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Residents express concern about handling of chemicals in nearby plant | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
March 28, 2017
Plastic drums sit behind a fence at Mid-America IBC, 2300 W. Cornell St. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Residents in the area of a factory that washes large containers used to transport chemicals expressed concern about the effect the mishandling and mixing of chemicals in these barrels has had on their neighborhood, and may have in the future.
Mid-America Steel Drum Co., a local company that refurbishes plastic containers and 55-gallon steel drums, was implicated in a Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel investigation published in mid-February that alleges hazardous chemicals were improperly handled and disposed of at three Milwaukee-area facilities, including one at 2300 W. Cornell St.
“If it’s in the water, in the soil, in the air, we need to know about [that],” said Elois Scott, 59, who has lived less than a half mile from the plant for more than 20 years. “When they said ‘misuse of chemicals’ that scared the daylights out of me.”
The comments came at a recent information session held by Wisconsin State Sen. Lena Taylor and Rep. David Bowen at Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church, 2505 W. Cornell St. About 35 people attended the event, including staff of other state and local elected officials.
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Mid-America is owned by Greif, Inc., a U.S. company with similar plants in Indiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Canada and Europe.
Brenda Giles, 53, has lived in the area for 22 years. Giles, who worked for three years in a factory where she was exposed to nitrogen vapor, has sarcoidosis, a lung disease she said can be caused, or exacerbated, by pollution or other particles. Giles said she worries about the possible effects hazardous chemicals have had on air and water quality, and the health implications for her adult children, her grandchildren — who grew up in her house and still live in the neighborhood — and her great granddaughter, who will be 2 in August.
Ruby Snowden (center) speaks during the town hall event. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
“When it comes to my children, my health, my great granddaughter and grandkids, that’s a big issue,” she said.
But Giles added, “It’s the whole community that I’m concerned about, not just me.”
According to the Journal-Sentinel’s investigation, chemicals left in the drums that arrived at the Cornell Street facility were regularly mixed into a “toxic soup.” At times chemicals were washed down floor drains and, on at least one occasion, workers evacuated the factory for about a half hour after “a horrible smelling orange cloud” filled the plant, the result of chemicals being mixed. The report was based on hours of recordings and accounts of former Mid-America employees.
In 1984, a 23-year-old Milwaukee man died after a drum exploded in his face. The Journal Sentinel reported that little was done to improve conditions in the factories.
Will Kramer, a former safety consultant who made the recordings and attended the meeting, said there was no burning of chemicals at the Cornell Street plant, but that there have been chemical reactions that caused “billowing” smoke to blow into the neighborhood. Unfortunately, he said, there’s no way to know what the risk is to residents, if any.
“If they were following the law with all this, you would know every ounce, you know, what chemicals had been there, how it was handled — all that stuff,” Kramer said. “What they’ve done, by avoiding those regulations, is that there’s no way … for any of you or any of us to find out what that stuff was or how bad, or how not bad, it was.”
Michael Mannan, a code enforcement supervisor with the city’s Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS), said his team has inspected the Cornell Street facility for building and fire code violations every year since the company obtained an occupancy permit in 2004 — and two additional times since the report was published in February. They look for exhaust, discharges, and safe storage and maintenance practices; the facility has never been cited by the city, Mannan said.
According to records from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which is investigating the allegations, the Cornell Street facility was the subject of a 1993 case in which it was required to clean up hazardous discharge. However, the facility has never notified the DNR of “hazardous waste activity” and therefore is not regulated for it.
A number of different agencies are responsible for regulating companies such as Mid-America, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District and the City of Milwaukee.
“You’ve got lots of regulators; you’ve got lots of points of where failures are occurring,” said Mannan. “There are a whole list of processes here that ought to be regulated … and that’s what’s falling through the cracks.”
He said DNS has never conducted an unannounced inspection of the Cornell Street location.
“If you’re announcing it, they’re going to hide whatever they [don’t want you to see], because they know you’re coming,” said Crystal Trigg, 53, another longtime area resident. “I guarantee if they start doing unexpected visits, they’re going to find some stuff out.”
Ruby Snowden, 74, who has lived near 24th and Ruby streets — not far from Lloyd Barbee Montessori School — since 1977 said residents should have been notified when the company moved in. She noted that the area between Teutonia and Green Bay avenues is “congested” with factories.
“You know, it’s benign neglect. It’s about the haves and have-nots,” Snowden said.
Snowden also acknowledged that not enough residents are engaged or informed.
Taylor encouraged residents to engage with their elected officials, and said there should be better regulatory frameworks. However, she noted that federal funding for the EPA is on the chopping block. She and Bowen said they are determined to get to the bottom of the allegations, and would follow up with residents in a few months.
Kramer added, “You need public pressure.”

author: Jabril Faraj


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 27, 2017

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Adam Carr


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Local artist paints the stories of All Peoples Church | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Camille Paul
March 29, 2017
It took artist Tia Richardson six months to create the new mural at All Peoples Church. (Photo by Camille Paul)
Phylisha Dixon, 17, started coming to All Peoples Church in Harambee three years ago after moving to the area eight years ago from Chicago. She began participating in a church program called Kids Working to Succeed, which teaches children discipleship and leadership.
“I joined KWTS to get to know the church and the area,” she said. “I like being here; it makes me feel like I am a part of some big family.”
When Milwaukee artist Tia Richardson sought out church members to volunteer to be portrayed in a new mural depicting All Peoples Church, Dixon agreed.
Dixon also worked with Richardson and other youths to create a banner for the church’s community garden, located across the street. “It shows people that we can join together and make things better for the community,” she said.
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“The Love that Holds Us” is a 14- by 18-foot mural painted on the wall closest to the sanctuary doors.
The Rev. Steve Jerbi and Willie Mae Cotton point to their images on the mural. (Photo by Camille Paul)
Richardson began the project in August 2016 after receiving a $6,000 grant from the Evangelical Lutheran Church Association. “When we dreamed this four years ago, I always had Tia in mind,” said Jerbi. “She continues to be someone that inspires me.”
The mural displays the story of a community and the seven principles of All Peoples Church: kids come first; we make disciples; we serve soul food; we partner for justice; we provide a sacred space; we teach the Bible and prayer; and all peoples means all peoples.
“This mural tells not only the story of the congregation,” said Jerbi, “but the story of the gospel.”
Richardson led several workshops for volunteers from the congregation to share their personal stories to be depicted in the mural. She also asked volunteers to paint ideas for the mural using watercolors.
“I had people paint watercolors of what they thought the mural should be like and looked to see what stories those told,” said Richardson. “Many of the important themes from those paintings had to do with loss, family and the light of the spirit.”
Viewing the mural from left to right, several scenes display the church’s seven principles. In the first scene, Xavier Thomas, All Peoples Church youth director, comes from a dark forest and approaches a church. David Nunley, the church’s musician, is shown exiting the church extending a light in the darkness.
“To me, [the mural] represents a welcoming,” said Nunley. “Everything about this mural defines All Peoples Church. It’s to be a hope and light to the world we live in, for anyone out there who needs love.”
Also on the mural’s left side is the image of Amber Davis, 17, a member of the congregation who painted a watercolor that Richardson used for inspiration. Davis is offering Thomas a basket of food, which represents serving food for the soul.
(Photo by Adam Carr)
To the right of the church, Dixon and a group of people are seen holding candles and walking away from the building. “I left that up to interpretation,” said Richardson. “They could be walking toward the apple orchard and cross, or could be watching the baptism happening at the fountain.”
Moving toward the center of the mural, Thomas leaves the woods and joins a group that includes an image of a 6-year-old girl who attends the church with her family and is a main character in the mural.
“All of the subjects in the mural are being led by a child,” said Richardson. “This represents another core value of All Peoples Church’s mission, which is kids come first.”
The mural also includes homes, candles, vegetables grown in the community garden, a labyrinth leading to a cross and two apple trees.
“The homes show where the church is located within the neighborhood,” said Richardson. “The candles are also meant to show that everyone has a light.”
Anna Lamer, Amber Davis’s mother, said that participating in the mural project reconnected her to the congregation.
“I love being in it. At the time I was going through a dark portion in my life and I didn’t want to do anything,” Lamer said. “The planning and development of the mural brought a sense of belonging and community. My placement in the mural helped regain my connection to the church.”
Mary McCuiston, a member of the congregation, and her three daughters Jamera, 13, Janiah, 11, and Serenity, 2, all love the mural.
“It’s very lifelike and well done. Tia is a very good artist,” McCuiston said. “It represents the community well.”
The mural will be dedicated at All Peoples Church, Harambee campus, on Sunday, April 2 from 2 to 4 p.m.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to correct the amount and source of the grant to create the mural. Amber Davis’s last name also was incorrect in the original version. We apologize for the errors.

