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Panel, audience recognize abundance in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sharon McGowan
March 14, 2012
(clockwise from top left): Christopher Boston, Dr. Michele Bria, Sharon Adams and Ken Leinbach (Photos from Building A Better Milwaukee)
Ken Leinbach was on an airplane when he realized that even as an “ordinary science teacher,” he had enough power to change at least one person — himself. Passionate about preserving the environment, he got rid of his car, reduced the amount of trash he threw out and did more recycling. “I became green before green was green,” he said.
Executive director of the Urban Ecology Center since 1998, Leinbach used the story to illustrate a tenet of abundant communities: “What we have is enough.”
Leinbach joined panelists Dr. Michele Bria, executive director of Journey House; Christopher Boston, director of Sustainable Communities at LISC; and Sharon Adams, a founder and program director of Walnut Way Conservation Corp., at the recent workshop, “Recognizing Abundance in Milwaukee.” Jeanette Mitchell of Cardinal Stritch University moderated the program.
The second in the three-part “Building a Better Milwaukee Series,” the session was offered twice in one day and attracted a total of about 275 people. The series is a collaboration between the Cardinal Stritch University Leadership Center and the Marquette University College of Professional Studies.
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The conversation was loosely organized around five tenets of abundant communities discussed in “The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods” by John McKnight and Peter Block. “Right in our neighborhood we have the capacity to address our human needs,” wrote McKnight and Block. “We all have gifts to offer, even the most seemingly marginal among us.”
The authors posit that consumerism, with its belief that “however much we have, it is not enough,” has torn the social fabric in this country, but that people can assume roles and take actions to reweave it.
While Leinbach changed his own habits, he soon realized he could have a bigger impact with the help of others. As a teacher, he had discovered that children learn better outdoors. Soon after he started working at the Urban Ecology Center in Riverside Park, he borrowed eight or nine canoes that people weren’t using and started taking children on canoe trips. Today, Urban Ecology Center is a national model for urban environmental education, serving 20,000 children per year.
“What we have is enough,” Leinbach repeated. “By matching your gifts and my gifts together, the need will be met.”
Discussing the tenet “We have the capacity to provide what we need,” Bria cited the Journey House Center for Family Learning and Youth Athletics, which is now under construction. It took a 12-year effort, during which the economy came to a grinding halt, to bring the project to fruition. With enviable tenacity, Journey House and Longfellow School eventually were able to acquire the funding to build the center, which includes a new cafeteria, kitchen, gym, computer labs and classrooms.
“There were so many naysayers, but I didn’t even hear them,” Bria said. “Our team was so focused on where we needed to go. In the middle of May we will open a $6 million facility that honors the people we serve in Clarke Square,” she said.
For Chris Boston, the discussion brought to mind the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. And whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.”
Boston, a native Milwaukeean who been a community organizer for 13 years, sees his role at LISC as “a bridge builder to abundance.” “I believe we have abundance,” he said. “The question is ‘How can we build bridges to get people over the waters of insecurity?’”
Sharon Adams, who moved back to her family home in Lindsay Heights in 1997 after 30 years away, has spent the past 15 years working to recreate the abundance she felt in the neighborhood as a child. In 2000, a decade before publication of “The Abundant Community,” Walnut Way was incorporated with the philosophy that “People heal working collectively for the common good. There is enough.”
Adams recalled that when her husband, Larry Adams, began planting food in the Walnut Way garden, he was warned that people were going to steal it. “They can’t steal what they own,” he responded. “The food belongs to everyone.”
In the same spirit, Walnut Way now is working to turn a block of unused buildings into an Innovation and Wellness Commons to help create jobs for some of the 3,300 people in the neighborhood who are actively looking for work, Adams said.
“Today we’re on a path. By 2015 there will be a multitude of jobs in our neighborhoods,” she added. “We’re doing it step by step.”


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dia-de-los-muertos-parade-enlivens-streets-of-walkers-point | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 13, 2012

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Adam Carr


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dotd-11_f | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dave
April 7, 2012

author: Dave


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Black Knowledge Bowl | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 15, 2012


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Walnut Way community meeting | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 15, 2012


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Walnut Way public tour | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 15, 2012


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Keys to Ownership | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 18, 2012


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Milwaukee Christian Center embarks on planning process | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
March 19, 2012
Tammy Belton-Davis, community engagement officer for Alinea LLC., addresses the crowd. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
More than 90 years ago, the Milwaukee Christian Center (MCC) opened its doors, originally serving as an outreach ministry for the American Baptist Churches to residents of the near south side. The center recently has begun a process it hopes will lead to prosperity for the next 90 years.
The first step was a community visioning session, held at South Division High School, 1515 W. Lapham Blvd. Business leaders, politicians, community leaders and residents shared ideas, discussed challenges and outlined a draft vision of the center’s future.
Common themes that arose during the session were healthy living, education, job programs and community gardens, among others.
Among MCC’s services are an emergency food pantry, youth and elderly programming, the Neighborhood Improvement Project and a first-time offender program. The organization serves a neighborhood it describes as diverse, poor and underserved, but full of untapped potential.
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“We need to encourage our young people from the neighborhood to recognize their brilliance,” said Barbara J Wyatt Sibley, MCC executive director.
Barbara J Wyatt Sibley, executive director of the Milwaukee Christian Center, shares the history of the center. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Sibley added that the center is located in a culturally diverse section of the city, and serves a broad range of people.
“We serve children, young adults, teens, seniors, families, the entire spectrum of people who live in our neighborhood,” Sibley said.
The planning or “visioning” will involve taking suggestions from the community and focusing them into a single vision with three to five top priorities, according to Tammy Belton-Davis, community engagement advisor for Alinea LLC., the company coordinating the effort.
Alinea offers coaching for capital campaigns, board development and other projects. It specializes in working with non-profits such as MCC.
“To move to the next level, we need the perspective and insight of people who work with non-profits, corporate business people and, of course, people from the community to help shape MCC’s vision,” Belton-Davis said.
The visioning should take several weeks, with a concrete action plan to help shape the future of the center set within two months, according to Terri Isabell, vice-president of relationship strategy for Alinea.
Isabell, along with Sibley, made it clear that for the neighborhood to become a model for all Milwaukee neighborhoods, the center will need a lot of community participation.
“In order for us to dream for the next 90 years, we are going to need your help,” said Sibley, addressing the audience of more than 75 people.

author: Edgar Mendez


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6984578885_e1c84fdd6e | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dave
April 7, 2012


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Mark My Words: The Movie | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 20, 2012


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Mark My Words: The Movie | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Delara Bastani
March 20, 2012

author: Delara Bastani


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Welcome, Baby! program for parents | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 20, 2012


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14th Annual MCC Bowl-a-thon | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 21, 2012


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Against the odds, youth rise up | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
March 21, 2012
Josh Del Colle, a volunteer facilitator for Youth Rising Up, jots down suggestions for the group. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Each Wednesday evening, dozens of teens and young adults crowd into a meeting room on the first floor of Pathfinders, 4200 N. Holton St. What goes on next is part counseling session, part community organizing, largely informal and 100 percent therapeutic for members of Youth Rising Up.
Participants in the group have all, at one point or another, received assistance at the Pathfinders drop-in center for homeless and exploited youth, but they don’t want to be characterized by that. Rather, they want people to look past the tattoos, the scars and their struggles and see them for who they are, young people in search of a better life.
“They could stereotype us, and it might always be like that; but we want them to respect us for who we are, rather than (judge us by) how we look,” said Shamonte Wright. Despite coming from a background he described as full of drug dealers, Wright joined the group to help uplift the spirits of the youth of the streets.
Wright hopes to be a professional boxer someday.
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The group meets each week to discuss varying issues such as violence, hot topics in local and world news, and education, while also sharing a communal meal.
“Other than housing situations, there are drugs, alcohol, unemployment, mental illness and dropping out of school, along with other more basic obstacles these teens are facing,” said Marty Hagedorn, assistant program coordinator at Pathfinders.
On this day, they talk about raising funds to help Bradley Tech High School and MLK Elementary school buy copies of the classic novel, “The Catcher in the Rye.”
Like the protagonist in the book, Holden Caulfield, the young people here struggle with feelings of alienation, confusion and angst.
They talk about whether they feel safe in their neighborhoods or schools. They talk about presenting ideas to the school board. They talk about fairness and the lack of resources at their schools.
They lament the fact that their textbooks are dilapidated.
Most important though, is that they talk. According to Hagedorn, the most important function of the group is to help the youth find their voices.
“It’s an opportunity for our young people to be heard in the community, to share their experiences; they’re craving it because most of them haven’t had a creative outlet like the group where we can talk about their problems and create strategies to deal with them,” Hagedorn said.
Marty Hagedorn, assistant program coordinator at Pathfinders, leads a discussion on violence prevention. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Youth Rising Up is one of several programs at Pathfinders that aim to help young people take charge of their lives, connect with resources and contribute to the community, according to Hagedorn.
Oscar Walton is one member who is taking charge of his life. Now a youth advocate at Pathfinders, he started going there in 2008 after growing up on the lower east side of Milwaukee, in a Vice Lords neighborhood on Keefe Street.
Walton, who described his upbringing as chaotic, said he ran away when he was young after his house was shot up. That’s when he found Pathfinders.
Walton, who emcees and hopes to break into the music business, takes classes at MATC and upon graduation plans to move on to the social work department at UWM.
“All of us here at Youth Rising Up came from very humble beginnings,” Walton said, but we’re all here to make a difference in our community and through hard work and determination we will all reach our goals.”


