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How to bike in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wyatt Massey
May 18, 2016
Follow these tips to bike safely in Milwaukee. (Photo by Wyatt Massey)
The warm summer months offer an excellent opportunity to get on a bicycle out and explore the city. Here are answers to some of the most common bike-related questions, provided by the city of Milwaukee.
How do bike lanes work?
Car drivers are not allowed to drive in bicycle lanes, unless they are crossing them to enter a driveway, make a turn or leave a parking space. Some streets feature shared lanes, where drivers and riders travel together. Buffered bike lanes give riders an increased level of safety, as a section of the driving lane is marked off to give bikes more room.
Where can I bike?
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Along with bicycling on the roadway, the Oaf Leaf, Hank Aaron, Beerline and KK River trails offer off-street routes for riders. These paths can be used for commuting or riding for pleasure. Learn more about each trail here. Ride On Wisconsin offers a searchable database of trails, bike shops and restaurants based on ZIP code.
How can I register my bike?
Bicycle registration is free in Milwaukee. The process can be completed online and offers registrants a greater likelihood of having their bikes returned if they are stolen.
How do I secure my bike when not riding?
Be sure to lock a bike when unattended to reduce the likelihood of theft. A U-lock is more difficult to break than other locking mechanisms. Locks should secure the bike to a bike rack or corral. The city does not recommend locking your bike to trees, railings, parking meters or lampposts. Click here to see the proper way to lock a bike.
Click here for a list of bicycle shops and services. Riders with concerns or questions should visit this page.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 18, 2016

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Adam Carr


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SDC’s Summer Food Service program provides free meals for youth | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Social Development Commission
May 18, 2016
Stressing the importance of offering nutritious meals to children during the summer months, the Social Development Commission’s (SDC) nutrition services area announces the sponsorship of the Summer Food Service Program. For many of the participating service sites, the program will begin the week of June 13.
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, provides nutritious meals to children during the summer, when free and reduced-price school meals are typically unavailable. Free meals will be made available to children 18 years of age and under. Persons over 18 years of age who are determined by a state or local public educational agency to be mentally or physically disabled and who also participate in a public or private non-profit school program during the regular school year may receive free meals as well.
In 2015, SDC provided 80,106 healthy meals to youth that may not have otherwise received nourishment.
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The following locations will be serving the free meals this summer:
For more than 50 years, the Social Development Commission has operated as the Community Action Agency for Milwaukee County. SDC serves as a planner, coordinator, and provider of human service programs for low-income individuals and families residing in Milwaukee County. The agency is an intergovernmental commission and is governed by a board of 18 citizens from Milwaukee County, each of whom hold the title of “Commissioner.” For more information on SDC’s programs and services, visit cr-sdc.org. Connect with us on Facebook www.Facebook.com/SDCMilwaukee and Twitter www.twitter.com/CRSDC.

author: Social Development Commission


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The 10th anniversary season of Skyline Music Series lineup announced | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
COA Youth & Family Centers
May 18, 2016
The 10th annual Skyline Music Series, hosted by COA Youth & Family Centers, will begin Tuesday, July 12th at the Selig-Joseph-Folz Amphitheater in Kadish Park.  The free, family-friendly concert series will open with a performance by the ten-piece Afro-Cubano and Latin and jazz group De La Buena, art activities for youth provided by the Riverwest Artists Association and UWM’s ArtEco program, and a variety of local food vendors.
“The tenth season of the Skyline Music Series is going to be the best yet.” says Joe Trevino, COA’s Associate Executive Director. He added “We’ve got an amazing, diverse lineup, some of Milwaukee’s premier bands – and it’s all free. I’m looking forward to seeing folks from all over the City dancing together in the park all summer long.”
Free weekly Skyline Music concerts will be held Tuesdays 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. through August 23rd. Milwaukee-favorite musical acts are scheduled, including Extra Crispy Brass Band (7/19), Urban Empress and the Urbanites (7/26), 5 Card Studs (8/2), Paul Cebar (8/9), King Solomon (8/16), and Ahvant Soul (8/23). Trevino explains how acts were selected. “The eclectic lineup reflects our Milwaukee community. This is for Riverwest, but also for the south side, the north side – everybody, whether you like reggae, jazz, rock, funk, or R & B.”  Inclusive family-friendly activities include a jewelry making/metal crafting workshop, arts and crafting fun for the little ones, special intermission performances and diverse food trucks at every concert. Learn more and check for updates at www.coa-yfc.org/wp/skyline.
COA Executive Director Tom Schneider noted, “Ten years ago we pitched a tent in COA’s newly created Kilbourn-Kadish Park and 200 people showed up for the first concert.  Each year the series grows and keeps getting better with families enjoying a picnic in the park, great music, and the amazing skyline view of Milwaukee.” Last year Skyline Music attracted more than 7,000 community members for multicultural music and art for family audiences and it is currently the only free weekly concert series serving Riverwest, Brewers Hill, Brady Street, Beerline, and Harambee neighborhoods.  Skyline Music is presented this year by Allen Silverstein Law Offices, along with Kids’ Corner support from Steren McDonald’s,  and concert support provided by Direct Supply, Hupy & Abraham S.C., the Patrick W. and Lois S. Cotter Fund, Brady Street BID and HIPPY Milwaukee.
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author: COA Youth & Family Centers


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A First Look at the National Museum of African American History and Culture | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 19, 2016
TheRoot.com

author: Andrea Waxman


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How Milwaukee’s Economic, Social Disparities Correspond With Gun Violence | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 19, 2016
WPR Wisconsin Public Radio


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Milwaukee teen birth rate plummets 54.4% | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 19, 2016
jsonline.com


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Should Pediatricians Ask Parents If They’re Poor? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 19, 2016
NPR National Public Radio


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Watershed Study Analyzes State of Milwaukee’s Latino Community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 19, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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MPS teachers push back on Opportunity Schools proposal | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
May 20, 2016
Demond Means speaks to reporters before an OSPP advisory committee meeting. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
The Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) Board of School Directors has until June 23 to make a decision about whether to accept a proposal to partner with Opportunity Schools Partnership Program (OSPP) Commissioner Demond Means.
Means submitted a proposal to the MPS board in April; it outlines a partnership that would create one community school in 2016-17. Community schools, a national model that the district is already pursuing with United Way, are community controlled and governed, offer expanded learning opportunities and connect students and families with social services. However, the positions Means’ proposal would create — to provide coaching and administrative support, and to engage parents and provide wraparound services — would be contingent on additional state or philanthropic funding.
The board has already met regarding the proposal and will hold more discussions in the coming weeks, sources say.
MPS teachers, parents and other community members demanded answers about specifics of Means’ plan at a recent OSPP advisory committee meeting, saying the process has lacked transparency. About 20 people shouted at Means as he answered reporters’ questions. Later, near the end of the meeting, Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association (MTEA) President Kim Schroeder walked out saying he would not be an “accomplice” to what he called an unjust law.
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“I’m just tired of hearing the rhetoric and the attacks on our students,” said Schroeder, who has since resigned from the committee. “When I hear somebody sitting around the table saying our students are failing after the state legislature has cut funding for year and years and years, I’m not going to put up with that — it’s not our students’ fault.”
Means was appointed commissioner of the controversial program, which was created after Wisconsin’s Republican-led legislature passed the law in 2015. The OSPP requires the commissioner to identify failing schools in MPS and recommend between one and three in the first two years and up to five in 2017-18 for transfer to charter or private school operators.
Means has said he would not transfer schools to third-party operators, instead committing to work with MPS to bring resources to failing schools.
He said he has been surprised by the community’s reaction. “What we have offered and proposed … is a partnership,” said Means. “A partnership that gives the money back to Milwaukee Public Schools; a partnership that keeps [teachers] employed with all their benefits, with all their salaries.”
According to the proposal, OSPP schools would employ union (MTEA) teachers. MPS would be responsible for facility management and hiring, and would have access to financial records.
Marva Herndon addresses Debra Jupka (left), Demond Means (right) and others at the advisory committee meeting. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
“We have found a way to comply with the law without hurting MPS,” said Means. “This is not a takeover. This is not New Orleans; this is not Detroit.”
Means acknowledged the OSPP legislation, if enacted as it was written, could be “devastating to MPS” but stressed that his proposal would not have that effect.
Schroeder, a fourth-grade teacher, said the decision about how to move forward is bigger than politics, or complying with a law. “These are my students … we’re talking about,” he said. “You take it personally.”
Jenni Hofschulte, of Parents for Public Schools, who is on Means’ advisory committee, said his proposal doesn’t include anything about what children are facing outside of the classroom, such as gun violence. Hofschulte said there need to be more trusted adults in the most challenged schools.
Gary L. Williams, a professor at the UWM School of Education, said educating children in high-poverty environments is not just about academics. “[It’s] about taking into consideration the fact that this kid not only comes from poverty but has been traumatized. … And, if that kid is traumatized, that family and that community are traumatized.”
The legislation
The OSPP, an extension of the New Opportunities for Milwaukee proposal authored by Republican state Sen. Alberta Darling and Rep. Dale Kooyenga in January 2015, calls for an independent commissioner appointed by the Milwaukee County Executive to transfer failing MPS schools to charter or private voucher school operators.
Fifty-five of 154 schools in MPS do not meet expectations, according to the Department of Public Instruction; those schools make up more than 80 percent of all failing schools statewide. The New Opportunities for Milwaukee plan proposes charter schools and turnaround schools as the solution, calling Milwaukee “a laboratory for experimentation.”
Kooyenga cited the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which was signed into law about a year after his original proposal, as a justification for OSPP. ESSA, the successor to No Child Left Behind, requires states to “use evidence-based models to support whole-school interventions in the lowest-performing five percent of schools.” According to the ESSA criteria, eight MPS schools would be eligible for intervention.
“I’m scared of what’s going on in our city. I’m scared when you see [9-year-olds] getting hit by stray bullets,” Kooyenga said. “When you have high schools that graduate 50 percent of their students, those other 50 percent (of students) aren’t economically viable … And it creates violence.”
Milwaukee’s poverty rate is 29 percent, twice the national average.
“I have a great idea on how to fix failing schools: let’s actually fund them,” said Schroeder. “MPS has been underfunded, our students have been under attack … and it’s gotten worse.”
MPS received $89 million less from the state in 2013-14 than in 2007-08, factoring in inflation. Since 2007, the state budget has grown by almost $9 billion.
Marva Herndon, an African-American education activist, said, “We don’t like the fact that our tax money is being taken to support voucher schools, and our public schools keep getting stripped and stripped and stripped.”
Angela Walker, a school bus driver, said the conversation should be about living-wage work for parents. She said schools should be places that help support people by providing access to food, medical care and other services.
“This law is unjust,” said Walker. “It’s heinous. It isn’t intended to break poverty — it’s going to exacerbate it. And, it’s taking children who are the most directly affected and commodifying them.”
Moving forward
Means has committed to implementing the OSPP at no more than one school in 2016-17. A legal opinion from the Corporation Counsel of Milwaukee County, solicited by Means, states that the commissioner could act as a school operator, skirting certain aspects of the law.
OSPP schools will receive the independent charter amount of $8,100 per student. Though that amount is about $2,000 less per student than MPS typically receives, Means said the deal is better than nothing.
“I’m trying to help my home school district,” he said. “I went to MPS, my parents went to MPS, my grandparents went to MPS.” Means added, “I’m trying to be someone who can bring parties together.”
Kooyenga said Means and County Executive Chris Abele are giving MPS too much control, and that the law gives them more leeway to “just take the ball and run with it.” He added that the OSPP is more likely to succeed if they do not work with the school board.
“What they’re doing — and I understand it — is they’re trying to diminish the amount of educational friction and animosity that’s surrounding the idea,” said Kooyenga.
Kooyenga said that if MPS does not go along with Means’ plan, the legislature could change the governing structure of the OSPP or increase the number of schools to be transferred every year.
MTEA Executive Director Lauren Baker said the union’s fundamental issue is to protect public education. Despite Schroeder’s resignation from the advisory committee, she said, “We’re delighted to be a part of any substantive conversations about our kids in MPS.”
Debra Jupka, who is also on the committee and co-chairs MICAH’s education task force, said, “If we don’t sit down and start having some decent, honest, non-vilifying conversations, we are doing … a disservice to those kids.”

