text:
Next generation of manufacturers will be entrepreneurs, innovators | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
March 14, 2017
Qaiyim El-Amin stands in front of his specialized water-sampling drone. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
As early as third grade, when he built a traffic light with his grandfather for a science fair, Qaiyim El-Amin has been “a tinkerer.” As a child, he would disassemble and reassemble radios, video game systems and other electronics — a practice that infuriated his parents and grandparents.
In 2015, El-Amin, 30, who grew up on the city’s northwest side, built his first drone with the help of fellow innovators. Though that initial model literally crashed and burned, he viewed the failure as a learning experience and worked to perfect the design. Eventually, after many attempts the group created a drone that could collect water samples, complete with a waterproof shell and a specialized pump.
“I’m not scared to try things and fail,” said El-Amin, a co-founder of Young Enterprising Society, an organization that helps expose students, many of whom hail from the central city, to new technologies. “I just always feel like, if somebody else can do it, I can do it too. So, I want to figure out how they did it.”
If you keep trying and don’t give up, he adds, “Eventually, you will figure it out.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
El-Amin is at the forefront of a fundamental shift in manufacturing, according to industry experts. They say entrepreneurship is replacing the old model of company employment and that individuals will need access to education and a change in mindset to take advantage of those opportunities.
People of color and those who live in low-income neighborhoods must be a part of that change, according to Keenan Grenell, executive director of Manufacturing Diversity Institute (MDI), a nonprofit organization whose mission is “to ensure that individuals from underserved communities succeed in manufacturing careers and businesses.”
Kwadwo Owusu-Ofori sits in The Juice Kitchen on North Avenue in Lindsay Heights. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
“We’ve got to have a platform for people in inner-city Milwaukee to be able to surface their ideas,” said Grenell, who is black. “I don’t know of [another] single, solitary place in the city of Milwaukee for people who look like me and people who fit up under the umbrella of underserved to be able to go and surface their manufacturing ideas.”
To that end, MDI, housed at 4201 N. 27th St., has created programs that foster the development of diverse manufacturing businesses, target veterans and connect thought leaders with aspiring entrepreneurs.
“There’s so many talented, frustrated kids of color out here,” added Roy Evans, an attorney who has worked on racial compliance issues for decades. “Racism is always the overriding everything, really.”
According to a 1997 United States Department of Commerce report, the most recent such analysis, Wisconsin was home to 18,347 manufacturing firms, which accounted for about $120 billion in sales. That year, there were only 309 minority manufacturing firms that totaled slightly more than $590 million in sales.
Wisconsin has the worst black-white student achievement gap of any state in the nation, trailing only the District of Columbia.
High-quality education and exposure to different disciplines are essential if children are going to succeed, according to Evans, who said black and brown individuals are “limited by access.” He said exposure creates understanding, and helps young people realize the advantages of following a particular path.
“We need more role models and examples,” he said. “People don’t see examples. If I don’t see me in you, then I don’t think it exists — I don’t think I can exist.”
Kwadwo Owusu-Ofori, founder of Anokye Food Company and a board member at the Center for Teaching Entrepreneurship in Milwaukee, said that despite efforts by the food and beverage manufacturing industry to provide scholarships and opportunities through programs at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), “no kids are signing up for these programs.”
“For some reason, they just can’t get kids into these feeder programs, because manufacturing just [isn’t] cool,” he said.
Others pointed to a lack of access to suburban jobs and negative media representations of people of color as further barriers to connecting individuals with opportunities.
Education is also an issue, according to Dorothy Walkerdean of the MATC School of Technology and Applied Science. Walker, who is a board member of MDI, said manufacturing used to be more about manual labor and “pushing buttons” but has evolved into a field that is more focused on technology and automation, which requires a “higher skill set.”
Grenell added, “What it used to take 100 people to do, [it only takes] two or three now,” noting that young people must embrace coding, which is “the new educational prerequisite.” He said it isn’t impossible for someone with a high school diploma and decades of manufacturing experience to succeed “because they know how to build things,” but stressed the need for lifelong learning.
“I’m not knocking anybody who doesn’t have, you know, a significant amount of education,” said Grenell, who holds a Ph.D. “I’m just saying that I think that the new brand of manufacturing is going to require as much education as humanly possible.”
In a future that will include more and more automation, El-Amin said ingenuity, problem-solving and determination are the qualities that will set people apart from machines.
Owusu-Ofori and El-Amin, both entrepreneurs, said, contrary to many people’s ideas about manufacturing, what they do is a creative pursuit.
According to Owusu-Ofori, a “growth mindset” — always wanting things to be better, and actively working toward that goal — is essential to entrepreneurship. “Once you build those type of skill sets, [they] can be used in anything you want to do in life.”
He added that entrepreneurial skills are “recession-proof.”
In five years, Grenell would like to have “a small army” of diverse manufacturers who have improved their community and created jobs. Grenell gets a twinkle in his eye when he talks about El-Amin and how the future workforce will be made up of individuals like him, with technical skills and a love for creation and innovation.
But, according to El-Amin, the future is already here. That’s why he’s passionate about exposing children to the latest technology — drones, micro-computers, micro-controllers, virtual reality, coding and design — to help them find their interests.
“I want all of them, you know, to be better than I am.”


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 14, 2017

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Adam Carr


text:
On the Block: Bait and switch | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
March 14, 2017
Read more about Larry Hicks at milwaukeestories.org.

author: Jabril Faraj


text:
Asian market provides jobs, gathering place for Hmong community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dean Bibens
March 15, 2017
Asian market General Manager Thai Vang says his store offers a variety of unique products. (Photo by Dean Bibens)
Editor’s note: This article is one of an occasional series profiling the 15 finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs). The Milwaukee Asian Public Market Phongsavan is a finalist for the State Farm Building Blocks Award, which recognizes a real estate project that advances the community.
When siblings Pai Yang and Thai Vang came to the United States from Laos in the 1970s, they dreamed of opening a business and starting a new life in America.
In 2009, Yang founded the Asian Public Market Phongsavan, 6300 N. 76th St., in Havenwoods. Since then, it has expanded to a second location next door and annual sales are in the millions. The market houses restaurants with Asian and American cuisine and sells locally grown produce, Asian apparel and other merchandise pertinent to the Asian culture.
“We knew there was an opportunity in America to do something great and showcase our culture,” said Vang, the general manager. “Creating the market was intended to bring our community together.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Starting the business was tumultuous. The city of Milwaukee wanted to turn the run-down auto shop into a junkyard, but Yang and Vang had a different vision, despite the challenges. “The transmission shop was very dirty so transitioning it to a market was a tedious process,” Vang said. “Without the help of Havenwoods (Economic Development Corp.), the auto shop would not have been usable.”
There also were financial roadblocks. “We talked to lenders and investment groups who said that creating a market that we envisioned was not possible; it was too much money,” Vang said. The lenders estimated that the project would cost between $4-5 million.
Customers shop for fruits and vegetables at the Milwaukee Asian Public Market Phongsavan. (Photo by Dean Bibens)
Nevertheless, Yang and Vang decided to open a small market to prove to lenders that they could sustain a business and generate enough revenue to keep it afloat. “It was a tiny space but people loved everything about it,” Vang said. “The first year we made around $70,000 but the second and third year was where we saw the most growth.”
The market, which serves as a business incubator for entrepreneurs, generated nearly $2 million annually after the first year. In 2014, the owners obtained financing for a new building. “We talked with so many lenders—some in state, some out of state—but Ridgestone Bank came through with the loan and it felt like all of our hard work had finally paid off,” Vang said. The expansion cost $4.2 million.
The 84,000-square-foot building is home to 70 vendors, a food court and a concert area.
One vendor, Mao V. Thao, moved into the new building from the old store, which is still operating. “The new area is so spacious and I think we are attracting more and more people to our stores, and not just Hmong,” said Thao, 52. “The expansion is good for everyone.” About 1,000 patrons visit the market each week.
According to Mailee Yang, Pai Yang’s daughter, her mother deserves much of the credit for the market’s success. “Whether it be Hmong or people of other cultures, my mother has always been well known in the community and people trust her,” Mailee Yang said. “I think this goes for anyone entering a new environment: you always want someone to be there for you and make you feel comfortable.”
She added, “People come here to shop, yes, but a lot of the community comes to connect with each other. The market is a place that everyone loves to be at.”
According to U.S. Census data, approximately 50,000 Hmong live in Wisconsin and 12,000 live in the Milwaukee metro area. The Hmong population in Wisconsin has increased by nearly 200 percent since the civil war in Laos, according to Vang.
The market has created about 100 jobs and has been a catalyst for attracting new people to the area, according to Vang. “If you have a place where people can meet, it ties everything together,” he said. “People are sometimes scared to get out of their comfort zone and misconceptions are formed because of that.”
Vang credits Yang for getting their business to where it is today. “Without Pai, I’m not sure many people would have come around to the idea of this market happening,” he said. “She put in a lot of work and made the people in our community feel welcome.”
Added Plor Yang, another daughter of Pai Yang who has worked at the market for the past seven years, “(My mother) wanted to bring the community together and now I’m helping her do the same; it really is amazing.”
Vang and Yang foresee their children taking over the business one day.
“We want to be here forever,” Vang said. “We started with food carts on the sidewalk and now we’ve got two great facilities where people gather every day.”

