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Juneteenth and the future of Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jarrett English
June 27, 2018
(Photo by Jarrett English)
Jarrett English, senior field organizer of ACLU Wisconsin, writes that as wonderful as Milwaukee’s Juneteenth celebration is, it’s clear, as the 50th anniversary approaches, that black Milwaukee has many more chains from which to free itself.
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It was 373 years since the Santa Maria and her sister ships, with their murderous, wretched cargo of colonizers and profiteers, landed in what would be known as the Americas. When the Civil War ended in 1865 there was no internet, the telephone wouldn’t become the mass communications medium it was destined to be for another eight years, and telegraph lines didn’t reach into what was then part of the frontier for American colonizers. So it was up to a Union commander and 2000 American troops to march into Texas to let enslaved black human beings know, and their soon-to-be former masters too, that they would be, henceforth on June 19th 1865, “free,” though the war had ended months before.
Little did they know that their freedom, paid for in rivers of blood and rebellion, would mostly remain an empty promise.
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Through the 100 years between 1865 to 1965, via the 13th Amendment, Jim Crow legislation, and aggressive laws such as the Mississippi slave codes, black Americans saw slaves on plantations intentionally flipped into prison chain gangs, their newfound freedom to pursue their happiness turned into separate and certain to be unequal, and slave catchers and overseers metamorphosed into the state-sanctioned institutions of county sheriffs and police. The strength to endure such generational terror is nearly unfathomable. But here we stand.
Fast forward to 2018 — only 153 years after the first Juneteenth day — and the Juneteenth celebration in Milwaukee is one of the oldest in the nation. An event that for 47 years, no matter whether there was an African World festival or not, whether there was a single event celebrating the heritage of black people in America or in Milwaukee, kept going like a reliable train that never misses its schedule. With 10,000+ people in attendance every year, Juneteenth arguably is what African World festival had always tried to be: the place to celebrate being black in Milwaukee.
For that, the honored elders who keep Juneteenth going deserve exaltation. When there was nothing else there was always Juneteenth.
But in the years since it began, something happened — something that threatens the very essence of what Juneteenth is supposed to be.
It’s not just that majority black, super majority people of color Milwaukee went from being one of the best places in the nation for black people to live to one of the worst; it became the place where black children have the least chances and worst outcomes and that has become, in the most ironic of dichotomies, a place that young white people love and want to move to but young black people and other people of color can’t wait to escape.
Worse than that is the fact that the founders of Juneteenth, the children of Bronzeville, the former sustainers and maintainers of black culture in Milwaukee — the black elders who watched the Commandos and their peers in the NAACP Youth Council brave violence and possible death to march into a racist South Side for equal housing, the elders who were those marchers, who braved so much so honorably and who continue to do so  — have become terrified of their own children. These are the very black youth that they hope, and that we all need, to take up the mantle of their work.
I have seen this myself, directly and indirectly — whether it be the older generations’ respectability sensibilities built from their southern roots, the seeming refusal to exert black power in a majority black city for the fear of upsetting the white poli-economic hegemony, or the deep seated self hate of someone like former sheriff David Clarke, whose house slave mentality was enshrined in the power of the sheriff’s office. It seems that far too many black elders believed at least some of what the former sheriff said and, despite his extremely limited statutory power and politically astute “samboisms,” rewarded him with their votes.
(Photo by Jarrett English)
At the mandatory meeting for vendors of Juneteenth this year, I asked the police officers giving their crowd control presentation, “Why, during the celebration of the freeing of the last people from slavery, is it absolutely necessary for police officers to be posted on rooftops watching thousands of black people like slave plantation overseers?” Before the officer could even respond to me, an elder black gentleman, who identified himself as a commando in charge of Juneteenth security, said, “We do this because we don’t want your cousins acting up. I want to go home. (“That’s right!!” rings from the audience.) ‘Brotha ****** wants to go home. The police are on the roofs because we ask them to be.”
I asked again to make absolutely sure I was hearing correctly and I heard it once more.
So now that we’re here where do we go?
Make no mistake, the absolute failure over the last 30 years of white-run state and local politics, institutions and business to serve the needs of all people of this city and state and that intentionally destroyed places like Bronzeville and denied the success and opportunity of most black and other people of color in this city, is a big part of the problem, the biggest.
That tainted history has a serious consequence. There is no question that there is a deep-seated chasm between most of our honored black elders — who accomplished so much for black Milwaukee — and the very black youth who need their love, history and guidance so desperately to move this city forward or be forced to move.
It seems that black elders are afraid that black youth will destroy everything they’ve built, black youth intuitively have no choice but to see that white institutionalized racism and black fear of what white people (the mayor, the governor, the Milwaukee police, sheriffs, corporations, foundations, etc.) will do, has already done that. They are simply left to survive the devastation.
Young black folks are pissed off that those who preceded them, black and white, didn’t do nearly enough about what was transpiring in front of them. They feel that young white people are living in “the city by the lake” and young black, and other people of color are forced to live in ‘the city y’all forsake.’
The few fortunate ones in my generation (the 25- to 45-year old black women, mostly, and men who chose not to leave Milwaukee) have been left the daunting task of providing wisdom we may not yet have lived long enough to acquire because most black elders have been told via the propaganda they see, and have come to believe, that their only option is to fear their very seed.
But this isn’t just a piece to rag about what’s wrong; we’ve done more than enough of that. I love Milwaukee and always will (a very uncommon attribute for a black man in his 30s.)
We’re here, right now, to make it right.
This is what we’re going to do:
As wonderful as Milwaukee’s Juneteenth celebration is, it’s clear, as the 50th anniversary approaches, that black Milwaukee has many more chains from which to free itself.
Let’s start with ending the slave mentality, getting cops off of roofs and horses and establish the “Beloved Community” where it belongs — in control.
A change will come not simply “just because” but because we’re going to make it come.
Let’s get it!
Jarrett English’s views are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of the ACLU.

author: Jarrett English


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 27, 2018

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Adam Carr


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Advocates, aldermen decry lack of progress in correcting failures of lead poisoning prevention program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jenny Whidden
June 28, 2018
FLAC spokesperson Robert Miranda (left) stands with members of the coalition and State Sen. Lena Taylor (right) after the meeting with District Attorney John Chisholm. (Photo by Jenny Whidden)
This week, the city announced a $1 million Community Development Block Grant to the Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) to follow up with children who have elevated lead blood levels and educate community members about the city’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. The move comes as the city is under increased pressure to restore trust in the beleaguered program.
In a joint statement Wednesday, Aldermen Robert Donovan and Mark A. Borkowski spoke out about the lack of a structured plan to overhaul the program.
“The city faces a June 30 HUD deadline to provide a written plan to address and correct the issues in the lead program,” Donovan said. “Yet we have heard nothing from the Mayor and the Health Department.”
The statement was in response to a May 15 letter from a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development official to Congresswoman Gwen Moore, communicating disappointment with the city’s efforts to resolve the program’s operational issues.
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“In May the sky was falling and our (Council) investigation was moving forward on all cylinders to look into what occurred,” Borkowski said. “The investigation of the Health Department is apparently completed but there is no word about it — nothing. There’s no sense of urgency and it’s like nothing happened.”
In the meantime, representatives of the Freshwater for Life Action Coalition (FLAC) are calling for an investigation by Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm after a scathing report from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) found widespread failures within the lead prevention program. They met with Chisholm on June 13 to discuss the matter.
Chisholm had no comment when the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service requested a status update.
“From what I understand they are currently reviewing our issues,” said FLAC spokesman Robert Miranda.
“We’re hoping that (Chisholm) will be open to announcing soon that his office is going to investigate. In the meantime, we will continue to push. We will continue our efforts to bring about justice to our community,” he said.
“We feel that any further delay continues to harm our children, continues to put our families in our community in harm’s way,” Miranda added.
The DHS report evaluated 108 of the 491 elevated blood lead level childhood cases that were open from 2012 through 2017. The 108 records selected for review by DHS were created by the Milwaukee Health Department between Jan. 1, 2012, and Dec. 31, 2017.
Of the 108 evaluated records, 70 had been closed. Of the 70, 91 percent involved children with blood lead levels higher than the standard for case closure. Miranda said he highlighted these findings in the meeting with Chisholm.
“We feel that this is still a major scandal that … needs to be outed so that people who put our children in harm’s way … are held accountable for the conduct that they are engaging in,” Miranda said.
Health Commissioner Patricia McManus responded to the DHS report with a two-sentence statement. “The Milwaukee Health Department has reviewed the report from the State. We are working together with the State and taking steps to correct the actions recommended by the report.”
FLAC is requesting that the DA’s Public Integrity Unit, which had an attorney present at the meeting with Chisholm, head the investigation to determine whether laws were broken, according to Miranda. FLAC will demand prosecution if the investigation reveals a breach of the law, such as filing false reports, Miranda said.
Miranda blames Mayor Tom Barrett for the health department’s failures, based on accountability and management reports obtained by FLAC.
“This really is an issue that stops at the mayor’s desk,” he said.
State Sen. Lena Taylor, who was also at the meeting with Chisholm, said that the city has not done enough to address lead in the water.
“We have known that there was a lead issue since the ‘90s, and we have not chosen to educate our community and to tell our community that lead in the water has been a problem,” Taylor said.
Taylor emphasized the gravity of lead poisoning, stating that individuals in the community must hold those in power accountable.
Children under 6, who have small bodies and are still growing, are particularly vulnerable to absorbing lead, according to Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers. The effects of lead poisoning include developmental delays, speech and language problems, and damage to the nervous system.
“This is a huge issue. This is permanent damage,” she said.

