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How to help senior citizens during the coronavirus pandemic | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Bridget Fogarty
March 31, 2020
Washington Park Senior Center is one of the five county-run centers closed due to COVID-19. (File photo by by Analise Pruni)
These days, Gaylyn Reske constantly has one thought on her mind: “How can we make sure our older adults are still getting their meals?”
As the senior dining coordinator for the Milwaukee County Department on Aging, Reske oversees the 27 dining sites that serve adults 60 years of age and older.
She said 16 dining sites remain open but are takeout-only in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For years, we have wanted people to be coming, congregating, talking, making friends, doing activities,” Reske said. Now seniors are losing the opportunities to socialize that the sites provided.
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Staffers at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care, which has closed both of its locations, have been working on how to stay connected with their clients despite not physically being with them.
“Isolation can be very damaging to health,” said Casey Rozanski, the vice president of fund development and marketing at St. Ann. “We’re all now getting a taste of what that is like for many senior citizens.”
Individuals can still call the Aging Resource Call Center at (414) 289-6874 to speak with staff.
The Family Caregiver Support Network is still available by phone at (414) 479-8800. Caregivers supporting a loved one with Alzheimer’s are encouraged to look at these tips from the Alzheimer’s Association during this time.
Meals on Wheels service will continue as normal to the older adults in the program and remains a top priority for the Department on Aging.
As news changes daily, the Department on Aging will update its website.
Check and see if your grocery store has senior citizen hours. Pete’s Fruit Market, with locations at 2323 N. Martin Luther King Drive and 1400 S. Union St., recommends senior citizens shop between 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. to potentially avoid more crowds.
Ascension St. Joseph Hospitalopened a mobile testing center for free COVID-19 tests.
Check the Centers For Disease Control or Wisconsin Department of Health Services for up-to- date information on COVID-19.
In case you missed it: It can take a toll’: How caregivers can help themselves and their loved ones

author: Bridget Fogarty


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 30, 2020

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Adam Carr


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NNS on WGLB radio: Reporter Sam Woods discuss COVID-19 coverage and resources | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
March 31, 2020
(Photo by Adam Carr)
NNS Education Reporter Sam Woods calls in to give COVID-19 updates with Saryea Murchison from WGLB.
The duo discusses recent COVID-19 stories and free mobile COVID-19 testing at Ascension St. Joe’s.
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author: Sam Woods


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 31, 2020
“Track 1” from Untitled – 03-30-20. Track 1.


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Post from Community: Brew City Match to provide disaster assistance loans & grants | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
LISC Milwaukee
March 31, 2020
(Image from Brew City Match website)
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
Brew City Match partners recognize that small business are vital to our neighborhoods, and are an economic engine for our City. During this pandemic, small business has been severely impacted by closures. As a response, our partners have developed two resources for small business owners located within the Brew City Match program area. This includes the Cesar Chavez Drive, Historic King Drive, Near West Side, and North Avenue/Fond du Lac Marketplace Business Improvement Districts, and the neighborhoods directly around those corridors.
Applications are available on the Brew City Match website on the COVID-19 page with directions on how to apply.
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author: LISC Milwaukee


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 31, 2020


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Women’s History Month: Meet three ‘SHEroes’ of Milwaukee, Part 4 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Claudia Delgadillo
March 31, 2020
A ballerina, a boutique owner and an artist are being honored by the Milwaukee Repertory Theater for being “Milwaukee SHEroes” because of their leadership and dedication to the community.
Each week, The Rep has honored outstanding women as part of its promotion for “Eclipsed,” which centers around five extraordinary women and their tales of hope and resilience during the Liberian Civil War.
(Although the run of “Eclipsed” was canceled because of COVID-19 concerns, for $15, you can view a live recording by clicking here.)
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Featured this final week are Itzel Hernandez, artist and ballerina at Milwaukee Ballet; JohnRae’ Stowers, owner of JazzyRae Jewels & Accessories and assistant director of Student Educational Services at Marquette University; and Tina Nixon, artist and founder of My Sistas KeepHer.
Itzel Hernandez is a ballerina at the Milwaukee Ballet. (Photo provided by Milwaukee Rep)
: Itzel Hernandez
: Originally from Havana, Cuba, Hernandez studied ballet there before moving to the United States at age 12.
She joined the Nancy Einhorn Milwaukee Ballet II Program in 2014 and danced in Michael Pink’s “Don Quixote,” “The Nutcracker,” “Giselle” and “Cinderella” before being promoted to the company in 2015.
Hernandez also has been involved in the Ballet Beat program that brings ballet into libraries, community centers and senior centers throughout the Milwaukee area each summer.
She also fosters for “Albert’s Dog Lounge,” which provides foster homes to senior, special needs and hospice dogs. Hernandez is pursuing an associate degree in liberal arts and sciences at MATC and plans to become a recreational therapist.
JohnRae’ Stowers is the founder of JazzyRae Boutique. (Photo provided by Milwaukee Rep)
: JohnRae’ Stowers
: At Marquette University, JohnRae’ Stowers serves as the director of the Freshman Frontier Program, a summer bridge program that offers students a jumpstart to campus, and as assistant director of the Office of Student Educational Services, an academic support program.
Stowers has written “Transition to College,” a curriculum being implemented at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee and Marquette University’s Upward Bound program.
Stowers has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and a master’s from Concordia University Wisconsin.
Stowers also is the founder and owner of JazzyRae’ Jewels and Accessories. Her annual “Diva’s Brunch” brings more than 500 women together to shop, network and connect.
Tina Nixon is the founder of My Sistas KeepHer. (Photo provided by Milwaukee Rep)
: Tina Nixon
: Tina Nixon, also known as “Ms. Jazzy,” is a Chicago native and a poet, actor, mentor and performer. The founder of My Sista’s KeepHer, she uses art to encourage positive self-expression for young girls to learn to love themselves.
Her theater credits include Andre Lee Ellis and Company’s production of “For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Isn’t Enough”; Hansberry-Sands Theatre Company’s production of “Ceremonies In Dark Old Men”; and the Village Playhouse production of “A Raisin in the Sun.”
Nixon was named favored actress in Village Playhouse’s one-act play “The Fourth Wall.” Her film credits include Brad Pruitt’s documentary “Mark My Words: The Story in the Life of a Poet”; Arron Greer’s “Gettin’ Grown”; and Rubin Whitmore’s “Disconnection Notices.”
She will soon debut her one-woman-show, “The Gospel According to Ms. Jazzy.”
Biographical information provided by the Milwaukee Rep.

author: Claudia Delgadillo


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Checking in: How are you doing as we confront the coronavirus? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Claudia Delgadillo
April 1, 2020
So how are you doing?
We’re going to be checking in regularly as we learn to live with the challenges of COVID-19.
(Photo provided by Akilah Adams)
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Akilah Adams
Sherman Park
Being a single mother of a very active 9-year-old daughter, I must admit that when the order came out and school was canceled, I panicked. Luckily, my job at Direct Supply has been more than accommodating with allowing all partners to go remote on March 13. Making sure my daughter stays on task for schoolwork and supplemental online resources while still working full time in the house has been a huge adjustment.
There are days that I don’t know how to keep her on track while I am in Google Hangout meetings, and then there are days where the time flies and she’s so happy to just be next to me. Every day is different, and I’m learning to give myself grace.
We are blessed to have everything that we need and more. Maybe more wine after a full day of work, teaching and mommying!
Probably direct access to snacks while working!
We have all been guilty of saying we didn’t have time to do something. That “something” could have been relaxing, organizing, playing with our kids or even deep cleaning. Stay calm, read less of the social media panic posts and use this time inside wisely. We will get through this and come out stronger and wiser.
(Photo provided by Esperanza Gutierrez)
Esperanza Gutierrez
Lincoln Village
It has been a mix bag, with more than enough time for little and big projects at home. It is hard when one has the keys to go out and the fear of not surviving is all on you. I am listening not to officials, but my family members who tell me to stay at home. And to my grandchildren that tell me they want me around to see them grow up. I am a person that needs hugs on a daily basis, so not getting them is hurting.
I try to keep a regular schedule of daily routines. My people get food for me. But they ring the doorbell, ask me to step aside and put them on the table or doorway and go down the steps talking from afar, with air kisses and hugs. I feel guilty and sorry for people who call me, for I hold them hostage even when they have said goodbye (I am working on being grateful that they call and hoping not to complain.)
They say one must learn to be comfortable with one’s company, but I am not. I was learning to go out by myself, to movies or restaurant or just a park. But frankly that is not my thing.
Out of this, I see good things. I see positive advertisement in all types of media. I love to see that Mother Nature is showing us that she can heal herself if we give her a chance. The hardest thing is not holding those who I love or even giving a hug to a new person.
What I need less is to see all the negativity and self-praise of those who are to care for all people regardless of their age, gender, gender fluidity, religion, or medical and financial status. I love people and value them. I see people as the greatest resources we have.
We are in it together. Let us be kind. Fear will destroy us. Love and charity toward each other will make us strong.
You can let us know how you’re doing by answering the questions posed in the article. Send your answers and a photo of yourself to info@milwaukeenns.org. You can also comment below.