author: Dean Bibens


text:
Herb Kohl Foundation announces 2017 academic awards and scholarships | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
March 16, 2017
(Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Public Schools)
More than 200 graduating seniors, 100 teachers and 16 principals have been selected to receive honors and monetary awards this year from the Herb Kohl Foundation. Former U.S. Senator Herb Kohl will be present on April 8 at Greendale High School during a luncheon to recognize recipients of the many academic awards and scholarships granted by his foundation.
MPS teacher honorees this year are Mary Laubenheimer of Wedgewood Park International School and Judith Offenbacher of Audubon Middle School. Principal Jennifer Doucette (pictured above) of James Fenimore Cooper School is one of only three principals honored in the region, which encompasses the far southeastern lakeshore.
Seven MPS students have been selected as recipients in scholarship categories.
Excellence Scholarships
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Initiative Scholarships
Excellence Scholarship recipients demonstrate academic excellence, high motivation, and a broad range of activity and leadership. Initiative Scholarship recipients demonstrate initiative in school and strong promise for success in college and beyond. Winners in each category receive a $5,000 scholarship.
Teacher Fellowship recipients are chosen for leadership, service and a superior ability to inspire a love of learning in students. Leadership Award recipients are principals recognized for setting high standards for instruction, achievement and character, and creating a positive school climate. These honors come with a $3,000 award.
Enhanced opportunities for students to succeed beyond graduation are part of the MPS Eight Big Ideas: Rethink High Schools strategy to promote student achievement.
The Kohl Foundation Scholarship and Fellowship program was established by Herb Kohl, philanthropist and businessman, in 1990. To date the foundation has awarded $11.5 million to Wisconsin educators, principals, students, and schools.
The award ceremony on April 8 will begin with a reception at noon and a luncheon at 12:30 p.m. at Greendale High School, which is located at 6801 Southway, Greendale, WI 53129.

author: Milwaukee Public Schools


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 16, 2017


text:
Milwaukee County provides funds for residents setting up payment plans prior to moratorium end | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services
March 16, 2017
(Photo by Brittany Carloni)
Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele today announced that the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is working with partner agencies across the community to disperse an additional $1 million to qualified Milwaukee County residents who apply for Energy Assistance during the month of March.
“Starting on March 27, We Energies will begin to send disconnection notices for those behind in bill payments,” said DHHS Director Héctor Colón. “For the third consecutive year, we are able to provide additional funding to help our residents in need of some extra support. Customers who are setting up payment plans with We Energies through the end of this month can benefit from proactive crisis assistance, a $300 incentive towards establishing a payment plan.”
This benefit is the only initiative that can replace a customer’s down payment. It will serve those who are setting up payment plans with We Energies, current We Energies customers and eligible applicants to the Energy Assistance program. The benefit is available until all funding has been dispersed. It is expected to be available through March 31, 2017.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“We have currently served more than 46,000 households this year with the Energy Assistance program,” County Executive Chris Abele said. “That’s 4,000 more households than last year at this time. Our goal is to serve over 70,000 households this year – to help them stay warm, keep their lights on and avoid an energy crisis. We are on track to meet, and even exceed this goal.”
To qualify for proactive crisis assistance, customers must have made a minimum of two separate monthly payments since September 1, 2016 and must have a current 2016-17 energy application. This financial incentive aims to assist Milwaukee residents in setting up a payment plan and eliminate the threat of disconnection in summer months. This offer will not be available to oil, propane or heat-included customers.
This year, qualified residents do not need to wait in line to apply. They can schedule an appointment to apply at a time convenient for them any time before May 15, 2017. This year, DHHS wants residents to know:
The Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program, also known as WHEAP is a state program that is administered in Milwaukee County by DHHS. It provides a one-time payment for eligible residents, covering a portion of their energy costs.
For more information about the program and eligibility, visit www.energyassistancemke.org or download the flyer. To schedule an interview, contact Katy Glodosky at 920-627-2619. Onsite interviews with current Energy Assistance Specialists and customers and are available.


text:
Take Root Milwaukee & City of Milwaukee organize Homeownership Fair | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee Department of City Development
March 16, 2017
Each year, the City of Milwaukee and Take Root Milwaukee host an annual Homeownership Fair to encourage home buying in the city and to market City-owned properties and resources. It’s also a chance for residents to learn about loans and grants available to both homebuyers and existing homeowners.
DCD Real Estate/STRONG Neighborhoods and NIDC will once again staff two tables at the event this year. Residents can connect with lenders, realtors, homeownership specialists and neighborhood organizations. Resources for foreclosure prevention will also be available. Workshops (Spanish/English) will be held on home buying (9 a.m. and 11 a.m.) and home rehab (10 a.m.).
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Please plan to visit us on Saturday, March 18, from 8:00 a.m. to noon at The Italian Conference Center, 631 E. Chicago Street. FREE lot parking is available or jump on the bus (near route 15 and the Green Line). View flier in English or in Spanish (En español). Sign up or share the facebook event page.
Until then, continue reading more online about properties for sale, neighborhood events and updates, helpful resources and homeownership opportunities!


text:
Want to borrow a camera to photograph your community? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
March 16, 2017
As part of our mission to tell the stories of Milwaukee’s central city residents, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is seeking community members 18 or older who would like to photograph their lives and neighborhoods. We have four cameras to lend for a two-week period to community organizations for this purpose. Neighborhood group, block clubs, book clubs and other interest group are eligible.
The photographs and short descriptions will be posted in the Neighborhood Lens section of the NNS website. To see how Milwaukeeans have used our cameras to document their community, click on some of the galleries in Neighborhood Lens.
You can apply to borrow the cameras by emailing info@milwaukeenns.org with a few sentences about how you will use the cameras. If you are selected, we’ll arrange to get them to you. A responsible adult will need to sign for them.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!

author: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service


text:
Washington High basketball and chess teams advance to state championships | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
March 16, 2017
(Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Public Schools)
Washington High School of Information Technology is celebrating two teams that will advance to state championships this year – the boys’ basketball team and the chess team.
During the event, players from both teams will be introduced and cheerleaders will perform. Students attending the rally will have a chance to compete in contests that include free throws, half-court shots and skills challenges.
The boys’ basketball team will compete for the Division 2 title at the Kohl Center in Madison on Saturday, March 18. The chess team will travel to UW-Oshkosh to face its challengers on March 18 and 19.
Washington High School is located at 2525 N. Sherman Blvd., Milwaukee, WI 53210.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Competitive athletic and academic teams are part of the MPS Eight Big Ideas: Rethink High Schools strategy to promote student achievement.


text:
Entrepreneur works to develop children’s fashion industry in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Alexandria Bursiek
March 17, 2017
Chloe Allison is president and creative director of Alli C., a children’s wear and accessories business. (Photo by Alexandria Bursiek)
When Chloe Allison was a little girl she had a pair of pink patent leather dress shoes that she loved so much she wanted to sleep in them. Now, Allison wants to create that feeling for other little girls with her children’s wear and accessories business, Alli C.
Allison, a Milwaukee native who attended Alexander Hamilton High School, founded Alli C. in 2011 after working for Kenneth Cole, an American fashion brand. Alli C. offers beanies, blankets and accessories for infants from birth to 24 months. Her clothing is sold at boutiques in Evanston, Illinois, and Washington, D.C. Allison also sells her brand at baby showers and to Milwaukee residents through email. She is currently developing an e-commerce website, which will make it easier for her to sell online.
Allison’s best-selling items are silk-lined beanies and blankets. She got the idea from watching her hair stylist put pieces of silk behind her baby’s head in the car seat. Silk does not soak up lotion or creams that may be on a baby’s skin and does not get tangled in hair.
Allison did not always want to go into fashion; when she was growing up she wanted to be a veterinarian. It wasn’t until her sophomore year of high school that she realized she would be unable to put down a sick animal or work with reptiles. That year she went to a summer fashion program for high school students at the Savannah College of Art and Design. While at SCAD, Allison realized that she was talented at fashion design and had a passion for the work.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Chloe Allison displays her products at the YMCA. (Photo courtesy of Alli C.)
In college she hoped to design bridal wear, but after coming up with the idea for Alli C. she decided to create children’s clothing instead. Allison said she loves working with children so it has been a good fit.
According to Shirah Rachel Apple, spokesperson for the U.S Small Business Administration Wisconsin District Office, entrepreneurs starting a small business have a number of hurdles they have to overcome.
Apple noted that planning helps small business owners grow their businesses more rapidly. “We have seen it time and time again that business who do more planning make more money, hire more people and stay in business longer.”
Apple recommends that small business owners contact a mentor through Milwaukee organizations such as SCORE or the Small Business Development Center run by the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. “It is definitely a challenge for small businesses to get started, but we have a lot of resources to help them,” she said.
Nyerere Davidson, president of Social X, an organization that works to help young professionals thrive in Milwaukee, has mentored Allison. “I think she has a huge vision for her company,” said Davidson. “She has a huge vision for fashion in Milwaukee, especially for children’s fashion.”
Allison runs Alli C. on her own, but said that her family has been helpful in unpacking merchandise and providing emotional support. Her day-to-day activities include calling boutiques, designing new collections, going through inventory and working with sewing contractors in Chicago and Janesville.
She would like to manufacture her products in Milwaukee but said there is not a large enough sewing force locally. Sewing is a “dying art in Milwaukee,” she noted. Allison said that she has been working with the Makers Coalition, whose mission is to build the sewing industry in the U.S. A branch of the group operates in Milwaukee.
Although her business is six years old, Allison said she still considers it to be in the “startup phase.” She observed that it has been a struggle to market her products and get them placed in boutiques; most of her business comes through word of mouth.
Nevertheless, Allison said she is committed to grow the business in the next five years.
According to Davidson, “She knows what she wants; she is very driven and very tenacious.”