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6854254234_2c202684071 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dave
April 7, 2012


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Dinner and a show featuring Mango Blue | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 21, 2012


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Free VITA tax preparation | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 21, 2012


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Journey House Gala & Auction | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 21, 2012


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Painting Borges: A Pictorial Interpretation of His Fictions | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 21, 2012


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Peer Power- Peer Mentoring Group for High Schoolers with Disabilities | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 21, 2012


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Something to Talk About: Peer Mentoring Group for Men | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 21, 2012


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Something to Talk about: Peer Mentoring Group for Men | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 21, 2012


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Time Arts Continuum | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 21, 2012


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Vanishing Points: Explorations in Architecture and Identity | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 21, 2012


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WPCA 25th Anniversary Gala | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 21, 2012


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Clarke Square Neighborhood Cleanup Bash 2012! | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 22, 2012


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Facing Cancer Together | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 22, 2012


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Information for prospective home buyers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jim McGowan
March 22, 2012
A representative from Seaway Bank and Trust Company will answer questions and provide basic information about mortgage borrowing and home buying at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 24 at River of Life AME Church, 4260 N. Teutonia Ave.
Topics will include how to get prequalified for a home, how to improve your credit score, the importance of savings, the application process, the home buying process and Seaway’s new 1% down mortgage.
For more information, call (414) 343-6900.
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author: Jim McGowan


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I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Jerry Greenfield | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 24, 2012


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I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Jerry Greenfield | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Delara Bastani
March 24, 2012


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Neighborhood development awards on tap | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jim McGowan
March 24, 2012
The Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDI) will be presented at an event beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 28 at the Pfister Hotel, 424 E. Wisconsin Ave.
The MANDI awards are sponsored by LISC Milwaukee. For more information, email Dawn Hutchison-Weiss, LISC Milwaukee communications director, or call her at (414) 273-1815 x25.


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Non-profit recruiting sophomores for college access program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 24, 2012
College Possible™ Milwaukee (formerly Admission Possible) is seeking low-income high school sophomores interested in earning a college degree for its after-school college access and success program. Accepted students will begin the program as juniors in the fall of 2012. College Possible Milwaukee currently serves more than 350 high school juniors and seniors. Historically, 98 percent of College Possible students earn admission to college and nearly 80 percent of those who enrolled have graduated from college or are persisting toward a degree.
“Because of College Possible, I know what I am looking for in a college, what I need to do to apply, how I should prepare myself. It gave me encouragement and confidence,” said Monique Alcantar, Milwaukee School of Languages and College Possible Milwaukee Class of 2012. “I really wish that College Possible could expand more, to give more students the opportunity to get to college. This is a really great thing. I can’t wait until I hear when I’m 50 that everybody’s going to be in College Possible and go to college.”
College Possible students meet twice per week in after-school sessions during their junior and senior years of high school to complete more than 320 total hours of programming. College Possible juniors prepare for the ACT and learn about the college application process, while seniors submit college and scholarship applications and secure financial aid packages. Students also attend campus visits and participate in service opportunities to give back to the community.
“With the help of our partner high schools and community supporters, we’re excited to be able to serve more students each year,” said Kelly Schaer, program manager at College Possible Milwaukee. “We’re well on our way to creating a college-going culture in Milwaukee, and College Possible is a significant part of that change.”
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To be eligible to join College Possible, students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher and qualify as low-income. Applicants must also have a desire to attend a four-year college and be willing to commit to after-school activities and some weekend events. Programming is free to all participating students, parents and partner high schools.
Applications from eligible sophomores are being accepted through mid-April by College Possible staff at the program’s partner high schools in Milwaukee: Alexander Hamilton High School, International Peace Academy, Milwaukee School of Languages, Morse•Marshall High School, Riverside University High School, South Division High School and St. Joan Antida High School.
Students, parents and others interested in learning more about College Possible should call College Possible Milwaukee at 414-220-9450 or email MKEInfo@CollegePossible.org.


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Small Business Marketplace: Economic Recovery Underway: Will Your Business Be Ready? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 24, 2012


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Clarke Square homeowners eligible for free property repairs | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
March 26, 2012
Willy Rozanski, A Brush With Kindness volunteer, paints a porch on the 1000 block of S. 21st Street in Clarke Square last May. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Habitat for Humanity’s “A Brush With Kindness” program (ABWK) soon will be making its way into the Clarke Square neighborhood for the fourth year in a row.
AWBK fixes up homes needing repairs such as paint, new windows, security doors or roofing, among other projects.
Enrollment is open now on a first-come first-served basis, according to Veronica Ortiz, Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative (CSNI) housing coordinator. Applications should be dropped off at Journey House, 1900 W. Washington St.
Clarke Square neighborhood marker on the 1000 block of S. 23rd Street. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Eligible properties are then referred to AWBK, which provides repairs to bring homes up to code free of charge to the homeowner.
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The number of homes to be repaired in Clarke Square has yet to be determined, though it’s likely to be about 10, according to Ortiz.
The program is funded by the Zilber Family Foundation and the Margaret S. Chester Revocable Trust, with paint donated by the Valspar Corporation.
To be eligible, residents must be low-income homeowners, and also must certify that they do not intend to move or sell their home within the next three years.
Follow this link for a .pdf of the registration form for A Brush With Kindness.


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6860424606_df1a17abbe | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dave
April 7, 2012


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NNS marks first year with “Tweet and Toast” | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sharon McGowan
March 26, 2012
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service celebrated the first anniversary of its launch Thursday. About 75 community members, Diederich College of Communication faculty and staff, and guests gathered in Marquette University’s Johnston Hall to hear Journal Sentinel columnist and editorial writer James Causey discuss his work.
(Front, from left): NNS reporter Kenya Evans. Dr. Lori Bergen, dean of Diederich College of Communication, and NNS intern Heather Ronaldson (right) chat at a tweetup marking the first anniversary of the news service. James Causey and journalism professor Herbert Lowe look on. (Photo by Jim McGowan)
NNS web coordinator Dwayne Burtin (far left) tweets James Causey’s speech. (Photo by Jim McGowan)
Causey and NNS web coordinator Adam Carr listen to a question from an audience member. (Photo by Jim McGowan)

author: Sharon McGowan


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IMG_0047 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dave
April 7, 2012


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Youth encourage peers to “kick butts” | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 27, 2012
Mary Ryan Boys & Girls Club member Altrue Brown, Club Manager Gregory Ware, and club staff member Donte Daughtry hold up a sign for rush hour commuters on National Kick Butts Day. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
Members of the Mary Ryan Boys & Girls Club teamed up with the Wisconsin African American Tobacco Prevention Network and the City of Milwaukee Tobacco-Free Alliance to “air out the tobacco industry’s dirty laundry” Wednesday.
The young people expressed their feelings about tobacco on colorful hand-painted T-shirts. They strung the T-shirts on clotheslines in front of the club at the corner of 43rd and Burleigh streets, for rush hour drivers and pedestrians to see. About 30 club members joined with other youth in Milwaukee and across the country in speaking out against smoking on March 21, National Kick Butts Day, a nationwide initiative in which kids lead the effort to stop youth tobacco use.
Club members painted T-shirts with messages discouraging smoking to display in front of their club at 43rd and Burleigh streets. (Photo by Sue Vliet)

author: Andrea Waxman


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6858033042_c24fc0b6f4 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 26, 2012


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6858034272_d284d10476 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 26, 2012


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13th Anniversary Hank Aaron State Trail 5k Run / Walk | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Delara Bastani
March 28, 2012


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Earth Day Clean-Up | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Delara Bastani
March 28, 2012


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Earth Poets: An Evening of Celebration and Concern | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Delara Bastani
March 28, 2012


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Menomonee Valley Workplace Wellness Expo | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Delara Bastani
March 28, 2012


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Students show knowledge of African American history | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jim McGowan
March 28, 2012
The 4th annual Black Knowledge Bowl (BKB4) will be conducted from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, March 30 at Manpower Group, 100 N. Manpower Place.
The event is an academic challenge that allows high school-aged students to demonstrate their knowledge of African American history, compete for team prizes, engage in cultural enrichment activities and build self-confidence. Teams of 3-5 players compete.
The competition is sponsored by the Social Development Commission. For more information, contact SDC Community Relations at (414) 906-2726.
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Taste the Season | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 28, 2012


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Walnut Way Neighborhood Lift Up | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
March 28, 2012


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Free Lawn & Garden Seminar | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 1, 2012


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Free Lawn & Garden Seminar | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Delara Bastani
April 1, 2012


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Free Tax Preparation and Much More – Super Saturday Returns | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 1, 2012


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Free Tax Preparation and Much More – Super Saturday Returns | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Delara Bastani
April 1, 2012


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A Farm Bill that Feeds Us | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Delara Bastani
April 2, 2012


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A Farm Bill that Feeds Us | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 2, 2012