author: Jabril Faraj


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 19, 2016


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Community Input Session Shows Mixed Emotions on New County Office | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 23, 2016
Milwaukee Courier


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Connecting millennials to transit | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Raina J. Johnson
May 23, 2016
(Photo by Adam Carr)
Raina J. Johnson is a Milwaukee writer and daily transit rider. She offers ideas on how to attract and retain millennials on the move and to cure what she calls the “in constant motion, but going nowhere” syndrome of Milwaukee’s transportation infrastructure.
I ride the bus system every day and typically my path leads me to various neighborhoods – from Silver City to the Third Ward, up to the East Side and as far west as Uptown Crossing. Sometimes, on standing-room-only buses, my daily commute tells me that I’m not alone in my reliance on efficient public transportation.
We all know our bus system has had its share of challenges in recent years, from work stoppages to budget cuts. But, there have been some bright spots like the addition of bike racks, converting to the M-CARD and the user-friendly transit smartphone apps; all have been great in conjunction with express bus lines. Even greater potential is on the horizon with the proposed Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT, from downtown to Wauwatosa. Those things are all well and good but as a millennial transit rider, it feels like I’m in constant motion but going nowhere on the current bus system. I’m confident that more can be done to increase efficiency and attract more millennial riders to public transit as a first choice in transportation.
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I don’t think the band-aid solution of a mostly-downtown street car is the answer to solve our millennial transit problem, but as the research suggests, businesses are looking for tech-savvy workers, and developing our public transportation infrastructure is one way to attract and retain those workers. Results from a 2015 online survey by the Public Policy Forum found that many millennials already living in Milwaukee placed importance on pedestrian-friendly streets, effective mass transit and bicycle-friendly streets.
The saying, “build it and they will come” will prove true and extremely vital to our city’s future when discussing sports arenas and streetcars. Those discussions cannot and should not overlook ways to expand and modernize our current public transit system, as well as increase biking and pedestrian options and lanes to decrease environmental impact, and ease the economic burden many millennials face in this tight economy.
The future of urban survival is heavily reliant upon millennials’ lifestyle and trends, especially in the digital age. Providing the necessary transportation combined with employment and housing opportunities will be the magic formula that leads to millennials staying in Milwaukee.
There’s no shortage of evidence that strong, reliable and efficient transportation needs to connect the millennials to events, and happenings, especially in the “city of festivals.” We’ve seen a boom in transportation-share options like Lyft, Uber, Milwaukee’s own Bublr Bikes and the car-sharing platform, Zipcar, so what more can a city like Milwaukee do?
For starters, I’ve love to see the same zest and energy for transit development, access and options around areas outside of downtown. Once those conversations move into inner-city neighborhoods and we start to see a real, viable connection between transit flow to regional areas and jobs in Kenosha, or the WOW counties, it will be easier for many to get to and keep jobs.
Investments in continually updating the speed and efficiency of the current transit system to meet the needs of real people and real families would be a true game-changer. Other investments should be made in technology. For example, being able to connect citywide to Wi-Fi and wireless-charging technology would be reason enough for many millennials to get on the bus.
Those digital-age upgrades would double as an opportunity to allow riders to easily access transit schedules on their devices. Just like waiting rooms at the doctor’s office, donated books and magazines on the buses could be great for both children and adults as another way to pass the time.
Overall, city landscapes no matter their size are bending towards investing in the future of the millennial generation’s needs and wants. Improving public transit infrastructure is one important step in that process to get us off busses that are in constant motion to nowhere and actually begin to take millennials right to the center of where they want to be.

author: Raina J. Johnson


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 20, 2016


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Federal Aid Targets Native American Health Gap | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 23, 2016
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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Focus on Traumatic Childhood Helps Victims Heal and Succeed | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 23, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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Study Finds Racial Segregation Deepening in Public Education | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 23, 2016
Latin Post


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Testimony: Minorities bear brunt of voter ID law | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 23, 2016
jsonline.com


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Two new MKE Plays parks nearing completion | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
May 23, 2016
The reconstructed pocket park at 17th and Vine will open in June. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Construction on two parks, one located at 17th and Vine and the Marcus DeBack Park at 55th & Wright will be complete soon, as momentum continues to build for MKE Plays, a city initiative to turn a dozen dilapidated playgrounds into neighborhood centerpieces.
The park at 17th and Vine, slated to open in June, will include rope climbing structures, basketball courts, a walking track and adult fitness equipment, according to Joe Kaltenberg, program coordinator for MKE Plays. Kaltenberg said neighborhood residents wanted to create an intergenerational space where parents, grandparents and children could be active together.
The Marcus DeBack playground, renamed after an 8-year-old boy killed by an errant bullet there in 1995, will open in mid-July and feature a zip line, basketball courts with a permeable surface, a large rope climbing structure and other amenities.
“There are some extremely cool designs at these parks that the residents are really excited about,” Kaltenberg said.
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Another park that’s nearing completion is Snail’s Crossing, located on the 3000 block of N. Bremen Street in Riverwest. Residents have been meeting since November to discuss the park, which should be ready to open by late summer, said Kaltenberg.
Aldermen Nik Kovac (left) and Michael J. Murphy joined Beth Haskovec, executive director of Artists Working in Education, and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett to announce a $50,000 grant to fund an art component of MKE Plays. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Arlington Heights Park, in Silver City, was completed last year. Planning for pocket parks at 34th and W. Mount Vernon, 21st and Keefe, 5th and Randolph, and Trowbridge Park, 1530 S. 38 St., will also begin this summer.
Alderman Michael J. Murphy is continuing to spearhead MKE Plays despite being replaced as Common Council president. Sarah Zarate, who helped develop the program while serving as Murphy’s staff assistant, departed after her office was eliminated due to the change in leadership.
Murphy was joined by Mayor Tom Barrett, Alderman Nik Kovac and Beth Haskovec, executive director of Artists Working in Education (A.W.E.), recently to announce that the program had received a prestigious $50,000 “Our Town” grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The grant, which will be matched by MKE Plays, will fund a joint effort between A.W.E. and the city to incorporate arts programming, including the creation of public art projects, in the remaining parks.
“The NEA now recognizes what’s going on here in Milwaukee is something very special,” Murphy said.
According to Haskovec, most of the funds will go toward stipends for local artists who will work with area youth to create art, consistent with the MKE Plays model of engaging the community in the design process.
“That process actively says to youth, ‘we need you, your ideas, talents, imagination, and voice to create spaces that reflect the assets and values of your unique neighborhood,’” Haskovec said.
The initiative is a departure from the typical top-down approach to playground repair in which the Department of Public Works (DPW) surveys equipment to determine what needs to be replaced.
MKE Plays has raised more than $1.9 million through a mix of public and private funding, including grants from the Zilber Family Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Foundation and the Fund for Lake Michigan.
The total surpasses the original fundraising goal by more than 20 percent, said Murphy, who added that his vision for MKE Plays was inspired by childhood memories of spending countless hours in what is now the Marcus DeBack playground.
“We envision a city with play areas whose condition is not determined by the ZIP code or district they are in, but rather are equally equipped to inspire a child’s imagination, regardless of where they are located in the city of Milwaukee,” Murphy said.
The 12 playgrounds to be rebuilt through the initiative were considered the most in need of repairs by the DPW. Most of the playgrounds are pocket parks, on a single lot. Work on the remaining parks is scheduled to be completed by October 2018, although there has been talk of extending the program to more parks in the future, Kaltenberg said.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct the address for Marcus DeBack Park.