author: Alexandria Bursiek


text:
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service named finalist for press club award | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
March 17, 2017
Residents gather in Sherman Park the day after violence broke out in the neighborhood. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Coverage of the unrest in Sherman Park last August by Andrea Waxman, Jabril Faraj and the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service staff has been recognized in the Milwaukee Press Club’s annual Awards for Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism competition. The series of articles was a finalist in the category of “Writing: Best multi-story coverage of a single feature topic or event.” Winners will be announced at the club’s Gridiron Awards Dinner on May 12.
The shooting death of Sylville Smith at the hands of a Milwaukee police officer on Aug. 13 triggered community unrest and focused the nation’s attention on the Sherman Park neighborhood. In the weeks and months after the shooting, NNS reporters came back to Sherman Park again and again, reporting on residents’ concerns about police behavior, segregation, underperforming schools and lack of economic opportunity.

author: Dwayne Burtin


text:
Sherman Park | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
March 17, 2017


text:
Protecting our fresh water | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chris Abele, Milwaukee County Executive
March 17, 2017
Dear friend,
Like many of you, I was concerned when I first heard that President Trump planned to cut funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. That concern turned to shock when I heard that the funding was nearly eliminated altogether – a 97 percent reduction.
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) sprang from the Great Lakes Compact, a regional commitment to protecting our natural resources that was approved by a bipartisan coalition that included all eight Great Lakes states, the U.S. Congress, and President George W. Bush. Long before I was elected county executive I was lucky enough to be involved with the organizations that advanced the research that led to the Great Lakes Compact. Today, both in office and as a citizen, I remain an ardent supporter of and advocate for the protection of our fresh water.
The GLRI has funded millions of dollars in Milwaukee County Parks alone, to include a four-year, $43 million cleanup effort along the Milwaukee River and a $1.4 million investment in waterway improvements at South Shore and other parks.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Since the GLRI began the need for fresh water hasn’t gone down; it’s gone up. One only needs to look to the ongoing water crisis in Flint, Michigan or the freshwater emergency that impacted hundreds of thousands of Ohioans in the Toledo area back in 2014 to know that we must protect the Great Lakes, which hold 20 percent of the entire world’s freshwater.
I strongly oppose the President’s proposed decimation of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
Environmentalists, business owners, and politicians from across the divide have historically been advocates for our freshwater and they are speaking out now as well. Yesterday, Milwaukee Riverkeeper, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, and Gov. Scott Walker all spoke out in favor of restoring Great Lakes funding. And for good reason — the Great Lakes are a spectacular and rare treasure for all of us and we must protect them. Preserving these natural treasures isn’t idealistic or naïve; it’s part of who we are as a country.
I will be writing Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation to ask that they oppose this cut and I urge you to do the same. To find your elected officials visit: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-US/MyElectedOfficials
Sincerely,
Chris Abele

author: Chris Abele, Milwaukee County Executive


text:
Marianne Lubar Scholarship Helps Future Teachers Finish Their Degrees | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Kelly Fay
March 18, 2017
A $1 million gift from Marianne and Sheldon Lubar will allow Alverno College to prepare more future teachers and help them reach graduation. The scholarship is for juniors and seniors majoring in elementary or secondary education, and is awarded to students who not only have financial need, but who are also recognized by the Alverno College School of Education as very strong students with a high aptitude for a career in education. One such student, Sarah Fadness, is a senior who is working with first graders as student teacher at Shepard Hills Elementary in Oak Creek. “I’m honored to receive this scholarship,” said Fadness. “I know the value of an Alverno education, and because of this I’ll be able to turn around and share all I’ve learned with my students. I can’t wait to get in the classroom and start teaching.”
Fadness will graduate in May, along with seven other Marianne Lubar Scholars. The Lubars have been inspired for many years by the real world experience Alverno students get. “I can easily relate to the students who start out as freshmen without the confidence to know how to express themselves,” said Marianne Lubar. “Through their excellent training at Alverno, they emerge as self-assured, assertive women who will be our next generation of leaders in this community. Shel and I are very pleased to be able to help them gain the education they need to achieve.”
Students who become Lubar Scholars are chosen the second semester of their sophomore year, with the scholarship support beginning their junior year and continuing through their graduation. In September 2016, the inaugural group of recipients got the good news. “I feel blessed and fortunate that I was chosen for such a generous scholarship,” said Edna Gonzalez, a senior graduating in May. “I am forever grateful for the Lubars, and what they do for our community.”
Gonzalez, who wants to be a math teacher, is currently student teaching at St. Joan Antida High School in Milwaukee. “This last year, my parents and I were struggling to figure out how we would be able to pay for the next two semesters,” she said. “When I found out I was receiving this scholarship, I felt like three tons came off my shoulders. I was so overjoyed.” Excited to meet her students in the fall, Gonzalez has a message for them, particularly the girls. “I want to be a math teacher because sometimes girls, especially girls of color, think they can’t do math, or that math isn’t exciting. But here I am. I am like them, and math has changed my life.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“Alverno College has an important role to play in assisting our area K-12 schools,” said Patricia Luebke, dean of the Alverno College School of Education. “We have a reputation for developing strong teachers who are classroom-ready. The Marianne Lubar Scholars program is going to help us do even more.”
Alverno College has long been a leader in teacher education. In 2009, then U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan cited Alverno College as a school that does an exemplary job in training and preparing teachers for the classroom. He noted that 85 percent of Alverno graduates are still teaching in the classroom five years after graduation, an extremely high retention rate. The comments came at a speech at Columbia University.
About Alverno College
Alverno College, a four-year independent, Catholic, liberal arts college for women, exists to promote the personal and professional development of its students. The college has earned accolades and respect internationally for its highly effective ability-based, assessment-as-learning approach to education, and has consulted with three U.S. presidential administrations on accountability and outcomes in higher education. For the last seven years, Alverno College has been ranked one of the top five schools in the Midwest doing “the best job of educating undergrads” by U.S. News & World Report. Educators from throughout the world visit Alverno to learn about its proven, student-centered teaching methods.
Alverno offers more than 60 major areas of study, including graduate programs in education, nursing, community psychology and business that are open to women and men. For more information about Alverno, visit www.alverno.edu or call 414-382-6100.

