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5 things to know and do the weekend of Feb. 11 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
February 11, 2022
Create crafts all weekend at VIBEZ Creative Arts Space. (Photo provided by VIBEZ Creative Arts Space)
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here.
1. Valentine’s Dance Social: Friday, Feb. 11
Celebrate with a loved one at Dunamis Dance Studio’s Valentine’s Day Social. The event runs from 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. at 1170 W Windlake Ave. No cover fee, and doors close at 9 p.m.
2. Music Under the Stars, featuring Shuga Blue: Friday, Feb. 11
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Music Under the Stars is back, this time featuring the feel-good reggae, soul and pop bops for all ages provided by Shuga Blue. The show starts at 7 p.m. at Arts @ Large, located at 1100 S. 5th St. Register for free here.
BLOC Mayoral Forum
Issues facing Black Milwaukeeans is the overarching subject of this mayoral debate, hosted by Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, or BLOC. Candidates will answer questions from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday on BLOC’s Facebook page.
4. Valentine’s Day photo shoot: Saturday, Feb. 12
Do you have couples photos yet? If not, the folks at Flip Film Studios have you covered with multiple photoshoot packages and a free gift bag with each purchase. Book your shoots for Saturday. More information here.
5. A weekend with VIBEZ Creative Arts Space: All weekend
VIBEZ Creative Arts Space, which is dedicated to education around art in different mediums, is hosting a slate of painting events this weekend, including a kids day and GALentine’s day paint n’ sip. Tickets for all weekend events can be purchased here.
We recently published a list of events related to Black History Month, some of which are happening this week. Check them out here.

created: February 11, 2022


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 10, 2022

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: February 10, 2022

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

author: Dwayne Burtin


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An NNS Valentine’s Day: ‘Our primary vow to each other is no Plan B’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
February 11, 2022
“You’re committing to that person and their journey,” Demetria Smith says. “You can’t expect people to change, and you can’t expect people to stay the same.” (Photo provided Tristan Gross)
Valentine’s Day is Monday. So we thought we’d check in with two couples and showcase their love.
When it comes to love, Demetria Smith and Tristan Gross don’t have a Plan B. Nor do they want one.
The couple have been married for just over seven years. Smith is the executive director of the Peak Initiative, which trains young leaders, and Gross is the director of Partnerships and Community Engagement for the Sojourner Family Peace Center.
They first met through a mutual friend who had invited Gross to join her and Smith on a trip to the Essex Music Festival. While the trip didn’t happen, a friendship between Gross and Smith did and eventually that led to something more.
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The two had hung out on multiple occasions, but one day they went to Rochambo Coffee & Tea House, where they played chess and shared a pot of tea. It was the first time one of their hangouts had romantic leanings.
On top of thinking Gross was cute, Smith enjoyed his willingness to try new things and Gross enjoyed that Smith was up for spontaneous excursions.
During their courtship, the couple spent a lot of time in new spaces together, which gave them opportunities to be authentic and vulnerable with one another. For Gross, who was going through a personal transition, Smith made him feel fully seen.
The interests that connected their friendship – music and food – continue to connect them to this day.
“One of the things that I realized about Demetria very early on, when we were still friends, is that she does not mind listening to the same song on repeat, over and over and over,” Gross said. “And I like to listen more to an album or a playlist.”
He added that Smith has her go-to songs, while he prefers branching out and listening to new music. And while their music tastes diverge in many ways, they both love a good concert.
One of their favorite trips was a road trip to the Cincinnati Music Festival. Aside from the music, they enjoyed some museums, visited the Over-The-Rhine farmers market and had an overall good time.
As far as food is concerned, they lean toward places that offer tapas or small plates so they can try a little bit of everything. Some of their favorite restaurants include Odd Duck and The Ethiopian Cottage.
They also bonded over their ability to have conversations on anything.
“Any particular topic is worthy,” Smith said. “We talk about it and figure out interesting opinions and other questions to ask. It made for cheap dates, because we’d go somewhere and sit and walk and have a conversation for three hours and that was the date.”
Gross noted that one of the qualities he admires most about Smith is her mind.
“I think Demetria’s just brilliant,” he said. “The way her mind works is extremely admirable.”
He added that when he’s thinking about something, he’ll ask for her thoughts and she’ll introduce an alternative perspective or make a connection he didn’t see.
“Her brain power is amazing,” he said.
Their advice to individuals is to be self-aware.
It’s common to externalize difficult feelings and blame others or put the responsibility on others to fix, but that is work individuals need to do on their own, Gross said.
“I don’t think you can be in a healthy relationship without having that level of self-awareness,” he said.
He added, “That second piece is, even when things get difficult, remember that you are on the same team and kind of want the same thing, big picture. You got to take the ego out of it. Ego can’t exist and be in the space in a healthy way.”
Smith added that part of being self-aware includes realizing that a relationship isn’t going to complete you.
“We can complement, and we can enjoy each other, and we can support each other, but we can’t really complete each other,” she said. “If you’re looking for somebody to do that, it’s probably going to go wrong every time. It just puts too high of a bar of what the other person is supposed to do.”
Marriage is hard, Smith said, and it requires energy and commitment.
“Our primary vow to each other is no Plan B,” she said. “That no Plan B vow really helped us turn toward each other in a conflict. I think that’s the most important thing, that there’s no exit plan, so let’s figure it out.”
Commitment means realizing that there are some things about that person that will never change and some things that will change.
“My commitment was not to Tristan in 2014, cause that was one Tristan,” Smith said. “Tristan in 2022 is a different dude. So, you’re committing to that person and their journey. You can’t expect people to change, and you can’t expect people to stay the same.”
And although they may be different in some ways and the same in others, the one thing time can’t change is their connection to each other.
“I like that we continue working well together,” Gross said. “And not only in the big really romantic ways, but just practically, we fit. It works.”
An NNS Valentine’s Day: COVID-19 has taught this South Side couple how to weather the storms of life. Together.
An NNS Valentine’s Day: After 30 years, North Side couple are still learning new things about their relationship

author: Ana Martinez-Ortiz


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An NNS Valentine’s Day: ‘The greatest journey of my life’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
February 11, 2022
For Dinorah Marquez and Raoul Deal, the secret to a relationship, aside from love and attraction, is the willingness to do the work. (Photo provided Dinorah Marquez)
Valentine’s Day is Monday. So we thought we’d check in with two couples and showcase their love.
For Dinorah Marquez and Raoul Deal, the love and relationship they have together is just one example of life’s many adventures.
Marquez is a musician and the director of the strings program and Mariachi Juvenil as well as a violin and viola instructor for Latino Arts.
Deal is an artist and the coordinator of the community arts program at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts.
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The couple first met in 1983 at an event celebrating Harold Washington, who had just been elected mayor of Chicago. Marquez was working as an assistant press secretary and Deal was there as a guest.
“She was looking at everybody, cause she was a photographer,” Deal said. “I was looking at her cause I was at the party.”
Busy with work, Marquez didn’t initially take notice of Deal. But they met again through a mutual friend.
“We had a series of encounters in which, of course, I found him to be extremely handsome and sweet,” Marquez said. “And of course, he was an artist, which is always wonderfully attractive.”
And while there was a tangible chemistry, the couple didn’t get together until 1987 thanks to a mutual friend and a tarot-card reading.
At the time, Marquez was living back in Mexico with the intention of moving to Peru. Before embarking on this venture, she went to see a friend’s mother, a well-known tarot-card reader named Mona.
Mona informed Marquez that she’d be moving north, that she’d encounter a man she already knew and that they would have a baby together. According to the cards, the man was tall with jet-black hair and a Sagittarius.
Marquez brushed aside Mona’s reading but soon found herself in Chicago to celebrate a friend’s recent adoption. Under the guise of seeing Marquez, Deal was lured to the house to help move a piano, and while there, the two once again got to talking.
“We’re in conversation, and all of it sudden, it struck me, that he had the description that Mona had said,” Marquez recalled.
“It’s been the greatest journey of my life,” Raoul Deal says of his relationship with Dinorah Marquez. (Photo provided Dinorah Marquez)
Soon after, the two went on their first date to the Brookfield Zoo, and while it would take years for Marquez to tell Deal about that fateful tarot-card reading, they already knew they were going to be together for the long haul. Even the prediction about the baby came true. The couple have a daughter together.
“I think I heard early on in my life that a couple can only succeed if both people are willing to work hard,” Marquez said. “And I think that we, over the years, have tried to work hard.”
While they don’t necessarily see eye to eye on everything, their willingness to face the hard times together has helped them soldier through. When she’s struggling, Marquez knows that Deal has her back, and Deal knows that Marquez is a fierce advocate for the ones she loves, and that he’s top of the list.
“It’s not always easy, but I’m always the one that says, ‘Let’s grab the bull by the horns’ and just face whatever issues we’re having,” Marquez said. “And I think that’s really helped us grow the love, like Raoul says.”
The couple figured out their differences early on, but they also found their similarities, such as their shared desire that all people be safe, happy, healthy and thriving. Many of the activities that the couple are involved in work to address the impacts of colonization, the process of healing and generational trauma.
“These things are not just values for us, they’re a way of life and a way of understanding how we live in the world,” Marquez said. “Our work, whether it’s through art for Raoul or music for me, revolves around making a difference in these areas.”
One of the things the couple bonded over was their love of music. Growing up, Deal’s family always enjoyed getting together and playing music. When he met Marquez, he was listening to canto nuevo – a type of protest music that addressed social issues and was popular in South America. It was a sound with which Marquez was familiar.
“We grew together as a couple playing music together,” Deal said, adding that music played a galvanizing aspect in the friendships they made when they moved to Mexico so Deal could earn his master’s degree.
Even now, music continues to be a part of the couple’s lives and they enjoy listening to various genres from folk to traditional to classical.
And like music, food has also played a role in the couple’s lives when it comes to building community. There’s a similar giving when listening to music or breaking bread with loved ones, Deal said. For them, this means including both Italian and Mexican foods during the holidays from tamales to stuffed ravioli.
Their advice to other couples or those looking for love is to do the hard work. That means working for the relationship and working on oneself. Don’t let expectations get in the way, Marquez said.
“To me, expectations are a path to failure, and they’re also sort of a limitation to our personal growth,” she said. “Truly love yourself and work on yourself, because the more we’re doing our own work with whatever’s happening within us, the more likely that we’ll be able to connect genuinely with that other person.”
And for this couple, that work has been worth it.
“I’m just glad I didn’t shy away from all the work that it takes,” Deal said. “Because I know that the road is always rough and rocky, but in my experience, it’s been the greatest journey of my life.”
“It’s a beautiful adventure, like Raoul said, and it never ends,” Marquez added. “Just like in music, we continue to grow and struggle and enjoy and love and change with time.”
An NNS Valentine’s Day: COVID-19 has taught this South Side couple how to weather the storms of life. Together.
An NNS Valentine’s Day: After 30 years, North Side couple are still learning new things about their relationship


