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Milwaukee Public Library seeks public input on new Forest Home branch | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Marlita Annette Bevenue
September 8, 2015
Consultants from HGA Architects and Engineers lead a community workshop to present details about the library design and give participants a chance to ask questions and provide feedback. (Photo by Marlita A. Bevenue)
A display featuring historic photos of the city’s first Hispanic residents; adult learning programs; a dedicated space for teens; and a new name to reflect the Latino community. These are all ideas that came out of a two-day public open house held to get community input on the new Forest Home Library branch in the Historic Mitchell Street neighborhood.
The open house, held at the new site, brought out nearly 60 community members who came to share their ideas on how the facility can best suit their needs.
Just half a mile away from the current branch on 14 Street and Forest Home Avenue, the branch will open its doors at 906-910 W. Historic Mitchell St. beginning in December 2016.
“We need libraries more than ever,” said Paula Kiely, director of the Milwaukee Public Library. “We have traditional library services, like books, but we also have a lot of electronic resources and technology for people who need to use computers and laptops.”
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In addition to digital resources, libraries provide instruction to adults and offer programs that encourage children to read, all at no cost to library users.
Rudy Gutiérrez, president of the Greater Mitchell Street Business Improvement District, shares his ideas for the new library space with Kevin Allebach, a consultant with HGA Architects and Engineers. (Photo by Marlita A. Bevenue)
Close to schools, grocery and retail stores, coffee shops and restaurants, the new library will be located among several businesses on busy Mitchell Street, occupying the historic Hills Building, which used to house a number of department stores and other businesses including the iconic Goldmann’s Lion Store.
Under the leadership of Sam McGovern-Rowen, MPL’s project manager for the redevelopment project, the city hired architectural firm HGA Architects and Engineers to design the library and Gorman & Company is on board to reconstruct the property.
The redevelopment of the Forest Home Library comes as a result of a $22 million Milwaukee Public Library revitalization plan to replace four local branch libraries with new facilities that will be part of mixed-use projects.
Mixed use means the facilities will host multiple types of tenants. There will be a 16,000-square-foot library on the first floor of the Mitchell Street location, at least 60 apartment units upstairs and possible tenant space in the basement of the building.
In 2014, the City of Milwaukee also considered a proposal from Cardinal Capital Management Inc. to move the Forest Home Library to Cesar E. Chavez Drive between Scott and Washington Streets in Clarke Square. Despite support from the community, the library’s Building and Development Committee voted against the proposal, citing logistical reasons.
Cardinal Capital Management’s plan involved demolishing a space occupied by Dental Associates of Milwaukee, while the historic Hills building has an intact building structure that can be restored.
“With a high concentration of children, families and library users in the area, when we were looking for where to move, Mitchell Street was just a natural fit,” said McGovern-Rowen. “We have this beautiful historic department store frame to work with. Now we just have to restore it to its former grandeur and upgrade it to a 21 century library.”
MPL has replaced two library branches in the past four years: Villard Square Branch, 5190 N. 35 St., opened in 2011, and the East Branch, 2320 N. Cramer St., opened its doors in 2014. Other library branches slated for redevelopment include Mill Road, Martin Luther King and Capitol.
Kiely said a new library is a sign of hope.
“It’s a validation that this community is important. We are going to invest in and bring something to the community that is going to be inspirational and empowering. And I think that the people feel it.”

author: Marlita Annette Bevenue


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 7, 2015

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: September 7, 2015

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

author: Adam Carr


text:
Minority Women-Owned Firms Rise 97% | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 8, 2015
Urban Milwaukee.com

created: September 8, 2015

author: Andrea Waxman


text:
On the Block: Healthy in my neighborhood | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
September 8, 2015

author: Edgar Mendez


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 8, 2015


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Wisconsin’s black unemployment rate the highest in the nation | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 8, 2015
The Cap Times


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MPD chief calls for tougher sentences, gun laws to curb homicides | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
September 9, 2015
Moderator Mike Gousha speaks with Police Chief Edward Flynn at Marquette University Law School’s Eckstein Hall. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Milwaukee Police Department Chief Edward Flynn is calling for stricter sentencing for violent offenders to counter the city’s spike in homicides, which are up almost 70 percent this year, compared to the same time period last year. Flynn has consistently criticized Wisconsin gun policy and called for harsher sentences for individuals carrying firearms illegally.
Flynn, who made his remarks recently at a public forum hosted by Mike Gousha at Marquette University, quickly dismissed a community-based policing model that has seen success in Racine, while acknowledging that his views might not be popular.
“I know sentences are not fashionable right now for a wide variety of reasons but I don’t know how to get into this decision-matrix of immature brains that are carrying guns and shooting each other [if] they don’t perceive there is a reliable sanction awaiting them for that.”
Early this year, Flynn attended a meeting of the Major Cities Chiefs Police Association in Washington, D.C., that focused on “policy and legislative issues,” according to the group’s website. He said cities similar to Milwaukee, such as Baltimore, St. Louis, Chicago and Houston, that have a significant amount of inter-generational poverty in specific areas and recently weakened gun laws have also experienced a dramatic increase in homicides.
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An attendee asks a question about black male incarceration. Wisconsin imprisons the highest percentage of black men of any state at 13 percent, a rate twice the national average. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
The victims, perpetrators and method are largely the same, as well, Flynn said. “Overwhelmingly, young African-American men with criminal records [are] being murdered by other young African-American men with criminal records armed with high-capacity, high-quality firearms that were legally purchased.”
Wisconsin incarcerates black men at a rate of 13 percent, almost twice that of the country and three percentage points higher than Oklahoma, which is the state second most likely to incarcerate African-American men. Almost 70 percent of the Wisconsin’s African-American population resides in Milwaukee County. A 2007 report from UW-Milwaukee’s Marc Levine noted that, in 2005, the jobless rate among black men in Milwaukee was more than 43 percent. By 2009, only 47 percent of Milwaukee’s working-age (16-64 years old) black males were employed, a significant decrease from almost 74 percent employment in 1970.
“If you’re an African-American in Milwaukee, you are 18 times more likely to get shot … than you are if you’re a white person,” Flynn said. “From my point of view in the city of Milwaukee, who’s incarcerated is directly related to who’s being victimized … And those victims have a right to expect some level of justice.”
Flynn said he would like to see more investment in “the social safety network” rather than resources being directed solely to the police department because “then maybe we wouldn’t need so many cops.”
However, he also said the increase in homicides is not a result of drug-related violence. Flynn attributes the recent spike in homicides to personal arguments, fights and retaliation, which he said make up more than 30 percent of all shooting deaths in the city. “There is a slice of the criminally inclined community for which violence to maintain status with one’s peers is absolutely normal,” he said.
“When it comes to illegal firearms possession and use, if they don’t go away they’re not going to learn anything. Some people need a prison ministry … and I think these young fellas do,” Flynn said to the largely white audience.
Flynn sharply criticized Wisconsin’s 2011 concealed carry legislation. He said elected officials missed an opportunity to strengthen the penalty for possessing a firearm illegally. Currently, the infraction carries a misdemeanor charge regardless of the number of violations.
The MPD chief said he’d like to see that penalty increased to a felony charge. “If you’re a young criminal and the choice is [to] not carry a gun and maybe get shot … or carry a gun and get tried for a misdemeanor, what are you rationally going to decide to do? You’re going to carry the gun. It’s more dangerous to get caught without it.”
He also noted that under the law only felons are not allowed to acquire a concealed carry permit. Flynn, who has previously served as chief of police in two states with concealed carry laws, said he has nothing against the legislation but takes issue with the current law. The way it is written, a subset of “career criminals,” who have been convicted of three or more misdemeanors over the course of five years but are not convicted felons, could still be eligible to legally carry a firearm.
“I don’t think, for a minute, when the founders came up with the Second Amendment, they had the intention of arming pirates, brigands or highwaymen,” he said, referring to the right to bear arms.
Flynn also said the police department, which makes 12,000 to 15,000 felony arrests every year and has seized 1,600 guns already this year, could use more help when it comes to prosecuting individuals. “Getting the guns and making the arrest isn’t my problem. My problem is getting them charged and getting them prosecuted.”
But, in spite of the 110 homicides Milwaukee has seen so far this year, Flynn said most people shouldn’t worry about being unsafe. “We have our version of Chicago’s Englewood,” he said. “It’s dangerous there and it’s very dangerous for those young men who live there and even more dangerous for those who are part of the subculture of crime. And, there are vast areas of Milwaukee in which nothing happens.”
He noted that Milwaukee, which has been consistently listed in recent years as one of the most segregated cities in America, is seeing an increasing amount of investment downtown.
“It’s dangerous to be a young black man living in a neighborhood characterized by inter-generational poverty,” said Flynn. “I think people are getting a better general sense of what the real Milwaukee is. But, yeah, we’ve got a moral obligation to deal with the extraordinary levels of violence that are plaguing those kinds of neighborhoods in every big city in America.”

