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As weather turns cold, need for energy assistance grows | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
November 8, 2013
Kristina Smith, 27, arrives at the Social Development Commission office on Chase Avenue to apply for the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
A week ago, Kristina Smith, a 27-year-old circuit board inspector, had her heat disconnected.
“It’s very scary,” said Smith as she walked into the Social Development Commission office on Chase Avenue, where she hoped to apply for the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program.
Smith was billed $1,700 because of an old invoice and money owed by a tenant who lived at her address previously. “I’m screwed if I don’t get it turned back on,” she said.
To head off problems, We Energies spokesman Brian Manthey urges financially struggling customers to get in touch with the energy company as soon as possible.
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“Just call us,” Manthey advised. “They should communicate with us before they are in a position to be disconnected if they feel they are going to struggle for whatever reason.”
For such customers, the energy company can set up payment and budget plans that can ease the impact of higher bills in the winter.
People learn about the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program at the Community Advocates office. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
Manthey said that We Energies does not disconnect customers between Nov. 1 and April 15. “The problem is when April 15 rolls around, if you have not done anything to address what might be a mounting bill, you are going to be at risk for disconnection,” he said.
Those who struggle to pay their energy bills can also look to the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program. For those who qualify, the state program offers some payment of heating and electric bills, emergency crisis assistance and financial assistance for furnace repairs and replacement.
According to a program flyer, the assistance is not intended to cover the entire heating cost of a residence.
Program eligibility depends on income and the family size. For example, the maximum monthly gross income for a family of four is $3,957, while the maximum for a family of eight is $5,461.
Applicants need to bring a photo ID, proof of all household gross income for the three months prior to the month of the application, Social Security cards for every member of the household and a current energy bill. If heat is included with rent, the applicant must provide a lease or landlord’s statement showing the cost of heat each month.
Program applications must be filled out in person at one of the Social Development Commission offices—6848 N. Teutonia Ave., 4041 N. Richards St. or 2701 S. Chase Ave. An application can also be filled out at Community Advocates, 728 N. James Lovell St.
The SDC offices on Teutonia Avenue and Richards Street open at 7:30 a.m. on weekdays and, along with the Chase Avenue location, offer evening appointments. The three offices are also open from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.
Those in need can also cut their energy costs through the state’s Weatherization Assistance Program. Eligibility is determined when an application is submitted for the energy assistance program.
The program offers services including insulation of walls and attics, insulation or replacement of water heaters, and installation of energy-efficient lighting. For more information, contact the SDC office at 2460 W. Clybourn St.

created: November 8, 2013


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 7, 2013

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: November 7, 2013

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

author: Adam Carr


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 8, 2013


text:
Journey House holiday opportunties | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Journey House
November 11, 2013
New Toy Donation
Donate new toys for children from 1 to 11 years of age.  Please drop off at Journey House (2110 W. Scott St.) by Friday, December 13th.  Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. For other drop off arrangements or pick up arrangements, please contact Cherise Myers at #414-647-0548 ext.104 or cmyers@journeyhouse.org.
Please, no toy guns or toys that encourage violence.
Adopt-A-Teen
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We are looking for gift cards in increments of $25 to give to our teens (12-19 years of age) that attend our Youth Center, South Division and BayView Community Learning Center Programs this year.  We ask that all gift cards be dropped off at Journey House (2110 W. Scott Street) by Friday, December 13th.
Our goal is to supply 200 teens with a $25 gift card.
Some gift card suggestions: itunes cards, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, Old Navy, Wal-Mart, Target, Kohls, Pick ‘n Save, local malls or bus passes.

created: November 11, 2013

author: Journey House


text:
Public art commission at Milwaukee Public Library engages community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Library
November 11, 2013
Did you get engaged by the Northpoint Lighthouse? Did your child take a first step in Back Bay Park? Does your family enjoy picnics on the lakefront? Milwaukeeans now have a chance to inspire the design and content of public art at the new East Branch of the Milwaukee Public Library (MPL.)
Santiago Cucullu, one of two local artists recently selected to create public art installations in the new East Branch, is seeking public participation in his commission. He wants to know what architectural features around Milwaukee Libraries are inherent parts of your story. Milwaukee residents of all ages are encouraged to share stories about key events in their lives that occurred near one of MPL’s branch libraries. The stories and images will inspire a series of murals inside the library that are based on geographical features surrounding MPL locations.
Cucullu asks interested individuals to submit a short description of a significant life event that occurred near any MPL location. The submission should include the recognizable and notable geographical landmarks at the location described. Including a snapshot or digital image of the location is helpful.
Stories (not to exceed 500 words) and images may be posted to the Milwaukee Public Library “Be Part of the Art at East” Facebook Event Page (http://on.fb.me/192n3v9), sent to publicart@milwaukee.gov or dropped off or mailed to the temporary East Branch location, 2430 N. Murray Avenue, Attention: Public Art. The submission deadline is Sunday, November 24th.
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author: Milwaukee Public Library


text:
Viewers say Burnham Park public art ‘looks like life’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
November 11, 2013
“An Arrangement,” one of four public works of art that make up “Typeface,” was installed on the boarded-up 31st Street Mini-Mart. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Autumn leaves are falling and will soon give way to snow, but on a corner in the Burnham Park neighborhood residents were pleasantly surprised when flowers popped up recently.
A large colorful floral bouquet constructed of metal and plastic suddenly sprouted out of the upper corner of the boarded-up 31 Street Mini-Mart at 31 and Burnham streets.
“It brings a lot of life to the neighborhood,” said Tracey Sroka during a visit to the community where she used to live.
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The bouquet is one of four public art installations collectively called “Typeface.” Created by Milwaukee artist Reginald Baylor and storyteller Adam Carr, the four art works in different city neighborhoods are rooted in community conversation. All are located on abandoned or foreclosed properties.
Each of the installations was crafted around the neighborhoods’ history, identity, and personality, Carr explained. Another consideration was the ways in which the abandoned sites relate to the surrounding “built environment,” he added.
“When you to see a big empty space or when you see a foreclosed building, what does that say about the surroundings?” he asked.
In Burnham Park, Carr interviewed 100 residents over a period of a year. To engage them in conversation, he posed the simple and intentionally open-ended question, “Why here?”
“Responses to that prompt are collected in ‘An Arrangement,’ a bouquet as vibrant as the community’s cast of characters,” according to the Typeface Web site.
Spending time in the neighborhood, talking with people on the street, playing soccer in the park and observing what he described as “the extreme density of life there,” Carr’s conversations with residents took many directions. They expressed apathy, triumph, sorrow, boredom, death and life, he said. The core of each interview is posted in a gallery on the Web site.
Baylor incorporated fragments of the interviews by printing words and phrases in different typefaces on the flowers in the bouquet: “explore;” “I want;” “It’s the same as the Dells but no water;” “Now we are old;” “People: In, Out, In, Out, In Out.”
“Adam said he thought the community was a bouquet of people — different varieties, different sizes, shapes, colors,” Baylor explained.
“I thought it was pretty cool when I saw it,” said Mason Wilkinson, a former resident of Burnham Park. “It adds color to the neighborhood and character to the city.”
Neighborhood resident Juan Cruz had passed the art installation several times but wasn’t sure what to make of it.
“I’m thinking it’s something to do with the [nearby] school. I don’t know much about art. I don’t know what it is, actually. It looks like life, kids…” Cruz said.
Cruz’s reflection on the neighborhood and its inhabitants were exactly what Carr hoped to inspire. “[T]hat’s the point – thinking about your environment, thinking about your relationship to it, who’s in control of it. … These are important questions to ask,“ Carr said.
“I don’t think it necessarily has to be obvious,” Baylor said. “You can enjoy it for its face value. My hope is that it’s just generally a beautiful work of art that people learn to like in their neighborhood.”
The other Typeface installations include “Panel Discussion” in Sherman/Washington Park, “Puzzled and Amazed” in Harambee and “Bookshed” in Lindsay Heights.
Editor’s note: Adam Carr is a part-time employee of Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

author: Andrea Waxman


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 10, 2013

created: November 10, 2013


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 11, 2013


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Arts@Large looking for bilingual communications assistant | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Arts@Large
November 12, 2013
Job Description
Arts @ Large, a local non-profit arts education organization, seeks a bi-lingual (Spanish and English) communications assistant to support their work in communicating to a wide range of constituents, including but not limited to; community artist educators, school staff and administrators, parents, families, students and the general public. The qualified candidate will have experience working across multiple communications platforms including social media, website management, event marketing and news reporting. This is a part-time position with the opportunity for growth.
Arts @ Large MISSION: Arts @ Large will engage students, families, educators, artists and community partners in integrated arts programming.
Arts @ Large VISION: Every child receives a comprehensive education that integrates the arts.
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Responsibilities
Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to:
• Create online marketing materials for A@L, school and community events
• Update the A@L website with event information and news items
• Manage A@L social media including; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc.
• Use multimedia (video, photo, etc.) to document A@L programming
• Develop engaging stories for newsletters, e-blasts, etc. – which will include writing copy, interviewing stakeholders and taking photographs
• Manage the A@L email listserv
Qualifications
• Experience writing marketing and event copy • Experience designing marketing fliers and electronic media • Experience managing social media-based communications platforms for an organization • Experience writing human interest stories and interviewing constituents • Some knowledge of website management and updating • Bi-lingual, fluent in both English and Spanish
Compensation to be determined based on qualifications.
Please send resume, cover letter and two references to Arts @ Large Program Manager Ryan Hurley via email ryan@artsatlargeinc.org or 908 South 5th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53204 by Dec. 6th, 2013. For more information about Arts @ Large, please visit: www.artsatlargeinc.org