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Post from Community: Fund Milwaukee: Small investments with big impacts | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Fund Milwaukee
February 11, 2022
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Investors looking to dip a toe in the startup funding pool have a new option to invest small amounts in local businesses. Fund Milwaukee, a non-profit organization, connects Milwaukee investors with local small business owners.
Fund Milwaukee is run by a board of volunteers whose goal is to “increase local investment opportunities, with a focus on local businesses that measure their success against all three pillars of the triple bottom line – economic, ecological and social.”  The organization connects local investors and entrepreneurs to fund loans, which average around $15,000.
These small investments have a big impact on the community. According to Fund Milwaukee data from 2018, the investments generated from the program have created 187 jobs and connected 26 local businesses with grassroots funding, including Outpost Natural Foods, Purple Door Ice Cream, and the Bobblehead Hall of Fame.
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Each month interested investors join a Fund Milwaukee hosted Zoom meeting to hear from two Milwaukee businesses looking for investors. The entrepreneurs present their pitch deck to potential investors, with a focus on financial predictions and the investment terms, and the interest rate at which the entrepreneur agrees to repay the loan.
Fund Milwaukee’s February Viral Pitch meeting occurred on Tuesday, February 8. The first pitch of the evening was from Rooted MKE owner, Ashley Valentine. Rooted MKE is a BIPOC children’s bookstore and maker’s space that will offer tutoring and literacy instruction. The CEO is a former MPS teacher with a master’s degree in Exceptional Education & Literacy Instruction. The Vliet Street location is scheduled to open in March.
Valentine, who already has a full slate of tutoring clients, is seeking $10,000, with $5,000 dedicated to purchase retail inventory and $5,000 for working capital. Rooted MKE’s minimum investment threshold is $500.
The second pitch of the evening was from 1700 Pullup, a local soul food restaurant that currently offers Purple Dcatering and carryout meals. With special like “Turkey Leg Thursdays,” and “Soul Food Sundays,” local chef Rosetta Bond has developed a tremendous following in the city. If the name sounds familiar, it is because Bond has been in the headlines lately. She is the chef that won the Tandem Restaurant giveaway, taking over the location vacated by Caitlin Cullen, and is a recent Brew City Match winner.
Bonds is seeking $50, 000 to make repairs in the former Tandem and offset operating costs, with invests starting at $1,500.
The graduate of MATC’s Culinary Arts program is an alumna of the Green Bay Packers Protégé Program, and notes that both Jennifer Bartolotta and TrueMan McGee are both mentoring her on the launch of her first brick and mortar location. Bond anticipates opening the restaurant in time for Mother’s Day.
After the entrepreneurs pitch to the investors, Fund Milwaukee steps back and allows the deals to be worked out between the business owner and funder. Like all investment opportunities, a profit is not guaranteed, and may result in a loss.
You can learn more about Fund Milwaukee and how to get involved here.

author: Fund Milwaukee


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Post from Community: Children’s Community Health Plan and Health Connections, Inc. to hold free mobile COVID-19 vaccination clinics in February | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Children's Community Health Plan
February 11, 2022
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Individuals older than age 12 vaccinated at the clinics will receive a $50 gift card;
individuals younger than age 12 vaccinated at the clinics will receive a $10 gift card.
WHO: Community members ages 5 and older needing first or second COVID-19 vaccinations; community members ages 12 and older needing the booster COVID-19 vaccine. All eligible individuals will be vaccinated regardless of ID, documentation or insurance status. Children ages 5-17 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
WHAT: Children’s Community Health Plan (CCHP) in partnership with Health Connections, Inc. is hosting a COVID-19 mobile walk-in vaccination clinic. Free COVID-19 testing is also available.
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WHEN AND WHERE:
Visit childrenscommunityhealthplan.org/events to learn more.

author: Children's Community Health Plan


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Image-2-10-22-at-1.25-PM.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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February 10, 2022