created: September 9, 2015

author: Jabril Faraj


text:
A Physician Asks: Is Being Black Bad For Your Health? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 10, 2015
National Public Radio

created: September 10, 2015


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Doors Open showcases Concordia Gardens, other central city venues | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wyatt Massey
September 10, 2015
Members of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church know that the building’s stained glass can best be appreciated from the inside, as the sun pours through the windows. This experience will be open to the public Sept. 19 and 20 as part of Doors Open Milwaukee. The church is one of six central city locations featured this year.
The two-day citywide event lets people visit more than 150 local attractions, from churches to community centers, residences to breweries, free of charge.
Concordia Gardens, 220 E. Concordia Ave.
The 1.5-acre parcel nestled in Harambee is bursting with flowers, produce and promise. Concordia Gardens, created by Victory Garden Initiative, features raised garden beds for rent, along with an urban orchard, composting site and production farm, which grows produce for neighborhood residents.
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Alex Hagler, garden coordinator, is one of many people who make the urban farming project possible.
“There’s no one farmer,” Hagler said. “It really is a collective effort from a lot of different people from a lot of different walks of life.”
Beyond keeping the grounds clean and turning over compost, Hagler helps with the garden’s farm stand. Between five and 15 neighborhood kids come to harvest, prepare and sell the produce on Thursdays, Hagler said.
“All of the sales that we get, we actually give to the kids,” he said. “It’s a cool employment opportunity for them to learn a little bit about employment skills,” such as setting prices, managing cash and customer service.
The gardens also attract area residents who can rent one of the 35 raised beds for $10 a season. It is a hub for volunteers as well, with groups coming from neighboring high schools and colleges.
John Van Eerden, a first-time volunteer at the gardens, said that he was drawn to the organization’s mission of providing accessible, healthy and fresh food. However, he is most interested in another feature of the space — the solar panels and rainwater collection system.
“I was surprised how sustainable it is,” he said.
Rainwater is collected and dispersed through an underground system. It feeds the nutrient-rich soil created from the compost bins, creating what Hagler called a “food oasis.”
More than that, though, the gardens are bringing the neighborhood together through healthy and sustainable urban agriculture. “I think it’s going to be a catalyst for a lot of rehabilitation in the area,” Hagler said.
Havenwoods Environmental Awareness Center, 6141 N. Hopkins St.
It’s easy for visitors to the 237-acre state forest to get caught up in the wonders of nature and miss the wealth of Milwaukee history at the site. The land around the Havenwoods Environmental Awareness Center has been transformed over 140 years from a family farm, to a corrections house, to a U.S. Army facility, to its current incarnation.
The Doors Open weekend is an opportunity for the urban forest to feature some of this little-known history, said Judy Klippel, superintendent of Havenwoods State Forest.
“There are only a few features on the land that are still there from the old days, but they will be marked for people to see,” she said.
Visitors should look for the remnants of the Cold War-era missile base, which are now covered by a prairie. They will be able to see a series of old photographs and maps of the property. However, the center will focus on showcasing its hiking trails and environmental education programs.
“One of our jobs is to try and help people reconnect with nature,” Klippel said.
Between May and October, school groups come to the space to learn about local animal and plant life, create nature-related crafts and learn about the importance of nature. Doors Open provides another opportunity for urban residents to connect with the outdoors, Klippel said.
“I would like to see more people use this place. This is a buffer from the city. It’s a place where people can find quiet in the middle of the city.”
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 3022 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Behind the pews of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, the pipes that make up the church’s famous organ pump out hymns, filling the sanctuary and spilling out the open doors onto Wisconsin Avenue.
After the service, people gather for coffee, dessert and lemonade. The church has been open for more than 150 years; the congregation is a mix of new arrivals and longtime churchgoers.
Michael Sykes, one such newcomer, was encouraged to visit by the Rev. Dr. Patrick Keen. Sykes said the diverse congregation made him feel at home as soon as he walked in the door for the first time.
“These people don’t know who I am, but they were so welcoming,” he said.
Sykes asked church members, including LaVonne Williams, about service opportunities. Williams, a member for more than 40 years, said the church’s involvement in the surrounding neighborhood is part of the reason she comes each week.
“I like what the church stands for,” Williams said. “Our church is not just a building, but it’s a place to serve God and serve others.”
The pastor, who arrived in Milwaukee from New Orleans in May, said the upcoming Doors Open event is a chance to engage community members, as well as show them the “breathtaking sight and sound” of the organ, which was installed in 1964.
“I pray that the contagious spirit (of service) affects everyone who walks through the door,” Keen said.
Karen Nimz, a church member for 43 years, wants visitors to see the organ, too, as well as the stained glass windows and the church’s solar panels, which provide energy for heat in the winter.
Sherman Park Senior Living, 3245 N. 37th St.
When Sherman Park Senior Living opened the building to the public in the past two years for Doors Open Milwaukee, building manager Byron Thompson heard story after story from people who used to feel at home there. Not as tenants, but as students and teachers.
The senior living center is converted from the former Jackie Robinson Middle School. The Doors Open event is a chance for people to return to see the renovations.
“Over the last three years, I’ve meet so many people that have educated me,” Thompson said. “They’re telling me the history of the school.”
Some of that history is on display in the 68-unit complex. When the building was sold in 2010 from Milwaukee Public Schools to Gorman & Company, various school trophies and pieces of artwork were still inside. They remain there.
Weekend visitors will get a tour and be able to see the former lunchroom and gymnasium, which have been converted into fitness centers and meeting rooms. Each resident has a community garden plot near the building, as well.
“We look forward to showcasing what we’ve done and being something positive in our community,” Thompson said. “I think the residents really take pride in having a senior building in the area.”
Sherman Perk Coffee Shop, 4924 W. Roosevelt Drive
One night there is bag toss. The next, a book club meeting, followed by live music the night after. That is business as usual for Sherman Perk Coffee Shop.
Bob Olin’s shop, which sells Colectivo Coffee and Rishi Tea, has been a mainstay in the neighborhood for 14 years. It started as a way to bring the community together and provide a central place to gather, Olin said.
“When our kids were growing up, they didn’t have a place like this to go to. They had to leave the neighborhood,” he said. “So we’re real proud that the neighbors have embraced it and helped us be here this long.”
Visitors can relax at the retro-style tables and chairs inside the converted filling station, built in 1939. Jeff Percival is a member of a group that meets for coffee and baked goods every Saturday.
“We would’ve never met each other if not for here,” Percival said, referring to the group of 10 gathered around the outdoor picnic tables. Many members of the group live within several blocks of one another, but had not met before coming in for coffee.
Urban Ecology Center, Menomonee Valley, 3700 W. Pierce St.
The Doors Open event is a chance for people to see the Urban Ecology Center’s most recent branch, in Menomonee Valley, but staff members view it as an opportunity to get people involved with nature.
Glenna Holstein, branch manager, said visitors can take a self-guided tour of the building and participate in typical weekend programming. For instance, people can help pick up trash in the nearby park with the “Volunteer Park Rangers” initiative, and children can make a salad to feed a turtle as part of the animal feeding program.
“It’s a great opportunity for kids to get up close and personal with some of the critters in our area,” Holstein said.
Visitors may begin indoors, looking at the building’s sustainable, solar-powered water system, but the Holstein does not want them to stay there. She wants to get people engaged with nature during the Doors Open weekend and beyond.
“Our goal is to get people out the back door, into the park,” she said. “The real heart of our mission is to get people out into the parks that are right in their back yard.”

author: Wyatt Massey


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 9, 2015


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My Brother’s Keeper summit brings resources and services to north side | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee
September 10, 2015
Download a map of all four promise zones.
All boys and men of color are invited to the My Brother’s Keeper neighborhood summit on Saturday, September 12 to learn about services and resources meant to help improve health and wealth.
The event – hosted by Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II and Mayor Tom Barrett – will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday (September 12) at North Division High School, 1011 W. Center St. The summit is free and open to the public.
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Alderman Stamper is hopeful that area residents will attend and receive help with key life management issues, including child support, driver’s license recovery, job training and employment, health information and screenings, and expungement counseling. “The summit is also about empowering our youth and providing the resources and motivation necessary to be successful in the working world.”
“Residents in many areas of Milwaukee are underserved when it comes to counseling, job opportunities, and health and wellness information that can be beneficial and life-changing,” Alderman Stamper said. “I invite residents to come to the My Brother’s Keeper event Saturday to engage with us and work toward improving the quality of life in their home and in the area as a whole.”
Alderman Stamper extends his sincere thanks to those individuals and organizations working to make Saturday’s summit a success, including My Brother’s Keeper, Larry Sanders, Ray Nitti, MPS and participating employers.
Saturday’s event is one of a series of MBK summits planned in designated Promise Zones around the city. Alderman Ashanti Hamilton, Alderman Stamper, and other Council members created the Milwaukee Promise Initiative to foster effective and productive collaboration among agencies of City government and the development of place-based and data-driven community and economic development strategies in four Promise Zones (download map). In these areas combined, more than 45 percent of households have annual incomes of less than $25,000 compared to 36% citywide and 22% statewide. In some parts, more than 56 percent of the total population and more than 71 percent of children live in poverty. According to the 2010 Census, only 44.7 percent of the Milwaukee metro area’s working-age black males between the ages of 16-64 were employed in 2010, and many reside in the four “Promise Zones.
The summit is sponsored by the City of Milwaukee, My Brother’s Keeper, the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative, and the Black Male Achievement Advisory Council.
Partners include the City of Milwaukee Health Department, Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board, Milwaukee County Child Support Services, The Center for Driver’s License Recovery-Clean Slate, and the Wake Up Program.