created: November 12, 2013


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Habitat For Humanity to begin first complete rehab project in Washington Park | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity
November 14, 2013
For the last 29 years, Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity has been building homes with low-income families.  This month, the organization takes on a new challenge: renovating a dilapidated foreclosed property into a decent home.Mayor Tom Barrett has signed the deed to the home at 1321 North 36 Street over to Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity, and the organization will begin demolition work on its first rehab project in over a decade. This property is located across from five homes Habitat built in 2005 on the same street. Habitat’s goal is to help bring additional stabilization to the block.
Milwaukee Habitat will convert the duplex property into a single-family home, with complete exterior and interior renovation of the structure’s five bedrooms, kitchen and two bathrooms. Some of the work includes removing upper porch, installing new siding, insulation, furnace, windows, electrical, sewer laterals, fixtures and appliances, as well as landscaping and pouring a new parking pad. Milwaukee Habitat estimates that the total project cost will be approximately $125,000.
While Milwaukee Habitat will continue to build new homes, it is transitioning the focus of its construction work to include rehab and repair projects.  This year, the organization introduced a new Home Preservation program to help low-income homeowners make affordable home repairs, and this rehab is the first of six they hope in complete in the next 18 months.
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“It’s about meeting the needs of the community,” said Brian Sonderman, executive director of Milwaukee Habitat.  “This house has been vacant for 11 months and boarded up for since February of this year and deemed uninhabitable by the City, and it’s just one of hundreds of foreclosures in the Washington Park neighborhood.  We can build new houses around the foreclosures, but if they continue to attract crime and bring down property values, that’s not a solution and it’s not a safe situation for our partner families.  This new rehab program is another step in our effort to help transform Washington Park into a safe, vibrant community.”
In recent years, Milwaukee Habitat has found it more cost-efficient to construct new homes from the ground up, but now, with the support of the City of Milwaukee, the organization will be able to purchase city-owned foreclosures and utilize Community Development Grants Administration funding to help restore the property.  The arrangement has benefits for both entities.
“Milwaukee Habitat is breathing new life into this house, and that is a far better outcome than demolition or continued decay,” said Mayor Barrett.  “This is not just about one house; it’s about a neighborhood and the people who live nearby.  It is an investment in the strength of the City.”
Barrett sees tremendous potential in the City’s new partnership with Milwaukee Habitat.  “It provides a way to take these properties and turn them into good homes that will give hardworking families the chance to become homeowners.”
“This is a great transition for Habitat and for Washington Park,” agreed Alderman Willie Hines.  “In Milwaukee, we unfortunately have an abundance of vacant houses. Restoring them like this, with volunteers and members of the community, I believe it’s going to be a benefit not just to whoever buys the home, but for everyone in the neighborhood, especially when combined with all the new homes and other repair projects. You really begin to see the impact on the community.”
Like its new construction program, Milwaukee Habitat is conducting this rehab project with community volunteers and the home’s future owner, a first-time homebuyer who will purchase the house with an affordable, zero-interest mortgage.  Families interested in purchasing a rehab or new construction home, or participating in the home repairs program should contact the organization to learn more about the guideline, income qualifications, and “sweat equity” requirements at 414-562-6100 or visit the website atwww.milwaukeehabitat.org.
For Milwaukee Habitat, the rehab program encompasses their strategy of transformation – not just building homes, but changing lives and communities.  “Milwaukee Habitat’s goal is to provide safe, affordable homes for families, while at same time helping to improve the entire neighborhood,” said Sonderman.  “We’re excited for this new partnership with the city and the opportunity to help more families achieve homeownership.”

created: November 14, 2013

author: Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 15, 2013

created: November 15, 2013


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Youth Smokers are turning to flavored little cigars or cigarettes | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Traquon M
November 14, 2013
The face of youth tobacco use is changing according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  While fewer youth are smoking overall, over 40% of the youth that do smoke are turning to flavored little cigars or cigarettes due to availability and affordable cost.
Walk into any corner store or gas station in urban communities and you will see these products prominently displayed among other candy products featuring the same flavors, like cherry, apple and melon.  Though the flavors in these little cigars and cigarillos mask the harshness of tobacco, these products carry the same risk as other tobacco products, including increased risk of developing lung, throat, and mouth cancer.
Another reason these products may be more appealing to young people is their cheaper price.  While a pack of cigarettes typically costs between $6-8 in Wisconsin, a 20-pack of flavored cigars can be bought for around $3.  Why should little cigars and other cigarette-like products be treated differently from other tobacco products when the tobacco levels are the same or greater?
If you are like me and are concerned about the marketing tactics of big tobacco, I urge you to join the Wisconsin African American Tobacco Prevention Network’s FACT group and learn more about local tobacco prevention efforts. Visit our Facebook page at http://facebook.com/waatpn for more information.
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Free help is available for all tobacco users ready to quit.  Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
Traquon M.
Junior
Rufus King International School

author: Traquon M


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Zilber Family Foundation awards Fondy Food Center $100,00 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Fondy Food Center
November 14, 2013
The board of directors of the Zilber Family Foundation has awarded a two-year, $100,000 grant to Fondy Food Center in efforts to connect the Lindsay Heights neighborhood and Central City Milwaukee to fresh, locally-grown food on a larger scale.
Fondy Food Center is one of eight Milwaukee nonprofits receiving grants totaling $700,000 after the fall meeting of the Foundation’s Board of Directors.
The award will assist the nonprofit Fondy Food Center, 2347 W. Fond du Lac Ave., in deepening its leadership role in the transformation of Milwaukee’s local food system, particularly in Central City and North Side neighborhoods where continued lack of access to fresh, affordable fruits and vegetables remains an ongoing concern.
“Like many urban communities, Lindsay Heights has a disproportionate number of fast-food and convenience store outlets in relation to healthy food retailers,” said Susan Lloyd, executive director of the Zilber Family Foundation. “Neighborhood anchors like the Fondy Food Center are instrumental in making the healthy choice the easy choice.”
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In 2013, the open-air Fondy Farmers Market provided access to healthy foods to more than 40,000 customers. More than 80% of customers come from zip codes 53205, 52306 and 53212, areas among the highest concentrations of poverty in Milwaukee. The Market, which accepts EBT (food stamp) SNAP cards, Senior and WIC farmers market nutrition vouchers, consistently ranks among the top five farmers markets in the country for EBT sales, and is the only Wisconsin farmers market that doubles the value of WIC vouchers. Fondy’s food stamp sales in 2013 were $51,000.
Zilber grant funds will be used to support the organization’s general operating expenses, including those related to developing a comprehensive three-year strategic plan and an updated communications platform.
“The strategic plan will create pathways to build stronger alliances with neighborhood nonprofits, residents, businesses and farmers,” said Young Kim, executive director of the Fondy Food Center. “We also aim to expand existing partnerships with Walnut Way Conservation Corp. and Alice’s Garden to sell fresh produce in Lindsay Heights corner stores and support young people who are interested in pursuing organic farming and food-related businesses. These partnerships are what truly transform local food systems.”
The grant will also support Fondy’s Farm Project, an 80-acre farm in Port Washington that provides low-income, mostly Hmong, farmers with long-term leases to high-quality farmland at a price they can afford, along with the business support they need to succeed. Although nearly all of the food harvested at the Farm is sold at the Fondy Farmers Market, the strategic plan will explore ways to increase wholesale fruit and vegetable sales to Milwaukee grocery stores and restaurants.
The Zilber Family Foundation grant is part of a larger strategy to increase access to healthy food in Lindsay Heights. Community members identified healthy food as a high priority in 2008 when the Foundation launched the Zilber Neighborhood Initiative, a 10-year $50 million commitment to improving quality of life in three Milwaukee neighborhoods.

author: Fondy Food Center


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Weatherization resources to a neighborhood | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Social Development Commission
November 18, 2013
The Residential Services Programs of the Social Development Commission partnered with the Clarke Square Neighborhood to present a variety of valuable resources to local residents.
A Weatherization and Lead Hazard Prevention Fair was held at Journey House for neighbors from that Southside area.  It offered demonstrations and workshops on topics such as furnace and water heater maintenance, lighting and energy savings tips, the House as a System, and the dangers of lead poisoning. Organizations taking part in the fair in addition to SDC, Clarke Square Neighborhood and Journey House were the Southside Organizing Committee, La Casa de Esperanza and the 16 Street Health Clinic.
SDC has partnered with Clarke Square Neighborhood for several years to present the fair for area residents.  Dozens of residents attended this year’s free event.  To learn more about the SDC Residential Services programs including Weatherization, visit the agency website at www.cr-sdc.org/index/Programs–Services/VITA/Asset-Development/Weatherization.htm.
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created: November 18, 2013

author: Social Development Commission


text:
Health Department reminds residents “Don’t invite the flu home for the holidays” | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee
November 21, 2013
With the official start to the holiday season just around the corner, the City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) is reminding all residents that now is a great time to get your flu vaccination. The call comes as confirmed cases of flu have been reported statewide, including in Milwaukee.
“Flu season so often coincides with the time of year when we gather with family and friends,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “I urge everyone over 6 months of age to visit their doctor, clinic, or pharmacy to get vaccinated today to protect yourself and your loved ones. Even healthy people can get the flu and spread it to others.”
Influenza (the flu) is among the most common respiratory illnesses in the United States, infecting millions of people each year. The virus is spread through the air when someone who is sick coughs, sneezes, or speaks. Symptoms of seasonal flu include fever, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, and fatigue. Though common, the flu can be serious, leading to hospitalization and sometimes death in the most vulnerable populations, including infants and young children, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses.
“Flu season has officially arrived,” said Commissioner of Health Bevan K. Baker. “Each year, different strains of the flu virus can spread, that is why the single best way to protect yourself and your family is to get vaccinated.”
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The vaccine is recommended for all individuals over 6 months of age. Those especially at risk include people with certain medical conditions like asthma, diabetes and lung disease, as well as the elderly, pregnant women and young children. Each year an average of 20,000 children under the age of 5 are hospitalized due to flu complications.
Along with getting your vaccine, the City of Milwaukee Health Department encourages frequent hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes with your sleeve to reduce the spread of the flu, as well as other viruses that circulate during the winter months. Those experiencing symptoms should remain home from work or school, get rest, and drink plenty of fluids. Antiviral medications available from your doctor should also be taken as prescribed to lessen the severity of flu symptoms.
Flu vaccine remains widely available this year through local health care providers and retail pharmacies. MHD clinics have a limited supply of flu vaccine available to uninsured children and adults.
For more information, visit www.milwaukee.gov/health.