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Real talk: What I’d like to say to the next mayor | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
February 11, 2022
It’s almost Election Day.
The mayoral primary is fast approaching on Tuesday, Feb. 15. From there, the top two vote-getters will advance to the spring election on April 5, and Milwaukee will have a new mayor for the first time since 2004.
So we asked 10 residents: “If you had two minutes with the next mayor of Milwaukee, regardless of outcome, what would you say?”
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(Photo provided by Alexandria Harper-King)
Alexandria Harper-King
26
: Avenue West
I would repeat what I said when I sat in a meeting with Mayor Barrett. We need to defund the police and put money into programs that are helping BIPOC in this city.
We need to stay on topic when it comes to discussing reform and creating more opportunities for people. We need more money for education, child care and jobs. We need better transportation, which includes extending bus lines into areas where people are getting paid higher wages.
Many of our communities are still scarce on food.
Residents need public servants to be actively helping when they are called upon and not create more disturbance in communities.
I would say invest into the youth. As a community, we continuously take resources and programming away from them and then complain about how they spend their time.
Lastly, I would say take some pride in Milwaukee. The streets are a mess, and the city is dirty. As residents, we should care for the city, but as mayor, you get paid to do it.
(Photo provided by Drea Rodriguez)
Drea Rodriguez
43
Polonia
I would remind the mayor that we, as a city, are still healing from a pandemic. So, you should be using diplomacy, especially with our residents, some of whom have suffered great loss these last two years.
There are some big decisions to make because there are so many issues that need to be addressed. But as you work to keep the peace, it’s important to remember that we need to get people to invest in this city. We need to make sure we are making people comfortable. This is not always the most welcoming city.
Many neighborhoods are still vulnerable to lead pipes and reckless driving, the same things they’ve been struggling with for the last 20 years. If we are going to invest in our residents, we need to be fairer about how we’re revitalizing neighborhoods, especially affordable ones. Lots of Menomonee Valley and downtown has been revitalized, but that has not been translated into the city.
If we keep a resident’s perspective and keep building on the positives happening in Milwaukee, we can build something that can be powerful for all of Milwaukee and not just downtown. If we want Milwaukee to be a strong city, it needs to be a livable city.
–Compiled by PrincessSafiya Byers
(Photo provided by Mayhoua Moua)
Mayhoua Moua
Park View
53
I’m looking forward to learning more about what you as the next mayor of Milwaukee will be doing for your constituents, especially people who live in poverty. That includes inner-city residents, immigrants and refugees who are struggling financially, trying to make a life in the neighborhoods where they live.
How can you make it a safer neighborhood for them, so they feel safe to let their children play outside? Where they feel safe from reckless drivers? What I have learned over the years is that often these neighborhoods are neglected.
Safety is just not there for residents. Especially when you have language barriers, such as the immigrants and refugee populations. You don’t have any choice of where to go because you cannot afford to move outside the neighborhood that you were put in. At the same time, you don’t have any ways of improving a neighborhood because you don’t know how to voice your concerns.
As mayor, what would you do for these residents? Not only for Southeast Asians, but our neighbors? For African Americans and other minority groups?
How can we make the city a friendlier place for our own children who live in poverty and don’t have the opportunity to work or pursue education? How can we make sure that they can strive further and come out of this cycle of poverty that their families have experienced generation after generation?
If we don’t, we will continue to see a cycle of poverty among minorities and unsafe neighborhoods. What will you do about the system and cycle of poverty in Milwaukee, especially inner-city communities?
(Photo provided by Anne Egan-Waukau)
Anne Egan-Waukau
61
Glendale
We have a large Native American population in Milwaukee. It started back in the 1940s and 1950s when they recruited Natives to work here. Many stayed, some went back to the reservation. But we do have some issues.
We need to focus on health care and education for our young people. We need to focus on health care for our elders. I don’t feel like there’s enough focus on this – with organizations like the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center, we’re working on behalf of our Native people, but we need more groups to help with health care, with jobs, with education.
We want our people to realize that our votes matter and that we matter. I think this is a great opportunity for the mayor to come in and sit with us and talk with us and listen to what our issues are. I think those would be the main things: education, health, mental health and safety, especially safety for our elders.
–Compiled by Matt Martinez
(Photo provided by Angela Lang)
Angela Lang
32
Lives on East Side, works in 53206 ZIP code
I would start with asking the new mayor to explain their connection and love toward Milwaukee.
I also think about reckless driving, specifically, and am disappointed with the narrative that the problem is just young Black kids stealing cars. Immediately, the knee-jerk reaction is to add more police versus seeing the humanity in people.
Also, reckless driving in our city includes the white man on his fourth DUI, or when police are doing high-speed chases and our own team at Black Leaders Organizing for Community has to run off the sidewalk to avoid being hit by a police car. But these examples are often left out of the narrative.
Our city deserves so much, and I encourage the next mayor to not reach for knee-jerk reactions and see Milwaukeeans as full people.
What does a short-term future look like if the mayor does not approach issues like reckless driving from a place of loving Milwaukee and the people in it?
I think Milwaukee is hurting right now. There’s a lot of anger and frustration, and if we’re not approaching it from seeing people’s humanity, I think the divide will continue. We’re an incredibly segregated city and I think those divides will continue if there is not an effort to listen and understand each other.
(Photo provided by Iuscely Flores)
Iuscely Flores
25
Clarke Square
I would ask if the new mayor knew what a sanctuary city is. I’d hope they know what it means and that they can look to cities like San Francisco as an example.
I also would ask if they have considered funding for mental and physical health services, and what their plan would be to bring that to action. Milwaukee recently received funds for the police department through a federal grant, and I would ask them if, or how, they see that as benefiting our communities more than mental or physical health services.
Communities of color are already the most underfunded when it comes to mental and physical health issues. We can see the effect of that this time of year when folks of color get seasonal depression and have trouble explaining what is happening to their employer or families or maybe even themselves.
So, I really believe mental health in our communities should be among our pillars of public safety. If we can start supporting mental health, we can start to heal as a community, and I hope the next mayor considers starting there as a point of growth for Milwaukee.
–Compiled by Sam Woods
(Photo provided by Jesus Nañez)
Jesus Nañez
39
Town of Lake
Thank you for taking the time to listen.
First, there always seems to be a rivalry between resources on the North and South Side.
I don’t have raw data to say the South Side is struggling more than the North Side or vice versa. I’ve lived and worked in both areas, and I know the North Side has more challenges. But you can’t just ignore the South Side.
How do we balance that scale? Is there a person on your team that has their finger on their pulse of the South Side?
Second, from my perspective as a business owner, community development is economic development. The focus of building community should include a large component of building small businesses and empowering entrepreneurs to open up their shops.
City government has a bunch of great programs and grants already. But what I see lacking is the staff. How do we get more people answering phones and returning e-mails on time? It seems like the city has not yet recovered from the staffing pandemic, which is a whole different beast. I feel like the city is still at 50%.
I know how to get things done through the system because I’ve been doing this for a long time. But it’s so much harder for the average first-time business owner, going through the maze of phone calls and different departments.
What is the plan to ramp up the staff and pace at which city departments execute their work? I know it’s not easy, but there has to be a way.
(Photo provided by Esperanza Gutierrez)
Esperanza Gutierrez
69
Pulaski Park
During the pandemic, I’ve been mainly in lockdown. The only contact I have is with my family. It’s been rough being isolated.
I need the mayor to heal Milwaukee.
If I’m suffering like this, I’m pretty sure people are suffering all around me. I can see it in my kids, my grandchildren. I can see it when I go grocery shopping. Some people stop and smile. Others push themselves on everybody because they are tired of sitting at home and waiting.
I think we need a young mayor to imagine a future for Milwaukee and not just try to bring back the past.
We need healing.
We need to have a discourse. To be able to sit down, no matter what your views are, and talk and listen to each other. In Milwaukee, we need to listen to each other.
The mayor should be able to unite the Common Council and not divide it.
I see gentrification happening on the near South Side. I see condos popping up everywhere, but I don’t see working people being able to get in them. We need to be careful of outside investors.
We need to get back to civility, tapping into being courteous and respectful with each other. The more you use hateful words, the more you have the hate. And the more you use the hate, the more you spread it.
We need to invest in ourselves, so we can heal.
–Compiled by Adam Carr
(Photo by Joe Brusky/MTEA)
Alondra Garcia
24
Walker’s Point
I’d like to speak to the new mayor about education. As a teacher myself, what kind of resources does the new mayor plan to pull in toward Milwaukee Public Schools specifically? And what’s the position on trying to overtake the MPS district?
There are talks and conversations going on about trying to dismantle the MPS district because it’s too big and giving power to people that would seek to expand the charter sector. So, what’s their take on that, where do they stand?
I would like them to know that, as an MPS graduate and now MPS teacher, I am against any takeover. I saw with my own eyes the benefit of being an MPS student, the opportunity to be exposed to diversity, different opportunities and being able to be with my people in my community. If I was to be in a charter school or any other kind of school, I wouldn’t get that exposure.
There’s so many resources that could be utilized in a different way, yes, MPS included, and there’s a lot that needs to be fixed within the district. But overall, the teachers and students are what makes it worth it. You cannot just dismantle all of it like that, all at once, because many families depend on public education.
(Photo provided by Tammie Xiong)
Tammie Xiong
36
53208 ZIP code
I’m a huge believer that women, girls, queer and trans people are the backbone of community and making sure that community is safe and thriving. The question I would ask is, “How will you hold yourself accountable to ensuring that women, girls, queer and trans people are safe and that they’re thriving?”
I think one of the most important things is that Milwaukee is home to huge immigrant and refugee communities. When you’re escaping war and trying to survive and you come to this country and settle in Milwaukee, I think it’s the mayor’s responsibility to make sure that Milwaukee can become a place where immigrants and refugees really feel safe and call home.
I think there’s a lot of responsibilities to ensuring that families coming from all over the world feel like that they can really call Milwaukee home. I think that’s important to us and the work we do at the Hmong American Women’s Association and coming from someone who had Hmong refugee parents.
–Compiled by Ana Martinez-Ortiz
The spring primary election is Feb. 15: Here’s what you need to cast your vote.
Milwaukee has an election coming up. Meet the people tasked with ensuring things go

author: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service


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Alexandria Harper-King | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 10, 2022


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Drea Rodriguez | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 10, 2022


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Esperanza Gutierrez | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 10, 2022


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Iuscely Flores | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 10, 2022


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Jesus Nanez | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 10, 2022


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Mayhoua Moua | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 10, 2022


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5 things to know and do this week in Milwaukee: Feb. 14 to Feb. 18 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
February 14, 2022
Association is hosting a meeting for residents from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 15 at Café El Sol at the United Community Center, 1028 S. 9th St. (NNS file photo by Edgar Mendez)
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here.
1. Election Day: Tuesday, Feb. 15
The first of four elections this year is on Tuesday, Feb. 15. Vote for the next mayor and see which two of the seven candidates will move on to April’s general election. Find where to vote here and what’s on your ballot here. In case you missed it: The spring primary election is Feb. 15: Here’s what you need to cast your vote.
2. Walker Square neighborhood meeting: Tuesday, Feb. 15
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If you live between South 6 Street and South 16th Street (South Cesar Chavez Drive) and between West Bruce Street and West Greenfield Avenue, come meet your neighbors at this Walker Square neighborhood meeting. The meeting, hosted by the Walker Square Neighborhood Association, takes place from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 15 at Café El Sol at the United Community Center, 1028 S. 9th St.
3. Zero Youth Corrections Forum brainstorming session: Thursday, Feb. 17
The Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services and partners are hosting a virtual forum on how to bring the number of youths in Wisconsin’s correctional system to zero. This is the last of four forums, and it starts at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17. Register here.
4. See what’s working in Metcalfe Park: Monday, Feb. 14 through Friday, Feb. 18
Metcalfe Park Community Bridges wants to share all the group has accomplished in 2021 for its Metcalfe Park neighbors every day this week. Each day will feature accomplishments relating to themes that include connectedness and cultural vibrancy; civic engagement; health and wellness; community safety and placemaking; and intergenerational wealth. Visit the Metcalfe Park Community Bridges Facebook and Instagram pages from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday to learn more.
5. Apply for paid marketing internships: Now through Friday, Feb. 18
Looking to jump-start a career in marketing? The BrandLab, a nonprofit organization looking to change the face and voice of the marketing and advertising industry, is looking for high schoolers and college students for its paid summer internship programs. The deadline to apply is Friday, Feb. 18. Application and more information here.
BONUS: Black History Month events: all month
We recently published a list of events related to Black History Month, some of which are happening this week. Check them out here.