author: Jenny Whidden


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Dockless scooters put unsuspecting public in legal jeopardy | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Robert J. Bauman
June 28, 2018
You may have seen dockless, rental scooters parked on various sidewalks or being operated on local streets, but what you may not know is that it is illegal to operate these electric vehicles on any public road or sidewalk in Wisconsin.
Alderman Robert J. Bauman, chair of the Public Works Committee, takes issue with the company that has placed these scooters – Bird.
“It’s irresponsible for this company to come into Milwaukee and place the unsuspecting public in legal jeopardy,” said Alderman Bauman, who represents downtown where these electric scooters have been appearing. “Quite simply these vehicles are not authorized for use on sidewalks or city streets and for good reason.”
The City Attorney has indicated that “BIRD’s Motorized Scooters may NOT be lawfully operated on any public street or sidewalk in the City of Milwaukee. Whether defined as a vehicle (Wis. Stat. Sec. 340.01(35)), motor vehicle (Wis. Stat. Sec. 340.01(35)) or a play vehicle (Wis. Stat. Sec. 340.01(43m)), under no circumstances may motorized scooters operate on a public street because they are not designed for on-street use…Consequently, any operator of a BIRD motor scooter on a city street or sidewalk is subject to a $98.80 citation for Operating an Unregistered Motor Vehicle upon a Highway contrary to Wis. Stat. Sec. 341.04(1). Based on circumstances, there may be other traffic law violations committed by the operator (such as OWI).”
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“Bird has been made aware that use of its scooters is illegal but they are choosing to proceed anyway. It has recklessly undertaken a publicity stunt which could victimize its own clientele by encouraging them to violate the law and suffer consequences because of it,” said Alderman Bauman.

author: Ald. Robert J. Bauman


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Milwaukee spring, 2018 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 29, 2018
From snow in April to hot summer-like days in June; from early morning to dusk, this gallery collects photos taken throughout Milwaukee’s neighborhoods this spring.


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County expands fair housing law | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Margaret Rozga
July 2, 2018
Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic speaks about her fair housing proposal at the county board meeting. (Photo by Margaret Rozga)
Margaret Rozga, poet, civil rights activist and professor emerita of English at UW-Waukesha, writes that the recent action by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors to expand the fair housing law builds community and counters chaos on the national level.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King asked in the title of his 1967 book, the last one he wrote before his assassination, a question that presses hard upon us even today: “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” On a national level, especially with the cruel and inhumane treatment of migrants and people seeking asylum at our southern border, the answer now seems to be that we’re being pushed headlong into chaos. While I would not and do not underestimate this danger, among the ways I see to push back is keep at least one hand engaged in sowing the seeds of community on the local level.
Emphasis on what is possible locally keeps alive hope for building the inclusive community we need. The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors took an important community-affirming step at its June 21 meeting by approving a measure that ends discrimination against people who have rent assistance vouchers. This amendment to the county’s fair housing law adds protection for people who receive rent assistance to the categories such as race, sex, sexual orientation and disability that are already protected.
Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic, original sponsor of this proposal, said her goal was to create a policy that everyone could be enthusiastic about. She worked with groups such as the Apartment Association of Southeastern Wisconsin on their concerns, especially about a time lag in the process of approving a unit for inclusion in the program. After she revised the proposal to address their concerns, it won approval from the Economic and Community Development committee prior to coming before the full county board. At the board meeting, six additional supervisors asked to be listed as co-sponsors.
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The Milwaukee chapter of the NAACP, the Office of African American Affairs, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council and the March On Milwaukee 50th Anniversary Coordinating Committee were among those who wrote letters of support to the county or who spoke in favor of the measure at meetings of the Economic and Community Development committee.
As a person who marched for fair housing over 50 years ago and someone who helped organize support for this proposal, I heartily applaud the outcome. I thank the members of the county board for their attentive consideration to this community-building measure. At the committee meetings, first Supervisor Steve Taylor and then Supervisor Marcelia Nicholson did an admirable job as committee chairs, making sure that everyone who wanted to speak was heard and that everyone stayed on point. Likewise, County Board Chair Theodore Lipscomb ran an efficient and fair meeting, not an easy task with 53 items on the agenda.
Of course, I especially want to thank the 12 supervisors who voted for this proposal. I also want to thank County Executive Chris Abele who said he will sign this measure and who praised Supervisor Dimitrijevic for her leadership on this matter.
In a time when our community is being cited as one of the most segregated and when the Department of Housing and Urban Development fails in its legal responsibility to affirmatively further fair housing, this local affirmation is particularly important. Columnist Thomas Friedman writes in his June 26 New York Times op-ed that the most hopeful work he sees generating “idealism and solidarity” today comes from doing “hard things together in the community.” I think the county board’s approval of this fair housing proposal serves as an example.
Let us not lose hope in the midst of chaos being created on the national level. Let us continue in ways small and large, local as well as national, to build the inclusive community we need.

author: Margaret Rozga


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 1, 2018


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Friday Freedom Flicks | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Arthur Heitzer
July 2, 2018
Friday Freedom Flicks
Discussions after each film. Free and open to all interested.   Dedicated to strengthening movements for peace & freedom.   July 6, 13, & 20| 6-8 pm | 1001 E Keefe Ave 53212
Killing Gaza, Friday, July 6, 6pm
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In their new film released to give background for the Gaza border protests this Spring (called the “Great March of Return”), journalists Dan Cohen and Max Blumenthal capture the harrowing stories of Palestinians who survived the 2014 Israeli assault, and their struggles to recover and persist under a crippling blockade.
Star of Goliath — Jewish views on Israel & the struggle for Palestinian survival, July 13, 6pm
A SONG CYCLE WITH VISUALS ON PALESTINE AND ISRAEL. Dave Lippman’s 2004 visit to Palestine and Israel resulted in a multimedia piece, “Star of Goliath,” which encapsulates modern Holy Land history and imperial machinations, with attention to varying Jewish views on Israel and the struggle for Palestinian survival and sovereignty. Songs, slides and sounds to open hearts and minds.
Why We Fight — Why the US goes to war, Friday, July 20, 6pm
Released on the anniversary of President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s farewell address, Eugene Jarecki’s 2005 acclaimed documentary describes the rise of the U. S. military–industrial complex and its 50-year involvement in the wars led by the U.S., especially the 2003 Invasion of Iraq.  Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize for Documentary, Peabody Award, and Grimme Award (one of Germany’s most prestigious awards for TV).
Sponsor: End the Wars Committee of Peace Action-WI, 1001 E. Keefe Ave., MKE, www.peaceactionwi.org, (414) 269-9525

author: Arthur Heitzer


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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July 2, 2018