created: November 21, 2013

author: City of Milwaukee


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Planned facilities, jobs headline Lindsay Heights community briefing | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rick Brown
November 21, 2013
Sherman Park resident Sakeena Jawad (right) takes notes as panelists update the community on the Lindsay Heights Quality of Life Plan. (Photo by Rick Brown)
New facilities and jobs in Lindsay Heights were the focus of a semi-annual meeting to update residents on the Lindsay Heights Neighborhood Initiative. The event also marked five years since the completion of the community’s Quality of Life plan.
Walnut Way, the lead agency for the initiative funded by the Zilber Family Foundation, suffered a setback in late September when a fire damaged its community center at 2240 N. 17th St.
“We had a fire that closed our office, but it could not close our spirit,” said Sharon Adams, program director at Walnut Way.
Panelists discussed new and ongoing physical development, including the Innovations & Wellness Commons, where Walnut Way plans to house its new headquarters, and the St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care, a South Side institution that is expanding to the North Side.
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Neighborhood residents and visitors filled an upstairs cafeteria at the Northside YMCA, 1350 W. North Ave., to listen to the briefing.
Lindsay Heights resident and Walnut Way board member Francesca Dawson hopes to see “residents work together and move ahead” to change the community. (Photo by Rick Brown)
The Innovations & Wellness Commons, at 1635 W. North Ave., is intended to “lead the transformation” of an undeveloped section of North Avenue into a new commercial corridor, according to a pamphlet distributed at the meeting.
St. Ann Center plans to break ground on the intergenerational daycare center by May 1. The facility will be built on land near North Avenue and 24th Street. According to Sister Edna Lonergan, president of St. Ann’s, at least half of the construction will be done by minority contractors, and the project will provide 200 jobs.
Lonergan said the “world-class” building will serve people of all ages and disabilities and will include a facility for people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Tim McCollow, project manager of HOME GR/OWN in the city’s Office of Environmental Sustainability, said Lindsay Heights was chosen as the initiative’s target neighborhood. The project is intended to re-purpose vacant properties for food production and distribution. The city is working with local organizations including Walnut Way and the Zilber Family Foundation to help address foreclosures and food access in the neighborhood.
“We have the land, the community and the political will to transform Lindsay Heights,” McCollow added.
Other organizations represented on the panel included Johnsons Park Neighborhood Association, Center for Resilient Cities, Neu-Life Community Development, Running Rebels Community Organization and Northside YMCA.
A number of visitors from outside the neighborhood attended the briefing. Andrew DiMezza, a Harambee resident, is considering buying a home in Lindsay Heights. DiMezza, who belongs to an urban homesteading cooperative, came to the meeting to learn more about the HOME GR/OWN initiative’s efforts in the community.
Sakeena Jawad, a Sherman Park resident, facilitates women’s healing circle groups with funding from Walnut Way. Curious about volunteer opportunities, Jawad attended after seeing a flier about the organization.
Investment and transformation in Lindsay Heights will take time, Adams said, but local residents provide the “spark to keep that going.”
One of those residents is Francesca Dawson, an advisory board member at Walnut Way. Dawson has attended every community report since the Quality of Life Plan began.
“I would like to continue to see the residents work together and move ahead on the plan for our children, for the future of the neighborhood of Lindsay Heights,” Dawson said.
The Lindsay Heights Quality of Life Plan is focused on eight key strategies: academic achievement, youth and families, lifelong learning, public safety, health and wellness, healthy food, housing and commercial corridors.
The next Report to the Community is scheduled for May 19.

author: Rick Brown


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 20, 2013

created: November 20, 2013


text:
Seniors honored for service | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Social Development Commission
November 23, 2013
More than 70 senior volunteers have been recognized for their successful efforts to improve the lives of others.  Volunteers for the Senior Companion Program of the Social Development Commission (SDC) were singled out at a Recognition Luncheon.
Senior Companions are older adults who volunteer to make regular home visits to the homebound and provide in-home services that include light housework, setting up and going to doctor’s appointments, shopping, and just being a friend.  That support has been found to help the homebound remain living independently longer in their own homes.
Curtis Marshal of the Wisconsin Division of Public Health was the guest speaker and he told the senior volunteers that their efforts are helping end the social isolation that many homebound feel.  He said there is another benefit to their efforts, that of providing an example to coming generations of the value of volunteering.  He urged the Senior Companions to continue their efforts to better the quality of life for those whom they serve.
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SDC CEO George P. Hinton also thanked the volunteers for their efforts. He said they need to realize the value of the work that they achieve in helping some of the community’s most vulnerable citizens.
The Senior Companion Program at SDC is funded in part by the Corporation for National Service and Community Service and the State of Wisconsin. To learn more about the program, visit the website at SDC at www.cr-sdc.org/index/Programs–Services/Family-Strengthening/Senior-Companions.htm.

created: November 23, 2013


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Harambee tour highlights ‘environment of self-empowerment’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
November 26, 2013
Harambee neighborhood tour participants get back on the bus after viewing the Riverworks Lofts. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
Activists have taken their show on the road in the Harambee neighborhood, where their community and economic development efforts have begun to pay dividends.
During a two-hour bus tour of the neighborhood hosted by LISC Milwaukee, a group of community leaders, policy makers and politicians heard from community leaders about a handful of initiatives along Martin Luther King Drive.
“There is a lot of passion in these neighborhoods from residents who want to take charge and create a better life for themselves and for their neighbors,” said Leo Ries, executive director of LISC Milwaukee as he stood at the front of the bus. “That’s really the goal here is to have residents managing their neighborhoods.”
One of those initiatives is focused on Clinton Rose Park, where community members plan to revitalize the athletic facilities and highlight the history of the park, which was home to a Negro League baseball team about 80 years ago.
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“We want to reinvigorate that history and connect the residents to that history and give them a sense of ownership,” said Leif Otteson, a community organizer with the Harambee Great Neighborhood Initiative, during the bus tour.
(Photo by Sue Vliet)
Tour participants also heard from Adrian Spencer, a 37-year-old mother, who had enough of gunfire hitting her house.
In July, Spencer packed up her four children and moved out of her home in Harambee, located across from a bar at the corner of North 2nd Street and Keefe Avenue.
Spencer, whose house was hit by stray bullets on four separate occasions, was done with the ruckus, thuggery and violence that spilled out from the bar.
“It became so unsafe that we had to get up and move,” said Spencer, who regularly cleaned her street of the broken booze and beer bottles from the night before.
Despite moving, Spencer has remained steadfast in her attempt to improve the neighborhood. Spencer, along with her mother, cleaned up a small park across the street from her former house. The effort included building benches and planting in the park, where she now organizes small neighborhood events such as pumpkin carvings during Halloween.
“Even when you want to keep your family safe, you still want to do things to improve the environment,” Spencer said. “I still love the Harambee neighborhood. I wish I didn’t have to move, but safety [comes] first.”
The tour also stopped at the Five Points Exchange, where Keefe and Atkinson avenues meet 6th Street and Martin Luther King Drive. The tour group heard about how the Riverworks Development Corp. is working to remove blighted properties, create green space and improve the street infrastructure, all in hopes of attracting businesses and housing to that area.
“This is where we see a lot of great opportunities happening,” said Darryl Johnson, executive director of the Riverworks Development Corp.
The bus also rolled past the ARTery Project and Beerline Trail. There, community development advocates hope to turn a vacant railroad corridor into a paved bike and walking trail, along with an outdoor venue for performance art.
Tour participants got off the bus at the Riverworks Lofts, 3372 N. Holton St., to learn about the $6.8 million adaptive-reuse housing development consisting of 36 lofts in a vacant industrial building. They also traveled past a house in the 2500 block of North 2nd Street that was recently purchased with the help of ACTS Housing, an organization that assists low-income families buy foreclosed houses.
“All of this happens because of an environment of self-empowerment,” said Carl Quindel, executive director of ACTS, which has helped families purchase more than 360 foreclosed houses since 2008.
The tour concluded on King Drive where participants heard about the thoroughfare’s business improvement district and the King Commons Developments, initiatives aimed at rejuvenating commercial properties and creating a vibrant business community in the neighborhood.
LaMarr Franklin, chairman of the King Drive Business Improvement District, succinctly summed up his feelings about Harambee.
“It has great people and it’s a great neighborhood,” he said.