created: February 14, 2022

author: Sam Woods


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 13, 2022

created: February 13, 2022


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OPINION: Local Black history every Milwaukeean should know | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
February 14, 2022
Editor’s note: Have something on your mind? “Community Voices” is the place to let Milwaukee hear what you have to say. To be considered, we need your name, email address and phone number for verification. Please email your submissions to info@milwaukeenns.org.
We asked our neighbors to lift up the Black history in Milwaukee that they want their whole community to know about. They responded with these tributes to artists and business leaders.
(Photo provided by Kellen Abston)
Kellen “Klassik” Abston is a Milwaukee-based musical polymath and award-winning recording and performing artist, most recently named the 2021 City of Milwaukee Mildred L. Harpole Artist of the Year. His blend of jazz, hip-hop, soul and electronic music has guided his growth into an intergenerational communicator, educator and community activist.
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I would like to take this moment to honor and give tribute to my uncle, the visual artist Gerald Duane Coleman.
He was an integral part of the Freewheelers, a group of Black artists in this city during the 1970s and 1980s that regularly held their own art fairs at the King Library. He would also ride around the city on a horse doing historical re-enactments and portrayals of the legendary Black cowboy Nat Love.
He would go on to have works installed across Milwaukee, including the Atkinson Library — which was my neighborhood library when I was growing up — the Midwest Express Center (when it was first built and still called that), the Bradley Center and many others.
Artist Gerald Duane Coleman portrays the legendary Black cowboy Nat Love. (Photo provided by Kellen Abston)
His work incorporates a mix of textiles, fabrics, found objects and his own exceptional free-hand sketching and painting skills, creating ethereal visualizations of life across the Black Diaspora, bolstered by his frequent trips to Brazil and West Africa.
In many ways, I’m just now realizing the influence my uncle has had on my life. Growing up, I was surrounded by his art when I visited his home. He also used to cut my hair and taught my dad to cut my hair. Then, seeing his art out in the city, I got to see the impact of one man and his vision on a large scale. I got to witness firsthand what it looked like to be a successful full-time Black artist, which helped me become who I am today.
As with many of our elders, I look forward to discovering more of his story. I embrace and relish the fact that he still resides here in Milwaukee, in Bronzeville, where I will continue to soak up more of his and our city’s rich history.
At the opening of an exhibition called “Woman In Bloom,” artist Gerald Duane Coleman poses with librarian William Beaudot at the King Branch of the Milwaukee Public Library, where Coleman frequently exhibited in the ‘70s and ’80s. (Photo provided by Kellen Abston)
(Photo provided by Tia Cannon)
Tia Cannon is manager for BID Marketplace 32. She is also an entrepreneur and the owner of ANC Real Estate.
Que El-Amin, founder of Young Enterprise Society, is the epitome or Black history and a trailblazer in the community. Over the years, I’ve watched him build and grow what are some of the most impactful and influential staples in our community.
Young Enterprising Society’s mission is to be an international epicenter for financially, politically and socially progressive individuals. Serving as a hub, Young Enterprise Society mobilizes people, information, resources and capital for the greater good of its members and society at large.
Que has helped catalyze hundreds of businesses and entrepreneurs, along with having created affordable housing for the community that will house many families over time. Que’s accomplishments have given the community hope, a new look and redefined Black history. He’s giving families homes, keeping children off the street, employing the unemployed and opening doors for Brown and Black people of all ages.
Que El-Amin (Photo provided by Tia Cannon)
His work in Milwaukee has influenced many others, including myself! He’s made history and is still history in the making.
Another history maker is my grandfather, King Solomon Lawrence. In the 1960s, he became a well-respected Black man in a white-dominated profession.
(From left to right) King Solomon Lawrence poses with his daughter Khalifah Muslim and son Gayton. (Photo provided by Tia Cannon)
He broke barriers when he was hired and transferred from Schenectady, New York, to Milwaukee to be Holiday Inn’s first Black innkeeper anywhere in the country. He created high class hotel nightlife by introducing celebrity entertainment to prominent guests who frequented the establishment.
He, his wife, five children and several of his grandchildren lived on-site and had a very abundant life. They were constantly surrounded by affluent patrons and entertainers such as the Jackson Five.
He eventually moved his family into an all-white neighborhood where they were the only African American family. King was the first in our family to graduate from college with a business degree.
He is part of Milwaukee’s Black history as a trailblazer and someone who opened up the doors for those to come after.
(Photo provided by Andre Lee Ellis)
Andre Lee Ellis began his theater career with the Hansberry Sands Theater Company and has spent 40 years in the theater business all over the country. He now operates his own nonprofit theater group, Andre’ Lee Ellis & Co.
I can remember a time when Black actors were limited on Milwaukee stages, especially local actors. Then came The People’s Theater in the late 1960s and The Hansberry Sands Theater Company in the early 1980s.
The People’s Theater Company was founded by Gerald Wallace in the late 1960s. It gave local African American actors a chance to be seen on stage in a more positive light.
The Hansberry Sands Theater Company was founded by Asante Scott, who started out with The People’s Theater. I started working with Hansberry Sands in 1984 and left Milwaukee in 1987 for New York. After attending the Herbert Berghof Studio in New York City, I returned to Milwaukee as the artistic director of Hansberry Sands Theater, where I remained for three seasons.
Archived headshots from Andre Lee Ellis’ theater career. (Photo provided by Andre Lee Ellis)
The stories and history of Black people became a common weekend attraction. Our stories were being told and displayed by us. As time moved forward, other Black companies emerged, and now today, even the local professional and non-African American community theater companies include Black actors, Black stories and Black life. We are now the writers, directors, producers, artistic directors, stage hands and managers. We even hold administrative positions.
How can you tell American stories and history and not include Black people? You cannot. Our contributions, in every area, are too vast and great to be denied, and worthy of being compensated. We earned those privileges. Now we’re even winning awards.
Who would have thought?


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1 Klassik 2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 13, 2022


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3 Andre Lee Ellis headshots | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 13, 2022


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Dwayne Burtin
February 13, 2022


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Dwayne Burtin
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OPINION: The status quo is failing our students but a breakup of MPS is the wrong answer | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Isral DeBruin, Dr. Patricia Hoben and Colleston Morgan, Jr
February 15, 2022
(Photo by Wes Tank)
Editor’s note: Have something on your mind? “Community Voices” is the place to let Milwaukee hear what you have to say. To be considered, we need your name, email address and phone number for verification. Please email your submissions to info@milwaukeenns.org
(Top to bottom) Isral DeBruin, Dr. Patricia Hoben and Colleston Morgan
Legislative Republicans recently proposed a dramatic solution to the critical problem of chronically poor student outcomes in Milwaukee Public Schools. While the diagnosis is right, the prescription – breaking the district into several smaller ones – is wrong. Significant change is surely needed, but this plan will make a bad situation worse.
Public education in Milwaukee is fragmented and broken. Fewer than one in ten students are meeting grade level expectations. Parents and families have a difficult time navigating school selection and enrollment among the three different sectors (MPS, public charter schools and private schools) operating schools with public funds.
It has proven impossible for educators and policymakers to align on a coherent and consistent approach to improving student outcomes across the city. Milwaukee needs transformational change in K-12 education, and leaders that put students and families first and refuse to accept a failing status quo.
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That said, in addressing the real and dire challenges facing Milwaukee’s students and schools, we should be mindful of every doctor’s axiomatic oath: “First, do no harm.” The cure for what ails MPS cannot be worse than the disease – and we are concerned that the proposal from Sen. Alberta Darling, Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt and others, while laudable in its intentions, has the real potential to make an already sick patient even worse in four key ways:
1. Worse economic and racial segregation
There’s simply no way to dissolve MPS that doesn’t result in even more Milwaukee students attending racially and economically segregated schools. Segregation in Milwaukee’s housing and schools remains pervasive. According to a recent UW-Milwaukee study, Milwaukee’s Black students attend the most hyper-segregated schools in the nation, with racial segregation levels comparable to the 1960s. Wealth and opportunity are not equitably distributed in our city and locking students out of choices by locking them into a smaller school district only makes this problem worse.
2. Cuts to state and federal funding
An MPS breakup will mean the city overall receives less education funding from both federal and state sources – perhaps as much as 10-15% less, because of how the complex funding formulas take into account both the size of the district and the proportion of students from low-income households. The evidence is clear that money does matter for student outcomes. Even with the influx of COVID-19 recovery funding, schools of all types across the city still face long-term, structural budget challenges.
3. Even more bureaucratic bloat
By creating up to eight new school districts, this proposal would result in an even more bloated, fragmented set of bureaucracies for students, families and educators. Under this legislation, we could have up to 56 new elected school board members, eight new Superintendents and central offices and a myriad of overlapping and redundant district functions. Right now, families seeking to enroll their students in school face a confusing array of timelines, deadlines and requirements. Imagine adding up to eight more sets of requirements for them to figure out. And that’s to say nothing of the costs of these new, redundant bureaucracies, which will almost certainly mean higher taxes on Milwaukee residents.
4. Even more fragmented governance and diffused accountability
This proposal only exacerbates what is already a core challenge to improving outcomes for Milwaukee’s students: a fragmented and broken governance system, one that’s failed to set a vision or implement a strategy for citywide, cross-sector improvement. While proponents of an MPS breakup argue that smaller districts will be more accountable, there is no research basis showing smaller districts are better able to turn around or close persistently failing schools.
To summarize: There are good reasons the idea of breaking up MPS has been around for half a century but has never been implemented – and why no other city or state in the country has tried to do something similar to this proposal.
We know the status quo is failing Milwaukee’s students and families. Beyond the academic data, polling conducted by City Forward Collective shows only a quarter of respondents believe our city’s schools are good or excellent, and only 22 percent believe the current system works for kids. Moreover, families are voting with their feet – 96% of Milwaukee’s population loss in the 2020 Census can be attributed to a decline in children under age 18, including more than 13,000 fewer Black children.
While the MPS breakup isn’t the right answer, we as a city can’t just continue doing what hasn’t been working. This legislative proposal should be a call to action for Milwaukee’s elected leadership – beginning with the next mayor – that the city needs to step up to this challenge. Milwaukee needs inclusive, fresh-thinking and bold action to transform Milwaukee’s education system into one where all students, and all schools, can thrive.
Isral DeBruin, Dr. Patricia Hoben and Colleston Morgan are on the staff of City Forward Collective, a Milwaukee nonprofit dedicated to eliminating inequities in education and ensuring every child has the opportunity to attend a high-quality school.

created: February 15, 2022


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 14, 2022


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cityforward | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 14, 2022