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First gateway marker appears in Clarke Square | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
April 2, 2012
The first of five Clarke Square gateway markers has been set on the 1300 block of S. Layton Blvd. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
The first of five dark-brown, decorative gateway markers created to demonstrate pride in the neighborhood, has been set near the corner of the 1300 block of S. Layton Blvd. after permitting problems held up the installation for nearly a year.
The unfinished marker on South Layton Boulevard still needs to be fitted with a glass-like panel that will contain a logo and text about the history of the neighborhood.
The city of Milwaukee denied permits to the CSNI at three of the five original sites for the markers last year because the locations didn’t meet certain requirements set by the city, said Dawn Schmidt, civil engineer for the city, in an interview with Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service last August.
Workers placed numerous neighborhood banners on lampposts throughout Clarke Square in early March.
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It’s all part of an effort by the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative (CSNI) to “brand” the neighborhood to its residents.
“We want residents to know the neighborhood they live in so when we go door to door and talk about the steps the initiative is taking to improve quality of life here, they know the area we’re talking about,” said Paul Grippe, chairperson of CSNI.
The gateway markers, fabricated by Ascend Design and C R Industries Inc. of Cudahy, Wis., sat in storage at the company before the first one was set into the sidewalk of the busy street last month.
A date for the placement of the remaining markers has not yet been set, according to Manni Marquez, director of CSNI.
Banners identifying Clarke Square have been placed throughout the community. This one is on the 1000 block of S. 23rd Street. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)


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7006449391_3c7d1b08cc | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dave
April 7, 2012


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Five gateway markers installed in Clarke Square | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
April 4, 2012
It’s going to be a lot easier to know whether you’re in Clarke Square, now that decorative markers and banner have been installed throughout the community.
“We want residents to know the neighborhood they live in so when we go door to door and talk about the steps the initiative is taking to improve quality of life here, they know the area we’re talking about,” said Paul Grippe, chairperson of the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative (CSNI).
Installation was delayed after the city denied permits at three of the five original sites. It took nearly a year for the process to be completed.
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The markers were created to “demonstrate pride in the neighborhood’s diverse cultures and attractions,” according to the community’s Quality of Life Plan. The original plan was to place at the four corners and center of Clarke Square.
However, city requirements that the markers could not block the view of oncoming traffic; must have 5 feet of clearance on the sidewalk; and could not interfere with underground utilities forced CSNI to find other locations.
The corten steel markers with glass-like inserts are now are in place at Longfellow School, 1021 S. 21st St.; Mitchell Park, 524 S. Layton Blvd.; at the corner of the 1600 block of West National Ave.; the 1300 block of S. Cesar E. Chavez Drive; and the 1300 block of S. Layton Blvd.
Ascend Design of Milwaukee, along with C R Industries of Cudahy, fabricated the markers, which include a description of the neighborhood in English and Spanish.


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Clarke-Square-Square | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dave
April 8, 2012


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City program saves homeowners money on energy | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
April 9, 2012
Homeowner Greg Mertens points to a new installation plug in his attic. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
About a dozen years ago, Greg Mertens was looking for a new home and a new location for his expanding Wild Flour Bakery business. He decided on a 1925, brick, two-story house in Layton Boulevard West.
The only problem was that the building, like many other older homes in the neighborhood, was an energy waster. The energy in the home, much like the cost, was going through the roof, according to Mertens.
That has changed since Mertens took advantage of the city’s Milwaukee Energy Efficiency (Me2) program to help him finance insulation in the attic of his home last year.
Me2, a federally funded program available to all city residents, is intended to help home and business owners finance energy efficiency upgrades such as insulation, air sealing and new heating equipment, among other improvements, according to the city website.
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The program will be marketed heavily to Layton Boulevard West homeowners, as well as those in Lindsay Heights, Thurston Woods, McGovern Park and areas around Lincoln Park in the coming weeks, according to Erick Shambarger, coordinator of Me2 and other environmental sustainability programs for the city of Milwaukee.
This spring the program will provide homeowners of one- to three-unit buildings with a low-cost energy assessment for $50 for single-family homes, and $100 for duplexes and triplexes, according to Shambarger.
The professional assessors focus on appliances, windows and insulation among other common energy wasters in older housing stock such as LBWN’s, according to Will Sebern, community outreach manager for Layton Boulevard West Neighbors, one of the groups coordinating recruiting with the city.
The exterior of Merten's Wild Flour Bake House and Cafe, 2800 W. Lincoln Ave. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Homes in Lindsay Heights have the same issues, according to Jeremy Davis, urban agriculture and energy conservation coordinator for Walnut Way Conservation Corps, 2240 N. 17 St.
“Most of the homes here were built around the turn of the century and are not tightly insulated or sealed, which leads to huge energy bills,” Davis said.
With that in mind, the assessor tests the airflow in at the house and develops a plan for energy-saving repairs and an estimate of how much money could be saved, Sebern said.
Homeowners are then paired with a participating financer, who offers a low-interest loan with no down payment for repairs, Shambarger said.
If a homeowner decides to go through with the repairs, the assessment fee is refunded and the homeowner is also eligible to be reimbursed up to $2,000.
A 15-24 percent reduction in energy use could earn homeowners $1,000 cash back while a 35 percent or more reduction in could result in a $2,000 reimbursement, according the Me2 website.
The program also includes the services of an energy advocate, whose role is to work with participating contractors and consultants to ensure property owners receive the maximum financial incentives.
Mertens said he benefitted greatly from having the help of an energy advocate.
“The advocate checked the contractor’s work, and made them come back and do additional work on my house,” Mertens said.
Financial incentives could include other local programs that can be used in conjunction with Me2, according to Shambarger.
One such program is the Targeted Investment Program (TIN), which serves sections of LBWN or Habitat for Humanity’s renovation program, which serves both LBWN and Lindsay Heights.
TIN was designed to sustain and increase owner occupancy and strengthen property values.  Habitat for Humanity renovates homes in selected areas of the city.
The concentrated effort to notify residents about the Me2 program includes visits to local churches and canvassing targeted blocks in Layton Boulevard West.
In Lindsay Heights, organizers are also canvassing, as well as visiting parent-teacher events at Hopkins Lloyd community school and North Division to get the word out about the program, according to Davis.
To apply for the program, Milwaukee residents can call (877) 399-1203 or apply online at www.smartenergypays.com. Layton Boulevard West residents also can contact LBWN at (414) 383-9038. Lindsay Heights residents can contact Walnut Way Conservation Corp. at (414) 264-2326) or the Urban Economic Development Association, (414) 562-9904.


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6898903846_a0d65e2f3f | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 8, 2012


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6898916984_b0985644eb | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 8, 2012


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Harriet Dorsey celebrates 106th birthday | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 12, 2012
Walnut Way resident Harriet Dorsey celebrates her 106th birthday. (Photo by Sue Vliet))
Harriet Dorsey, the oldest resident of Walnut Way, celebrated her 106th birthday this week. State representative Elizabeth Coggs (10th District) joined the party, held at the Clinton Rose Senior Center, 3045 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Dr. In 2006, when Dorsey was 100, she was inducted in the Milwaukee County Senior Hall of Fame, receiving a special “Century of Service Award.” The long-time community volunteer has been called “the Queen Mother of the African American community.”
Common Council President Willie Hines also was on hand to honor Ms. Dorsey.
State Representative Elizabeth Coggs stopped by the Clinton Rose Senior Center to wish Harriet Dorsey a happy birthday.


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Dorsey5138 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 11, 2012


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Dorsey_5137 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 11, 2012


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NNS wins Edward R. Murrow Award | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
April 13, 2012
The Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service has won a regional Edward R. Murrow Award, from RTDNA (Radio Television Digital News Association). The news service won in the “Online News Operation – Non-Broadcast Affiliated Website” category.
According to the RTDNA website, “Murrow Award recipients demonstrate the spirit of excellence that Edward R. Murrow made a standard for the broadcast news profession.” News organizations from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin competed for the Region 4 awards. Awards were presented in 14 categories, broken up by medium (radio, television, online) and by market size (small and large).
“We are delighted and honored to receive such a prestigious award,” said Editor and Project Director Sharon McGowan. “It is a tribute to the hard work of our staff, interns and volunteers, and to the people and organizations whose stories we tell.”
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author: Dwayne Burtin


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2012 Edward Murrow Award | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
April 13, 2012