author: City of Milwaukee


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Untitled-a | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 10, 2015


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Organization Seeks Sustainable Solutions Facing Underprivileged Children Here & Abroad | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 10, 2015
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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PRECIOUS LIVES 21-day initiative leads to better police-community relations in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 10, 2015
jsonline.com


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Updated: MATC promises free tuition to qualifying high school graduates | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 10, 2015
Milwaukee Business Journal


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Zilber Family Foundation announces $1 million in grants | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Zilber Family Foundation
September 10, 2015
The Zilber Family Foundation awarded five grants totaling $1 million to nonprofit organizations at its August board meeting.  Consistent with the Foundation’s mission, the grants support the work of organizations to address basic needs and help ensure personal safety; increase access to social and economic opportunity; and improve the quality of life in neighborhoods.
A grant of $200,000 will support ACTS Housing to provide affordable homeownership opportunities to low-income families in central city neighborhoods, thereby reducing blight, deterioration, and families’ expenses.  The typical ACTS family averages just $386 in monthly housing payments, hundreds less than the average cost of renting.  ACTS works with families throughout the entire purchasing process, and for many transactions, identifies essential repairs and creates and manages rehab plans.
A grant of $150,000 will enable Community Warehouse, Inc. to continue its efforts to improve conditions in low-income neighborhoods and provide employment for chronically unemployed individuals.  Founded in 2005, Community Warehouse is a nonprofit organization providing people in the Milwaukee community with affordable home and facility improvement materials sold at 75% off retail prices, to improve the housing and building stock in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods.
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The Foundation pledged $250,000, pending committed financing, to Heartland Housing to develop St. Anthony’s, a $12.6 million permanent supportive housing project that would transform a vacant five-story building at 10th and State Streets into 59 one-bedroom and efficiency units.  Rents would be affordable for low- and very low-income individuals.  The property would provide onsite management, supportive services, a community room and kitchen, and computer lab for residents.
A grant of $150,000 will support the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service (www.milwaukeenns.org) to continue its multi-media reporting of urban issues.  NNS produces objective, professional reporting on issues that are important to the people who live and work in central city neighborhoods such as education, public safety, economic development, health and wellness, arts and recreation, employment, youth development, and housing.  It is published by United Neighborhood Centers of Milwaukee in partnership with Marquette University’s Diederich College of Communications.
A grant of $250,000 to the Aurora Zilber Family Hospice will provide education and training for professional and volunteer hospice providers so that patients and their loved ones receive the most compassionate and informed care possible at the Aurora Zilber Family Hospice and throughout the Aurora Health Care system.  Hospice and palliative care seek to create an environment where the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of patients and their families are met.  Care is provided by teams of physicians, nurses, social workers, home health aides, therapists, chaplains, counselors, and volunteers.  Many caregivers, especially volunteers, require special training in the complexities of end-of-life care.  2015 marks the 10th anniversary of Aurora Zilber Family Hospice.  When the Hospice opened in March 2005 it was the first facility in the Greater Milwaukee area to provide hospice care to individuals of all ages, from infants to older adults.
Formed in 1961, the Zilber Family Foundation is a private independent grantmaking institution dedicated to enhancing the well-being of individuals, families, and neighborhoods, with a primary emphasis on the City of Milwaukee.  Since 2008, the Zilber Family Foundation has awarded more than $28 million to support residents and nonprofit organizations working to improve the quality of life in Milwaukee neighborhoods through the Zilber Neighborhood Initiative.  For more information, visit: www.zilberfamilyfoundation.org.

author: Zilber Family Foundation


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On the Block: Back to reality | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
September 11, 2015

created: September 11, 2015


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21276850532_63b5fd5121_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 11, 2015


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Seven things you should know about MPD’s body camera policy | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wyatt Massey
September 12, 2015
Milwaukee police officers will soon be equipped with body cameras that will record their actions while on duty — with some exceptions. (Photo by Adam Carr)
The Milwaukee Police Department has released operating procedures for police officers’ use of body cameras. While the policy is still under review by the city’s Fire and Police Commission, the cameras are expected to be in use at the end of September.
The policy outlines how officers will be using the new technology, specifically what should be recorded and how the footage will be stored. While the procedures do not address which police officers will be given cameras and how they will be apportioned among police districts, MPD Sgt. Timothy Gauerke said in an email that the preliminary plan is for each district to have 50 cameras by the end of 2015.
Mayor Tom Barrett’s recent budget proposal sets aside $880,000 in 2016 for 1,200 cameras to be worn by all officers on the street.
Sgt. Doug Wiorek and Mayor Tom Barrett demonstrated the cameras at a news conference last week.
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MPD Sgt. Doug Wiorek and @MayorOfMKE showing local media how new body cameras will work. pic.twitter.com/Ig5pDeFv3L
— Milwaukee Police (@MilwaukeePolice) September 3, 2015
Below are some of the basics from the policy:
Police officers will wear Taser Axon Flex body cameras, which record audio and video.
The preferred location is on the officer’s head, such as on a pair of glasses. Other options include a department baseball cap, a motorcycle helmet or on the officer’s vest or collar.
At the end of each shift, the officer is required to upload the footage to Evidence.com, an offsite storage platform.
The footage is stored for 120 days. Some footage will be stored longer “in the event the video is the subject of a litigation hold, a criminal case, part of discovery, etc.”
The audio and video recording equipment can be mounted on the officer’s glasses, hat, vest or collar, providing an unobstructed view of what the officer is seeing. (Photo provided by Taser International)
Police can see the live feed or recorded video on a smart phone using a mobile app. Officers will not be able to edit the footage.
The videos are the property of the police department. After uploading, they can only be viewed by officers to assist in reporting or helping prepare a court case. Authorized individuals can view the footage for reviewing evidence or during an official investigation. The videos may also be used for department training purposes.
The public is not allowed to see the video footage, “unless there is an investigative reason to do so” and a police supervisor has approved it. However, the policy states that the cameras are “not specifically designed to log evidence or to be used for any situation where fine detail and resolution is necessary.”
The department’s existing policy for public records requests applies for the videos, as well. Only the Chief of Police or a designee can approve accessing, copying or releasing the video.
If the camera is recording during a time when police activity results in bodily harm or death, the officers wearing the cameras are not allowed to view the footage at the time, unless it is necessary for the investigation.
A supervisor from the Investigations and Intelligence Bureau, not involved in the incident, will deliver the camera to the nearest police district and upload the footage.
Officers assigned to wear a camera must wear it at all times when on duty, if they are in uniform or if there is a chance that they may need to perform duties. The camera must be recording during “all investigative or enforcement contacts.” The policy outlines 12 examples of contacts, such as vehicle stops, transporting non-police officers, searches of property or people and any suspect pursuits.
Recording is not required for events that are “potentially sensitive,” at the officer’s discretion. An officer is not required to record “non-enforcement activities,” such as conversations between officers, traffic control situations or long stays in the hospital with a suspect. When an officer turns the camera off, he or she is required to record the reason for doing so.
Under the policy, officers are prohibited from recording body cavity searches in hospitals, other officers during non-enforcement duties or for personal reasons. They are required to turn off the cameras when entering a criminal justice facility, unless given prior approval.
Cameras do not need to be activated in a place where a reasonable expectation of privacy exists, such as dressing rooms, locker rooms and restrooms.

created: September 12, 2015


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Body camera | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 11, 2015


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DSC00960-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 11, 2015


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Mayor Tom Barrett and Ricardo Diaz to present library cards to students Monday | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Library
September 13, 2015
On Monday, Mayor Tom Barrett and Ricardo Diaz will present every 7th grader at Bruce Guadalupe Community School with a library card – a commitment made of the Mayor, the Milwaukee Public Library and the school as part of the ConnectED Library Challenge.
The ConnectED Library Challenge, an Obama administration program, is a way for communities throughout the country to create or strengthen partnerships so that every child enrolled in school can receive a library card.  The initiative calls upon library directors to work with their mayors, school leaders and school librarians, to provide wider access to the learning resources and books of America’s libraries.
September is Library Card Sign-up Month – an awareness effort sponsored by the American Library Association.  Bruce Guadalupe Community School students will be the first to receive library cards as part of this challenge throughout National Library Card Sign-up Month. As school resumes, ensuring students have access to educational resources, technology and safe places outside of school is vital to their success. Additionally, Monday morning Representatives Evan Goyke and Dale Kooyenga will read to elementary school students at the school.
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created: September 13, 2015

author: Milwaukee Public Library


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Untitled-1a | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 13, 2015


