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ArtWorks interns from Garden Homes create murals for MMSD storm water project | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Mark Lisowski
July 26, 2018
Kashmiara Jackson, youth intern for ArtWorks, paints a peace-themed mural for installation at the North Basin of the 30th Street Corridor storm water project. (Photo courtesy of Kristen Fledderjohn)
Storm water basins, artwork and teenagers aren’t often discussed in the same breath. However, thanks to a collaboration among the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, ArtWorks for Milwaukee and community groups, murals created by ArtWorks interns soon will be installed at the first of three flood basins in the 30th Street Corridor.
The MMSD project will ultimately capture and store 40 million gallons of storm water to reduce the risk of flooding in the area.
MMSD, ArtWorks, the Lighthouse Youth Center, Uniting Garden Homes and Northwest Side Community Development Corp. collaborated to gather community feedback on how to beautify the storm water basins.
MMSD began the public works project in 2012 as a response to severe flooding in Garden Homes in 2010. MMSD officials decided that community investment was needed to ensure its success.
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“The project had to have the community’s ideas involved — to put the bow on the project,” said Jerome Flogel, MMSD senior project manager of the North Basin project. MMSD began reaching out to community groups three years ago to canvass the neighborhood for ideas.
From left, ArtWorks artist Blanche Brown with interns Octaivian McCollum, Joshua McCollum, Salman Lee, Andrew Nash, Emily Moore, Brandon Robinson, Bradley Robinson, Celeste Beals, Kashmiara Jackson and Ashanti Weeks. (Photo courtesy of Kristen Fledderjohn)
Concepts such as a basketball court, a zipline and a family playground were floated before ArtWorks got involved. Ultimately, MMSD decided to install artwork at the basins, starting at the north basin.
Early this spring, ArtWorks began recruiting interns from the Garden Homes neighborhood and schools in the area including Rufus King, Milwaukee Collegiate Academy and Messmer.
The 14 interns were key to the success of the North Basin project. They knocked on doors, gathered ideas for the artwork and distilled their findings into a series of creative works to beautify the basins.
While the youth learned much from canvassing the neighborhood, it wasn’t always easy.
“We experienced some pushback from residents,” said Blanche Brown, ArtWorks’ lead artist for the project. Nevertheless, the interns were determined to speak with as many people as possible, and ultimately talked to residents from 88 households.
“The three major themes we took away from our outreach were peace, pride and unity,” said Salman Lee, an intern at ArtWorks. Lee added that flowers and other natural scenery were top interests among those surveyed.
As the interns canvassed Garden Homes, they began distilling ideas gained from their outreach, experimenting with media such as clay and watercolors. Once MMSD approved the themes and designs, Brown and the interns began creating the artwork for the North Basin. Interns also participated in community meetings throughout the process, and were encouraged to journal and reflect on their experiences.
After months of work, the youth presented their work to MMSD executives at an event on June 27.
“Their presentation was impressive — it really showed not only the art they made but the skills they developed as well,” said Andrew Haug, resource development manager at NWSCDC.
“The presentation was well thought out, the interns took turns speaking and answering questions. Presenting a project to six executives isn’t easy, but they did really well,” added Kristen Fledderjohn, program manager at ArtWorks. The group’s mission is to help youth gain skills such as collaboration, leadership and accountability, while creating art with purpose.
“My involvement in the North Basin project helped me enhance my skills for a successful career in the arts,” said Lee.
“The exuberance and energy from the youth has been one of my favorite aspects of the project. I’m happy to see their confidence boost,” Brown said. She added that the purpose of the North Basin project is twofold: to show good will toward the community through the medium of art, and to show what youth are capable of.
“Art speaks where words can’t,” noted Brown. Four murals are set to be installed at the north basin on Aug. 6. A statue will be installed on Aug. 10, coinciding with the end of the interns’ work on the project. A celebration picnic is planned for Aug. 18.

author: Mark Lisowski


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 25, 2018

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Adam Carr


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Good City Brewing commits to Century City Business Park | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Good City Brewing
July 26, 2018
Mayor Tom Barrett and members of the community welcomed Good City Brewing to the Century City Business Park this morning!
Good City Brewing is moving its corporate offices and warehouse operations to the Century City Business Park located on Milwaukee’s northwest side. Their new location will be in the Century City 1 building located near West Capitol Drive and North 31 Street. Century City 1 is a 53,160 sf flex industrial building that was co-developed by General Capital Group and the City of Milwaukee in 2015.
Dan Katt, Good City co-founder, said Century City provides an immediate business solution. “We’ve expanded our brewery 4 times in the 2 years since we opened our doors, and we are simply out of space on the east side. The demand for our beer, especially our flagship Motto Mosaic Pale Ale, and the growth that comes with it, is very exciting.”
The Century City 1 building was built in an effort to spur development and job creation at the Century City site. The building has housed temporary tenants since it was constructed, including the company assembling the floor for the Milwaukee Bucks’ new arena.
“Good City Brewing will find Century City is an ideal location to grow. The site has strong transportation connections along with a nearby workforce that is eager and capable,” Mayor Barrett said. “Good City’s business is on a positive trajectory, and this move will keep the brewery headed in the right direction.”
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author: Good City Brewing


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Residents, city leaders and law enforcement officials mourn fallen officer | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
July 26, 2018
Police officer Michael J. Michalski was shot and killed on North 28th Street. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
On July 24, Ray Banks, assistant chief of the Milwaukee Police Department, spoke to a group of more than 50 youths, residents and community leaders, discussing the challenged relationship between police officers and residents of some of the neighborhoods they patrol.
“I don’t think it’s a secret that police and community relations are strained,” he said during the monthly Amani United meeting, which was held at the COA Goldin Center.
About one mile away and 24 hours later, Banks stood directly behind MPD Chief Alfonso Morales as he delivered the news that a Milwaukee police officer was shot and killed in the line of duty, bringing law enforcement officials, city leaders and residents together in mourning.
“I’m sad to inform you that the officer who was injured did not make it today,” said Morales, as he fought back tears during a news conference updating the community on the officer who was shot. Morales described the officer, who was identified as Michael J. Michalski, 52, as a well-loved 17- year veteran of the department.
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Morales said a suspect is in custody. Jonathan C. Copeland Jr., 30, was wanted for violation of parole, possession of heroin and domestic violence-related offenses.
Mayor Tom Barrett expressed sorrow over the shooting during an unrelated press conference Thursday morning. (Photo by Jenny Whidden)
“The entire City of Milwaukee saw and heard the pain of Police Chief Alfonso Morales when he announced only a few hours ago that the life of a police officer had been taken in the line of duty,” said Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton in a statement Wednesday. “Tonight, we stand and grieve with him and all the men and women who have sworn to protect and serve this community.”
Al Robinson, who lives down the block from the scene where the officer was shot and killed, described the mood of many residents as “mournful.”
“A lot of us are just really sad about what happened. It was like a war zone here yesterday and then we found out what happened; it was just really disheartening,” said Robinson as he stood on his porch, which had been blocked off as part of a crime scene that spanned several city blocks.
Lory Richter, who’s lived in the Metcalfe Park neighborhood for her entire life, said she and other residents suspected that drugs were being sold at the house where the shooting occurred. She said she was sitting in her living room when she heard shots fired.
“I heard pop, pop, pop, pop. I was not happy when I found out it was a police officer that had been shot. All he was trying to do is clean up the neighborhood,” Richter said.
Michalski is the second MPD officer to lose his life in the line of duty in the past two months. Officer Charles Irvine Jr. died in June from injuries suffered in a rollover crash, which occurred during the chase of a reckless driving suspect. Prior to Irvine’s death, there hadn’t been an on-duty death of an officer in Milwaukee in 22 years.  A suspect has been arrested in Irvine’s death.
Messages of support continue to pour in from community members, including a statement from Ald. Russell Stamper, who represents Metcalfe Park..
“The sadness I witnessed tonight at the scene is difficult to process and I cannot stop thinking about the officer and his family. I want to thank him for his service, and I thank all of our dedicated officers who rush to danger to protect us and who put their lives on the line daily without hesitation,” said Stamper.
Ald. Bob Donovan also released a statement, noting that he is the father of a Milwaukee police officer. “I can tell you that the Milwaukee police family is hurting tonight, and that pain will not go away for some time. The past two months have been very difficult and now officers must face new grieving and emotional pain.… I ask Milwaukeeans to band together and offer as much support and comfort to our officers as possible in the coming days and weeks.”
Michalski left behind a wife and three sons, Morales said during a news conference Thursday.
“Officer Michalski was loved by everyone … I can’t think of anybody who has anything negative to say about officer Michalski,” Morales added.
Mayor Tom Barrett expressed his condolences at an unrelated news conference Thursday morning. “It’s a sad morning in Milwaukee given the tragedy that occurred last night. The family of the fallen police officer is hurting; the police department is hurting.”
Update: Jonathan Copeland Jr., 30, has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the fatal shooting of Milwaukee Police Officer Michael J. Michalski.