author: Name *


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Two new Silver City public art installations reflect neighborhood pride | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Abby Ng
July 2, 2018
Artist Catherine Lottes talks about the dragonflies around the edge of her “Silver City Portal” on 35th and Pierce streets. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Behind the bus stop on 35th Street and National Avenue, there used to be a patch of littered grass and a crooked line of dull gray and faded blue utility boxes. The corner of 37th Street and Pierce Street was barren except for a bulletin board and a stop sign.
After a project three years in the making, new public art installations have been unveiled at the two locations in Silver City.
The unveiling, celebrated with a community party on Thursday, marked the completion of a collaborative project between Layton Boulevard West Neighbors (LBWN) and the Silver City Organizational Committee.
Community members and project leaders decided art was the best way of attracting people to local businesses, slowing down traffic and building neighborhood identity, said Celia Benton, LBWN economic development manager.
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“It’s the whole idea that a picture can say a thousand words,” Benton said. “It’s a great way to reflect neighborhood pride and there’s so much to be proud of.”
Landscape designer Rosheen Styczinski discusses the symbolism of Catherine Lottes’ piece on 35th Street and National Avenue. (Photo by Abby Ng)
Catherine Lottes, the artist who created the new pieces, added, “When somebody gives (an area) a focal point and fixes it up nice and pays attention to it, it changes people’s perspective.”
After an extensive search and interview process, Lottes and landscape designer Rosheen Styczinski were chosen to work together.
“We wanted to have a team that could be sensitive and competent in dealing with the myriad of opportunities and amenities we have in the neighborhood,” Benton said.
Most importantly, LBWN and Silver City Organizational Committee wanted the community to be involved in creating the art, and they trusted Lottes and Styczinski to embrace that.
Lottes and Styczinski spent months planning and doing research. They interviewed approximately a dozen people to help them create pieces that accurately represented the values and history of Silver City. They reached out to historians, students at the Menomonee Valley Urban Ecology Center, and members of the Latino and Hmong communities.
“I think the community appreciates being asked,” Styczinski said. “It shows that we care enough to ask.”
Lottes has been a Silver City resident for 29 years, and she was able to use her own experiences cycling around the Menomonee Valley in her artwork.
Benton said she is happy the groups found a local artist and that the community was involved.
“We are a really vibrant, smart community here in Silver City, and people just work together incredibly well and that was definitely reflected in this project,” she said.
Sponsors of the $40,000 project were the Wisconsin Arts Board, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Zilber Family Foundation, City of Milwaukee Arts Board and the Neighborhood Improvement Development Corp (NIDC).
Both artworks are concentric mosaic and stained glass circles, layered three-dimensionally to appear like a “portal.” The design represents how “Silver City is an entry neighborhood to new cultures,” said Styczinski.
The “portal” on 35th Street and National Avenue displays the history and culture of the neighborhood, Lottes said. It features images of Falk Brewery and chariot races, and uses Silver City’s colors — purple, gold and red. Silver dollars are also prominent, representing the area’s namesake.
Lottes said she wanted to make the artwork symbolic, but easy enough for everyone to understand.
Next to the piece on National Avenue are chairs repurposed from old cement sewer pipes, designed as sitting space at the bus stop.
“I like to see art integrated into functional elements of something,” Styczinski said.
The “portal” on 37th and Pierce streets is made out of recycled drain pipe and glass depicting a waterfall and sun. Depending on the time of day, the piece catches and reflects light differently. With its location near the Hank Aaron State Trail, the Menomonee Valley Urban Ecology Center and Escuela Verde, it represents how Pierce street is an “eco-hub community,” Benton said.
Alejandra Gonzalez, a Silver City resident at the unveiling, said the piece on 37th Street is her favorite of the two.
“It’s a beautiful piece of art,” she said. “I think it’s wonderful for the neighborhood.”
Gonzalez added that she hopes to see more art filling empty spaces in her community.
While there are no immediate plans for more art installations in Silver City, Lottes and Styczinski said they would like to expand their work in the future, using an augmented reality app, which would allow people to scan pieces of their artwork to link to information about the area’s amenities and history. The sewer pipe chairs also could be placed in additional locations around the neighborhood.
Ultimately, Lottes said she wants her art to pique people’s curiosity in Silver City’s history and the neighborhood itself.
“I hope people take the time to actually go and look and admire each of these pieces,” Benton added. “I really hope it helps people pause and not just embrace the art installations, but be aware of what’s around them, of all the awesome things happening.”

author: Abby Ng


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United Way hiring seasonal pledge processing specialist | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County
July 2, 2018
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County
2018 Community Campaign
Seasonal Pledge Processing Specialist
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County is seeking a Seasonal Pledge Processing Specialist to assist staff in all areas of processing gifts and providing donor and agency customer service during United Way’s annual fundraising campaign months of late August through December. PLEASE NOTE: This is a seasonal, part-time position which begins in late August and continues into December, 2018.
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Duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:
Pledge Processing:
Customer Service:
Skills — effective Seasonal Pledge Processing Specialists consistently demonstrate:
Requirements:
TO APPLY:
For further job criteria and complete details, click on: https://www.milwaukeejobs.com/j/26024882. Candidates meeting or exceeding job requirements are asked to apply directly at this web address.
United Way is an Equal Opportunity Employer
M/F/Disability/Vet


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Fifth summer of We Got This focuses on reading, jobs | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
July 3, 2018
Kavayah Lashay (center) talks to Stephanie Morris (left) as Turyah Harrison and Kaliyah Johnson (right) browse through books in the We Got This garden. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Sue O’Keefe read several pages aloud from “Mrs. Toggle’s Beautiful Blue Shoe,” which Neveah Harris had chosen from several boxes of donated books in the “We Got This” garden. Then the retired Milwaukee Public Schools teacher offered Neveah a turn to read about the teacher who lost her shoe playing kickball.
“Since I retired, that‘s the one thing I miss …  the kids,” said O’Keefe, who taught at Auer Avenue School and Rogers Street Academy. “I’ve always loved to read and I’ve always loved to read out loud,” she said. So when We Got This founder Andre Lee Ellis put out a call on Facebook for volunteers to read to children in the garden at 9th and Ring streets, O’Keefe signed up.
Ellis officially kicked off the fifth summer of his youth mentoring and employment program on Saturday, June 15.  As he has every year since he started the We Got This program for black boys and young men, Ellis is brimming with plans and ideas for expanding the skills and life lessons he offers participants. This summer, “Wednesday Reading in the Garden” is an expansion on last year’s Little Free Library installation, where Ellis offered donated books to anyone who wanted to take one.
Ellis plans to plant a fruit orchard and create another gathering place across the street from the garden in a vacant lot acquired from the city last year. That project moved forward in mid-June when Century Fence Company donated and installed a fence around the lot. Ellis also is expanding his efforts to prepare the young men for employment. He is looking for experts in several fields and inviting employers to hire older youth who participate in the program.
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Retired MPS teacher Sue O’Keefe reads with Neveah Harris. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
“When they can read they will succeed,” said Ellis of his focus on literacy. He is inviting people of all ages to the garden from 5-7 p.m. every Wednesday, rain or shine. They can read on their own or read to others, and choose books to take home. Ellis said he welcomes book donations.
At the first Wednesday Reading in the Garden, four adults, including Ellis, and a gaggle of about 10 neighborhood children showed up. Lavita Booker relaxed in a lawn chair with a book, savoring the slow pace and warm weather of the early summer evening. Stephanie Morris, chatted with the children, mostly girls, at a picnic table where they were looking through books.
Ellis took a call from a city worker arranging a visit to the garden by a professional arborist who wants to give back to the community by teaching the boys and young men about his occupation.  “I want to develop some arborists,” Ellis said. “There’s a lot of trees in the ‘hood that need surgery or need to be chopped down.”
Having long hoped to teach culinary skills the young men can use to get jobs, Ellis is taking steps to install barbeque equipment in the garden this summer. “I would love to … offer classes where professional chefs came in and cooked in the garden and we could do our own cooking show live on Facebook,” he said.
Ellis is continuing to teach the young men, many of whom do not have fathers in their lives, about grooming, formal attire and social skills including communication. “We’re going to offer everything from financial literacy to reading, to personal development,” he said.
The We Got This employment program, in which participants are paid $20 for four hours’ work from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, remains popular. The participants from previous summers were anxious to get started this year and began showing up on Saturday mornings several weeks before the official beginning, Ellis said.
Brothers Nate and Roshaun Collins started with We Got This when the program began in summer 2014. Though they live across town in the Metcalfe Park neighborhood, they have relatives near 9th and Ring, where they can stay over.
“Me and my brother come during the week and make sure the garden is clean and ready for Saturday,” said Roshaun, 16, who will be a junior at James Madison High School this fall.
Ellis has been “like a father figure” since Roshaun started coming to the garden at the recommendation of a friend, he said. “I gained a lot of knowledge that I believe I won’t be able to learn in school  — a lot of hands on skills and a lot of social skills … that will help me down the line,” he added.
Nate, 18 and a recent Madison High School graduate, said We Got This is “a motivational and inspirational program, where kids learn valuable skills, have a mentor, (and learn) how to be gentlemen for our future wives and for when we start dating.”
Ellis noted that the Collins brothers have been hired through Employ Milwaukee to work in the garden every day this summer.
Omarion Outlaw, 15, who will be a sophomore at North Division High School in the fall, is starting his first job outside the garden, at Culver’s on Capitol Drive. When he was 11, he wandered into the garden, and when Ellis asked him if he wanted to participate, he said “yes, to keep me out of trouble.” He said that in addition to earning money to buy clothes and video games, Ellis taught him how “how to plant stuff and how to get jobs.”
Ellis said he remains committed to “doing things that will strengthen the youth in the community, because that’s truly the tomorrow that we should be building.“