author: Camille Paul


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 29, 2017


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 28, 2017


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 2, 2017


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Free taxes, financial literacy workshops, and more at SDC’s Super Saturday | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Social Development Commission
March 30, 2017
A volunteer tax preparer works with a client at SDC’s Teutonia site. (Photo provided by SDC)
The deadline to file taxes, Tuesday, April 18, is rapidly approaching. As part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, Milwaukee County residents that earned a household income of $56,000 or less in 2016 are eligible for free state and federal tax preparation and filing by the Social Development Commission (SDC). SDC is hosting Super Saturday on April 1 from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM at 1730 W. North Avenue, Milwaukee.
In addition to free tax preparation for qualifying residents, free workshops will take place to increase and enhance financial literacy. Associated Bank will present Business Account Benefits, Merchant Services and Personal Banking at 9:00 AM. At 11:00 AM, Guaranty Bank will provide the banker’s perspective on Creating Your Financial Freedom by Increasing Income and Building Credit. An Intro to Building a Solid Foundation for Entrepreneurship will be presented at 1:00 PM by C Renee Consulting & Management.
SDC’s financial coach Coretta Herring will hold a number of workshops to increase financial literacy.
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An information session from SDC’s Education & Training division will explain educational and job training opportunities with a focus on the GED (General Equivalency Diploma), HSED (High School Equivalency Diploma), and Absolute Advantage (construction job-training program).
Resource information for programs including PARS (Prescription Advocacy Research Service) that assists low-income individuals in obtaining no or low-cost prescriptions; the Senior Benefits Enrollment program for Medicare premium reimbursement; and the Senior Companion program that pairs volunteers age 55 and over with homebound seniors needing light assistance. The Milwaukee Health Department will share information on smoking cessation.
Free tax preparation and filing for qualified taxpayers will continue through April 18.
For more than 50 years, the Social Development Commission has operated as the Community Action Agency for Milwaukee County. SDC serves as a planner, coordinator, and provider of human service programs for low-income individuals and families residing in Milwaukee County. The agency is an intergovernmental commission and is governed by a board of 18 citizens from Milwaukee County, each of whom hold the title of “Commissioner.” For more information on SDC’s programs and services, visit cr-sdc.org. Connect with us on Facebook www.Facebook.com/SDCMilwaukee and Twitter www.twitter.com/CRSDC.

author: Social Development Commission


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 30, 2017


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MCC Youth Art Gallery Night gives students opportunity to display their talents | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Alexandria Bursiek
March 30, 2017
The second annual gallery night hosted by the MCC Youth Development & Violence Free Zones programs focused on the theme of “light up the darkness.” Participating students displayed painting, photography and sculpture, and a number of students performed spoken word poetry or dance. The event took place at Kosciuszko Community Center, 2201 S. 7th St.
According to Daisy Del Aguila, a 15-year-old student at Veritas High School, students planned the event for months. “The project for me was about getting people together,” said Del Aguila.

author: Alexandria Bursiek


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Supporters of Domes welcome National Treasure designation | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
March 30, 2017
A recently released report on the Domes, located at Mitchell Park in Clarke Square, cited a much lower repair cost than previous estimates. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Gloria De Angelo, owner of Gloria’s Cake Shop & Café, recalls the Mitchell Park Domes as her first stop upon returning to Milwaukee after moving to Mexico with her family three decades earlier.
“It’s our very own local treasure,” De Angelo said. “I’d seen pictures of myself there as a baby.”
Now that it’s been named a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, De Angelo and other Milwaukeeans hope that the new designation could spark enough momentum to save the landmark.
The announcement of the Domes as a National Treasure coincided with the release of a report outlining a new and much cheaper plan to conserve the Domes — even more positive news for residents and others who’ve been advocating for rehabilitating the conservatory.
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The report, prepared for the National Trust by Wiss, Janey, Elstner Associates, Inc., (WJE) estimated a cost of $18.6 million for a comprehensive rehabilitation of the Domes, about one-third of the price tag of the full rehabilitation option developed for Milwaukee County by GRAEF Consulting.
The report identified a lower cost solution to fix water leakage, a primary cause of the falling chunks of concrete that closed the Domes in early 2016. The Domes reopened later that year, after the installation of mesh safety netting.
According to County Supervisor Peggy West, who represents the area in which the Domes are located, the new estimate makes it much more likely they will remain a fixture in Clarke Square.
Gloria De Angelo, owner of Gloria’s Cakes, said having the Domes nearby has benefited her shop. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
“I think the desire of the (County Executive Chris) Abele administration to tear down the Domes and the much higher price tag, he felt, made a much better argument. Fortunately, we have more realistic numbers now,” West said.
William H. Lynch, chairman of the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory Domes Task Force, said the group will benefit from the engineering review in the report, which provides valuable information on what is needed and possible. It also helped by identifying more affordable alternatives, he said.
“We will be assessing the feasibility of the proposed rehabilitation option as we move toward a recommendation for the future of the Conservatory,” Lynch said.
County Supervisor Jason Haas, who is also a member of the task force, described the new estimate as “within the scope of our local government’s funding ability.” A funding plan would include long-term financing and recruitment of donors, he added, pointing out that the designation as a National Treasure should help.
“It raises the Domes’ profile, both in the eyes of our local community, and to people who are interested in preserving and enhancing them,” Haas said.
According to Haas, the next task force meeting will include an official response from the county to the report by WJE, statements from the City of Milwaukee about plans for the surrounding area and discussions about possible collaboration between the Domes and other nearby organizations.
One of those neighboring institutions is the Urban Ecology Center (UEC) Menomonee Valley Branch. According to Ken Leinbach, executive director of UEC, Three Bridges Park, which connects via a passageway to the Menomonee Branch of the UEC and to the Hank Aaron State Trail, was built with the intention of connecting the Silver City neighborhood to the Domes and Mitchell Park.
“That way we could take kids on a field trip from the Urban Ecology Center to the Domes. To lose the Domes at the other end of the bike trail would … be terrible for the city as a whole,” Leinbach said.
Ian Bautista, executive director of the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative, said losing the Domes would be psychologically damaging to the southeastern region of Wisconsin. In Clarke Square, he said, it would remove a strong and iconic identifier for residents.
“We should protect and enhance these architectural landmarks for the long run. Our grandchildren will thank us for it,” Bautista said.
The impact of losing the Domes would be tremendous, said Jennifer Sandy, senior field officer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nationally respected organization. The trust selects only a small group of projects around the country to improve the chance that they are preserved. Aside from losing an iconic landmark, the surrounding neighborhood would also lose the economic benefit of having the Domes nearby, she added.
“The people who visit the Domes could be having lunch at neighborhood cafes or shopping at nearby stores,” Sandy said.
De Angelo said she has no doubt that her store, which specializes in original cake and pastry designs, benefits from having the Domes nearby.
“I sell cookies there and when people from other countries or cities visit the Domes sometimes they stop here,” De Angelo said.
Along with helping her business, the landmark serves another purpose for De Angelo.
“When I see it, I know I’m home.”

author: Edgar Mendez


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Former Bucks player engages students through art, life story | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Camille Paul
March 31, 2017
Former Milwaukee Bucks small forward Desmond Mason answers questions from students at Neeskara Elementary School. (Photo by Camille Paul)
When Desmond Mason played for Oklahoma State University-Stillwater, his father told him to keep a 3.0 grade point average or he would be grounded.
“We had to get all As and Bs on our report card, a 3.0,” said the former Milwaukee Bucks player, referring to high school. “If we didn’t, we would be grounded for nine weeks, or until the next report card came out.
“One day, I heard a knock on my door and when I answered it was my dad,” he said. “He told me that he had seen my grades and he was taking my car. I watched from the window as he hitched my car up on a trailer and drove it away.”
Mason recently recounted the incident to a group of fourth graders working with Express Yourself Milwaukee at Neeskara Elementary School, 1601 N. Hawley Road. Students gasped when Mason told them that his father took away the car, a 1972 Nova that Mason bought his sophomore year of college, but they understood the lesson that performing well in school is important.
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Mason has been working with ExYo since January to help create props for the organization’s 15th annual performance on May 4.
“I was involved with art organizations during my basketball career and I was on board after 10 minutes of hearing about them,” Mason said. “It’s few and far between that organizations like this exist in this country and kids get this type of positive reinforcement in life and the opportunity to express themselves, no pun intended.”
Mason has been working with Express Yourself Milwaukee since January through the Milwaukee Bucks Legends program. (Photo by Camille Paul)
Lovie Clayton, a student in Elizabeth Shoone’s class, said she appreciated the visit. “I feel grateful that [Mason] thought [enough] of us young people to come to our school and work with us through art,” she said. “I didn’t know a famous basketball player could like art so much.”
Before Mason began his career as a professional basketball player, he had an interest in art as a boy growing up in Waxahachie, Texas.
“I love being creative,” he said. “I started doing ceramics when I was 11, but I couldn’t take my art classes and draw and paint where I lived because there really wasn’t a place to do it, so I had to travel to the other side of town.”
Mason works with students at the ExYo studio and visits community centers, such as SaintA, to work on props and influence young people. He tells students his life story to help them open up to him and participate in activities.
While growing up, Mason’s father went to prison for selling drugs and his mother became addicted to crack, leaving him to raise his brothers and sisters.
“A lot of kids don’t know my story and it isn’t a good one. It’s a story of a lot of violence, guns, drugs, parents doing and selling drugs and prison,” he said. “So, when I tell that story I see a lot of them go, ‘Really? My uncle like that, my daddy like that, my momma do drugs.’ It’s all of these things that drops their guard and allows you to get through to them.”
Anwar-Floyd Pruitt, a local artist, has worked with youths at ExYo for the past five years.
“Working here has opened my eyes to some of the realities of Milwaukee that are easy to overlook,” said Pruitt. “Working with the kids has put a human face to those statistics and affected my ability to…help individuals make change for themselves.”
Pruitt added that he has enjoyed having Mason around to help encourage students. “Desmond’s story has similarities to the stories that some of our youth face and he is able to make a connection with them that way,” he said. “He’s fun. If he wanted a job, we would hire him.”
ExYo has worked with other high-profile people, such as award-winning poet Jimmy Santiago Baca and Stomp, a percussion group that uses the body and ordinary objects to create a physical theater performance.
“I’m hoping to continue to have the opportunity work with Desmond again,” said Lori Vance, founder and executive director of Express Yourself Milwaukee. “When you bring in someone that is recognized or a star, it helps light up the star in each of us and inspire us to reach higher.”
Vance found Mason’s story to be inspiring to youth and saw the surprise on students’ faces when they heard what he and other celebrities had been through.
“These people are amazing and have been widely recognized and yet they are also people who struggle,” said Vance. “I think it’s inspiring and it makes us believe that we can be more than we actually think.”
Mason said he wants to continue to work with ExYo and similar organizations through Milwaukee Bucks Legends, a program that connects alumni players as ambassadors to nonprofit organizations in Milwaukee.
“This is not a one-year thing for me with the Bucks,” said Mason. “We are already talking about doing things in the 2017-2018 season.”