author: Kelly Fay


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
March 17, 2017

author: Name *


text:
Development honoring Welford Sanders’ legacy to open soon | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
March 20, 2017
The Welford Sanders Historic Lofts are being constructed at the current site of the Milwaukee Enterprise Center, 2821 N. 4th St. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
One of the last conversations Welford Sanders had was with Bob Lemke, president of Wisconsin Redevelopment, LLC. They talked about the future of the building that houses the Milwaukee Enterprise Center (MEC), 2821 N. 4th St.
“He was constantly thinking and obsessing about the project,” Lemke said. “It was another part of his long-term vision for the area.”
The original idea was for the building to become the fifth phase of the King Drive Commons, said Lemke, whose organization is working with the Martin Luther King Economic Development Corp. (MLKEDC) on the project. The Commons, a series of mixed-use developments, was championed by Sanders and has served as a catalyst for a number of projects in Harambee.
When Sanders, the longtime leader and public face of MLKEDC died two years ago, the plan was in danger of falling into disarray, according to Lemke. The organization brought in Leo Ries, who’d recently retired from LISC Milwaukee, to take over the project. Two years and various obstacles later, financing on the $21 million deal has been closed and another chapter added to its namesake’s book on resurrecting communities. It has been renamed the Welford Sanders Historic Lofts.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The late Welford Sanders accepted the BMO Harris Bank Cornerstone Award at the 2014 MANDI dinner. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
Renovation of the Milwaukee Enterprise Center, which originally housed the Nunn Bush shoe factory, is well underway, with companion maids maid serviceand 59 affordable housing units to follow the next year. Occupants of the office space include current tenants as well as additional service-providing organizations, including job development and re-entry programs, in addition to entrepreneurs, according to Ries.
“The idea was to continue to include organizations that reduce barriers to unemployment. This building is a neighborhood institution that has helped many in the surrounding community accomplish that already,” Ries said. A fundraising campaign has begun to build a statue of Sanders, which will be placed in the courtyard of the building, he added.
The property, located in Harambee, had changed ownership several times since being purchased by Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) in 1985 and transitioned into a business incubator.
Ben Johnson, president of MLKEDC’s board, worked in the building as a small business developer for MATC shortly after the incubator opened. There he helped entrepreneurs develop business plans and obtain financing, and provided management counseling, he said. Even before the current concept for the building came to fruition, Sanders, who was a long-time instructor at UW-Milwaukee’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning, brought his students there to discuss possibilities for the building, said Johnson.
“Fortunately, the building ended up in our hands and could be used in a way that coincided with MLKEDC’s vision,” Johnson added.
MATC sold the building in 2011 and it switched hands a few more times before it was donated to MLKEDC, which had its first headquarters there.
The building was in poor condition, and getting it on the National Register of Historic Places was necessary to secure federal and state funding to rehab it, Lemke said. Another obstacle was that not all the initial investors were sold on the idea to mix commercial and residential uses and some pulled out, he said.
In the end, the historic tax credits, city grants, funds from investors and low-interest loans from organizations such as the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) were utilized to finance the project.
The development team for the Welford Sanders Historic Lofts poses for a photo on the building’s 4th floor. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
The concept behind the redevelopment came as a result of a 2013 design charette, according to Carolyn Esswein, director of Community Design Solutions at UW-Milwaukee. The charette, which she and Sanders developed, revolved around how to squeeze more out of MEC.
“We wanted to maximize the potential of the unused space while continuing to provide resources for the community. Giving back to the neighborhood was Sanders’ vision throughout his career and this project is another example of it,” Esswein said.
The building will help advance MLKEDC’s focus on quality of life issues in Harambee, according to Ries. It was Sanders who led the group’s effort to transform the area from an example of urban blight to a destination neighborhood featuring networking events such as gallery nights and other amenities.
Creating a space where groups can collaborate, residents can access social services and employees can walk across the hall from home to work is another step in building the type of dynamic environment to which Sanders dedicated his life, Ries said.
Although the building will serve as a fitting tribute and memorial to Sanders, it’s important to remember that his impact is still being felt far beyond Harambee, said Johnson.
“He was the mentor for several people who are currently involved in housing and economic development in the city of Milwaukee. His legacy will continue to grow.”

author: Edgar Mendez


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 19, 2017


text:
32508424940_d975640fd9_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 19, 2017


text:
Know Your Rights information forum | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee
March 21, 2017

author: City of Milwaukee


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 21, 2017


text:
On the Block: Protect everyone | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 21, 2017
Fatima Laster, who grew up on the North Side near the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, Atkinson and Keefe avenues, recently moved back to Milwaukee from Chicago. She left a commercial banking career to pursue her love of fine art in her more affordable hometown. A Washington University graduate, Laster said that most of her work is contemporary and abstract, incorporating mixed media, but in her painting “Be My Voice” she wanted to draw attention to the fact that it is not just black men and boys who are brutalized by police in this country. Black women and girls suffer abuse in equal measure.
The painting depicts an American flag rendered with exterior house paint, in which messages and newspaper clippings about police brutality against black women are embedded. Invisible from a distance, these messages become visible as the viewer approaches the painting.
Laster was gratified, she said, when a 13-year-old boy who viewed the painting understood it immediately. He told her it reminded him of a time when his aunt, in whose car he was riding, was stopped and manhandled by a police officer. Only 3 years old at the time, the boy recalled the incident when he saw Laster’s painting.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!

author: Andrea Waxman


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 20, 2017


text:
TechForce center seeks to provide path to living-wage jobs | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
March 21, 2017
Mayor Tom Barrett (left) and Employ Milwaukee Vice President of Community Relations Willie Wade (right) look on as Employ Milwaukee Executive Director Earl Buford speaks. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Editor’s note: This article is the last of an occasional series profiling the 15 finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs). Milwaukee TechForce Training Center is a finalist for the State Farm Building Blocks Award, which recognizes a real estate project that advances the community.
The St. Francis Social Center, 1916 N. 4th St., owned by the Capuchin Franciscans, whose mission is to serve the poor, used to be a community gathering place for those of little means. It was also where riots, which swept across the nation in the long hot summer of 1967, started in Milwaukee.
Now, a group of public and private partners hope the 91-year-old old social center, which has been renamed the Milwaukee TechForce Training Center after renovations and additions early last year, will help provide area residents with technology education necessary to gain high-wage work in the Information Technology (IT) sector.
“To see educational opportunities come back onto the property, particularly for adults, and with the goal of improving their lives, improving their job opportunities, I think, is just tremendous and I’m excited about it,” said Father Michael Bertram, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, which is across the street from the center.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The TechForce Center will work in tandem with the 37-year-old Adult Learning Center (ALC), which is in the same building. ALC is a community partner of Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) and has occupied the building for about 10 years. It provides GED education and testing to about 120 individuals per semester. The TechForce Center will provide additional technical training in certifications that are often necessary for employment in the information and technology fields.
The Milwaukee TechForce Training Center, 1916 N. 4th St., sits across from St. Francis of Assisi Parish. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
ALC Executive Director Herb Hayden, who will also oversee the TechForce Center, said the goal is to provide people with the knowledge base to land jobs with “more than sustainable wages.”
“They’re like a family to me,” said Ann Perry, who grew up in foster care and struggled with depression and anxiety before earning her GED at ALC. Perry, who is studying to be a social worker at MATC, said she often goes back to volunteer. Once she earns her degree, Perry wants to work with youth.
“I didn’t have anybody there for me when I was younger. “If I can just help one person, you know, that person might, in turn, help somebody else and it’ll be a chain reaction.”
The center, a $1.3 million project funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and led by the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM), includes a renovated and remodeled second floor. Paul Williams, community coordinator at HACM, said the space was previously used for storage.
Now, the second level, which houses the TechForce Center, boasts two high-tech classrooms, staff space and common areas for students to study or network. A new entrance, which provides access to both the ALC and TechForce, was also added, along with conference rooms and an elevator.
A group of 20 individuals, who began the first 10-week training program Monday, will work toward A+ certification, often a starting point for IT careers. The program will provide students with knowledge of computer hardware and software. S+ and Network+ certifications may be available to more advanced learners. Individuals with these certifications have the skills to manage storage systems, as well as troubleshoot, configure and manage data networks.
According to Ricardo Ybarra, director of adult services at Employ Milwaukee, once individuals have completed the course, they will be qualified for entry-level, “help desk-type jobs.” Ybarra said there are currently 14,000 IT jobs available in Milwaukee, 3,700 of which do not require a bachelor’s degree. Employ Milwaukee will oversee the training.
Hector Joseph, chief technology officer at Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin, told students on the first day of classes that he has 30 available jobs. The positions, mostly in medical records support, start at upwards of $15 per hour. Ybarra said Employ Milwaukee created an IT advisory board that helped define valuable skills for industry professionals; he hopes that group will provide a connection to jobs for students, as well.
In addition, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development will provide “soft skills” coaching. Two full-time career coaches will work with students on communication and relationship skills, which Ybarra said will be more important than ever in tomorrow’s economy.
“It takes more than just the technical skills to really move an individual on to an upward trajectory within the workplace,” said Ybarra. “We want to be able to not only have skilled technical folks but also good team players, as well.”
A portion of a grant awarded to the City of Milwaukee by the U.S. Department of Labor in June 2016 will fund training at the TechForce Center. Employ Milwaukee, which split the $12 million grant with United Migrant Opportunity Services Inc. (UMOS) and the Waukesha-Ozaukee-Washington Workforce Development Board, will administer the $4 million grant and has contracted with BLUE1647, a Chicago-based workforce development firm to provide training and other community events.
Ybarra could not say how much of those funds will go toward TechForce training.
Two cohorts of 20 to 25 individuals are expected to complete the training this year; three 10-week courses will be offered in both 2018 and 2019 with two more cohorts planned for the first part of 2020.
Employ Milwaukee will create a sustainability plan in an effort to continue programming after the funds are exhausted, said Chytania Brown, who leads the grant program.
HACM, which has taken out a 40-year lease on the building, has a long-term vision for the center, defined by Executive Director Tony Perez as the ability to create “economic uplift” on a large scale.
On the first day, students were hopeful and said they are looking forward to better employment opportunities after graduation. Paul Doblinger, who lost his job as a CNC (computer numeric controlled) machinist, needed something less physically taxing. Shenise Hill, 24, who previously worked at Walmart, hopes the course will increase her earning potential so she can better support her two young children.
Tanika Dixon, 42, earned an associate’s degree in 2000 and worked in IT but found herself in finance after the 2008 recession hit. For Dixon, who has worked temp jobs for the last three years, this is an opportunity to get back to what she loves.
“Right now, I’m not where I want to be, I’m not where I need to be, I’m not where I should be,” Dixon said. “So, hopefully, this can open up some doors, open up some opportunities for me.”