author: Andrea Waxman


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 2, 2018


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How to volunteer in July | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Martha Cannon, Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee
July 3, 2018
River Revitalization volunteers help protect land and water resources along Milwaukee’s rivers. (Courtesy of River Revitalization Foundation)
Summer is an ideal time to volunteer! Volunteer Milwaukee, a service of the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee, features a calendar full of events, both one-time and ongoing including a Youth Summer of Service flyer. Here are a few opportunities in July and beyond.
Kids Matter needs you to become a voice for children in foster care. Advocate for the best interests of a child to ensure the child has a safe, nurturing permanent home.  Summer training involves 5 required classes evenings and Saturday; July 11, 18, 21, 25 and 30.
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Contact Lance Jones at lance.jones@kidsmatterinc.org or (414) 344-1220.
Join Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers Environmental Health Department by pulling weeds and removing invasive species with hand tools at Pulaski Park Monday, July 9; 6-7:30 p.m. Sign up here.
Contact Kate Jaeger at kate.jaeger@sschc.org or 414-897-5184.
Help children make slime from scratch as they learn about its scientific properties at Milwaukee Public Library’s Villard Square branch on Tuesday, July 17; 1:15-4:00 pm. Apply by July 12.
Online Volunteer Application for volunteers 18+ years of age
Paper Volunteer Application for volunteers under 18 years of age
Contact Danielle Wrobleski at dmwrobl@milwaukee.gov or 414-286-3000.
Assist in sports and activities and ensure the safety of each camper at sports camp for youth with vision loss served by Vision Forward Association July 23-25; 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at Marquette University, Straz Tower (Rec Plex).  Apply here.
Contact Kelly Lynch at klynch@vision-forward.org or 414-615-0161.
Receive orders, pack bags and distribute food to families at food pantry for United Methodist Children’s Services; commit to one 2 hour weekday shift a month.
Contact Tara Monnink at tara.monnink@umcs-wi.org or 414-344-1818.
Remove invasive species, establish native plants and trees, maintain trails and collect seeds around Milwaukee’s river basin for River Revitalization Foundation; Monday and Friday afternoons and Saturdays.
Contact Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@riverrevitalizationfoundation.org at or 414-271-8000.
Sort fresh produce donated from grocery stores and farmers for Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin; mostly weekdays, 9 a.m.-noon or 1-4 p.m. Groups and individuals welcome. Sign up here.
Contact Kim Cafcules at kcafcules@feedingamericawi.org or 414-831-6333.
Direct cars into parking spots, help with admissions and assist guests into show grounds and seating area for Milwaukee Air and Water Show July 21 and 22 for VISIT Milwaukee. Sign up here.
Contact Tony Snell at TSnell@milwaukee.org or 414-287-4243.


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River Basin Steward- FORB | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 3, 2018


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Happy Fourth of July! | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
July 4, 2018
Fireworks delight community members in Mitchell Park. (Photo by Adam Carr)
The staff of Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service wishes you a happy and safe Independence Day.

author: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 3, 2018


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Officials ramp up awareness campaign after two suspected synthetic marijuana-related deaths | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
July 5, 2018
Synthetic cannabinoids have been responsible for two recent deaths in the Milwaukee area. (Photo courtesy of DEA)
Sal Conroy, 26, learned the hard way about how dangerous K2, a synthetic cannabinoid, can be.
“I started getting sharp stomach pains and had them for about a month before I finally went to the doctor,” Conroy said.
After days of tests and not being able to eat, he said, doctors diagnosed him with gastrointestinal problems related to K2 use. Conroy, who took medication for his ailment and never used K2 again, said he he had no clue that the man-made drug, which can produce a high similar to that of marijuana use but can also cause paranoia, hallucinations and other intense effects, could do that much damage.
It can also cause death, according to  Attorney General Brad Schimel, who held a press conference Tuesday warning the public about two recent synthetic marijuana-related deaths in the Milwaukee area. “Evidence at the scene and the nature of the injuries displayed by the individuals [show] that there’s a strong chance that the individuals died partly as a result of consuming synthetic cannabinoids,” Schimel said, before issuing warnings about two types in particular, K2 and Spice.
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According to data from the county Medical Examiner’s Office, a synthetic cannabinoid-related death also occurred on Milwaukee’s North Side in January. There also have been dozens of hospitalizations for severe bleeding linked to K2 use in recent weeks, including 17 that occurred between June 20 and June 25, according to an alert from the Milwaukee Health Department (MHD).
Attorney General Brad Schimel is warning about the dangers of Spice, a synthetic cannabinoid. (Photo courtesy of DEA)
Angela Hagy, director of disease control and environmental health at MHD, said the bleeding is occurring because K2 being sold in Milwaukee contains brodifacoum, a rat poison.
“Brodifacoum is a super anticoagulant which prevents your blood from clotting. This is why it’s important to seek medical attention right away,” wrote Hagy in an email to NNS.
Warning signs include severe bleeding, unexplained bruising, rapid heart rate, vomiting, hallucinations, and agitation or confusion. If you are a synthetic cannabinoid user and experience any of those symptoms, you should call 911 or have someone drive you to the hospital immediately, she said.
MHD has been alerting the public through social media and has also created a page on its website with information about the dangers of using synthetic marijuana, which can be illegally purchased at gas stations, convenience stores, smoke shops or online, she added. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services also created a web page with information on synthetic cannabinoids.
MHD is working with the Milwaukee Police Department to get synthetic marijuana out of gas stations and convenience stores in the city, according to Hagy. MPD did not respond to an NNS request for comment about what charges retailers who sell K2 or other synthetic cannabinoids face or whether the department is currently investigating cases involving the drug. However, during Schimel’s news conference, MPD Chief Alfonso Morales warned those who sell the drug that if someone dies as a result, they would be held responsible.
Alderman Khalif J. Rainey recently issued a news release warning residents that the products are unpredictable and unsafe.
“K2 is illegal and extremely dangerous,” wrote Rainey, asking parents to speak to their children and neighbors to alert them to the health complications caused by the drug.
Despite the classification of K2 as a cannabinoid, Megan Olson, founder of the pro-marijuana group Legalize Wisconsin, described it as, “evil untested and non-FDA approved,” and said that it should be illegal.
“We need that off the streets ASAP,” said Olson. “Cannabis is a safe and great alternative as long as you consume the real thing,” she added.
Conroy said he’s heard about the recent hospitalizations and that users should realize synthetic cannabinoids are unsafe because of warnings on the packaging that they are not for human consumption.
Makers of synthetic cannabinoids label products as “not for human consumption,” to get around laws against creating the products, according to the health department.
“People obviously should know it’s not good for them. Am I surprised that people still use them? No.,” Conroy said.
Schimel hopes that people begin to heed the warnings before more deaths occur.
“There’s no way to characterize these things as safe. We cannot wait until toxicology comes back to be sure. We have to warn people in Southeastern Wisconsin that there is a danger out there.”

author: Edgar Mendez


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 4, 2018


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When HER smoking habit became MY smoking habit | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Teale Greylord
July 5, 2018
From the time I was seven years old, I remember going to medical appointments for chronic bronchitis. For over three years I had an uncontrollable cough. I was prescribed horrible tasting cough syrup and had to take pills every day to manage the ongoing infections in my lungs. I was terrified that I would stop breathing in my sleep, so I never wanted to go to bed. When I would finally pass out from exhaustion, I would wake up coughing. During those moments when I felt like I couldn’t breathe, all I wanted was my mom. I couldn’t control what was happening in my body.
That all changed one day, when the doctor had an honest conversation with my mom about her tobacco use.
“You are hurting your daughter. Your decision to smoke is making her sick. Right now, you are making that choice for her.”
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I don’t remember him using the words second or third hand smoke, but he explained how when she inhaled a lit cigarette, she wasn’t the only one smoking it. I was breathing in the smoke she exhaled. Our home smelled like smoke, even when a cigarette wasn’t burning. Those toxic chemicals were stunting my growth and lung development. I was experiencing the same health problems as chronic smokers.
I didn’t realize at the time the full impact of what was happening. The color drained from my mom’s face. She told me years later of the intense guilt she felt for hurting me. She hadn’t realized until that moment that her smoking habit had become “our” smoking habit.
That was the last day my mom ever smoked a cigarette. I can’t imagine that it was easy for her. But soon my lungs cleared up and the coughing faded away.
I never forgot the memory of that day and the difficulty that my mom faced. Or the strength that she demonstrated by choosing me over her nicotine addiction.
Today is the 8th anniversary of Wisconsin’s indoor smoking ban. A law designed to protect kids like me, from inhaling tobacco smoke from someone else’s cigarette.

author: Teale Greylord


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150955_10152359303740603_203276494_n (1).jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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July 5, 2018


