restrictions and permanently shuttered businesses, he recognizes how lucky he is to be able to maintain through this unprecedented time.
“I’m selling a want. I’m not selling a need,” he says.
“People need bread; they need to put gas in their car. They don’t necessarily need a Han Solo figure.”
After 22 years in the business, Smith has seen his share of lean times.
He’s had periods where business was so slow, he’d go almost a week without any sales. He’d make just enough by the weekend to cover the previous weeks’ bills.
In contrast, the pandemic has been surprisingly kind to him. His shop was closed for a month and he was laid off from his job at Renaissance Books — where he’s worked for 40 years — at the onset of the coronavirus. Smith has never relied on just one revenue stream. His employment at the bookstore-his other passion-has allowed him to own his own business.
Since the city has slowly reopened, though, business has been steady, and he’s had one of his best years in a long time.
“With this whole pandemic thing, people are going toward the fun stuff, because it gives them something to focus on,” he says, “to give them a release.”
The August death of “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman caused a run on the store’s “Black Panther” merchandise.
“His death really hit a lot of people. This guy had this thing (colon cancer) since 2016 and did all these films is beyond amazing. The character had been around since the ’60s and is one of Marvel’s early African American characters that didn’t get much attention until this film,” he said.
Smith has used the actor’s death to talk about cancer and the importance of yearly physicals with some of his customers.
“I can say from personal experience I had cancer some years ago. It was found in stage two. I went through chemo, radiation, the whole thing. Been cancer free now almost 10 years. No one should ever take their health lightly,” he said.
Smith’s recipe for success
Owning a small, niche business can be tricky, but working at other retail establishments gave Smith lots of hands-on training with how to run a successful business.
Smith’s advice for weathering the current business climate:
“I don’t make a lot of money,” he says, “but I get to do something I like. I’m very fortunate.”
About this column: I will share stories of those who have taken a nontraditional approach to employment or an unusual career path. I will also list employment information such as job fairs, resource fairs and job training events. I encourage organizations to email me at damiacausey@milwaukeenns.org with career information.

created: October 8, 2020

author: Damia S. Causey


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
October 7, 2020