author: Edgar Mendez


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Block Build MKE revitalizes 35 homes in Lindsay Heights neighborhood | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rebecca Carballo
May 24, 2016
Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee (RTGM) hosted its first Block Build MKE event on Saturday, May 21. Volunteers renovated 35 homes on 17th and 18th streets from North Avenue to Lloyd Street.
Renovations included landscaping, painting, beautification projects and electrical repairs.
During the past year RTGM has done about 340 emergency home renovations for people who are elderly, disabled or veterans, according to home repair liaison Eddie Lopez-Cerda.
RTGM CEO Lynnea Katz-Petted said RTGM plans to do another Block Build in June.
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According to board member Vi Hawkins, “This is more than just individuals. It’s about stabilizing a whole neighborhood.”
Walnut Way Conservation Corp., Social Development Commission and Feeding America were among the event’s sponsors.
Homeowner Emma Nash said she was not sure if she would be able to live in her home much longer because of the expense of needed repairs. Block Build repaired her bathroom and basement and did electrical work, all free of charge.
When Nash saw the number of volunteers she was at a loss for words. “I am just so filled with joy I cannot express how I feel,” she said.

author: Rebecca Carballo


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On the Block: ‘We need more police’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wyatt Massey
May 24, 2016
Larry Higgins, who lives near Harambee, talks about how the lack of police presence in his neighborhood makes him feel unsafe. He would like to see more law enforcement on drug dealing and prostitution.

author: Wyatt Massey


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25903503093_8001e8a98b_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 23, 2016

author: Dwayne Burtin


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26821433825_40fab3d4d6_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 23, 2016


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How to keep your children safe online | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Lisa Schiller, Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin
May 25, 2016
(Photo by Molly Rippinger)
From “tweens” getting their first smart phone, to preschoolers playing games on mom’s tablet, to students researching a science fair project, more and more kids are online. Nearly half of children between first and fourth grade have regular access to a cell phone. The majority of middle school and high school students have their own phones.
Parents are concerned about what their children may be seeing online, but they should also be concerned about what they are sharing online. Here are some tips for parents.
Talk to your kids
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If you are not already talking to your children about what they read and watch, or where they play and how they interact online, now is the time to start. Check out this online safety guide and “A Parent’s Guide to Children and Advertising” produced by the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU).
Spend some time with your children online
What sites do they visit? What activities do they take part in? Are these sites appropriate for your child’s level of development?
Explain online advertising. Just like the overall online experience, online advertising is interactive. Help your children understand that banner ads and pop-ups are designed to get clicks. To avoid scammers, make a family rule about when children are allowed to click and when they are not.
Have a rule about sharing
Tell your children to ask you before they share personal information or photos online. Once that information is on the web, you may not be able to control who sees it and how they use it. Your children should always tell you the types of information they are asked to share or want to share online.
Use parental controls
Computers, Internet browsers, tablets and mobile phones have parental controls that you can use to place limits on where your children go online, the types of advertising they may encounter, even the hours they can access the device. Get to know what controls are available to you as a parent and learn how to use them. Start with your mobile carrier because most have extensive online resources for parents.
Understand apps
Short for “applications,” apps are downloaded software that run on various devices. You should be aware that apps might collect and share personal information about your child. They may include ads that are not labeled as such. Even free apps may include paid features, and children may not understand that some apps or game features cost money, since they are labeled as free to download.
Read privacy policies
Apps, games, social media sites and other services all should have a privacy policy and terms of use statement readily available. In many cases, you can restrict an app’s access to additional information on your phone or other device. For instance, you may want to allow a social media site access to photos stored on your phone so that you can easily post them to share with your friends, but you may want to restrict the site’s access to other data on your phone.


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15835543504_be71f462f3_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 24, 2016


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NNS on Lake Effect: Depression in Latina teens | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 25, 2016
Reporter Sophia Boyd discusses why Latina teens are disproportionately affected by mental health problems including cutting and suicidal thoughts. The Sixteenth Street Community Health Center has started a support group called SEEDS, which stands for Self-Esteem, Empowerment, Empathy and Discovery of Self.


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26751021971_21d892f513_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 25, 2016


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Paid gig for Amani performing artists | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Repertory Theater
May 25, 2016
Below, find information regarding a call for performance artists for COA Goldin Center’s Safe Summer Kickoff event on Friday, June 17, 2016.
In conjunction with COA and other Amani organizations, Milwaukee Repertory Theater will be sponsoring a stage during the event that features local Amani performance artists of all mediums, such as music, poetry, storytelling, dance and acting. The performance pieces will be shared to celebrate the positivity of the Amani community in anticipation of a safe summer full of engaging neighborhood programming. The staged program will last roughly 30-45 minutes, depending on resident/artist interest and participation.
Artists of all ages and backgrounds can submit their name and family-friendly performance materials/information to me at the contact information provided to be considered for a timeslot during the performance. Groups and individuals are eligible to apply and perform. Selected artists will receive a small stipend for their time and participation after attending a rehearsal prior to the event and the event itself. Further information regarding stipend amount and rehearsal time(s) will be available once all submissions are received.
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author: Milwaukee Repertory Theater


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 25, 2016


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Scruggs & Sons still shining after five decades serving the community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
May 25, 2016
Jerrell Washington shines shoes at Scruggs & Sons Shoe Repair. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
Below the baritone voices of wise men rattling on about politics, business and life was a hypnotic rhythm of polishing brushes rapidly crossing over each side of their shoes.
“We talk about everything,” said Joe Johnson, 78, perched above a hard-working shoe shiner as the sweet aroma of polish filled the small cluttered space.
“I have been coming here for years. The talk varies every day,” he said, before striking up a conversation about the campaign for president and military spending.
For the last 50 years, on a daily basis, this is what has gone down at Scruggs & Sons Shoe Repair, 3570 N. Teutonia Ave., in the Arlington Heights neighborhood. The family-owned business is one of a few shining and repair establishments still left in the city as many of the remaining shoe shiners have taken up territory at the airport or the courthouse.
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“Preachers, teachers, politicians…everybody comes in here. We have a good clientele,” said store owner Wanda Scruggs, 69, as she stood near a pair of shiny pink cowboy boots standing at attention. “Kids even come through to have us clean their tennis shoes.”
Owners will pick up their shoes up after they are cleaned and repaired at Scruggs & Sons Shoe Repair. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
Scruggs fixes, cleans and polishes anything leather. From belts and purses to saddles and a vast array of leather attire brought in by bikers, Scruggs has repaired, polished and buffed it all. But while the shoe service brings customers in, it is the friendly banter that keeps them returning year after year.
“It’s a place for everybody to sit back, relax and unwind a little bit,” said Jerrell Washington, 29, the lead shoe shiner, while he bent over and buffed a pair of shiny black leather loafers on the feet of James Fowler, 80, who has been coming to Scruggs for more than four decades.
“They have done such a good job on my shoes for years…they make them look great,” Fowler said.
The centerpiece of the small store on the city’s North Side is a row of four chairs that sit above shoe rests and an assortment of brushes, towels and cans of polish. During the last 20 years, this is where Washington has perfected the art of the shoeshine, a systematic process involving cleaning, buffing and polishing that crescendos with an emphatic snap of his white towel.
“You got to have a passion for your craft,” he said, pointing to the word “Shine” tattooed on the inside of his arm.
Much like Fowler, 69-year-old Walt Smith, has been a loyal customer for decades at Scruggs, located in an area of the city where half the residents live in poverty and a quarter are unemployed.
“There’s a lot of history here…it’s important to support a local business,” Smith said while waiting for Scruggs to retrieve the shoes he had dropped off a few days earlier. “We need to step our game up and take care of these businesses.”
A shoe shine costs from $4 to $8 depending on the shoes and the level of service. Washington said there is still a wide appeal for a shoe shine, given how expensive a new pair of dress shoes is these days and how important appearance is to get ahead in the world.
“How you look affects how you feel,” Washington said as a television showed a B-movie in the front of the shop. “When they walk out with shiny shoes, they walk out with a smile and with confidence. There is a certain feeling you get with looking good.”
Despite the economic challenges that the business, like any other establishment faces, Scruggs is nowhere near closing up shop and retiring, she said.
“People say that they appreciate that we are still here,” Scruggs said. “I love it.”