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49718410483_98032379db_o | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 31, 2020


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checkingin | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 31, 2020


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How four artists are flexing their creative muscles during COVID-19 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Claudia Delgadillo
April 1, 2020
Signature Dance Company instructor Kimi Evelyn teaches a virtual dance class via Facebook Live. (Photo provided by Signature Dance Company)
Some Milwaukee artists who have lost studio space and canceled public appearances because of the COVID-19 pandemic are discovering there’s no place like home when it comes to art.
Meet four people who are going the virtual distance to stay connected with our community.
Signature Dance Company closed its studios, but its dance lessons haven’t stopped.
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Signature Dance has traded in-person lessons for livestreaming on Facebook – not only to get people at home to move but also to continue training its dancers.
The dance company livestreams dance lessons at noon Monday through Saturday, with a different instructor teaching in remote locations.
“The online classes definitely have opened up Signature to a broader base of people because every time we have different teachers presenting, their friends on social media tune in, and it gives people the opportunity to get to know us virtually,” artistic director Jayme Montgomery said.
“It is a great way to get up, to move, to get your blood flowing, just to stay healthy because when you’re at home there may be a tendency to snack more or eat unhealthy snacks.”
Joshua Adam Harwell, also known as DJ Adamocity, livestreams a DJ set during quarantine. (Photo provided by Joshua Adam Harwell)
Livestreaming has allowed artists to continue perfecting their craft, even when venues are closed and booked events are canceled. Joshua Adam Harwell, known as DJ Adamocity, has turned to social media after his gigs were canceled and is using this time to sharpen his skills.
“The reason that I am in entertainment and the arts is to make people feel good through my expression of music, especially during times like this,” Harwell said. “This is a perfect opportunity to get back to the roots of why I love doing music in the first place. I know people can use that more now than ever.”
Harwell uses a spare room in his house and transforms the space with his DJ gear to livestream at 7:30 Friday nights on his Facebook and Instagram accounts. His 30-minute to 45-minute sets consist of some of his personal favorites, he said.
Performing at events can sometimes confine artists to certain formats, so Harwell is using this free time to play the music he wants to hear.
“This opportunity to be free and play what we want and how we want, and the people who tune in know what they are coming for . . . they get to enjoy us playing what we want to play,” Harwell said. “It’s a good feeling. Obviously, it’s bittersweet because the reason that we perform is to feed off the energy from the crowd and audience.”
Dasha Kelly Hamilton announces her Poemalogues series during a livestream. (Photo provided by Dasha Kelly Hamilton)
Performing, teaching and talking in front of large groups of people form the livelihood of Milwaukee Poet Laureate Dasha Kelly Hamilton. Now, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of her calendar is cleared for the next few months. Yet her work doesn’t stop — especially since April is poetry month.
“My platform as poet laureate is to present these weekly ‘poemalogues’ and these would be a conversation of body, freedom, power and place,” Kelly Hamilton said. “I’ll invite two folks to chat with me live about their stories and the poems they found.”
Her Poemalogues series will be taking place on each Wednesday in April from 4:30-5:15 p.m.
Kelly Hamilton will also be teaching a free humanities course on The Retreat Facebook page called “I, the Revolution,” each Wednesday in April from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
“It’s a chance to give your mind a stroll. Fresh air to your ideas and conversations. Take the writing prompts with you, for later.”
Heard Space goes virtual for its write-in sessions with members and others who want a space to write, including Katie Avila Loughmiller (top, center). (Photo provided by Heard Space)
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During a time of uncertainty, writing and creative thinking can be a productive distraction for some, especially Katie Avila Loughmiller at Heard Space, which is taking its write-in sessions virtual.
Members of Heard Space gather together every other Tuesday via Zoom in sessions that are open for anyone who wants a space to write. A prompt is given, and all participants are allowed 20 minutes to write and later share their story with the group. After its first virtual write-in session, Heard Space knew it needed to continue doing the sessions, Avila Loughmiller said.
“I, myself, deal with a lot of anxiety and I think this is an anxiety-producing time. Even from our first write-in sessions, it felt so great, and it allows us to relax for a moment,” Avila Loughmiller said. “It felt like an amazing place to direct all that energy and to also feel connected even though we couldn’t be in the same room, and to share your writing is super vulnerable.”


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heard | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 31, 2020


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josh | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 31, 2020


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Post from Community: Extension builds food security capacity with Milwaukee County partners | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
UW-Extension
April 1, 2020
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of Wisconsinites have lost their jobs, their pay, and their small businesses. When money runs short, households often must choose between paying for food or paying for rent or childcare. Extension Milwaukee County is partnering with our frontline school meal providers, emergency food networks, community-based organizations, and local government to find collaborative solutions to healthy food access needs caused by COVID-19.
“Our collective goal is to keep our neighbors throughout the county healthy and fed, and we do that best when we are working as a coordinated, connected food system” said Extension Healthy Communities Coordinator Danielle Nabak. “At all times, and especially in the uncertainty of this pandemic, we are working towards food security – the condition in which all people in our community, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs.”
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Extension and local food partners are working to develop strategies to minimize the stress COVID-19 is putting on many sectors of the food system. This includes addressing the needs of local food pantries and nutrition programs facing issues with capacity, delivery models, and food sources. It also includes the safety and steady flow of products, to protect the safety and livelihoods of people working across the food chain, and to support alternative operation models and marketing strategies for food businesses and urban agriculture partners, all of whom have lost major sources of revenue in the wake of COVID-19.
According to data from County Health Rankings, an estimated one in seven Milwaukee County households were food insecure, meaning they didn’t have assured access to the food they needed at the beginning of the year. With unemployment on the rise due to COVID-19, this number is likely to increase in the coming weeks. Over 60 percent of students in Milwaukee County were approved to eat free or reduced-price school meals before the COVID-19 pandemic. That number rises to over 80 percent in the city of Milwaukee and is sure to increase in the coming months. A collaborative approach is necessary to address these issues. Extension is proud to work with our local partners to address these challenges.

author: UW-Extension


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Post from Community: Goodwill temporarily not accepting donations during coronavirus pandemic | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin and Metropolitan Chicago
April 1, 2020
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
As people think about spring cleaning projects while they spend more time at home, Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin and Metropolitan Chicago is reminding the community their store and donation centers are temporarily closed and they are unable to accept donations at this time.
Goodwill is monitoring their locations for anything that has been dropped off, something that is becoming increasingly difficult to do. Donors are asked to help keep staff safe and a safe environment around stores by holding those donations until they can be accepted.
“We rely on donations to fund our mission to provide people with disabilities or disadvantages jobs and training, and we know that when it’s safe to reopen the need to help many people in our community find work is going to be greater than ever,” said Jess Owens, communications manager. “Receiving donations at that time will be critical for us to continue our mission work.”
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To learn more about how Goodwill is responding to the coronavirus pandemic, visit www.goodwillsew.com.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Name *
April 1, 2020

author: Name *


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Community Heroes: Metcalfe Park organizers go digital with mass-texting and mutual aid during COVID-19 crisis | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
April 2, 2020
Melody McCurtis delivers supplies to Metcalfe Park residents. (Photo provided by Metcalfe Park Community Bridges)
Editor’s note: At Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, we intentionally celebrate ordinary people who do extraordinary things. We are especially interested in our neighbors who are making a difference as we all deal with the effects of COVID-19. Please let us know by emailing us at info@milwaukeenns.org.
Since Tonia Matthews moved to Metcalfe Park over 12 years ago, she’s noticed how the neighborhood has changed.
“Neighbors are more friendly and comfortable with each other,” Matthews said. “The elderly come out of their homes now. People stop to talk with you. It’s cleaner.”
She attributes some of these changes to the Metcalfe Park Community Bridges. The neighborhood group, which traces its roots to the Obama administration’s Building Neighborhood Capacity Program in 2011, has emerged as a vital resource for residents.
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An extrovert who spent much of her time on the porch greeting neighbors, Matthews joined Metcalfe Park Community Bridges as a “block builder.” Her job was to stay in touch with residents and keep founder Danell Cross updated.
Since COVID-19 hit Milwaukee, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges has been delivering needed food and supplies to Metcalfe Park residents. (Photo provided by Metcalfe Park Community Bridges)
Face-to-face interaction has always been a key focus of the group. But with residents forced to stay home because of COVID-19, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges has been forced to change its approach. And quickly.
An organization that prides itself on face-to-face relationships, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges is now figuring out how to stay connected to its neighbors in an era of social distancing.
It’s switched primarily to texting neighbors using the app Hustle.
While leaders can now easily communicate with thousands of residents at once through texting, Melody McCurtis, deputy director and organizer, said her group’s authenticity has sometimes been challenged.
“Is this really Melody?” McCurtis recalled someone asking, “We had to convince some people that it was really us.”
However after getting over those initial communication barriers, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges is learning to be more effective in its digital organizing.
In addition to text-banking residents, leaders started Be the Bridge Community Care, a mutual aid network specifically for Metcalfe Park.
To request aid, residents fill out a survey, and Metcalfe Park Community Bridges goes to work to get the food or supplies requested. McCurtis said there have been 129 responses to the survey already.
The Jewish Community Pantry, El Rey and United Way have donated to the cause.
Cross and McCurtis said the COVID-19 crisis has changed their approach going forward. Even after the quarantine ends, they said, they will still use Hustle and the mutual aid survey.
“We are part of the community’s support system,” Cross said. “We can’t just drop and go home. The digital survey and texting allow us to stay with our neighbors right now, and we’re capturing so much more.”
To support Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, you can donate to its PayPal, drop off supplies at 3624 W North Ave. or text Melody at (414) 488-5582 for other ways to support. You can find what supplies are needed most here.