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Dr. Martin Luther King’s Beyond Vietnam 50th Anniversary Read-in and Discussion | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Arthur Heitzer
April 1, 2017
Dr. Martin Luther King’s
BEYOND VIETNAM 50th Anniversary Read-In & Discussion
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
7:00 pm
St. Francis of Assisi Church
1927 N 4th St (at Brown St)
Free off-street parking north of the church
Wheelchair accessible.  Free & open to the public
A Read-In to mark the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s historic speech on April 4, 1967 – “Beyond Vietnam” – when he offered his most radical critique of racism, militarism and extreme materialism in the U.S. Dr. King was assassinated exactly one year later (April 4, 1968) on the eve of the launch of the Poor People’s Campaign which would declare poverty a human rights violation.
After the speech is presented, there will be a discussion on its meaning then and for today, including George Martin and Rev. Joseph Ellwanger, longtime activists in the civil rights movement & who worked with Dr. King.  This is part of a national movement of popular education by the Movement for Black Lives, United for Peace & Justice, and Veterans for Peace. Local sponsors include: the Martin Luther King Justice Coalition, United Methodist Women, End the Wars Committee of Peace Action – WI, Vets for Peace, National Lawyers Guild, Progressive Moms of Milwaukee and UBLAC (Uplifting Black Liberation and Community). St. Francis Church played a historic role in hosting civil rights movements in Milwaukee in the mid 1960’s.  Labor donated.
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author: Arthur Heitzer


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
March 30, 2017

author: Name *


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Clarke Square group remembers union leader Cesar E. Chavez | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dean Bibens
April 2, 2017
About 100 people gathered in Clarke Square to commemorate the life and legacy of union leader and organizer Cesar E. Chavez, a year after a statue was dedicated in his honor. Chavez died in 1993.
“Chavez was an inspiration to me,” said Charles Simonsen, 54, who has a tattoo of Chavez on his wrist. “I got this tattoo because he was such a great person and it reminds me that I can try and be as amazing as he was,” he said. Simonsen, a retired farmer, added, “I always shake his hand when I come visit his monument. I could bring flowers or other things but I feel like a handshake is the ultimate sign of respect; he deserves nothing less.”
According to Eugene Manzanet, a member of the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative board of directors, “This man means a lot to our community; we need to continue to share his history and learn from the great things he did.”
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author: Dean Bibens


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Alverno College’s Girls’ Academy of Science & Mathematics receives award for civic engagement | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Kelly Fay
April 3, 2017
(Photo courtesy of Alverno College)
Alverno College’s Girls’ Academy of Science & Mathematics is being recognized by Wisconsin Campus Compact (WiCC) with the Esther Letvin Community-Campus Partnership Award. The award recognizes outstanding partnerships between colleges and universities and the communities they serve that produce measurable community impact as well as student growth and learning. WiCC will present the awards at the Annual Civic Engagement Institute Awards Banquet, which will be held on April 6 at 6:00 p.m. at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay. Edgewood College’s partnership with the Society of St. Vincent De Paul will also be recognized.
The Alverno College Girls’ Academy of Science & Mathematics is an after-school program designed to encourage first generation minority high school girls to pursue a college degree in the sciences. The Girls’ Academy was founded in 2011 and has served over 250 high school students from more than 15 area high schools. The Girls’ Academy establishes partnerships with local high schools who recommend junior and senior level girls for the applied science program. On Friday afternoons, students are transported to Alverno where they experience theme-based science courses and college readiness sessions that focus on everything from choosing a major and applying for financial aid to study skills. The students eat dinner in the cafeteria and are given free time to use the library and other resources open to students at the college. At the end of each evening, the students are transported to their homes by the Girls’ Academy. The program runs for 22 weeks and is free to students.
“Students who attend the Girls’ Academy have the opportunity to expand their horizons and see the possibilities that a career in the sciences can bring,” said Justin LaManna, associate professor of biology and co-director of the Girls’ Academy. “The great thing about it is once they believe they can be successful, not only in the sciences but in college and beyond, there is no stopping them. I’m proud to be able to help them reach their goals.”
About Campus Compact
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Campus Compact is a national coalition of over 1,000 colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. In 2002, Wisconsin joined National Campus Compact’s movement toward an institutionalized commitment of civic engagement and service-learning. Learn more about the Wisconsin Campus Compact at http://www.wicampuscompact.org/.
About Alverno College
Alverno College, a four-year independent, Catholic, liberal arts college for women, exists to promote the personal and professional development of its students. The college has earned accolades and respect internationally for its highly effective ability-based, assessment-as-learning approach to education, and has consulted with three U.S. presidential administrations on accountability and outcomes in higher education. For the last seven years, Alverno College has been ranked one of the top five schools in the Midwest doing “the best job of educating undergrads” by U.S. News & World Report. Educators from throughout the world visit Alverno to learn about its proven, student-centered teaching methods.
Alverno offers more than 60 major areas of study, including graduate programs in education, nursing, community psychology and business that are open to women and men. For more information about Alverno, visit www.alverno.edu or call 414-382-6100.

author: Kelly Fay


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
April 3, 2017


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Bartolotta Restaurant Group job fairs taking place Saturday | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Russell W. Stamper, II
April 3, 2017
The Bartolotta Restaurant Group is hosting two job fairs this week – one today (Monday, April 3) and a second on Saturday, April 8 – both from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Italian Conference Center, 631 E. Chicago St., according to Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II.
Alderman Stamper, chair of the Community and Economic Development Committee, said the fairs will feature jobs available at multiple Bartolotta locations (please see the attached fliers for details), and each location is accessible via MCTS bus line service.
“If you are seeking employment or interested in looking for a new job, please make a point of attending one or both of these job fairs,” Alderman Stamper said.
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The job openings include line cooks, banquet servers and bartenders, cashiers, hosts, and more.

author: Ald. Russell W. Stamper, II


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 3, 2017
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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 3, 2017


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Landscape designer chosen to develop linear park along Beerline Trail | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Greater Milwaukee Committee
April 3, 2017
Walter Hood (right) presents to community members assembled at the Beerline Trail. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Hood Design Studio, led by Walter Hood, has been chosen to create a new linear park within the Beerline Trail Neighborhood Development Project in the city’s Riverwest and Harambee area. The development project intends to sustain and enrich the lives of the people in Harambee and Riverwest by promoting health, well-being and prosperity through increase circulation of resources, voices, ideas, labor and creativity.
Hood, an artist and landscape designer and the founder/creative director of Hood Design Studio in Oakland, Ca., was selected out of a group of three finalists for the project. Hood’s work on the Beerline Trail extension is one component of the project’s next phase based on the activities and learnings from a two-year Kresge Foundation Harvesting Leading Practices grant. This work has also been supported by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation (Marvin W. Haesle Fund for the Arts), the National Endowment for the Arts and the Fund for Lake Michigan.
The selection committee noted that Hood will be committed to engagement with local stakeholders and will help build attention needed for project’s long-term implementation. Developing the linear park and other green spaces in connection with reimagining and rehabilitating nearby properties, is one of the key outcomes that has guided the project’s work the past few years. The selection committee believes that Hood’s involvement will also help to address the goal to grow Riverworks as a neighborhood-based creative district strongly positioned to identify, attract and provide support for existing and potential creative entrepreneurs in the area.
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“Above and beyond its more obvious use as a pedestrian and bicycle connector, we are interested in the idea of the Beerline Trail’s potential for creating an urban spectacle,” said Hood, who is also a professor at the University of California Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design. “We want to celebrate the site, make the invisible visible, invite and surprise the users in addition to cementing and enhancing the neighborhood’s identity.”
Hood noted the area’s history as a switching station for the Milwaukee Road railroad, which is a significant part of the local African American community’s history. The trains were a source of transportation for many migrants from the Mississippi Delta to industrial jobs in the city.
“The site, and the train as a symbol, transformed from an economic and cultural resource, to a neglected space. Now we have the opportunity to find ways for this space to become, again, a contemporary cultural and economic resource – a symbol with as much power as the train once held,” said Hood.
Funding for this early stage of the park project is being made available through a local funder, Prairie Springs: Paul Fleckenstein Trust. Development of the park will be led by Riverworks Development Corporation and Riverworks Business Improvement District, the Greater Milwaukee Committee, and the City of Milwaukee, in collaboration with the Harambee Great Neighborhood Initiative, MKE<->LAX, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, LISC Milwaukee, Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation and other local arts, cultural and community leadership.
The park’s design will include a focus on water quality, healthy food, arts, cultural exchange and other sustainable living options based on feedback received from residents and other stakeholders. The design will also incorporate methods for developing green infrastructure, following a storm water management plan for the Beerline Trail Extension by Marek Landscaping, a local landscape design and construction firm located near the trail.
“We’re very excited to be able to work with Hood Design Studio on this project, which we believe is a significant step forward to making the Beerline Trail a more inviting and stimulating place for local residents and visitors,” said Julia Taylor, president of the GMC. “Walter Hood has demonstrated success in creating spaces that combine art and landscape design to stimulate business, education and community-gathering activity.”
The designer selection process included a nationwide search that took five months to complete and included a 90-minute public workshop, headed by the Beerline Trail Neighbor-Centric Park Design Initiative team and local residents and business owners in the Harambee and Riverwest neighborhoods.
Moving forward, the Beerline Trail Neighborhood project seeks to activate a set of core projects that have been identified over the past several years. These projects, including the linear park and neighborhood corridors, will focus on the growth of entrepreneurship, experimenting with food and maker markets, and investment in community spaces. Building on the emerging and developed relations, the leadership team hopes to leverage these alliances to manifest action that can have a positive impact on the project focus area and beyond.