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Running Rebels emphasizing fitness as part of pandemic programming | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
February 15, 2022
Dawn Barnett tosses frisbees around with students on Jan. 28 as part of the Healthy Eating and Active Lifestyle program. (Photo by Matt Martinez)
Running Rebels, a youth organization in Milwaukee, is hosting events to give kids new ways to stay fit during the pandemic.
The organization holds classes teaching kids how to play new sports and learn new activities to keep them in motion. The classes, part of a grant from Kohl’s Healthy Families and the American Cancer Society, have been ongoing since May.
Dawn Barnett, co-executive director of Running Rebels, said the programs were meant to address health issues that have been made worse by the pandemic. With kids stuck at home more often, they might be more prone to inactivity and bad eating habits, such as eating more junk food.
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“It’s just the accumulation of all these unhealthy habits snowballing into our lives,” Barnett said.
Barnett said the organization is also focusing on nutrition, hosting smoothie bars and classes for healthier cooking.
Kim Abell, program manager for the Kohl’s grant with the American Cancer Society, said the grantors were excited to work with Running Rebels because of the chance to reach youth and families in Milwaukee.
Running Rebels received $30,000 from the grant. There are nine community wellness grants in total, with some focused on healthy cooking and access to healthy foods.
The goal, ultimately, is to help reduce cancer risk in the community through better living. Excess body weight and alcohol consumption causes about 18% of all new cancer cases, Abell said. Findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said obesity can be linked as causes for 13 cancers.
“A lot of people think of physical activities as a chore,” Abell said. “That’s why we want to expose youth to different ways of moving, to find something they actually enjoy doing.”
Kids involved with the programs have had the chance to try bachata dancing, volleyball, ultimate frisbee and swimming to name a few. People with experience in the sports, like participants from Milwaukee Medusa, a women’s ultimate frisbee team, teach the classes.
“When we have adults who are passionate about something, it’s infectious,” Barnett said.
Kelli Simmons, 17, has been coming to Running Rebels for four years. She said that before the pandemic there were even more options for fitness activities, but she’s glad to see more opportunities for kids.
“I wouldn’t have tried this otherwise,” Simmons said at an ultimate frisbee workshop on Jan. 28.
There are also other opportunities, such as basketball, available throughout the week.
The grant is set to end on Feb. 28, but Barnett said Running Rebels plans to continue some of the services regardless of funding. The organization plans to host events throughout February, including more bachata dance classes.
“Anything we can do to embed healthy living in families, we’re going to do it,” Barnett said.

author: Matt Martinez


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Inside the NNS Newsroom: Covering and meeting our communities’ challenges, a labor of love | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
O. Ricardo Pimentel
February 16, 2022
O. Ricardo Pimentel has worked in and led newsrooms and news departments in California, Arizona, Wisconsin and Texas. (Photo by Matt Martinez)
We always had a newspaper in the house.
My parents were Mexican immigrants who didn’t have a lick of formal education.
It’s not that my father didn’t have an interest in current events; he did. But reading a newspaper and taking himself and his three sons to the library a whole lot – allowing us to come home with arms full of books – was how my father taught himself to read and write in two languages.
It didn’t much matter that his English, written and spoken, wasn’t always what the language police might have deemed acceptable. All his role-modeling made me a writer. As important, it made me an avid reader of the news, which is to say Dad made me a highly curious cuss with an inclination to question authority and to ask why things happen. (I’ve always found why the most important of who, what, where, when, why and how).
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Thanks, Dad. And thanks Mom, for gracing me with your heart.
And here I am at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service as its first managing editor. My first day was Jan. 31.
A long and rewarding journalism career has had me covering everything from crime and local government to Congress, federal agencies and the U.S. Supreme Court. This journalism journey has also allowed me to fill various columnist or editor roles in California, Texas, Arizona and Wisconsin newsrooms.
My last stop at a daily newspaper was as editorial page editor at the San Antonio Express-News, a job I also held at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
There has been a constant in this career that made me recognize this new role at NNS as a good fit.
What appeals is our mission at NNS.
Writ large, journalism focuses on the good, the needs and the issues swirling within the communities we cover. Our mission at NNS is to provide this coverage in hyper-local fashion for Milwaukee’s North Side and South Side communities. But our audience is both inside and outside these communities.
Here’s what also appeals to that journalist for whom “why” is the most important question. These are neighborhoods that face a daunting array of challenges that also bring out the best in people as they meet them.
We aim to cover both sides of this coin: The good work that occurs and the solutions and resources that need to be applied to meet those challenges.
NNS Editor Ron Smith likes to synthesize what we do this way: We celebrate, educate and illuminate. Said another way, we find people doing good things, inform readers about and connect them to the resources they need and keep a watchdog eye on the people and entities that serve the community.
This excellent work was occurring before I got here. My task is to focus on the content to make us even more informative and impactful, freeing up Editor Smith more to make nonprofit NNS even more sustainable.
I know that continuing to make the news on our site meaningful and solutions-oriented is going to be a big part of making us sustainable.
It is without an ounce of hyperbole that I tell you this is a labor of love. That I get to work with people at NNS – and in those organizations with which we partner – who share this passion is just icing.
You can help me and us be worthy of providing this service to you. You can support us in what we do in a number of ways, but perhaps most by telling us what you think needs coverage, who needs help and what solutions can be brought to bear to meet the community’s challenges.
My career has taken me many places. I am thrilled that it has brought me back to Milwaukee. And to NNS.
You can reach O. Ricardo Pimentel at Oscar.pimentel@marquette.edu and at 414-288-8056

created: February 16, 2022

author: O. Ricardo Pimentel


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 15, 2022


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Journeys: He’s Black. He’s a nurse. And he understands his assignment. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Damia S. Causey
February 16, 2022
Muhammad Mahdi, affectionately known as Nurse Mahdi, is a nurse and business owner (Photos provided by Omniverse)
“Journeys” is a new feature that looks at the career paths taken by our community entrepreneurs. Know of someone we should feature? Please send your suggestions to amartinez-ortiz@milwaukeenns.org.
Damia S. Causey
Muhammad Mahdi, affectionately known as Nurse Mahdi, has an unassuming demeanor at first glance. When he speaks, however, people listen.
He showed up a few minutes late to our meeting but had a good reason. His daughter had a doctor’s appointment, but he worked it out to have the appointment on FaceTime while he interviewed with me.
The divorced father of three paused a few times during our interview to ask questions of the physician about lab work and future appointments. Then, back to me.
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Nurse Mahdi is not what most people see when they picture a nurse. Male and Black. The majority of nurses are women and white.
Out of 2.82 million registered nurses in the United States, only 9.1% are men, and 9.9% identify as African American/non-Hispanic, according to 2019 data listed at Minority Nurse.
It was Mahdi’s mother who encouraged him to pursue a degree in engineering or nursing.
He shied away from his calling, at first spending time in the Air Force. He went to college in Texas and majored in education before answering the call to be a nurse.
His great-grandmother, who lived in St Louis, became the reason he went into health care.
She was diagnosed with dementia and declined rapidly. He drove from Milwaukee to St. Louis a couple times a week, 720-miles round trip. Among her caretakers, his grandmother responded only to him when it came to medications and eating.
At first, he couldn’t see nursing as a career. He thought the community would consider being Black and male as being “soft.” But he realized that he should define his own manhood, not society.
“Me caring and showing compassion for someone is not a female emotion, it’s a human emotion,” Mahdi said.
Being with his great-grandmother “was a lot of responsibility because I didn’t know if what I was encouraging her to do was best for her health,” he said. “I made a vow to my great-grandmother that I was going to become a nurse while listening to a Beatles song, ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand.’”
He would sing the song to his great-grandmother whenever she became agitated. It was a song that was meaningful to her, and it would calm her down.
After her death, “there was a desire to reach my purpose and I always knew in some capacity I was to help those less fortunate. And ‘less fortunate’ doesn’t only mean material. It also means education and access. I just wanted to give us a fair shot when it came to health care. I feel this is where I needed to start.”
Nurse Mahdi would graduate as a registered nurse in 2015.
He quickly moved from the floor to management as assistant director of nursing at a Chicago-based hospital. However, the direction of management didn’t align with his purpose.
When the hospital refused to cover a $30 walker for a patient, Mahdi decided at that moment: He had done all he could do in management. He didn’t like how his community was viewed as income, and he refused to take part in that system.
He struck out on his own and created his own health care agency, where he does contract work and is able to focus on prevention and education.
From working with kids to help them transition back into the classrooms during COVID, to being able to persuade Black men to get their annual checkups and to be honest with their physicians about their health challenges, Nurse Mahdi is walking in his purpose.
He admits it’s a tough job, but one he is called to do. Of those in his profession he said, “Stop acting like you’re doing something just because you show up for work. If you’re not showing out at work, you ain’t doing a thing. If you jump in a profession to care for people, then care for them.”
‘Every being needs water’
His passion for health also led him to create BKlear, a water company, owned by Mahdi and his three children: two boys and one girl.
BKlear is alkaline water and sold through the website, at Sherman Phoenix and other select stores. Alkaline water is said to increase energy, improve metabolism and reduce bone loss.
He wants to leave a legacy to his children through creating a business they can be proud of and take over one day. He decided to start his business during COVID while he transitioned out of his management position.
“I wanted to make sure if I ever sold anything, it would be to better someone’s health or better our globe that we’ve inherited. Your obligation is to put back into the pot that you take from,” he said. “I literally went to sleep one night, woke up and knew exactly what I wanted the business to be. Every being needs water”
It was just a matter of figuring out how to make the packaging a healthier option and picking out a logo. He chose aluminum for packaging instead of plastic because aluminum is reusable and recyclable and poses less of a health risk than plastic bottles.
The company, which started in September 2020, is beginning to make a national and global impact.
Mahdi was contacted by The Global Response Team, an organization that provides disaster relief services, to travel to Africa with the organization. The company googled Black-owned water suppliers and BKlear popped up.
In June of 2020, Nurse Mahdi traveled to Kenya and took his water with him. He provided nearly 500 bottles of water to African villages. He had customers stateside sign the bottles with inspirational messages.
“I wanted to make sure while I was there, I gave something. These blessings weren’t just mine. It was my obligation to share with others and that’s what I teach my kids,” he said.
While the business is still new and money isn’t as free-flowing as the water, Mahdi said, “I’m not chasing money. I’m chasing what I’m supposed to be chasing and the money is going to come.”
Mahdi, which means, “Rightly Guided,” takes another call from his daughter before we wrap up. “Daddy is going to pick you up soon,” he says before ending the call.
“I’m nursing the world, not necessarily by walking down a hall and I don’t always have to carry a stethoscope.”

author: Damia S. Causey


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Post from Community: City of Milwaukee opens application period for summer youth internship program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee Department of City Development
February 16, 2022
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Applications are now being accepted for the City of Milwaukee’s Summer Youth Internship Program (SYIP) that provides local youth with employment and life skills, and helps them meet educational, job readiness, and career exploration goals. After two years of virtual programming, SYIP is once again offering paid, in-person positions within City government for high school-aged young people in Milwaukee. SYIP is administered through the City’s Earn & Learn initiative.
Since its inception in 2005, SYIP has connected thousands of teenagers with job opportunities and career pathways that position these young people for success and bright futures. This summer, approximately 130 slots will be available in SYIP for eligible youth (Milwaukee residents ages 16-19). Many City of Milwaukee departments participate and offer eight-week intern placements in departments like Public Works, City Development, Police and Fire, and even in the Mayor’s Office.
Each intern hired will receive $15.00 per hour. SYIP participants will work up to 20 hours per week, with a required training session every Friday, beginning Monday, June 6, and ending Friday, July 29. SYIP will follow the City of Milwaukee’s COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.
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The deadline to apply is 4:00pm on Friday, March 18, 2022. Applications for the program are available now at milwaukee.gov/syip.