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Center Street residents urged to support small businesses at ‘shop small’ event | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sophie Bolich
July 6, 2018
Business owners and community members socialize over hot dogs, with BID members, MPD officers and Ald. Russell Stamper in attendance. (Photo by Sophie Bollich)
For a two-mile-long block party, Center Street was pretty quiet. Temperatures reaching the upper 90s kept most business owners in the cool confines of their air-conditioned shops while customers single-mindedly conducted business and left. It seemed nobody wanted to linger on the sun-drenched sidewalks, except for a group of about 20 people grilling hot dogs and socializing near the Sherman Park Rising mural, mopping rivers of sweat from their faces.
“I want people to know that Center Street is back on the rise,” said Ald. Russell Stamper, who was among those braving the heat to attend the neighborhood event, Shop Small on Center Street.
Known for its abundance of hair salons, barbershops and convenience stores, the commercial corridor on Center between 32nd and 60th streets has encountered vacant buildings and a high crime rate in recent years, hurting local businesses and the neighborhood.
But BID 39 and city officials are committed to helping businesses flourish and inspiring new owners to open shops on the corridor. The goal of the event was to provide a marketing opportunity for local businesses and to encourage local shopping.
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“Making sure that the dollar stays in the community and supporting the neighborhood is very important,” said BID 39 Executive Director Jennifer Potts. “We have to bring some new life and get people interested.”
Business owner Jesse Reed said that younger generations don’t frequent small businesses as much as their parents and grandparents did. (Photo by Sophie Bolich)
Added Stamper, “We’re trying to promote retail, manufacturing, innovation, technology, all types of small businesses because entrepreneurship is how we’re going to bring back our neighborhoods.”
Though every Business Improvement District in the city suffered budget cuts this year, BID 39 took the hardest hit, facing 40 percent cuts due to low property values, according to Potts. This limited the board’s options for driving business.
This was the first Shop Small event, but the district hosted a speaker series in 2017 with information on business vision, social media usage, marketing and financial literacy to help businesses.
Potts said the event has a lot of support, but she wants to “build some trajectory” for organizing a bigger event next year. Her vision is an annual festival, Center Street Days, with music, vendors and lots of people.
“I want people to realize that there is a value to shopping locally. Because when you support a local, small business, you support a family,” she said.
BID 39’s annual report states that a “negative perception of crime and safety” in the area may deter potential shoppers. To counter that, the district issued packets to each business with safety tips. The Milwaukee Police Department also hosted a safety session for residents in 2017.
“We’re out here letting everybody know that we’re a part of the community as well,” said MPD District 7 Police Captain Willie Murphy. “Something we’re always concerned about is reducing that fear of crime in the neighborhood.”
He added that Shop Small is a good opportunity for business owners to come together, so that they can “look out for the neighborhood and become aware of the young folk in the area, and maybe even reach out to some of them to provide resources.”
Jesse Reed, the owner of Reed’s Furniture and Antiques, 4909 W. Center St., said that business decreased when “the neighborhood changed,” meaning the older residents died or moved away.
“You’ve got a whole new generation and they’re different,” he said. “Everybody now wants to go to the mall. That’s what hurts the street.”
Reed has been an entrepreneur in Milwaukee for more than 65 years. He always adapted to make it through tough times, but said he relies on the success of Shop Small on Center Street now more than ever.
“I’ve been right here for 25 years,” he said. “Any help is a help. I don’t know where we go from here.”

author: Sophie Bolich


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 5, 2018


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Emergency blood shortage: Red Cross issues urgent call for blood donors | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
American Red Cross
July 9, 2018
An emergency blood shortage is prompting the American Red Cross to issue an urgent call for eligible donors of all blood types – especially type O – to give now and help save lives.
The Red Cross escalated its call for blood and platelet donors after a difficult Independence Day week for donations. More than 550 fewer blood drives were organized by businesses and other community groups last week than during a typical week as individuals across the country celebrated the holiday and enjoyed summer activities. This could equate to as many as 15,000 fewer donations than needed, causing donations to now be distributed to hospitals faster than they come in.
“Each and every day, individuals across the country depend on blood and platelet donations for lifesaving treatments and emergency care, so it’s critical that people donate now to meet these needs,” said Laura McGuire, external communications, Red Cross Blood Services. “Whether you’ve never donated or give a couple of times a year, you’re needed to give as soon as possible to help save patient lives. Yours may be the donation a patient is counting on.”
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This need is especially critical for type O blood donors. Type O is the most in-demand blood type and often the first be depleted from hospital shelves during a shortage. Type O negative is the universal blood type and what emergency room personnel reach for when there is no time to determine the blood type of patients in the most serious situations. Type O positive is the most common blood type and can be transfused to Rh-positive patients of any blood type.
To schedule an appointment to donate, use the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). The Red Cross has added about 6,500 additional appointment slots at donation centers and community blood drives across the country over the next few weeks to accommodate more donors. Donation appointments and completion of a RapidPass online health history questionnaire are encouraged to help reduce the time it takes to donate.
Because of generous donors, the Red Cross is able to provide blood products for patients like 9-month-old Krew Anderson. Krew is a happy, laid-back baby boy. His wide grin frames two tiny teeth. He likes to play with balloons and just experienced his first boat ride and fireworks show, but Krew has faced more challenges in the last four months than many people will experience in a lifetime.
In March, Krew was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a type of cancer that causes bone marrow to produce a large number of abnormal blood cells. Since then, he has gone through four rounds of chemotherapy and received 15 blood and platelet transfusions to date.
“The first time he got [a transfusion], I was just super nervous and didn’t know really what was happening,” said his mother, Stephanie Anderson. “Now, when he gets one, I’m like, ‘Yes, please, get him some blood to help him get more energy and back to normal.’”
Krew’s father, Richard Anderson, donated blood a couple of times a year prior to his son’s diagnosis, but after seeing Krew receive blood, he now plans to give as soon as he’s eligible again.
“For me, just knowing that if it happened to me, it can happen to anyone. I want to make sure there’s enough blood out there for everyone, and that there’s no shortage,” he said.
Facing a decline of about 80,000 new Red Cross blood donors each year for the past several years, the Red Cross launched the Missing Types campaign in June to encourage new donors, and those who have not given recently, to donate blood. While the campaign has already inspired thousands of new donors to give, the Red Cross is now calling on all eligible blood and platelet donors to roll up a sleeve as soon as possible to overcome the emergency blood shortage.
Through the Missing Types campaign, which runs throughout the summer, the letters A, B and O – letters used to identify blood types – disappeared from corporate logos, celebrity social media accounts and favorite websites to illustrate the critical role every blood donor plays in ensuring blood is never missing from hospital shelves.
Milwaukee
7/9/2018: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Hillside Resource Center, 1452 N 7th St
7/17/2018: 9:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., US Courthouse, 517 E Wisconsin Ave
7/19/2018: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Schlitz Park Office Building, 1555 N River Center Dr
7/20/2018: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., American Red Cross in Southeast WI, 2600 W Wisconsin Ave
7/31/2018: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Lutheran Chapel of the Cross, 3353 S. Whitnall

author: American Red Cross


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Rapper Coo Coo Cal’s new video ‘a love letter to Milwaukee’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ryeshia Farmer
July 9, 2018
Coo Coo Cal (Screen shot from “Home” by Coo Coo Cal featuring Fee$)
Coo Coo Cal’s music video, called “Home,” showcases a number of Milwaukee’s landmarks. These include the new Milwaukee Bucks Stadium, the Harley Davidson Museum, the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino and the Milwaukee Mall. City of Milwaukee parks, North Division High School and Washington High School, Barack Obama School of Career and Technical Education and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School appear in the video. It also features people in Coo Coo Cal’s personal life, including his lover and three children.
Coo Coo Cal, born Calvin Bellamy, is a rapper most known for the 2001 hit, “My Projects.” Although he lives in Atlanta and has traveled throughout his life, because his father was in the Army, Bellamy considers Milwaukee his home. Both “My Projects” and “Home” portray a positive image of the city.
The video features local businesses such as Ashley’s Bar-B-Que, at 1501 W. Center St., Sherman Park’s Waz’s Pub, Redd’s Snapper Seafoods II, Mr. Perkins Family Restaurant, the Cuz 1 Stop Shop and Tastee Twists ice cream shop, which is famous in Lindsay Heights. Additionally, tree memorials and smiling African-American people demonstrate the communal aspects of Milwaukee.
Signs for Arts@Large, Westlawn Gardens Apartments, Holton Terrace, Atkinson Apartments, Burleigh Street, Roosevelt Drive, Victory Bible and Missionary Baptist churches and a City of Milwaukee Strong Neighborhoods Plan advertisement can be seen as well.
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Ashley’s B-B0-Que is one of the local establishments featured in Coo Coo Cal’s recent video. (Screen shot from “Home”)
“I like that the video showed parts of the city that a lot of people don’t like to showcase,” said Arquailo Mosby, 25, a rapper whose stage name is WoLF.
“I love how he showcased the city in a positive light,” added Tre’Von Barrett-Bays, 22, a Milwaukee rapper with the stage name CAMB. He added that doing so is “very needed considering how much negativity surrounds the city’s name.”
Akbar Furquan, 22, whose stage name is AK Stackz, said that Bellamy’s video “definitely makes me nostalgic of how the city used to be and how things have changed over time.”
Joshua Jenkins, a member of the ADHD rap group, said, “It was nice to see him … take it back to the city that made him. A lot of artists don’t come back and do what he does.” Jenkins, 19, added that he appreciates Bellamy’s positive portrayal of Milwaukee, which he feels is atypical of the city’s narrative.
In the music video, Bellamy addresses challenges that confront the city, rapping about untrustworthy people, the prison system and drug culture in Milwaukee. He also addresses money, greed and soldiers dying overseas. Fee$, the featured vocalist in Bellamy’s single, sings, “I’ve been around the world, and I’m back because something was wrong — ain’t no place like home!”
Bellamy released “Home” and its accompanying video as part of the soundtrack for his upcoming tell-all documentary, “The Rise and Fall: Untold Story of Coo Coo Cal.”
Bellamy has lived in Louisiana, Texas, Germany and Richmond, Virginia. When his father retired from the Army, he taught in UW-Milwaukee’s ROTC program, which brought Bellamy to Milwaukee.
For Bellamy, familiar faces, weekend barbeques and other personal memories make Milwaukee feel like home, according to people who know him. Bellamy declined to be interviewed for this story.
In the documentary, Bellamy discusses his experiences with drug addiction and failing albums. It also is expected to provide insight into his early life and career.
Despite the success of his sophomore album, Bellamy’s position at the top of U.S. music charts and his notoriety following the release of “My Projects,” the collapse of Tommy Boy Records contributed to his inability to sell more mainstream albums and release high-performing singles, according to his website. Tommy Boy Records, the company through which he released his second album, went under around the time of the album’s release.
Despite Bellamy’s challenges, he is still viewed as a force in Milwaukee’s rap culture. “Coo Coo Cal definitely left an indelible impact on Milwaukee’s music scene,” said Jenkins. “There’s many different styles of hip-hop in the city. His grit and trap rap-like style reverberate throughout the city. He gave people hope,” he added.
Furquan said Bellamy is “respected for what he’s done and also remembered as an example of what could happen if you reach success and can’t handle it properly.”