author: Greater Milwaukee Committee


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 4, 2017


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Milwaukee Public Library to kick off “MKE Big Read” Saturday, April 8 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Library
April 3, 2017
Milwaukee Public Library invites the entire City of Milwaukee to read and connect during the MKE Big Read, a program made possible with a grant from the NEA Big Read and a number of local partnerships, including the Milwaukee Public Museum, UWM Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Ex Fabula, Woodland Pattern Bookcenter, Boswell Books, and the Walker’s Point Center for the Arts. The NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
The MKE Big Read will focus on the novel In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. Activities will take place throughout the months of April and May, kicking off with an event at Central Library (814 W. Wisconsin Ave.) on Saturday, April 8 from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. The kickoff will include readings from the book, Caribbean dances by Pandanza Dance Company, and craft activities.
“We are honored to be selected as an NEA Big Read grantee,” said Milwaukee Public Library Director Paula Kiely. “Books can inspire and create new experiences. In the Time of the Butterflies is a poignant novel with themes that will appeal to readers of all ages and relate to members of our Milwaukee community. Bringing our community together around a great work of literature will have a lasting impact, and we look forward to engaging our strong partners in this effort.”
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In the Time of the Butterflies tells the tale of three women driven by a passion for justice. Discussing questions and issues relevant to our community and connecting these to a work of classic modern literature epitomizes the spirit of the Big Read.
For more information about the MKE Big Read, including a complete list of activities and locations, please visit: mpl.org/mkebigread

author: Milwaukee Public Library


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Overnight ‘lock-in’ offers teens activities, safe place to gather | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dean Bibens
April 3, 2017
Haley McRoy, 17, works on a coloring book at the second annual Harambee Youth Soundbox Lock-In. (Photo by Dean Bibens)
When the doors of the COA Holton Center locked at 9 p.m. on a recent Friday night, dozens of teenagers flocked to the basketball court where hip-hop jams were playing. Many were dancing while others shot hoops. The smell of tacos permeated the air and drew the youth from the court to the food in the multipurpose room.
About 50 people participated in the second annual Harambee Youth Soundbox Lock-In at the COA Holton Center, 510 E. Burleigh St. The event, sponsored by COA, Solomon Community Temple and Riverworks Development Corp., is geared toward keeping youth off the streets and having a night of fun, according to the Rev. Afi Dobbins-Mays of Solomon Community Temple.
The cost of entry was two canned goods to be donated to a local food pantry.
Volunteers Javon Dean (left) and Riverworks Development Corp. community coordinator Rick Banks enjoy a game of pool. (Photo by Dean Bibens)
Teens were provided with a taco bar dinner and snacks. The youth could choose to play basketball, sing at the open mic, record music, shoot pool or participate in other activities.
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“This is all about the kids,” said volunteer Javon Dean. “We try to keep them as occupied as possible so they can enjoy the night with each other.”
Aqil Joseph encouraged his best friend, Haley McRoy, to come to the first lock-in last year to meet new people. “Aqil made me get out of my comfort zone and it really helped me grow as a person,” McRoy said.
Before getting involved with COA, McRoy, 17, felt like she didn’t have a say in anything. “My voice was never heard growing up,” she said. “I was definitely on the shy side but I felt like when I tried to speak up, no one would listen to me, so that was really frustrating.”
“I like that the Holton Center is a place for youth,” said Rick Banks, community coordinator for Riverworks Development Corp., who worked with Dobbins-Mays to plan the lock-in. “This all started with a game night back in 2015 so it is awesome to see how much progress we have made as a community organization.”
Dobbins-Mays’ passion for youth started in 2009 when she began her career in ministry in Madison. “Becoming a pastor gave me the opportunity to connect with the community in a meaningful way,” she said.” Dobbins-Mays added, “In Milwaukee, youth are challenged with a lack of resources; my job is providing these kids with the support that they need.”
“This is just the beginning,” Dobbins-Mays said. “The kids are looking to make this program bigger and better; I am all for it.”
McRoy, a student at Milwaukee High School of the Arts, said that she would like to see events such as the lock-in continue, along with other activities. “How cool would it be to have a dance where we can all go, hang out and get to know each other better,” she asked. “There are endless routes we can take this program.”
Today, McRoy is not afraid to share what is on her mind. “I would encourage more youth to get involved with COA,” she said. “We are like a family here; we always support one another and I can’t wait to see where we go next.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 2, 2017


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33598838841_ae82b8df24_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 2, 2017


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Welford Sanders Historic Lofts hosts job fair | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Milele A. Coggs
April 3, 2017
The Welford Sanders Historic Lofts are being constructed at the current site of the Milwaukee Enterprise Center, 2821 N. 4th St. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs invites residents to a job fair at the Milwaukee Enterprise Center, 2821 N. 4th St., on Wednesday, April 5 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. This event will provide information about jobs for concrete masons, iron workers, carpenters, electricians and HVAC professionals interested in working on the Welford Sanders Historic Lofts Redevelopment project.
Wisconsin Redevelopment, the non-profit Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation and Catalyst Construction are partnering to convert the former Nunn Bush Shoe Co. factory into a new office and apartment complex. This project, the redevelopment of King Drive Commons, brings the vision of the late Welford Sanders to life, and the completion of the Welford Sanders Historic Lofts will be an important step.
“I strongly encourage all job seekers interested in construction and renovation to attend the Welford Sanders Historic Lofts Redevelopment job fair,” Alderwoman Coggs said. “This project is a great sign of economic progress for MLK Drive and will provide excellent opportunities for local workers.”
Guests can register and learn more at welfordsanders-job-fair.eventbrite.com.
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What: Welford Sanders Historic Lofts  job fair
When: Wednesday, April 5 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
Where: Milwaukee Enterprise Center, 2821 N. 4th St.

author: Ald. Milele A. Coggs


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32073975033_c1f2ba896f_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 3, 2017


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Why we need all-gender restrooms | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Violet
April 3, 2017
(Photo courtesy of Escuela Verde)
Violet, a high school junior at Escuela Verde who asked that her full name not be used, is a community activist and feminist. Violet argues that all-gender restrooms create a better learning environment for all students.
Transgender bathroom rights are a current topic of debate in the research world. Recently, Donald Trump rescinded protection for transgender students that allowed them to use bathrooms corresponding with their gender identity. Discrimination against members of the LGBTQ+ community is an issue that transcends the community and affects us all.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights emphasizes the rights of every person regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, property, socioeconomic, or political viewpoint. The foundation of international human rights includes 30 articles authorizing, privacy, health and equality before the law as well as freedom of expression.
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The LGBTQ+ community is constantly at risk of gross violations of their fundamental human rights. There is no doubt that many LGBTQ+ individuals fear abuse and murder, solely because they live in a society that does not accept their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
“The U.S. Constitution, Title IX, and many state and local laws ban discrimination based on gender identity. Students have the right to express themselves in any way they can — including the choice of their clothes,” according to the American Civil Liberties Union.
Escuela Verde has taken a stand on LGBTQ+ rights. Our Gay-Straight Alliance helped implement the first LGBTQ+ Protection policy into our handbook. We believe that by advocating for the safety of LGBTQ+ students, we are cultivating a community that is participatory, just, sustainable and peaceful. Our All-Gender Restrooms have created a better learning environment for all students. We believe that by embracing our gender identities, we are empowering each other to create a strong sense of place. If we truly seek to #ProtectTransKids, this is the type of action that must be implemented in all schools. By providing trans protection policies, we are providing a safe, positive, productive and nurturing education environment for all students across the state.
Students from Escuela Verde’s Gay Straight Alliance (Photo courtesy of Escuela Verde)
For instance, Ronald Reagan student Rose struggles to decide which bathroom to use in her school. “When you’re gender nonconforming, it’s hard to know which bathroom is safe to use.” Deciding whether to use the men’s or women’s restroom “depends on my clothing choice and mood,” said Rose. “You never know how I might come to school. My wardrobe is incredibly wide-ranging from velvet suits to silky flowing dresses.”
Rufus King student Matthew said, “Using the restroom is a combination of assessing my safety and being aware of all the other people in the room. As a gender non-conforming individual and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I find that I’m constantly stuck between a stall and a urinal. Wearing lipstick suggests that I should use the women’s restroom, but my wide shoulders suggest otherwise. In general, I hate using the restroom because I’m too masculine — or an androgynous-looking person.”
According to Escuela Verde student Erica, “Implementing a trans-inclusive policy to allow trans students to use the restroom that ‘feels most comfortable to them’ assumes that a comfortable option exists.” Most young LGBTQ+ individuals are still trying to understand their gender identity, therefore, all schools should implement gender neutral bathrooms.
The benefits of gender-neutral restrooms are deeper than simply providing safety for transgender people. Every day, gender nonconforming individuals have to face gender discrimination. “If I choose the women’s restroom, I risk panicking women; if I choose the men’s restroom, I risk facing transphobic men,” said Matthew.
The legal standing of LGBTQ+ individuals has been overruled by the recent presidential election. During the course of the past few years, we’ve seen impressive strides that, in the words of one attorney, “would have seemed impossible just ten years ago.”
According to Harvard’s Career Guide, 20 states and hundreds of cities and counties include sexual orientation as a protected category in their anti-discrimination laws. However, LGBTQ+ individuals are still considered second-class citizens who are not protected by the federal government against discrimination.
We must uphold our human rights, and fight for equality.