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49713867811_5011d7ccf3_o (1) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 1, 2020


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 2, 2020


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49714184362_e6ccc75890_o | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 1, 2020


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Post from Community: Democratic National Convention Committee announces date change in response to unprecedented coronavirus outbreak | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Democratic National Convention
April 2, 2020
(File photo by Andrea Waxman)
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
In light of the unprecedented health crisis facing our country, the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) announced today that the 2020 Democratic National Convention will now be held the week of August 17 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, providing convention planners more time to determine the most appropriate structure for this historic event.
“In our current climate of uncertainty, we believe the smartest approach is to take additional time to monitor how this situation unfolds so we can best position our party for a safe and successful convention. During this critical time, when the scope and scale of the pandemic and its impact remain unknown, we will continue to monitor the situation and follow the advice of health care professionals and emergency responders,” said Joe Solmonese, CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee. “I have always believed that American innovation and ingenuity shine brightest during our darkest days, and for that reason, I’m confident our convention planning team and our partners will find a way to deliver a convention in Milwaukee this summer that places our Democratic nominee on the path to victory in November.”
History will be made in Milwaukee when the 2020 Democratic National Convention takes place, not just because Democrats will nominate the next president and vice president of the United States, but because they’ll be doing it in a state that’s never before hosted a political party’s national convention. The Democratic Party believes that this important battleground state is the perfect place to share their vision for a safer, stronger country and lift up the voices of the working families that the party fights for every day.
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“The city of Milwaukee welcomed our convention team with open arms over a year ago when our convention planning first kicked off. We remain inspired by the people who live and work here, and we remain committed to hosting this historic moment in their hometown,” Solmonese added.
Ensuring the safety of the convention’s host community and all convention-goers has been—and always will remain—the top priority of the Democratic National Convention Committee. As convention planners continue to monitor the unpredictable and unprecedented public health emergency, they remain in constant communication with the local, state, and federal officials responsible for protecting public health and security, and will continue to follow their guidance.
“Leadership means being able to adapt, and that’s exactly what our party is doing. The city of Milwaukee has been an incredible partner, especially over the past few weeks as we’ve confronted this global crisis, and we couldn’t be more committed to highlighting Wisconsin as a key battleground state, as it is at the center of so many of Trump’s broken promises,” said DNC Chair Tom Perez. “Ultimately, the health and safety of our convention attendees and the people of Milwaukee is our top priority. And we will continue to be in contact with local, state, and federal health officials as we monitor this fluid situation. The Democratic Party is ready to defeat Donald Trump, the American people are ready to elect a Democratic president, and I have absolute confidence that our team is ready to deliver a successful convention for our nominee.”
As part of their contingency planning efforts, the Democratic National Convention Committee has confirmed that Fiserv Forum, the Wisconsin Center District and hotel accommodations in the surrounding area are available in August. The convention planning team will now use the coming weeks to further explore all options to ensure nominating the next president of the United States is done without unnecessary risk to public health. These options include everything from adjusting the convention’s format to crowd size and schedule.
Contingency planning is an important feature of preparations for every convention. The Democratic National Convention Committee is comprised of seasoned convention and event veterans who have been contingency planning for a variety of scenarios from day one. As they continue to monitor the coronavirus health crisis, and the impact it’s having on the country, they will continue to examine all options for the success of the convention that ensure the safety of any participants and the host city. As the convention’s plans are further finalized, more details will be made publicly available.

author: Democratic National Convention


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Post from Community: DEADLINE TODAY: Request an Absentee Ballot By 5 pm | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee
April 2, 2020
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
Election day is Tuesday, April 7. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a shortage of poll workers, the City of Milwaukee has indicated it will need to greatly consolidate polling locations to less than 12 sites instead of the typical 180 sites. HACM strongly encourages everyone to vote by absentee or vote early to minimize crowds at the polls on election day.
REQUESTING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT
DEADLINE IS TODAY, APRIL 2, 2020 BY 5:00 PM
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Ballot Must Be Received By Tuesday, April 7, 2020
VOTE EARLY DOWNTOWN
DRIVE-UP VOTING (City of Milwaukee Only)
Now Through Sunday, April 5, 2020
Monday – Friday 8 am to 5 pm
Saturday – Sunday 10 am to 3 pm


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What you need to know to cast your vote in Milwaukee for the April 7 spring election | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
April 2, 2020
Although many polling stations will be closed on April 7, you can still vote at a center. (File photo by Andrea Waxman)
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include new information on absentee voting.
Despite the COVID-19 outbreak and pending lawsuits to postpone it, the April 7 spring election is still on the books, although voting will look much different than before.
Here are some things you should know:
Voting centers will replace traditional neighborhood polling stations
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Instead of in-person voting operations at 180 sites, a shortage of election workers and COVID-19 safety concerns have led to the creation of Milwaukee voting centers, said Neil Albrecht, executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission
Albrecht said the locations of the sites have not been finalized but said there would be around 10 centers established by consolidating current voting sites. The city will not offer transportation to voting centers on election day, he added.
If you’re registering to vote at a voting center on April 7, and the address on your ID does not match your current ones, you’ll need to bring a separate proof of address. Acceptable forms of proof of address include a paycheck, bank statement or a utility bill that shows your complete name and current residence. Not just any piece of mail is considered an acceptable proof of address, Albrecht said. Click here for more examples.
You’ll also need a photo ID that meets the state’s requirement to register on Tuesday. Those include Wisconsin Department of Transportation-issued driver’s licenses, Wisconsin state IDs, military ID cards, a U.S. passport or a certificate of naturalization that was issued no more than two years from the date of the election. For a full list of acceptable IDs, click here.
What else do I need to know?
As part of the city’s “Vote Safe Milwaukee” campaign, many changes have been made to limit the risk of COVID-19 exposure for election workers and voters. Those changes included an extension of online voter registration, which ended Tuesday. A new voter registration was needed if you had a change of address, changed your name or if you had not voted in four years. You can still register to vote by visiting a drive-up or drop-off location (more on that below) or at a polling place on April 7.
Registered voters can request a ballot until 5 p.m. on Friday, April 3.  Ballots must now be returned by 4 p.m. on Monday, April 13. To request a ballot, click here.
You have several options to submit your absentee ballot or register to vote before April 7. You can drop off your ballot or register at one of four drop-off sites established at Milwaukee Public Library branches (see list below) or use the early voting drive-up option at the Frank P. Zeidler Municipal Building, 841 N. Broadway Ave. The drive- up option at Zeidler is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and will be in operation from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. this weekend. Drive-up voting at Zeidler ends Sunday. The drop-off sites at the four Milwaukee Public Library branches are open daily from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. through April 7. Ballots can also be returned via mail, although they must be received by election day.
Milwaukee Public Library Drop-Off Sites
Zablocki Library, 3501 W. Oklahoma Ave.
Bay View Library, 2566 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
Washington Park Library, 2121 N Sherman Blvd.
Mill Road Library, 6431 N. 76th St.
As of Tuesday, the city had issued nearly 70,000 absentee ballots and was receiving 5,000 to 6,000 requests daily, Albrecht said. He estimated that the city would receive from 95,000 to 105,000 absentee ballots for the spring election, an unprecedented amount for Milwaukee. Albrecht said Tuesday that it is likely that the election commission will still be processing absentee votes two days after the election.
Bridge the City talks with Neil Albrecht
For more on the election, check out this Bridge the City podcast.