author: Edgar Mendez


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 26, 2018


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Tuyet Vance hired for new Director of Operations position at Express Yourself Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Cindy Moran
July 26, 2018
The Board of Directors of Express Yourself Milwaukee, a Milwaukee area nonprofit focused on bringing the arts to art-risk Milwaukee youth, is proud to announce that Tuyet Vance was recently hired as Director of Operations. This new position was created as part of the long-term succession plan and future vision for the organization. Ms. Vance brings to the position leadership and management skills, dedication to the youth in the Milwaukee community as well as expanded resources for the organization so it can continue to offer the quality services that Express Yourself Milwaukee (EXYOMKE) is known for.
Tuyet has an extensive background in healthcare including 19 years at Ascension Healthcare (formerly know as Wheaten Franciscan Healthcare), most recently as IT Manager, as well as held positions at both Aurora Health Care and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. She received a Master of Business Administration from Concordia University. The EXYOMKE Board is excited that the knowledge Tuyet gained working in the healthcare field has heightened her awareness of the need for genuine compassionate care, in addition to the need of expanding resources available for youth.
She has been involved with Express Yourself Milwaukee since 2008 in multiple capacities including many volunteer roles as well as serving on the Board of Directors from 2016-18. A lifelong resident of Milwaukee, but born in Vietnam during the Vietnam War to an African-American GI and a Vietnamese mother, Ms. Vance was adopted and grew up in a white Milwaukee suburb with eight other siblings. A single mother of two grown African-American sons, her oldest boy participated in EXYOMKE programs and she saw firsthand the positive impact the programs had on him.
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Commented Ms. Vance, “I believe in the mission of EXYOMKE working with youth to develop their life skills using multi-arts as the tool and the language. After the Sherman Park upheaval, I knew I wanted to start working with the youth of our city so their voices could be heard. I also wanted to constructively guide them to channel that negative energy into positive outcomes.”
Board President Lori Vance added, “Tuyet’s openness and approachable nature will allow Express Yourself Milwaukee to continue to foster community and nonprofit organizational relationships. Her vision is to see youth succeed, but also to have intentional strategic alliances with others to collaborate in addressing the trauma in our community. Tuyet looks forward to deepening the impact of arts as a vehicle of change through the Express Yourself model. She sees the power of positive relationships, grounded in structure and vision, making ideas come into form for positive change.”

author: Cindy Moran


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
July 26, 2018

author: Name *


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Urban Ecology Center lease for Washington Park advances | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors
July 26, 2018
The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors endorsed (17 – 1) a long-term lease with the Urban Ecology Center (UEC) for portions of Washington Park today that will bring significant investment and major upgrades to park facilities.
Supervisor Marcelia Nicholson worked closely with representatives from the Urban Ecology Center to develop the proposal.
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“Our continued partnership with the Urban Ecology Center will bring major improvements to Washington Park facilities, and new programming opportunities for residents to enjoy. The Urban Ecology Center’s investment in Washington Park will benefit county residents for years to come,” said Nicholson.
The agreement allows the Urban Ecology Center to improve the Washington Park boat house, expand programming in Washington Park, improve public facilities, and ensure the long-term presence of the UEC in Washington Park
The UEC leased the boat house in Washington Park from the County in 2007 and extended that lease in 2013.
The new lease authorizes the UCE to construct a new building at the current location of the Washington Park boat house, which would serve as a hub of activity and a base for UEC programming.
UEC intends to fund the construction of the new $12 million boat house through a major fundraising campaign, and raise an additional $2 million for other improvements, including a new parking lot, sidewalks, restrooms and repairs to the pedestrian bridge over the lagoon.
UEC will also develop a long-term plan for increasing UEC programming in the park and expand upon efforts to restore certain areas of the park.
Extensive restoration plans for Washington Park were developed previously, in 2000 and 2015.
Washington Park was designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.

author: Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors


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How to stay fit in the summer | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dr. Michelle Graham, UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin
July 27, 2018
Volunteering at Alice’s Garden is a great way to get active while lending a hand in the community. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Studies show 80 percent or more of premature chronic conditions, such as heart attack, stroke or diabetes, are caused by modifiable lifestyle choices, as opposed to being caused by genetic factors. Yet many Americans don’t understand the connection between lifestyle choices and chronic health conditions. A recent UnitedHealthcare survey found that just 16 percent of Americans correctly recognized that 80 percent or more of premature chronic conditions are caused by modifiable lifestyle choices, such as smoking or obesity, not genetics.
To help make fitness a priority this summer, here are tips to consider:
Walk This Way: Studies have shown walking more and sitting less may help people maintain a healthier weight, ward off depression and prevent serious health issues like heart disease. And a recent report concluded that walking can help curb sweet cravings, boost the immune system and ease joint pain. To make walking more effective, think FIT, which stands for frequency (500 steps within seven minutes six times per day), intensity (3,000 steps within 30 minutes each day) and tenacity (at least 10,000 total steps per day).
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Get Outside (Safely): The popularity of smartphones and streaming TV has made it easy — and entertaining — to stay inside. In fact, recent research has found that some people spend 90 percent of their time indoors, limiting exposure to daylight and fresh air. This can have negative consequences, including for children and their eye health. Studies have found that exposure to outdoor light may help reduce the risk of nearsightedness. To gain the potential benefits of being outdoors while helping stay safe, children and adults should wear sunglasses that block both UV rays and blue light, as well as apply sunscreen to help reduce the risk of skin cancer.
Maintain Your Hearing Health: Summer is a popular time for sporting events and music concerts, which can lead to exposure to loud sounds. Crowd noise at sporting events can exceed 90 decibels, while music concerts can reach 110 decibels. Prolonged exposure to sounds above 85 decibels can contribute to gradual hearing loss, so it is a good idea to use ear protection when seeing your favorite team or band. Likewise, extended listening to music or digital content through headphones or ear buds may damage hearing over time. To help prevent that, turn the volume on your electronic device to 60 percent and listen for no longer than 60 minutes at a time, and never listen with ear buds while using power tools or a lawn mower.
Following these tips can help you focus on fun, friends and family during the summer, while helping maintain or improve your health now and in the future.


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Black arts and culture festival comes to Summerfest grounds on Aug. 4 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ryeshia Farmer
July 30, 2018
Jackie Chesser, owner of Goody Gourmets, will be selling her popcorn at Black Arts Fest MKE. (Photo by Ryeshia Farmer)
The first Black Arts Fest MKE, to be held at the Summerfest grounds on Aug. 4, will focus on connecting African-Americans and Africans to their heritage through art education. The last time a black culture festival took place at Henry Maier Festival Park was at the African World Festival in 2013.
“Our organization is trying to bring back an event for the black community on a large scale,” said Patrice Harris, executive director of Black Arts Fest MKE. The festival’s board was adamant about the need for a celebratory cultural festival for the black community, according to Harris.
“This community needs this event to be back in the landscape of city festivals, because we have one of the largest populations in [Milwaukee] and are not represented in the lineup of ethnic festivals at Summerfest grounds,” Harris said.
People of other cultures look forward to festivals that represent and celebrate their heritage, and “we should have that same feeling,” added Lilo Allen, owner of Papyrus and Charms, which offers Jamaican and African-American-influenced jewelry and other handcrafted goods. Allen primarily sells products at community festivals, events and pop-up shops as well as online. Her home studio is located near the Midtown Shopping Center in Capitol Heights.
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During the festival, every activity in the Children’s Play Area will be tied to African heritage, according to Harris. Children will be able to make instruments, jewelry, masks and a mural, which will all be modeled after traditionally African pieces.
Dancers from TRUE Skool will perform at the black arts festival. (Photo courtesy of TRUE Skool)
Programming on the children’s stage also will be heavily tied to black cultures. The Milwaukee Public Library will lead storytelling with books written by black authors.
Referring to the Black Arts Fest, Allen said, “My hope is something that big [will] accurately represent the diaspora,” which includes Afro-Latina, Afro-Caribbean and other African cultures.
Children will be able to learn from and perform with members of Danceworks and TRUE Skool. Each performance will begin with an explanation of how the dance form came to be as well as how it relates to black history. Danceworks will offer tap dance and salsa workshops, while TRUE Skool will provide hip-hop classes.
Harris said this is important because black children are gradually receiving less exposure to their own culture and heritage.
“I think that it would be an opportunity for young people to get exposure to the arts,” said Pamela Graham, a vendor at Black Arts Fest MKE. Through her business, Nandi Collections/Reveal, Graham sells leather home decor and personal accessories with strong African and Native influences. She will be selling handmade earrings, clutches, bags, curtains, pillows and more at the festival. Nandi Collections primarily operates online, although Graham is occupying a Lindsay Heights pop-up shop until late August.
Graham will inform attendees about SEW Alive, an educational program of Nandi Collections that teaches handwork to Milwaukee youth. Summer classes focus on sewing and weaving, and also provide a space for students to talk about their lives.
Graham said that opportunities like those at the festival “create relationships and dialogue and could spark interest and creativity in people who may have never encountered certain types of art.”
Jackie Chesser, the owner of Goody Gourmets in Shorewood, will be selling her butter, cheese and caramel flavored popcorn at Black Arts Fest MKE. Chesser said that culinary and fashion design are two art forms that often go unnoticed. She appreciates that the festival will provide exposure for them.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) will have representatives from its offices of admissions available to speak with attendees about educational opportunities. The Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, the College of Nursing and the School of Information Sciences are among the colleges that will be present. In addition, UWM will provide information about programs for middle and high school students.
Harris said that UWM’s participation will complement the cultural aspects of Black Arts Fest MKE.
Entertainment will be provided at the Miller Lite Oasis and Johnson Controls World Sounds Stages during the festival. Headliners include Tony! Toni! Tonė!, MC Lyte and a Prince Experience.
A smaller performance and workshop space, called the Cultural Expressions Stage, will focus heavily on art forms such as spoken word, African drumming and dance, and hip-hop.
Chesser said that many people outside of the black community “lack information of who we are as a culture,” and individuals of all races and backgrounds should attend.
“I think everyone should be included in this festival,” she added.