author: Violet


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Monterrey Smoke House brings soul to seafood | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Mitchell Mittelstedt
April 4, 2017
Monterrey Smoke House at 551 W. Becher, owned by chefs Robert Bergeron and Dion Jefferson, is one of about 20 restaurants participating in the second year of Milwaukee Black Restaurant Week.
“It’s mostly seafood, because that’s what we like. We like to call it more of like an upscale Southern-Creole-Cajun feel,” said Jefferson.
Neither Bergeron or Jefferson went to culinary school. Jefferson learned to cook from his mother, grandmother and other relatives and then moved on to work under others chefs, while Bergeron said he learned a lot about cooking with fresh ingredients while living in Germany.
The restaurant has a full service bar and a hookah lounge offering a variety of flavors. “It’s kind of like a one-stop shop, where we’re putting off this sexy, grown-up, casual dining feel for people to come and enjoy themselves,” Jefferson said.
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Added Bergeron, “It’s not soul food that we cook, but everything comes from our soul.”
Milwaukee Black Restaurant Week is sponsored by BlankSpace MKE, an urban art cooperative whose mission is to serve as a conduit for “cooperative economics.” The event is running from April 17-23. No coupons are needed and each restaurant has its own specials.
Other participating restaurants include:
Ashley’s Bar-B-Que, 1501 W. Center St.
Chic Cafe, 770 N. Jefferson St.
Coffee Makes You Black, 2803 N. Teutonia Ave.
Daddy’s Soul Food & Grille, 754 N. 27th St.
Dee’s Elegance, 7420 W. Villard Ave.
Irie Zulu, 7237 W North Ave, Wauwatosa
Jizzles Sandwich Shop, 4618 W. Burleigh St.
Mama Nana’s Pick-Mar Family Restaurant, 7276 N. Teutonia Ave.
Mister BBQ, 5908 N. 76th St.
Pass Da Peas, 7870 W. Appleton Ave.
Mr. Perkins Family Restaurant, 2001 W. Atkinson Ave.
Rise & Grind Cafe, 6007 N. Teutonia Ave.
The Big Eazy, 2053 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive
Terri Lynn’s Express, 10704 W. Hampton Ave.
Tony’s BBQ Unlimited, 3510 W. Villard Ave.

author: Mitchell Mittelstedt


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How to volunteer in April | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Martha Cannon, Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee
April 5, 2017
Volunteers participate in the Great American Cleanup. (Photo courtesy of Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful)
Spring is in the air, and you can celebrate by volunteering to help your neighbors. Volunteer Milwaukee, a service of the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee, features a calendar full of events, both one-time and ongoing. Here are a few opportunities in April.
Fostering Our Riparian Biodiversity
Remove invasive species, establish native plants and trees and maintain trails as part of a River Revitalization Foundation program to improve habitat surrounding Milwaukee’s river basin; Monday and Friday afternoons and Saturdays.
Contact: Ellie Kirkwood at ekirkwood@riverrevitalizationfoundation.org or 414-271-8000
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Spring Yard Clean Up/ Summer Lawn Help
Help an older adult in your neighborhood with spring yard clean up or adopt a senior and help them all summer with grass cutting and trimming as part of Interfaith Older Adult Programs’ Neighborhood Outreach.
Contact: Mary Steinke at msteinke@interfaithmilw.org or (414) 220-8648
Great American Cleanup Kick-off
Set up, register volunteers and pass out supplies Saturday, April 22, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful’s start to the spring cleanup season (through May 31).
Contact: Betsy Bolte at betsy@kgmb.org or 414-272-5462 Ext. 301
Kinnickinnic Spring River Clean Up
Clean up Pulaski Park, the river and the surrounding neighborhood by picking up garbage 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, April 22, as part of the Environmental Health program of Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers.
Contact: Elizabeth De Leon at Elizabeth.DeLeon@sschc.org or (414) 897-5622
Fruity Nutty Five Orchard Planting
Plant fruit and nut trees in parks and residential yards to create neighborhood orchards and food forests throughout the city of Milwaukee for Victory Garden Initiative Saturday, April 22, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Contact: Logan McDermott at Logan@VictoryGardenInitiative.org or 414-431-0888
Hawthorn Glen Park Cleanup
Help out with trash cleanup around the property and remove invasive species or participate in other special projects for Milwaukee Recreation Department, Saturday, April 22, 9 a.m.-noon.
Contact: Nicole Sponholtz at  or 414-647-6043


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Vacant lots in Lindsay Heights to be developed into urban garden oasis | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
April 5, 2017
Rendering of the Adams Garden Park. (Rendering courtesy of Mayer Helminiak Architects)
Agusta Mason, who moved to Lindsay Heights two years ago, said one thing he’s noticed since moving from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, is the abundance of empty lots in the neighborhood.
“I mean, they’re all over the place. That’s a lot of houses that burned or got torn down,” Mason said.
If things go according to plan, there will be three fewer vacant lots soon and in their place will be Adams Garden Park, a mixed-use garden center being developed by Walnut Way Conservation Corp. founders Larry and Sharon Adams, and Fix Development.
The couple, who retired from Walnut Way but still serve on its board, purchased lots totaling 10,360 square feet on Fond Du Lac Avenue and North 18th Street from the city for $500. Last week, the Milwaukee Common Council unanimously approved the sale of the properties, which sit next to Walnut Way’s corporate headquarters at 1836 W. Fond Du Lac Ave.
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According to Juli Kaufmann, president of Fix Development, the idea is to create a destination garden center offering a variety of services that cater to urban gardeners.
This vacant lot, at 1826 W. Fond Du Lac Ave., will be part of the Adams Garden Park in Lindsay Heights. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
“It fills a special niche in the marketplace in that it’s a garden specifically for urban dwellers and will bring together local artisans,” said Kaufmann, who also helped develop the Innovations and Wellness Commons in Lindsay Heights.
According to a Land Disposition Report submitted to the city, the properties will be combined, with one section housing the business and the others used for gardens that will support the business. According to the report, the center will stock a full range of annual, perennial and stock plants, in addition to serving as a showcase for urban gardening strategies and space beautification. Future phases may include a bed and breakfast and cafe, the report notes.
Alice’s Garden, 2136 N. 21st St., also is located in Lindsay Heights. According to Venice R. Williams, its executive director, it will be extremely helpful to have an urban garden center nearby.
“It will be wonderful to not have to go searching far and wide for plants and other products,” Williams said.
Williams also mentioned the economic benefits of the project, which could provide job opportunities in the future to young people who work with her organization. Another positive is that the lots will no longer be vacant.
“I look forward to the city releasing more vacant land to small businesses and entrepreneurs,” Williams said.
According to Kaufmann, filling empty lots and storefronts is part of the strategy being utilized by stakeholders in Lindsay Heights to revitalize the community.
Andrea Favors, who lives a few houses down from one of the empty lots on North 18th Street, wasn’t familiar with the proposal, but said it’s fine with her.
“At least it won’t just be another empty lot where garbage piles up. It’s actually going to be somewhere nice where I can go and take my kids,” Favors said.