author: Ryeshia Farmer


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 8, 2018


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Website of 191 Milwaukee neighborhoods complete | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rick Petrie, Urban Anthropology Inc
July 9, 2018
Gathering by the Waters celebration at Kosciuszko Park. (Photo courtesy of Urban Anthropology Inc.)
For the past 20 years, over 100 volunteer anthropologists and anthropology interns have been collecting oral histories of Milwaukee neighborhoods. To date, studies on 104 neighborhoods have been completed or are in progress. The oral histories include historical information on population migrations, institutions, leaders, and leisure time activities. During the past three years, Urban Anthropology Inc. (UrbAn) has included these studies in a website entitled “191 Milwaukee neighborhoods.” The web address is http://neighborhoodsinmilwaukee.org/index.html.
Incorporating work from others
The website includes the following information on all 191 neighborhoods: neighborhood description, brief population-centered history, residents of the past (at times celebrities), business corridors of previous eras, interesting neighborhood features, current population demographics, recurring nearby outings (current), oral history quotes (where available), current photos, and a section inviting residents to contribute their own past photos. The neighborhood documents are currently being redesigned, geographic section by section, by an UrbAn volunteer artist.
Gallun Tannery Apartments in the East Village neighborhood
The volunteers would not have been able to produce a website as comprehensive as this without the past work of historians in Milwaukee. They relied extensively on the valuable works of John Gurda and Carl Baehr.
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Usefulness guided the effort
The volunteers wanted the website to be useful to local residents. The information was designed to be relevant to permanent neighborhood residents who wanted to learn a little more about where they lived as well as for people looking to change addresses who were seeking a good fit for their families or friends. The website content focuses on neighborhood assets such as family-oriented activities in or near each neighborhood, photos of key institutions and backstreet areas, the price of housing, and residents’ assessment of their areas.
The website also encourages Milwaukeeans to contribute old photos and additional information, or correct anything they find in error.
Future work of Urban Anthropology Inc.
The volunteer anthropologists at the organization are currently working on developing mini museums in a host of Milwaukee neighborhoods. Mystery writer Sienna Jacks (and former UrbAn anthropology volunteer) is currently engaged in writing a series of novels that take place in Milwaukee neighborhoods. She will be donating most of her royalties to the museum projects (Jacks has previously published the Tall House Series of mysteries). Currently, UrbAn volunteers are working with local residents and business leaders to ascertain the kind of museums that fit their areas. Neighborhoods currently under consideration for mini museums include Lincoln Village, Bronzeville, Sherman Park, Walker’s Point, Brady Street, and Granville.
The volunteers at Urban Anthropology Inc. are also looking to develop a website on 65 Milwaukee ethnic groups. Between 2000 and 2012, the volunteers conducted studies on each of these ethnic groups and have published books based on the studies (e.g., Strolling through Milwaukee’s Ethnic History, American Ethnic Practices in the Twenty-First Century: The Milwaukee study). The research data and other information will be incorporated into the new website, scheduled for launch in 2019/2020.
On May 4 of 2019, Urban Anthropology will celebrate its 20-year anniversary with ethnic foods and community awards. The organization conducts only one fundraiser every ten years, and this is its second. The event will take place at the Urban Ecology Center Riverside Park branch.
For more information on UrbAn and our projects and programs please visit our organizational website at: urban-anthropology.org
(Photos courtesy of Urban Anthropology Inc.)
Top photo: Gallun Tannery Apartments in the East Village neighborhood
Bottom photo: Gathering by the Waters celebration at Kosciuszko Park

author: Rick Petrie, Urban Anthropology Inc


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 9, 2018


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Cesar Chavez Drive 2018 Artist in Residence request for qualifications | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative
July 10, 2018
Eric Ledesma, Cesar Chavez Drive 2017 Artist in Residence, paints his mural on Mineral St. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Cesar E. Chavez Drive is the heart of Wisconsin’s Latino community. The Farm Project is a partnership between the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative (CSNI) and the Cesar Chavez Drive Business Improvement District (BID) to seed arts, culture, and small business in the Clarke Square neighborhood. The Farm Project objective is to cultivate Chavez Drive as a destination for both cultural and economic investment.
Chavez Drive is one of the city’s few major arterial streets that is well connected to many different neighborhoods (The Menomonee Valley, Walker Square, Clarke Square, Muskego Way). Historically, it is the epicenter for Latino business and residents to access ethnic food, music and merchandise. Chavez Drive is at the center of the State’s densest zip code 53204 with almost ten thousand residents within a ten-block radius.
The Farm Project has implemented several successful projects, from the installation of a significant public art piece in the shape of a six-foot bronze Cesar E. Chavez Sculpture (at 916 S. Chavez Drive) to the successful planning and implementation of special events such as Ciclovía MKE.
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PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Farm Project is excited to build connections between the Milwaukee arts community and Cesar Chavez Drive, by providing an artist studio space that is open to neighborhood residents and business owners to interact with an artist, and watch the evolution of each piece of work being completed firsthand.
We are seeking an artist-in-residence to work in the Cesar Chavez Drive corridor from August 1 – December 31, 2018. The artist will have time to develop their own arts practice during the program, as well as to collaborate with neighborhood residents on the creation of at least one art piece that will likely be installed along the corridor.
ARTIST SELECTION PROCESS AND TIMELINE
All RFQ submissions will be reviewed by neighborhood stakeholders and up to three artists will be chosen to move forward in the process.
PAYMENT
Any finalists not selected will receive of a stipend of $75 for completion of their proposal. The selected artist will receive a monthly stipend of $2,000 (over five months) as long as all contractual deadlines and deliverables are met. A materials budget will also be available. Payment will come from CSNI and will be made in monthly installments. A stipend for initial supplies/materials is available upon contract execution.
SCOPE OF WORK
The selected artist will be expected to be in residence from August 1 through December 31, 2018; and to:
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Submit qualifications in one package, by e-mail (by midnight) or in person (by 5 pm) on July 25th to:
Ian Bautista
Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative 2110 W. Scott St.
Milwaukee, WI 53204
Or via e-mail: ian@clarkesquare.org
Qualifications package must include:

author: Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 10, 2018


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IMPACT and United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County partner with Lyft to fill gaps in transportation for eligible riders | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
IMPACT, Inc
July 10, 2018
IMPACT, Inc., the designated provider of 2-1-1 services in Southeastern Wisconsin,
and United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, are partnering with Lyft to provide limited free rides to eligible residents who meet specific criteria such as low-income individuals seeking transportation to job interviews or medical appointments; and veterans seeking resources as they transition back to civilian life.
2-1-1 is a free, confidential information and referral helpline that connects people to essential services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by phone, text and on the web. Last year, the 2-1-1 network received more than 250,000 transportation requests nationwide, and 20 percent of those could not be met with existing resources. United Way is the largest funder of the 2-1-1 system.
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“IMPACT’s 2-1-1 community resource specialists talk to people with acute transportation needs every single day,” says IMPACT President & CEO, John Hyatt. “No one wants to cancel a doctor’s appointment or job interview due to lack of transportation. We are excited by the opportunity to coordinate free Lyft rides for clients of several community programs for which transportation is an issue.”
The partnership is an extension of Lyft’s Relief Rides program that provides transportation to people in crisis. The company recently committed $1.5 million over the next year for a 12-city pilot initiative and is giving each city the freedom to allocate 175 rides per month based on the needs of each local community through November.
In Milwaukee, a process has been established in which pre-authorized clinics, shelters and organizations will submit ride requests on behalf of eligible clients. Riders must not have access to their own personal transportation, nor qualify for other subsidized or free transportation services.
“Not only are rides to medical appointments, job interviews and veterans’ services some of the most frequent transportation requests of 2-1-1, but they also strongly align with ongoing work to bring communities together and help individuals maintain personal stability,” says Nicole Angresano, Vice President of Community Impact at United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County. “Lyft’s Relief Rides partnership removes a barrier which enables individuals to be healthy and productive.”
In addition to Milwaukee, free rides will be offered to qualifying individuals in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Cleveland, Denver, Houston, Nashville, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Diego, and San Francisco. Following the program’s success in these markets, Lyft and United Way will look to expand the program into more cities across the country.
“United Way is a worldwide leader in addressing the complex challenges faced by vulnerable communities,” says Lyft President John Zimmer. “Their dedication and ability to reach thousands of individuals in need through 2-1-1 makes them an ideal partner for Lyft Relief Rides. We appreciate the opportunity to join forces and expand our collective impact in local communities across the country.”