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Tenor students study law and get their day in court | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
April 17, 2012
Circuit Court Judge Carl Ashley presides over a semi-final round of the Street Law Mock Trial at the Milwaukee County Courthouse (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
“Today, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I ask you to let Jessie Drew go free because she did not commit this crime,” said Malik Williams, a Tenor High School student participating in a recent mock trial competition as part of Marquette Law School’s Street Law program. Williams was the first of 22 students from Tenor, a charter school at 840 N. Jackson St., to appear in court.
Looking professional in a white shirt and tie, Williams betrayed no frayed nerves as he presented the opening statement for the defense. “Thank you counselor,” said presiding Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Carl Ashley as Williams stepped down from the podium. The judge then directed the prosecution to call its first witness.
Across the hall on the fifth floor of the Milwaukee County Court House, the other half of Tenor’s “Team Yellow,” took up the prosecution’s case before Court of Appeals Judge Kitty Brennan. Later in the evening, the two groups switched places and argued the other side of the case. Forty-two students from Hmong American Peace Academy, Hope High School and New School for Community Service did the same.
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The mock trial competition gives students the opportunity to take what they have learned in class since the beginning of the school year and put it into practice in real courtrooms before real judges. The students took on the roles of attorneys, defendants and witnesses.
Tenor High School social studies teacher Hilary Minor along with a teacher at the Hmong American Peace Academy will hold an additional mock trial, what she calls a “mini-competition or scrimmage,” for the students at the end of the school year.
Marquette Law School senior Jack Reid works with his Street Law students at Tenor High School to prepare for the mock trial (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
According to Street Law director Notesong Srisopark Thompson, an attorney and adjunct professor at Marquette Law School, the program exposes the students to different areas of the law, especially “law that they see in the streets.”
“We inspire the students,” Thompson said, to think about how laws came about and how to be better citizens by abiding by those laws. “If there’s a law that they feel is unjust then they need to understand why it is and maybe do something to correct it.”
The program also encourages students “to shoot for higher dreams and raise the bar for themselves and their education,” she added.
Minor, who has been involved in Street Law for two years, said that working with Marquette law students allows the teenagers to feel connected to the community. After the competition last year, she said she noticed that her students “felt a real sense of accomplishment and a real confidence in their public speaking that you don’t often find among high school students.”
Marquette law students volunteer to teach the high school program. Senior Jack Reid taught the Tenor High School Street Law class this year.
“Law students always say that this is the best experience they have had in law school,” Thompson said. It gives them a chance to give back to the community, to work with kids, and a chance to brush up on skills that they’re going to use as lawyers.”


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Tenor_HSi | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 15, 2012


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Tenor_HSii | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 15, 2012


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Adam Carr
April 16, 2012


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Workers sought for construction training program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
April 19, 2012
Career-minded individuals interested in learning the construction trade are being sought for the Milwaukee Christian Center’s “Adult Build” construction training program. Along with classroom training, the program provides participants with four to six months of hands-on construction experience, which includes building a new home.
Workers can also attain certificates in lead safe renovation, lead abatement and workplace safety, while earning a progressively increasing salary that starts at $8.50 an hour and peaks at $10 an hour.
Applicants must be 24 years of age, below 300 percent of the federal poverty rate, have a high school diploma or GED and have a valid Wisconsin driver’s license or be able to obtain one.
Women and minorities are encouraged to apply, according to the program flier.
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For more information, call Tim Twaddle or Yolanda Espino at 414-643-7704 or bring a form of identification and a pay stub or tax forms to the Milwaukee Christian Center/ Neighborhood Improvement Project at 1223 S. 23 St.


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Resident concerns lead to massive cleanup in Clarke Square | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
April 23, 2012
Volunteers from Marquette University, MATC, the Neighborhood Improvement Project (NIP) and local residents scattered across Clarke Square, equipped with garbage bags, plastic gloves and pickers.
The groups were part of the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative’s (CSNI) “Clean Up Bash,” on Earth Day weekend.
The clean up was held in response to findings from the CSNI neighborhood census, which pointed out that residents were concerned about the appearance of the neighborhood and wanted it cleaned up, according to Veronica Ortiz, housing coordinator for the initiative.
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“Our residents indicated that they want to see a beautification of the neighborhood so we’re here today giving residents what they’re asking for,” Ortiz said.
Volunteers from Habitat for Humanity also painted the porches of four homes during the event.
Paul Smith, a coordinator for Habitat, grew up in the neighborhood and was happy to help.
“There’s a great deal of need here, so we’re out here helping our partners in Clarke Square,” Smith said.
Besides just cleaning up, some participants found deeper meaning in the event. For longtime Clarke Square resident Eileen Leinberger, it was about letting people know they have neighbors who care.
“People don’t care to know you, until they know you care,” said Leinberger, whose family roots in the neighborhood go back to the early 1900s.
Eileen was one of more than 100 volunteers at the event, which concluded with music, free lunch and refreshments at Clarke Square Park, 2330 W. Vieau Place.


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CS_CLEANUPi | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 22, 2012


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UCC honors current and future leaders | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 24, 2012
The United Community Center (UCC) is proud to announce the recipients of this year’s Friends of the Hispanic Community Awards, which recognize individuals that have made immeasurable contributions to the development and well-being of the community at large. Honorees will be celebrated at UCC’s 42nd Anniversary Celebration. This year’s award recipients are The Walton Family Foundation; Ms. Gladys Simandl, RN, Ph.D. and Ms. Virginia (Sam) Bastian, RN, MS, CAPNP; Ms. Mary Lou Young; and Mr. James A. Marks.
The Walton Family Foundation
The Walton Family Foundation, created by Wal-Mart founders Sam and Helen Walton, is committed to improving K-12 student achievement in the United States. In traditional public schools, charter public schools, and private schools and at every level, their strategy is to increase the quantity and quality of school choices available to parents, especially in low-income communities. The Walton Family Foundation has been the single largest contributor to the recent Bruce-Guadalupe Community School (BGCS) expansion, because of which BGCS enrollment in K4 through 8th Grade has grown from 789 students to 1,020 in less than five years.
Ms. Gladys Simandl, RN, Ph.D. and Ms. Virginia (Sam) Bastian, RN, MS, CAPNP
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El Centro de Salud (The Health Center) grew out of an identified need for school health services at BGCS. Since 1994, El Centro de Salud has been operated by two faculty members of Columbia College of Nursing (CCON).Gladys Simandl, RN, PhD and Sam Bastian RN, MS, CAPNP, a board certified family nurse practitioner. Operating out of the lower level of the UCC, El Centro de Salud offers health screenings, immunizations, health education, and other services for UCC students and clients; these services help to keep children in school, adults at work, and the elderly out of nursing homes. This program also contributes to a diverse and culturally competent health professions workforce, developed through cultural immersion practicum and learning experiences for students attending CCON. UCC’s partnership with CCON has contributed to a student attendance record at BGCS exceeding the state average, older adults’ capacity to remain living independently, and health education for ages 3 to 93 and beyond.
Ms. Mary Lou Young
After retiring from her position managing Global Community Relations at Rockwell Automation, Mary Lou Young took the reins at the United Way of Greater Milwaukee as President and Chief Executive Officer. A long-time advocate for education and human services, both locally and around the world, Mary Lou has demonstrated her commitment to the Hispanic community. She a spearheaded a regional collaboration to leverage and grow corporate support of and engage postsecondary institutions in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-centered curriculum) pipeline, helping to found the advisory committee for the Engineers & Scientists of Milwaukee’s STEM7 initiative. Her support was instrumental in bringing the national STEM curriculum, “Project Lead The Way” to UCC’s Bruce-Guadalupe Middle School. She has demonstrated her commitment to UCC’s human services, cultural arts, and educational programming for more than a decade. Mary Lou is instrumental in the success of Milwaukee’s United Way branch, UCC’s founding partner, and has proven her ongoing commitment to the community through the United Way Education Initiative and Milwaukee Succeeds projects.
Mr. James A. Marks
Throughout a career which spans more than 35 years in Milwaukee, Jim has led a number of initiatives that have strengthened communities and stabilized neighborhoods. His work resulted in the development of several programs and special funds including the Basic Needs Fund, Milwaukee Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative and Nonprofit Management Fund. With his counsel, UCC has expanded programs serving children, youth, and the elderly. He was instrumental in launching UCC’s Neighborhood Development program, helping first-time homebuyers to realize the American Dream of homeownership. While he recently retired from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Jim continues to support the Hispanic community through offering time and support, as well as his knack for strategic planning and program development, to a number of local organizations’ boards of directors.
In addition to recognizing these established community leaders, UCC and Badger Mutual Insurance Company are honoring outstanding achievements of the community’s youth by selecting five exceptional individuals for the Badger Mutual Wall of Fame. These young achievers will be acknowledged on stage at UCC’s 42nd Anniversary Dinner, and their pictures, as well as brief overviews of the students’ accomplishments, are framed to be hung on the walls of the UCC’s Community Learning Center. UCC is proud to recognize the accomplishments of Daniela Cortes, Jordyn Alexandra Gonzalez, Jacelyn Poventud, Diana Darlyn Ruiz, and Evan Alexander Stroud.
Daniela Cortes – Senior, St. Thomas More High School – G.P.A. 3.32
Daniela is a role model for her peers and the young students whom she has mentored through the Youth Empowered to Succeed (Y.E.S.) Program. As a high school freshman, Daniela developed and facilitated anti-bullying retreats for middle school students through Casa Romero Renewal Center, the results of which have been so positive that she has held nearly a dozen retreats in three years since the program’s inception and will oversee an additional nine this year alone. Daniela will study psychology at Carroll University, hoping to continue to give back to the community through counseling or directing youth programs.
Jordyn Alexandra Gonzalez – 8th Grade, Bruce-Guadalupe Community School – G.P.A. 3.8
Playing viola for the Latino Arts Strings Program (LASP) and the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) takes great discipline for a full time student, but Jordyn also makes time to further exercise her creativity through spoken word poetry with Reach Inside for Self Expression (R.I.S.E. Up). She helps teenagers develop self-esteem with Dare to Be Great through Lake Valley Camp and has spent time as a member of the Daley Debutantes and BGMS Student Council. Jordyn’s involvement in so many activities stems from her passion for learning and making a difference, attributes that will take her far in life and keep her active in the community.
Jacelyn Poventud – Freshman, Carmen H.S. of Science & Technology – G.P.A. 4.0+
Jacelyn has held better than a 4.0 grade point average while participating in the school’s track and varsity volleyball teams, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) student council program to represent the Latino voice in her school, and UCC’s PreCollege Program. She participated in the Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) last summer, supervising and mentoring children. Jacelyn’s passion and positivity are contagious, and her interests and talents leave her future wide open. She hopes to study either mechanical engineering or accounting at the University of Wisconsin.
Diana Darlyn Ruiz – 8th Grade, Bruce-Guadalupe Community School – G.P.A. 3.94
Diana demonstrates the high standards she sets for herself in all that she does, participating in the UCC garden and BGMS green roof projects, as well as competing in the Future City Competition, a program designed to foster creativity and illuminate the practical applications of math and science in students. In 2011, Diana traveled to Honduras and Nicaragua on a service trip and naturally stepped into a leadership role, impressing her peers and supervisors with her participation and compassion. Diana hopes to be the first person in her family to attend college and intends to generate positivity in the community as a teacher or a lawyer.
Evan Alexander Stroud – 8th Grade, Bruce-Guadalupe Community School – G.P.A. 3.75
Evan plays cello for both the Latino Arts Strings Program and the prestigious Philharmonia group of the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO), volunteers at the Wehr Nature Center, and has been an active contributor to the Bruce-Guadalupe Middle School Voice, BGMS’s student newspaper. His achievements made it possible for him to attend the distinguished Phillips Exeter Academy in the summer of 2010 on a scholarship. Evan plans to attend University School of Milwaukee next fall after receiving a full scholarship. He understands the importance of going above and beyond the required work and effort, and Evan hopes to obtain an Ivy League education pursuing architecture so that he can be active in building community both literally and figuratively.
The United Community Center’s annual anniversary dinner is an event at which the agency takes the time to thank our supporters, acknowledge our successes, and lay out the roadmap for the direction of continued program expansion in ways that will continue to benefit the community. This year, UCC will celebrate 42 years of service on Friday, April 27, with a reception beginning at 5:00 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:00 p.m. and a program at 7:00 p.m. The sold-out event will feature performances by the Latino Arts Strings Program and Bruce-Guadalupe Community School Jazz Band.