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Donald Trump, Dred Scott, and black and brown lives matter | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Margaret Rozga
September 14, 2015
Margaret Rozga, poet, civil rights activist and professor emerita of English at UW-Waukesha, blasts Donald Trump for his stance against birthright citizenship, guaranteed in the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
What with real issues like threats to traditional public schools, dismissal of scientists from their positions in the state Department of Natural Resources and a well-funded campaign against passage of a crucial nuclear treaty with Iran, I resolved to avoid discussions about the presidential election still more than 14 months in the future.
Then Donald Trump propelled us into dangerous territory. He called the 14 Amendment’s guarantee of birthright citizenship “stupid.” No other country grants such a right, he said, as if what everyone else does is the final authority for what he, and we, should do. Either he doesn’t know U.S. history, or he chooses to ignore it.
When Roger B. Taney, the fifth Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, wrote the 7-2 decision in the case of Dred Scott v. Stanford (1857), he went far beyond the immediate issues in the case. Dred Scott had been taken by his enslaver to free territory, so he sued in court for his freedom. Taney’s decision held that the U.S. Constitution never intended to allow persons of African descent to be citizens, that black people “had no rights which the white man was bound to respect.” This disastrous decision intensified the fight between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions as the country moved closer to the Civil War.
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In the Reconstruction period after the Civil War, Congress wrote and within two years the states ratified the 14 Amendment, nullifying the Taney Court’s decision. The 14 Amendment removed any doubt about how the Constitution is be interpreted on the questions of citizenship and equality. They are not the exclusive privileges of white people.
The equal protection provision of the 14 Amendment has been important to the arguments in such landmark cases as the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education, which challenged segregated schools.
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Cavalierly, Trump would discard birthright citizenship and the equal protection principle. He cannot dislodge one phrase from this provision of the 14 Amendment without unsettling the whole. He minimizes the significance of setting aside more than 140 years of American jurisprudence by listing it as merely one item in his immigration policy. He seems not to know that amendments to the Constitution stand firm in ways that transitory policies of this or that administration do not. He seems not to know the complex procedure required to amend the Constitution.
Or he knows and flies over these complexities, hoping to make such radical action seem acceptable and thus undermine a principle spelled out in the Preamble to the Constitution: “to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.”
Whether he speaks through ignorance or malice, ignoring the ideas he floats seems unwise. What he proposes needs to be identified for what it is. It is cruel. It is a flagrant insult to Latinos. It is devastating to our national purpose and identity. It is an emphatic way of saying brown lives do not matter. It is a way of saying black lives do not matter.
It hits at this decisive moment in history with the Dreamers on the verge of achieving their dream and the Black Lives Matter movement gaining momentum toward equality in ways we haven’t seen since the civil rights movement 50 years ago. In making his outrageous proposals, Donald Trump puts himself in league with Chief Justice Taney, who was among those whose did damage the nation could not endure.

created: September 14, 2015

author: Margaret Rozga


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UNCOM sponsors 8th annual Walk for Wellness | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Emmy A. Yates
September 14, 2015
United Neighborhood Centers of Milwaukee (UNCOM) held its 8th annual Walk for Wellness at the Journey House Green Bay Packers Football Stadium in Mitchell Park on Friday. About 400 participants, all affiliated with UNCOM member agencies, gathered at the event, which is intended to encourage healthier living. Activities included urban line dancing and a mile-long walk through Mitchell Park, followed by a meal of a sandwich, carrots, apples and chips.
UNCOM member organizations are Agape Community Center, COA Youth and Family Centers, Journey House, Milwaukee Christian Center, Neighborhood House of Milwaukee, Next Door, Northcott Neighborhood House, and Silver Spring Neighborhood Center.

author: Emmy A. Yates


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$6 million in workforce grants to create 600 Milwaukee County apprenticeships | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 15, 2015
jsonline.com

created: September 15, 2015


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A museum pops up at the Silver City International Food & Art Walk | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Karen Slattery
September 15, 2015
Ideally every neighborhood would have a museum to celebrate its local culture. But clearly that’s not possible.
One solution: the pop-up museum, a short-term grassroots exhibit that presents local stories for the benefit of the people who live there.
One popped up on West National Avenue recently as part of the Silver City International Food & Art Walk. It was set up to “bring the museum into the community,” according to Margaret James, an educator at the Milwaukee Public Museum.
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The festival’s Pop-Up Museum was the second one created by the Milwaukee Public Museum, said James. It was built on the theme of “cultural food ways” — how food relates to local culture, which was also one of the themes of the festival.
James said people were asked to bring in food-related items and write stories about why the objects are important to them.
Among the items on display were Chinese teas, spices, macadamia nuts and a cookbook.
Milwaukee native Anthony Jackson contributed a belt buckle celebrating Schlitz Malt Liquor. Rather than take his buckle home after the show, Jackson said he donated it to the museum “in the Milwaukee spirit of being nice and giving.”
The Milwaukee Public Pop-Up Museum was one of eight of the booths and sites at the festival. Eleven restaurants and five artists also participated in the event.
The festival attracted more than 1,000 people, more than last year, according to Beth Lee, director of fund development and communications at Layton Boulevard West Neighbors (LBWN).
LBWN focuses on stabilizing and revitalizing the Silver City, Burnham Park and Layton Park neighborhoods. “One of the ways that we do that is by highlighting the assets that are in the neighborhoods,” she said, referring to the area’s shops and restaurants.
Lee called the International Food & Art Walk “a great asset right here on National Avenue that you can come and enjoy.”

author: Karen Slattery


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 14, 2015


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Majority Of America’s Poor Are Working | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 15, 2015
Wisconsin Public Radio


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Milwaukee schools host Friday walk-in to support public education | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 15, 2015
OnMilwaukee.com


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On the Block: Classroom confessions | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Marlita Annette Bevenue
September 15, 2015
People often ask Dennis Marshall why he teaches 10-year-olds instead of working with middle or high school students. In his experience, children are more receptive to learning at a young age because there’s so much they don’t know.


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Socioeconomics, Food Insecurity and the US Latino Population | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 15, 2015
Latin Post


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White House recognizes MPS’ ALBA School as ‘bright spot in hispanic education’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
September 15, 2015
The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics has named Milwaukee Public Schools’ ALBA School as one of the nation’s “Bright Spots in Hispanic Education,” an honor given to only three organizations in the state of Wisconsin this year.
As the White House noted in touting the recognition, math achievement scores at ALBA, which serves a student population that is 98% Hispanic and 97% economically disadvantaged, have been near or above the state average on the most recent state test results available.
The student growth rate at the school as measured on the state report card also exceeds state average and the school earned a report card rating of “Exceeds Expectations.” ALBA’s formal name is Academia de Lenguaje y Bellas Artes.
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“We are honored that ALBA has been recognized for the tremendous work its educators do every day to improve the education and lives of the school’s students,” MPS Superintendent Dr. Darienne Driver said. “Congratulations to all of the leaders, teachers, support staff, students and families who all work together to make ALBA a ‘bright spot’ not only for MPS, the city of Milwaukee and the state, but also for the nation.”
In releasing the awards, the White House noted that nearly one in four students in American public schools is a Hispanic or Latino youth and within the next few decades, Hispanics will represent nearly one in three U.S. workers.
“It’s clear; the future of our nation is closely connected to the future of our Hispanic communities,” the initiative noted.
In 2013, ALBA’s founding teachers were honored by ‘People’ magazine as among the magazine’s “Teachers of the Year.“

author: Milwaukee Public Schools


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 15, 2015


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Cousins Subs supports two Milwaukee-based charities with monetary donations | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Cousins Subs
September 16, 2015
The Cousins Subs® Make It Better Foundation has awarded a total of $2,500 in grants to two Milwaukee-based charities—COA Youth & Family Centers and Wheaton Franciscan – St. Joseph Foundation.
The Make It Better Foundation gifted a $2,000 grant to COA Youth & Family Centers, a Milwaukee area nonprofit that concentrates on serving children, strengthening families and building communities. Grant funds will support its Home-based Literacy Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY)—an evidence-based early literacy and school readiness program for preschool children ages 3-5. In HIPPY, children develop literacy, motor, cognitive, communication, and social/emotional skills through a 30-week in-home curriculum that is provided by HIPPY Parent Partners. More specifically, the donation will sponsor families in the HIPPY program as well as offset the cost of books, activities, family gathering nights and home visits from Parent Partners.
“We are thrilled to partner with Cousins Subs Make It Better Foundation for the HIPPY program and deeply appreciate this generous grant support,” said Christine Sweeney, development and public relations director, COA Youth & Family Centers. “This grant allows COA to provide an internationally-acclaimed, home-based early literacy program for families with preschool-aged youth as well as equip them with a foundation for academic achievement for the long-term.”
A $500 grant to Wheaton Franciscan—St. Joseph Foundation will benefit its Anytime CPR Training (ACT)—a curriculum-based program for youth between ages 4-18 that educates and prepares participants for emergency situations. The goal of the program is to equip youth with the knowledge and understanding of basic life supporting first aid skills and willingness to engage in an emergency situation. The ACT was established in 2002 and is implemented in Milwaukee area schools and community-based organizations. Grant funds will support program costs for up to 40 participants.
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“The grant will provide added opportunity to train more school-age children,” said Gloria Singleton-Young, ACT program coordinator. “The training they receive will strengthen safety in the community and provide students with skills that will help them in the future.”
Each grant is funded through the Cousins Subs Make It Better Foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization established in 2013. The Make It Better Foundation aims to improve the general welfare and quality of life in the communities Cousins Subs serves and addresses three areas of interest that are vital to any community: health and wellness, hunger, and youth education.
“Since 1972, our deep-seated roots in the Milwaukee community has fueled our drive and commitment to help those in need in the communities we serve,” said Justin McCoy, director on Cousins Subs Make It Better Foundation board. “Our Make It Better Foundation is an extension of that belief and fully invests in supporting the advancement of our local community.”
Interested nonprofit and community organizations can visit www.cousinssubs.com/foundation to find out more information on eligibility and how to apply.