author: Brendan O’Brien


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27043327666_4d12151df5_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 24, 2016


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Dwayne Burtin
May 24, 2016


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A Day in Milwaukee’s Trauma-Informed Court: Parents Work to Regain Custody of Their Kids | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 26, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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Arts @ Large purchases building in Walker’s Point | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 26, 2016
Arts @ Large closed on the purchase of this building at 1100 S. 5th St., on the corner of Washington Street. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Arts @ Large, the nonprofit youth arts organization that was created to support Milwaukee Public Schools, has purchased a vacant building at 1100 S. 5 St. in Walker’s Point.
After renovating the three-story cream city brick structure on the southeast corner of West Washington Street, the organization plans to move from its much smaller rented space at 908 S. 5 St.
“We are bursting at the seams,” said Teri Sullivan, co-founder and CEO of Arts @ Large, who explained that the organization has “expanded exponentially” recently as it has worked to fill the gaps created by a shortage of licensed MPS art teachers.
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Sullivan noted that the purchase is the first step in the next stage of the organization’s ongoing expansion, and plans are still in the very early stages. She said the nonprofit intends to create a larger student art gallery on the first floor, and offices, artists’ studios and nonprofit incubator spaces on the second floor. Plans also include space devoted to professional development for teaching artists and revenue-generating apartments on the third floor, added Sullivan.
Arts @ Large is currently located in this rented building at 908 S. 5th St., where it operates a gallery and café. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
In addition, Arts @ Large hopes to attract a restaurant to operate on the ground floor of the new building. Besides serving the community and building on Café @ Large, the youth career development program it established a year ago, a restaurant could support the culinary arts program being launched in four MPS high schools this fall, Sullivan said.
“Our job is to provide opportunities for students to get interested and engaged, using multiple art forms, in academic learning. The culinary arts are a perfect vehicle for that,” Sullivan observed.
Last fall, the nonprofit piloted a culinary arts program with a history class studying the Civil War period at Bay View High School. In partnership with Honeypie restaurant, the students researched the kinds of foods eaten during that era and participated in a competition to develop recipes based on what they learned. Honeypie then put the winning dish on its menu.
The four high schools were tapped for the ProStart program, the pilot of MPS’ new two-year culinary arts program, because they have existing programs related to the culinary field. In addition to Bay View High School the new program will be launched at James Madison Academic Campus, Harold S. Vincent High School, and Washington High School of Information Technology.
Tony Tagliavia, MPS media manager, said that with the ProStart program, “we are looking forward to continuing our partnership with Arts @ Large and there are many exciting possibilities for what that could look like.”
The future home of Arts @ Large was built in 1890 by Patrick Cudahy. It originally contained a meat market on the ground floor and worker housing on the second and third floors, according to Sullivan. She and her colleagues are just beginning the process of finding an architectural firm to create a plan for the building.
Sullivan noted that the Arts @ Large community is committed to the Walker’s Point neighborhood and has been looking for an opportunity to invest there.
Ursula Twombly, Walker’s Point Association board member, said the city and the association commissioned a detailed action plan for the neighborhood that identified South 5 Street as a corridor focusing on the creative arts and small businesses related to the food and beverage industry.
Arts @ Large’s decision to stay in the neighborhood and purchase a building is a significant positive step in developing the 5 Street corridor, Twombly said.


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22463065192_32cb6e1161_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 26, 2016


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26951961270_00f14007e3_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 26, 2016


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Brady Walk for Community raises $50,000 in grants for nonprofit organizations | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brady Corp
May 26, 2016
Brady Corporation today hosted its sixth annual Brady Walk for Community raising $50,000 for four nonprofit organizations and collecting thousands of food items.
Employees nominated and voted for four nonprofit organizations to receive grant funds. Recipients include Cure SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy), Tailwaggers 911, TWLOHA (To Write Love On Her Arms) and the Wisconsin Humane Society. In addition, employees donated more than 5,000 nonperishable food products to the Hunger Task Force.
“What’s unique about Brady Walk is that our employees choose the organizations we support not only through the grants from the event, but also through gift drives during the year,” said Michael Nauman, president and CEO, Brady. “The event was also a great opportunity for our employees to get to know one another outside of the office and build relationships with community partners.”
More than 500 Brady employees participated the event. The day started with remarks from the company’s leadership and an opportunity to meet Hank the dog from the Milwaukee Brewers. Afterward, employees walked up to five laps on Brady’s walking path and were treated to a barbecue lunch.
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Brady Corporation supports nonprofits through Brady Walk grants, as well as the Brady Foundation. Since it began in 2010, the Brady Walk for Community has raised $750,000 for nonprofit organizations.

author: Brady Corp


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How school suspensions ruin the lives of America’s black and brown students | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 26, 2016
Fusion.net


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MILWAUKEE with John Gurda: North Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 26, 2016
88NINE Radio Milwaukee


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On the Block: A grandfather’s gift | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
May 26, 2016
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/265884201″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
John Branham was born in Tennessee in 1947. He grew up in the segregated South, part of a nine-child household; his parents struggled financially. Branham graduated near the top of his high school class and was accepted to Tennessee State University, but he didn’t take the opportunity seriously until one day something happened he would never forget.
Read more about John Branham at milwaukeestories.org.
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27211889176_b1ca72f7ca_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 26, 2016


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St. Francis Social Center transforms into job training school | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 26, 2016
jsonline.com


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The Destructive Legacy of Housing Segregation | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 26, 2016
The Atlantic


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Community partners celebrate grand opening of new training center for tech jobs | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee
May 27, 2016
Milwaukee TechForce Training Center Grand Opening at 1916 N. 4th Street. Tuesday May 24, 2016 (Photo by Pat Robinson)
Community partners joined together on May 24 to celebrate the opening of the Milwaukee TechForce Training Center at 1916 N. 4 Street.  The Center is a new education, training and workforce development facility designed to connect individuals to rewarding and in-demand careers in technology fields.
Located on Milwaukee’s near north side and close to public transportation, the Milwaukee TechForce Training Center will provide thousands of nearby households and residents from throughout the city with easy access to its educational programming.
“We need more ways to connect people to available jobs, and the Milwaukee TechForce Training Center is an important new link in the pathway to in-demand tech fields,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “TechForce is a new home for training and workforce development opportunities in Milwaukee.”
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The Center is supported by an innovative partnership between the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM), Adult Learning Center (ALC), Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), Employ Milwaukee, Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) and St. Francis of Assisi Parish.  Featuring new classrooms and teaching technology, TechForce is co-located with the ALC to provide direct pathways for graduates of ALC’s adult basic education programs into the technology-focused programs of MATC, Employ Milwaukee, MPS and other partners.
HACM developed the Center after winning a competitive $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2012 to build a training center that would expand educational opportunities for Milwaukee residents. HACM approached ALC and its landlord, St. Francis of Assisi Parish, about renovating the Learning Center’s second floor into classroom space and adding a new entrance, study areas and administrative offices.
Milwaukee TechForce Training Center
“We sought to maximize the impact of this investment by building off of the Adult Learning Center’s established program and developing a new, multi-tiered partnership focused on tech jobs,” said Tony Pérez, HACM Secretary-Executive Director. “This partnership creates a single pathway for adults of all educational levels to enter the tech workforce.”
“The key to this project is the key to all of the problems that we need to address as people of this city, and that is collaboration,” said Archbishop Jerome Listecki.  “When we bring the Church together with government and other organizations to provide access to education, we make a difference for the common good.”
Each founding partner will provide services to support the TechForce Center mission of connecting residents to jobs in the tech industry:
“Milwaukee Area Technical College is proud to collaborate with so many valued community partners on the TechForce Training Center and to provide education and training in neighborhoods where men, women and children can benefit from these new opportunities,” said MATC President Dr. Vicki Martin. “There is high demand from employers for Information Technology professionals and the TechForce Training Center will help prepare area residents for these career opportunities.”
The training center will support Milwaukee’s efforts as a new “TechHire Community,” part of the White House’s TechHire Initiative to train U.S. workers for jobs in tech industries. Milwaukee’s initiative aims to train and place 150 people into technology jobs by 2017 with an increase to 600 by 2020. The TechHire workforce initiative will be led by Employ Milwaukee, Inc. in partnership with employers across industries and employer consortiums.
“I’m excited about this outstanding collaboration. Every high growth industry sector needs a strong IT workforce,” said Earl Buford, President and CEO, Employ Milwaukee. “The TechForce Center is an excellent example of how Milwaukee will put individuals on a career pathway in technical occupations.”
Over half a million of today’s open jobs are in technology fields like software development and cybersecurity—many of which did not even exist a decade ago. The average salary in a job that requires technology skills is 50 percent more than the average private sector job.
There are an estimated 2,200 tech jobs available in the Milwaukee area.
“The TechForce Training Center has the potential to transform lives by bridging the technological divide,” said ALC Executive Director Herb Hayden. “Learners from neighborhoods throughout the city will be able to develop new technology skills to obtain family-supporting jobs and become strong economic contributors to their community.”
In addition to comments from each of the TechForce Center partners, the grand opening featured a moving testimony from ALC graduate and incoming MATC student Ann Perry, an electronic ribbon cutting using a digital app on iPads, and a blessing of the building by Archbishop Listecki.
Education and training at the Milwaukee TechForce Training Center will begin in June with MATC computer/math basics courses, as well as Employ Milwaukee’s workforce development training for over 200 youth who are participating in the summer Earn & Learn program. To register for the MATC course, call 414-297-8479.