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Historic Milwaukee seeks volunteers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 25, 2012
Historic Milwaukee, Inc. is recruiting volunteers for this year’s Spaces & Traces,
a program that explores Milwaukee’s diverse and richly textured neighborhoods.
Spaces & Traces will be delving into the Historic Concordia Neighborhood, one of
Milwaukee’s most architecturally and historically significant areas. Volunteers will
lead guided tours of Concordia’s churches, schools, factories, taverns, warehouses,
parks, homes, and more.
Historic Milwaukee is a nonprofit devoted to Milwaukee’s history, architecture and
built environment. Past neighborhoods have included Third Ward, Yankee Hill,
Lincoln Avenue, Bay View, Rufus King, Newberry Blvd, Sherman Park, and Story
Hill as well as the areas along the rivers in downtown, Brady Street, Riverwest and
Walker’s Point.
An informational volunteer meeting will take place at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 28, at
the Irish Cultural and Heritage Center, 2133 W. Wisconsin Ave.
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Wellness Expo caters to Menomonee Valley workers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
April 26, 2012
(Photo by Sue Vliet)
Recently, the Menomonee Valley Workplace Wellness Committee hosted the “2012 Wellness Expo,” at Potawatomi Bingo Casino.
Employers and Menomonee Valley workers engaged in a variety of free wellness-related demonstrations at the “2012 Wellness Expo,” at Potawatomi Bingo Casino.
Healthy cooking demonstrations and physical therapy seminars were among the offerings, designed so attendees could experience the wellness programming exhibiting companies can provide to local workers. Nearly 20 exhibitors from health- related industries participated in the event.
The Menomonee Valley Workplace Wellness Committee was formed in 2010 to help valley business representatives collaborate on ways to provide employees with health and wellness services.
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The expo was sponsored by the Menomonee Valley Business Improvement District.
(Photo by Sue Vliet)


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STILLWATERi | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
April 25, 2012


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April 25, 2012


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Adam Carr
April 26, 2012


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Adam Carr
April 25, 2012


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Adam Carr
April 25, 2012


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Solidarity march draws thousands to lakefront | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
May 4, 2012
The seventh annual May Day Solidarity March for immigrant rights wound its way from the heart of Milwaukee’s Latino community on the south side, through downtown and to the lakefront. Thousands, including Aztec dancers, drummers, women pushing strollers and union activists participated in a march that culminated in an emotional rally at Veterans Park.
The featured speaker at the rally was U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, a Democrat from Chicago.
Gutierrez, an outspoken national critic of current immigration policy, discussed the need to end what he called a cruel separation of families through deportation.
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“We’re talking about kids who are being left without a father,” Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez also chided President Obama, saying he has yet to fulfill promises he made during his 2008 campaign to overhaul immigration policy.
But, like last year’s solidarity march, the prime target was Gov. Scott Walker, whose likeness was paraded around in the form of an oversized puppet.
Anti-Walker activists roamed the grounds, explaining to anyone who’d listen that the governor needs to go.
Refugio Herrera was participating in his third consecutive march along with his children.
“It’s important to be here because this is a way to unite our people and participate in the political process by protesting against Walker’s policies,” Rojas said in Spanish.
Primitivo Torres, president of Voces De La Frontera, the immigrant rights group that organized the march, explained that previous marches and grass-roots activism have had a political impact, pointing out that “an Arizona SB-1070-type bill” was rejected in Wisconsin.
Torres was referring to Assembly Bill 173, introduced by Rep. Don Pridemore (R-Hartford), which would have required state law enforcement officials to determine whether a person is in the country legally if he or she is arrested or charged with a crime or certain civil violations and they suspect the person is in the U.S. illegally.
“Last year, we had 100,000 marchers, and that’s one of the reasons we don’t have an Arizona copycat law in Wisconsin,” Torres said to the crowd.
Despite the union and political overtones of the event, the most visible signs at the march were those calling for an end to the separation of families.
Manuel Aparicio, who was born in Mexico and has participated in the march since its inception, said he was there because he wanted to see an end to the deportation of immigrants.
“They’re hurting our families by breaking us up.”


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may_dayi | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 3, 2012


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Photo 1: Washington Park Band Shell | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 14, 2012
The Washington Park Band Shell is an iconic art deco structure that has provided a beautiful backdrop for concerts and performances for generations. It was recently renovated by the Harley-Davidson Foundation.
The Washington Park community is home to the idyllic Washington Park, one of three Milwaukee parks designed by Fredrick Law Olmsted, who designed Central Park in New York City. Washington Park was the original location of the Milwaukee Zoo (thus the ‘buffalos roam’ clue). Today, the park is home to a branch of the Urban Ecology Center.
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DSC_4922 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 10, 2012


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Adam Carr
May 13, 2012


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May 10, 2012


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NNS visits 15 neighborhoods | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 14, 2012
Where’s NNS? You tell us.
Recently, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service expanded its coverage area to 12 additional neighborhoods in the central city (click on “neighborhoods” above to see a list). To introduce our readers to these communities, we’ve taken photos of iconic, historic or otherwise interesting details in each neighborhood.
Over the course of three weeks, Where’s NNS published a close-up photo of one detail on Facebook, Twitter and the NNS site, as well as partner Historic Milwaukee’s Facebook page. The full set of neighborhood details and links to the answers are posted below. So, even if you missed them when they were posted the first time, you can still test your Milwaukee neighborhood knowledge.
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All photos were taken by NNS photographer Sue Vliet, unless otherwise noted.
These are intended to be challenging, so don’t be surprised if you get stumped. Also, feel free to explore the neighborhoods yourself and share your detail and full photos with us by emailing info@milwaukeenns.org.
Clue: Its Hmong name is “Phongsvan” or “Heavenly Market.”
Clue: Across the road from a now-closed F.W. Woolworth Co.
Clue: “Old Main.”
Clue: A new community pride project for this neighborhood.
Clue: Hung near some of Milwaukee’s finest bike-frame chandeliers.
Clue: Recently retired, this digger picked up a cushy gig.
Clue: Birthday cake of the oldest person in Milwaukee – which neighborhood does that person live in? (Hint: Search the Milwaukee NNS website)
Clue: They can make just about anything sweet and delicious.
Clue: Standing in grass, looking up at the trees.
Clue: They do custard, too.
Clue: The original didn’t have solar-powered lighting, but this one does.
Clue: Standing at attention, watching a busy boulevard.
Clue: Don’t think these guys were out front when their building was a bowling alley.
Clue: Shares its a pocket park with a large “bracelet.”
Clue: Near where Milwaukee’s buffaloes once roamed.