author: Edgar Mendez


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 1, 2020


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5 things to do and know this weekend: The COVID-19 edition | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
April 3, 2020
Ma’ruf’s new program, Teachable Moments, offers interactive lessons on topics ranging from coding to mentorship. (File photo by Ana Martinez-Ortiz)
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about as the nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “5 things” in the subject line by noon .
1. Backline Milwaukee and Motown Accelerator
Backline Milwaukee and Motown Accelerator have partnered together to offer two-week virtual programs to help artists navigate the COVID-19 crisis. The program will help artists find financial resources, provide mental health and wellness resources and offer instruction on how to maintain a digital presence.
It’s not too late to request a ballot for the spring general election. Registered voters still have a chance to request a ballot until 5 p.m. on Friday, April 3. The deadline to return a ballot has also been extended. Ballots must now be returned by 4 p.m. on Monday, April 13. To request a ballot, click here. To learn more about the election, click here.
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Jane’s Walk MKE has created a choose your own adventure game. The game contains 20 suggestions for individuals and families. It features both inside and outside activities such as going for a walk to reading a book. Participants are encouraged to share their experiences on social media but maintain social distancing.
4. Teachable Moments with Ma’ruf
Ma’ruf’s Center for Youth Innovation recently launched a new program, Teachable Moments. The program offers live interactive lessons for students in sixth grade through high school. The lessons begin at noon every Monday through Friday. The topics range from math, science, coding and English to coaching, character, morals, mentorship and more.
5. Join the Milwaukee singalongThe Wisconsin Conservatory of Music is inviting Milwaukeeans to sing along to Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me” at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 4. The plan is to have people record themselves singing along and share the video on the official Facebook singalong page using the hashtag #MKEsingalong.
Bonus: The latest coronavirus coverage from NNS
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service reporters are hard at work bringing readers up-to-date information regarding coronavirus. Stay informed on coronavirus by following us on our Facebook page and subscribing to our daily newsletter. All coronavirus related articles can be found on this landing page. If you have a question or concern about coronavirus, send them in our way. We’re here to serve you.

author: Ana Martinez-Ortiz


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Post from Communtiy: Fellowship.art emergency response program for artists | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
gener8tor
April 3, 2020
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
The American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact and gener8tor today announced a partnership to run an emergency one-week virtual program for artists affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. This free program is an extension of the Fellowship.art program currently offered in Milwaukee through a partnership between the organizations and other donors in the community.
“We are honored to provide continued support to the creative community. Their dedication to Milwaukee, including its youth, is incentive for us to ensure they receive financial and social support during this challenging time,” says Nyra Jordan, Social Impact Investment Director from the American Family Institute.
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Starting April 13th and running through April 17, Fellowship.art, The Institute and gener8tor will offer a one-week virtual accelerator program designed to help artists identify, understand and secure resources to withstand the current crisis. Artists wishing to enroll in the Emergency Response Program are requested to visit https://fellowship.art/emergency-response to register. The registration deadline is Sunday, April 12 at 11:59pm CT. There will be a limited number of office hours slots, which will be made available to individuals who register for the webinars on a first-come, first-served basis. Webinars will run Monday through Friday and last for one hour.
As part of the program, participants will be invited to lunchtime webinars presented by experts in the following topics:
In addition to the webinars, the ERP will include dedicated, daily one-on-one consultations for artists to virtually meet with Fellowship.art team members. The goal of the calls is to help artists identify, understand, and engage with resources to help them during the COVID-19 crisis. Each artist is currently dealing with different struggles due to the crisis, so the Fellowship.art team will be working one-on-one with each individual to address these specific issues.
“The arts community needs support during these difficult times,” says Maureen Ragalie, Director of Fellowship.art. “Many artists are small business owners or freelancers whose sources of income have dried up because of the COVID-19 crisis. They need help accessing resources to help sustain their livelihoods through this crisis.”
https://www.fellowship.art
Fellowship.art is a 12-week accelerator program for visual artists. Fellowship.art helps artists achieve greater success by providing the support and mentorship needed to maintain a sustainable practice and navigate the industry.
The Institute is a venture capital firm and partner of choice for exceptional entrepreneurs who are building scalable, sustainable businesses in a long-term effort to close equity gaps in America.
The Institute invests in companies working to provide economic opportunity for all, to build resilient communities, to create healthy youth development and to increase learning and academic achievement. It is based in Madison, Wisconsin and can be found on AmFamInstitute.com/.
https://www.gener8tor.com/
gener8tor is a turnkey platform for the creative economy that connects entrepreneurs (startup founders, artists, and musicians), investors, universities and corporations. The gener8tor platform includes pre-accelerators, accelerators, corporate programming, conferences, and fellowships.
gener8tor is a nationally-ranked, GOLD-tier accelerator in the U.S. as ranked by the Seed Accelerator Rankings Project: http://seedrankings.com.


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‘Will I bring it home today?’ Essential workers share their COVID-19 stories | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
April 3, 2020
(Photo by Adam Carr)
Not every worker can stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Those deemed “essential” have clearance to leave to perform tasks deemed crucial for human safety and health.
And they risk exposure to COVID-19 by doing so.
We asked some of them to share their experiences. Names of individuals and some details have been withheld or altered to protect their identity and jobs. The stories have been edited slightly for clarity.
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The residents where I work are 55 years of age and older and they all have some sort of behavioral health issue. Within the last couple weeks, we have had seven residents taken out for COVID-19 symptoms. The first one tested positive and has already passed away. The second is asymptomatic and still at the hospital, and the others are more recent, so we are waiting on their test results.
Our head nurse has been out sick for at least three weeks now. One of my employees in the kitchen had tested positive and has been out for two weeks. Other employees are scared and not coming in at all or are sick and haven’t gone for testing. We have been taking all the necessary precautions that we can, but it seems like that’s not stopping it.
We are so short-staffed that we are running ourselves ragged. Trying to order supplies has been crazy, too. They are either out, in short supply, or the delivery times have been pushed back so far that we’re only able to get what we can get. My oldest daughter also works there, so I am extra afraid of either one of us bringing it home to my other two daughters or my 72- year- old mother who lives upstairs from us and watches them.
I feel anxious and nervous, and I’m pretty much drained every day when I get home. To be honest, if they take any more residents out for this, I probably will stop going in. I have to do what I have to do to keep my family safe.
I work at a local hospital. Unfortunately, I am considered an essential worker so there’s no staying at home. While I felt fortunate still having a job while everyone was losing theirs, the great risk of being infected and bringing it home was scary. As the days went by, it has become a nightmare working in this field.
We are treated horribly by our staff. We are not provided the right personal protective equipment, and we are forced to clean COVID-19 rooms and report to work sick. I’m currently under in-home quarantine due to symptoms. Even after reporting the symptoms, I was told to report to work, but instead went to the emergency room. I believe we are frontline workers, but we get treated like garbage.
Essential worker here. I used to work in an oncology setting. If you know cancer survivors, you know they feel a great deal of anxiety before they go in for their 3-6-9-12 month checkups. They fear finding out that they have cancer again.
I feel like that. Every. Single. Day. I sit on the edge of my bed thinking … is this the day? Will I bring it home today? If I do, how will I fare? I’ve revised my living will just to make sure, if my life were to end, it ends as I want it to.
I work at Walmart and as a tax preparer. At Walmart, it’s like Black Friday every single day. I have been yelled at for not having toilet paper and called an [expletive] at work for asking for ID to sell ammunition. Tax preparation has increased due the stimulus check and we get nonstop calls about it. It has been stressful, but I am thankful I am able to work when so many cannot. But kindness does go a long way.
I worry so much about my daughter who just had my first grandbaby. I have not met her because there’s no way I am putting them at risk. My heart hurts due to the fact a lot of people don’t appreciate what we as retailers go through every day since this started. We get yelled at, spit on and called names. Just always remember: Do unto others as you would want done to you. One person, one cart. If you don’t have to go out, don’t. Don’t risk your family.
I work as a medical assistant in a women’s health clinic. I still have to go to work, and it makes me nervous. I’m doing the best I can at my job to keep everyone safe, so we are all wearing masks and cleaning everything every day. But it does make me scared. I have two family members who have already contracted the virus. I’m just afraid to be around people.
I’m an Amazon flex delivery driver. Work there has slowed way down, not that there’s no work, but because there are so many drivers so it’s hard to get deliveries. There are more workers because a lot of people have lost or been laid off from their normal jobs.
Right now, Amazon is basically delivering only essential things. It’s a little scary going to work, having to be in the warehouse where a lot of other people are and touching cars and packages that other people are touching. It makes me a little nervous and anxious.
I work as a staffing consultant in the Milwaukee area. We are still putting people to work despite the COVID-19 and stay-at home order. Of course, we have had to switch our process and limit walk-in applications and have switched over to phone screens and online applications. We are a small office (four in total), so half of the office is working from home and half is currently in the office. We are practicing social distancing.
Working for me is bittersweet. I have little ones so of course I would like to be at home and spend more time with my children, but unfortunately, I am not able to work from home. But I am also grateful that I still have a job and I am able to support my family during these rough times. Luckily, I have a great support system. Since I must work in the office, I limit my travels to only work and home. The less I can put myself out there, the less risk I have on potentially catching something and infecting my family.
I’ve been welding at my company for a couple years, and we’re still up and running as we speak, and it’s a scary thing. My fiancé and I are worried everyday especially with the rapid spread of the disease. We have kids and her parents are in their 60s. So our worst fear is for one of us to catch COVID-19 and then spread it to one of them. Recently, there was a situation/scare at work. One of our welders wasn’t feeling good.
He went into the emergency room Sunday and died in the hospital. I didn’t go to work for two days this week because I wasn’t feeling good and had flu-like symptoms. I didn’t hear about his death until I got a text about it from friends at work. None of them knew how or why he died. So I decided to go back to work because I couldn’t afford to miss any more days. When I went into work the rumor around the plant was that he died because of liver problems. Well, after I spoke to my supervisor, he wanted me to pair up with the same guy who was working with the individual who died. So I did. Rumor has it that supervisors are scrambling because it’s been confirmed that the guy who died was COVID-19 positive.
Come to find out it’s all true. The guy who died was positive. We had a meeting and were told to start taking more precautions to stay safe like washing our hands, using sanitizer and implementing six feet of safe distance.
We have no real answers about what’s gonna happen next. Just that they’re going to investigate everything more. I kind of flipped out and told them they had me working in the same area as the guy who died and that now I could be contaminated as might EVERYBODY else in the plant as well. So the company told me to stay home and go get checked for COVID-19 and to keep them posted. So mentally, this is all stressful and scary because any moment you can catch it.