created: November 26, 2013

author: Brendan O’Brien


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 25, 2013

created: November 25, 2013


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Meijer donates trucks, trailers and food to Hunger Task Force | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Hunger Task Force
November 26, 2013
Sherrie Tussler (left), Executive Director of Hunger Task Force, and Hank Meijer (right), Meijer Co-Chairman, talking in front of two semi-trucks full of 84,000 pounds of food that Meijer donated to Hunger Task Force. Meijer plans to open stores in Grafton, Kenosha, Oak Creek, Sussex, Waukesha and Wauwatosa.
Before Meijer breaks ground on proposed stores in the greater Milwaukee area, the family-owned retailer today donated two semi-trucks and trailers full of food to Hunger Task Force, a local food bank dedicated to distributing food to 80 food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters in Milwaukee County.
This donation marks the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer’s first philanthropic effort in the greater Milwaukee community, and establishes a commitment to helping area food banks.
“Meijer was built on a fundamental philosophy of supporting the communities we serve,” Meijer Co- Chairman Hank Meijer said. “And while we don’t have stores in the area yet, we believe it’s never too early to become a good neighbor. Food is a very basic need that no one should go without, and we’re pleased to partner with Hunger Task Force, which is working diligently to feed those who are struggling.”
Hunger Task Force delivered 8.3 million pounds of food free of charge last month, providing for 36,000 visits to area food pantries and slightly fewer than 64,000 visits to local meal sites. The Meijer donation of trucks filled with an estimated 84,000 pounds of food will allow even more families and individuals to be served this holiday season.
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“Hunger Task Force welcomes Meijer to the metro Milwaukee area,” said Sherrie Tussler, executive director of Hunger Task Force. “When Meijer executives told us they were going to deliver two semi- trucks full of food in time for Thanksgiving we were so happy. But when they told us we could keep the trucks, we were ecstatic. We want to thank Hank Meijer and the Meijer family of employees for their generosity and service to those in need.”
Meijer is expanding into Wisconsin and has announced plans to open several Milwaukee-area stores as early as 2015. The retailer has a strong family and corporate tradition of caring, including significant support of hunger relief initiatives in the communities it serves. In fact, Meijer gives more than 6 percent of its net profit to charitable organizations each year, as well as offers a food rescue program at each of its 204 stores, and has a signature program called Simply Give that has generated more than $6.5 million – equaling 39 million meals – for its food pantry partners throughout the Midwest.
The two semi-trucks and trailers donated to Hunger Task Force were previously part of the Meijer truck fleet and replaced with ones that offered the latest technology in emissions control. The vehicles are part of a larger donation of 10 semi-trucks and 20 trailers – valued at nearly $400,000 – Meijer will give this year to food banks in the Midwest. Since 2010, Meijer has donated 60 trucks and 20 trailers to food banks and other community partners.
All of the vehicles have been reconditioned and prepped for their next use, including new tires, maintenance inspections and new graphics specific to each donation recipient.

author: Hunger Task Force


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 27, 2013

created: November 27, 2013


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Free construction skills training aims to meet growing need | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
November 27, 2013
Ezzard White explains a mathematical formula in a class on electricity at St. Francis of Assisi Church. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Five years ago, retired teacher Ezzard White designed a training program to teach young men and women skilled trades, particularly in the areas of electricity and electronics.
“I decided I wanted to do something that will make a difference,” White said.
Because of the “Great Recession,” the time wasn’t right to begin the program. But things have changed. Experts expect a big boom in construction during the next 10-15 years.
In September, White began teaching the first module of nine in his survey course of skilled trades for the construction industry. Since then, about 400 students have gone through the basic and second-level electricity modules. Next up are blueprint reading, plumbing, welding, building construction, masonry, general drafting, carpentry and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning). More than 1,000 people have applied for the program, which runs for 24 weeks.
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One challenge White faces is a lack of workshop space, which would enable him to provide hands-on training. For now, he teaches classes in theory and demonstrates the skills. He is waiting for action on a proposal he submitted to the MPS board to use space at North Division High School, which he said has been met with enthusiasm from some board members and Mayor Barrett.
“One Hope Made Strong” students take a test in Ezzard White’s class at St. Francis of Assisi Church. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
The first African-American teacher of electricity, electronics and electrical math at Milwaukee Trade & Technical High School (renamed Lynde and Harry Bradley Technology and Trade High School), White retired after teaching for 20 years. He now owns his own business, EWS Electric & Industrial Trucking & Traffic Control LLC.
When he looks around his community, White said, he sees a lot of smart young men and women who need employment but lack skills. “I can accommodate them with the skills that I have and the experience that I have,” he said. He underwrites the costs of the program himself and does not charge students any fees.
With the German scientist George Simon Ohms in mind, White built on his theme of hope in naming the program One Hope Made Strong or OHMS.
OHMS is included on the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board’s approved list of individual training programs, according to Chief Operating Officer Linda Stewart.
Students who complete the program will receive a certificate of completion, which may lead to acceptance in an entry-level position in a trade or to BIG STEP  (Building Industry Group Skilled Trades Employment Program), an industry sponsored pre-apprenticeship tutoring program, or another training program.
OHMS can fill a gap for central city residents, says Randy Crump, the CEO of Prism Technical and a supporter of OHMS’ mission. Among the challenges these residents face are schools that don’t offer industrial arts courses and parents who rent rather than own homes. Consequently, they lack basic experience with tools and home repairs, which leaves them at a disadvantage when applying for pre-apprenticeship training, Crump explained.
“In many of the trades, the first line of questioning in an interview to enter the training is ‘what have you built?’ ‘What tools have you used?’ So you’re eliminating probably 80 percent of Milwaukee’s impoverished people,” Crump said.
White also provides a hand up to students by teaching about employers’ expectations in the industry, Crump said.
OHMS models a workplace environment by insisting on promptness and regular attendance. Volunteer assistants verify attendance with a photo ID at every class. Only one excused absence is allowed.
John Bzdawka, business manager at the Electrical Workers Union, Local 494 and Jeff Leckwee, director of the Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers District Council of Wisconsin responded positively to OHMS’ mission. Though neither had heard of the program, both said they would be interested in considering people who had completed it.
“We are going to need people coming into the trades. Any kind of initial help to get them in is great. We have, of course, an apprenticeship program but there are minimum qualifications to get into that. You have to have at least high school algebra,” Bzdawka said.
Crump said Milwaukee is poised to come back from a 40-50 percent decrease in construction jobs between 2008 and 2012. He emphasized that central city residents should prepare now to participate in rebuilding and replacing workers who left the city when there was no work.
Pastor Teresa Thomas-Boyd of Matters of the Heart Christian Ministries heard Crump speak at an African-American Chamber of Commerce meeting. She sparked the launch of OHMS when she connected him with White. She also carried Crump’s message to clerical and other friends. St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 1927 N. 4th St., and the Inter-Denominational Church of the One Lost Sheep Foundational Ministries, 2567 N. 8th St., offered space for White’s classes in their buildings.
Crump projects at least $2 billion in downtown construction during the next 10 to 15 years, excluding home building and small complexes. He cited construction at Northwestern Mutual’s new headquarters, Couture, 833 East and the Hoan Bridge, as well as a potential new Bradley Center and, possibly, a streetcar system. “There are several [additional] $100 million projects that are potentially in the mix,” Crump said.
OHMS participant Leon Smith started doing construction work in concrete at 17. He later learned some electrical, plumbing and carpentry skills. He said that it’s been tough finding employment, especially since he has been incarcerated. He is now working primarily as a forklift driver with some independent home improvement work on the side. He hopes to increase his income through higher-paying construction work after completing White’s program.
“I would like to support my kids better and own my own home,” he said.


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Penfield Children’s Center Joins the #GivingTuesday Movement | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Penfield Children’s Center
November 27, 2013
Penfield Children’s Center is getting involved with #GivingTuesday on December 3, a national celebration of generosity following Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  Started in 2012, #GivingTuesday is a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season.
As part of #GivingTuesday, Penfield has created the Up n’ Go Campaign in an effort to raise money to purchase an Up n’ Go toddler gait trainer.  This piece of equipment helps build strength and balance for children who have difficulty walking independently.  For children like Mario, who has a rare genetic disorder that causes contractures in his joints and prevents him from bending his arms and legs, a gait trainer may be their only opportunity to stand up and walk on their own.  Visit Penfield’s fundraising page and watch Mario’s story here:
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/penfield-s-up-n-go-campaign/x/3358104
Because #GivingTuesday is a national celebration of generosity, it is a highly publicized event on social media.  On December 3, Penfield will actively participate in the conversation on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #GivingTuesday to promote the campaign.  “#GivingTuesday is a great opportunity for us to share our story with an engaged audience and raise funds to purchase an essential piece of medical equipment,” says Jason Parry, Vice President of Development and Communications at Penfield. “Online giving is among the fastest growing sources of philanthropic giving for agencies like ours; we are thrilled to be able to participate in this effort.”
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You can get involved and promote the campaign on December 3 as well. Participate in conversations on Penfield’s Facebook page, share posts and pictures and retweet.  Tell your friends and family about the campaign and help raise awareness of Penfield’s mission.  Your support of this campaign will help more children, just like Mario, push beyond their limits, stand up, and walk.