author: Ryeshia Farmer


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 29, 2018


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True All Stars | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rick Deines
July 30, 2018
Rick Deines, a conversation facilitator with The Zeidler Center for Public Discussion, writes that the uproar over pitcher Josh Hader’s racist tweets as a teenager provide an opportunity for Milwaukee Brewers players to send a message of racial unity.
Josh Hader is a 24-year-old Milwaukee Brewers pitcher. He recently received a standing ovation when he took the mound following a controversy over racially demeaning tweets he sent as a 17-year-old high school student. His remarks reflected the attitudes of white supremacist groups.
Hader’s tweets included “White power, lol” (with an emoji of a clenched fist); “KKK”; and “I hate gay people.” He used the vilest of words for black people. Hard-core stuff.
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Many excuses for his behavior came forth, some from his African-American and Latino teammates. They bent over backwards with empathy and sympathy. They also dodged any issues of race. Phew! That’s good! But is it?
Why did most of the large crowd stand and applaud? Did others not stand? Was it simply a display of support for a local sports star? Was it motivated by people fed up with political correctness? How many stood because everybody else was standing? What’s really going on here and how can we respond?
Yes, some suggest that forgiveness is in order. We all have done stupid things, so we should forget about it. “Cheap grace” means letting someone off without accountability.
And by focusing on Hader alone, we may miss the more important part. This is a public event. It needs some public airing. It could present a rare opportunity for the Brewers to actually engage face to face with the residents of the city and region that supports them. We have an unhealthy racial climate in the Milwaukee region. We need new approaches.
Reverse the scenario for a moment. Sportswriter Michael Powell asks if a black player would have been treated the same as Hader was. Would there be a standing ovation in any stadium in the country, Miller Park included, for an African-American sending tweets adding an emoji raised fist, throwing in the most devastating of racial comments at white people? The answer is clear. No one stands. Racism?
To move too quickly to accuse others of racism probably just adds to existing differences. At the same time, to simply counter attack that it’s not racism but liberal political correctness that is the problem also creates a stalemate and leads us nowhere. Isn’t being human far more complicated than we assume? Do knee jerk reactions, however right we may think we are, get us to a place of good communication? Don’t we need to understand the reaction of others if we are going to bridge the gap of understanding?
Without some kind of discussion that looks squarely at what’s happening, do we not fall deeper and deeper into denial and division?
When a Josh Hader incident happens, it is tempting to judge first and ask questions later. To immediately react makes it far more difficult to explore new possibilities.
It’s relatively easy to see Josh Hader’s acts as a kid’s problem, a youth who did or didn’t know better. If we stop there, the community has no opportunity to learn anything or move beyond the status quo.
What an opportunity we have to bring something really good for Milwaukee and the Brewers out of what has happened with Josh Hader.
Cecelia Gore, who directs the Milwaukee Brewers Community Foundation, recently noted that many groups who support the Brewers have committed to the health of the city. The foundation has become a rallying point for linking the Brewers and all residents. The Hader case is full of potential for a public demonstration of unity, for seeing race as an important unifier, not the divisive force we hear about so often.
Perhaps something called “Milwaukee Awareness” or “Milwaukee Woke’” could become a community mantra, the foundation for the mayor, county executive and citizens’ groups to discuss and take steps to shift a climate where whites generally and blacks generally are so polarized. No Milwaukee story is complete if it does not include all citizens and all neighborhoods.
Hader and his apologist teammates Jesus Aguilar (Venezuelan) and Lorenzo Cain (African-American) could be real All Stars if they went hand in hand into the neighborhoods of Milwaukee as good will ambassadors, not to give out bobble-heads but to listen to people in all parts of Milwaukee. Their presence itself becomes the message of unity that our city needs.
The three All Stars could be promoters for “Milwaukee Woke.” They could travel from school to school — urban, suburban and rural — to Boys & Girls Clubs, to Safe & Sound and Urban Underground. By simply connecting with average folks in every neighborhood, the benefits to the Brewers and to Milwaukee could be powerful.
Standing ovations everywhere they go!

author: Rick Deines


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On the Block: Modeling the way | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Abby Ng
July 31, 2018
Davon Coleman, 29, could not rely on his dad as a role model while he was growing up in Milwaukee. When Coleman had his first son when he was 16, he vowed to be different than his dad. He said he thinks there would not be as much violence in the city if young people had more positive role models.

author: Abby Ng


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 30, 2018


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Allied Universal seeks professional security personnel in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allied Universal
July 31, 2018
Allied Universal, a leading facility services company and the largest security force in North America, will host a hiring event for professional security personnel on August 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the company’s branch office at 111 E. Kilbourn Avenue, Suite 1875, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Allied Universal seeks to hire full-time and part-time security professionals. Qualified candidates must meet the following minimum requirements:
Company benefits include medical and dental coverage, life insurance, 401(k) and bonus plans, holidays and more. Allied Universal is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce.
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Apply online at this link: https://bit.ly/2vimzpb.
Learn more about Allied Universal career opportunities at https://jobs.aus.com/, on Twitter at @AU_Careers and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AlliedUniversalJobs/.
Allied Universal, a leading facility services company and the largest security force in North America with over 160,000 employees, provides unparalleled security services and solutions. With headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif., and Conshohocken, Pa., Allied Universal combines people and technology to deliver evolving, tailored solutions that allow our clients to focus on their core business. An unrelenting focus on clients’ success creates partnerships rooted in quality and value, and is supported by experience gained from being in business for over 60 years. Through our people and leading services, systems and solutions…Allied Universal is there for you. For more information, please visit www.aus.com.

author: Allied Universal


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Greenfield Avenue cleanup and block party aim to ‘take neighborhood back’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
A.Jay Wagner
July 31, 2018
Residents gather before setting out to clean up the neighborhood. (Photo by A.Jay Wagner)
On Saturday morning, a crowd of nearly 60 individuals gathered in front of Mi Pais, a Walker Square corner grocery, before dispersing to clear the area of refuse in an effort to reclaim the neighborhood.
The effort was aimed at gathering the detritus of the prostitution and drug dealing that have beset the strip of Greenfield Avenue. A number of community groups, including the District 2 Community Block Watch, Safe & Sound and the Southside Organizing Center, planned the cleanup and subsequent block party to not only collect used needles and stray wrappers but serve notice to those creating the nuisance.
Travis Hope, a block watch council representative and primary figure in coordinating the event, said the cleanup’s aim was simple.
“We just want to bring the neighbors out, and let people know we care about this neighborhood. And we’re not going away. It’s about letting people know that it isn’t only negative things going on on this street, but positive things as well,” Hope said.
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Jose Perez, District 12 alderperson, said the cleanup represents the diversity of parties invested in helping, citing not only the community groups, but a range of city employees from different departments.
“This is about letting the people know that these people are working, and they’re empowered. They’re getting organized, and they’re not going to let what goes on in the neighborhood dictate what is said about them or this street,” Perez said.
A block party following the cleanup included a bouncy house for children. (Photo by A.Jay Wagner)
Communication among area residents has dwindled as challenges have multiplied, exacerbating the problems, participants said.
Paul Grippe, a Clarke Square resident for more than three decades and a block watch captain, said it’s not uncommon for neighbors to live across the street from each other for 10 years without ever greeting one another.
Grace Hernandez noticed the lack of communication as well.
Hernandez and her husband have owned Mi Pais for 15 years but had rented out operation of the business in 2013. When the couple came back to run the store in March 2017, Grace noticed a dramatic change in the community.
“Everything was chaotic. Everything was a mess,” Hernandez said, noting the unabashed drug dealing and prostitution that took place on Greenfield Avenue and the resulting needles and discarded clothes and makeup.
She said she circulated in the neighborhood hoping to find other concerned citizens but instead found many to be resigned to the criminal activity.
Her complaints to city officials fell on deaf ears. She said the officials attributed the changes in the neighborhood to nearby construction pushing criminal activity into Walker Square.
“That’s not an acceptable answer,” Hernandez said.
She found the tolerance of criminal activity mystifying, and began helping to organize in the area. She hopes events such as the cleanup help bind the community together in the face of adversity, with or without city assistance.
“Everybody gets to know everybody. So nobody feels alone in this, and people don’t feel overwhelmed by the neighborhood problems. Because when you feel alone, you want to give up,” Hernandez said.
“We want to encourage people. We want people to know that we’re here.”
The crowd continued to grow as the morning turned to afternoon, and the cleanup effort transitioned to a block party. The city shut down the stretch of 14th Street between Greenfield Avenue and Orchard Street, and children hollered and ricocheted about in a bounce house, while a Mi Pais food cart provided hot dogs for the community. The atmosphere was at once both celebratory and defiant.
“This is part of taking our neighborhood back. This is part of getting to know who our neighbors are,” said Hernandez. “We won’t be chased out of neighborhoods. There’s more good than bad here.”
Isa Young Jr. walked up to the block party through an alley with a full garbage bag. The soon-to-be freshman at nearby South Division High School had been independently scouring the neighborhood for refuse. His motives were simple.
“I want to make my block better. I want it to be a clean and safe environment,” Young said.
Despite the social problems confronting him and his neighborhood, Young was happy to be out in the community, making an effort.
“It don’t hurt to try,” he said.