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DSC06152 (1) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 2, 2020


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DSC06152 (2) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 2, 2020


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NNS on ‘Lake Effect’: 5 (mostly digital) things to know this April in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
April 4, 2020
Artists and creatives in Milwaukee have adapted their crafts to a variety of digital platforms. (Images provided by the artists)
NNS’s Adam Carr “visited” WUWM and Joy Powers of “Lake Effect” for a socially-distant interview. While our “5 Things” preview typically features events, this April, we previewed things you can do while staying “Safer at Home” compliant.
This month’s list includes digital museum experiences (including America’s Black Holocaust Museum), creative engagement opportunities from artists and creatives (read more here), online public resources (like Milwaukee Public Library and Milwaukee Recreation), suggestions for eating good (NNS’s neighborhood restaurant list) and a simple suggestion for getting outside while practicing social distancing.
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author: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 4, 2020


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Post from Community: Ascension will protect pay of associates during COVID19 pandemic | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ascension Wisconsin
April 4, 2020
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
In an email to all associates on Friday, April 3, 2020, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ascension, Joseph R. Impicciche, JD, MHA, committed to protecting the pay of all Ascension associates throughout the COVID19 pandemic. This includes no layoffs and a variety of pay protection programs.
All Ascension associates, including employed physicians and providers, will have this protection even if they are temporarily assigned to a different job within Ascension or unable to work because they have been diagnosed or are suspected of having COVID-19. Ascension has established several different pay programs to provide this pay protection, such as Furlough Pay, Pay Continuation, PTO Advance, Worker’s Compensation, and Short-Term Disability. Ascension is also implementing daycare subsidies and reimbursements for associates who care for COVID-19 patients and may need to stay in a hotel to ensure social distancing from family members.
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“We are blessed to be able to make this commitment and appreciate the tremendous work and flexibility of our associates, leaders and physicians in providing compassionate, personalized care,” said Impicciche. “I am proud to witness the way all associates have come together to address the challenges of today, just like we have throughout our history.”

author: Ascension Wisconsin


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Ascension-St.-Joseph-ICU-Team-March-28-2020.jpg | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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April 3, 2020


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Post from Community: Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee serves youth during COVID-19 crisis | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee
April 4, 2020
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
Although Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee (BGCGM) has suspended in-person programming for health and safety reasons during the COVID-19 response, the Clubs continue to serve Milwaukee youth and families, especially those in the city’s most vulnerable communities. We are committed to doing whatever it takes to fulfill our mission.
To date, BGCGM has distributed more than 15,000 meals, 3,500 puzzles and toys, nearly 1,000 new books, and hundreds of grade-specific enrichment packets to Milwaukee youth.
“It is vitally important to Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee that we help fill the access-to-education gap that is the reality for our Club Kids. To that measure, the Clubs have developed and launched hundreds of hours of online virtual programming to support students’ academic needs,” said BGCGM President and CEO, Kathy Thornton-Bias. The online portal, called Clubs@Home, organizes study areas by grade level and covers the Clubs’ core learning areas: arts, sports & recreation, health & wellness, and leadership & service. Students with access to a computer, tablet or mobile phone can access the programming at bgcmilwaukee.org.
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BGCGM staff is individually calling many member families each week to learn more about their needs, and we are adjusting our offerings to best respond to the communities we serve.
What: Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee Meals & Materials Distribution
When: Mondays 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where: Select Clubs found at bgcmilwaukee.org/member-resources
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee (BGCGM), one of the largest and longest youth-serving agencies in Milwaukee, offers structured after-school and summer programming to nearly 5,000 children and teens each day. Within the safety of 45 locations, youth have access to free meals, academic support, role models, and opportunities to build character and explore new interests. More than 80 percent of the organization’s annual budget goes toward youth programming. For more information, please visit www.bgcmilwaukee.org.

author: Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee


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BGCMKE_LogoTransparentSmall.png | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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April 4, 2020


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5 things to know this week in Milwaukee: The COVID-19 edition | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ana Martinez-Ortiz
April 6, 2020
HoneyBee Sage Wellness is open for mail orders for all those seeking a holistic approach to healing and wellness. (Photo by Ana Martinez-Ortiz)
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about as the nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “5 things” in the subject line by .
The City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works is planning to begin a safety improvement project on West Fond du Lac Avenue on Monday, April 6. The project will take place from North 36th Street to North 38th Street. It is expected to be complete in late June. The project is designed to improve pedestrian safety through the reconfigurement of intersections, the addition of curb extensions and more. This project may affect parking, pedestrian access and bus routes.
2. Basia Rose is selling face masks
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Local designer Basia Rose has started making fashionable face masks. Individuals can place an order for a mask on the Basia Rose Designs website. Masks cost $10 and are gender neutral. The masks are disinfected before being shipped and are machine washable.
Parks are back in season now that the weather has started to warm up. Due to COVID-19, some Milwaukee County Park regulations have changed. Visitors are reminded that bathrooms and public amenities are closed, to not use shared equipment such as outdoor gyms, picnic tables or playgrounds, to dispose of one’s trash at home and to maintain a minimum distance of 6 feet apart from other park users.
4. Milwaukee County Transit System updates
In response to COVID-19, the Milwaukee County Transit System is making some changes. Fare collection has been temporarily suspended and riders are asked to enter and exit the bus through the back door, unless ADA access is required. Weekday buses are now running on a Saturday schedule. Click here for additional route changes.
HoneyBee Sage Wellness apothecary, which is located inside the vault at the Sherman Phoenix, 3536 W. Fond du Lac Ave., is remaining open for business for mail orders only. To place an order, individuals can email honeybeesage.orders@gmail.com. The order must include your full name, mailing address and phone number. The apothecary offers a holistic approach to healing.
The latest coronavirus coverage from NNS
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service reporters are hard at work bringing readers up-to-date information regarding coronavirus. Stay informed by following us on our Facebook page and subscribing to our daily newsletter. All coronavirus related articles can be found on this landing page. If you have a question or concern about coronavirus, send them in our way. We’re here to serve you.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 5, 2020