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Adam Carr
May 21, 2012


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Adam Carr
May 25, 2012


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Adam Carr
May 28, 2012


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Adam Carr
May 16, 2012


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May 30, 2012


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Adam Carr
May 29, 2012


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Adam Carr
May 17, 2012


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Adam Carr
May 31, 2012


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Adam Carr
May 15, 2012


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Adam Carr
May 21, 2012


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May 22, 2012


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May 23, 2012


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May 24, 2012


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May 18, 2012


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May 10, 2012


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May 10, 2012


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Adam Carr
June 4, 2012
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May 10, 2012


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May 14, 2012


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Photo 2: Walker’s Point chess board | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 15, 2012
This is a permanent, outdoor chess table, created by Kevin Oulahan, in the pocket park at 3rd Street and Walker. The park also includes a sculpture entitled Stone Bracelet by Zoran Mojsilov.
Walker’s Point historically has been home to people who work in Milwaukee’s major nearby industrial corridors. The diverse racially mixed neighborhood includes families and a gay/lesbian community. The neighborhood houses many repurposed industrial buildings, as well as the Alan-Bradley Building and clock tower, now occupied by Rockwell Automation.
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walkers_pointii_crop | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 14, 2012


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walkers_pointiii | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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May 14, 2012


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May 14, 2012


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Coach works to revive baseball on south side | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
May 16, 2012
(Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Julian Haliga paces along the first base line, watching as his batter stares at ball after ball. Finally, a pitch near the strike zone, and the kid takes a hack. The pitch is outside, and the batter tries to pull it. The ball rolls slowly towards the left side of the infield for an easy out.
“You can’t swing at outside pitches like that, you got to hit them differently!” the coach shouts.
Haliga’s team has run up what seems to be an insurmountable lead by the fifth inning, and though he relaxes a little, he doesn’t take his gaze away from the diamond. He doesn’t miss a play or a chance to teach.
Haliga is coach of the Milwaukee South Side Baseball Club, a team he founded in 2010. The team plays in the Felix Mantilla Little League, which includes 22 teams and is run by the United Community Center (UCC), 1028 S. 9th St. Nearly all the players on the south side club are Latinos, between the ages of 13 and 15.
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Haliga has been coaching youth baseball for more than a decade, starting when his kids became involved in the sport.
Last year, his club was one game away from the championship. “It’s the farthest that a Mantilla league team has ever gotten,” Haliga said.
He points to the outfield walls of the baseball diamonds at Baran Park, 2600 S. Chase Ave., where the league has been playing since the 1980s.
“There’s no championship banners out there, not even one; you go to the parks in the suburbs and there’s banners all over.”
Once the league’s teams enter tournament season in the summer, they’re competing against suburban teams with more resources for training, equipment and even paid coaches.
Suburban teams also have a bigger pool of players to choose from.
In the city of Milwaukee, baseball is no longer the popular sport that it was in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. Back then, baseball was played on park diamonds, alleys, streets and open fields of grass.
Nowadays, city baseball diamonds remain mostly empty, apart from the occasional high school, tavern or company softball game.
“Baseball used to be all day every day,” said Rick Peck, a volunteer coach for the league, who grew up in the city.
Peck, whose son plays for Haliga’s team, has spent most of his life around the game, playing college ball in central Florida where he pitched and played outfield. He also played with the Rock River and Land O’Lakes leagues in Wisconsin.
He teaches at the Milwaukee School of Languages, and brought his son to play in the Mantilla League rather than a suburban league because he felt that the cost of youth sports had become excessive, effectively pricing out kids from the city.
Major League Baseball officials have known for quite a while that baseball has been struggling in urban areas, largely due to the expense of the sport. The league created the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program, known as RBI, to increase opportunities for inner city kids to play ball.
(Photo by Edgar Mendez)
In Milwaukee, RBI sponsors a little league run out of the Boys and Girls Club at 3000 N. Sherman Blvd. on the north side.
The Mantilla league is sponsored by the Brewers Community Foundation, whose focus is on helping low-income and disadvantaged youth and their families, according to its website.
This year, Milwaukee Brewer stars Yovani Gallardo and Alex Gonzalez donated $15,000 to buy all the jerseys for the league on behalf of the foundation. The charity also donates funds for upkeep of the playing fields and improvement the baseball facilities at Baran Park. One year, the charity contributed $20,000, though this year the total was closer to $8,000, according to Jerad Luedtke, vice president of the Mantilla league.
The $40 the league charges its players doesn’t cover the actual costs. The players sell candy, while Haliga, his coaches and the players’ parents hold fundraisers and seek sponsors among area businesses to help defray the cost.
UCC, with contributions from donors and the sign-up fees, provides the rest of the funds to run the league, and also pays for vans for travel to tournaments. It also makes up any shortfalls, Luedtke said.
Though it’s affordable, Haliga said that the city has “terrible baseball. There’s not enough training so it’s not competitive.”
Still, Haliga is passionate about closing the gap between city and suburban baseball teams. He wants his players to go to college, and he knows that a player can make that affordable for his family by receiving an athletic scholarship to play baseball.
When teams are able to invest in equipment and training for the players, it pays off. Last year, Haliga’s team was able to train some of his players at R.J. Fergus Hitters Baseball Academy in Racine. The Academy is a 20,000-square-foot, full-service sports training facility. It’s the premier baseball-training academy in the state.
“When we came back, we were the best team in the city,” Haliga said. This year, 40 kids from the Mantilla League will be heading to Hitters for more training. The camp is expensive but R.J. Fergus gave the league a sizable discount, knowing he’d be helping players from the inner city participate, according to Haliga.
The camp fees will be paid with money from fundraisers, which also help the teams purchase equipment. Haliga’s team, which has accumulated thousands of dollars worth of baseball equipment, is at the top of the division.
The players’ families also help a great deal, according to Haliga. The cost of entering a baseball tournament is usually about $500 per team, which is typically split among parents of the players, according to Haliga. And the weekend trips to baseball tournaments have become a family affair.
“Last year we traveled to the Dells, stayed in a hotel and all the families cooked out together,” said Vicky Campbell, whose son Dezmen pitches and plays first base. The player’s families pay for their hotel rooms and pitch in for food.
While the families build bonds with other families, the players are building camaraderie of their own.
“I like being out here and playing baseball with the other guys,” said Andrew Tapiz, a catcher.
His time with coach Haliga has helped him improve his baseball skill set, Tapiz said. “He knows everything about hitting; he’s an amazing coach who understands his players and has taught me everything I know.” Tapiz will leave the team soon to play for the baseball team at St. Thomas More High School.
Back on the field, Haliga yells to his right fielder, after his attempt to throw out a runner at the plate came up woefully short: “Don’t throw the ball like that. Always hit the cut-off man.”
Haliga is not a paid coach. He works full-time as a mortgage insurance adjuster, waking up each morning at five-thirty and getting to work at seven.
An hour after clocking out, he’s at the park. Some weeks, he coaches every day.
Though he’s intense, he laughs and jokes often with his players, some of whom play and train year-round. According to Haliga, players need year-round training to realize their potential.
Two of Haliga’s players were chosen to play for the R.J. Fergus Hitters traveling team, a showcase squad. Nearly all of the players on the Hitters squad end up playing college ball, according to Haliga.
He doesn’t mind sending his best players to the traveling team because he knows that it will benefit them, as well as his team, in the long run.
After the team made it to the championship game last year, Haliga sat his team down to explain what they had just accomplished. “Even if you’re disappointed that we lost,” the coach said, “this should be the best bummed-out feeling you ever had.”


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May 15, 2012


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May 15, 2012


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Photo 3: A Lao lion in Clarke Square | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 16, 2012
This set of lions and their twins look out over Clarke Square’s Lao Buddhist Temple, located on 20th Street and National Avenue.
Clarke Square is home to Journey House, a community-based organization that strengthens families, as well as service agencies such as the Milwaukee Christian Center and the Lao American Organization. The community boasts the Milwaukee County Mitchell Park Conservatory—where visitors can enter the world’s only beehive-shaped glass domes—and Cesar Chavez Drive, a commercial strip that draws Milwaukee’s Latino community and others to shop, eat authentic Mexican food, and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere.
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clarke_square_compositeii | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 14, 2012


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clarke_square_sign | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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Photo 4: A Highland lion in Concordia | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 17, 2012
One of Milwaukee’s many sculpted lions, and one of Corcordia’s many architectural flourishes, this particular lion and his twin look out over 32 and Highland on the steps of the Forest County Potawatomi Foundation.
Many of the 100-year-old homes that were built in the architecturally and historically rich Concordia neighborhood’s heyday still stand. The neighborhood once was home to Pabsts, Shusters, and Brumders, and is notable for its diverse population today.
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Historic Milwaukee, Inc., our partner for Where’s NNS?, is presenting Spaces & Traces, a day of tours, lectures, and exploration in the area. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 19.