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Immigrant students organize to create safe haven at MPS | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 6, 2017
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The emotion in the packed room was palpable as more that 40 speakers stood before the Milwaukee Board of School Directors to speak in favor of a resolution to designate the district a safe haven for undocumented immigrant students and their families.
Students, parents, alumni, teachers, staff and city residents raised concerns about the security and psychological well–being of MPS students, and talked of American ideals of inclusivity, the country’s history of immigration, law, leadership and, most of all, their own family stories of struggle and sacrifice. Just one speaker opposed the resolution.
Emily Z told of how hard her parents work to provide for her and her younger brother. In tears, she said they fear being stopped by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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“Our parents want us to be the (people) that they wish they could be. They want us to have a chance here.”
Many of the students who testified were members of Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES!), the youth division of immigrants rights organization Voces De La Frontera. YES! was a driving force behind the resolution, said Cendi Trujillo, Voces De La Frontera’s youth organizer. The 100–plus members of the Milwaukee branch had been working on the resolution since shortly after the November election, Tujillo explained.
“They started thinking about what they could do to protect themselves” in light of the new U.S. president’s tough stand on undocumented immigrants. The resolution provides “a way of resistance and sends out a very strong message that we are here to stay,” she added.
School board member Tatiana Joseph, herself a formerly undocumented child, said she worked with YES! and several other organizations to draft the resolution that calls for Milwaukee Public Schools to protect immigrant students and refugees. Joseph and board Vice Chairman Larry Miller co-sponsored the resolution.
In addition to discussing the resolution at their schools, YES! members sought input from an advisory group of stakeholders including teachers, administrators and parents. In early March, they invited the full school board to the Voces De La Frontera offices, where they explained the resolution, shared their personal stories and asked for a commitment of support, Trujillo said.
More than 100 people staged a pre-vote march and rally at the MPS central administration building, 5225 W. Vliet St. Student speakers told the crowd about the difficulties they have faced as immigrants and refugees and called for support of all students.
Farok Rashid, 16, a Rohingya refugee from Burma, arrived in the U.S. three years ago. Explaining that his parents died of AIDS before he left a refugee camp in Malaysia, Rashid detailed some of his struggles there including severe bullying.
After the vote, the South Division High School student said that though he participates in many extracurricular activities that help others, this is the first time he has joined a protest or taken political action. “I am very happy and proud of myself and everyone else,” Rashid said.
Romeo Johnnies, a junior at Alliance High School, read an original poem. Though he is not an immigrant himself, Johnnies belongs to YES! and has marched in support of Black Lives Matter and against the takeover of MPS last year, he said.
“I believe everybody, no matter who you are or what race you are, or where you’re from or what your background is, should have equal rights … I believe if we are called the land of the free then we should all be free,” Johnnies said.
After the unanimousboard vote to pass the resolution, the elated students gathered in the building lobby to share their happiness and relief and document the moment with group photos.
“I feel happy because they’re understanding where we are coming from,” said YES! member Brandon Fragosa, a junior at Ronald Reagan High School, adding that he hopes that this message of inclusion by MPS will spread to other parts of American society.
Trujillo noted that at several points the students questioned whether the work and emotional effort of the campaign was worth it. “Having to put yourself in a position where you are vulnerable is a huge step. For a lot of them, it was the first time sharing their stories or their parents’ stories,” she said, adding that the experience helped them feel empowered. Now they are asking themselves, ‘What’s next?  What else are we capable of doing?’” Trujillo said.
The resolution, which Trujillo and Voces De La Frontera Executive Director Christine Neumann-Ortiz say will not cost the district financially, includes a provision that MPS schools will refuse to cooperate with ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) by not allowing them on school premises or sharing students’ confidential information. It also calls for creating a rapid response plan in case of a raid involving parents or guardians, and connecting students and their families to legal, social and medical services as needed.
The district’s next steps include establishing an immigration resource center in every school and developing procedures defining the appropriate steps to take if law enforcement comes to a school, according to an MPS release.

author: Andrea Waxman


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Lindsay Heights community big winner at MANDI awards | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sharon McGowan
April 6, 2017
Three projects in the North Side Lindsay Heights neighborhood won Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs) Thursday evening at a dinner attended by about 800 guests.
The event, held at the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, was presented by LISC Milwaukee and U.S. Bank. All winners received a trophy and a $1,000 contribution. The 15 finalists, in five categories, were chosen by a selection committee of 40 volunteers from the private, public and government sectors. Winners of the Wells Fargo People’s Choice awards were determined by a public vote, hosted on the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service website.
The Innovations and Wellness Commons, 1617 W. North Ave., won the award for a real estate project that improves the community. The other two Lindsay Heights awards went to the Johnsons Park Revitalization project and the Historic Wally Schmidt Tavern Redevelopment, 1848 W. Fond du Lac.
Fran Dawson, acting executive director of Walnut Way Conservation Corp., which was a partner in all three Lindsay Heights projects, said that community residents deserve the credit for their success. “We live together, work together and play together. We support each other,” she said.
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Tony Gibson, chairman of the Johnsons Park Neighborhood Association, said that the park’s revitalization has taken nearly a decade. He credited the Center for Resilient Cities, the Rotary Club and other partners for recognizing the potential in Johnsons Park, adding that the work isn’t done. “There’s so much looming on the horizon,” he said.
Silver Spring Neighborhood Center won the BMO Harris Bank Cornerstone Award, which recognizes an organization for its commitment and effectiveness over time. The center was also the recipient of a People’s Choice Award.
Kaylin Jones, who accepted the award for SSNC, credited the organization’s success to its ability to work with whole families. Jones, who said she “grew up in the center,” explained, “We start with prenatal, all the way through adults. When you work with a kid for years, you can and must have an impact.”
The Milwaukee Christian Center and the Journey House Community Garden also won People’s Choice awards. More than 1,800 people voted for the winners.
“The MANDIs are a celebration of Milwaukee’s neighborhoods, and the passionate, committed people who work tirelessly to improve their communities,” said Dawn Hutchison-Weiss, communications director at LISC Milwaukee.
Winners and finalists are listed below:
The Innovations and Wellness Commons in Lindsay Heights won the State Farm Building Blocks Award for a real estate project that improves the community. Other finalists were the Asian Public Market Phongsavan and TechForce Training Center.

author: Sharon McGowan


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Local middle and high school students participate in Mini-Med School | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Medical College of Wisconsin
April 6, 2017
Students from Milwaukee College Prep training to use a stethoscope. (Photo courtesy of Medical College of Wisconsin)
On Friday, March 24, The Medical College of Wisconsin and the Student National Medical Association partnered to host a mini-med school. Local middle and high school students were invited to the event to show local underrepresented middle and high school students opportunities in the health care field.
Mini-Med School featured an afternoon of activities and exposure to medical school. A variety of stations gave the middle and high school students an opportunity to experience hands-on activities including:
The guest students had the opportunity to ask the medical students questions about how to apply to undergraduate institutions and how to seek mentorship.
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Escuela Verde students learn how to do basic suturing. (Photo courtesy of Medical College of Wisconsin)

author: Medical College of Wisconsin


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 6, 2017

author: Adam Carr


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Winter in our city, 2017 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 6, 2017
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While the weather may not be cooperating yet, it’s officially spring in Milwaukee. To mark the passing of the season, this photo gallery takes a look back at the first quarter of 2017 in our neighborhoods.


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City’s commitment to police reforms persists in the face of flagging federal interest | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Ashanti Hamilton
April 7, 2017
(From left) Alderman Ashanti Hamilton, Alderman Cavalier Johnson, Mayor Tom Barrett and Safe and Sound Executive Director Katie Sanders gather together after the news conference announcing Safe and Sound’s expansion into District 4 neighborhoods.
While some suspected this was coming, I must first say that I am still very disappointed by the news this week that Attorney General Jeff Sessions is shying away from the Department of Justice’s prior commitments to help cities like Milwaukee enact police reforms. I believe there is real value in these reforms, which seek to strengthen the relationship between the police and the community and, in doing so, foster a safer city.
I was proud that the City of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Police Department voluntarily sought out this assistance from the Obama Administration’s Department of Justice. We had eagerly anticipated the release of a report with analysis and recommendations intended to help us create a police department that was more transparent and responsive to residents’ concerns, and the police chief, many leaders within his department and many of the city’s elected officials had demonstrated an unwavering commitment to getting to work on these important tasks.
Under the new administration and Attorney General Sessions, we are, sadly, still waiting for that report and its important feedback. The Attorney General has signaled this week that he might not support this process, stating that he thinks it paints police officers as the problem.
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I think the Attorney General’s take on the matter is oversimplified, myopic and lacking in nuance. We are not scapegoating police officers for our city’s problems. I have consistently maintained my belief that the vast majority of police officers are hard-working, good-hearted and selfless guardians of the peace in our city. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t areas that are ripe for improvement in a way that’s systemic and data-driven.
Police Chief Edward Flynn and other leaders have embraced this mission as well, and are deserving of the city’s support and credit as the process moves forward. But I feel it’s important to re-state Milwaukee’s commitment to reforming our police-community relations—even if we no longer have federal support in this undertaking.