text:
How to stave off the flu | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dr. Michelle Graham, UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin
March 22, 2017
(Photo by James Gathany, courtesy of CDC)
Flu, or influenza, is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalizations, severe health complications and even death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu-related deaths during a given season can number as high as 49,000.
So what can you do? Make your and your family’s health a priority and get a flu shot.
According to the CDC, everyone who is at least 6 months old should get a flu vaccine. Getting vaccinated is especially important for people who have certain medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes or chronic lung disease; and for pregnant women, young children and people 65 and older.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Influenza does not discriminate based on age or health habits. Just because you’re young or don’t typically get sick doesn’t mean you can’t catch the flu. Since a person can be contagious before symptoms develop, you can catch the flu from someone who has yet to show any signs of being sick.
The flu usually comes on suddenly. Common symptoms include constant cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headaches and fatigue.
To help protect yourself and others from the flu, consider these five tips:
The flu shot is not expensive. In most cases, the cost of a flu shot is covered by your health plan, whether you buy health insurance on your own or are covered through your employer, Medicare or Medicaid.
Visit your primary care doctor or nearby wellness clinic, convenience clinic, most retail pharmacies or contracted flu shot providers. Please do not go to an emergency room for a flu shot. Receiving a flu shot in the ER will come with longer wait times and higher out-of-pocket costs.
To find a list of flu shot providers near you, visit the CDC website (www.cdc.gov/flu) and enter your ZIP code. People enrolled in UnitedHealthcare plans can check with their health care provider or visit myuhc.com  to search for a network pharmacy or convenience care clinic.


text:
Journey House proposes $2.3 million renovation of Baran Park baseball fields | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Naomi Waxman
March 22, 2017
Doshin Rivera, 11, endorses Journey House’s proposed $2.3 million baseball field enhancement project at Baran Park, as Lisette Contreras looks on. (Photo by Naomi Waxman)
America’s favorite pastime is as popular as ever on the South Side, but unkempt and dangerous baseball facilities at Baran Park, 2600 S. Chase Ave., have raised ire among parents and local officials.
A recent town hall meeting attracted a sea of young people outfitted in identical baseball caps and a crowd of community members to react to a proposal brought by Journey House and Milwaukee County Parks. The proposal’s primary features are a $2.3 million baseball field enhancement, funded through private investment raised by Journey House, and priority park use by Journey House Youth Athletics participants, including the Felix Mantilla Little League and Journey House Scholar Athletes.
The meeting, hosted by District 4 Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic, took place at the Kosciuszko Community Center.
It’s “not about if [the enhancement] is going to happen,” said Dimitrijevic, “it’s about how it’s going to happen.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The project goal, as described by Journey House Executive Director Michele Bria, is to take dilapidated urban infrastructure and transform it into a beautiful neighborhood park.
“[Currently] our granddads and dads have to go out and clean up the fields so the kids can play [safely],” said Bria. “We want to make sure that our young scholars have an opportunity to play…on world-class fields.”
Journey House Executive Director Michele Bria thanks Alan Duran, 11, for addressing the standing-room-only crowd at a town hall meeting in the Kosciuszko Community Center. (Photo by Naomi Waxman)
Doshin Rivera, 11, echoed Bria’s observations on the state of the park, where he and his twin brother have played baseball since the age of 6. Rivera recalled occasions when the fence surrounding the field was locked, resulting in scrapes and bruises when he and his teammates climbed over it to attend scheduled practices and games.
Twelve-year-old Lisette Contreras, who was 4 when she first picked up a bat, said she hopes park improvements will be a boon to a new crop of players.
“I want a new field so the future generations can play on better fields than I ever did,” she said. “The pitching mound is a little hole and it messes people up.”
Why, many attendees wondered, has Baran Park become so unsightly and potentially dangerous?
Anne Rivera, mother of Doshin, directed her concerns to John Dargle Jr., director of Milwaukee County parks.
“Why are my kids climbing fences and getting scratched up?” she said. “On the South Side, the parks get treated differently than the beer garden in Bay View.”
Coach Ronaldo Torres described an incident where a scheduled game against a Franklin team was cancelled because the fence was locked. “[The opposing team] would have had to jump a fence,” he said. “There were no lights, the grass was tall. It was embarrassing.”
Dargle pointed to problems with job cuts, but did not respond directly to questions about specific safety concerns.
“It should never feel like there are three or four parks systems, but if you go to the North Shore those parks look a lot different.” Dimitrijevic said. “We need a dedicated funding source in Milwaukee that funds parks and transit.”
Everyone who addressed the crowd ultimately supported the endeavor. Pablo Llanos, a leader of Liga Latina de Beisbol en Milwaukee, said his players also should have access to the improved facilities.
“I congratulate and give props to all the people in charge of Journey House,” he said, “I just want us to have our fair chance to play on that field too.”
Bria and Eugene Manzanet, chairman of the Journey House board of directors, reassured Llanos that they are committed to affordable pricing. Facility reservations will now be processed through Journey House rather than the county parks division.
Manzanet, who has played baseball at Baran Park for the past 11 years, thanked the Mantilla family and all who attended the town hall meeting for their support.
“Journey House is here to make sure that we partner with you in our community and advocate on [your] behalf to create betterment of the community and region,” Manzanet said. “If we invest in our community and our kids, that investment will pay us dividends for a very long time.”

author: Naomi Waxman


text:
Sho-N-Out joins Books in the Barbershop initiative | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Cavalier Johnson
March 23, 2017
A local effort to expose children to lifelong literacy is expanding, as Antonio Hurley adds his business Sho-N-Out to the city’s Books in the Barbershop initiative, according to founder Alderman Cavalier Johnson.
“No issue in our community is more pressing than the educational achievement disparity between white and black students,” Alderman Johnson said. “Every opportunity we have to expose kids to reading material is a chance to get them started on a path to success—even if they’re just sitting in a barber’s chair.”
“I am grateful to Mr. Hurley for his decision to join this growing initiative,” Alderman Johnson said.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
By partnering with the Milwaukee Public Library, Sharp Literacy, Milwaukee Public Schools and Northcott Neighborhood House, Alderman Johnson helped develop the “Books in Barbershops” program, which makes reading material available for free in local barbershops.
Located at 5501 W. North Ave., Sho-N-Out is the third barber shop participating in the initiative, and was recruited to the effort by local Alderman Michael J. Murphy.
“Books in the Barbershop is an excellent approach to an important cause, and I am pleased to see it expanding into my district,” Alderman Murphy said.
Alderman Johnson said he hopes the initiative continues to expand into other parts of the city as well.

author: Ald. Cavalier Johnson


text:
Teen girls learn about public service careers at City Hall | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 23, 2017
Brooklyn Fudge (center) listens to speakers discussing the rewards and challenges of their public service work. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Savanna Gill, an 11-year-old student at Milwaukee School of Languages, would like to become a lawyer when she grows up, and ultimately be elected president of the United States. When Savanna’s mother suggested that she attend Girls’ Day, an event intended to inform girls about public service roles, she was willing to participate.
More than 200 middle and high school girls attended the seventh annual Girls’ Day at City Hall hosted by Alderwomen Milele Coggs and Chantia Lewis. Twelve women representing fields as diverse as fire fighting, the judiciary, elected office, non-profit leadership, community organizing, law and communication spoke about their careers. In two sessions, panelists offered advice and encouragement as well as information about their fields and the challenges particular to women in the professional world.
“No one is exempt from challenges and pain. Lots of times, because people face challenges they think they weren’t meant to be successful … but it’s important for young girls especially, to understand that a challenge doesn’t count you out,” said keynote speaker Tonya Sloans, counsel to the Committee on Ethics for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Andreanna Nance (left) and Daniela Camarillo study the event program during a break. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
A Milwaukee native, Sloans encouraged the audience to look at difficulties as opportunities to grow as leaders. “It’s how we handle the challenges, even at that early age, that gives us a foundation for managing the challenges that we have to deal with in order to get to success as adults,” she said.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“The foundation was laid for me right here in Milwaukee. I was involved in a lot of community service organizations as a high school student. And it was because of the support from my community groups and extracurricular activities that I had enough scholarship money to go away to college and … law school at the University of Wisconsin,” Sloans said.
She added that she wanted to devote herself to public service because she was the beneficiary of so much community support.
Sloans’ message inspired Andreanna Nance, 17, to “take advantage of everything in the community, the scholarships and … every opportunity that I have,” she said. (Sloans’ words) helped me want to push myself,” Nance added. Bound for Tennessee State University in the fall, she plans to study education and become a high school teacher.
Britnee Reed, 13, who attends Milwaukee Junior Academy, said she will remember that Sloans said it is best to focus on your assets when facing an obstacle, rather than on how difficult it is.
Attendees listen to a panel of women leaders discuss their public service careers. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Nance and Daniela Camarillo, seniors at Dominican High School, were encouraged to attend the event by Dana Johnson, their school’s coordinator for diversity and inclusion. Midway through the day, Camarillo declared the event a good experience and pointed to several speakers who particularly inspired her.
“A lot of women said today not to give up … don’t think that you can’t do (whatever you aim for). You really can,” Camarillo said. For example, she noted that State Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa, a panelist, advised the girls to believe in themselves and surround themselves with people who support them. During the session she moderated, Denise Thomas of Miller Coors, told them they are great women with voices that are worth a lot, Camarillo said.
Brooklyn Fudge, a student at BEAM Business and Economics Academy of Milwaukee, said she was impressed that the speakers all chose what seemed to be the right careers for them and that they accepted and loved themselves. A self-described excellent reader, Fudge, 12, added that she likes all of her school subjects and thinks the event will help her decide what career she wants to pursue.
The other panel members were Erin Forrest, executive director, Emerge Wisconsin; Tammy Rivera, executive director, Southside Organizing Committee; Chantia Lewis, alderwoman, 9th District; LaTonya Johnson, state senator, 6th District; Laura Gramling Perez, Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge; Stephanie Hampton, Milwaukee fire captain; Markasa Tucker, office manager, Wisconsin Voices; and Marcella Nicholson, county supervisor, 5th District. Ebony Haynes and La’Ketta Caldwell, program managers at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, were moderators.
Coggs said she hopes that the girls are inspired by the women who spoke, and recognize “that they can do the same thing.”