author: Penfield Children’s Center


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Happy Thanksgiving! | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sharon McGowan
November 28, 2013
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service wishes you and your family a happy and bountiful holiday.

created: November 28, 2013

author: Sharon McGowan


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
November 28, 2013


text:
Special Report: Mounting fines for minor infractions hit low-income drivers hardest | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rick Brown
December 2, 2013
Rising driver’s license suspensions for unpaid traffic tickets may be putting mobility—and employment—out of reach for many of Milwaukee’s lowest-income drivers, according to researchers and policy advocates.
The suspensions can stem from tickets as relatively minor as broken headlights or seatbelt violations.
In 2011, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) issued about 97,000 Failure to Pay Forfeiture (FPF) suspensions to drivers in Milwaukee County, according to a 2012 report by the Employment and Training Institute (ETI) at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
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DOT records as of August 2013 show that FPF suspensions have constituted more than half of all license revocations or suspensions in Wisconsin this year.
FPF suspensions have risen almost every year from 2008-2011, ETI data shows, and in that period, nearly 24,000 county residents had DOT suspensions solely for that reason. Most of those drivers live on Milwaukee’s North or South Side. Eighty-two percent are minorities; 65 percent are African-Americans.
Such statistics have led critics to refer to the situation as “driving while poor.”
“This is a poverty-driven problem,” said Nichole Yunk Todd, policy and research director at Wisconsin Community Services. “It’s not a safety-related citation, and these individuals aren’t any less safe than people who can pay their tickets on time.”
For drivers too poor to pay the fines, the suspensions “dig a hole that’s very difficult to get out of,” said ETI Director John Pawasarat.
Center for Driver’s License Recovery and Employability Supervising Attorney Molly Gena helps low- or no-income clients regain their driver’s licenses through payment plans, community service or other arrangements. (Photo by Rick Brown)
A rising trend
“Failure to Pay Forfeiture” suspensions stem from “any and all” unpaid traffic tickets from speeding to broken headlight violations, explained Angela Catania, supervisor at the Center for Driver’s License Recovery and Employability (CDLRE).
When drivers receive a ticket, they have two to three months to pay the required fine (technically called a “forfeiture”). Once that period has elapsed, courts may order an FPF suspension through the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) lasting up to two years or until the forfeitures are paid, according to Wisconsin law. A single driver may accrue multiple suspensions, one for each unpaid ticket.
To regain their licenses, Catania said, drivers usually have to pay their fines or begin a payment plan. Drivers must also pay a $60 reinstatement fee.
The road to an FPF suspension can begin with a parking ticket, according to Catania.
“An unpaid parking ticket can lead to a suspended vehicle registration,” Catania said. The driver can be stopped and given a ticket, which would lead to a license suspension if unpaid. “It just tends to create larger problems over what could have been a minor issue.”
Once drivers have an FPF suspension, they can receive multiple tickets in a single traffic stop, creating a “vicious cycle” of unpaid forfeitures that low-income drivers can’t escape from, according to Molly Gena, supervising attorney at CDLRE.
Varying viewpoints
FPF suspensions are a reasonable response to traffic violations, according to Chief Court Administrator Sheldyn Himle, speaking on behalf of the Milwaukee Municipal Court. Himle said that the consequence matches the violation.
“It makes perfect sense that if you violate traffic laws, you risk not being able to drive,” said Himle in an email. “And if you have the ability to pay for car insurance and gas, you should be able to pay your fines.”
CDLRE cofounder and volunteer attorney Jim Gramling believes the issue is more complicated. In his 21 years as a Milwaukee municipal judge, Gramling said he saw “hundreds of thousands” of traffic cases. Though some “irresponsible” people may choose not to pay, he said, others are simply unable to do so.
“A huge percentage [of suspensions], well over 50 percent, I’m sure, are on the part of low-income drivers or no-income drivers who are unable to budget a forfeiture along with all their other expenses,” Gramling said. “They can’t pay and thus suffer a suspension.”
Todd, of Wisconsin Community Services, agrees, adding that two-year FPF suspensions are ineffective if the goal is to collect the fines. According to a CDLRE analysis of Milwaukee Municipal Court payment patterns, individuals make almost 92 percent of all payments within six months of the judgments.
FPF suspensions are rising statewide. They have increased 44 percent from about 170,000 in 2008 to 220,000 in 2011, according to DOT data (see chart, left). In 2012, those suspensions accounted for a little more than 55 percent of all suspensions or revocations in Wisconsin.
According to the CDLRE, the increase is likely due to the recession and insurance laws. In June 2010, Wisconsin became one of the last states to introduce mandatory insurance. Since then, tickets for not having insurance have become the fourth most common traffic ticket in the state, as of 2012 records.
“Because of this vast number of violations being written now for operating without insurance, people who can’t afford it are being given more tickets that they can’t pay, and the suspensions are piling up,” Gramling said.
The suspensions do not affect all Milwaukeeans equally. According to Pawasarat, unlike Operating While Intoxicated suspensions, which are broadly represented citywide, FPF suspensions are heavily clustered in the city’s poorest minority neighborhoods.
“OWI is an indicator of real driving problems,” said Pawasarat. “Not paying your bills isn’t a driving problem. It’s a problem related to being poor, especially in neighborhoods that are African-American.”
Many of those who cannot pay, he added, resort to driving “under the radar.” “If you see yourself as not having a prayer [of having a valid license], you’ll just drive anyway,” Pawasarat said.
Jose, who declined to give his last name, is one of those drivers. A South Side resident and parent, he lost his license in 2003 due to an Operating While Intoxicated offense.
Jose said he stayed off the road for five years after the incident. But when he began trying to pay off his tickets and get his license reinstated, he explained, driving became a necessity.
“It’s a ‘catch-22,’” Jose said. “I have to pay off these tickets, but to get money you have to work. Many of the good jobs are outside of [Milwaukee]. It’s a must that you drive.”
Working and keeping a low profile, Jose said he now drives “only when it’s necessary.” He hopes to save enough money to pay his fines and have his license reinstated in order to get a construction job.
Supervisor Angela Catania explains how to regain a driver’s license to Hakim Fudge, who has 15 unpaid tickets, at the Center for Driver’s License Recovery and Employability. (Photo by Rick Brown)
Help is available
The CDLRE, 700 W. State St., aims to help individuals in Milwaukee County with FPF suspensions and other driver’s license issues. Founded in 2007 and operated by Wisconsin Community Services, the center also is supported by Legal Action of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Municipal Court and Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), according to Todd.
“The center was created because the founders saw a gap in the community for people who had a suspended or revoked driver’s license with a low income who didn’t have the means to pay thousands of dollars in non-moving tickets,” Todd said.
The CDLRE aims to help county residents recover their licenses through case management and legal services, Catania said, with a target of enrolling 325 residents and advising 400 people at community outreach events each year.
The center’s current license recovery success rate is approximately 60 percent, she added.
Clients are all at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, and most are African-American. All get to CDLRE from referrals by organizations such as Milwaukee Municipal Court, MATC and Milwaukee Urban League.
“Our clients are trying to do the right thing,” Todd said. “Fines can stack up rather quickly for adults who can’t pay tickets. It gets to a point where the situation has to change, and that’s why they’re here.”
In addition to directly assisting residents, the CDLRE has championed four successful state-level reforms, Todd said, including Wisconsin Act 102, which ended mandatory license revocations for drivers with four Operating While Suspended convictions.
The majority of the CDLRE’s clients are dealing with FPF suspensions, according to Gena, who leads the center’s two-person legal team with support from Gramling, a volunteer attorney.
Driver’s license law is complicated, Gena said, in part because some clients must deal with more than one jurisdiction or court system.
Gena works with clients to recover their licenses, typically by establishing payment plans or community service arrangements through which clients can have their suspensions lifted while they pay their fines.
One of the people depending on the Center’s assistance is Hakim Fudge, 22, who lives on the North Side. Fudge’s license expired in 2010 and is currently suspended for 15 unpaid city tickets.
An MATC student in accounting and business, Fudge continued to drive. Not having a license has been a “big problem,” he said.
“I get pulled over a lot,” Fudge said. “I get more tickets on top of more tickets. It’s put me in a hole.” Fudge hopes to regain his license with the CDLRE’s assistance while continuing his education.
Not having a license is “the most important barrier to employment which you can fix,” said Pawasarat, referring to CDLRE’s efforts.
With many jobs moving outside the city, having a driver’s license is a necessity, Pawasarat said. “Many jobs are not reachable by public transportation.”
Even for those individuals who can take the bus, the situation is getting more difficult. Public transit mileage has declined every year since 2008, according to Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) reports (see graphic, left).
For many workers, taking public transit simply isn’t an option, according to Todd. “The [fares] just keep going up and the routes just keep getting reduced. It’s especially hard to make that work with children.”
Employers may also use a driver’s license as a “measure of responsibility,” utilizing it as a filter on applicants even in non-driving occupations, according to Catania.
Policy effort
The CDLRE hopes to address FPF suspensions directly with a new legislative proposal to reduce suspension lengths from two years to six months.
Todd said the CDLRE is “really hopeful” that the nonpartisan bill can be passed and hopes the process will start early next year. She added that it has state-level Democratic and Republican support, but declined to name individual legislators.
FPF suspensions, the proposal states, “exist solely as a forfeiture collection method” for courts, but more than 90 percent of drivers pay in the first six months. The longer suspensions, which exceed some drunk driving suspensions and revocations, “only serve to penalize low-income drivers,” according to the proposal.
Courts would still be able to intercept state tax refunds to pay overdue forfeitures that outlast the suspension period, Todd said, so the CDLRE believes no revenue will be lost.
“We actually think it [revenue] will increase because people will be able to pay fines better [with fewer suspensions],” Todd said.
Gramling said the bill could be extremely important in addressing the growing FPF suspension issue. “If we’re successful in getting the period reduced, I think we’ll have done as much as we can policy-wise to eliminate unnecessary obstacles to driving for low-income drivers.”