created: September 16, 2015

author: Cousins Subs


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How to visit national parks for free | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Marlita Annette Bevenue
September 16, 2015
(Photo courtesy of National Park Service)
If you’ve ever wanted to hike the Great Smoky Mountains or whitewater raft in Yellowstone, here’s your chance to bask in the great outdoors cash-free. This year, fourth graders nationwide and their families will have free access to all federally managed lands and waters — including national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and marine sanctuaries.
“Every Kid in A Park” is a new White House youth initiative aimed at connecting kids to our country’s national parks.
Here’s how it works. Students can sign up online now for their Every Kid in a Park pass and complete an educational activity in order to access and print out the pass. The voucher is valid for the 2015-2016 school year and grants free entry for fourth graders and three accompanying adults (or an entire car for drive-in parks) at more than 2,000 federally managed sites.
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“Every Kid in a Park is a chance for fourth graders from every background to be outside and get to know the lands and waters that belong to them, whether it’s a national forest, a wildlife refuge, a marine sanctuary or a historic site in the center of a city,” said Christy Goldfuss, managing director at the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).
“By expanding their horizons and learning all the ways the outdoors can enrich their lives, this innovative program hopes to create greater awareness of the many benefits of our nation’s public lands and waters,” Goldfuss added.
The program will continue each year with the then-current group of fourth graders. The goal is to give every school-age child in America the opportunity to visit national parks across the country for free.
Popular national parks include the Everglades in Florida, Yellowstone in Wyoming and Sequoia in California. There are thousands of sites nationwide, including two in Wisconsin: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore at the northern tip of the state; and Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, in the western part of the state. For a list of national parks by state, visit www.nationalparks.org.
For more information about the Every Kid in a Park program, visit www.everykidinapark.gov.


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Northwest Side CDC honored to receive $125,000 award | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Northwest Side CDC
September 16, 2015
The Northwest Side CDC (NWSCDC) received a grant of $125,000 from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund).
The award was granted to the NWSCDC, a certified CDFI, for Technical Assistance to the business lending program. NWSCDC was one of six CDFI’s to receive funding in Wisconsin in the 2015 award round. The CDC received the maximum possible award under the Technical Assistance category. NWSCDC has received Financial and/or Technical Assistance awards from the CDFI Fund every year since 2011.
“We are grateful for the ongoing support of the CDFI Fund,” said Howard Snyder, Executive Director of the NWSCDC. “The award will help us attract and retain businesses on the Northwest side of Milwaukee.”
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The CDFI Fund helps economically underserved communities by offering affordable financial products and services that meet their needs. Organizations focused on these communities are able to further their economic, housing and community development initiatives through CDFI Fund programs. Technical Assistance awards are used to support organizational capacity and can be used to support operational needs such as equipment, consulting services, salaries and benefits of loan program staff, and to train staff or Board members.
For more information on the NWSCDC, please visit nwscdc.org. For more information on the CDFI Fund, please visit cdfifund.gov.

author: Northwest Side CDC


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Common Ground Calls for Fair Play in Recreation Funding | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 17, 2015
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio

created: September 17, 2015


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Neighborhood art projects inspire community ownership | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
September 17, 2015
Iveliz Hope, 7, and Angel Hope (foreground), 11, paint one of five sculptures that will be installed in Pulaski Park. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
On a recent Saturday afternoon, South Side residents made the trek to artist Marina Lee’s studio, at 833 E. Burleigh St., for the last of three workshops to finish painting sculptures that will eventually be installed in Pulaski Park. Despite rain and a last-minute change in location, the studio was full of volunteers, young and old, brushes in hand, eager to complete the project, which began early this year.
Travis Hope, 37, who lives about two miles from the park but grew up in the area, has helped at every step along the way, first plastering and then painting the resident-inspired and designed sculpture-benches. Hope and his three children, who were also present, are regular volunteers and participants in programming through the Sixteenth Street Community Health Center, which serves the Kinnickinnic River neighborhoods.
“I always liked to volunteer and I like to get my kids involved in volunteering,” said Hope. “You always should take care of where you live or where you have family.”
The Pulaski Park project is part of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s (GMF) Healthy Neighborhoods Arts Initiative. The initiative is a collaboration between the foundation’s Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative and the Mary L. Nohl Fund, which was created in 2001 with a $9.2 million bequest from Nohl upon her death. Lynn Lucius, a consultant with the Nohl fund, said the area artist, who received a sizable inheritance that allowed her to focus on her work, was generous during her lifetime and hoped “to infuse the community with art” through her giving.
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A stretch of the Kinnickinnic River near S. 16th St. and W. Cleveland Ave. near where the benches will be installed. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
The fund, which is GMF’s primary vehicle for supporting arts initiatives, has given about $6 million to support the visual arts and art education in Milwaukee since a yearly giving program was established in 2003. “It’s a special year for the foundation … and they saw an opportunity,” said Lucius, referring to the GMF’s centennial anniversary.
The arts initiative, which started accepting applications in early March, was limited to neighborhoods already designated as healthy neighborhoods by GMF. Five neighborhoods were selected, receiving a total of more than $80,000. Darlene Russell, senior program officer for the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative, said from the beginning there was an emphasis on making sure that the projects were driven by neighborhood residents, from designing the art to picking an artist to work with.
“It really gives the people that live there an opportunity to be a part of that process and for them to see what their voice and actions can become,” said Russell.
The project concepts, which include industrial-themed benches in Havenwoods, streetlight sculptures in Harambee, the design and installation of “identity signs” in Capitol Heights and an “entryway monument” in Sherman Park, were all determined by area residents. The Pulaski Park benches, which will be installed near 16th and Cleveland by a stretch of the Kinnickinnic River undergoing a $60 million project to remove concrete from the riverbed, will have a water-centered theme.
Iris Gonzalez, a community engagement specialist with Sixteenth Street, said contamination and water quality issues led to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) project, which will be “a huge transformation for the neighborhood.” Gonzalez said Sixteenth Street has “engaged with the neighborhood to help them be a part of that transformation” by participating in the decision-making process. The art initiative is one example.
“[Community residents] decided they wanted it to be in Pulaski Park, they decided they wanted this artist, they decided the theme, they influenced the design and now they’re helping to build and paint it,” Gonzalez said.
The benches are made from a combination of plywood, foam, modeling compound, fiberglass and steel, then primed and painted. Lee, who has been creating community art for more than 20 years and has pieces in other Milwaukee parks, said the process is special because it is collaborative and involves more ideas and hands than just hers.
“Community art is about creating art that has life,” she said. “You don’t want it to be about life, you want it to be alive.”
Volunteers paint a sculpture named “Water Heart” that will be installed in Pulaski Park. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Aside from beautifying a neighborhood, Gonzalez said community projects can help bring residents together and build ownership, even if individuals might not have the resources to invest in other ways, such as remodeling their home. She also said collaborations of this sort can help bring resources to an area.
“We’re working to connect people to people, to connect people to the projects but also to attract investments … to improve quality of life conditions and, ultimately, help (individual) outcomes,” said Gonzalez.
“I think this is just a really good example of an opportunity for municipalities, nonprofits, community residents to all come together and understand that these projects are more than just one entity, that it takes an entire community to make something happen,” said Laura Schloesser, chief of administration and external affairs at Milwaukee County Parks.
Schloesser called the collaboration a “win, win, win,” saying the benches are “going to be really fun and beautiful but, yet, they serve a really critical function for us, which is seating in the park.”
Hope commented, “It’s something to be proud of when you go to the park,” adding that he hopes the community will look after the park and the benches once they’re installed.
The Lincoln Avenue School will also be partnering with the initiative to maintain the benches. While the project has engaged residents of all ages, there has been specific focus on engaging children from the neighborhood.
Lee said, especially for the younger children, being part of creating something in their neighborhood can be a special experience that results in a lasting connection to that place. “It’s more than engagement … Art is more than that, people are more than that.”
Hope’s son Leroy, 12, who was at the painting workshop, said he looks forward to seeing the benches in the neighborhood and knowing that he helped make them.
“[That’s] why community art is special,” said Lee. “It belongs to everybody — not just the people that made it, not just the people that are sitting on it now but … those children that aren’t even born yet.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 16, 2015


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20854159294_e1f7fb24df_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 16, 2015


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Poverty keeps tight grip on Milwaukee, new census figures show | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 17, 2015
jsonline.com


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Wisconsin Uninsured Rate Fell In 2014 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 17, 2015
WPR Wisconsin Public Radio