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Milwaukee TechForce Training Center | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 27, 2016


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TechForce Grand Opening – Ribbon Cutting – 5-24-16 Photo by Pat Robinson (1) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 27, 2016


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Incubator gives central city entrepreneurs a jump-start | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care
May 27, 2016
Partners in a unique new business incubator are convinced the best ways to bring economic opportunities to Milwaukee’s central city are right in their own backyard.
“Building from Within” is the theme of a free business incubator session designed to stimulate resident-owned businesses in Milwaukee’s central city. Planned by Ald. Russell W. Stamper II, St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care and the North Avenue Marketplace Business Improvement District (BID) 32, the incubator’s kickoff session will be Wednesday, June 29, 1:30 to 5 p.m. at St. Ann Center’s Bucyrus Campus, 2450 W. North Avenue.
“There are business hopefuls with enormous potential living right in this neighborhood,” says Sister Edna Lonergan, president of St. Ann Center, an all-ages day care that opened a new campus in the 15th Aldermanic District last September. The incubator is an effort to avoid business gentrification and the influx of national chains in the district, Lonergan added. “People from the neighborhood who have worked hard to maintain the beauty of their culture and the strong character of their community deserve to be recognized and involved in creating and benefiting from its future successes,” she said.
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Residents from the 15th Aldermanic District (53205, 53206, 53208, 53210 and 53212 zip codes) interested in starting or expanding a business are asked to complete a brief questionnaire explaining their business ideas. Economic development professionals will review the submissions and choose 20 aspiring entrepreneurs with the most viable business ideas to attend the incubator session. Participants will have a chance to meet one-on-one with investors, talk about their business ideas, receive coaching on developing a business plan and possibly find backers for their venture.
“The District is on the rise,” said Ald. Stamper. “We as a community are growing economically and aesthetically, and what better way to continue that growth than by developing businesses with the people who live in this community?”
Jacqueline Ward, executive director of the North Avenue Marketplace BID 32, sees the incubator as a “catalytic project” for the neighborhood. “”To change the economic landscape in emerging communities, we must find creative and innovative ways to support local entrepreneurs,” she said. “This project was developed to address this challenge.”
The incubator session will begin with success stories from neighborhood entrepreneurs who will speak about their experiences with their own business startups. Investors, bankers and lawyers will also be on hand to discuss the services they can provide—from identifying funding resources to offering legal and marketing support.
The incubator questionnaires have been distributed to neighborhood businesses and churches throughout the 15th District. They are also available at St. Ann Center’s Bucyrus Campus and can be completed online at stanncenter.org/biz. Questionnaires must be submitted by Friday, June 10.
Residents interested in the business incubator, as well as investors who would like to participate in networking and mentoring opportunities, can contact John Jansen with questions or for more information at (414) 977-5031 or jjansen@stanncenter.org.


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South Side youth transform blighted building with inspirational artwork | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
May 27, 2016
Members of the Carmen High School of Science and Technology’s Safe and Sound Youth Council worked for two months to complete the mural project. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Fifteen-year-old Daniela Dominguez, a sophomore at Carmen High School of Science and Technology’s South Campus, set a goal this year to help her community.
“There is so much going on like rapes, assaults and other crimes and I just wanted to do something to help,” Dominguez said.
So she joined the Safe and Sound Youth Council at her school, located at 1712 S. 32nd St..
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The members first set their sights on a foreclosed nuisance property at 1931 S6th St., which had become a magnet for crime. They chose to utilize art to transform the long-neglected duplex into a neighborhood symbol of hope.
“We took something that looked really bad and attracted drug dealing and crime, and turned it into a positive message for the community,” Dominguez said.
The building, which still features a sign advertising house and apartment rentals, is also now adorned with paintings created by the teens under the guidance of tattoo artists from Aztec Ink.
The artwork, painted on wood boards and placed over broken windows, features the names of prominent Latinos, including civil rights hero Cesar Chavez, painter Diego Rivera and writer Isabel Allende. Also on the mural is the message,“Busca a una de estas personas en ti,” which translates to “Look for one of these people in you.” In between the names is a silhouetted figure donning a cap and gown flanked by the logos of Marquette University, UW-Milwaukee, MATC and Alverno College.
“We wanted to honor our heroes as well as help other teens to realize that they should aspire to be anything they dream to be,” said youth council member Jose Favela.
Creating the mural was a joint project among the Safe and Sound Youth Council at Carmen, the Milwaukee Police Department and the City of Milwaukee’s Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS), which identified the blighted property to be enhanced. It took two months to complete the project, based on the theme, “Helping yourself involves helping others,” said Favela.
Recently Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton announced a new initiative to demolish deteriorated and abandoned properties dubbed “Out of Harm’s Way.” That program advocates public/private partnerships that will demolish abandoned, unsanitary and dangerous properties in Milwaukee’s central city.
But a different approach to deterring crimes such as graffiti and vandalism at blighted properties is beautification, according to Stephanie Samarripa, DNS anti-graffiti coordinator.
“Utilizing alternative art to beautify the building, the youth turned the property into a beautiful bright building that the neighborhood can be proud of,” Samarripa said.
Daniela Orozco, youth organizer for Safe and Sound, helps coordinate community service projects in District 2. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Safe and Sound’s mission is to unite residents, law enforcement and other community resources to create safer neighborhoods, according to Daniela Orozco, the nonprofit’s youth organizer for District 2. The youth-led mural project serves that purpose in multiple ways, she added.
“It allows teens to come up with a creative way to benefit their community and also keeps them off the streets and involved in a positive activity,” Orozco said.
Orozco, a graduate of Carmen, approached administrators there months ago about the prospect of creating a youth council at the school, and will be organizing a youth council at Longfellow School in September. She hopes more youth will see the benefits of conducting community service projects.
“By being involved in these types of projects the young people are sending a message to the neighborhood that they want to live in a safe and vibrant community,” Orozco said.


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26920373090_1ccda2765b_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 27, 2016


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27195268565_d2b0634642_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
May 27, 2016


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Chris Abele, County Board reach deal on African-American affairs office | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 30, 2016
jsonline.com


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Federal Help for Poor Families With Children Is Evaporating | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 30, 2016
City Lab


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Milwaukee Film Announces World Premiere Screening of Milwaukee 53206 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 30, 2016
Milwaukee Courier


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Milwaukee’s Teen Pregnancy Rate Drastically Declines | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
May 30, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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Bloom and Groom brightens neighborhoods | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sue Vliet
May 31, 2016
The City of Milwaukee and its Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation coordinated the sale and distribution of nearly 50,000 flowers to residents in 18 neighborhoods over two recent weekends. The purpose is to both beautify neighborhoods with flowers planted at homes, and to build community.
The city worked with Lowe’s Home Improvement to obtain the flowers at minimal cost.
Some of the neighborhoods participating in “Bloom and Groom” are part of the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative, a partnership between city government and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation that promotes positive activity in nine Milwaukee neighborhoods. Other neighborhoods independently joined “Bloom and Groom.”
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author: Sue Vliet


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Summer food service program at COA Youth & Family Centers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
COA Youth & Family Centers
May 31, 2016
Stressing the importance of offering nutritious meals to children during the summer months, the COA Youth & Family Centers announces the sponsorship of the Summer Food Service Program.
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, provides nutritious meals to children during the summer, when free and reduced-price school meals are typically unavailable. Free meals will be made available to children 18 years of age and under. Persons over 18 years of age who are determined by a state or local public educational agency to be mentally or physically disabled and who also participate in a public or private non-profit school program during the regular school year may receive free meals as well.
Summer meal programs at Goldin will start on June 20, the same day as COA’s Summer Day Camps open. The Holton Center serves dinner every day it’s open, and will continue all summer long, but will not offer a lunch program because the center hours are limited to 1-8 p.m.
The following locations will be serving the free meals this summer:
Goldin Center –Teen Programs – 5:00 p.m. – 5:45 p.m., Monday – Friday
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2320 W. Burleigh St.
Milwaukee, WI 53206
Holton Center Teen Programs – 5:00 p.m. – 5:45 p.m., Monday – Friday
510 E Burleigh St
Milwaukee, WI 53212
Meals are provided to eligible children regardless of race, color, national origin, age, gender or disability and there will be no discrimination in the course of meal service.
“This program fills a void created when school lunches are not available,” said Tom Schneider, sponsor spokesperson. “Helping parents meet the nutritional needs of their children is the strength of this program.”