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Concerns of disenfranchisement intensify as black and brown voters weigh voting during the coronavirus | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
April 6, 2020
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include news of  the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturning Gov. Tony Evers’ order to halt in-person voting Tuesday.
Paula Durrell has voted in every election since she was 18.
But she will not be casting a ballot Tuesday in order to protect herself from the coronavirus.
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The retired 64-year-old breast cancer survivor said she is strictly following Gov. Tony Evers’ “Safer at Home” order and has no plan to break the rules for the spring election.
On Monday, the day before the scheduled election, Evers issued an emergency executive order pushing in-person voting for Wisconsin’s spring primary back to June 9, and he called the legislature into another special session.
Republican lawmakers in Madison, however, rejected the governor’s order and took the case to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which reinstated in-person voting for Tuesday.
This ballot box drama adds to the anxiety levels of voters like Durrell who worry about risking their health to head to the polls during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Milwaukee, for example, the usual 180 polling sites had been reduced to just five voting centers due to an extreme shortage of poll workers, raising concerns that residents could risk exposure to the coronavirus.
“I am a faithful voter for everything. Voting is very important to me,” Durrell said. “But it’s not number one right now under the conditions that we’re living in.”
(Photo provided by Paula Durrell)
Durrell said she personally knows three people in Milwaukee who have died from the COVID-19 disease, including two from her church in Washington Heights. She has asthma and diabetes, which puts her in a high-risk category for the coronavirus. She doesn’t want to take any chances.
“It’s really hitting close to home for me, and it feels like our leaders are not even concerned about the number of people who are dying,” Durrell said. “It’s a shame.”
As of Sunday night, Milwaukee County has 1,190 cases of coronavirus, and 39 people have died.
In order to vote without leaving her home, Durrell, who described herself as “old school,”  would have had to request an absentee ballot before the extended deadline, which was Friday.
She said she doesn’t own a computer, has never voted absentee and doesn’t know how to.
“I’m really feeling neglected that I’m not going to be out there to voice my opinion or to vote,” Durrell said.
“I’m an African American, and we didn’t always have the opportunity to vote, the right to speak, or to have a right to make some kind of decision, and that’s very important to me to let my thoughts be heard.”
Her decision is one that thousands of other Milwaukee residents will face leading up to Tuesday.
In addition to the presidential primary, Milwaukee’s next mayor, county executive, city comptroller, city attorney, state supreme court justice and other local offices, as well as a major referendum for the city’s public schools, are all on the ballot.
Evers held a special legislative session on Saturday in an attempt to push the election back, but it adjourned after a mere 17 seconds with no resolution. Only one Republican legislator showed up to the session.
With no action from the state legislature or the governor, the latest rules for the election come from U.S. District Court Judge William Conley. That means the timeline to return absentee ballots has extended to April 13, but you can no longer request a ballot.
Early voting continued over the weekend at the drive-thru polling site downtown, but all other early voting sites were shut down on March 22.
As of now, anyone in Milwaukee who is not already registered to vote will have to vote in person to exercise their right to same-day registration.
Mayor Tom Barrett has joined a list of mayors across the state calling for a cancelation of in-person voting, and County Executive Chris Abele has called for the election to be delayed.
Local advocates are concerned that the last-minute adjustments made to Wisconsin’s voting process were too little, and too late, and that they will disenfranchise large numbers of black and brown voters in Milwaukee’s central city.
Maya Neal (Photo provided by Leaders Igniting Transformation)
“That decision to not do something, in all of these weeks that we knew this would be a crisis, was a decision too, to leave our most vulnerable behind and to disenfranchise these voters,” said Maya Neal, political strategy director for Leaders Igniting Transformation, or LIT, a youth-focused civic engagement and advocacy organization.
The first time Evers proposed postponing the election was on Friday. Before that, he had suggested measures such as making the election completely by mail and sending every registered voter an absentee ballot.
LIT, alongside organizations including the African American Roundtable and Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, or BLOC, have been petitioning for the election to be postponed since March 17.
“These black and brown voices have been telling our leaders to figure out how to do this in a just and equitable way for weeks, and to just act now this weekend is irresponsible,” Neal said. “As black and brown folks in Milwaukee, we’re used to that. Not being listened to, not having our votes or our health count and be cared about.”
LIT has switched its outreach strategy to contact voters through texting, and its organizers have focused their efforts on helping people get an absentee ballot and make sure to return it so that they still have access to their vote.
But despite their efforts, Neal said that her team is worried about people having all the information they need because of the changes.
“Now we’re in this situation where folks are unsure, they did not have time to adjust to the changes, and leadership is not doing anything about it,” she said. “Nobody should be force to choose between staying safe and healthy and exercising their right to vote, which is kind of what we’re asking right now.”
Kevin Morris, a researcher for the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, echoed Neal’s concerns.
“By trying to shift the primary vote mode so quickly and so dramatically without giving time for voters to understand the changes, you’re disproportionately benefiting the voters who have access to that information, which are often more-educated, higher-income voters,” he said.
“The main concerns are that leaders in Wisconsin are shuttering so many polling places and have not loosened absentee voting requirements enough to make sure that all voters will have equitable access to the ballot box.”
Neil Albrecht, executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, told the Journal Sentinel that he estimates 40,000 to 50,000 people could show up to the polls to vote on Tuesday.
Grassroots leaders in Milwaukee have said that the adjustments to the election have not gone far enough, will disproportionately impact voter turnout in Milwaukee neighborhoods, and will put residents’ health and safety at risk.
“The failure to postpone the election is a massive piece of voter suppression,” said Jack Norman, communications director for the advocacy organization Voces de la Frontera. “However much we want people to vote, we can’t go against the public health necessity and urge people to vote in person.”
(Photo provided by Rick Banks)
Rick Banks, the political director for BLOC, said that organizers have made tens of thousands of calls to black Milwaukee voters about how to vote early or absentee, but that they’ve faced challenges trying to do political work during a pandemic.
“People are going through a lot,” he said. “So we’ve been doing what we can to help people meet their material needs and also making sure people are staying educated on what’s happening.”
He said that many of the voters BLOC engages with are more likely to be essential workers on the frontlines of the crisis and unable to work from home, less likely to own a car and still rely on the bus, and are part of communities that have over time lacked access to health opportunities, which puts them at higher risk of being harmed by the virus.
“With the health disparities in Milwaukee, compounded with the political inequities and the economic inequities, it’s really a burden for the black community right now,” Banks said.
Outlets including ProPublica and the Journal Sentinel have recently published stories about the virus’s disproportionate impact on black residents in Milwaukee, who make up 46% of Milwaukee County’s coronavirus cases but only 26% of the county’s population.
“If you want to be able to participate in democracy and use your civil rights, we have to risk our lives in order to do so,” Banks said.
Other local leaders were also concerned about the racial inequities of the election, including state senator and mayoral candidate Lena Taylor and community activist and aldermanic candidate Tory Lowe who filed a lawsuit against the Milwaukee Election Commission and Wisconsin Elections Commission.
The suit claimed that the suspension of early voting disenfranchised voters in Milwaukee’s 53206 ZIP code, which is 94% black, and that many of those voters couldn’t request an absentee ballot online because libraries are closed. The suit was dismissed by a federal judge on Sunday.
Ray Nitti, a community activist who helped organize a parade to the polls event on Sunday for the last day of drive-thru early voting, said he’s trying to remind people that the election is an opportunity.
“With us having such an important election, it is vital that we find ways to make sure that our vote is not neutralized, watered down or weakened by any of the measures that have taken place,” he said. “Black and brown people have been represented in the categories of everything worse in the city of Milwaukee, and it’s time for us to take this into our own hands and put people in office who will fight for us.”
“It’s like a double-edged sword. You want people to vote, but you don’t want them to risk contracting the virus,” he said. “Our leaders really dropped the ball on this.”
FUEL Milwaukee is hosting an informational webinar from noon to 12:45 p.m. Monday, April 6. Click here for more information.

author: Allison Dikanovic


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Adam Carr
April 5, 2020


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IMG_1287 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 5, 2020


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Here’s what you need to know about Tuesday’s MPS referendum | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
April 6, 2020
On Tuesday, Milwaukee voters will decide whether to raise MPS’ budget through increased property taxes. (File photo by Andrea Waxman)
On Tuesday, voters will decide whether to increase Milwaukee Public Schools’ budget through a referendum that would raise property taxes.
Here are some things to know before you cast your vote.
What does the referendum do?
The referendum asks voters to allow MPS to exceed its revenue limit by $87 million, phased in over four years. Starting in the 2020-2021 school year, the revenue limit would increase by $57 million, followed by another $20 million increase the following year, a $7 million increase the year after, and a $3 million increase for the 2023-2024 school year.
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This would be paid for by an increase in property taxes in the City of Milwaukee, amounting to $1.60 per $1,000 of assessed property value, according to the district. For example, for those owning property valued at $150,000, the tax impact will be an additional $240 per year.
What does MPS’ budget and enrollment look like currently?
According to the Wisconsin Policy Forum, a nonpartisan policy research organization in Wisconsin, MPS’ current operating budget is about $1.2 billion. The budget is funded primarily through a combination of property taxes, state aid and federal aid. MPS’ base revenue limit per student in the 2019-2020 school year is $10,297, up from $10,122 per student the previous four years.
Over the last 10 years, student enrollment in MPS has trended downward, leading to reduced state aid. While enrollments in schools across the rest of Wisconsin have also declined by 1.8% since the 2009-2010 school year, MPS’ student enrollment has declined by a little over 9%, according to data from the Department of Public Instruction. This has amounted to millions in lost revenue from the state over the past decade. MPS’ enrollment at the start of the 2019-2020 school year was 74,683.
Why does MPS need the money?
MPS says that the money will “better the educational experience for students in our district” by helping “attract and retain high-quality, certified teachers; offer more career and technical education programs; and expand art, music, physical education, and language programs.” In January, the school board took public comments on what to do with the referendum money if it passes, but it did not settle on any specific items.
Anne Chapman, senior researcher at the Wisconsin Policy Forum, said that one “should take into account the unique challenges posed by its student population, which is among the most disadvantaged in the state and whose needs tend to be much costlier.”
Chapman also noted that MPS has the highest concentration of students with disabilities (20%) and students experiencing poverty (83%).
While the district does receive extra state and federal funding for special student populations, including these, Chapman said the funding sources “offset only a portion of additional costs associated with special student populations. Funds that otherwise would go to general education programming must be used to help finance those costs.”
Do other Wisconsin school districts do this?
MPS has not put a referendum on the ballot since February 1993. Since then, 241 districts outside of Milwaukee have completed at least one referendum to ask taxpayers to increase their budget on a recurring basis, according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
In total, districts outside of Milwaukee have gone to a referendum to increase their budget on a recurring basis 522 times, including seven other referenda across the state this year. Of the past 515 completed referenda, only 213 were passed, or about 41%. Of the 38 referenda with over 10,000 voters, only 16 were passed, or about 42%.
The largest amount of money asked for in referenda since February 1993 was in 2016 when Madison Metropolitan School District asked voters for a $26 million increase. MPS is asking for more than triple that figure but also has nearly triple the number of students enrolled as well.
Who is for the referendum?
Since voting to put the referendum on the ballot in December, the Yes for MPS campaign has compiled an active coalition in favor of the referendum. The coalition includes organizations such as the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association, Voces de la Frontera, and the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors as well as individuals such as U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore and several candidates for office across Milwaukee County.
Who is against the referendum?
In a recent opinion piece, three authors opposed to the referendum wrote that although more funding for educational institutions in Milwaukee “is indeed needed and warranted,” the MPS referendum is not the answer. The authors, who all are in leadership positions at or connected to Milwaukee choice and charter schools, say that it is the state of Wisconsin, not city taxpayers, that need to step up to meet educational needs in Milwaukee.
Instead, the authors call on the state to fully fund full-day 4-year-old kindergarten (K4) students and increase funding rates for students with special needs to the national average. The state currently funds schools for special education at less than half the national average. The authors are part of an informal group of community leaders who put out a video in March explaining their position against the referendum.
MORE ON THE ELECTION
In case you missed it: What you need to know to cast your vote in Milwaukee for the April 7 spring election
In case you missed it: OPINION: There are better fixes for Milwaukee’s school funding needs than the MPS referendum
In case you missed it: OPINION: MPS referendum: ‘We have an opportunity to make our city stronger’
MPS fact sheet on referendum
Borsuk: Answers to 8 questions about the April 7 Milwaukee Public Schools referendum