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February 15, 2022


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Post from Community: First Stage presents the triumphant return of THE LEGEND OF ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
First Stage
February 16, 2022
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
First Stage is delighted to announce that its next mainstage production will be THE LEGEND OF ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS, a world premiere co-commission with Oregon Children’s Theatre, which originally premiered in March of 2020. The production features clever, original music from classic rock to dance pop as well as fantastical costumes, sets and puppets that will entertain the entire family. Based on the bestselling book by Drew Daywalt with illustrations by Adam Rex, First Stage Resident Playwright John Maclay wrote the book and lyrics and Eric Nordin wrote the music and lyrics. Choreography is by First Stage alum Molly Rhode and popular Milwaukee actor Kelly Doherty will direct. Kelly made her First Stage directing debut when the play premiered in 2020, but that run was cut short due to the pandemic. Kelly, along with the creative team of THE LEGEND OF ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS and all of First Stage, is eager to share this delightful production and its infectious joy with audience members once again.
In THE LEGEND OF ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS, three fierce warriors return to the stage for a rematch after their brief battle was cut short in March 2020. From the Kingdom of Backyard came Rock, from the Empire of Mom’s Home Office came Paper, and from a messy village in the Junk Drawer Realm came Scissors. They were the strongest, smartest and fastest in all the land. Though they searched far and wide for worthy opponents, no one could beat them . . . until they met each other and a musical battle royale began to see who would come out on top! Sponsored by Molitor Foundation. Performance run time is approximately 60 minutes, with no intermission. Suggested for families with young people ages 4+.
THE LEGEND OF ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS runs March 5 – April 3, 2022 at the Marcus Center’s Todd Wehr Theater, located at 929 N. Water Street in downtown Milwaukee. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased in person at the Marcus Center Box Office at 929 N. Water Street, by phone at (414) 273-7206 or online at firststage.org.
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Director Kelly Doherty had this to say about the play: “On the surface, THE LEGEND OF ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS seems to be a kooky musical about a bunch of inanimate objects singing, dancing and battling each other in some very ridiculous and over-the-top scenarios. And, it is a kooky musical about all of that, but it really is so much more. It’s about friendship, bravery, teamwork and overcoming challenges.  . .  . My hope is that audiences will walk away from this show with a smile on their face, and the realization that it is good to surround yourself with people who not only love you for who you are, but who also challenge you to be the best version of yourself.”
Artistic Director Jeff Frank added: “Clever, funny, raucous and joyful – just a few of the words that come to mind for this world premiere musical returning to First Stage. John Maclay and Eric Nordin combined their talents to bring the irreverent humor of author Drew Daywalt to the stage in glorious musical form. In their search for individual glory, our heroes discover that healthy competition and friendships are perhaps the greatest glory of all.”
BIOGRAPHIES
Drew Daywalt (Author) has been creating escapist fantasy, horror and comedy since his childhood in Ohio. With a BFA in creative writing from Emerson College in Boston in 1992, Drew set off to Hollywood where he wrote for Disney and Universal on Timon & Pumba, Buzz Lightyear and Woody Woodpecker. He also wrote the Emmy-nominated animated series The Wacky World of Tex Avery. His first trip into live action landed him studio screenwriting and directing work with such Hollywood luminaries as Lawrence Bender, Tony Scott and Jerry Bruckheimer. In 2013, Daywalt’s debut picture book, The Day the Crayons Quit, spent a year on the NYT Bestseller List at #1, and remains on the list to this day, over five years later. The sequel book, The Day the Crayons Came Home, also spent a year as a NYT Bestseller and his third book, The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors is a NYT Bestseller as well. Daywalt has also written a Star Wars book for LucasFilm Publishing, called BB-8 on the Run. His books, Sleepy the Goodnight Buddy and The Epic Adventures of Huggie and Stick have both been recently released to rave reviews and two national book tours. He has received 65 awards for his children’s writing, including the coveted E.B. White Read Aloud Award and the Time Magazine Top 100 Best Children’s Books of All Time.
John Maclay (Book and Lyrics) is a playwright who specializes in adaptation for Theatre for Young Audiences. In addition to his latest, THE LEGEND OF ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS (with fabulous composer Eric Nordin), his plays and musicals include: GOOSEBUMPS THE MUSICAL: PHANTOM OF THE AUDITORIUM (with Danny Abosch); GERONIMO STILTON: MOUSE IN SPACE, JUST A LITTLE CRITTER MUSICAL (with Brett Ryback); NANCY DREW AND HER BIGGEST CASE EVER (with Jeff Frank); ANATOLE (with Lee Becker and James Valcq); a new version of ROBIN HOOD (with Joe Foust) and NATE THE GREAT (with Brett Ryback). Upcoming projects include ANDROMEDA AND THE TRIALS OF HERCULES (with Joe Foust). Prior to leaving to pursue writing full-time, John proudly served in
various leadership roles at First Stage, one of the America’s largest and most respected theaters for young audiences. John has worked with First Stage in one form or other since 2000, has directed or appeared in more than 25 First Stage productions (from classics to world premieres) as well as having produced more than 50 productions for the First Stage high school programs. His work as an actor or director has also been seen at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Milwaukee Shakespeare Company, Defiant Theatre, Bunny Gumbo, Bialystock and Bloom, Skylight Music Theatre and more. He also teaches theater at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Eric Nordin (Music and Lyrics) is a multiple award-winning playwright, composer, music director and pianist and has made his artistic home in Portland, Oregon since 2004 at Oregon Children’s Theatre. Recent original pieces for the theater include THE SNOWSTORM (2015) and JOHN HUGHES HIGH: THE 1980’S TEEN MUSICAL (2018). In addition to his writing credits, Eric has also had the enormous pleasure of music directing recent Oregon Children’s Theatre productions such as GOOSEBUMPS: THE MUSICAL and PETE THE CAT.
Kelly Doherty (Director), a familiar face to Milwaukee audiences, moved to Milwaukee after graduating from UW-Whitewater with a BFA in Theatre Performance. Having appeared onstage as Agatha Trunchbull (Roald Dahl’s MATILDA The Musical) and Deb (ELF – The Musical) at First Stage, she is filled with joy to be directing THE LEGEND OF ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS once again after it was prematurely closed back in 2020. She has appeared onstage with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Skylight Music Theatre, Northern Sky Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, Milwaukee Opera Theatre and Next Act Theatre. Some favorites include Bodey (LOVELY SUNDAY FOR CREVE CEOUER), Trunchbull (MATILDA), Williamina (SILENT SKY), Gangster 2 (KISS ME, KATE) and to her knowledge she has never been cast as an ingénue. When not in the theater, she enjoys watching made-for-TV romantic comedies and singing to her cats.
Jeff Schaetzke (Music Director/Director of Artistic Operations) is grateful for a long history at First Stage as a director, teacher, music director and actor, dating back to playing Romeo in 1996. Most recently, Jeff directed the smash hit ELF – The Musical, MATILDA The Musical and THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER: THE MUSICAL. Other First Stage favorites include THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE, SPOOKLEY THE SQUARE PUMPKIN THE MUSICAL, LOVABYE DRAGON, RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER™: THE MUSICAL, ELLA ENCHANTED; BIG NATE: THE MUSICAL; BIG FISH (having also appeared as Edward Bloom); BIG, THE MUSICAL and many others. Jeff enjoys leading the Young Company trip to American Players Theatre and directing several Company Class productions. A lifelong Milwaukeean, Jeff has enjoyed working with many Milwaukee theaters, including playing Father in Skylight Music Theatre’s production of VIOLET, and directing music for the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Skylight Music Theatre, Carroll University, UWM and Marquette University. Other credits: Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s THE DALY NEWS, two seasons at American Players Theatre and a 25-year relationship at Dominican High School. Jeff is a 2014 inductee into the Wisconsin Theatre Directors Hall of Fame, and a four-time Outstanding Musical Award Winner at the Overture Center’s TOMMY/JERRY Awards. He’s a proud graduate of North Central College and the Professional Theatre Training Program at UW-Milwaukee. Jeff is celebrating 27 years of marriage to patient wife, Sheila, and he’s a proud father to Amelia, Jeremy and Adelaide.
Molly Rhode (Choreographer) adores creating dances for John Maclay musicals and is thrilled to work with so many good friends on this production. A former Theater Academy student and young performer, Molly always loves returning to First Stage. She was last seen as Mrs. Wormwood in MATILDA The Musical. Past directing projects include 2019’s THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER: THE MUSICAL, NEWSIES at Skylight Music Theatre and DAD’S SEASON TICKETS at Northern Sky Theatre, where she is also the Associate Artistic Director. Molly loves working on new plays, and she will be directing the world premiere of James DeVita’s THE AMAZING LEMONADE GIRL up next in the Todd Wehr Theater.
ADULT CAST
Austin Nelson, Jr. (Paper); Rick Pendzich, Member of Actors’ Equity Association, (Rock); Karen Estrada, Member of Actors’ Equity Association, (Scissors); Sydney Kirkegaard (Clothespin/Roll of Tape in Plastic Dispenser/Printer); Jonathon Gideon (Understudy for Austin Nelson, Jr. and Rick Pendzich) and Leah Gawel (Understudy for Karen Estrada and Sydney Kirkegaard).
YOUNG PERFORMER CASTS
Young Performer roles are double cast. Young Performers in the Trail Mix Cast include: Max Larson (Milwaukee) as Announcer; Aiden Toth (Milwaukee) as Trail Mix/Printer/Ensemble; Daisha Lafford (Milwaukee) as Peach/Printer/Ensemble; Rebekah Michel (Waterford) as Chicken Nugget/Printer/Ensemble; Costello Mylott (Milwaukee) as Trail Mix/Printer/Ensemble; Sailor Ames (Brookfield) as Trail Mix/Printer/Chicken Nugget/Ensemble; Greta Carlson (Fox Point) as Trail Mix/Printer/Ensemble; Vivian Madson (West Allis) as Chicken Nugget/ Printer/Ensemble and Evie Patrick (Whitefish Bay) as Chicken Nugget/ Printer/Ensemble.
Young Performers in the Chicken Nugget Cast include: Eloise Field (Oconomowoc) as Announcer; Abram Nelson (Whitefish Bay) Trail Mix/Printer/Ensemble; Naima Gaines (Milwaukee) as Peach/Printer/Ensemble; Josephine Van Slyke (Milwaukee) as Chicken Nugget/Printer/Ensemble; Kyra Mathias (Oconomowoc) as Trail Mix/Printer/Ensemble; Annie Sturtz (Waukesha) as Trail Mix/Printer/Chicken Nugget/Ensemble; Ryan Bennett (Mequon) as Trail Mix/Printer/Ensemble; Lucy Irwin (Elm Grove) as Chicken Nugget/Printer/Ensemble and Eloise Bejma (Shorewood) as Chicken Nugget/Printer/Ensemble.
The Artistic Staff for THE LEGEND OF ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS includes: Kelly Doherty (Director);Molly Rhode (Choreographer); Jeff Schaetzke (Music Director); Arnold Bueso (Scenic Designer); Jason Fassl, USAA, (Lighting Designer); Matt Whitmore (Sound Designer);Brandon Kirkham (Costume and Puppet Designer); Melissa L. Wanke, Member of Actors’ Equity Association, (Production Stage Manager) and Emily Marie Wilke (Assistant Stage Manager).
Tickets start at $25 – Tickets may be purchased at firststage.org or through the Marcus Center Box Office, in person at 929 N. Water Street in downtown Milwaukee or by phone (414) 273-7206 or toll free at (888) 612-3500. The number for TDD (for deaf and hard of hearing patrons) is (414) 273-3080.
COVID Protocols: First Stage COVID safety protocols and updates can be viewed here:
firststage.org/covid-19-safety-protocols/ – performances
Visual Assets: Production Photos and b-roll from First Stage’s 2020 production of THE LEGEND OF ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS can be found here:
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fuW9BgWC5f3Uc8QCRSXrY-OPNoNm9FPd
Digital Playbill: To view the digital playbill please visit: firststage.org/about-us/media-center/playbills/. The digital playbill includes artistic/actor/designer bios and will be posted a few days before the production opens.
Special events for THE LEGEND OF ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS
Pay What You Choose Performance: Friday, March 11, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.
Pay What You Choose tickets are available on a first come, first served basis with a minimum suggested donation of $5 per person. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. on the day of the performance. Patrons are encouraged to arrive early. To learn more visit: firststage.org/events-tickets/tickets-offers/pay-what-you-choose/
Sensory Friendly Performance: Saturday, March 12, 2022 at 4 p.m.
A Sensory Friendly Performance with accommodations for families with children on the autism spectrum will take place on Saturday, March 12 at 4 p.m. Sensory accommodations include lower sound, house lights up, a quiet area staffed by an educator experienced with the care of students on the autism spectrum and other developmental differences, and more. Tickets for Sensory Friendly Performances are $10. Order by phone at (414) 267-2961, weekdays 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. to reserve tickets. To learn more visit: firststage.org/plan-your-visit/sensory-friendly-performances/.
ASL Interpreted Performance: Sunday, April 3, 2022 at 4:00 p.m.
This performance will be sign language interpreted for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing. Assistive listening devices are also available at the Todd Wehr Theater. To learn more visit: firststage.org/plan-your-visit/accessibility/sign-language-interpreted-performances/
FACT SHEET
About: THE LEGEND OF ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS
By Drew Daywalt
Illustrated by Adam Rex
Book and Lyrics by John Maclay, Music and Lyrics by Eric Nordin
Directed by Kelly Doherty
Choreography by Molly Rhode
A world premiere co-commission with Oregon Children’s Theatre
Location: Marcus Center’s Todd Wehr Theater, 929 N. Water Street, Milwaukee
Live Performances: March 5 – April 3, 2022
Description: These three fierce warriors return to the stage for a rematch after their brief battle was cut short in March 2020. From the Kingdom of Backyard came Rock, from the Empire of Mom’s Home Office came Paper, and from a messy village in the Junk Drawer Realm came Scissors. They were the strongest, smartest and fastest in all the land. Though they searched far and wide for worthy opponents, no one could beat them . . . until they met each other and a musical battle royale began to see who would come out on top! Performance run time is approximately 60 minutes, with no intermission. Suggested for families with young people ages 4+.
Performances:
For more information, please visit firststage.org or call (414) 267-2961.
About First Stage
First Stage is one of the nation’s leading theaters for young people and families. First Stage touches hearts, engages minds and transforms lives by creating extraordinary theater experiences through professional theater productions that inspire, enlighten and entertain. Its Theater Academy, the nation’s largest high-impact theater training program for young people, fosters life skills through stage skills and serves nearly 2,000 students each year. As Wisconsin’s leader in arts-integrated education in schools, First Stage’s dynamic Theater in Education programs promote literacy, character building and experiential learning throughout the curriculum, serving over 20,000 students each year. First Stage was selected to participate in the Partners in Education program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (2012) and was the recipient of the Milwaukee Business Journal’s Eureka Award, recognizing creativity and innovation in business, education and the arts for its Next Steps program for students on the autism spectrum (2013, 2015). First Stage is a member of TYA/USA, the American Alliance for Theatre and Education, the Wisconsin Alliance for Arts Education, Milwaukee Arts Partners and is a cornerstone member of the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF). firststage.org