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May 14, 2012


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May 14, 2012


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Milwaukee Museum Mile launched | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 18, 2012
Despite the rain on a recent Sunday, Milwaukee residents came out to enjoy an event showcasing five local museums.
The Milwaukee Museum Mile kickoff event included Jewish Museum Milwaukee, The Charles Allis Art Museum, Museum of Wisconsin Art at St. John’s On The Lake, The Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum and the North Point Lighthouse at Lake Park. Admission at all five locations was free.
Each museum offered free docent-led tours and light refreshment. Activities for children also were available, including a Milwaukee Museum Mile scavenger hunt.
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MM9 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 18, 2012


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Photo 5: A vintage Menomonee Valley shelter | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 18, 2012
The restored shelter dates from the 1920s. It was refurbished by the Friends of the Hank Aaron State Trail and Milwaukee Building and Construction Trades Council. Another restored shelter located in the Third Ward does not have solar-powered lighting.
The Menomonee Valley has long been the center of industry in Milwaukee. The area suffered from the decline in manufacturing in the 1970s, but has begun to attract investment in recent years.
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menomenee_valley_sign | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 17, 2012


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May 17, 2012


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May 14, 2012


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LEAP summer youth work program to launch Today | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 20, 2012
LEAP summer youth work program to launch Today
A new program that will enable Milwaukee teens to gain critical job skills and work experience while also allowing for regular communication and interaction with Milwaukee police personnel kicked off off during a news conference Friday, May 18 at District 7, 3626 W. Fond du Lac Ave.
LEAP (Learn, Earn and Achieve with Police) identifies promising young people and prepares them for future workforce and civic success. Joining emcee Alderman Willie Wade at the LEAP news conference were Police Chief Edward Flynn, Cathie Madden of LISC Milwaukee, Alderman Ashanti Hamilton, Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs and County Supervisor Russell Stamper II.
In LEAP, the Milwaukee Police Department, LISC Milwaukee, and the City of Milwaukee’s Earn and Learn program are collaborating to strengthen communication between Milwaukee teens and police, preparing teens for future career success, and introducing Milwaukee companies to a diverse group of Milwaukee’s future workforce.
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“Job readiness and the development of job skills are critical for young people to develop so they can be successful upon entering the workforce and in pursuing a career or a good job,” Alderman Wade said.
Alderman Wade said the LEAP program provides paid work with area businesses that can help build work readiness skills and valuable experience opportunities for Milwaukee teens who are enrolled in the STOP (Students Talking it Over with Police) program.
Participating companies employ teens, ages 17-19, 20 hours per week for eight weeks, June 18 through August 10, Monday through Thursday. On Fridays, interns participate in the Milwaukee Police Department STOP Program, which is designed to improve communication and build trust between police and teens. Companies contribute a flat rate of $2,000 for participation and interns are paid between $7.25 and $9.00 per hour.
Participating employers include Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Educators Credit Union, Harley-Davidson, KBS Construction, LISC, Marquette University, Northwestern Mutual, The PrivateBank, Roundy’s, Taylor Dynamometer, US Bank, and Wheaton Franciscan-St. Joseph.
Teen interns are selected from the north side neighborhoods of Harambee, Lindsay Heights, and Washington Park, and south side neighborhoods of Clarke Square and Layton Boulevard West. These are LISC’s five “Sustainable Communities”.


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Photo 6: Jumbo hamburgers and frozen custard in Capitol Heights | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 21, 2012
On 70th and Capitol Drive, Kitt’s Frozen Custard Drive-In was started in the 1950s by the Kittridge family. For drive-in or walk-up customers, it’s a neighborhood staple for frozen custard and delicious burgers. When you’re there, be sure to look up to see some layers of their history.
In the heart of Milwaukee’s northwest side, Capitol Heights is populated by bungalows, ranch homes and Cape Cod-styled homes built in the 1940s and ’50s. The neighborhood features Dineen Park, Midtown Shopping Center (formerly Capitol Court) and Capitol Library. Morse Marshall School for the Gifted and Talented, a merger of two Milwaukee MPS mainstays (Morse Middle School and John Marshall High School) that came together in 2010, is also in the area.


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May 20, 2012


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Journey House begins move to new center | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
May 21, 2012
Movers prepare to transport materials from Journey House’s old Family Learning Center, 1900 W. Washington St., to the new Center for Family Learning and Youth Athletics, 2110 W. Scott St. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Founded in 1969, Journey House has served thousands of clients a year at its three facilities: the Family Learning Center, 1900 W. Washington St., the Youth Center, 2212 W. Greenfield Ave. and the administrative offices at 1818 W. National Ave.
But beginning in late July the services offered at each facility all will be housed under the same roof, when the Journey House Center for Family Learning and Youth Athletics, 2110 W. Scott St., opens its doors.
The long-awaited center began as the vision of former Mayor John Norquist and Michele Bria, now CEO of Journey House, in the late 1990s.
The center will serve students and parents from H.W. Longfellow School, as well as clients of Journey House.
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A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday, May 31.


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journey_house_movei | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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May 20, 2012


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Photo 7: The beautiful trees of Enderis Park | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 22, 2012
The centerpiece of a rejuvenated Enderis Playfield, this sculpture by Nancy Metz White is entitled Magic Tree Grove. Installed in November 2006, the artwork was supported by an initial grant from the City of Milwaukee Arts Board.
This westside neighborhood’s eponymous park is named for Dorothy Enderis, a proponent of multicultural education and a key figure in MPS’s recreation and adult education programs. Today, it’s known for being a largely residential community that serves as the home of many MPS teachers and administrators.


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May 20, 2012


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College Possible students overcome odds to attend college | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jennifer Reinke
May 22, 2012
Koyoua Vang, a high school senior at International Peace Academy, and Shomari Nash, a high school senior at Milwaukee School of Languages, at College Possible’s 2012 graduation celebration. (Photo by Jennifer Reinke)
Koyoua Vang and Shomari Nash both knew they wanted to attend college. Since their parents had not graduated from college, they knew they would need help navigating the admissions process. College Possible was a natural fit.
Vang and Nash were among 159 students from seven Milwaukee Public Schools who gathered recently with College Possible program staff and coaches, friends and family to celebrate their graduation and admittance to more than 80 colleges and universities across the United States.
Vang, a senior at the International Peace Academy, will be attending Marquette University in the fall. Nash, a senior at the Milwaukee School of Languages, is heading to Northern Illinois University. They both credit their coaches, AmeriCorps members Mike Molzberger and Amanda Wysk, with helping them get admitted.
“When I got my FAFSA form, I didn’t know what it meant, so I had Amanda … explain it to me,” Vang said. Vang balanced school, an internship at Tri-City National Bank, and after school meetings with College Possible twice a week. When she couldn’t make the meetings, she completed make-up work in study hall.
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Nash said, “The coaches really helped me … get into college and prepare for a better future.”
Nationwide, a student from an upper income family is 10 times more likely to earn a college degree as a low-income student. According to Postsecondary Education Opportunity, 82 percent of students from the top income quartile earn a college degree by age 24 compared to 8 percent of low-income students.
MPS students in the College Possible program attend the 2012 Year-end Graduation Celebration at UW-Milwaukee on Saturday, May 19, 2012. (Photo by Jennifer Reinke)
College Possible, a national organization with one of its three locations in Milwaukee, is reversing the trend by making college admission and success possible for low-income students through an intensive curriculum of coaching and support. There are a total of 350 juniors and seniors in the Milwaukee program.
The two-year program for low-income high school juniors and seniors more than doubles their chance of enrollment in a four-year institution. Ninety-eight percent of students earn admission into college, and nearly 80 percent of admitted students have graduated or are on track to do so.
At the ceremony, each student’s name was called, and each school put on a presentation or video. “After doing so much work, they have the chance just to show their goofy side,” said Hannah Wallisch, College Possible external relations and operations coordinator.
By the end of their two years in the program, the students complete at least 320 hours of coaching sessions with AmeriCorps members who are themselves recent college graduates. The teenagers learn about the college application process, prepare to take the ACT or SAT, visit college campuses, participate in summer enrichment opportunities, learn to write college essays, navigate the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and get advice on applying for scholarships.
All of the programming is voluntary, but participation is high because “students care about what we’re doing and about getting into college,” Wallisch said.
Once in college, students continue to be supported by College Possible, which connects them with existing campus resources, provides financial assistance and builds a support network.
Obtaining adequate financial resources is a huge hurdle College Possible students face, so they are required to apply for financial aid and at least 10 scholarships. For both Vang and Nash, the scholarship application process was the most challenging aspect of the program.
Vang again credited Wysk, saying, “Her list of scholarships was my savior.” Of the 11 scholarships she applied for, Vang has received three rejections; the other eight are still pending. She does have a scholarship from Marquette and federal assistance.
Meeting scholarship deadlines and writing essays was a challenge for Nash too, but it has paid off. He’s been awarded a $20,000 Horatio Alger National Scholarship.

author: Jennifer Reinke


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May 21, 2012


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May 21, 2012


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Photo 8: All kinds of cake in Martin Drive | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 23, 2012
Since 2003, Debbie Pagel of Eat Cake! has been crafting sculpted cakes that range from the artistic to the absurd, including robots, musical instruments, houses, apes, elegant wedding cakes, and of course, shoes.  To see the shop’s creations, stop by on a Friday (it would be a good idea to make arrangements with Debbie first) or check out the website.
Nestled between Miller Brewing Company, Harley Davidson Motor Company, and Washington Park, Martin Drive is a small residential community on the west side of Milwaukee. With an active community association, there always seems to be something going on in Martin Drive. The neighborhood has a detailed Wikipedia site.