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UCC fails to follow through on $20,000 commitment to rebuild nearby park | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
September 18, 2015
Bruce Guadalupe Community School students play at the park during recess. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
In 2012, Pascual Rodriguez, principal of Bruce Guadalupe Community School, sent an email to Milwaukee County Park officials committing $20,000 from the United Community Center (UCC), which houses the charter school, toward reconstructing Walker Square Park, 1031 S. 9 St.
Though construction on the project, which included repairs to the pavilion roof and bathrooms along with new playground equipment, was completed in time for a grand opening in November 2012, the county has received no funds from UCC, a social service agency at 1055 S. 9 St.
The organization’s failure to follow through on its commitment is extremely disappointing, especially considering that students from the school use the playground during the week, said Peggy Romo-West, county supervisor for the 12 District, where the park is located. Guadalupe does not have its own playground.
Romo-West said regular use of the park by the school’s students prior to construction “went beyond normal wear and tear at the park and is a big part of the reason the park equipment needed to be replaced sooner than it would have.”
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Walker Square Park is located directly across the street from Bruce Guadalupe Community School. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Rodriguez denied making the commitment and said he has no control over the money. However, emails obtained by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service through a Freedom of Information Act request show differently. In May 2012 Rodriguez responded to a county email containing copies of a Donation Agreement between the Bruce Guadalupe Community School and the Milwaukee County Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture, in which the county thanked Rodriguez for the donation and requested the contract be signed and returned.
In response, Rodriguez wrote: “…regarding the funding of the playground project, United Community Center will contribute $20,000 over a two-year period ($10,000 a year) toward the project.” Juan Ruiz, deputy director of the UCC board and chief financial officer was copied on the correspondence.
When contacted by NNS, Ruiz said he’d never seen a contract from the county, adding that he was still waiting for an invoice for the pledge made three years ago.
“I cannot cut a check out of the clear blue sky,” Ruiz said, adding that once he receives an invoice UCC will gladly fulfill its pledge.
The county never prepared an invoice because UCC never signed the contract, according to Megan Haeger, contracts and project manager for the parks system.
“If we don’t have a signed contract in hand we can’t invoice,” said Haeger.
According to Ruiz, in the past the county invoiced UCC when work on a project was completed. Ruiz also said he recently left a message about the $20,000 pledge for James Keegan, former chief of planning and development for the parks system. However, Keegan left the county in August to become deputy director of the Arizona State Parks.
Some community members also have been tracking the $20,000 pledge, including Dr. Rohan de Silva, who moved in across the street from UCC eight years ago and is a member of the Walker Square Neighborhood Association.
“I’ve been waiting to see if they’d follow through on their word. Such audacity to not even pay their fair share!” de Silva said.
Not only do Guadalupe students use the park for gym, recess and other activities, de Silva said, but UCC employees take all the public parking spaces around the park rather than use their own lots.
“They’re not good neighbors,” de Silva added.
Fulfilling its pledge of $20,000 to the county would have a significant impact in a small park such as Walker Square, said Romo-West. She said residents have been asking for improvements to the pavilion for years and that the money could also pay for the addition of goal posts in an area of the park that young people typically use for soccer.
“If that money was to be a gift towards the park then they (UCC) should cut the check and send it to the county,” Romo-West said.

created: September 18, 2015


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 17, 2015


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Air Force veteran teaches thinking and life skills through chess and art | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 21, 2015
Quan Caston and student Kathy Ford share a game of chess and popsicles at Auer Avenue School. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Chicago native Quan Caston’s first foreign assignment, in England, offered him opportunities to interact with people of many backgrounds and to consider his identity as an American and an African-American in a new context.
“It broadened my horizons,” Caston said of his U.S. Air Force service. “It was an overwhelming, interesting, fulfilling and beneficial experience.”
During his eight years of military service, two tools helped him connect with others — his knowledge of chess and his talent for drawing, Caston said. Both can be shared without a common language and both facilitate a unique way of thinking about the world.
“When I got back to the United States, it wasn’t long before I realized … there’s a war here. I hear more gunshots here than (I did) in an actual war zone,” said Caston, who also served in the Middle East.
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Now a resident of the Amani neighborhood, Caston decided that he wanted to contribute to a more peaceful community by teaching what has been beneficial to him, “starting with the children,” but including their families.
Quan Caston named fifth-grader Elana Sinclair “Chess Student of the Summer” for being a self-starter with an excellent attitude. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Caston teaches chess and a variety of art programs to central city children through arts and education organizations including Arts @ Large.
“I would love for the children to learn to be better decision makers throughout their lives beginning right now, right here … like the chess player.” The chess player doesn’t just move randomly, he said, but rather according to a system based on strategic and tactical plans.
“Quan connects chess to literacy, mathematics and critical thinking skills,” said Ryan Hurley, community school coordinator at Auer Avenue School, 2319 W. Auer Ave. Caston taught chess and led a variety of art projects there during the summer. “Kids love him and when he’s not here, they ask about him.”
Caston volunteers at COA’s Goldin Center, next to the school, and lives in the neighborhood, so the kids see him out in the community, Hurley added. “He’s somebody that they are able to connect with beyond the classroom.”
Caston also works with youth victims and perpetrators of gun violence through Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin’s Project Ujima. He teaches them how to play chess and use it as a decision-making model.
“Some of them are the victims of gunshot violence and some of them could very well be … the victimizers, so my objective is that they think like chess players,” he said. Caston wants them to be able to think strategically and consider the consequences and rewards of their actions, he added.
Learning thinking skills is the aspect of chess that most appeals to Tunisia Sims, who was playing the game at Auer Avenue with her 7-year-old daughter Briana on a summer afternoon.
“It makes you think about not just what you’re going to do but what the (other) person is going to do. And however they move, it makes you think about what your next move will be. It’s just like life,” Sims said.
For her part, Briana said she likes to play chess because it’s fun.
Fifth-grader Izeria Richards agreed that chess is fun and cool.
“The pawns are like people,” Izeria said. “For me, the queen stands for my mom and the king stands for my dad.” When she plays a game of chess it reminds her of playing with her brother and her sister, she said.
Ebony Butler said her sons, a high school freshman and sixth-grader, are calmer when they participate in Caston’s chess classes.
Another project Caston brought to Auer Avenue School and neighborhood kids is the construction of a large-scale European-style castle. Caston collected cardboard and other discarded materials from COA Goldin Center as it was furnishing its new Burke Early Childhood Education Center and other sources.
Using renderings Caston drew, the children worked on the project in several locations, building drawbridges and towers. He hopes to incorporate the castle into a drama project he is leading at Auer Avenue this fall. Caston is “an incredibly creative person,” Hurley noted.
Caston hopes to create a chess society made up of a self-selected group of committed students that will compete with chess teams from other schools. He has designed shirts and a tent that will house “a mobile chess city,” he said. And he’s planning fundraising activities to make all this possible.
“This is my calling as well as my career,” said Caston, who also is teaching chess at Transition High School, 2610 W. North Ave., this fall. When he can find formal programs through which to teach chess and art, he does so, but when he can’t, he teaches children wherever he finds them, he said.
“They may as well pay me,” he added, “since I’m going to show up anyway. And the kids, who all know me, are going to come running when they see all the neat stuff that I have.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct Quan Caston’s relationship with COA Goldin Center and the high school where he teaches chess.

created: September 21, 2015


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 20, 2015

created: September 20, 2015


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Listen to Ferguson. See Milwaukee. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rick Deines
September 21, 2015
Rick Deines, a conversation facilitator with The Zeidler Center for Public Discussion and a Milwaukee resident for 33 years, asks what Milwaukee can learn from the recently released Ferguson Commission report.
If Milwaukee looks at the new report of the Ferguson Commission, we will see our city. The community culture exposed by Michael Brown’s death followed by ‘Black Lives Matter’ is the state of the nation and our city.
“What we are pointing out is that the data suggests, time and again, that our institutions and existing systems are not equal, and that this has racial repercussions,” the report states. “Black people in the region feel those repercussions when it comes to law enforcement, the justice system, housing, health, education, and income.”
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And the prophet cried out, “There is nothing new under the sun!” (Ecclesiastes)
In 1967 as urban unrest spread to every part of the nation, the Kerner Commission appointed by President Lyndon Johnson wrote about race in America. It concluded that the nation was “moving toward two societies, one black, one white — separate and unequal.”
2015 is not 1967, but the basic findings of these two commissions are strikingly familiar. Is the analysis right? Does it dig deeply enough?
Our culture puts a high priority on ‘fixing’ people, things and institutions. We solve problems. But if the diagnosis is faulty, the results will be disappointing. What do these reports tend to ignore or minimize?
Do they reveal enough about how systems work? Is this not a case of those who have committed the crime investigating themselves? Systems aren’t fixed. They are gradually replaced by concerted efforts to insert a different set of values and behavior into the equation. A system can do minor adjustments. The change we want and hope for will always be a partially realized accomplishment, but if we know we are shifting our values and behavior, we may keep at it.
So don’t look for the Ferguson Commission report and its recommendations to go beyond fixing certain parts of law enforcement or citizen participation. The fixes are good, often creative. But they lack a sense of what an imperfect, yet just society would look like.
The very system that sustains racism cannot be the solution. It cannot rid itself of itself. This is the heart of the issue. This is why we get stuck.
We also get stuck because we aren’t that sure we want things to change. Perhaps a tiny fix here or there that will make our lives easier or someone else’s life more livable, but cultural change is simply hard. Whether we hold a large stake in the current system or a small one, we all have some kind of a stake.
As Sen. Elizabeth Warren said, “the game is rigged.” When the Occupy Movement described the injustice as the “99% vs. the 1%,” I cheered loudly. I began to reflect on my much smaller piece of the pie and realized I benefit from the same system. Consumerism is one way to describe our culture. I’m an actor in that drama.
It is not true that some of us can stand completely outside the system and shout “change” to everyone else. To admit one is complicit in something as destructive as racism is not for the faint of heart. And even those treated most unjustly also have a stake that they may not want to give up. Dr. King’s strategy to gain civil rights was to work within the system of law that says “all are created equal.” Those particular laws were changed and we are better for it. Yet, 50 years later the reports say things are much the same as they were before 1965.
Nelson Mandela could not follow the same strategy. No South African constitution declared that equality. So instead, Mr. Mandela suggested a new cultural paradigm. By declaring forgiveness and calling for everyone to be part of the new South Africa, he was attempting something new. He envisioned that a different and more just system would emerge—not a “fixed” South Africa, but a new one. He recognized that in a strange way all the people of South Africa (black and white) were part of the oppressive system. And that they all would be part of creating a less oppressive one.
And Milwaukee? John Gurda is set to release his new book, “Milwaukee: City of Neighborhoods.” In a Journal Sentinel article, Gurda described life in the inner city through the eyes of those who live there. This perspective could awaken in us the desire for more cross fertilization of our lives. It may serve as both a primer and guide into a generous and welcoming Milwaukee.
Milwaukee has so many individuals doing remarkable things to usher in a new kind of culture. Here are a few who are going beyond the ‘let’s fix it’ approach:
Eric Von, Venice Williams, Ellen Blathers, Will Allen, Rev. Willie Briscoe, James Murrell, Andre Lee Ellis, Yvette Murrell, Vince Bushell, Ann Van Dunk, Sharlen Moore, Reggie Jackson, Reggie Moore, Katherine Wilson and literally tens of thousands of others.
The question remains is, “Can these and others birth a new common culture here through individual achievements?” That is the question we are left with from the Ferguson report and the mirror it provides for Milwaukee.
South Africa chose to have national “Truth and Reconciliation” conversations. We could do the same.
Peter Block said, “The city is a conversation.” How will we initiate the conversation and sustain it? This kind of conversation is itself “action” from which important shifts in our structures can take place.
Gurda’s conclusion is profound. It echoes Mandela’s stance of forgiveness. He says, “It is in the ground of compassion that solutions take root.”