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OPINION: Here’s how Milwaukee can better respond to the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging our community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jeffery Roman, Quinton D. Cotton & Walter J. Lanier
April 6, 2020
(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.
Wisconsin, and Milwaukee in particular, makes another worst list—this time for the number of persons testing positive for COVID-19, the novel coronavirus at the center of the current global health crisis.
At the time of this writing, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services has documented 2,112 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state. Local data documents 1,122 cases in Milwaukee County and 865 cases in the City of Milwaukee. These numbers grow daily upon the hour. Just like other devastating trends in Milwaukee—like high rates of infant mortality, cancer, sexually transmitted infections, poverty and low homeownership—COVID-19 further reveals entrenched health and social disparities in Milwaukee’s African American communities and all communities of color.
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Across the country, governors, mayors and public health officials are playing a dangerous game of follow-the-leader. Failures in Washington, D.C., and statehouses to coordinate effective national and state level responses to COVID-19 have trickled down to local communities. The results are stagnant decision-making, early false messages of non-urgency, inadequate preparation and finger pointing.
In times of crisis, social anxiety is heightened, and strong leadership paired with timely accurate information and coordinated action steps to address the crisis are critical. Local officials in Milwaukee are nervous and have not effectively utilized or coordinated resources that could prove to be helpful like more effectively utilizing Common Council members as ambassadors; activating the reach and strength of neighborhood centers; and connecting a broader group of civic, social and volunteer organizations to emergency response efforts with a concrete strategy for mobilization and action.
We can do better and should do better. Four core issues must be addressed in Milwaukee to adequately respond to this crisis generated by the COVID-19 global outbreak: (1) leadership capacity, (2) public health infrastructure, (3) coordinated community response and (4) local assets and innovation.
Like any resilient city, especially in times of crisis, people need to have clarity about who is responsible for what and trust that their leaders are well-equipped to meet their basic needs. Unfortunately, Milwaukee’s track record isn’t one of strong, coordinated leadership to see us through this storm. While we have tremendous and diverse talent in the city, it is an accepted truth that Milwaukee is “super-siloed” across lines of race, class, gender, age, socioeconomic status, and even city of origin. Furthermore, even inside organizations, denominations, affiliations, etc., we have silos within our silos.  Our history of collective, inclusive action is poor. Leadership in these times of uncertainty is crucial. The leadership needs to be confident, competent and radically inclusive; we need servant leadership that knows how to step forward and how to step back.
Now more than ever, Milwaukee needs leadership that can facilitate pulling together people with diverse strengths and lived experiences, and then focus and align stakeholders into roles that are suited for their skills and spheres of influence. And, because we are in a crisis, the action of leadership has to be done with humility and without pretense.
Those who are a little too humble may need to step forward with more confidence. Those who are a little too confident need to be willing to step back while not walking away and still genuinely support community efforts. Transparent, adaptive and accessible leadership, reflective and responsive to a fragile and underutilized community is what we need.
The key role of public health is to protect the health and safety of the public at population or community level. This is achieved by: (1) surveillance and monitoring, including conducting health assessments and investigations; (2) prevention and education to stop disease onset and spread; (3) mobilizing community resources; (4) service provision and evaluation of those services, (5) policy development and (6) providing information to community residents and organizations that empower them to make healthy choices.
In Milwaukee, city and county officials have been slow to find their footing. It is unclear how the newly formed Board of Health for the City of Milwaukee can be utilized and what concrete actions are being discussed and implemented. COVID-19 is testing Milwaukee’s public health infrastructure and bringing to the surface cracks in our health systems and community-wide ability to respond to public health needs in times of crisis. One thing that is clear, the city and county alone are not appropriately equipped to address challenges of this magnitude.
At its core, public health infrastructure in any community consists of the richness and readiness of the people and systems within it. We all make up the public health system. However, strong effective leadership is needed to develop and activate appropriate and timely response strategies. Now is the time for the public, nonprofit, private and philanthropic sectors to harness their shared capacity and understand their critical role as Milwaukee’s public health line of defense faces off against this pandemic.
From the grassroots to the grass tops, various groups are responding to residents’ immediate needs while others are organizing to mobilize resources and widen access to services. Lots of work is happening to keep city residents safe and healthy, but efforts are siloed and disconnected. Strategy matters. Development of an effective mechanism for rapid response and problem-solving during public health crises such as disease outbreaks like COVID-19 requires infrastructure for cross-sector and cross-community coordination.
When response systems are overwhelmed, disjointed or inadequate, the most vulnerable people and neighborhoods in the community are the hardest hit. Coordinated community-based response to any crisis needs to be built upon a readily accessible public health emergency plan with an apparatus that people and systems can plug their talents, resources and leadership into and deploy to the right places. It is time to dust off and update Milwaukee’s plan in ways that draw on the richness of the people and systems with the capacity to lead and assist.
Innovative community-designed responses to the short- and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on the health and socio-economic conditions of the city and surrounding areas’ residents are needed. Milwaukee is rich in credible and social-impact minded professionals, providers and creatives with reach into diverse communities.
They are invaluable assets that can be tapped to fill the need. While a more robust crisis response is developed, examples of immediate action steps to share information with Milwaukee residents and provide opportunities for stay-at-home activities include:
Milwaukee has all the talent, all the power and most (if not all) of the resources it needs to address this pandemic and mitigate its health and economic related impacts. But, we have not yet harnessed, organized and mobilized that power effectively. Now is the time.
Be strong, be safe, stay healthy Milwaukee. ‘
Join this trio of leaders for a virtual community discussion about these four and other critical issues that must be addressed in Milwaukee’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.
COVID- 19 – Milwaukee and a Better Response
3 p.m. Tuesday, April 7
How: https://zoom.us/j/165302969


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Post from Community: How to explore the great outdoors during ‘Safer at Home’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
the Urban Ecology Center Staff
April 6, 2020
South Side resident Alejandra Jiménez-Marván goes on a nature hike with her son Darío. (Photo provided by Miguel Santos)
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
The Urban Ecology Center is an environmental community center, with three branches in Milwaukee, whose mission is connecting people in cities to nature and each other.
Since Gov. Tony Evers’ “Safer at Home” announcement, we’ve heard lots of questions about whether it’s still OK to go outside. There was a lot of info in the order and the message about outdoor activity is way down in section 11c, so you might have missed it!
As an environmental community center, the Urban Ecology Center has spent a lot of time figuring out how best to encourage people to connect with nature during this unusual time, so we wanted to share our understanding of the order here, along with some guidelines for how you can spend time in nature.
The order says that individuals may leave their homes to do a number of “essential activities,” including “[t]o engage in outdoor activity, including visiting public and state parks, provided individuals comply with Social Distancing Requirements…”
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This is great news! Spending time outside and engaging in physical activity like walking, jogging, and biking [all expressly permitted by the order] have great physical and mental health benefits, which are critical at a time like this. Below are some guidelines for how to get that life-giving time outside in nature while staying safe:
Guidelines:
Here is a list of activities you CAN do outside [as long as you follow the guidelines above]:
If you want more ideas about how to explore nature “apart, together,” the Urban Ecology Center regularly posts stories, photos, videos, educational content and suggestions on our blog and on our social media platforms.
You can find daily UEC posts on our Facebook page as well as on Instagram and Twitter. The bottom line is, spending time outside can be a safe and beneficial way to practice social distancing, and it can be great for your physical and mental health. We hope to see you out on the trails — from at least 6 feet away, of course!

author: the Urban Ecology Center Staff


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getoutsidephoto | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 5, 2020