author: IMPACT, Inc


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Common Council approves historic settlement with ACLU to end unconstitutional stops and frisks | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
ACLU of Wisconsin
July 10, 2018
Charles Collins (Photo courtesy of ACLU of Wisconsin)
Today the Common Council of the city of Milwaukee voted to approve a settlement of a federal lawsuit brought against the city by a group of Black and Latinx Milwaukee residents, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Wisconsin, and the law firm of Covington & Burling LLP. Collins v. City of Milwaukee challenged the Milwaukee Police Department’s vast and unconstitutional stop-and-frisk program. Over the past decade, stop records fail to show that officers had reasonable suspicion, as required by the U.S. Constitution, for hundreds of thousands of pedestrian and traffic stops conducted by the Milwaukee Police Department. In addition, those stops targeted Black and Latinx people at much higher rates than they targeted white people, suggesting racial and ethnic profiling citywide.
For the agreement to become final, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett must sign the resolutions the council passed, and then the city attorney must sign the agreement itself. The agreement will then be filed with the court for its approval.  The agreement would require the Milwaukee Police Department and Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission to end unlawful stops and frisks; institute new and enhanced data collection policies, training, supervision, and corrective measures; and foster accountability to the public for implementing law enforcement reforms.
“I was stopped by Milwaukee police and treated like a suspect when I wasn’t doing anything wrong,” said Charles Collins, lead plaintiff in the lawsuit and a resident of Milwaukee for more than 50 years. “This agreement gives me hope that the police will change the way they treat me and that I will be able to leave my home and be free of suspicion.”
The agreement would require the Milwaukee Police Department and Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission to:
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“When police stop people on the basis of race or ethnicity, it doesn’t help solve crime and instead harms the communities the police are sworn to protect. Today’s agreement would guide Milwaukee police away from bias-driven stop and frisk practices that are increasingly discredited nationwide and move the department toward evidence-based policing,” said Nusrat Choudhury, senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Racial Justice Program. “The Milwaukee Police Department—like every other police force in the country—must protect and serve everyone, regardless of race and ethnicity.”
Traffic and pedestrian stop rates in Milwaukee are more than six times higher for Black people than for white people. This disparity was found after controlling for crime rates and other factors that can influence stop rates. Searches of Black and Latinx drivers are more than 20 percent less likely to lead to the discovery of drugs than searches of white drivers.
“The Milwaukee Police Department’s work must be guided by evidence and the rule of law, not by the color of someone’s skin,” said Karyn Rotker, senior staff attorney with the ACLU of Wisconsin. “Under the agreement, the department would take specific steps to ensure that officers have reasonable suspicion as required by the Fourth Amendment when they conduct stops and frisks. The agreement’s measures would also guard against the unfair treatment of Black and Latinx people prohibited by the Fourteenth Amendment.”
Between 2010 and 2017, the Milwaukee Police Department conducted more than 350,000 pedestrian and traffic stops for which they have no record of reasonable suspicion of criminal activity or a traffic or vehicle equipment violation, as required by the Fourth Amendment.
Said Jason Williamson, deputy director of the ACLU’s Criminal Law Reform Project, “With this historic agreement, the city of Milwaukee would make a commitment to its people to break the pattern of baseless, unlawful police stops and frisks and racial and ethnic profiling. We hope this sends a message to other cities about the need to advance fairness and equal treatment in policing.”
“In this agreement, the city would agree to rigorous monitoring of officers’ stops and frisks by an independent entity that will publish its findings for the public,” said Chris Ott, executive director of the ACLU of Wisconsin. “That’s crucial for the success of the reforms. Milwaukeeans must have a neutral accounting of the department’s progress. And the department itself needs an accurate picture of what’s working and what isn’t in order to improve.”
Said Shanya Dingle of Covington & Burling, “This agreement would require the city to safeguard the constitutional rights of Black and Latinx people in Milwaukee. It represents a turning point for the Milwaukee Police Department, which will now take meaningful steps to ensure that unlawful stops and frisks become a thing of the past.”
For more information about the lawsuit:
ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/cases/collins-et-al-v-city-milwaukee-et-al
ACLU of Wisconsin: https://www.aclu-wi.org/en/news/milwaukee-police-must-end-their-unconstitutional-stop-and-frisk-practices
For more information about Covington & Burling: https://www.cov.com/

author: ACLU of Wisconsin


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web17-charles-collins-7.2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 10, 2018

author: Adam Carr


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Mke Socks: My opportunity to start a business as a freshman at Pathways High | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Olivia Partenfelder
July 10, 2018
Olivia Partenfelder, a student at Pathways High School, writes about a school project she initiated with three other students to benefit people in homeless shelters.
Mke Socks is a “one-for-one” sock company that strives to better Milwaukee. By purchasing socks from wholesalers and making a profit on the sales, the business can buy socks to donate to homeless shelters.
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Mke Socks was founded in 2017 when four Pathways High students found out that socks are the most needed, yet least donated, item to homeless shelters, according to The New York Times. We knew that we wanted to change that, and lucky for us, our school, Pathways High, a project–based charter high school in downtown Milwaukee, was able to help us.
Pathways High partnered with the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center at UW-Milwaukee for our entrepreneurship class. In this class, we learned the steps to create a business using the Business Model Canvas process. We were then asked to create a business model for a business we were interested in. Everyone in the school had to create a business, but we were lucky enough to have met a business mentor at our Student Pitch Event for the community during Wisconsin Startup Week. Our mentor encouraged us to continue working on the concept, and create a real business out of it.  Another Pathways High student who had been learning the Adobe Software Suite in graphic design class designed our business logo and packaging.
We stayed in touch with UW-Milwaukee, which also helped us start and expand our business. We started a GoFundMe page to help with the startup costs, and with the help of our families and community members, we were able to raise enough money to buy and sell socks. The first time we sold the socks was at Milwaukee’s Christmas Market at Denim Park on Dec. 16, and we sold over 100 pairs of socks! We were able to donate the same number to a local homeless shelter and Pathways High community partner Guest House of Milwaukee.
The next time, we sold at our school’s mid-year exposition night, where we got to show off what we had done throughout the first semester of the school year. We sold 25 pairs of socks and donated another 25 pairs to the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. We also sold on May 1 at the UW-Milwaukee Innovators Expo. There we were able to talk to UWM students who had, like us, participated in “the UWM Student Startup Challenge.” This challenge was a super cool experience for us high schoolers to participate in, as we learned a lot and got to meet some innovative and interesting people. We were the only high school students participating! At the Innovators Expo we were able to see what all the other students had come up with. There were so many good ideas and it was amazing to see all of the businesses that the other young minds had invented. Plus, we were able to sell, so we could get more socks to donate!
Since the beginning of the school year, we learned so much with this business. I personally have learned how to manage my time, money and ideas better. I’ve learned numerous tactics to run a successful business, including how to talk to people as I market MKE Socks. I am 14 and have already learned extremely useful life skills.
With Mke Socks we are able to say that while we are in high school, we have created a successful startup. All in all, this year, and especially this business, has been an amazing experience. I’ve learned so much, met so many people and done so many cool things, all while still in high school and being a normal teenager.
If you want to  learn more about our business or purchase Mke Socks, follow us on Facebook @ mkesockss), Instagram @ mkesocks) or email us at mkesocks@gmail.com.

author: Olivia Partenfelder


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On the Block: Responding to God’s call | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ryeshia Farmer
July 10, 2018
Arlene McLaurin was at Rise & Grind in Harambee, preparing for a job interview and intermittently dancing in celebration of her good health. McLaurin prides herself on her family’s legacy of higher education; she holds three bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree in Education and Leadership Policy. Each of her two children attend one of her alma maters: North Division High School and Marquette University.