created: December 2, 2013


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 1, 2013

created: December 1, 2013


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Hampton Elementary School kicks off Serve2Unite program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Arts@Large
December 3, 2013
Arts @ Large and Serve 2 Unite joined forces on Friday, November 15, to kick off a program to bring arts experiences and peace projects to the students of Hampton Elementary School on Milwaukee’s North Side.
The event featured a performance from local reggae group R.A.S. Movement, who had 150 elementary students grooving in their seats and singing along with their positive message of peace, love, and non-violence.
Arts @ Large and Serve 2 Unite programs are a perfect fit for action-oriented Hampton Elementary, where the motto is: “We’ll tell you what made Milwaukee great, and then we will show you how we’re going to make it better!”
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created: December 3, 2013


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Support for senior benefit enrollment program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Social Development Commission
December 3, 2013
A program that helps seniors access earned benefits that can help them live more safely and comfortably has received financial support.  The Retirement Research Foundation of Chicago has announced a grant award for the Senior Benefit Enrollment Program at the Social Development Commission (SDC).
The Public Benefit Enrollment Program is coordinated by the Senior Companion Program at SDC to help seniors enroll in programs like Medicare Savings, Extra Help for Medicare Part D, and Food Share.  The program has assisted hundreds of seniors to sign up for those benefits since it started in early 2011 and has had an economic impact of approximately one-million dollars on participants.
The Retirement Research Foundation grant will help the enrollment program continue to serve Milwaukee County seniors in 2014.  To learn more about Senior Public Benefit Enrollment Program or the SDC Senior Companion Program, visit www.cr-sdc.org/index/Programs–Services/Family-Strengthening/Senior-Companions.htm.  Or call 414-906-2781.
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Pressure mounts for local GED students as deadline approaches | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
December 4, 2013
Blanca Rodriguez studies for her math exam. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Admitting that she’s nervous, Blanca Rodriguez sits down to prepare for the final leg in her race to earn her GED (General Educational Development) certificate before changes go into effect and wipe out the progress she’s made. She already passed four of five tests needed for certification. Her final hurdle is the math test.
GED students must pass all their exams by Dec. 12, the last day to take the current version of the test. Beginning in 2014, a costlier, and some say more difficult, version of the test will be administered.
Rodriguez, who’s attended GED prep classes at Journey House, 2110 W. Scott St., since January, said she’s worried because math is her worst subject and she might not pass in time. She wants to earn the certificate for her three young children.
Rodriguez first came to the center at the encouragement of her mother, who took GED classes at Journey House when it was still located at the site of a transformed church on the 1900 block of West Washington Street in Clarke Square. Her mother never finished, but Rodriguez plans to.
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“I’m taking my math test later today,” she said.
Adult education centers across the city are making a final push to help students such as Rodriguez to obtain their GEDs now, rather than start over next year. As of June 2013, more than 2,800 students had passed some, but not all, of the GED tests required for certification. MATC, the organization responsible for keeping track of the data for all the sites, could not provide the number of students still in that situation. A spokesperson said 1,648 students earned GEDs at MATC this year.
Glorianne Mather, adult education director at Journey House, has helped 24 students obtain their GEDs this year. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
“Students are nervous, frightened and on edge about finishing,” said Patricia Adams, workforce training and education director at the YWCA, 1915 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Adams said that since July, 122 students have completed their GEDs at the center. Calls are still coming in from students interested in enrolling in the program, but it’s too late, according to Adams.
“There simply will not be enough time for many of them to successfully finish during the window of time remaining,” Adams said. She added that instructors have to focus on current students before the window closes.
Journey House is still taking new students, but, unless they’ve already passed some of the tests, they are preparing for the new test in 2014, according to Glorianne Mather, adult education director. But most are there to finish.
Chanta Lee, who’s taking her final test before the deadline, thought she had her GED after paying $400 to take the test online. But, when she signed up for phlebotomy courses at MATC, she found out her certificate was not valid. A recent NNS report revealed that “predatory” schools are offering GED hopefuls quick-fix diplomas that are not accepted at most post-secondary schools.
Lee had to start over. She has been taking a test each month, and studying from 9 to 11 a.m. at Journey House daily for six months. She said she ran a successful day care business for seven years, but she’s looking for a career change, and also has something to prove.
“I want my kids to know that they need an education,” said Lee, adding that she didn’t want them to think that because she found success without it, they could too.
Lee will be taking her final exam at the UMOS testing site, 2701 S. Chase Ave. According to Tony Tsai, education manager at UMOS, 161 students have obtained their GEDs there since June, compared to 83 during the same time period the previous year. Tsai said the number of participants is overwhelming, and supplies are running low. But, he said employees are working hard to fill testing slots with people who are near completion, and scrambling to get supplies for them.
“We want to give those students priority and will work to guarantee a seat for them,” said Tsai. UMOS is running seven testing sessions a week for 20 participants at a time, he added.
UMOS and the YWCA both received grants from United Way to help with the final push. The grants enabled both centers to increase staff hours and provide more tests over the past few months.
At Journey House, Mather has been trying to contact students who are only a test or two away, and urge them to come to class and schedule their tests.
The closer the deadline gets, the more nervous she gets, she said. However, for those who choose not to finish by Dec. 12, “I’ll be there tomorrow and they can wait until 2014,” Mather said.
Rodriguez has no need to come back, according to Mather. “She passed her test!”

created: December 4, 2013

author: Edgar Mendez


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 3, 2013


text:
2014 Safe Places announced | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Safe & Sound
December 9, 2013
Safe & Sound recently announced the 2014 Safe Places program participants. These 18 partner agencies will provide safe after school activities to approximately 9,000 Milwaukee youth in 2014. They are:

created: December 9, 2013

author: Safe & Sound


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Mayor Barrett and City caution: ‘Don’t invite the Flu home for the Holidays’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee
December 9, 2013
During National Influenza Vaccination Week (Dec. 9-14), the City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) is reminding all city residents that it’s not too late to get the flu vaccine. Cases of influenza have been confirmed statewide, hospitalizing 23 individuals in the city of Milwaukee alone.
“Flu season is officially here,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “I urge everyone over 6 months of age to visit their doctor, clinic, or pharmacy to get vaccinated today. Even healthy people can get the flu and spread it to others, especially during this time of year when we gather with family and friends.”
Influenza (the flu) is among the most common respiratory illnesses in the United States, infecting millions of people each year. The virus is spread through the air when someone who is sick coughs, sneezes, or speaks. Symptoms of seasonal flu include fever, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, and fatigue. Though common, the flu can be serious, leading to hospitalization and sometimes death in the most vulnerable populations, including infants and young children, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses.
“The last thing you want to bring home this holiday season is the flu,” said Commissioner of Health Bevan K. Baker. “The single best way to protect yourself and your family is to get the flu vaccine.”
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The vaccine is recommended for all individuals over 6 months of age. Those especially at risk include people with certain medical conditions like asthma, diabetes and lung disease, as well as the elderly, pregnant women and young children. Each year an average of 20,000 children under the age of 5 are hospitalized due to flu complications.
Along with getting your vaccine, the MHD encourages frequent hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes with your sleeve to reduce the spread of the flu, as well as other viruses that circulate during the winter months. Those experiencing symptoms should remain home from work or school, get rest, and drink plenty of fluids. Antiviral medications available from your doctor should also be taken as prescribed to lessen the severity of flu symptoms.
Flu vaccine remains widely available through local health care providers and retail pharmacies. Individuals looking for a location to receive vaccine near their home can use the flu vaccine finder at www.milwaukee.gov/health.