author: A.Jay Wagner


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Schedule set for 2018 Bronzeville Week | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Milele A. Coggs
July 31, 2018
HaRUNbee 5K Walk/Run, NEW Live on King Drive event to highlight first day of family-oriented week of celebration in Bronzeville.
Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs will launch the 2018 Bronzeville Week (August 4-11, 2018) during a news conference on Thursday, August 2 at 11 a.m. at America’s Black Holocaust Museum, 2233 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave. (N. 4th St.).
Alderwoman Coggs will be joined by Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, as well as additional event supporters and stakeholders. Media coverage is invited.
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The attached 2018 Bronzeville Week schedule includes descriptions and details of each day’s events. Bronzeville Week 2018 is taking place August 4 – 11, with the HaRUNbee 5K Walk/Run kicking things off on Saturday, August 4 at 9 a.m. Music and family-friendly entertainment will be provided during the new Live on King Drive event on Saturday, August 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 2323 N. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. (Pete’s Fruit Market).
The Bronzeville Arts and Cultural Festival will take place on Sunday, August 5 from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
An official City of Milwaukee event now in its sixth full year, Bronzeville Week has blossomed as the premier celebration of Milwaukee’s rich African American legacy of culture, arts, history and entertainment. It is sponsored by the City of Milwaukee, the Bader Foundation, the Historic King Drive BID, the Milwaukee Bucks, VISIT Milwaukee, Alderwoman Coggs and more. Sponsors for individual events will be highlighted throughout the week.
“Bronzeville Week has become synonymous with arts, culture and commerce and thousands have enjoyed its diverse events and offerings each year. It has truly become an enjoyable and enriching August tradition in Milwaukee, and one that is welcoming to families and people of all ages and backgrounds,” Alderwoman Coggs said.
Now in its third year, the HaRUNbee 5K Walk/Run on Saturday, August 4, is sponsored by Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families (LIHF) organized the HaRUNbee Walk/Run for Healthy Birth Outcomes to promote wellness by encouraging families to stay healthy and fit, both mentally and physically. In-person registration on August 4 starts at 7:30 a.m. and the event will begin at 9 a.m. at the northwest corner of N. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. and W. North Ave. To register online for the 5K Walk/Run, please go to www.unitedwaygmwc.org/HaRUNbee.
Alderwoman Coggs was the primary sponsor of legislation creating the partnership between Bronzeville Week & the HaRUNbee Walk/Run. “Official health records show the Harambee neighborhood, in which Bronzeville is located, very recently had the second highest rate of infant mortality in the City of Milwaukee. HaRUNbee will again bring together residents of Milwaukee, from both within and outside of the Harambee community, to participate in a 5K Walk/Run as an effort to increase infant mortality education and to support each other in this important public health endeavor,” she said.
A special street renaming ceremony marking the renaming of N. 4th St. to N. Vel R. Phillips Ave. will take place during Bronzeville Week at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, August 7 at N. 4th and W. North Ave. The event will feature refreshments and the public is invited and encouraged to attend.
The Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District is a City of Milwaukee redevelopment initiative inspired by Milwaukee’s original Bronzeville, and it is striving to revitalize the area of Milwaukee where African-American culture has been a mainstay. The Bronzeville Redevelopment Plan seeks to create economic development in a predominantly African-American neighborhood in a way that recaptures the enthusiasm and attractiveness of the original Bronzeville District. Bounded by Garfield Avenue to Center Street, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Drive to 7th Street, the Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District is wholly located in the 6th Aldermanic District.
Please go to https://bit.ly/2KbmXv7 to see the 2018 Bronzeville Week schedule. The main Bronzeville District webpage link is www.milwaukee.gov/bronzeville.

author: Ald. Milele A. Coggs


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 31, 2018


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bronzeville-arts-culture-week-2018 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 31, 2018
bronzeville-arts-culture-week-2018


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Wells Fargo awards grant in support of Native American, Hmong small businesses | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
First American Capital Corporation
July 31, 2018
First American Capital Corporation (FACC) and Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce announced today that Wells Fargo will award a $250,000 Diverse Community Capital grant to FACC in support of Wisconsin American Indian and Hmong/Southeast Asian small businesses.  The grant is one of thirteen funded nationwide in Round 5 of the Wells Fargo Works for Small Business: Diverse Community Capital (DCC) program.
The $250,000 Wells Fargo grant is part of a new strategy focused on a collaborative approach where two smaller CDFIs share their staff and resources to grow their small business lending portfolios, and increase technical assistance for underserved populations and communities. This partnership will integrate American Indian and Hmong/Southeast Asian small business initiatives and expand CDFI collaboration to better serve diverse Wisconsin business owners. Later this summer there will be a joint event to celebrate this unique collaboration.
“The Diverse Community Capital program is one of many ways Wells Fargo demonstrates its commitment to helping small businesses start, stabilize and grow,” said Wisconsin Region Bank President Tony Nguyen. “By supporting First American Capital Corporation and Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce, more diverse-owned small businesses will be provided the capital, technical assistance and other resources needed to help make their businesses – and ultimately, our communities – even stronger.”
The First American Capital Corporation, was first certified as a Wisconsin Native Community Development Financial Institution in 2004, and Small Business Administration Microlender in 2007. The corporation has effectively diversified funding partnerships to include a balance of grants, patient loans, senior debt, contract income and cooperative agreements to be resourced as a mission lender and business development service provider for Wisconsin Indian Country.
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Jeff Bowman, enrolled Stockbridge-Munsee member and CEO of Bay Bank said, “As one of the founders of First American Capital Corporation and current board president, I am grateful for the trust of the Wells Fargo Works for Small Business: Diverse Community Capital program, to provide support to this innovative initiative. Collaborations have been essential to the growth and development of the corporation,” said Bowman. “This investment will result in the ability to better respond to prospective borrowers statewide, deliver a higher quality product and provide relevant business capacity to our respective markets.”
The Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce is a statewide Community Development Financial Institution headquartered in Milwaukee with a satellite office in central Wisconsin. The chamber of commerce provides economic development assistance, access to business capital, business planning, market analysis, marketing strategies, effective day-to-day business operations and much more.
“The Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce’s partnership with First American Capital Corporation has been a longstanding relationship of support and sharing best practices,” said Executive Director May yer Thao. “We are honored that First American’s proposal of our collaboration was selected for funding through the Wells Fargo Diverse Community Capital program. We’re also excited to demonstrate what we can do to build capacity within two CDFIs and two very unique populations.”