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May 20, 2012


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May 20, 2012


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May 20, 2012


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Students DREAM of better future for immigrants | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
May 23, 2012
(Photo by Edgar Mendez)
In Milwaukee and across the country, young people gathered recently to show support for the “Right to Dream,” campaign, an immigrant-rights movement that organizers hope will result in passage of the DREAM Act. The Milwaukee event was held at the Voces De La Frontera headquarters, 1027 S. 5 St.
The DREAM Act is federal legislation that would provide legal residency for certain undocumented students who graduate from high school. The act would also allow undocumented students to qualify for in-state tuition as well as federal and state grants to attend college.
Janeth Zorilla, who wore a symbolic cap and gown along with the other student demonstrators, is a junior at St. Thomas More High School who says she’s undocumented and worried about being able to afford college.
Janeth Zarilla, an undocumented student who aspires to go to college, speaks at the event. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
“There’s no way my family can afford $24,000 a year to pay for out-of-state tuition,” Zorilla said.
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Zorilla plans to apply for scholarships that don’t have citizenship requirements to pay for college.
Jose Trejo, a teacher at the Advanced Learning and Academic Studies School in Milwaukee, told the group that he was born out of the country and brought to Milwaukee as a child.
“I was undocumented when I graduated,” Trejo said.
Trejo said that after a long process he finally obtained legal status and he wants the same for other students.
The students released balloons signifying their aspirations for a better future for immigrant youth in Wisconsin and across the country.
“I don’t want to let life pass me by without realizing my potential; I’m not tired of dreaming,” Zorilla said before the students released their balloons.


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May 22, 2012


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May 22, 2012


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Photo 9: A special birthday cake and person from Lindsay Heights | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 24, 2012
A blossom from the gardens at Walnut Way
Born on April 10, 1906 in Georgia and raised in Cincinnati, Harriet Dorsey moved to Milwaukee in the early 1940s. She celebrated her 106th birthday with a public event at the Clinton Rose Center in Harambee where she volunteered for 18 years. She makes her home in Lindsay Heights.
Lindsay Heights is a mega-neighborhood composed of smaller communities. Its point of entry for many visitors is a renovated Victorian home—the headquarters of the Walnut Way Conservation Corp. Those who visit this historic urban neighborhood in summer will see trees laden with peaches, tender vegetables and colorful flowers in gardens extending into the block adjacent to Walnut Way. Lindsay Heights is also home to businesses and assets such as Jake’s Deli, Coffee Makes You Black, Fondy Food Center, Alice’s Garden, House of Peace, and many active church communities.
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lindsay_heights_sign | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 20, 2012


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May 20, 2012


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May 20, 2012


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MPS third graders learn bike safety, get helmets | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jennifer Reinke
May 25, 2012
Henry David Thoreau Elementary School third graders line up at a bike rodeo start line. (Photo by Jennifer Reinke)
Pedaling around State Fair Park in new helmets, 600 third graders recently participated in the 10 annual Winners Wear Helmets bike rodeo. Spearheaded by Safe Kids Southeast Wisconsin, the interactive and educational rodeo teaches children proper bike helmet use and safety.
Thanks to donations from Habush Habush & Rottier S.C., all students at the day’s event went home with a properly fitted bike helmet. The law firm has donated 100,000 bicycle helmets to children since it started working with community partners in 1999, when Habush Habush & Rottier Charitable Funds was established to give back to the communities in which its attorneys practice.
“Child safety is something that I have been personally devoted to ever since experiencing a personal tragedy in my family,” said Habush Habush & Rottier S.C. Chairman of the Board Bob Habush. “When it came time to financially support a cause, I thought preventing injury to kids was the best way to go.”
Yanely Colon, a third grader at Trowbridge Elementary School, gets fitted for a helmet by volunteer Nancy Iglinski of ISCorp Cycling Team. (Photo by Jennifer Reinke)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found accidental injuries to be the leading cause of death among children age 14 and younger. According to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, properly fitted bike helmets can reduce the risk of bike-related brain injuries by 88 percent, yet only 25 percent of cyclists ages 14 and younger wear a helmet.
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D’Lan Boyd, a third grader at Hartford Avenue University School, 2227 East Hartford Ave., sported a shiny new black helmet covered with space aliens. When asked whether he’d continue to wear it, he said without hesitation, “oh yeah.”
Wandering throughout the rodeo, adult volunteers could be heard giving directions to smiling kids: “Put your brakes on before you get there;” “It’s not about going fast, it’s about riding in a straight line;” and “look left, look right.”
ISCorp Cycling Team members have been volunteering at the rodeo for several years, teaching children who don’t know how to ride a bike. Long-time volunteer Katie Weber estimated they would serve about 100 children by day’s end, with about half learning to ride by themselves.
Volunteer Peter Kudlata, who developed the training station, said the most challenging students to teach are those who don’t pedal or who pedal backwards. “I tell them don’t worry about balance, just pedal,” he explained. Kudlata’s success stories included a boy who finally succeeded after eight trips down the course and back, and a girl who learned in four trips, and then “wouldn’t get off the bike.” Kudlata joked, “I didn’t lose anyone to the fences [yet] this year.”
For students who already knew how to ride a bike, different rodeos – or obstacle courses – reinforced bike safety lessons, such as braking, making safe turns, watching out for others and stopping at stop signs. City of Milwaukee police officers staffed many of the rodeos, educating students about laws bikers should follow.
Deputy Sheriff Dushawn Jones of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department said that the students got to “see that a lot of cool jobs involve helmets.” He added, “It may be cumbersome or hot or look weird, but it’s protection and protection’s important.”
Safe Kids Southeast Wisconsin Coordinator Lisa Klindt Simpson emphasized that the event is a  “community effort.”
The Boys and Girls Club, Cooper Elementary School, the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department and Explosive Ordinance Disposal Division (Bomb Squad), and the Milwaukee police and fire departments hosted demonstration stations. Other sponsors included Metropolitan Milwaukee Nights Kiwanis, Wheel and Sprocket, Wisconsin State Fair Park, Bell Ambulance, Injury Free Coalition for Kids, Milwaukee Urban League and other volunteers and community organizations.


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May 24, 2012


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May 24, 2012


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Photo 10: A retired digger in Layton Boulevard West | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 25, 2012
Having worked in a Kentucky coal mine from 1979-1982, this P&H 2100BL electric mining shovel recently was installed at Miller Parkway and National Avenue. The retired digger is a permanent monument to P&H Mining, which started as Pawling & Harnischfeger Machine and Pattern Shop on Dec. 1, 1884.
Layton Boulevard West is composed of Layton Park, Burnham Park and Silver City. They are home to numerous attractions such as a block of Frank Lloyd Wright homes and many ethnic shops and restaurants, and is only a short walk from Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers. Layton Boulevard West Neighbors, a community development group, has been working to address the changing and diverse needs of the neighborhood since 1995.
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laytonboulevard_composite | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 20, 2012


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laytonboulevard_sign | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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May 20, 2012


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May 20, 2012


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May 20, 2012


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Photo 11: Lincoln Village’s tandem in the rotunda | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 28, 2012
Ben’s Cycle moved into its current location on Lincoln Avenue in 1965 and bought the across-the-street neighbor, the Riviera Theater, in 1996. Today, the theater houses vintage bicycles, as well as a mountain of frames, parts, and bike-frame chandeliers.
Lincoln Village’s Polish roots can be seen throughout the neighborhood—Kosciuszko Park (and the statue of Thaddeus Kosciuszko himself), A.J. Polish Deli, the Basilica of St. Josaphat, even the Polish flats and curved Polish gables. However, Lincoln Village’s largely Mexican present is even more evident—bakeries, a multitude of restaurants, small businesses and afternoon soccer in the park.


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May 27, 2012


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May 27, 2012


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Celebrate Asthma Awareness Month by keeping kids smoke free | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
admin
May 29, 2012
Asthma is a serious, sometimes life-threatening disease…and one that affects almost 20 million people in the United States.  As we close out Asthma Awareness Month, it is important for Milwaukeeans to remember:  Milwaukee is one of the worst asthma cities in the U.S.
Milwaukee is plagued by asthma more than most cities in the U.S. and is in the midst of an asthma crisis. As recently as 2009, Milwaukee ranked second in the prevalence of asthma, and has been in the top 5 worst cities for asthma for almost a decade.  Asthma is the number one admitting diagnosis at Children’s Hospital ER and third leading cause of all pediatric hospital admissions. It is also the number one cause of school absenteeism.
There are many uncontrollable triggers that can cause an asthma attack, but one trigger we can control is exposure to cigarette smoke.
Cigarette smoke can permanently damage lungs.  It contains more than 250 toxic chemicals that are known to cause cancer; it also causes a person to cough, wheeze and have chest tightness and shortness of breath.
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If you have asthma and smoke, the best thing you can do is quit.  And if you have a child in the house, don’t risk their lungs and life; you should take it outside.
When a child is exposed to tobacco smoke, their lungs become irritated and airways become swollen and inflamed making them much narrower and harder to breathe. According to the American Lung Association, an estimated 400,000 to one million asthmatic children have their condition worsened through exposure to secondhand smoke
Let’s make it a little bit easier for those with asthma to breathe.  Let’s not expose them unnecessarily to secondhand smoke.
Dorian James
Member, Wisconsin African American Tobacco Prevention Network

author: admin