author: Ald. Ashanti Hamilton


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 7, 2017


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Community support critical to Black Holocaust Museum’s resurgence | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
April 7, 2017
A rendering of The Griot, on the corner of 4th Street and North Avenue. (Photo courtesy of ABHM)
On a recent, rainy morning in Bronzeville, Milwaukee’s historic black culture and arts district, Adekola Adedapo leads a crowd of community members and city leaders in singing “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” a song often referred to as the Black American National Anthem.
The first stanza declares: “Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, Let us march on ‘til victory is won.”
The gathering, a groundbreaking celebration for the new $17 million Garfield Development, was attended by Mayor Tom Barrett, Wisconsin Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, city alderpeople and supporters of America’s Black Holocaust Museum. Expected to be complete by early next summer, the development includes converting the old Garfield School into mixed-income apartments and creating a new mixed-use building. “The Griot” will house 41 apartments, a cafe and the museum, which has not had a physical location since 2008.
“I think of the rain today as this — it is the ancestors weeping. They are weeping tears of joy. Because of today; because of this groundbreaking; because, after nine years … we are here,” said District 6 Ald. Milele Coggs of the museum’s return.
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America’s Black Holocaust Museum (ABHM), founded in Milwaukee in 1984 by Dr. James Cameron, who survived a lynching attempt as a teenager, was a mainstay in Bronzeville. It provided access to artifacts collected by Cameron, guided tours and a place for community discussion for more than 20 years.
Carolyn Cameron,(in white) and Dr. James Cameron’s daughter, Dolores, (third from right) look on during the event. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
In 2008, the museum — whose mission is to build public awareness of the harmful legacies of slavery in America and promote racial repair, reconciliation, and healing — closed under financial pressure at the onset of the Great Recession. Since then, it has operated as a virtual museum that has been visited by millions of people from more than 200 countries.
Coggs, who was elected for the first time almost nine years ago, said her first meeting as an alderwoman was with Reggie Jackson, the museum’s head griot, about bringing back a physical location.
“We’ve been able to have a presence through public programming but without the artifacts it hasn’t really been the same,” said Jackson. “That’s what people really want, and they want a space that can, kind of, belong to the community once again.”
The Griot will be located on the southwest corner of 4th Street and North Avenue, the same location as the original museum.
“It’s such a jewel,” Markasa Tucker, a community activist, said of the museum, which she visited with her mother as a child. She remembers meeting Cameron, who passed away in 2006, and hearing his story. Tucker stressed the importance of the type of education ABHM provides, particularly since it isn’t readily available, even in classrooms.
“To have this in Milwaukee again, in this space, I think it’s going to be amazing for the neighborhood, it’s going to be amazing for other businesses … and it’s going to draw more people to this space,” she said.
Many who spoke at the event talked about their years-long involvement with ABHM and the work it has taken to get to this point.
“Many of you [have] heard that African proverb: ‘If you want to go fast, go by yourself; if you want to go far, take your village,’” said WHEDA Executive Director Wyman Winston. “And … here we are.”
Barrett praised the perseverance of developer Melissa Goins, and others, who refused to give up on the project. “Those are the people who succeed; those are the people who build a future; those are the people who create hope and opportunity in other people’s lives.”
Goins, 34, got her start in development more than 10 years ago as a participant in the Associates in Commercial Real Estate (ACRE) program, which recruits and trains minorities for professional careers in the field of commercial real estate. Goins pushed forward with the Garfield Development, which has been in the works for about two-and-a-half years, despite revealing at the event that her young daughter was born with a blood disorder and will have had 20 transfusions by her second birthday in August.
She encouraged attendees to look for ways they can help move their community forward.
“It doesn’t require millions of dollars. What it requires is a heart, and what it requires is compassion,” said Goins. “You are who you have been waiting on, and we all are waiting on you.”
Winston added, “Without community, there is no city. The city is not the buildings, it is the people.”
Virgil Cameron, James Cameron’s son and an ABHM board member, said he is happy to see the museum coming back, but that the finish line is far ahead.
ABHM is launching a capital campaign to raise $1.5 million, which will support the buildout of the museum and hiring staff; currently, ABHM staff members are volunteers, which Jackson said is not sustainable.
“My father is smiling right now,” Cameron said, adding, “We need to understand that the really hard part is just beginning. We need to continue the work.”
Dannette Justus, a literacy coach at Siefert Elementary School, brought four of her students to the groundbreaking. Justus, who knows Goins personally, said she brought the young women so they could “see history being made.”
“I just think it’s important that they get to see their ‘hidden figures’ right here in their community,” Justus said. “And I hope they just take away that they really can do anything. The possibilities are endless.”
Coggs added, “As bad as statistics and other things may say this city is, I know this: it is as great as we make it.”

author: Jabril Faraj


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Millennials meet to discuss vision for Near West Side | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Alexandria Bursiek
April 8, 2017
Near West Side residents brainstorm the assets and concerns about the area. (Photo by Alexandria Bursiek)
Millennials who attended a recent brainstorming session about the Near West Side said that they want improvements to be implemented in the area, but emphasized the need to avoid pricing out current residents.
“I do see a lot of change happening,” said Cold Spring Park resident Tiffany Miller, 37. “I want to make sure people of color are included in that process and remain in the neighborhood.”
Miller, who is African-American, said she attended the event because she wanted to know what the vision is for her neighborhood and to help shape it.
Area homeowners and renters between the ages of 17 and 45 were invited to discuss the future of seven neighborhoods on the Near West Side: Avenues West, Cold Spring Park, Concordia, Martin Drive, Merrill Park, Miller Valley and Piggsville. About 30 people who live or work in the neighborhoods attended.
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The discussion was moderated by Christine Hill, executive director of Marquette University’s Future Milwaukee program, and the only baby boomer allowed at the event.
Among the major assets participants identified were the diversity of the neighborhoods, natural spaces and parks, local businesses and the historic buildings.  MillerCoors, Harley Davidson, Aurora Health Care, Marquette University and the Potawatomi Business Development Corp. are all located in the area.
Participants write down and illustrate their ideas for the Near West Side. (Photo by Alexandria Bursiek)
“I have always thought, ‘Wow this place is so diverse. Why don’t more people know about it and how can we do better?’” said Martin Drive resident LaToya Dennis. “I am here to do better.”
Jordan Donald, 28, said that although he does not live on the Near West Side, he attended because he wanted to participate in the conversation about what Milwaukee could be. “It needs a lot of fresh ideas and fresh perspectives. I think a lot of the things we’ve been doing aren’t necessarily working and it’s time to think outside the box a little bit and listen to the people who are most impacted by decisions,” added Donald. “Nobody knows the community better than the community itself.”
In addition to concerns about gentrification, the attendees raised issues of crime and the perception of crime in the Near West Side neighborhoods. They also spoke about empty storefronts and vacant lots as well as the lack of a strong sense of community.
“Safety is one of my biggest concerns right now,” said Miller. “There are a lot of children in my neighborhood and it would be awesome to have ‘safe space’ weekends where the streets are blocked off so kids can really play.”
Martin Drive resident Heather Braatz shared her concern about vacant lots. “There are a lot of vacant lots and if left vacant for a long time that becomes a problem,” she said, adding that residents should take the opportunity to invest in the properties.
Participants proposed building a community center that could be used to bring together diverse members of the community and serve as a place to exchange ideas and grow relationships.
“The community center would have resources for both homeowners and renters and be inclusive of different ethnic groups and maybe have a small-business focus,” said Braatz.
The event was sponsored by the Near West Side Partners, Community Connections Small Grants Program, the Marquette University Office of Community Engagement and the Near West Side Percolator, a handful of Near West Side residents who meet to discuss local issues. The idea for the meet-up came from Concordia resident Sally Maddick, who has lived on the Near West Side for more than 30 years. Maddick organized the event along with Pat Mueller, another longtime resident of the area. However, since they are not millennials, they were not present during the discussion.
Mueller explained that the meeting focused on millennials because residents want to hear new opinions and ideas on how to improve the area. Mueller said that newer residents have been less involved.
After the discussion, participants were asked to rank their confidence in the Near West Side on a scale of one to five, with five being the most confident. According to Hill, the average ranking was four, compared to three before the event.
Maddick noted that she plans to pass on the participants’ thoughts and ideas to Near West Side Partners and the Marquette Office of Community Engagement. Maddick added that she would like to see the participants remain engaged in the community.
“It was a wonderful group of individuals that seemed to reflect the neighborhood,” said Hill. “[They are] diverse, energized and clearly interested in staying in this area and in enhancing what they see as assets.”

author: Alexandria Bursiek


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HOPE Network grants for single mothers can help with tuition or day care | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
HOPE Network
April 9, 2017
HOPE Network is offering its Edmund Springman Educational Grants to area single mothers pursuing post-high-school education (technical school or college). The money may be used to cover tuition, day-care costs while the mother is in school, or both.
Up to seven grants of $1,000 or more will be awarded for the summer and fall 2017 & spring 2018 semesters. Applications must be postmarked by April 30.
Applicants must be HOPE Network members, and can submit membership applications (see form on website) when applying for the grant. Applicant must be a single mother of a child under 18 or a single female legal guardian of a minor child. She must reside in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington, Ozaukee, or Racine Counties. Grant winners will volunteer 10 hours to HOPE Network or a local community organization.
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Applicants may print out the application form from HOPE Network’s website and submit with 3 photocopies of everything, as specified on the form. Website is: www.hopenetworkinc.org
HOPE Network is a volunteer-based grass-roots support system providing emotional, educational, and material support to single pregnant women and single mothers and their children in the greater Milwaukee area. Key programs are: cribs and safe sleep education, 28-page quarterly resource newspaper, scholarships, clothing banks, and family events. HOPE Network was founded in 1982 by Menomonee Falls resident Gail Grenier Sweet. Since 1988, HOPE Network has awarded $88,000 in educational grants to 89 single mothers.

author: HOPE Network


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More people to grow their own food through Victory Garden Initiative | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Victory Garden Initiative
April 9, 2017
(Photo courtesy of Victory Garden Initiative)
For the past 8 years, Victory Garden Initiative has installed raised-bed gardens across Milwaukee and beyond. From May 13-27, over 300 volunteers will join Victory Garden Initiative (VGI) for the nation’s largest garden-building event, the Great Milwaukee Victory Garden BLITZ. Over these two weeks, volunteers will build approximately 500 4×8’ raised-bed gardens filled with healthy, organic soil in front yards and backyards all over the city, bringing the total number of gardens installed by VGI to over 3,500.
The gardens, purchased by community members at an affordable price, are installed by volunteers and filled with organic soil from VGI’s local compost partner, Blue Ribbon Organics. Each garden also comes with a variety pack of 10 fruit, flower and vegetable seeds to help budding gardeners get started! Anyone can purchase a garden for their yard or business , and each year up to half of the BLITZ gardens go to low-income recipients at a reduced price. Residents of Washington Park, Clarke Square, Layton Boulevard West, Lindsay Heights, the 53218 ZIP Code and any Targeted Investment Neighborhood are currently included in the subsidized program. Registration to purchase a garden is open now until May 1st.
The BLITZ mobilizes hundreds of individual and group volunteers, who will meet every day at Habitat for Humanity’s Milwaukee headquarters, 3726 N. Booth St., to gather supplies and head out to neighborhoods to build gardens. Volunteer registration is open to individuals and groups. This BLITZ is spreading to other communities – VGI has trained both Green Bay, WI and Berea, KY to BLITZ their towns, and hopes to continue training others to move grass and grow food, creating a socially just, ecologically sustainable and nutritious food system for all.
To sign up to volunteer or get a garden, please visit www.victorygardeninitiative.org/blitz
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author: Victory Garden Initiative