author: First American Capital Corporation


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BID 32 leaders committed to ‘building neighborhood from within’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 1, 2018
Once owned by Sears Roebuck & Co., the building that has housed the Milwaukee Mall since the early 1990s is vacant and ready for redevelopment. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Several blocks on North Avenue near 16th Street buzzed with pedestrian and vehicular activity on a recent summer morning. Customers greeted each other as they entered and exited Galst Food Market and popped in and out of The Juice Kitchen across the street. Neighbors and acquaintances lingered on sidewalks in the perfect summer weather, chatting in pairs and small groups. Construction vehicles and machines added to the hum of energy in the heart of Lindsay Heights.
As the long-vacant Blommer Ice Cream factory at 15 and North is transformed and an adjacent structure rises to form Legacy Lofts, the community is seeing growth. The mixed-income residential complex containing 64 apartments represents the kind of economic development the North Avenue/Fond du Lac Marketplace Business Improvement District 32, established in 2004, focuses on.
BID 32’s goal is to create “a viable and sustainable commercial corridor that supports local entrepreneurs,” according to its website. The BID works to engage current business owners and attract local, regional or national businesses to locate to the community.
Additional priorities, according to BID president Sharon Adams, are to strengthen community bonds, allow residents to build wealth and, especially, make sure that improvements do not displace the people who already live in the neighborhood.
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Sharon and Larry Adams are redeveloping the building at 1898 W. Fond du Lac Avenue (pictured behind her) and two vacant lots into Adams Garden Park. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
There has been a long and intense period of disinvestment in Lindsay Heights, and other central city neighborhoods, Adams noted. More than 30 percent of the properties in Lindsay Heights are owned by the city. “Our BID is located in a transforming community where real estate development is also very important, so while we promote and serve our property owners and our tenants … real estate development becomes a crucial part of our work,” she said.
Residents and businesses have expressed to the BID that creating an authentic neighborhood identity is important to them as well and “we’re moving in that direction,” Adams said.
“The identity that’s emerging is …  stewardship for our environment” and also collaboration, she said. What does collaboration look like? “We answer each other’s calls and we say ‘yes’ (when we are asked to contribute.)”
Adams pointed to several redevelopment projects in which historic buildings have been restored, including the former Walter Schmidt Tavern, which now houses The Tandem restaurant and several offices and businesses including Fix Development, and the Innovations and Wellness Commons. The Commons comprises The Juice Kitchen, Outpost Learning and Event Center, the Milwaukee Center for Independence commercial kitchen and Fondy Food Center’s administrative offices.
Without an executive director since mid-2016, the BID decided to take some time to clearly define its priorities, goals and strategies. It is getting close to completing that process and then it will be ready to hire a director, said Joann Harris-Comodore, the BID’s vice president, who is also founder and CEO of Neu-Life Community Development Inc. and Residential Living Services Inc.
Last summer, the BID worked with the UWM School of Architecture and Urban Planning’s Community Design Solutions (CDS) design center during a two-day program that included architects, developers, lenders, city officials and community members. The group discussed and designed development ideas to revitalize the neighborhood and created the Lindsay Heights Charette Plan.
This year, UWM students also designed façade improvements and redevelopment ideas for a number of vacant and dilapidated storefronts on Fond du Lac and North avenues, said Sister Edna Lonergan, a BID board member and president of St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care. The center opened at 2450 W. North Ave. in 2015. It is planning to add a community band shell and warm therapeutic pool in the near future.
“(The UWM students) worked on charette sites, façade enhancements and right-of-way landscaping. They identified three parcels to focus on for redevelopment and three additional buildings for façade enhancement,” suggesting uses including a coffee shop, health food store, café and bakery for specific sites, Lonergan said.
Lonergan is pleased that the people on the BID board are committed to building the neighborhood from within, she said. “It’s a really good neighborhood. Not unlike any other neighborhood, (residents) want all the same things: home ownership, good schools, good day care and job opportunities.”
The BID and St. Ann’s Center have hosted six business development workshops for residents in the 53206 ZIP code. The meetings are designed to provide resources and advice to people looking to start or expand their own businesses. Eighty people applied to attend the last incubator but the format only permits about 25 participants, Lonergan said. With the city and LISC Milwaukee, the BID is also working to help entrepreneurs set up businesses in pop-up stores, she said.
To successful real estate developers like Kalan Haywood, founder of the Haywood Group, Business Improvement Districts and similar local business organizations can provide valuable insights into what area residents want. Such groups can also provide important data about a community.
BIDs are “helpful mainly because (they) allow the developer to get a true pulse of what’s going on, in real time, in that community,” which saves everyone’s time, Haywood said.
Haywood has purchased the Milwaukee Mall, formerly a Sears, Roebuck & Co. building at 2100 W. North Ave., and plans to redevelop the eight-acre property into a multi-use site that will include retail, office and housing, he said.
Ezzard White, a retired electrician and high school teacher who provides training to young people who want to learn skilled trades, joined the BID board two and a half years ago. He said he has seen a lot of change in his Lindsay Heights neighborhood.
Community residents are starting to spend money to invest in their homes and businesses because they are starting to see economic growth, he said. “You can see people believing in their community.”
White added, “If you want to know what the BID is doing, all you’ve got to do is take a ride up and down North Avenue.”
BID 32 will host a picnic, “Let’s Grow Together,” in Fondy Park, 2201-2299 W. Meinecke Ave. on Saturday, Aug. 4, 1-3 p.m. Free food and live music will be provided. Everyone is welcome.

created: August 1, 2018

author: Andrea Waxman


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How to volunteer in August | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Martha Cannon, Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee
August 1, 2018
Sister Mary Menke tutors her student Gwen Coates through the Dominican Center’s adult tutoring program.
Make our community a better place by volunteering. Volunteer Milwaukee, a service of the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee features a calendar of events for volunteers, both one-time and ongoing. Here are a few of the opportunities in August and beyond.
Tutors Amani adult residents in one-on-one in basic reading, writing and math at the Dominican Center; minimum commitment of 2 hours a week, Monday-Thursday, 9-11:30 a.m. Apply in Aug.; school starts Sept. 4.
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Contact Barbara Parker-Wells at barbara@dominican-center.org or 414-444-9930.
Groups are needed to donate and serve a meal for 50-70 people at Meta House on Monday nights for Celebrating Families program now until Oct. 15.
Contact Laura Jacobson at ljacobson@metahouse.org or 414-977-5823.
Answer phones, check in visitors and be comfortable interacting with homeless adults experiencing mental illness and addictions weekdays at The Cathedral Center’s homeless shelter.
Contact Ana Treptow at atreptow@cathedral-center.org or 414-831-0394.
Engage visitors, share information and answer questions about an exhibit at Milwaukee Public Museum weekdays and/or weekends. Learn more and fill out application here.
Contact Amanda Stopar at stopara@mpm.edu or 414-278-2711.
Help Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful bring environmental education to Irish Fest attendees; help with set-up, arts & crafts or games August 17-19, 3 to 4 hour shifts. Sign up here.
Contact: Betsy Bolte at betsy@kgmb.org or 414-272-5462
Show your support of Milwaukee Public Schools. Cheer on walkers and runners as a course marshal and pass out water at water stations Sunday, August 25, 7:30-11a.m.; various shifts.
Click on the appropriate link: INDIVIDUAL Volunteers Click Here or GROUP Volunteers Click Here.


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Alice’s Garden in full bloom | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sue Vliet
August 2, 2018
As August begins, Alice’s Garden in Lindsay Heights is bursting with abundant flowers, produce and herbs. The garden, at 2136 N. 21st St., is under the leadership of Venice Williams, executive director.
Alice’s Garden was named in honor of Alice Meade-Taylor, the first African-American executive director of the Milwaukee County Cooperative Extension. Meade-Taylor believed that gardening programs for children, youth and families can help build neighborhoods and nurture people.

created: August 2, 2018

author: Sue Vliet


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Neighborhood organizations praise Good City Brewing’s commitment to Century City | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jenny Whidden
August 2, 2018
Good City Brewing is purchasing Century City 1, part of the Century City Business Park. (Photo by Jenny Whidden)
When it was announced that Good City Brewing committed to the Century City Business Park on Milwaukee’s North Side, Yvonne McCaskill was finally able to set aside her doubts that any business would come to the area.
McCaskill and her organization, Century City Tri-Angle Neighborhood Association, have been involved in the city-led business park project since the beginning. However, two years of waiting for a business to commit to the location took its toll.
“I had gotten to the point where I was saying, ‘When is it going to happen?’” McCaskill said. “Some people thought that businesses would not come to this area because of the perception. My voice has said, ‘Come and see. Don’t believe everything you hear.’ Do we have challenges? Yes. Can we overcome them? Yes. It’s this kind of partnership that will provide opportunities.”
Good City will purchase Century City 1, an industrial facility located near N. 31st Street and Capitol Drive, from the City of Milwaukee. Completed in 2016, the building is 53,160 square feet and is part of the city’s project to redevelop the 30th Street Industrial Corridor.
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The brewing company is the first occupant of the business park, which sits on a 150-acre site that the city purchased in 2009.
– From left to right, Yvonne McCaskill, Mayor Tom Barrett, Linda Gorens-Levey, a partner at General Capital, and Good City co-founder Dan Katt celebrate outside Century City 1. (Photo by Jenny Whidden)
“From my perspective, this is the most significant step that we have taken to move Century City forward,” Mayor Tom Barrett said.
Barbara Smith, president of Amani United, said her organization is happy to see a business finally move into Century City. She said the business park presents a possible solution to a lack of sustainable jobs near Amani.
“One of the concerns with the community is that we don’t have sustainable jobs within the community that are paying livable wages,” Smith said. “It’s hard for residents who don’t have vehicles to get to jobs that are some distance away and not even on a bus line.”
Good City co-founder Dan Katt said the business has expanded four times in the two years since it launched and it has run out of space on the East Side.
Good City will use Century City 1 for its corporate offices and warehouse operations. Co-Founder David Dupee said brewing is part of the company’s long-term plans for the space.
“If we continue on the current growth trajectory that we’re on, I think that a second brewery is likely in the next couple of years,” Dupee said.
However, even if the business does create a production space in Century City 1, Dupee said it would use only about one-third of the building. Consequently, Good City will look for other tenants to share the space.
Dupee said Good City plans to lease to small businesses that want to hire from neighborhoods near Century City.
Smith said she hopes the jobs will benefit those who live nearby.
“I pray that the majority of the employees who go into the company are actual residents within the vicinity, not people coming from a long distance to come in and occupy those positions,” she said.
McCaskill said she hopes the company will bring jobs, relationships and inspiration to the neighborhoods around Century City.
“I think (Good City) will bring the kind of ethics and relationships that Milwaukee was maybe built on, while embracing these neighborhoods around it,” McCaskill said. “It’s owned by people just like the people who live here, who may be inspired to have their own business.”.
Barrett echoed Smith and McCaskill’s sentiments, noting that Century City has a nearby workforce that is eager and capable.
Dupee said the business is committed to providing jobs to residents of the neighborhoods adjacent to Century City. He estimated that about 10 warehouse and office jobs will be available initially.
“Our goal is to, really from day one, hire from the community. That’s why we’re going there – that’s why we’re trying to recruit the businesses that we’re trying to recruit. It’s certainly a significant part of our approach to moving there,” Dupee said.
Good City officials are getting to know the community surrounding Century City and meeting as many people as they can, according to Dupee.
“For right now, we’re just kind of doing our due diligence and learning the community,” he added.
Good City also is building a brewery on the East Side from the ground up and the company has a new partnership with the Milwaukee Bucks.
“As exciting as all that is, today matches if not exceeds that excitement for our company in terms of being able to have a more wholistic approach to growing our business here in Milwaukee,” Katt said.
Barrett applauded Good City for recognizing the value of Century City.
“(Good City Brewing) has made the decision to locate here. And they have done so because there’s a workforce here; because just as Palermo recognized the potential of the Menomonee Valley, Good City Brewing recognizes the potential of Century City,” Barrett said.
Once Good City obtains approval from the Common Council, the company will begin moving in immediately. The business will purchase Century City 1 through an affiliate entity. Dupee said it is looking to close the deal by October.