author: First Stage


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February 15, 2022


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Post from Community: Registration open for the MKE Roots Dialogue Series | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Center for Urban Research
February 16, 2022
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
The Milwaukee Roots Dialogue Series is a 8-session virtual dialogue series with 2 place-based experiences in the City of Milwaukee. Participants engage in guided discussion about Milwaukee Roots through interacting with CURTO’s March On, Milwaukee Digital History Series.
The program is hosted by Marquette University’s Center for Urban Research, Teaching & Outreach (CURTO), in collaboration with the Service Learning Program and the Burke Scholars Program. Hope you can join us!
Register here: https://givepul.se/pdmnlp
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!

author: Center for Urban Research


text:
mke-roots-dialogue-series-logo.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
February 14, 2022


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Where to go if you need winter clothing | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
February 16, 2022
The MacCanon Brown Doorway Ministry opens twice a week to provide help for those who need winter clothing. (NNS file photo by Sarah Lipo)
Leer en español: una versión traducida de este artículo está disponible debajo de la versión en inglés.
If you need winter gear or you are in the spirit to give to those in need, here is where you can go.
COA Goldin Center
COA Goldin Center provides winter gear and other clothing resources as they are available at 2320 W. Burleigh St. You can call ahead at 414-449-1757. You can also call ahead and set up a time to drop of donations.
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MacCanon Brown Doorway Ministry
The ministry hands out basic needs, clothing and winter gear at 2461 W. Center St. on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and at Hepatha Lutheran Church, 1720 W. Locust St. on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. You can contact the ministry at 414-404-0600.
Repairers of the Breach
Repairers of the Breach has an open clothing pantry on Mondays and as needed for emergencies at 1335 W. Vliet St. You can contact it at 414-342-9323
House of Peace
House of Peace hands out winter gear and emergency clothing Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at 1702 W. Walnut St. To schedule an appointment, you can call 414-933-1300.
The Rescue Mission
The Rescue Mission hands out winter gear and other clothing at 830 N. 19th St. You can call ahead at 414-935-0500.
Missionary Currie for Women and Children Inc.
You can follow Missionary Currie here to get updates on resource giveaways.
IMPACT 2-1-1
2-1-1 will have the latest information on any emergency needs.
Si necesita ropa de invierno o tiene ganas de dar a los necesitados, aquí es donde puede ir.
COA Goldin Center
COA Goldin Center proporciona ropa de invierno y otros recursos de ropa, ya que están disponibles en 2320 W. Burleigh St. Puede llamar con anticipación al 414-449-1757. También puede llamar con anticipación y programar un horario para dejar las donaciones.
MacCanon Brown Doorway Ministry
El ministerio entrega necesidades básicas, ropa y equipo de invierno en 2461 W. Center St. los martes de 11 am a 1:30 pm y en Hepatha Lutheran Church, 1720 W. Locust St. los jueves de 11 am a 1:30 pm Puede comunicarse con el ministerio al 414-404-0600.
Repairers of the Breach
Repairers of the Breach tiene una despensa de ropa abierta los lunes y según sea necesario para emergencias en 1335 W. Vliet St. Puede comunicarse al 414-342-9323
House of Peace
House of Peace entrega ropa de invierno y ropa de emergencia de lunes a viernes de 1 pm a 3 pm en 1702 W. Walnut St. Para programar una cita, puede llamar al 414-933-1300.
Rescue Mission
Rescue Mission entrega ropa de invierno y otra ropa en 830 N. 19th St. Puede llamar con anticipación al 414-935-0500.
Missionary Currie for Women and Children Inc.
Puede seguir al misionero Currie aquí para obtener actualizaciones sobre los obsequios de recursos.
IMPACT 2-1-1
2-1-1 tendrá la información más reciente sobre cualquier necesidad de emergencia.