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 9, 2017


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Daddy’s Soul Food & Grille boasts affordable prices, welcoming atmosphere | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Mitchell Mittelstedt
April 10, 2017
Bennie Smith, owner of Daddy’s Soul Food, 754 N. 27th St., says that his father was the inspiration for opening his popular North Side restaurant. “We wanted to commemorate my father who passed away to cancer, and so my oldest daughter came up with the name “Daddy’s,” which would honor my dad, and me as well,” he said.
Each meal category on the menu is named after one of Smith’s children. Customers can choose from Benjamin’s Buffet (soul food entrees and sides), Ashley’s Meatless Menu (vegetarian options), Andrew’s All American Burgers (burgers and sandwiches), Jay’s Java House (coffee and beverages), Amber’s Delights (desserts) and Bria’s Specialty Menu (alternative dishes).
Besides cooking acclaimed soul food, Smith also exhibits and sells the work of local artists. The current featured artist is Darron Reed, who constructs wall clocks and paints canvases.
Customers are free to purchase the artwork. “[Reed] sold quite a few pieces while they’ve been displayed on our walls. Because he allows us to showcase him on our walls, all the proceeds go directly to him,” said Smith.
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Smith emphasized his dedication to the patrons. There is always a chance for a customer to win a gift card or free meal. And the first Tuesday of every month, Daddy’s hosts a memory café for customers who are living with Alzheimer’s disease.


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The mystery of Angelique Roy’s passage | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Margaret Rozga
April 10, 2017
Margaret Noodin. (Troye Fox / UWM Photography)
Margaret Rozga, poet, civil rights activist and professor emerita of English at UW-Waukesha, attended a recent poetry reading at Woodland Pattern Book Center, where she learned about a hidden marker — and about invisible history.
It’s easy to miss, this small vertical marker on the street side of the dark brick building. It is positioned well above eye-level, above what appears to have once been a doorway near the back of the building, close to a narrow gangway with two garbage carts — not exactly where I’d look for an historical marker.
I’ve passed both the marker and the gangway several times without seeing either. On my way recently to a program in the adjacent building, the Woodland Pattern Book Center, was one of those times. I had my mind on the poetry event at my destination, Woodland Pattern, and on the poets who’d read that evening. Not until poet and UW Milwaukee professor Margaret Noodin — in her gentle way of reorienting our thinking — briefly mentioned the marker in her portion of the program did I wonder what I had missed along the way. Only afterward did I take the time to stop to see it.
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Garbage carts aside, the narrow passage has its charm, a tree at center back, green where it might be least expected. The marker itself, which simply reads “Angelique Roy’s Passage,” made me want to know more. Who was Angelique? What did she have to do with Milwaukee? With Riverwest in particular? What did she and this marker have to do with indigenous history and with thinking about migration, the themes of the evening’s program? With the work of these five poets: emeritus Wisconsin poets laureate Kimberly Blaeser and Denise Sweet, Franklin K.R. Cline, Alexandria Delcourt and Margaret Noodin?
Their energy-charged reading was wonderful. Sponsored with the Milwaukee Native American Literary Cooperative, the March 28th reading emphasized both contemporary issues of tribal sovereignty and the history of forced migrations of people indigenous to what is now the United States. It was the local offering in a national Poetry Coalition program entitled “Because We Come From Everything: Poetry & Migration.” Each poet presented work related to these concerns.<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"			xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"			xmlns:trackback="http://madskills.com/public/xml/rss/module/trackback/">		<rdf:Description rdf:about="https://milwaukeenns.org/2017/04/10/the-mystery-of-angelique-roys-passage/"    dc:identifier="https://milwaukeenns.org/2017/04/10/the-mystery-of-angelique-roys-passage/"    dc:title="The mystery of Angelique Roy’s passage"    trackback:ping="https://milwaukeenns.org/2017/04/10/the-mystery-of-angelique-roys-passage/trackback/" /></rdf:RDF>
Angelique Roy marker. (Photo by Margaret Rozga)
Of course I knew of the Cherokee Trail of Tears, but I hadn’t known how indigenous people were removed from what is now Milwaukee. In the process of my research later, I learned that after the 1833 Treaty of Chicago, the U.S. Army rounded up indigenous people living in this area for forced removal to the Iowa Territory.
I also learned more about Angelique Roy. The daughter of a French trader and Menominee woman, she married Jacques Vieau in 1786 and accompanied him when he was sent by Northwest Fur Company from the French outpost at Green Bay to establish trading posts along the western shore of Lake Michigan. Aided by Angelique’s Menominee and Potawatomi relatives, they established posts at what is now Manitowoc and Sheboygan. They made their winter home in what is now Milwaukee.
Why Angelique Roy is commemorated in Riverwest, I didn’t learn. In some ways the more appropriate location for a marker of her presence in Milwaukee may be in Mitchell Park, near the birthplace of six of her children and her winter home for much of her life. A marker there since 1925 designates a spot as the place where Jacques Vieau built “the first house in Milwaukee” without mention of Angelique or of others who already lived in the area.
How we tell our stories, the language used, who is remembered and who disappeared, matters. The precise location of a particular marker is a small question, given the deeper need to remember that indigenous people lived here on good land near good water before they were forced out and before this area became an industrial center.
Like much of Milwaukee’s history, especially Milwaukee’s indigenous history, Angelique Roy’s Passage is easy to overlook unless you know it is there. So much history has been erased because it doesn’t conform to the dominant narrative, with white “settlers” as the people who matter. Once we know this, it can lead to rethinking our city, who we have been and who we really want to become.

author: Margaret Rozga


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Alderman Stamper to host April 13 Jobs Town Hall Event at St. Ann Center | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Russell W. Stamper, II
April 11, 2017
Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II, along with Milwaukee Bucks, will join forces for a Workforce Development Jobs Town Hall Event on Thursday, April 13 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care-Bucyrus Campus, 2450 W. North Ave.
The session will begin at 5:30 p.m., and prospective attendees should RSVP to WisconsinESC.com/Careers. Light refreshments will be provided.
“This is an exciting time of growth for many local organizations, with the Bucks arena project and other development in the city providing plenty of new employment opportunities,” said Alderman Stamper. “Those interested in jobs in construction and other trades are highly encouraged to attend this event.”
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The session will include remarks by Alderman Stamper and Bucks Senior Vice-President Alex Lasry. Representatives from the Social Development Commission, Milwaukee JobsWork, America Works of Wisconsin, Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin and other local businesses and organizations will be on hand to provide employment information. Attendees will also be able to register for SkillSmart’s online job portal to access opportunities in construction and other areas and to sign up for additional career resources.


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workforce copy | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 11, 2017


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MPS students tour Milwaukee County Courthouse to learn about legal system | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Camille Paul
April 11, 2017
When she was elected to the County Board of Supervisors, Sequanna Taylor vowed that she would create a Youth Courthouse day to acquaint students with the legal system. One year later, she led two groups of high school students through the halls of Milwaukee County Courthouse, 901 N. 9th St.
“I want to educate youth on the legal system and possibly inspire them to pursue a career in the system,” she said. “There are more job opportunities than just a lawyer and a judge.”
Taylor invited students from Barack Obama High School, Transition High School and Holy Redeemer High School to tour the courthouse and learn about court proceedings. During the visit, students viewed a hearing presided over by Milwaukee County Judicial Court Commissioner Barry Phillips and participated in a mock trial.
“It’s important that they see what goes on,” said Phillips. “My goal is to make sure none of these kids make it here.”
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Coreena Moore, a junior at Holy Redeemer High School, had been in a courtroom after the death of her relative, Japhet Moore, 14, who was shot and killed last July.
“It was interesting and I learned something new,” she said. “It even made me think of possibly changing my future career choice from a nurse to a lawyer.”

author: Camille Paul


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Neighborhood Jobs Opportunity Program sees high demand, launches website | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Russell W. Stamper, II
April 11, 2017
In light of an enthusiastic response to the city’s new Neighborhood Jobs Opportunity Program, the Department of Public Works has launched an informational website detailing the program, which will create job opportunities for Milwaukee residents to maintain neighborhood properties, according to Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II.
Local contractors and organizations that are interested in contract work maintaining neighborhood properties can now visit milwaukee.gov/neighborhoodjobs to learn more and begin the application process.
“Last week’s information session for potential participants was overwhelmingly positive, and attendance was so strong that staff members ran out of informational handouts,” Alderman Stamper said. “To me, this affirms that there are a lot of aspiring entrepreneurs in Milwaukee who are interested in work trimming yards and shoveling snow, but who were prevented from qualifying by a complicated bidding process that favors big corporations with RFP experience.”
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In order to make such opportunities more accessible to those in need of employment, Alderman Stamper said he worked with city departments to create a fixed-price contract system. Qualifying participants must be registered and incorporated in the State of Wisconsin, maintain a principal office in the City of Milwaukee and procure a minimum amount of insurance.
The new website creates a central hub for information about the program, allowing contractors and community-based organizations to more easily explore the opportunities that are available to them, and includes detailed instructions on how to apply.

author: Ald. Russell W. Stamper, II