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Time management main challenge for College Possible freshmen | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
December 9, 2013
Marquette freshman Pa Nou Xiong works in a study area at Alumni Memorial Union. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
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After a summer of academic preparation, four students featured in a yearlong NNS series make the transition to college.
[Read more]
[Read an introduction to these young people]
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service checked in recently with four students it has been following since last spring. Near the end of their first semester in college, they reflected on their freshman experience so far.
For Pa Nou Xiong, a freshman at Marquette University, the biggest challenge of her first semester of college has been managing her time and disciplining herself to study.
Xiong commutes to Marquette from home so that she can save money for summer school tuition. Living with an extended family that includes younger cousins, Xiong says she is needed at home to help with childcare. She worries she is not studying as much as she should be because of family activities. Commuting by bus also takes time away from schoolwork.
Xiong said she was disappointed with her midterm grades, which she said were “passing but not As.” Rather than seeking help from her College Possible coach, Xiong would rather address this herself. “I’m treating this first semester as a trial- and-error period and a time to learn about myself,” she said.
Xiong is considering moving to campus housing next semester if she is awarded a grant she is seeking.
The best part of starting college has been “deciding what to take on my own and just making my [own] decisions,” Xiong said. Though she may make mistakes, she is confident she will learn from them, she added.
Xiong, Darneisha Virginia , Nury Plascencia and Peter Khanthavong were among 150 high school seniors from seven Milwaukee Public Schools who participated in College Possible’s two-year college preparatory program while they were in high school. The program provides students from low-income families with coaching and support to get into college and earn a degree. College Possible coaches check in with students regularly during their freshman year to help with problems and connect them to campus resources.
Peter Khanthavong reviews class notes in the UWM Student Union. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Khanthavong, who lives in a UWM dorm, also said time management and procrastination are the most difficult issues he’s struggled with this term.
“The best thing about college is having lots and lots of time; that’s also the worst thing,” Khanthavong said.
With grades ranging “from low Bs to high Cs,” Khanthavong said his courses are about as difficult as he expected them to be.
He has spent alternate weekends at home helping his widowed mother care for a developmentally disabled son. Khanthavong is considering saving the money he spends on housing by moving back to his mother’s house and commuting.
Plascencia and Virginia also have had time challenges at Mount Mary University.
Plascencia said it has been difficult fitting in the 300 service hours required by her Caroline Scholarship with schoolwork and visits home. “I’m seeing my family more than I should be,” she said. Nevertheless, she is earning As and Bs.
Her weekly eight hours working with homeless children at the Community Advocates’ Milwaukee Women’s Center energize her, and has helped her become aware of her interest in fighting for the rights of oppressed people, she said. Despite the time pressure that comes with this work, she plans to add eight hours a week volunteering at Voces de la Frontera next semester.
“The most fun things are living on my own, making my own decisions and being involved in campus activities,” Plascencia said.
Virginia said she too has had a hard time “staying on top of everything.” She spends 16-25 hours working in a nursing home and about 24 hours each week at two on-campus jobs. Though she is busy and tired, she is passing all of her courses, she said.
Academically, the students’ courses have mostly reinforced their thoughts about majors.
Darneisha Virginia (left) and Nury Plascencia catch up in the café at Mount Mary University’s Haggerty Library. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Plascencia is the exception. Initially intending to pursue a major in interior design, she found those courses bored her, while her finance and business classes excited her. She dropped two design-related courses and now plans to major in business. She thinks she may want to go to law school someday, she said.
Khanthavong entered UWM with the intention of majoring in computer science but had to take a math requirement before registering for computer courses. He is excited to be taking his first computer-programming course next semester.
Xiong and Virginia both said they are still inclined to continue plans to pursue careers as a physician assistant and social worker, respectively.
Xiong said she has not made as many friends as she would like. She wonders if that is because she is shy.  She said she did not expect to have to leave campus early enough in the day to get home before dark. The Educational Opportunity Program through which she entered Marquette offers social opportunities, but events are generally held at night after Xiong has left campus.
Virginia spends her weekends visiting her grandmother, who lives five minutes away, and her older sister, she said. “Socially, I have my group of people I talk to” but her work schedule keeps her busy during the week and every other weekend. She is looking forward to joining a campus choir next semester.
Khanthavong has made friends through UWM’s Student Support Services Program (SSS) for low-income, first-generation and disabled students. He spends most of his non-class time in space SSS offers students for studying and hanging out with friends. Similarly, Plascencia has found most of her friends through the Caroline Scholars program.
All four students are looking forward to the end of final exams and a chance to rest and recharge during semester break.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 8, 2013

created: December 8, 2013


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Ribbons, foil and red bows create oasis on close-knit block | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
December 11, 2013
Nada Gaines stands next to one of the trees she decorated with gold ribbon, silver foil and a red bow. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
A large bright red bow hangs from a tree trunk, offering a bit of Christmas cheer to passersby at the corner of 24 Place and Nash Street.
Attached to the next tree at the same height is another wide ruby bow.
Then another and another, all the way down the otherwise nondescript block in the North Side neighborhood of Franklin Heights.
Each one of the 26 trees on both sides of the 3800 block of North 24 Place were decorated with red bows and wrapped with silver foil and gold ribbon by Nada Gaines, a 65-year-old retired school teacher, and a few of her neighbors.
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“We do it because it’s festive, for the neighborhood,” she said standing outside her home. “It makes us feel good.”
The decorated trees are the result of an ongoing effort to create a close-knit neighborhood, she added. Gaines and her neighbors also decorate the street for other holidays such as July 4th and hold regular block parties in which neighbors chip in for hot dogs and treats for the children.
“It brings us together,” said Gaines, who has lived on the block for more than 20 years.
Gaines decorated the trees with another neighbor on a recent cool Saturday afternoon after collecting donations from several neighbors and buying the material from a nearby dollar store.
“Our finger tips were cold and our toes were cold,” she said looking down at her painted fingernails. “So we had to leave the last three for the next day.”
The tree decorating means “togetherness,” said Todd Smith, who has lived on the block for about 40 years. “It gets you in the Christmas spirit.”
As he hopped into his car, Smith said the tree decorations also deter troublemakers and drug dealers.
Kevin Boston credits the tree decoration and other neighborhood efforts with creating an oasis from the drug dealing that consumes adjacent blocks.
“We call this the safe block. Anywhere else around here is a war zone,” said the 29-year-old, who lives with his grandmother on the block, as he walked down the street.

created: December 11, 2013


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 11, 2013


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MANDI award nominees named to ‘Sweet Sixteen’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sharon McGowan
December 12, 2013
Leo Ries, Executive Director of LISC (Photo by Sue Vliet)
Finalists for the 2014 Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innnovation, known as the “MANDIs,” were announced Wednesday evening to a crowded room of nominees, community leaders and corporate sponsors.
Sponsored by U.S. Bank, in partnership with LISC Milwaukee, the awards recognize individuals, organizations and corporations that are working to improve conditions in Milwaukee’s central city neighborhoods.
“Milwaukee’s neighborhoods have their challenges, no question. But you can’t help but be inspired by the individuals and groups who work with tremendous passion and tenacity to turn things around and to create a better life for all of our fellow citizens,” said Leo Ries, LISC executive director. “The MANDIs are an opportunity for us all to acknowledge these neighborhood leaders for their work,” he added.
Finalists were selected by an independent, cross-sector volunteer committee, based on public nominations. Winners will be announced at a gala on Wednesday, April 9, at the Pfister Hotel.
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Finalists are listed below.
The “Brewers Community Foundation Public Space Award” (for a public space that helps build the community):
Front Row (left to right): Chris Capper, Just One More Ministry; Lee Schulz, Independence First Mobility Store; Chris Goller, PNC Bank; Jacob Stein, Independence First Mobility Store; Nadia Bogue, 16th Street Health Center
Back Row (left to right): Amanda Milford, 16th Street Community Health Center; Alex Hernandez, 16th Street Community Health Center, Iris Gonzalez, 16th Street Community Health Center
The “BMO Harris Cornerstone Award” (for an organization demonstrating commitment and effectiveness over time):
The “Northern Trust Navigator Award” (for an individual demonstrating leadership and collaboration):
The “PNC Bank Trail Blazer Award” (for an innovative approach to a community problem):
The “State Farm Building Blocks Award” (for a real estate project that improves the community):
The board of LISC also announced that the “Vision Award” will be presented to Northwestern Mutual, in recognition of Northwestern Mutual Foundation’s strong philanthropic focus on neighborhood investment, and for choosing downtown Milwaukee for its corporate headquarters.
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is a media sponsor of the 2014 MANDIs.