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Washington Park teens explain ‘hidden identity of the hijab’ in animated video | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rebecca Carballo
May 31, 2016
Our Next Generation students collaborated to create a video about the hijab. (Photo Courtesy of Ali Carlucci, A.W.E.)
Ayan Hassan, 15, a student at Rufus King International School, was almost barred from competing in a cross-country race because she was wearing a hijab. A referee asked her to remove it, but after her coach intervened, she was allowed to run.
Hassan had the opportunity to recount her experience while working on a project with the High School Connection Program at Our Next Generation, Artists Working in Education (A.W.E.) and Safe & Sound.
Other students in the program had similar experiences. They were asked to remove their hijabs in public places such as a skating rink and the airport. These incidents inspired the students to create a video with animations they drew themselves, accompanied by voiceovers sharing their experiences wearing the hijab.
“It was the first time I felt different,” Hassan said in the video.
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Hassan said she did not notice what the incident meant to her until she began working on the project. “I didn’t realize I was really affected by it until I talked about how I felt,” Hassan said.
A student created this animation for the video. (Photo by Rebecca Carballo)
Abubakar Ali, a project team member and student at South Division High School, said he hopes the video gives people a deeper understanding of the hijab.
“There is a lot more to it, and we want to explain what it really means,” Ali said.
The girls who shared their stories emphasized that the hijab is not a form of oppression, as some might think, but a choice. They said they should be able to wear it where they like.
Hawa Abullahi, a 16-year-old student at Rufus King, said she hopes the project challenges negative stereotypes of Muslim culture perpetuated by the media.
“Sometimes the media portrays Muslims as terrorists and we want to show people we are not what the media portrays us to be,”Abullahi said.
Fifteen-year-old Anisa Hassan, a student at Salam School who also worked on the project, said culture should not be divisive.
“We’re all human,” Hassan said. “There is nothing different about us.”
The video is the first to be completed of A.W.E.’s 5×3 projects. A.W.E. will fund five different projects over three years. The projects will be created by students from five Milwaukee neighborhoods who will choose their medium and message.
The curriculum was designed for the students to have complete creative control, according to Ali Carlucci, A.W.E. program director. They chose every aspect of the project, including the artists they worked with.
“This is about revealing their story,” said Carlucci. “We wanted to create a safe space where they can share their ideas.”
The students wrote the script themselves and local artists Alberto Rios and Jon Brown helped make their story come to life through animation.
Brown said it was a challenge, but he liked working with the students and using technology to create the animations. Rios noted that he learned a lot about the hijab from the students.
Before the unveiling of the video, 12-year-old Hasna Sheikh, a student at Milwaukee Math and Science Academy, shared a poem she wrote called “Me Myself and My Scarf,” about the meaning the hijab has for her.
“There is one thing that is special to me, my scarf,” Sheikh said. “It’s more than just clothing to me.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 30, 2016


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Garden District Farmers’ Market returns June 11th | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Julia O'Connor
June 1, 2016
The Garden District Farmers’ Market will open the season on Saturday, June 11th, from 1-5pm with new and returning area vendors.  Located at 6 and Howard across from the art deco Town of Lake Water Tower, the Market will be held Saturdays through October 15.
In addition to our vendors and their freshly grown produce, local musicians will be on hand most Market days from 2-4pm to entertain shoppers and vendors alike. The Market also features a weekly 50-50 raffle with special giveaways.
The Market is one of many features in Milwaukee’s designated Green Corridor.  “We’re very excited to be back and look forward to accommodating our customers and their appetites” says GDNA Chair Connie Wilson.  “Our location is a real showcase of neighborhood involvement and innovation. Our volunteers are happy to share information.”   A celebratory kick-off for the season will be held on Saturday, July 9 with special guests at 2pm.
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“We welcome everyone to see the beautiful location and to learn about what’s going on in the Garden District.”   For more information, visit The Garden District Farmers’ Market webpage or find us on Facebook
The Garden District Farmers’ Market is free and open to the public.  Vendor space is available when you “make it, bake it or grow it” at seasonal and daily rates.  For more information, visit our website or call 414.212-5215.
The 2016 season is sponsored by TOPS – Take off Pounds Sensibly, Ticket King, the Islamic Center of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee County Post.  Supporters include Bell Ambulance, Culver’s, Jet Intermodal, and Nowak Chiropractic.
About The Garden District Neighborhood Association
The Garden District Farmers’ Market is presented by the Garden District Neighborhood Association, Inc., a nonprofit community-based organization with a mission to establish, support and maintain Neighborhood Associations in the Garden District to improve the quality of life for District residents through civic involvement and community education.

author: Julia O'Connor


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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June 1, 2016

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Public Policy Forum announces 24th annual “Salute to Local Government” award winners | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Public Policy Forum
June 1, 2016
The Milwaukee-based Public Policy Forum, a nonpartisan public policy research organization, has announced its 2016 Salute to Local Government award winners.
“During a year like this one that is marked by fierce local, state, and national electoral battles, it is particularly important to recognize the outstanding work performed by nonpartisan professionals in the halls of local government and in school administration buildings across southeast Wisconsin,” says Forum President Rob Henken. “The Salute reflects the Forum’s strong belief that ‘good government’ is a value shared by citizens of all political stripes, and that exceptional public sector performance should be trumpeted and celebrated.”
This year’s Salute includes awards categories that recognize governments and school districts for innovative problem-solving, partnership, and cooperation, as well as individuals in the public sector for excellence and lifetime achievement.
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The awards will be presented at the Public Policy Forum’s 24th annual Salute to Local Government breakfast on Tuesday, June 21, 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. at the Italian Conference Center, 631 East Chicago Street, in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward.
The Salute breakfast is sponsored this year by Baker Tilly; BMO Harris Bank; Ehlers & Associates, Inc.; Bader Philanthropies; Milwaukee Public Television; Northwestern Mutual Foundation; Potawatomi Bingo Casino; Quarles & Brady, LLP; Veolia Water; and We Energies.
The 2016 Milwaukee recipients are:
“Innovative Approach to Problem Solving”
City of Milwaukee
Between 2007 and 2015, the City acquired an average of 534 properties annually through tax foreclosure. Many were severely distressed and concentrated in very low-income neighborhoods already challenged by high levels of unemployment and disinvestment. As one element of a comprehensive set of strategies to address this problem, the City enlisted real estate developer Gorman & Company and the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority to join it in efforts to return City-owned foreclosed properties to productive use. The result was the Northside Housing Initiative, a comprehensive community development partnership that, since 2007, has resulted in the construction of 111 new homes on City-owned vacant lots; the renovation of 128 City-owned one-family, two-family and multi-family structures containing 212 units; and the training and employment of more than 300 chronically unemployed men and women who have gained construction trades experience by working on the project.
“Public-Private Cooperation”
City of Milwaukee and a variety of public and private sector partners
Concerned that too many of Milwaukee’s city-owned parks were deteriorating and underutilized, then-Common Council President Michael Murphy spearheaded MKE Plays, an initiative to restore 12 of Milwaukee’s worst playgrounds. The initiative involves neighborhood residents of all ages, community nonprofits and neighborhood associations, elected and appointed officials, university faculty and volunteers, and public and private funders. It has completed renovations on two playgrounds, with the remaining 10 already financed with public and private funds and slated for completion by 2018. The 12 playgrounds were selected in a data-driven manner based on analysis by Milwaukee’s Department of Public Works. MKE Plays has successfully raised more than $1 million in private funding from local foundations as well as the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. The City also has contributed more than $700,000 to the project.
“Leader of the Future Award”
Sarah Zàrate
Staff Assistant to the Council President, City of Milwaukee
Sarah Zàrate served as staff director to the Milwaukee Common Council President from June 2014 to early 2016. In that role, she conducted important policy analysis, including a report on drug overdose deaths that prompted a joint initiative by the City and the Medical College of Wisconsin. She also designed and led the implementation of policy initiatives herself, including MKE Plays and the MKE Peace Project. MKE Plays (see above) involved a highly collaborative public-private partnership to renovate 12 of the City’s most dilapidated playgrounds, while the MKE Peace Project engaged youth in Milwaukee’s central city to assess the factors contributing to violence and develop solutions. According to Aldermen Michael Murphy, Robert Bauman, and Jose Perez, by taking the initiative to design, organize, and oversee such initiatives, Sarah “redefined the role” of the Council President Chief of Staff position.
“Norman N. Gill Award”
Dave Misky
Assistant Executive Director-Secretary, RACM
Dave Misky joined the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee (RACM) in 2003 and was appointed Assistant Executive Director-Secretary in 2008. He has led the agency’s redevelopment efforts with regard to the Menomonee Valley (including creation of Three Bridges Park); the Villard Library project; the 440th Local Redevelopment Plan; and current ambitious efforts at Century City and the Harbor District. Dave often is cited for his creative solutions to complex redevelopment challenges. Under his leadership, RACM has been a national leader in securing federal brownfield grants and Milwaukee has become an Environmental Protection Agency “showcase community.” He also helped to organize a unique Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund and has played a leading role in the City’s efforts to aggressively address tax delinquent and blighted properties. Christopher De Sousa, former chairman of urban planning at UWM, says “Milwaukee has become a national leader in sustainable redevelopment thanks to the vision and leadership of Dave Misky.”
The substantial number of outstanding nominations also prompted the Forum to award an Honorable Mention in the “Innovative Approach to Problem Solving” category:

author: Public Policy Forum


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Students and community members join together to raise funds for Dr. King scholarship | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rebecca Carballo
June 1, 2016
Matters of the Heart congregational members and students came together for the 34 “All-A-Thon” to raise money for the Dr. Martin Luther King Scholarship, which helps inner city students cover the costs of college.
Students must raise a minimum of $200 and write an essay to be eligible for the scholarship. They raise money by asking people for pledges and to participate in the All-A-Thon. Participants can complete the five miles any way they like, including biking, walking and skating.
Pastor Teresa Thomas-Boyd, a pastor at Matters of The Heart, said the All-A-Thon is about informing the community about the scholarship as well as fundraising.
“We want to emphasize the value of education,” Thomas-Boyd said. “We are doing the walk to raise community awareness.”
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Wisconsin education leaders say new funding model is needed | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
June 1, 2016
State Rep. Dale Kooyenga (center) and MTEA Executive Director Lauren Baker discussed school funding during a recent event at Marquette University, as moderator Alan Borsuk looks on. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Milwaukee educators and Republican state politicians have been at odds over school funding for years, but Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association (MTEA) Executive Director Lauren Baker and state Rep. Dale Kooyenga agree that the way schools are currently funded is not working.
Kooyenga said a solution needs to start with students. “We need to have a student-centered approach,” he said. “Not a district-centered approach, not a school-centered approach, not an adult-centered approach, but a student-centered approach to how we fund education.”
Baker agreed, saying per-pupil spending caps, which have been in place since the early 1990s, place different values on students depending on the district they are in.
“I believe every child in the state should be worth the same amount of money,” she said. “Our children should be worth the same no matter where they are,” adding that funds for English Language Learners and special education students would be in addition to any uniform amount.
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Kooyenga and Baker made their remarks during a recent event at Marquette University Law School, moderated by Alan Borsuk, senior fellow in law and public policy.
For Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) the revenue limit — or amount of money the district is allowed to receive per student from state aid and property taxes — is $10,261. That number is $1,307 less than the Elmbrook (Brookfield) school district, which Kooyenga represents. If per-student funding in Milwaukee were equivalent to Elmbrook, MPS would have received more than $99 million in additional funding for the 2015-16 school year.
Charter and Milwaukee Public Schools leaders listen carefully during the event. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
“I envision libraries in every one of our schools, that are open every day of the week,” said Baker. “I imagine beautiful health career and engineering labs, and art teachers and music teachers in every school.”
In the 2003-04 school year, the furthest back for which data is available, Wisconsin public schools received an average of $9,297 per student from state funding and property taxes. Over the next seven years, total per-pupil funding steadily increased, largely as a result of rising property tax revenue and an influx of federal funding after the beginning of the Great Recession in 2008.
In 2011, when Republicans gained control of both houses of the state legislature, state funding for public schools was cut by more than $430 million, compared to the previous year. That decrease brought state per-pupil aid back to 2003-04 levels, almost $4.75 billion. When factoring in inflation, public schools received about $1 billion less in 2011 than in 2003-04.
“We were handed a difficult financial situation,” said Kooyenga of the budget in 2011.
But Kooyenga said the cut wasn’t just about money. “Act 10 … was also about [giving us] a tool to try things differently in our classrooms.”
Act 10, also known as the Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill, was proposed by Gov. Scott Walker and passed by the Republican-controlled legislature in 2011. The controversial legislation stripped public sector employees (including public school teachers) of collective bargaining rights. The move prompted demonstrations and protests in Madison and around the state.
Kooyenga, who authored the controversial New Opportunities for Milwaukee proposal and Opportunity Schools Partnership Program (OSPP) with state Sen. Alberta Darling, pointed out that children who attend charter or voucher schools receive less aid from the state.
Baker said she would be willing to talk about increasing aid for charter and voucher school students when those schools have democratically elected boards and conform to state open records and meetings laws. “You could do everything they’re talking about doing and do it within the public schools, and provide the funding for it,” she said, adding, “School systems all across the state … are still suffering from less funding under [Walker’s] administration.”
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has proposed a new school funding plan, called Fair Funding for our Future, in each of the last three budget cycles dating back to 2011. The plan would create a base amount of funding for every student, provide more money for students who are economically disadvantaged and simplify the formula by eliminating two complicated tax credits.
Though certain small measures have been adopted, according to DPI spokesman Tom McCarthy, the plan has largely not been implemented. McCarthy called the current funding formula “not reflective of what’s actually needed in our classrooms and schools.” Although the plan does not explicitly lift funding caps or allow for funding to follow students, Fair Funding takes those, and the many other, factors involved in school funding into account.
“We’ve grappled with all of those different give-and-takes and levers that make the school funding formula complex and tried to present it and reform it in a way that most people can understand,” McCarthy said.
He added that the goal is to allow parents and community members to engage with school districts to help set budgets that reflect their priorities, and to distribute money in a way that recognizes the needs of children.
According to Kooyenga, the best way to achieve this is to “move the conversation for the correct amount of funding [for] a school from the politicians of Madison to the local community.” He said school districts can raise more funds through community referendums and noted that the “vast majority of those referendums have passed.”
McCarthy agreed it would be a good idea to revisit the revenue limits, saying, “I think that’s a growing pressure just because of how tightened budgets have been over the last six to seven years.”
Kooyenga said he would like to see more money for charter, voucher and public schools in the next budget.
OSPP Commissioner and Mequon-Thiensville Superintendent Demond Means, who has said increased funding is needed for educational outcomes to improve in the state, said he is prepared to “advocate fiercely” for more resources in the next budget, particularly for children “in difficult learning situations.” But Means is pessimistic about the prospect of legislators rising to the challenge.
Means said he’s not suggesting that legislators “throw money” at education. “Just fund it adequately. Fund us adequately.”
Factoring in general and categorical aid (targeted funds for special education, transportation and more), DPI’s Fair Funding plan would cost $570 million more than the state budgeted in 2015, over two years.
“Budgeting is about priorities,” McCarthy said. “It’s a doable thing if you’re willing to line up the priorities to support it.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 31, 2016

author: Adam Carr


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Clarke Square community garden opportunities | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
UW-Extension
June 2, 2016

author: UW-Extension


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 2, 2016


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CS Garden Eng | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 7, 2016


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 7, 2016


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CS Garden Span | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 7, 2016
CS Garden Span


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CS Garden_party Spnsh | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 2, 2016


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DPW hosting Compost Bin and Rain Barrel Sale in Garden District | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works
June 3, 2016
The South Side’s Garden District will once again play host to the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works compost bin and rain barrel sale, and said interested residents should make plans to attend because the event will be moved to another part of the city next year.
“After hosting the Compost Bin and Rain Barrel Sale last year and this year, I guess we in the Garden District have to let someone else have a turn,” Alderman Witkowski said. “Nonetheless, this is a great opportunity for residents from all over the area to get a good bargain on tools to help them go green around their own homes and yards.”
The sale will take place on Saturday, June 4, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Wilson Recreation Senior Center parking lot, 2601 W. Howard Ave. The event will take place rain or shine, and is not restricted to City of Milwaukee residents.
A limited number of FreeGarden EARTH compost bins and FreeGarden rain barrels will be available for $50 and $60, respectively. Kitchen scrap pails ($5), compost aerators ($10), and compost thermometers ($10) also will be available for purchase. Items are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
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What:       Compost Bin and Rain Barrel Sale
When:       Saturday, June 4, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where:     Wilson Recreation Senior Center parking lot
2601 W. Howard Ave.