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 22, 2017


text:
A.W.E. youth display design concepts for public art | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sharon McGowan
March 24, 2017
Young people participating in A.W.E.’s 5×3 Artist-in-Residence program displayed their design concepts for public art at a recent exhibit at RedLine Milwaukee, 1422 N. 4th St.
The A.W.E. program, which began in 2016, allows youth to experience the process of creating public art in five target neighborhoods over a three-year period. The target neighborhoods are Clarke Square, Harambee, Layton Boulevard West, Lindsay Heights and Washington Park.
Students from a variety of schools and nonprofit organizations worked with a professional artist on their projects. Lead artists included George Jones, Anwar Floyd-Pruitt, Gabrielle Tesfaye, Mikal Floyd-Pruitt and Jenie Gao.
The youths spent two months selecting a site, theme and artist for a public art project that will be created and installed during the next three months.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Participating organizations included: Our Next Generation, La Luz Del Mundo Family Services, Escuela Verde High School, COA Holton Center, and NEU-Life Community Development. Neighborhood and community partners included Safe & Sound, the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative and Layton Boulevard West Neighbors.

author: Sharon McGowan


text:
Midnight basketball scores as ‘positive activity’ for young men | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dean Bibens
March 24, 2017
Benjamin Johnson flexes his muscles at the Midnight Basketball League. (Photo courtesy of Victor Barnett)
Tyrone Deere scored a game-high 19 points for his team in a recent Midnight Basketball League matchup held at Bradley Tech. Despite his efforts, Deere’s Show Time team lost to the Ballaz 75-59. He was disappointed in the results, but optimistic about the team’s prospects going forward.
“We put up a fight tonight but it wasn’t enough; I’m still proud of how much effort these guys put in,” said Deere. “This league is only a couple of weeks in but it has been a lot of fun so far and beneficial for everyone.”
Teams play Wednesday and Saturday nights at Milwaukee Public Schools’ Lynde & Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School, 700 S. 4th St.
The Midnight Basketball League is part of the new Milwaukee Public Schools C.A.R.E.S. (Community and Recreation Engaging Students) initiative, which was announced in October. Young men 17 to 25 years old who are not students and live in Milwaukee are eligible to participate in the league.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Team members break the huddle and get ready for action. (Photo courtesy of Victor Barnett)
MPS is hosting three 10-week Midnight Basketball Leagues at Bradley Tech. Eight teams are in the first league, which started March 1. Each team was formed by a random draft of the 82 young men who signed up to participate.
“This league is about creating safe places for our young people to go and engage in positive activities,” MPS Board President Mark Sain said when the league began. “Even more importantly this league is about meeting young people where they are and giving them support.”
Running Rebels Community Organization was one of the partners in creating the league.  “I have always been an advocate for keeping kids safe and off the streets,” said Victor Barnett, Running Rebels executive director. Many current and former Rebels are participating in the league.
Running Rebels is coordinating enrichment and providing support to the participants. According to John Rakowski, director of prevention at the organization, “We have gone with a more individualized approach by building relationships and creating personal development plans with these young men.” For example, he said, “There have been youth struggling to find jobs so we try to provide the right guidance for them.”
The Milwaukee Bucks helped form the Midnight Basketball League and will continue to lend support, according to MPS. Other partners include the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Police Department, Milwaukee Common Council, Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission, the City of Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention and Safe & Sound. In addition, Irgens Development Partners recently donated $1,000 to the league.
Next week’s matchups include: Crown Us Kings vs. Ballaz, We Came To Play vs. Da Future, HangTime Elite vs. Cream Skillz and Hillside All Stars vs. Show Time.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to note that students are not eligible to play in the league.


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 23, 2017


text:
Six organizations approved for grants through the Milwaukee Employment/Renovation Initiative | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee
March 25, 2017
A competitive selection process has ended with six organizations selected to take part in the Milwaukee Employment/Renovation Initiative (ME/RI).  The selected firms will renovate a total of up to 100 tax-foreclosed homes in an area south of Capitol Drive, north of Lloyd Street, west of 20th Street, and east of 60th Street.  That geographic area includes the Sherman Park neighborhood.
Grants, funded with money from the State of Wisconsin, will provide up to $10,000 toward the rehab cost of each home.  Selected firms are committed to hire at least one unemployed or underemployed Milwaukee resident to work on each property.  The homes will be sold to the selected organizations for one dollar plus the real estate closing costs.
“This is an investment in Sherman Park and nearby neighborhoods.  It will return foreclosed houses to productive use, and it will help many people reenter the workforce,” Mayor Tom Barrett said. “It is a step forward for this area and for the entire city.”
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“I’m focused on the future, and the Milwaukee Employment/Renovation Initiative is an important part of a positive future for neighborhoods facing housing and economic challenges,” Alderman Khalif Rainey. “We have reviewed a number of partnership proposals, and I am pleased the City is moving forward with several different organizations on this effort.”
The City received twelve responsive applications from organizations wanting to participate in the ME/RI program.  A review panel that included representatives from City government and from the community evaluated the proposals, and the six highest-ranking applicants were selected. They are Advance Investors, CUBE Development/FIT Investment Group, Ezekiel Community Development Corp., Gorman & Co., Strong Blocks Real Estate, and T.E. X LLC.
“We are working to make sure the greater Sherman Park area has stronger neighborhoods and more employment opportunities,” Alderman Michael Murphy said.  “The City’s decision to engage six different construction and development firms is an important step forward.”
“I support the Milwaukee Employment/Renovation Initiative because it will have a positive impact on the neighborhoods I represent,” Alderman Russell Stamper, II said. “There is lots of work to do, and this portion of our efforts will clear blight, rehab housing, and create jobs.”
A resolution will be presented to the Milwaukee Common Council that, if approved, will authorize the Department of City Development to sell properties and enter into grant agreements with the selected applicants. Council action could come as soon as mid-April.


text:
“Racial Justice: The Courage To Act” at Alverno College aims for broad anti-racism coalition | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Suzelle Lynch
March 26, 2017
Activists of all ages and from many organizations will gather at Alverno College on Saturday, April 1 from 8:30 am to 4 pm for “Racial Justice: The Courage To Act” — a workshop on building collective liberation with Chris Crass, nationally known anti-racist activist and writer.
Crass joins Reggie Jackson, Head Griot of America’s Black Holocaust Museum, and a strong team of local leaders to provide participants with tools, action strategies and courage to combat racism.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The workshop with Crass and Jackson was initiated by Black Lives Matter to WI Unitarian Universalists (BLM2WUU), a coalition of congregations across the metro area committed to anti-racism work.  “In a highly segregated metroplex like Milwaukee, at a time when many people are new to activism and unsure with whom to work, we are gathering a ‘big tent’ group for this workshop,” said Rev. Suzelle Lynch, of BLM2WUU, and minister of Unitarian Universalist Church West, in Brookfield.  “The aim is to work together across lines of race, religion, and age, and to involve both city and suburbs,” she added.
The day-long event is co-sponsored by YWCA, Alverno College, All People’s Church, Alverno College, America’s Black Holocaust Museum, Ex Fabula, MICAH, Rid Racism, SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice), the SE Wisconsin United Church of Christ Mission Team, the Greater Milwaukee Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), UBLAC (Uplifting Black Liberation and Community), and the ACLU of Wisconsin.
The goals of the workshop are three-fold.  To empower motivated people to take positive action for racial justice; to build deeper understanding about systemic racism to motivate courageous action; and to build broader relationships and coordination between people across the racial spectrum.  Eleven breakout sessions will center on topics like faith community organizing, white supremacy, white feminism, suburban organizing, and youth working against racism.
The workshop registration fee of $25 Adult; $15 student/youth includes lunch and choice of breakout session.  Some scholarships are available.  More information and registration here:   https://www.eventbrite.com/e/racial-justice-the-courage-to-act-tickets-32103322903
For further information, contact Rev. Suzelle Lynch (414) 426-6567 rev.lynch@uucw.org or Mary Devitt, (414) 702-1004  mldevitt@gmail.com