author: Jenny Whidden


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 2, 2018


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Plug in and power up for community change with On the Table MKE | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Greater Milwaukee Foundation
August 2, 2018
(Photo courtesy of Greater Milwaukee Foundation)
Greater Milwaukee Foundation initiative returns Oct. 9 to transform talk into action
Acting on the community’s growing hunger for collaboration, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation is reprising On the Table MKE, an epic day of conversation and cooperation open to anyone interested in helping our region reach its potential.
On the Table MKE 2018 will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 9.  Registration, which is free for any individual or organization willing to host or join a mealtime discussion with peers, is now open at onthetableMKE.org.
TURNING THE TABLES ON CHALLENGING ISSUES
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The Foundation introduced On the Table MKE in 2017 as a new way to build relationships, generate ideas through respectful dialogue and put those ideas in motion for the benefit of the community. Although it takes place on a single day, On the Table MKE is much more than a single event. It involves hundreds of independently organized gatherings held across southeastern Wisconsin where people share a meal, talk about topics that matter and take action together.
“From spirited ideas to collaborations whose impact continued long after the day was done, On the Table MKE really brought out the best in our community,” said Foundation President and CEO Ellen Gilligan. “When we saw the concept catch on, we knew we had to bring the opportunity back so the momentum could grow. Whether you step forward to host or accept an invitation to join a table, you are helping bring our community closer together.”
Hosts set the terms of their gatherings, choosing whom to invite – typically 6-10 people – where to meet, time of day, topic of discussion and nature of the meal so it works best for all involved. From a morning coffee, to a backyard barbeque, to a dinner party – the options are endless.
NEW THIS YEAR
The Foundation further provides the registration platform, instructional materials and ongoing guidance to make each experience as successful as possible. In addition to sharing knowledge and outcomes that surface through participants’ effort, the Foundation learns from community ideas to help inform philanthropy.
In its first year, On the Table MKE engaged more than 5,400 people across 73 ZIP codes in meaningful conversation to ignite action. At least 150 different topics were explored. The Foundation’s Voices from the Community report examines the experience of participants.
SUCCESS STORIES
In the months that followed, many groups continued to meet, mobilize and implement their ideas for strengthening greater Milwaukee. Examples include:
CONTACT US
Questions about On the Table MKE can be directed to (414) 376-8253 or onthetableMKE@greatermilwaukeefoundation.org. Complete information at onthetableMKE.org.
About the Greater Milwaukee Foundation
The Greater Milwaukee Foundation is the region’s largest community foundation and was among the first established in the world. For more than a century, the Foundation has inspired philanthropy by connecting generous people to community needs that align with their interests. The Foundation was founded on the premise that generosity can unlock an individual’s potential and strengthen the community as a whole for everyone who lives here. We work in partnership with those who are committed to ensuring greater Milwaukee is a vibrant, economically thriving region that comprises welcoming and inclusive communities providing opportunity, prosperity and a high quality of life for all.
greatermilwaukeefoundation.org  | @GrMKEFdn  |  facebook.com/GreaterMilwaukeeFoundation

author: Greater Milwaukee Foundation


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
August 2, 2018


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United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County hiring Director of Communications | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Michelle Gutknecht
August 2, 2018
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County (UWGMWC) has a rare opportunity for a Director of Communications, reporting to the Vice President, Community Impact, who is responsible to the Chairperson of the Marketing & Communications Committee and the Board of Directors:
United Way is a recognized national brand and is the largest funder of health and human services outside of the federal government. Funds raised through United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County remain local and are invested in nearly 220-plus programs at over 110 local nonprofit program partners.
KEY JOB FUNCTIONS
DIRECT REPORTS (3)
PR and Social Media Specialist; Digital Media and Communications Specialist; Community Initiatives Marketing Specialist, plus volunteers and interns.
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KEY REQUIREMENTS
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
LANGUAGE SKILLS  Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents.  Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community.  Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format.  Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups and/or boards of directors.
MATHEMATICAL SKILLS  Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Good understanding of group dynamics and group facilitation skills.  Experience in working with diverse populations.  Ability to prioritize and balance competing demands.  Ability to work in a complex environment using technical and interpersonal skills.  Ability to apply database management software concepts to practical situations.  Proficient with computer applications such as MS Office, Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, ANDAR (donor database), and Internet desired.
REASONING  Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.  Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
While performing the duties of the job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to sit.  The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; and use hands to finger, handle or feel.  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.  Able to drive reliable vehicle to meetings, appointments and events.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
TO APPLY:
For further job criteria and complete details, click on: https://www.milwaukeejobs.com/j/33039733. If you meet or exceed job requirements, please apply directly at this web address today. Please indicate salary requirements.
Equal Opportunity Employer
M/F/Disability/Vet

author: Michelle Gutknecht


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United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County hiring Director of Marketing | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Michelle Gutknecht
August 2, 2018
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County (UWGMWC) has a unique opportunity for a Director of Marketing, reporting to the Vice President, Resource Development, who is responsible, in partnership with the Director of Communications, to the Chairperson of the Marketing and Communications Committee and Board of Directors:
United Way is a recognized national brand and is the largest funder of health and human services outside of the federal government. Funds raised through United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County remain local and are invested in nearly 220-plus programs at over 110 local nonprofit program partners.
KEY JOB FUNCTIONS
DIRECT REPORTS: (4) Brand Manager; Graphic Designer; Marketing and Administrative Specialist; Marketing Project Planner.
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KEY REQUIREMENTS
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
LANGUAGE SKILLS Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups and/or boards of directors.
MATHEMATICAL SKILLS Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Good understanding of group dynamics and group facilitation skills. Experience in working with diverse populations. Ability to prioritize and balance competing demands. Ability to work in a complex environment using technical and interpersonal skills. Ability to apply database management software concepts to practical situations. Proficient with computer applications such as MS Office, Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, ANDAR (donor database), and Internet desired.
REASONING Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
While performing the duties of the job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to sit. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; and use hands to finger, handle or feel. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Able to drive reliable vehicle to meetings, appointments and events.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
TO APPLY:
For further job criteria and complete details, click on: https://www.milwaukeejobs.com/j/33040796. If you meet or exceed job requirements, please apply directly at this web address today. NOTE: **Preferred Candidate Identified** Please indicate your salary requirements.
Equal Opportunity Employer
M/F/Disability/Vet


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Isabel Castro selected as artist in residence for Cesar E. Chavez Drive | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative
August 3, 2018
Isabel Castro, Chavez Drive’s Artist in Residence for Fall 2018, signs the contract that finalizes her acceptance of the Residency, as CSNI’s Executive Director, Ian Bautista, looks on. In the background is pictured Castro’s new studio – a converted storefront that is still in process of being transformed into an art making space. (Photo by Jessica Luebbering)
This fall, the Farm Project will implement its second Artist in Residence program. Milwaukee artist Isabel Castro has been selected from a deep and talented pool of artists to work out of the public studio & gallery space on S. Chavez Drive from August to December 2018. The Farm Project is a broad partnership effort (of the Chavez Drive BID and the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative) to seed arts and culture on the commercial corridor. The primary goal of this initiative is to establish Cesar Chavez Drive as the home of Latino/a arts and culture in the hearts and minds of Milwaukeeans.
Castro creates work using paint and other media and plans to continue exploration of different media. During her residency, she will create five to seven new pieces of art, including public art that will be installed along the corridor. While developing her personal arts practice, Castro shared that she plans to “build connections with businesses and organizations, in and around the neighborhood for collaborations on events and art projects.” She plans to engage the community in art making workshops that also provide opportunity for personal reflection.
Isabel Castro, Chavez Drive’s Artist in Residence for Fall 2018, in front of the recently installed “¡Si Se Puede!” mural on the SE corner of Chavez and Mineral. Chavez Drive’s 2017 Artist in Residence, Erick Ledesma led the creation of the “¡Si Se Puede!” mural as part of his residency. (Photo by Jessica Luebbering)
Castro exuded excitement at her new position. “I’m so very much excited for this opportunity,” she said. “I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen, what’s going to take place here. I hope to contribute to this neighborhood and this community. I’m very excited to see what awaits us in the future.”
Erick Ledesma, Chavez Drive’s 2017 Artist in Residence and member of the selection committee was also very positive about Castro’s future work on Chavez Drive. “Isabel Castro’s exploration of identity through visual arts, dedication to community involvement and passion to expand her craft make her a great fit for the residency. I am excited to see her flourish within the space and with the Clarke Square Neighborhood,” says Ledesma.
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Castro is a 2017 graduate of Escuela Verde and a rising sophomore at UW-Milwaukee. During her residency, Castro’s artwork will touch on identity, culture, community, and growth. “As I focus on those topics, it will give me the opportunity to share my own stories as a young Latina, and connect my experiences with others,” she shared.
Castro shared that she has planned art-making activities every month that will inspire the creation of a larger public art piece, such as a mural. “Not just painting, different activities. We’re going to be working with different art mediums for sure, and that’s where people can have the opportunity to get their feet wet on certain things and what they would like. From there, we can start brainstorming what we’d want to do together as one big art piece. It’s baby steps to a big picture.”
The Chavez Drive Artist in Residence is part of the Farm Project, an effort to cultivate Cesar E. Chavez Drive as a destination for economic and cultural experience and commerce. In addition to the artist in residence program, the Farm Project has been instrumental in coordinating Ciclovia MKE, an annual open-streets event, an annual Cesar Chavez Day celebration, the installation of a Cesar Chavez memorial statue and plaza, and community art exhibitions. This residency is made possible through private grants and contributions from the Mary L. Nohl Fund, the Zilber Family Foundation, the Chavez Drive BID, Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative, individuals and other sources.
To stay up to date with the progress of the Artist in Residence program and other Farm Project initiatives, “like” the Cesar E. Chavez Drive Business Improvement District (BID) and the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative on Facebook. The studio is located at 1000 S. Chavez Drive, on the southeast corner of W. Mineral Ave. and S. Chavez Dr..