author: PrincessSafiya Byers


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Father launches ‘One Pill Kills’ social media campaign after son’s overdose death | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
February 17, 2022
Isaac “Bubba” Solis Jr., who died in 2019, had a passion for working on cars. (Photo provided by family)
Leer en español: Padre lanza campaña en redes sociales ‘One Pill Kills’ después de muerte por sobredosis de su hijo
Isaac Solis, 45, has a warning for parents and others.
“It only takes one fake pill with fentanyl in it to lose someone you love,” said Solis, whose son, Isaac Jr., died in 2019 after taking what he thought was a prescription Percocet. “My son was a great kid and grew up in a loving household.”
The pill that Isaac Jr., whom they called Bubba, bought on the street was actually a counterfeit pill laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that can kill in trace amounts and is often used as a cutting agent by drug dealers.
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It’s a phenomenon that’s driven an increase in overdose deaths across the country, including in Milwaukee County.
In 2021, an all-time-high 607 drug overdose deaths were recorded, surpassing the previous high of 545 set last year, according to data provided by Karen Domagalski, operations manager for the Medical Examiner’s Office.
Fentanyl alone, or in combination with another drug, was a factor in 79 percent, or 478, of those deaths. In comparison, heroin, another opioid, was a factor in 59 deaths last year.
In 2019, the year Bubba died, there were 244 fentanyl-related deaths in Milwaukee County. In 2015, there were 30.
Bubba, 25, loved fixing cars, had a job at a dealership and had attended classes at Milwaukee Area Technical College, his father said. Bubba is also survived by his mother, Connie, and a sister, Ceana, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student. Two University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students died on campus last year after taking fake prescription pills that contained fentanyl.
When his son died, Solis, a United Parcel Service driver, said he knew little about fentanyl. Since then, he has learned a great deal, including that his son’s story is not unique.
People have reached out to Solis to share stories about a loved one they lost to a fake pill that contained fentanyl.
Inspired by his son’s memory and driven to help others avoid his family’s grief, he launched “One Pill Kills,” a grassroots social media campaign to raise awareness on fentanyl.
Not to be confused with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration campaign, One Pill Can Kill, Solis uses Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and also just launched a website to share posts that read like verses in tragedy: stories about deaths tied to fentanyl and massive counterfeit pill drug busts and lists of daily overdose deaths and other data from Milwaukee.
He also shares educational resources and sends warnings to elected officials and others that lives, including those of children, are at risk unless more is done.
‘This can happen to you’
“I don’t want people to feel sorry for me having been affected by fentanyl. I want people to understand that this can happen to you,” Solis said.
Parents and others from across the country often comment on his social media posts and share the name of their loved ones and the type of fentanyl- tainted pill that caused their death: “Half a fake percocet pill,” “Counterfeit Xanax,” “M-30 (counterfeit oxycodone). “
From left, Isaac “Bubba” Solis, Jr.; his mother, Connie; sister, Ceana; father, Issac, Sr.; and the family dog get together for a photo during a past Christmas. (Photo provided by family)
According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, four out of every 10 counterfeit pills with fentanyl that is tested in its labs contained a potentially lethal dose of the drug. The agency also warns that drug networks are flooding the market with fake pills and marketing them as legitimate prescription drugs.
Before Solis launched his site, he reached out to another parent who also leads a grassroots effort to raise awareness on the issue of fentanyl.
Virginia Krieger, who lives in Las Vegas, founded the Fentanyl Awareness Coalition, after her daughter, Tiffany Leigh Robertson, died after taking a counterfeit pill laced with fentanyl.
“I get calls on Facebook in the middle of the night from mothers who don’t know who else to call,” she said. “I’ve had parents who’ve buried two or three kids and one who buried all five.”
Krieger said she and other supporters are pushing for changes in the way the issue of fentanyl is addressed. She said that despite years of rising deaths, officials are still missing the mark with prevention campaigns.
“That’s because the entire paradigm of this drug crisis is something we’ve never seen before,” she said. “We all took risks when we were young, but now they’re dying from it.”
She said leaders need to focus on younger, occasional pill users who are unaware that they could be taking a counterfeit substance.
“Everything so far until now has been geared towards one population: hard-core opioid users,” Krieger said. “Young people nowadays are walking around with blinders and not realizing that one pill can kill you.”
Hoping to reach that population, Krieger and Solis plan to expand their awareness campaigns to billboards, and other mediums, and to get into the schools. They also have asked elected leaders and law enforcement officials for help spreading their message.
“We need to take more action and do it in a hurry because we’re going to lose our next generation,” Solis said. “Things are not like they used to be where you can get addicted to drugs and relapse and recover. Now you can take a half a pill and you’re gone.”
Where you can get help
Drug treatment services in the Milwaukee area are available at Gateway to Change, 10th Street Comprehensive Treatment Center, Rogers Behavioral Health, West Milwaukee Comprehensive Treatment Center, First Step Community Recovery Center, Meta House, West Allis Community Medical Services and other locations.
You can also learn more about counterfeit pills at https://www.dea.gov/onepill.

created: February 17, 2022

author: Edgar Mendez


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51867431782_0ba29715ea_b | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 16, 2022


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 16, 2022


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51869049240_aae7cf58c6_o | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 16, 2022


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Post from Community: Marquette’s 2022 Nieman Symposium to look at “Is Democracy in Danger? Voting Rights and the Role of the Press” | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Marquette University
February 17, 2022
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
The Diederich College of Communication at Marquette University will present its annual Lucius W. Nieman Symposium in a virtual format on Tuesday, Feb. 22, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The panel discussion will focus on “Is Democracy in Danger? Voting Rights and the Role of the Press,” which will examine the challenges that the American media currently face in covering elections and the state of voting rights. Reporters, scholars and community organizers will ponder the strengths and shortcomings of professional journalism as it addresses the current state of American democracy.
Panelists for the event are George Christenson, Milwaukee County Clerk; Suzanne Gamboa, senior national reporter for the NBC Latino section of the national network’s website, NBCNews.com; Angela Lang, executive director of BLOC; and Dr. Amber Wichowsky, associate professor of political science in Marquette’s Klingler College of Arts and Sciences.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Ayleen Cabas-Mijares, assistant professor of journalism and media studies at Marquette University.
For more information about the panelists and the moderator, or to register for this free event, visit the Neiman Symposium webpage. Those who register will be provided a link to the virtual symposium, which will take place on Microsoft Teams.
Media wishing to attend the symposium should contact Kevin Conway in the Office of Marketing and Communication atkevin.m.conway@marquette.edu.
The Lucius W. Nieman Symposium, named after the founder of The Milwaukee Journal, Lucius W. Nieman, is an annual event sponsored by the J. William and Mary Diederich College of Communication.

author: Marquette University


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5 things to know and do the weekend of Feb. 18 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
February 18, 2022
Aztec dancers come out for Dia de los Muertos in 2014. You can learn more about traditional Aztec dance this weekend with the Omeyocan Dance Company. (NNS file photo by Sue Vliet)
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know are happening. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here.
1. A walk in Rose Park: Saturday, Feb. 19
Explore Clinton E. and Bernice K. Rose Park, or Rose Park, with a scavenger hunt, a cup of hot coffee or cocoa and neighborhood community from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19. The event is hosted by Friends of Rose Park at 3045 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
2. Intro to Aztec dance: Saturday, Feb. 19
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Learn about Aztec cultural roots in mother nature, farming and corn through traditional dance taught by Omeyocan Dance Company. The class runs from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Feb. 19 at Arts @ Large, located at 1100 S. 5th St. More information here.
3. “Milwaukee Voices of Gun Violence” play reading and talkback: Friday, Feb. 18 and Saturday, Feb. 19
“Milwaukee Voices of Gun Violence: Resolute, Resilient, Revolutionary,” a play by Bronzeville Arts Ensemble‘s producing artistic director Sheri Williams Pannell, highlights forgotten narratives of gun violence and their effect on families and community. Hear a reading of this play and participate in a talkback starting at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 18, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19 at Studio 4A in the Marcus Performing Arts Center, located at 929 N. Water St.
4. Design a Bag workshop: Sunday, Feb. 20
Design and create your own bag with Left Handed Lady, a local handbag designer, at this workshop. Tickets are $25 and include lunch. The workshop runs from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 3713 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
5. America’s Black Holocaust Museum member’s preview: Sunday, Feb. 20
Members of America’s Black Holocaust Museum can preview the museum from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 20 at 401 W. North Ave. Masks required. Free registration for members requested here. Become a member here.

created: February 18, 2022


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15383513588_a36c6e48f4_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
February 17, 2022