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Gun violence awareness rally draws dozens clad in orange to downtown | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
June 3, 2016
Dozens attend a National Gun Violence Awareness Day event in O’Donnell Park. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
Khary Penebaker does not know what his mother’s voice sounded like.
He also does not know what her favorite color was, what she smelled like and what it was like to hear her tell him that she loves him.
“I don’t remember anything about my mother,” Penebaker said emphatically as he held up her death certificate to the bright blue sky. “That’s a problem and it is going to require every single one of us to stand up and say we had enough…and we will do whatever it takes to fix the problem.”
Penebaker, 38, who was 20 months old when his mother pulled over on the side of a road and shot herself to death in 1979, was one of the speakers during a National Gun Violence Awareness Day event in O’Donnell Park in downtown Milwaukee on Thursday.
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“We can do simple things like making sure that we place a barrier between a person who may be mentally unwell and … a gun. “We can save people’s lives,” said Penebaker, a candidate for the 5 U.S. Congressional District seat. Penebaker is challenging incumbent Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner and a third-party candidate.
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Khary Penebaker, a candidate for U.S. Congress, holds his mother’s death certificate as he tells a crowd at a gun violence awareness rally about her suicide in 1979. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
The rally took place underneath The Calling, an orange sunburst sculpture, and was attended by dozens of people who wore orange, a symbol of the campaign against gun violence, as they held signs such as “Moms demand action for gun sense in America.”
Penebaker, along with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele and State Sen. Chris Larson called for better enforcement of laws that dictate gun ownership, restrictions on assault rifle sales and universal background checks.
“It is up to us to speak out,” said Larson, noting that the majority of Americans support universal background checks. “This is the calling to end gun violence in our communities. Let’s make it happen.”
In Milwaukee, 145 people were murdered and 635 non-fatal shootings occurred in 2015, making the year one of the bloodiest and deadliest in recent memory, according to the Journal Sentinel.
“It does not have to be this way…we can do so much better,” State Rep. Mandela Barnes said during the rally. “Every community deserves to be safe regardless of the ZIP code.”
Barnes said that the gun lobby is to blame for turning “communities into war zones.”
The National Gun Violence Awareness Day began in 2015 and is held each June 2, the birth date of Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old Chicago high school student who was killed by gunfire. Her friends and family decided to honor her life and campaign against gun violence by wearing orange, Pendleton’s favorite color.
“People’s lives depend on this,” said Penebaker, imploring the crowd to contact their lawmakers and demand gun control reforms. “I think about my mom every single day…until we fix this problem, someone else is going to be living my nightmare and I’m not okay with it. So today, enjoy it, wear your orange. But tomorrow, let’s get to work.”


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“Here We Grow Again” Garden Party invitation from HeartLove Place | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
HeartLove Place
June 3, 2016

author: HeartLove Place


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 3, 2016


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Founder of innovative Alliance School to depart Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
June 6, 2016
Tina Owen-Moore, founder of Alliance School of Milwaukee, is leaving the school to pursue her doctoral degree at Harvard. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Tina Owen-Moore, founder and lead teacher at Alliance School of Milwaukee, 850 W. Walnut Way, will be leaving the school at the end of the month to pursue a doctoral degree at Harvard University.
Spurred by her childhood experiences of being bullied and from teaching in large Milwaukee high schools where bullying often went unaddressed, Owen-Moore founded the instrumentality charter school — recently named as one of the 41 most innovative in the country — in 2005 with a mission of creating a safe and inclusive environment.
Milwaukee Public Schools spokesman Tony Tagliavia said in a statement, “We are grateful for Ms. Owen-Moore’s efforts to create and develop Alliance School, creating an environment that is truly open and welcoming to all.”
The school was the first in the nation to start with a mission of anti-bullying, and countless students, many of whom identify as LGBT, have found solace from abusive or violent situations there, said Owen-Moore.
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“We don’t let things like bullying go unaddressed here,” said Owen-Moore, who will study educational leadership and policy at Harvard.
The Alliance School of Milwaukee, located at 850 W. Walnut St., was named one of the 41 most innovative schools in America in 2015. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Among those who found relief at Alliance was Lee Werner, who was a member of the school’s inaugural class and would become its first student to graduate. Werner now provides services to the homeless through his work at Outreach Community Health Centers. He met Owen-Moore while participating in Project Q, a youth program based at the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center.
Owen-Moore told the youth at Project Q about her plans to open a school. The teenagers would accompany her to MPS board meetings, where they testified about the abuse they suffered at other schools and the need for a safe haven such as Alliance. Werner, who identifies as trans, considers the school his savior.
“I was planning to drop out of school or even kill myself before I went there,” Werner said.
He said Owen-Moore and the additional staff at the school knew how to work with students who suffered from trauma or didn’t fit the social norm.
One of the methods used at the school to promote inclusion and address conflict are daily “circles” in which students and teachers gather to discuss concerns. It was during a recent circle that Owen-Moore broke the news about her departure to students and staff. Among them was graduating senior Tamiya Gates, who, like many Alliance students, transferred there from another MPS school.
“I got welcomed with open arms there; everyone was really nice to me,” said Gates, who described her previous school experiences as disruptive and violent.
Gates will attend MATC in the fall and said she will miss the one-on-one attention she received from Owen-Moore.
“Tina [Owen-Moore] was like a mom to me; I could talk to her about anything,” said Gates.
Owen-Moore, who founded the Gay/Straight Alliance at MPS, said though the decision to leave Alliance was tough, it was the correct choice.
Allan Laird, who has served as a special education teacher at Alliance, will assume the role of lead teacher. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
“The school is going so well right now and all that’s going on in the world with LGBT inclusiveness tells me the time is now,” said Owen-Moore, who will receive a full scholarship and free housing at Harvard.
Allan Laird, who has taught special education at the school since 2013 and at MPS for 12 years, is replacing her as lead teacher. A printer paper salesman before finding his calling in education, Laird said Owen-Moore’s mentorship prepared him and the rest of the staff to carry on the mission she established at Alliance.
“This is her body and blood here. We can’t be Tina but if we move forward in a loving and supportive way it will work,” Laird said.
Alliance is working with MPS to develop more AP offerings for next year, and is also planning a mural for the front of the school, a result of the school’s partnership with Artists Working in Education, said Laird.
“And we will continue to be a leader in working with the most marginalized students,” Laird added.
It’s a bittersweet departure for Owen-Moore, who founded the school during a time when identifying as lesbian or gay was much less culturally accepted, she said. Now, she fields calls from administrators across the nation who view her as an expert in preventive practices and LGBT inclusiveness at schools, and ask her how she created the environment at Alliance, she said.
“My belief is if you get kids to know each other well and see themselves in others, they’re less likely to harm one another,” Owen-Moore said.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 5, 2016


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Judge orders notorious Milwaukee landlord to pay up | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
admin
June 6, 2016
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

author: admin


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Machine Bias: There’s software used across the country to predict future criminals. And it’s biased against blacks. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
admin
June 6, 2016
Pro Publica


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ManpowerGroup’s ‘Millennial Worker: 2020 Vision’ Analyzes the Needs of Young Workers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
admin
June 6, 2016
WUWM Radio


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Milwaukee youth honored for completing country’s first bike share mechanics certification | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Bublr Bikes
June 6, 2016
(From left) Jerome White, Kadeam Wilson and Latrell Turner. (Photo courtesy of Bublr Bikes)
Yesterday Bublr Bikes, along with our partners at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee and DreamBikes, honored the first graduates of its Bike Repair and Maintenance Certification Program.  Latrell Turner, Jerome White and Kadeam Wilson, joined by their families, were awarded certificates for completing what is believed to be the country’s first bike-share mechanics certification. Armando Ramirez also earned the certificate but was unable to attend the ceremony due to a conflict in his schedule.
“These young men have earned an important honor,” said Kevin Hardman Bublr Bikes Executive Director. “They worked diligently to understand and master all aspects of maintaining Bublr Bikes. It was a joy to watch their committed growth.”
The Bike Repair and Maintenance Certification is one-of-a-kind program that provides motivated young adults a 24-week course in bike repair focusing on diagnostics, proper tool uses and ultimately maintenance of bike share bikes. Students begin with an 8-week course at Boys & Girls Clubs B!KE program learning the basics of bicycle maintenance and tool usage. During this time, a Bublr Bikes representative speaks to the class introducing them to bike share and Bublr Bikes growth plans. Following the Boys & Girls Clubs’ class, students participate in an 8-week paid internship at DreamBikes where they learn about bike repair, the operations of a bike shop and basics of customer service.
During the Boys & Girls Clubs’ classes and DreamBikes internship, students are given eight opportunities to visit the Bublr Bikes shop and learn more about the bike share system’s operations. Students who attend at least four of the eight sessions are eligible to continue on for an 8 week paid bike mechanics internship at Bublr Bikes. At the conclusion of the 8-week internship, students are given a final exam. The exam tests their knowledge on all aspects of bicycle maintenance with a specific focus on bike share bicycles and equipment. Those who pass are awarded a Bike Repair and Maintenance Certification.
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author: Bublr Bikes


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 6, 2016


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Muhammad Ali and the Importance of Identity | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
admin
June 6, 2016
The Atlantic


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South Side shines during 2016 Sun Fair on Mitchell Street | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
June 6, 2016
Kicking off Milwaukee’s busy festival season, the 2016 Sun Fair drew crowds of fun-seeking South Siders to Mitchell Street. Between 7 and 11 Streets, among the thoroughfare’s diverse array of shops, the event featured carnival rides, live music, games, food from local vendors, performances and resources from community organizations.
Historic Mitchell Street Business Improvement District #4 organized the event in conjunction with local businesses. This weekend marks the sixth consecutive year for the Sun Fair on Mitchell Street after an absence of 20 years.