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What you need to know to be able to vote in April 7 election in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Dikanovic
April 6, 2020
(Photo by Adam Carr)
Updated on Monday April 6 at 8:27 p.m.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with the corrected absentee drop-off deadline.
The spring election is back on.
In a whirlwind Monday, Gov. Tony Evers issued an emergency executive order pushing in-person voting for Wisconsin’s spring primary back to June 9, and he called the legislature into another special session.
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But Republican lawmakers in Madison rejected the governor’s order and took the issue to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which reinstated Tuesday’s elections.
Then the U.S. Supreme Court got into the act, ruling voters will have to mail back their absentee ballots by Tuesday, go to the polls that day or give up their opportunity to vote.
So for Milwaukee voters wondering if the election is still happening Tuesday, the answer at this moment is yes.
If you’re planning on voting absentee . . .
Keep these deadlines in mind:
All absentee ballots must be hand delivered by 8 p.m. on April 7 or postmarked by April 7 and received by 4 p.m. on April 13 to be counted, according to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
Ballots will not be accepted if they are:
Not postmarked by April 7.
Postmarked on or before April 7, but received after 4 p.m.on April 13.
Hand delivered or without a postmark received after 8 p.m.on April 7.
Ballots must be postmarked or delivered by 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 7. Clerks still have until April 13 to receive and count ballots.
Contact the Milwaukee Election Commission at voterinfo@milwaukee.gov or call 414-286-VOTE.
If you have requested but have not returned an absentee ballot, you still have the option of voting in person on Tuesday, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
Any adult can sign and be a witness to your absentee ballot, but it may be difficult to find a witness if you don’t live with other adults due to social distancing guidelines.
Witnesses will be present and able to sign your ballot at any of the five absentee ballot drop-off locations.
The latest updates about witness requirements can be found on the Wisconsin Election Commission site here.
You can drop off your absentee ballot at one of five locations from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on April 7.
These are NOT the same locations as the in-person voting centers for Tuesday.
No. You needed an ID when you requested your absentee ballot ID, so you don’t need to bring it with you to drop off your ballot, according to Albrecht at the Milwaukee Election Commission.
Yes. Voting in person will be very different than past elections.
There will be only five voting centers for the entire city of Milwaukee, and you have a specific one you have to go to, based on where you live.
The voting centers are based off of aldermanic districts, and you have to vote at the specific one for your district.
You can see where your voting center by clicking here.
Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 7.
According to Neil Albrecht from the Milwaukee Election Commission, election workers, members of the Milwaukee Health Department and the National Guard will be enforcing all public health and safety precautions, including social distancing.
This is what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Yes, Wisconsin has same-day registration, so you can still register to vote at your voting center on Tuesday.
If you’re registering to vote at a voting center on April 7, and the address on your ID does not match your current one, you’ll need to bring a separate proof of address.
Acceptable forms of proof of address include a paycheck, bank statement or a utility bill that shows your complete name and current residence. Not just any piece of mail is considered an acceptable proof of address, Albrecht said. Click here for more examples.
You’ll also need a photo ID that meets the state’s requirement to register on Tuesday. Those include Wisconsin Department of Transportation-issued driver’s licenses, Wisconsin state IDs, military ID cards, a U.S. passport or a certificate of naturalization that was issued no more than two years from the date of the election.
For a full list of acceptable IDs, click here.
Yes.
Have you requested an absentee ballot and not received it yet? Have you had any other trouble accessing your right to vote? NNS wants to hear from you. Email info@milwaukeenns.org or text, call, Whatsapp or Signal our reporter Allison at 262-497-5927.


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Braving the ballot box: Here’s what Milwaukee residents, political organizers say about voting during the coronavirus | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
April 7, 2020
(Photo provided by Ashley Norris)
Ashley Norris refused to let the threat of contracting COVID-19 take away her voice Tuesday.
“As an African American woman, I think it’s my right to vote every time,” said Norris, who spent nearly two hours in line at the polling station at Washington High School. “I think that voting is one of the only times you get the chance to express yourself and be heard in a way that counts, literally.”
As for voting in person, she said, she didn’t have much of a choice. She never received the absentee ballot she requested early last week, so she stood in line, wearing a respirator and winter gloves before being handed medical gloves by an election worker.
She was among the thousands in Milwaukee who braved lines, some that spanned blocks, to cast their vote at one of only five voting centers operating across the city.
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Voters like Norris had to choose between risking their health during a deadly pandemic or failing to exercise their constitutional rights. On Monday, Republicans won the showdown against Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who had ordered in-person voting be halted on election day.
Benjamin Rodriguez, who lives on Milwaukee’s South Side, voted at South Division High School, his normal polling station. He said Tuesday’s election was unlike any he’d experienced.
He said election workers near the entrance of the school asked each voter if they were feeling sick before ushering them through a path that led to the gymnasium. People stood 6 feet apart, spaced by markers on the floor, in what he described as a well-organized effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“There were about 60 poll workers and about 80 to 100 voters,” said Rodriguez, who cast his vote around 1:30 p.m. “Some were registering people. One person would bring your ballot, some ushering people around, and others cleaned voter stations and machines between each vote.”
(Photo provided by Benjamin Rodriguez)
Although Rodriguez said it took him only 15 minutes to cast his vote, others reported much longer waits at South Division as the day wore on.
Molly Collins, advocacy director for the ACLU of Wisconsin, served as a poll observer at South Division. She said as the lines got longer, some began to walk away.
“A lot of people are deciding not to vote because they can’t wait in a two-hour line,” Collins said. “I mean it’s really impressive to me that the vote is so important to folks that they’re willing to go out and vote in person.”
Judging by many of the scenes shared across social media that featured Milwaukee polling stations, there were risks in doing so. Images showed long lines full of voters — some practicing social distancing and some not, some wearing masks and others barefaced.
It’s a chance that Ashley Olson, the mother of a 10-year-old daughter, was not willing to take.
“I didn’t feel like it was worth the risk, or that it was safe for me or others,” Olson said. “I feel like they put a lot of people in danger of being infected.”
Tammy Rivera, executive director of the Southside Organizing Committee, agrees.
Rivera, whose organization had been working to register absentee voters while also providing COVID-19 guidance in recent weeks, said it’s unbelievable that there were no measures in place to safeguard the voting process in the case of a national emergency, a catastrophe or what’s happening now with COVID-19.
“We don’t have to do a poll or debate on whether people should be alive or not,” Rivera said. “It seems that the human condition should be the priority of everyone right now, and we’re going against all natural protection to do [an election] we could do later.”
The safety of the voters and poll workers was also on the mind of Rick Banks, political director/organizer for Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, also known as BLOC. Banks said his organizers spent the day making calls to check in on residents and also organizing front porch pickups of absentee ballots.
“I think it’s just a tragedy that people had to risk their lives to cast their votes during an election that will have so many impacts,” Banks said.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 7, 2020


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Checking in: How are you doing as we confront the coronavirus? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Claudia Delgadillo
April 7, 2020
So, how are you doing?
We continue to check in with our neighbors as we all live with the challenges of COVID-19.
“The world will not be the same after this. And perhaps that’s a good thing.”
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(Photo provided by Alexander Hagler)
Who: Alexander Hagler, co-owner of Center Street Wellness
Neighborhood: Harambee
How has your life been since we’ve been told to stay home? My days have changed a lot. I never really understood the scope of my community until this happened. The places I can’t go. The people I can’t see. It definitely puts things into perspective. I’m investing a lot in my home life now.
What do you feel you need more of? As a citizen and a business owner, I feel I need more assistance. The working class has lost a lot of income because of this, but those at the top still expect to get paid regardless, so some assistance would be appreciated.
What do you need less of? I need less social media. It’s difficult because as a business owner I need social media more than ever to engage with customers and my community. However, the more I lean into social media, the more stir crazy I get!
Say something to inspire your neighbor: Instead of thinking about how this virus will hurt our economy and our way of life, think of how this will make us a stronger and more resilient community. The world will not be the same after this. And perhaps that’s a good thing.
“My life has shifted into a game of waiting and wondering.”
(Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Who: Lilo Allen, co-founder of the Bronzeville Collective MKE
Neighborhood: Capitol Heights
How has your life been since we’ve been told to stay home? My life has shifted into a game of waiting and wondering. I’m wondering if my business can sustain being closed for so long. I’m waiting to hear if I will be awarded the grants that I applied for. I’m wondering what the impact this virus will have on my business moving forward. I’m waiting to be told the truth from our government and its leader.
What do you need more of? Right now, I just need more peace of mind. I’m self-employed, and I’ve never had to apply for any type of assistance, and I don’t know much about those processes, so it’s frustrating.
What do you need less of? I need less sensationalized media. We don’t need to hear about every death or serious illness that may come from this. What we need now is information on how best to be healthy, how to treat and care for yourself if infected, and how to access the help that we need – financial and otherwise.
Say something to inspire your neighbor: Don’t cave into the pressure to be productive. I do believe this is a time to be introspective and to clean or knock some things off of our home “to do” list. I also believe that right now many people are in a space of worrying and have entered a new spiral of anxiety or depression. Whatever you choose to do with this time – remember, it’s your time. Don’t feel guilty for just making it through the day. That in itself is an accomplishment.
You can let us know how you’re doing by answering the questions posed in the article. Send your answers and a photo of yourself to info@milwaukeenns.org. You can also comment below.


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47041999604_d3d0501304_k (1) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 6, 2020


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49739023373_83d02dda1e_b | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 6, 2020


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 6, 2020