author: Suzelle Lynch


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
March 22, 2017


text:
Ald. Rainey named co-chair of Black Male Achievement Advisory Council | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Khalif J. Rainey
March 27, 2017
During the regular meeting today of Milwaukee’s Black Male Achievement Advisory Council, Alderman Khalif J. Rainey assumed co-chairmanship of the body following his appointment by outgoing co-chair Council President Ashanti Hamilton.
“It is both a tremendous honor and a heavy responsibility to assume the leadership of the BMA Advisory Council, which is tasked with addressing the grievous disparities faced by young men and boys of color in Milwaukee,” Alderman Rainey said. “If we are to build a society with equal opportunity for everyone, these disparities are the most pressing issues with which we must contend.”
The BMA Advisory Council was created by the Milwaukee Common Council in 2013 as part of a broader nationwide initiative driven by the National League of Cities. The group is charged by the NLC with identifying local challenges and opportunities, exploring policies and strategies that have the potential to make an impact on outcomes for black males and developing mechanisms to evaluate and sustain progress over time.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Alongside honorary co-chair Mayor Tom Barrett, Alderman Rainey was selected to serve as co-chair due, in part, to his extensive experience with issues specific to Milwaukee’s African American community, including a joint city-county venture to launch a local Office of African American Affairs.
To learn more about Milwaukee’s Black Male Achievement initiative, visit milwaukee.gov/bma.

author: Ald. Khalif J. Rainey


text:
Milwaukee County provides funds for residents setting up payment plans prior to moratorium end | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services
March 27, 2017
Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele reminds residents that the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is working with partner agencies across the community to disperse an additional $1 million to qualified Milwaukee County residents who apply for Energy Assistance during the month of March.
“Starting on March 27, We Energies will begin to send disconnection notices for those behind in bill payments,” said DHHS Director Héctor Colón. “For the third consecutive year, we are able to provide additional funding to help our residents in need of some extra support. Customers who are setting up payment plans with We Energies through the end of this month can benefit from proactive crisis assistance, a $300 incentive towards establishing a payment plan.”
This benefit is the only initiative that can replace a customer’s down payment. It will serve those who are setting up payment plans with We Energies, current We Energies customers and eligible applicants to the Energy Assistance program. The benefit will only be available through March 31, 2017.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
“We have currently served more than 49,000 households this year with the Energy Assistance program,” County Executive Chris Abele said. “That’s 4,000 more households than last year at this time. Our goal is to serve over 70,000 households this year – to help them stay warm, keep their lights on and avoid an energy crisis. We are on track to meet, and even exceed this goal.”
To qualify for proactive crisis assistance, customers must have made a minimum of two separate monthly payments since September 1, 2016 and must have a current 2016-17 energy application. This financial incentive aims to assist Milwaukee residents in setting up a payment plan and eliminate the threat of disconnection in summer months. This offer will not be available to oil, propane or heat-included customers.
This year, qualified residents do not need to wait in line to apply. They can schedule an appointment to apply at a time convenient for them any time before May 15, 2017. This year, DHHS wants residents to know:
Extended hours are now available:
The Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program, also known as WHEAP is a state program that is administered in Milwaukee County by DHHS. It provides a one-time payment for eligible residents, covering a portion of their energy costs.
For more information about the program and eligibility, visit www.energyassistancemke.org or download the flyer. To schedule an interview, contact Katy Glodosky at 920-627-2619. Onsite interviews with current Energy Assistance Specialists and customers and are available.
About the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services
The mission of the Milwaukee County Department of Health & Human Services is to enhance the quality of life for individuals who need support living healthy, independent, and safe lives within our community. Our vision is to be recognized as the public model of excellence, leadership, and partnership in human services driving superior outcomes for our community.


text:
Religion and Revolution — Cuban Style | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Arthur Heitzer
March 27, 2017
Please join us to welcome:
Gladys Abella, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Dr. Martin Luther King Center in Havana, and the Cuban Council of Churches.
Tuesday, April 18, 2017, 7-9 PM
Central United Methodist Church,
639 N. 25th Street, at Wisconsin Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53233
A free, public, bilingual event
Hear firsthand how Cuban believers in the gospel worked to support the goals of the revolution for free and universal healthcare and education, and to bridge the gap between church and government. After years of effort, COEBAC (the Coordination of Baptist Students and Workers in Cuba), which was founded in 1974 by progressive Baptist university students, prevailed and eventually showed that there was no conflict between faith and revolution.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Gladys Abella was a student at the triumph of the revolution in 1959 and has been active in COEBAC. She is currently a leader of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Marianao, Havana and works for the Cuban Council of Churches. Ms. Abella played a key role in the creation of the historic Martin Luther King Center in Havana, a project of the Ebenezer Baptist church.
Please join us to hear her story as a student activist and now an established leader of one of Cuban’s most prominent churches and non-governmental organizations. She will also share her thoughts on the significance of Dr. Martin Luther King and current issues relating to US-Cuba policy from a Cuban perspective.
Wisconsin Coalition to Normalize Relations with Cuba, www.wicuba.org. Like us on Facebook!
Pastors for Peace/IFCO, www.ifconews.org
=============
RELIGIÓN Y REVOLUCIÓN – ESTILO CUBANO
Por favor acompáñennos para dar la bienvenida a:
Gladys Abella, la Iglesia Bautista Ebenezer, el Centro Dr. Martin Luther King en La Habana y el Consejo Cubano de Iglesias.
Martes, 18 de Abril del 2017 de 7-9 PM
Central United Methodist Church,
639 N. 25th Street, at Wisconsin Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53233
Un evento gratuito, público y bilingüe
Escuchen de primera mano cómo los creyentes cubanos en el evangelio trabajaron para apoyar los objetivos de la revolución para la salud y educación gratuitas y universales y para cerrar la brecha entre la iglesia y el gobierno.Después de años de esfuerzo, la COEBAC (la Coordinacion Obrero Estudiantil Bautista de Cuba.), fundada en 1974 por universitarios bautistas progresistas, prevaleció y finalmente demostró que no había conflicto entre la fe y la revolución.
Gladys Abella fue estudiante en el triunfo de la revolución en 1959 y ha estado activa en COEBAC (la Coordinacion Obrero Estudiantil Bautista de Cuba). Actualmente es líder de la Iglesia Bautista Ebenezer en Marianao, La Habana y trabaja para el Consejo Cubano de Iglesias. La Sra. Abella desempeñó un papel clave en la creación del histórico Centro Martin Luther King en La Habana, un proyecto de la iglesia Bautista Ebenezer.
Acompáñennos para escuchar su historia como activista estudiantil y ahora como líder establecido de una de las iglesias y organizaciones no gubernamentales más destacadas de Cuba. También compartirá sus pensamientos sobre la importancia del Dr. Martin Luther King y las cuestiones actuales relacionadas con la política de Estados Unidos y Cuba desde una perspectiva cubana.
Wisconsin Coalition to Normalize Relations with Cuba, www.wicuba.org. Like us on Facebook!
Pastors for Peace/IFCO, www.ifconews.org