author: Rick Deines


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Milwaukee Volunteers: Tom Parks Teaches Financial Literacy to Teens | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 21, 2015
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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MPS dedicates two new athletic stadiums | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 21, 2015
88NINE Radio Milwaukee


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White House Pushing Plan to Turn 9 Million Legal Immigrants Into U.S. Citizens | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 21, 2015
Latin Post


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On The Block: Balancing act | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 22, 2015
Heather Yang is the oldest of four children of Hmong parents who emigrated from Laos. She and her fiancé, Tai Vang, live on the Northwest Side. While working at the Fondy Farmers Market on a recent Saturday, Yang talked about living independently from her parents and studying online for a veterinary technician degree.

created: September 22, 2015


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 21, 2015


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Thanks again to CVS for going tobacco-free | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Kevin Turner
September 22, 2015
CVS Health pharmacies haven’t looked back since pulling tobacco products from their shelves a year ago this month. In addition to sending the message that they value the health of their customers, CVS also gained new customers like me because of the switch.
Selling tobacco products in a pharmacy doesn’t make sense, especially when we know they can lead to an increased risk for heart disease and strokes. I was happy to see CVS make the bold decision to go tobacco-free because it is counter-productive to sell medicines to treat chronic diseases while selling a product that can cause them, such as cigarettes.
One thing I love seeing when I shop at CVS is I’m not bombarded with tobacco advertising. Most of the stores in my neighborhood feature advertisements for products such as e-cigs, blunts as well as traditional cigarettes. Whether it’s a national chain like CVS or a local tobacco-free pharmacy I’ll take the tobacco-free pharmacy over one that sells tobacco products every time.
Thanks again to CVS and all tobacco-free pharmacies for taking their mission to improve health seriously. To learn more about other tobacco-free efforts in Milwaukee visit tobwis.org.
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Sincerely,
Kevin Turner
Wisconsin Hispanic Latino Tobacco Prevention Network

author: Kevin Turner


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Artwork wanted for Día de los Muertos t-shirt design contest | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Walker's Point Center for the Arts
September 23, 2015
Calling all artists! WPCA is looking for artwork to use for this year’s Día de los Muertos t-shirt. The artwork will also be used for promotional items for our annual Día de los Muertos exhibition (Oct. 16 – Nov. 22). The artwork should reflect the celebration of the holiday.
This contest is opened to everyone. Submission will be accepted from now through Sunday, Sept. 27. Winner will be announced by October 2.
2014 t-shirt design, by Jose Montoto.
Artist of the chosen design will receive a $25 Blick gift certificate, one year WPCA Artist level membership, two 2015 Día de los Muertos t-shirts.
Design Details
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Submission Guideline

created: September 23, 2015

author: Walker's Point Center for the Arts


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 23, 2015

author: Adam Carr


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Generations of young men learn about life, football from sports league | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matthew Wisla
September 23, 2015
Kendall Johnson raised his voice to be heard above the cheerleaders and boisterous crowd celebrating a touchdown. “This means something to me because we can do it together,” he said, referring to his son, who was on the football field playing as part of the Neighborhood Children’s Sports League. “And, besides, you really get excited out here!”
Now approaching middle age, Johnson still has the short, stocky build of the football player he once was while playing for the league back in his youth. He said sharing a passion for playing football strengthens his relationship with his son and the game “keeps something positive in front of the kids.”
Fullback Dedric Willis, 12, plays on one of the league’s nine teams because he enjoys the contributions he can make as a player. “With teamwork if I do it then we can win. I like that,” he said.
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League Vice Chairman Earl Ingram has held leadership positions at the 57-year-old organization for the last 18 years. He believes that sports can help shape the character of young players when they are taught well. “I love the game of football, but it’s easy for people to look past us and say it’s only a sport and not see the life lessons being taught,” he said.
Teamwork and football fundamentals are essential lessons for players in the 57-year-old Neighborhood Children’s Sports League. (Photo by Mark Doremus)
For Ingram and the coaches instructing the league’s approximately 700 players ages 6 to 14, football is a tool for lessons in commitment, leadership and discipline. “We even talk to them about diet because you can’t play football if all you ever eat are flaming hots,” Ingram said, referring to the popular snack made with Cheetos and hot sauce.
“It’s so exciting to see players execute something they learned in practice and then you get that exhilarated look on their face during a game that says they accomplished something, they did it,” said Floyd DeBow, the league’s chairman. “It could be a block or a catch; whatever they accomplished.”
Playing sports has guided generations of young people towards becoming more responsible, mature adults, but Ingram said it may have an even more critical role in Milwaukee now. “In the 1970s Milwaukee was one of the best cities in America for quality of life for African Americans, but now it’s one of the worst,” Ingram said. With the increased influence of violence and other challenges facing central city youths, “the things we do (at the Neighborhood Children’s Sports League) are more important than ever,” he added.
Susan Allen, who lives in the Thurston Woods neighborhood, said the league has had a positive influence on her son. “They get all their aggression out on the field,” she said. “And I think it helps his schooling.”
Ramaro Hopkins, 9, known to everyone as Bam, said he loves spending time with his friends on the practice field and during games because “we learn something new every week.”
Players come from virtually every neighborhood in Milwaukee and each team in the league has three squads: Pee-Wees, age 6-8; Juniors, 9-11; and Majors, 12-14. High school teams throughout the city are dotted with players who first got their spikes dirty in the NCSL and former players are on the rosters of major college programs around the country, including at UW-Madison, UCLA, Arizona State and University of Michigan, according to Ingram.
Alumni regularly make it onto teams in the National Football League. Lance Kendricks, tight end for the St. Louis Rams, moved on from the NCSL to play for the Wisconsin Badgers before being drafted into the professional ranks.
Players come from throughout the city to compete on the field and learn about responsibility and leadership in the process, according to Earl Ingram, vice-chairman of NCSL. (Photo by Matthew Wisla)
While the NFL generates more revenue than any other sport, community football operations at the local level run on shoestring budgets. The league’s annual budget is about $75,000, according to Ingram. It is staffed entirely by volunteers, but a range of expenses contribute to overhead, including equipment, uniforms, insurance, referees for every game and fees paid to the Milwaukee County Park Service for weekly practice time at McGovern Park and games at Lincoln Park.
With growing concern about concussions among football players of all ages, the league invested in new helmets this year. At about $300 each it was a significant expense, but Ingram said the money was well spent and each helmet is expected to last 10 years.
The league has received grants from the Zilber Family Foundation and a Community Block Grant through the city, as well as contributions from individuals and businesses. But its primary source of revenue comes from a $100 fee paid by parents. Families can recoup this cost by selling 100 tickets to the annual raffle at $1 each.
“You don’t mind the money because the kids look forward to it,” Allen said.
Even so, the fee is out of reach for some budgets and Ingram said the league doesn’t turn away players. For example, coaches and league officials sometimes receive calls from extended family members raising young boys. The grandmother may have heard positive things about the league but money is tight. In those cases teams make every effort to pay the fee out of money raised through bake sales, car washes and other activities.
Coaches often become role models and participate in players’ lives and upbringing away from the football field. The mother of a player recently called Coach Evan Kern when her son got into trouble for disrupting his high school class. Kern and one of his assistant coaches met the mother at the school to pay a surprise visit.
“You can imagine how it got his attention to have his coaches show up,” Kern said, chuckling. “I know him and he’s not really bad, but I wanted him to understand that his behavior was absolutely unacceptable.”
Kern, 26, said he wants to pass along what football taught him about leadership and responsibility to his players. He played for the Neighborhood Children’s Sports League before playing cornerback at Texas Christian University, graduating in 2011. “Things I didn’t notice because they didn’t mean much to me at the time I look back on and realize that I learned them here,” he said.