created: December 12, 2013


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 12, 2013


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Metcalfe Park community wrestles with housing, jobs | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
December 16, 2013
Participants listen attentively as speakers discuss community concerns. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Metcalfe Park resident Duril White, the chef/owner of New Manna Catering, was interested in purchasing a foreclosed house priced at $2,500. But then he found out that repairs would cost about $25,000 and had to be completed in 90 days.
“I don’t have $25,000,” he said.
White attended a recent Metcalfe Park community forum to find out whether help was available to purchase the house — and he got the answer.
Martha Brown, deputy commissioner of the Department of City Development, explained that the $25,000 estimate for repairs is based on a contractor doing the work. If the buyer can do some or all of the work, the cost will go down, she said. And the city can extend the deadline for completing repairs by another 90 days, Brown added.
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She also suggested working with nonprofits that specialize in housing, such as Select Milwaukee, to resolve problems with credit history and become eligible for loans.
Brown was one of a number of representatives from city government, foundations, and faith and nonprofit organizations at the meeting, which was held at Reformation Lutheran Church, 2201 N. 35th St. Discussion focused on the foreclosure crisis and jobs for young black men.
“We will accept offers of 75 percent of the asking price,” she informed forum attendees. The city is currently offering 247 foreclosed homes, including single-family and multi-family houses, duplexes and condominiums, for prices ranging from $2,500 to $94,300.
Brandetta Taylor talks about her experiences buying a home. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
All Brown’s suggestions will help White with the obstacles he is facing, he said.
Mayor Tom Barrett emphasized his administration’s commitment to city neighborhoods that are bearing the brunt of the subprime-lending crisis and massive job losses of the last five years. He pointed to a $12 million allocation in the 2014 budget to fund the deconstruction, demolition and rehabilitation of foreclosed homes. The city currently owns 1,500 foreclosed homes, according to Brown.
Metcalfe Park resident Brandetta Taylor gave an emotional account of being forced out of three consecutive rental homes due to foreclosures. Laid off from a job in a day care center and pregnant with her fifth child, she and her four sons became homeless for a time, she said tearfully.
In 2009, with the help of the Dominican Center for Women she was able to get her credit rating in order and restore stability to her family by purchasing a home with her tax return, for $9,500. Taylor recently got a job driving a school bus.
“I loved [the house], even though it was a wreck,” said Taylor, who claimed that she didn’t even know how to change a light bulb at that time.
In addition to teaching her financial literacy, the Dominican Center connected Taylor with free and low-cost building materials and volunteers who assisted with home repairs. The center also helped her take advantage of City of Milwaukee Health Department home environmental health programs to prevent lead poisoning and asthma.
The help Taylor got renovating her house reduced her costs from $20,000, the city’s estimate, to $8,000. She covered that with another year’s tax return.
Barrett noted that renovating foreclosed properties offers young black men a chance to advance their careers. “We want to give people who live in these neighborhoods, who are most affected, an opportunity to be involved in [the work].”
He emphasized his interest in “jobs, jobs, jobs,” touting the city’s success in working with Northwestern Mutual to ensure the company would build its new headquarters downtown. Eleven hundred jobs will be preserved and 1,900 will be added, he said. The city budget also includes funds to hire 120 new police officers, Barrett noted.
Danell Cross, a neighborhood resident and Building Neighborhood Capacity site coordinator in Metcalfe Park, pointed out that poor people need a chance to work.
Saying that she stepped out of poverty a year ago because she got such an opportunity, Cross stressed the need for support systems to help people find employment and succeed at jobs.
“If you haven’t been working for 10 or 15 years, you can’t just jump out and get a job and make it through that process,” she said.
The Metcalfe Park Community Action Team is talking with Gorman & Company and WHEDA about rehabilitating neighborhood homes, according to Cross.
“We want to start with one block where we actively engage young people [training and employing them to do rehab work] and show what advancement of young black men really means,” Cross said.
The Milwaukee Job Corps Center offers free job training for youth ages 16-24 in a residential setting, Barrett said. However, several attendees noted that the program is not open to people with felony convictions.
Pastor Darnell Robinson of Harvest Covenant Church, pointed out that the restriction excludes many who need work. He described Milwaukee Working, a relatively new initiative that has trained and employs 14 felons to do a variety of work including rebinding books and constructing cabinets and crates.
“We could do the same thing in Metcalfe Park,” Robinson said.

created: December 16, 2013


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 15, 2013

created: December 15, 2013


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Preparing for tax season | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Social Development Commission
December 16, 2013
It may now be mid-December but the time to file taxes will be here before you know it.  With that in mind, the Milwaukee Asset Building Coalition (MABC) and Social Development Commission (SDC) are getting ready for the coming tax season.
Certification training at SDC Richards Street is being held for tax preparers at the partnership that has been preparing and filing tax forms at no charge for 12 years in Milwaukee County.  Volunteers are receiving the classroom and computer work needed to earn IRS certification.  Glen Radtke, a former IRS staff person, is among instructors leading workshops to update the volunteers on recent changes in tax law and tax forms.
At a computer lab at SDC, Chase Street tax site coordinator Rebecca Rosado assisted would-be tax preparers in learning how to use the Tax Wise software to prepare state and federal tax returns.  She helped Chris Flowers, a first year volunteer for MABC, use the computer program to maximize returns for residents who will use the tax service in the coming months.
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The free tax preparation services of MABC help thousands of residents each year fill out and file their taxes.  Last tax season, the volunteers prepared more than 15,000 returns that brought back more than $14-million to local residents in tax refunds and credits.  During its 12 year history, the program has returned more than $146-million to the Milwaukee economy at no cost to the tax filers.
The program will begin preparing taxes at sites across Milwaukee County in mid-January and operate until April 15.  To learn more about the program, visit www.cr-sdc.org/index/Programs–Services/VITA.htm.


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Big ideas for Bronzeville emerge from community brainstorming session | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Mark Doremus
December 19, 2013
James Steiner of Quorum Architects explains design drawings for Site 4, the location of the former Garfield Avenue School. (Photo by Mark Doremus)
Loft apartments, a boutique grocery store, a jazz club and a multi-story hotel were among the ideas for redeveloping Bronzeville at a recent daylong brainstorming session at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Local architects presented development concepts for six different sites in the Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District, which surrounds West North Avenue between North Seventh Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
At the start of the event Carolyn Esswein, founder of Community Design Solutions, acknowledged that the original plan for a year-round tourist destination in Bronzeville anchored by the Black Holocaust Museum and offering ethnic music, art and cuisine has not progressed very far. The museum closed its doors in 2008.
“Today will be a discussion of broader options,” said Esswein, an adjunct associate professor in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning.
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Community stakeholders including architects, developers and community members had previously identified, in focus groups, the six sites that were examined at the event, which organizers called a “charette,” a meeting of interested parties to resolve conflicts and map out solutions to problems. Community Design Solutions compiled the data from the focus groups.
Architects, developers and others gathered at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to discuss the future of the Bronzeville redevelopment district. (Photo by Mark Doremus)
The city established the redevelopment district in hopes of recreating the African-American commercial and entertainment district on Walnut Street that was dismantled by urban renewal and freeway building decades ago.
At the charette, participants seemed to recognize that commercial development might need to lead, rather than follow, arts, entertainment and cultural initiatives.
Organized by Sixth District Alderwoman Milele Coggs and the Milwaukee Department of City Development, the session brought together small working groups of architects, area residents and business leaders who tossed around ideas for each of the six sites each of the six sites and then reconvened to report the results of their discussions.
Site 1 is sandwiched between the I-43 North-South Freeway and North Seventh Street below West North Avenue. A proposed vertical landmark building would mark the western edge of the new Bronzeville. Architects Engberg Anderson suggested a multi-story hotel, a jazz club and an apartment complex for the site, with big digital billboards over the freeway announcing Bronzeville attractions and generating advertising revenue.
Site 2, as envisioned by Miller Architectural Group, would have an enclosed winter garden on the corner of North Avenue and North Sixth Street, with apartments and street-level commercial space next door.
Site 3 is on North Avenue between North Fifth and Sixth streets. American Design, Inc. proposed townhomes along Sixth Street, with commercial space where the street intersects with North Avenue. The team sketched out a second, multi-story mixed-use building east of the corner, and called for a small amount of tenant parking and green space as well.
Site 4 includes the building that once housed Garfield Avenue School, and extends from West North Avenue to West Garfield Avenue. Quorum Architects proposed a complex plan for this location, which the city has considered buying from the Milwaukee Public Schools for an African-American cultural center. For the school building, Quorum envisioned residential housing, studios and galleries for artists, as well as performance space. Quorum also proposed tearing down the former Black Holocaust Museum building, north of the school, and replacing it with housing and commercial space for shops, restaurants and entertainment venues.
(Click to for full map)
To the west of the school there would be open space for outdoor events, and further to the west, off of Fifth Street, a large parking lot would replace the existing playground. Grant’s Soul Food Restaurant on North Avenue, or at least its pagoda roof, would be preserved as a public space and entryway into the redeveloped site.
Whatever happens, Coggs told the crowd, “There has to be a public and cultural use integrated into the Garfield School development. We’ve promised that to the community.”
Site 5 is the eastern cornerstone of the Bronzeville redevelopment district, where a Dollar Tree store was proposed earlier this year but rejected by residents who demanded that a grocery be located on the site.
Here, Korb Tredo Architects proposed four large structures. A boutique grocery store would be nestled on the corner of North and King Drive, with a café out front and residential units upstairs. Korb Tredo suggested a cultural venue as an alternative if market demand won’t support a grocery store. Next door on North Avenue, the firm proposed a 150-seat theater that could show movies or host live performances. North of the theater, extending along West Fourth Street and then east on West Meinecke Avenue, would be an L-shaped cluster of townhouses and multi-story apartments. Finally, in the northeast quadrant of the block Korb Tredo envisioned a new, multi-story building for current occupants Chase Bank and Hong Kong Express, with apartments on the floors above.
Continuum Architects and Planners was responsible for the final location, Site 6, which comprises almost an entire block at the intersection of King Drive and Garfield. This area, which includes the old Schuster’s and Gimbels department stores, is currently used by a trucking company, C. H. Coakley, as a warehouse and distribution center.
Michael Coakley, a company representative, was at the Bronzeville planning session. He said the best use of the building would be office space with retail on the first floor. He estimates that 300 white-collar workers could easily occupy the building, and their presence in the neighborhood would jump-start other commercial enterprises such as coffee shops, restaurants and retail establishments.
However, Development Commissioner Rocky Marcoux made it clear that the city would not accept an office complex at that location. “You need to get off the office space,” Marcoux advised Coakley. “I’d encourage you to focus on housing.”
As an alternative to office space, Continuum Architects and Planners proposed a phased approach, starting with loft-style apartments above street level and an early goal of removing the building’s sheet-metal facade to return it to its original appearance. A welter of other possibilities was suggested, both by the architects and the crowd: perhaps the Milwaukee Ballet could relocate there along with a school of dance? Could the site host a year-round indoor marketplace of small specialty shops, or a grocery store? Suggestions included retail, residential, arts, entertainment and education venues.
At the close of the day, Esswein said Community Design Solutions would gather up all of the drawings, suggestions and computer files and compile them into a final report to be delivered to the city early next year.
Then, developers and investors will decide which, if any, of the ideas make sense from a financial standpoint.

created: December 19, 2013

author: Mark Doremus


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 18, 2013

created: December 18, 2013

author: Adam Carr


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
December 18, 2013
Bronzeville-Mapping_SMALL