created: August 3, 2018

author: Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 3, 2018

author: Adam Carr


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MPS board approves plan to restructure 53206 schools, increase North Division enrollment | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ryeshia Farmer
August 3, 2018
An aerial view of North Division High School shows its sports fields and proximity to downtown. (Photo courtesy of Wes Tank)
The Milwaukee Public Schools board unanimously approved a proposal at its July 26 meeting to reconfigure nine schools in the 53206 ZIP code.
According to a plan presented to the board, a system of flagship schools — “state of the art,” rigorous, resource-packed and high-performing — will be established in fall 2019.
North Division High School as well as Andrew S. Douglas, Auer Avenue, Hopkins-Lloyd Community, Gwen T. Jackson, Benjamin Franklin, LaFollette, Keefe Avenue and Green Bay Avenue elementary schools are included in the 53206 Initiative. Two non-traditional schools in the ZIP code are not involved.
Douglas and Keefe schools will co-locate at Keefe, 1618 W. Keefe Ave., during the upcoming school year. The two will remain separate entities, while Douglas’ facility at 3620 N. 18th St. is renovated into a middle school.
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Beginning in fall 2019, all of the elementary schools, and the new middle school, will feed into North Division.
In addition, Green Bay Avenue School, 3872 N. 8th St., will serve as the “success center” for all schools in the district. The center will be staffed with teachers and counselors who will provide supportive services and utilize restorative justice practices as an alternative to suspensions.
North Division Alumni Association president Yvonne McCaskill addresses the school board in support of the 53206 initiative. (Photo by Ryeshia Farmer)
“We want to pool together resources in [53206] to ensure that our children are getting exactly what they need, when they need it. In order to do that, we had to look into our school settings,” said Keith P. Posley, MPS interim superintendent.
Maricha Harris, special assistant to the superintendent, and Katrice Cotton, MPS interim chief of administration, outlined the initiative’s five goals at the board meeting: to increase academic achievement and accountability; improve district and school culture; develop staff; ensure fiscal responsibility and transparency; and strengthen communication and collaboration.
“I think [the plan] is radical, drastic and what we need,” stated Yvonne McCaskill, president of North Division’s Alumni Association. McCaskill noted that the initiative will simultaneously support North Division High School and its surrounding schools, unlike previous initiatives in the area.
MPS has not had a feeder school system on the North Side.
“We have strong feeder school patterns on the South Side of Milwaukee, and we are creating this so that we have strong pipelines of schools on the North Side as well,” said Cotton.
James Green, North Division Alumni Association vice president, believes that the feeder system will increase enrollment at the high school and incentivize more investment and development.
For example, North Division’s science labs could promote “green” education and urban farming, and its extracurricular activities could develop students’ leadership skills if the school receives more financial support, Green said.
North Division also is slated to become one of 10 MPS community schools in the fall, under the Milwaukee Community Schools Partnership. Community schools provide academic supports, social and emotional learning, health and wellness, and family and community engagement, according to the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County, which is taking a leadership role in the partnership.
School board director Tony Baez warned that the 53206 initiative would fail if it only changes what happens in the schools, noting that external factors such as homeownership and job creation would affect its success. Community members will need to press the city to invest in the area “because [the administration] cannot do it alone.”
School board director Terry Falk added that the board is awaiting details about how the initiative will address issues such as childcare, prenatal care and nutrition.
“People are frustrated with MPS not prioritizing North Division throughout the last 20+ years. [MPS has] many ideas but does not offer resources to move things along,” according to Green.
McCaskill added that the administration needs buy-in from parents and teachers for the initiative to succeed. She recommended presenting data that supports the plan to community members, parents and other stakeholders.
For example, MPS projects that 2,610 students will enroll in 53206 schools for the upcoming school year. Their capacity is 6,089, and 4,833 students reside in the ZIP code.
Auer, Franklin, Hopkins-Lloyd, Keefe and LaFollette elementary schools all rated “fails to meet expectations,” the lowest rating on a scale of five, on the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction report card for the 2016-7 academic year. Jackson was rated “meets few expectations,” the second lowest rating. North Division had the lowest overall score of all the 53206 schools.
According to Posley, the administration consulted with a number of organizations when putting together the initiative. These included the Walnut Way Conservation Corp., United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County, Northwestern Mutual, Running Rebels Community Organization, Safe & Sound as well as city representatives.


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Tobacco is marketed more heavily in Milwaukee’s minority neighborhoods | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
August 3, 2018
Tobacco products in Milwaukee are more aggressively marketed in stores in African-American and Latino neighborhoods than in white ones, according to a study led by a public health researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Results are similar to other studies showing that communities with lower incomes, lower educational attainment and more minority residents are targeted with significantly more tobacco promotion. This study is the first to document the trend in Milwaukee, said Linnea Laestadius, assistant professor in the Zilber School of Public Health.
In addition to the disparity, the researchers have identified a state policy obstacle that keeps local governments from enacting more stringent regulation of tobacco advertising. The results were published Aug. 2 in the journal Tobacco Regulatory Science and were presented to the Milwaukee Common Council earlier this year.
The study involved multiple stakeholder organizations, who conducted an audit of promotion and advertising practices at stores in three demographically distinct ZIP code clusters, with a random sample of tobacco retailers drawn from each.
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Compared to retailers in the predominantly white ZIP code cluster, stores in the African-American and Hispanic areas are more likely to engage in tactics like placing tobacco next to candy, placing ads in the line of sight of children and offering price promotions such as selling small cigars individually and for less than $1, said Laestadius.
“The evidence is increasingly clear that children who are exposed to tobacco marketing in stores are more likely to start smoking,” she added.
While it’s legal for retailers to market tobacco products, she said, these practices are not used to the same degree in the white ZIP code cluster. The tobacco industry spends over $8 billion annually on cigarette advertising and promotion.
Laestadius sees this as the industry cultivating the next generation of smokers by targeting susceptible populations. “Addressing point-of-sale advertising would ultimately help us reduce the disparities we see in smoking-related diseases,” she said.
In Wisconsin, African-American adults and lower income adults have particularly high smoking rates, according to data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Promotion of menthol cigarettes, which have higher carbon monoxide concentrations than regular cigarettes, was most common in the African-American ZIP code cluster.
The study team also pointed to a state level policy, called preemption, that bars local governments from establishing regulations that are stricter than Wisconsin legislation on advertising, licensing and youth access. For example, the rule means Milwaukee couldn’t adopt a ban on menthol cigarettes, which have long been targeted at African American communities. Changing state law would give cities a better chance to protect their residents and promote health.
Store audits were conducted by public health workers and volunteers at 195 tobacco retailers during three months of 2016. The auditors used the Standardized Tobacco Assessment for Retail Settingsform co-developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, specifically designed to help community groups collect data to inform policy change.
Others involved in the study were Heather Sebero of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Allison Myers of Counter Tools, Edgar Mendez of the Wisconsin Tobacco Prevention and Poverty Network in Milwaukee, and Paul Auer, a UWM associate professor of public health.

author: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee


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How to prepare to vote in the primary election | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jay Heck, Common Cause Wisconsin
August 4, 2018
On Tuesday, Aug. 14, voters will whittle down the field of candidates for governor, the U.S. Senate and Congress, and for many other state and local offices. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
The Aug. 14 primary election is less than a month away. It’s important to take steps now to ensure that you have a voice in who will be on the ballot for the Nov. 6 General Election.
To preview your primary election ballot, visit the Wisconsin Elections Commission’s “What’s on My Ballot” page and type in your address.
Early, absentee voting is available NOW!
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If there is even the slightest chance you won’t make it to the polls on Tuesday, Aug.14, don’t wait – see our guide to voting with an early, absentee ballot – in person or by mail, and then VOTE.
The process for casting a ballot early varies across the state, so be sure to contact your local municipal clerk’s office to see what days and hours you can vote early.
The deadline for voters to request a mailed absentee ballot is Thursday, Aug. 9. All absentee ballots must be returned to the municipal clerk’s office by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 14. The last day for in-person absentee voting is Saturday, Aug. 11.
To confirm that you’re registered to vote at your current address
Visit the “My Voter Info” page at MyVote.WI.gov, and enter your name and date of birth to check your voter registration status. You need to have lived at your current address for at least 10 days prior to Election Day in order to register to vote in that election district or ward.
If you’re not already registered, there are several ways you can register to vote:
Online. Eligible voters in Wisconsin who have a valid Wisconsin drivers license or a Wisconsin DMV-issued ID can now register online at MyVote.WI.gov up to 20 days before the election in which they are planning to vote. For the Aug. 14 primary, the last day to register online is Wednesday, July 25.
By Mail. You can start your voter registration form online at MyVote.WI.gov – then print, sign and mail it to your municipal clerk along with a Proof Of Residence (POR) document. Your form and POR must be postmarked no later than 20 days before the election in which you are planning to vote. Again, for the Aug. 14 primary, that date is Wednesday, July 25.
In your Municipal Clerk’s Office. You can register in-person in your municipal clerk’s office up until the 5 p.m. (or close of business) on the Friday before the election in which you are planning to vote. For the Aug. primary, that date is Friday, Aug. 10. You’ll need to bring a proof of residence document to complete your registration (this document can be shown electronically).
At the Polls on Election Day. If you’re unable to register by any of the methods above, you can still register at the polls on Election Day. You will need to present a proof of residence document when registering (again, this document can be shown electronically). If your drivers license or state ID card has your current address, that’s all you need.
Make sure you vote. Your participation is vital to a healthy democracy!