author: Arthur Heitzer


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
March 27, 2017


text:
Report says flexible and on-demand transit services could help address the “last mile” problem in metro Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Public Policy Forum
March 27, 2017
A report released today by the Public Policy Forum suggests that flexible forms of transit service – and perhaps new strategies linked to partnerships with ride-hailing companies like Lyft and Uber – could help address the region’s elusive “last mile” problem, which can arise when fixed- route transit services stop short of bringing commuters all the way to their job sites.
“The rise of smart phones, mobile applications, and new private transportation service providers has ushered in a highly experimental period in which transit systems are testing new ways of providing on-demand transportation services,” says Forum Senior Researcher Joe Peterangelo, the report’s author. “Our research indicates there are a number of innovative solutions that local elected officials and transit system leaders should consider that could offer last mile solutions while also improving general transit access, coverage, and quality in the Milwaukee area.”
The last mile challenge is particularly common in suburban areas, where jobs are more dispersed and difficult for the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) and suburban transit systems to serve efficiently.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The new report analyzes options for improving last mile transportation connections in metro Milwaukee, with a particular focus on reducing transportation barriers for City of Milwaukee residents seeking employment opportunities throughout the region. It considers last mile strategies used in other metro areas and explores their potential costs and benefits if tried in Milwaukee. The report also includes “local area studies” of Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley and New Berlin to illustrate possible application of flexible and on-demand transit services.
The report cites two last mile strategies that have “several unique strengths that merit a closer look” for metro Milwaukee. One is flexible transit, which typically involves utilizing 14- passenger buses or vans that are allowed to make diversions from set routes to serve dispersed businesses in suburban areas by request; and the other is ride-hailing, which offers on-demand, point-to-point transportation to and from transit stops through partnerships with taxi companies and transportation network companies, such as Lyft and Uber.
“While no last mile strategy would be a perfect, comprehensive solution in all areas of the region, each may be effective in certain contexts and/or in combination with other services,” says Peterangelo. “It is also critical to recognize that implementation of any of these strategies will require additional public funding and/or an employer subsidy for each trip.”
The report concludes with several policy recommendations, including the following:
“Overall, our research provides important insights into the steps being taken elsewhere to integrate new technologies and new ways of thinking into public transit offerings,” says Peterangelo. “It is important to remember, however, that taking such steps in Milwaukee would be difficult given the financial challenges facing our transit system, which makes preservation of existing service levels a daunting task.”
The full report – which was commissioned by MetroGO! – can be downloaded at the Forum’s web site, www.publicpolicyforum.org.
Milwaukee-based Public Policy Forum, established in 1913 as a local government watchdog, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the effectiveness of government and the development of southeastern Wisconsin through objective research of public policy issues.

author: Public Policy Forum


text:
Voting now open for MANDI People’s Choice awards | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sharon McGowan
March 27, 2017
The Wells Fargo People’s Choice Awards will be presented at the 2017 MANDI dinner on April 6. (Photo by Emmy A. Yates)
Community members can now vote for individuals or organizations to win the MANDI People’s Choice Award, the only award chosen by a popular vote. The top three vote-getters each will win a $1,000 prize.
An article and video about each finalist can be found on the voting page hosted by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.
The MANDIs (Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation), sponsored by U.S. Bank in partnership with LISC Milwaukee, honor organizations and individuals for their work to revitalize distressed city neighborhoods.
Sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank, the People’s Choice Awards will be go to three winners, chosen from among 15 MANDI finalists in five categories. Voting will continue through April 5.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
MANDI finalists are selected from public nominations by an independent, cross-sector volunteer committee.  A panel of judges visits each finalist’s site and votes on the winners.
All winners will be announced at a dinner on April 6 at the Potawatomi Event Center.
Below are the 2017 finalists:
Brewers Community Foundation Public Space Award
BMO Harris Bank Cornerstone Award:
Northern Trust Navigator Award:
PNC Trail Blazer Award
State Farm Building Blocks Award


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 26, 2017

author: Adam Carr


text:
Community restoration centers will address racial disparities | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors
March 28, 2017
Milwaukee County’s Office on African American Affairs (OAAA) will soon establish community restoration centers throughout the county to address a host of racial disparities, according to a resolution adopted by the Board of Supervisors last week.
“Racial disparities in education, healthcare, and employment are denying our neighbors access to opportunity, security, and freedom that everyone deserves,” said Supervisor John Weishan. “We’ve established the Office of American Affairs, we’ve given it a mission, and now we are providing some guidance to actually start addressing these disparities.”
The community resource centers are envisioned as neighborhood based facilities that organizations can use to provide educational, healthcare, and employment services to residents in areas of concentrated disparity.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The action by supervisors calls for the Director of the Office of African American Affairs to situate community resource centers at existing county facilities, such as park pavilions, and to work with the Milwaukee County Parks Department to make those locations available.
Supervisor John Weishan Jr., authored the resolution after listening to county residents discuss their priorities for the Office of African American Affairs. Weishan then worked with Darryl Farmer and Kevin Barnes of Community Vanguard, who proposed the community restoration centers as a means to help the OAAA work towards its mission.
County Executive Chris Abele has not yet appointed a director to the Office of African American Affairs, which was formed in 2016.
The Office of African American Affairs is meant to advise the County Executive and the County Board of Supervisors on the rights and needs of African American communities concerning inequality of health metrics, education, food deserts, unemployment, young people and children, affordable housing, small business creation, and the disproportionately high numbers of African Americans in the prison system.

author: Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors


text:
Fire and Police Commission expanding recruitment outreach for police officer positions | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission
March 28, 2017
(Photo by Edgar Mendez)
The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission (FPC) is currently accepting applications for the position of Police Officer with the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD). The theme of this year’s recruiting effort is “Will you be the one?” The FPC is asking residents if they will be the one to take action and bring cohesiveness to our City by applying to become a Milwaukee Police Officer.
As a part of this outreach the FPC has produced a video, circulating on social media, depicting the type of conversation a young person might have with his mentor while thinking about applying to be a Police Officer. The online video is titled “The Conversation” and is featured on the FPC Facebook Page and on the FPC’s YouTube Channel. The young man in the video sees the opportunity to be a Police Officer as a career path towards making a real difference in the community he cares about, but wonders how others might view that decision. The FPC encourages more people in our community to have this conversation with their friends and relatives. What do residents want to see in their communities and how could becoming a Milwaukee Police Officer help bring about that change?
The FPC has also produced a “Myths of Police Hiring” document on its website, attempting to highlight and dispel some common misconceptions that may discourage a qualified applicant from applying. “While we’re out in the community we hear over and over again that people are discouraged from applying due to incorrect assumptions about why they think the job isn’t for them” says FPC Operations Manager Clifton Crump. “What we’re really looking for in our Police Officer applicants is that they have integrity, they care about people and they care about Milwaukee. If that’s true for you then we want you to apply, and we want to show you that despite what you may think, the job might just be the right fit for you and what you want to achieve.”
The FPC and the MPD have also scheduled 18 community events at various locations during the month of March, where prospective candidates can learn more about the position and have access to a computer to begin their applications.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
Upcoming events include:
March 21st: Police Officer Information Session
Mitchell Street BID (823 W. Historic Mitchell St.) from 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
March 22nd: Police Officer Information Session
Employ Milwaukee (2338 N. 27th St.) from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
March 23rd: Police Officer Information Session
Zablocki Library (3501 W. Oklahoma Ave.) from 1:00 pm — 4:00 pm
March 24th: How to Get a Job with the City of Milwaukee Information Session Milwaukee Job Center Central (4201 N. 27th St., 6th floor) from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
March 25th: Police Officer Open House and Information Session
Milwaukee Safety Academy (6880 N. Teutonia Ave.) from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
March 27th: Police Officer Information Session
MPL Forest Home Library (1432 W. Forest Home Ave.) from 3:30 pm – 7:30 pm
March 28th: Police Officer Information Session UMOS (2701 S. Chase Ave.) from 1:00 pm — 3:00 pm
March 29th: Police Officer Information Session
MPL Washington Park Library (2121 N. Sherman Blvd.) from 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
March 30th: Police Officer Information Session
Employ Milwaukee (2338 N. 27th St.) from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
The FPC is one of the oldest police oversight agencies in the nation, and since 1885 no person has been appointed or promoted to any position in either the Police Department or the Fire Department without Commission approval. The Commission has a long-standing commitment to ensure the public safety workforce is of the highest quality and is representative of the Milwaukee community. It is the hope of the Commission that this latest recruiting effort will serve that goal and that all qualified applicants consider applying for the challenging and rewarding position of Police Officer for the Milwaukee Police Department.

author: Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 28, 2017


text:
Fixed price CBO contract session set for next week | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Khalif J. Rainey
March 28, 2017
Alderman Khalif J. Rainey invites community-based organizations and local businesses interested in growing their organizations and improving Milwaukee neighborhoods through contract work for the City of Milwaukee to attend an important information session on Wednesday, April 5 at the Center Street Library branch, 2727 W. Fond du Lac Ave.
“This session is a perfect opportunity for entrepreneurs and businesses to find out what is needed to be able to have a chance of getting specific city contracts for mowing and snow removal services on private properties,” Alderman Rainey said.
Benefits of neighborhood improvement contract work include payments based on fixed market price with no need to bid, flexible assignments and no minimum equipment requirements. For RSVP details and eligibility requirements, please see the attached document.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
What: Fixed price CBO contract session
When: 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5
Where: Center Street Library 2727 W. Fond du Lac Ave.


text:
2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 28, 2017


text:
3 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 28, 2017


text:
On the Block: ‘Make it your home’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Naomi Waxman
March 28, 2017
Born in Louisiana, Linda Cooper moved to Wisconsin as a little girl and refers to Milwaukee as “my town.” In 2004 she came across the Wisconsin African American Women’s Center, 3020 W. Vliet St., by chance and fell in love with the building, as well as the community that calls it home.
Cooper owns Midwest Talent Productions and volunteers at WAAWC, assisting with event coordination and marketing. The center hosts a broad range of events for Milwaukee residents regardless of race or gender.


text:
32602573200_74fa949b70_k (1) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 27, 2017