author: Matthew Wisla


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 22, 2015


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How to get a flu shot | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wyatt Massey
September 23, 2015
(Photo courtesy of CDC)
The leaves may not have changed colors yet, but a new season is quickly approaching. October is the beginning of influenza season. You can protect yourself from the seasonal virus by getting vaccinated.
Below are some things to keep in mind when getting the vaccine.
Who should get a flu vaccine?
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends vaccines for every one older than six months. The flu virus changes every year, which is why the CDC recommends getting immunized before each flu season.
Who is most at risk of getting the flu?
Children under 5 years old, individuals older than 65, pregnant women and people staying in long-term care facilities or nursing homes are most at risk. Individuals with certain medical conditions, such as asthma, heart disease or a weakened immune system, are also at a higher risk of getting the flu.
When should you get the vaccine?
The CDC recommends getting the vaccine as soon as it is available, typically in October. The flu season can last until May. Full protection from the flu virus occurs two weeks after vaccination.
Where can you get the vaccine?
Flu shots are available at most local pharmacies, your primary care doctor’s office or Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, 400 W. River Woods Parkway (888-994-3286).
Homeless individuals can be vaccinated at Repairers of the Breach, 1335 W. Vliet St. (414-342-1065) or St. Ben’s Clinic, 1027 N. 9th St. (414-765-0606). In all cases, call ahead before going to get a shot.


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MPS student recognized at White House | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
September 23, 2015
Photo: Mills (left) with Officer Singleton and Erica Lofton, courtesy of Girls in Action on Twitter (@girlsinaction3)
R’Reona Mills, a student at Milwaukee Public Schools’ Lincoln Center of the Arts Middle School, was recognized Monday at the White House for her work with Girls In Action, Inc., a leadership and anti-violence organization led by a fellow Milwaukee teen.
Girls In Action CEO Erica Lofton honored Mills, described by the group as “one of our must trusted and dedicated members,” during the event honoring pairs of young people and law enforcement officials as “‘Champions of Change’ who are building bridges between youth and law enforcement, while improving public safety.” MPD Officer William Singleton was the Milwaukee law enforcement partner honored.
Vice President Joe Biden spoke at the event aimed at highlighting lessons learned “that can help to inform similar efforts around the country.”
Girls In Action has promoted anti-violence in part through encouraging youth and leaders to take a pledge: “I don’t commit violence, I speak out against it.” The group raised money to make bracelets that display the slogan and so far, more than 2,000 people have received the bracelet and taken the pledge, including Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, members of the Milwaukee Common Council, members of the Milwaukee Police Department, church leaders, MPS students and others. The group has also worked to serve the homeless and helped students explore career options.
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Mills’ mother, Shenika Moss, said she is incredibly proud of her daughter.
“She’s caring. She has a big heart and she wants to be the solution to changing her community,” Moss said. “She wants to show other women you can make it.”
The White House created “‘Champions of Change’ … as an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities.”


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Northwestern Mutual gives more than $1 Million in support of Milwaukee neighborhoods | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Northwestern Mutual Foundation
September 23, 2015
Milwaukee residents within the Amani, Metcalfe Park and Muskego Way neighborhoods are serving as catalysts to set priorities and bring development and change within their local communities. To show its commitment and support to these residents and the city, Northwestern Mutual, through its Foundation, is awarding more than $1 million to nonprofits serving these Milwaukee communities through the company’s neighborhoods grants program.
Since 2013, Northwestern Mutual has invested in the Amani, Metcalfe Park and Muskego Way neighborhoods where data demonstrated the most opportunity for improvement within Milwaukee. Financial and volunteer support has been given to nonprofit organizations advancing four outcomes in the neighborhoods: safe neighborhoods; healthy and thriving youth; strong families and quality education.
“What we invest in today will shape our communities tomorrow; by empowering residents to achieve what they want for their children, families and neighborhoods, we are seeing measurable improvements that contribute to a stronger city,” said John Kordsmeier, president, Northwestern Mutual Foundation. “These grants support some of Milwaukee’s most historic neighborhoods, ensuring safe, healthy and thriving communities for generations to come.”
As part of its neighborhood grants program, Northwestern Mutual collaborates with skilled partners to create both public and private partnerships in order to achieve collective impact resulting in systemic and sustainable change. The company uses funding, provides volunteers and convenes key stakeholders in order to have residents implement best practices in the community. Northwestern Mutual also is a part of the Community Development Alliance, which brings together other funders and organizations to attract additional resources to improve neighborhoods throughout the city.
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2015 Neighborhood Grant Recipients
Organization
ACTS Community Development Corporation
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee
COA Youth & Family Centers
Dominican Center for Women, Inc.
Feeding America of Eastern Wisconsin
Harry and Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center Inc.
Hunger Task Force
Journey House
Junior Achievement of Wisconsin
Kiva Microfunds
Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Milwaukee
Metcalfe Park Building Neighborhood Capacity Program
Milwaukee Christian Center, Inc.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Pathfinders
The Parenting Network
Rogers Memorial Hospital Foundation
Safe & Sound
Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers
Sojourner Family Peace Center
United Community Center
United Neighborhood Centers of Milwaukee
Community Collaborations (in partnership with Zilber Family Foundation and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation )
Community Connections Small Grants
Neighborhood Leadership Institute
Partners for Places
All grant recipients are required to show measurable impact and results of their programs.
In addition to its neighborhood grant program, Northwestern Mutual is committed to improving the lives of Milwaukee children and families in need through third grade reading proficiency efforts, its Childhood Cancer Program and making Milwaukee a great place to live and work.

author: Northwestern Mutual Foundation


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ACRE welcomes minority leaders for futures in real estate development, property management, and construction | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
LISC Milwaukee
September 24, 2015
The 2015-2016 Associates in Commercial Real Estate (ACRE) class was recently announced at the Historic Pritzlaff building in Milwaukee’s Third Ward. ACRE is a 26 week program designed to expand the representation of minorities in commercial real estate, property management and construction management in Milwaukee. Administered by Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) in partnership with the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), Marquette University College of Business, new this year, the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee School of Architecture & Urban Planning. ACRE offers an innovative format to provide skills and knowledge, as well as access to industry leaders and networks.
“Commercial real estate development is a relationship-driven industry, and hard to break into.  ACRE provides entre for students who are highly-motivated and committed leaders with abundant ideas and talents, and their own set of networks.  As a result, this program is reshaping both the industry and the future landscape of Milwaukee. ” said Sakuri Fears, ACRE program manager and a graduate of the program.
The 2015-2016 ACRE class includes 20 students of all ages who were accepted after a highly competitive process. One in three applicants were admitted to the program. Class members have varied professional experiences which include banking, architecture, economic development, low income housing, legal services, government, and private business. All were selected, in part, for their passion and vision for Milwaukee’s future.
“There is no better time than now to invest in the development of Milwaukee’s urban communities. The ACRE program will provide more minority representation in commercial real estate, especially in the rapidly growing neighborhoods on the north and near-south sides of the city. I look forward to being a part of this new class of commercial real estate professionals and seeing my own childhood neighborhood fulfill its goal of becoming a thriving and healthy community,” said ACRE student Tim Hoye.
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Classmate Rafael Garcia noted, “While many of us have will to see Milwaukee grow and become a much greater city, ACRE will help us actually acquire the tools necessary to make it happen.”
In 2014 the ACRE program expanded its curriculum to include property and construction management to reflect current market needs and trends. The program’s collaborative framework allows students to meet and learn from top industry leaders and participate in related professional networks. Students also complete a development project plan which is presented to a panel of industry experts at the end of the year. In addition, ACRE students will also participate in a year-long onsite case study of the proposed Welford Sanders Historic Lofts, located off Historic Martin Luther King Drive in the Northside Harambee neighborhood.
“The partnership between LISC, Marquette, MSOE, and UWM Community Design Solutions allows us to integrate real estate, construction and architectural design into successful neighborhood development solutions. This is exactly the kind of collaboration we need to meet the challenges facing Milwaukee,” said Laura Bray, Executive Director, LISC Milwaukee.
ACRE is also supported by major support from the Mandel Group and The Opus Group. Other industry leaders who support the program include: Continental Properties, Gorman Construction, GRAEF, Odgen and Company, WaterStone Bank, and the Wisconsin Preservation Fund. Professional associations CARW, NAIOP, and IREM are also contributors.
Students named to the 2015-2016 class are Jodee Benavides, Jackie Carter, Qaiyim El-Amin, Rafael Garcia, Natasha Gray, Meng Long Hao, Heidi Henley, Kate Hill, Raynetta Hill, Tim Hoye, Ariam Kesete, Omar Mallick, Samuel Martinez, Ashley Norris, Christopher Orr, Fausto Rivera, Alexander Walker, Mikal Wesley, Darnell Williams, and and Lavelle Young.

created: September 24, 2015

author: LISC Milwaukee