created: August 4, 2018

author: Jay Heck, Common Cause Wisconsin


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 4, 2018


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Special Report: MPD slow to respond to violent crime calls, police data shows | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
August 6, 2018
(Photo by Edgar Mendez)
This is the first in a two-part series about Milwaukee Police Department response times. Read the second installment here.
If you are the victim of an armed robbery in Milwaukee and call the police for help, you can expect to wait nearly half an hour for officers to arrive, according to Milwaukee Police Department dispatch data analyzed by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.
NNS analyzed more than 1 million MPD dispatch records that occurred during the five-year period between 2013 and 2017. The average response time for all types of calls to MPD was 33 minutes in 2017, down substantially from 65 minutes in 2015, but up slightly from 32 minutes in 2013.
“I don’t think that’s acceptable at all,” said Ald. Bob Donovan of the response times. Donovan, who represents the 8th District on the South Side, said he found it especially disturbing that the response time for a violent crime such as reckless use of a weapon averaged 74 minutes in 2017. The response to calls for domestic violence averaged 30 minutes, while it took police 29 minutes to respond to a battery.
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Ald. Jose Perez, who represents the city’s 12th District,  said it’s not just residents who have to wait a long time for police to arrive.
“I call myself and I have to wait,” Perez said. “We want to get these times down.”
Police responded much more quickly to shootings (6 minutes), fights (12 minutes), and reports of subjects with a gun (13 minutes) in 2017.
The NNS analysis also found that response times vary by neighborhood. For example, someone reporting an armed robbery in 53204 on the South Side last year waited 21 minutes on average, while in 53205 on the North Side the average wait was 54 minutes. The average response time to all types of calls in 53204 last year was 31 minutes, while in 53205 it was 39 minutes.
Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales declined, through a spokesperson, to be interviewed for this story.
Milwaukee police officers have come under fire for their response times in several high profile incidents in recent years, including the stabbing death of Barbara Killebrew, who called 911 three times and waited 22 minutes for police to respond in late 2014. Six MPD officers were disciplined for their slow response in that case. MPD was also widely criticized for taking three hours to respond to the sexual assault of an elderly woman in 2015.
Assistant Police Chief Ray Banks said responses are dictated by a priority system, which classifies calls into categories from 1 to 6, with 1 being the highest priority.
“If there’s a shooting, that’s a Priority 1 call and will get the quickest response,” said Banks, after a recent meeting with residents in the Amani neighborhood.
According to the data analyzed by NNS, the response time for Priority 1 calls in 2015 (the last year for which priority-level data was available) averaged 21 minutes. Priority 5 calls took an average of 87 minutes in 2015.
Jennifer Morris, who lives on the South Side, said she called 911 last year for help while her ex-husband, who was under a restraining order not to go near her, was trying to kick in her door and threatening to kill her.
“They didn’t show up for well over an hour,” after he’d already left, said Morris. “They [the police] did nothing.”
Banks said residents need to continue calling police to report crimes or emergencies, and to be prepared to provide information that could help dispatchers classify the call’s priority status correctly.
“You might call and report a burglary, but if we know that someone is inside the home then that could push it from a lower priority call to a higher one,” Banks said.
Perez said that he and other aldermen have been working with Paulina De Haan, emergency communications and policy director for the city of Milwaukee, to improve the communication process between residents and 911 dispatchers.
“Those jobs are tough and we want to make sure the dispatcher is someone who understands the community and can communicate what information is needed to get a quicker response,” Perez said.
Lisa Schultz said she waited five hours for police to arrive at her North Side home after her son found the front door unlocked and called 911. Schultz, whose home was burglarized, said she didn’t find out right away about what happened, but police still weren’t there when she got home.
“I called 911 again and told them I didn’t know if someone was still in my house. Several hours after that they finally showed up,” Schultz said.
The average response time for an illegal entry was 57 minutes in 2016, when the burglary at Schultz’s home occurred. It was 33 minutes in 2017.
There are several reasons response times in Milwaukee are high, according to city leaders, law enforcement representatives and others. They include the high number of crimes and criminals on the streets, a shortage of resources for law enforcement and policing strategies that originated under MPD Chief Ed Flynn, who resigned in February after leading the department for 10 years.
Mike Crivello, president of the Milwaukee Police Association, said residents often think it takes officers much longer to respond than it really does, but he believes that response times ballooned while Flynn was at the helm.
“Flynn came out and said that if people are willing to wait hours for their cable man then they can wait for their police officer,” Crivello said. Flynn could not reached for comment.
Crivello said Flynn eliminated or scaled down several specialized units in the department, such as detectives, that acted as “force multipliers” because of their ability to free up beat cops to patrol neighborhoods and respond to certain types of calls. Other “force multipliers,” that were reduced under Flynn were motorcycle and bike cops, according to Crivello.
“Those guys could relieve officers regularly on car accidents because [they] were skilled at that,” added Crivello, who said he expects response times to improve under Morales.
Fred Royal, president of the Milwaukee NAACP, also cited the elimination of specialty units under Flynn as a reason response times increased.
Milwaukee NAACP President Fred Royal said changing policing strategies and reducing poverty is key to reducing response times. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
“High-risk units that used to go out and serve search warrants for violent offenders were cut down. All of the drug units were dismantled. The specialty units allowed individuals to build rapport and get to know who the players were, which helped to cut down crime,” Royal said.
The shortage of police officers is another reason response times are slow, Crivello said, blaming Mayor Tom Barrett. Barrett declined to comment.
“No matter how hard you try to reduce response times, if you don’t have the manpower you can’t do it,” Crivello said.
“The number of officers we have currently working our streets in Milwaukee is inadequate for the levels of crime and disorder,” agreed Donovan. While police department budgets have ballooned, police staffing levels have decreased, which slowed response times, he contended.
According to the 2018 city budget, the MPD allocation is $293 million, down from $302 million in 2017 and much higher than the $166 million allocated in 2012.
According to Royal, who once waited more than an hour for police to arrive after a break-in at his home, the issue is less about a police shortage than about policing strategies. He said a high concentration of police officers in certain areas and “stop and frisk” policies, both common strategies under Flynn, contributed to high response times. The city settled a class-action lawsuit challenging the stop and frisk policy in July.
“Our city needs to be focused on better utilization of the police we have,” Royal said.
Still, he said, the only way to solve the problem is to attack it at the root, which would mean focusing on reducing poverty in the city.
“If you give somebody a job they won’t be stealing. If you reduce poverty, you reduce crime and subsequently response times,” Royal said.
Perez said there are jobs in the city for people who want to work.
“I never get phone calls in my office from people looking for work. I get phone calls from people looking for people who are looking for work,” he said.
While Perez agreed poverty is a major issue that must be addressed, another is the failure of the District Attorney’s office to keep repeat offenders off the streets.
“We’re always surprised and upset when there is someone who is a repeat offender and they commit another heinous crime,” Perez said in an interview a week before a repeat offender who was wanted by police shot and killed MPD Officer Michael J. Michalski.
Donovan blames repeat offenders for the increased crime and the resulting slow response times in Milwaukee.
“They [repeat offenders] need to be punished and taken from society for a period of time until they learn their lesson. Then our officers might not be spread as thin as they are,” Donovan said.
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm said that while he understands the frustration of local aldermen, there is no data drawing a connection between habitual offenders and response times.
“It’s next to impossible to make a connection between inaction at the DA’s office and higher response times. There are so many factors that influence response times. The responsibility falls on all of us to make a community safer,” Chisholm said.
Residents also may have unrealistic expectations for prompt police response times, according to Ian Bautista, executive director of the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative.
“People are expecting them to materialize instantly and that’s just not the case when the force is busy trying to prioritize the most sensitive situations,” explained Bautista, who said he often fields calls from residents who complain about police response times.
The problem with slow response times is that when people lose confidence in police they are less likely to report a crime, according to Sharlen Moore, executive director of Urban Underground.
“It impacts the community greatly when residents have lost hope in law enforcement,” Moore said.
“They have been let down far too long,” she added. “Now is really the time for changes to start happening in order for trust to be rebuilt. I’m hopeful that it can be done.”
Editor’s note: Sophie Bolich and Abby Ng contributed to this story. Matt Schumwinger, principal at Big Lake Data, provided data processing and geocoding.

created: August 6, 2018

author: Edgar Mendez