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Family seeks help finding missing Glendale teenager | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
James Madlom, Mueller Communications
July 10, 2018
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author: James Madlom, Mueller Communications


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Vliet Street business owners, community members encouraged by economic development | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jenny Whidden
July 10, 2018
Construction workers renovate the exterior of Pete’s Pops, which is set to open Aug. 11th. (Photo by Jenny Whidden)
Eighty-five years ago, there were seven grocery stores, three bakeries and two meat shops on the Martin Drive neighborhood’s portion of Vliet Street. Today, there are none.
However, resident Pat Mueller sees an upward trend on Vliet, and she hopes the street will return to its former role as a bustling business corridor.
“To me, commercial districts are the gateways to a neighborhood,” Mueller said. “Improving those gateways are important to improving the health of the whole neighborhood and the perception people have of it.”
Mueller got involved in the revitalization of Vliet 15 years ago, when she bought a building with a commercial first floor. From there, Mueller said it became an obsession for her. She is now the treasurer and community liaison on the West Vliet Street Board, and she owns various properties up and down the street.
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Two years ago, Mueller discovered $20,000 of funding that the Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC) was offering for Vliet Street businesses. She met with representatives of businesses and organizations on Vliet to figure out how to best use the funds.
Though Mueller said it was not a lot of money, the funding kickstarted conversations about how the businesses could make improvements that helped the perception of the street.
PWD Computers moved to Vliet Street in January 2016. Owner Antwon Perkins made several renovations to the exterior of the building. (Photo by Jenny Whidden)
Improvements since then include Colorwheel Painting’s awning, and facade work at PWD Computers and the Hmong American Friendship Association.
Mueller stressed that even little things demonstrate progress and create momentum toward positive change.
“In a little over a year’s time, things changed quite significantly,” Mueller said. “We have a challenge with perception, and that perception is really starting to change. Things like a sign that says Colorwheel Painting or PWD Computers — that’s a huge change in perception because you can ride down the street and see that there are businesses here.”
Mueller added that another challenge businesses face is the “missing teeth” on Vliet that are residential or municipal and are not going to bring people to the street.
“The average resident or the average customer doesn’t realize how hard it is for a small business to survive,” Mueller said.
Opening up a business can be a very scary process, Mueller said, but the City of Milwaukee has begun to provide more aid for storeowners.
“The first indication of that is there are a number of brown bag lunches where they talk about the permitting process, or the different code processes,” Mueller said. “They’re trying to work more with people.”
Presented by the mayor’s office, the Department of Neighborhood Services, the Department of City Development and LISC, the “Lunch & Learn” summer series offers one session a month through October. The series covers topics such as zoning, occupancy permits and the city building code.
Business owner Antwon Perkins moved PWD Computers to Vliet Street in early 2016, when he did a complete revamp on the exterior of the building.
“From my research, it seemed to be somewhat of a diverse area, and I was looking to expand my business and client base,” Perkins said.
Perkins said he feels safe in the area, and developments at Harley Davidson and the Bucks Arena makes him feel that it is an up-and-coming area.
Looking forward, Perkins said he would most like to see a public market and small restaurants on Vliet, as those businesses would attract traffic and an even more diverse group of people for his business.
While Mueller said she is excited by the progress on Vliet, her largest hope is a grocery store.
“If you live in this neighborhood, and you don’t own a car, and you have lower income, one of the greatest challenges is that there is absolutely nowhere to get food,” she said.
In April 2016, the Near West Side Partners and Community Design Solutions hosted a design charette that produced a vision for a grocery store and public market on Vliet.
The charette, hosted at the University of Milwaukee Wisconsin’s School of Architecture, was a two-day event in which architects, business owners, residents and others gathered to discuss and design potential improvements to commercial corridors on the Near West Side.
“The next steps would be … shopping around for developers and interested parties to see if they have any resources or capital to help with not only the grocery store but also the residential component,” said Keith Stanley, executive director of NWSP. “Something that we found out in our design charette is that we need development to occur that hits more than one box.”
Stanley said NWSP supports a resident-lead Vliet Street organization that surveys the street each month. NWSP also works closely with city departments to ensure that the public spaces on Vliet are well maintained.
The Near West Side Business Improvement District has given grants to several business on Vliet, including Pete’s Pops, PWD Computers and Colorwheel Painting, Stanley added.
“There’s a lot going on on Vliet Street — a lot of hope is on Vliet Street. Some of it is economic, but some of it is really just making sure it’s maintained and making sure it looks better,” Stanley said.
With WaterStone Bank, NWSP has been able to put two new businesses on Vliet, including Pete’s Pops, which won the NWSP Rev-Up MKE small business competition, Stanley said. The popsicle stand business is opening a storefront at 3801 W. Vliet St. with a grand opening date set for Aug. 11.
Pete’s Pops owner Pete Cooney said he chose Vliet Street because it is close to Washington Park and close to the highway. Cooney added that he liked that the street is an east-west corridor and that it is close to residential areas.
“I really got excited about Vliet Street more than any other part of the Near West Side,” Cooney said, adding that he thinks there is a lot of potential on the Near West Side.
“I’m always driving through the Near West Side, and I like the idea of … trying to connect all the different neighborhoods in Milwaukee. If we can help that a little bit, that would be great,” Cooney said.
With positive change behind and ahead of Vliet Street, Mueller said she has more hope for the district than she has had for a long time.
“In my mind you don’t start with the coffee shops. It takes a while,” Mueller said. “You’ve got to build up confidence in the street and confidence in wanting to shop and go there. That confidence starts with ‘How does it look? Is it clean? Are the buildings remodeled?’ And we’re on our way.”

author: Jenny Whidden


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How to protect yourself from West Nile virus | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Janalle Goosby, City of Milwaukee Health Department
July 11, 2018
West Nile virus is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Cases increase in the summer and continue into the fall.
The City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) has confirmed that mosquitos in the county are carrying the West Nile virus.
“A positive mosquito test serves as a reminder to all county residents that it is time to take steps to protect themselves against mosquito bites,” said Angela Hagy, director of Disease Control and Environmental Health at MHD.
Steps you can take to prevent mosquito bites include:
-Staying indoors during times of high mosquito activity, specifically around dusk and dawn
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-Using insect-repellant with DEET, IR 3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus, according to product instructions.
-Mosquito-proofing your home by fixing holes in screens, windows, and doors.
-Preventing mosquitos from breeding by removing stagnant water from areas such as flowerpots, plastic containers, gutters and downspouts. Water in birdbaths and pet dishes should be changed every few days. Swimming pools and outdoor saunas and hot tubs should be cleaned and chlorinated
-Trimming tall grass, weeds, and vines, as mosquitos use these areas to rest during hot daylight hours, and landscaping to prevent water from pooling in low-lying areas.
Most West Nile virus infections in Wisconsin typically occur between June and September, and are transmitted to humans through a mosquito bite. Symptoms of West Nile Virus include fever, rash, headache and joint pain. Not all mosquitos carry the virus, and only 20 percent of individuals bitten by an infected mosquito will develop symptoms. Individuals age 50 and older and those with underlying medical conditions are most vulnerable to the virus. If you experience symptoms of West Nile Virus, contact your medical provider.
For more information, visit milwaukee.gov/westnilevirus.
To find the repellent that’s right for you and your family, visit the Environmental Protection Agency at https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/find-repellent-right-you.


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New mural installation at MPL Mitchell Street Branch kicks off “Our Town” artist residency | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Artists Working in Education
July 11, 2018
(Image courtesy of Artists Working in Education)
Envisioning a unique hub for creative expression and storytelling, Artists Working in Education, Inc. (AWE) in partnership with Milwaukee Public Library announced today a new mural installation in the lower level of the Mitchell Street Branch library.
The mural was designed by the library teen interns with support from the artist-in-residence on the project, Erick Ledesma. The mural project is a digitally designed collaboration to celebrate and honors many of the teen’s identities and life stories. This is the first project of the “Our Town” grant from the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) which funds Gathering Art, Stories and Place, a project housed at the Milwaukee Public Library Mitchell Street Branch.
Ledesma said, “This mural touches on the ideas of personal home, culture and history. The interns were provided prompts that guided and influenced their visual creations. They collectively worked on a composition that best represented how their different stories co-exist.”
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On Friday, July 13, 2018, join Milwaukee Public Library, Artists Working in Education and Ex Fabula for a family-friendly event from 3:00 to 5:00pm for the public mural unveiling, and interactive activities like food sampling, art-making led by AWE’s Truck Studio program, a photo booth and UltraShort booth by Ex Fabula. The Ex Fabula UltraShort booth will be a way to inspire and encourage visitors to share stories about connection; stories can be shared in English or Spanish.
“Milwaukee Public Library is proud to be a partner in this project, which brings an additional level of creativity to one of the most dynamic blocks in our city,” said Milwaukee Public Library Director Paula Kiely. Our Mitchell Street Branch is the perfect site to bring together so many artists and residents to celebrate the energy and diversity of Historic Mitchell Street. We are so excited to showcase and celebrate the richness of our talent right here at home.”
Stay up-to-date on what’s happening with the Gathering Art, Stories and Place project on the Milwaukee Public Library website at www.mpl.org
About Gathering Art, Stories and Place
About Milwaukee Public Library
Milwaukee Public Library is an anchor institution that helps build healthy families and vibrant neighborhoods – the foundation of a strong Milwaukee. Since 1878, Milwaukee Public Library has been a free provider of education and information for residents of Milwaukee and beyond. With 14 locations, and more than three million items in circulation, MPL offers free access to a rich collection of materials both physical and digital, access to technology, classes, exhibitions, programming and more. From toddlers to scholars, MPL serves more than one million patrons who come through its doors annually and many more around the globe who use its resources at www.mpl.org.To offer this wide array of free programming, MPL relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support Milwaukee Public Library at mpl.org/support.

author: Artists Working in Education


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GASP_Mural_MPL.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
July 11, 2018

author: Name *