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LBWN unanimously appoints new executive leadership | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Layton Boulevard West Neighbors
January 26, 2017
Brianna Sas-Pérez leads a neighborhood bus tour in 2015. (Photo by Emmy A. Yates)
The Board of Directors of Layton Boulevard West Neighbors, Inc. (LBWN) and the School Sisters of Saint Francis have unanimously appointed Brianna Sas-Pérez as Executive Director of LBWN, an award-winning community development organization that has leveraged $45.4 million in neighborhood investment since 1995. Brianna Sas-Pérez has been serving as the Interim Executive Director position since early December 2016.
Brianna brings over ve years of experience working in Milwaukee community development and nonpro t management. Over the last four years she has cultivated LBWN’s relationships with a diverse set of partners including neighborhood residents, community organizations, the City of Milwaukee, and private and public investors.
Throughout this time, Brianna has developed new strategies to incorporate the neighborhood voice in LBWN’s ongoing efforts, leveraged over $2.5 million in neighborhood housing investment, and worked with public and private partners to plan and implement large-scale public space improvement projects such as streetscaping on Historic Layton Boulevard and Pierce Street, planned improvements to Burnham Park, and the installation of neighborhood signage throughout the Silver City, Burnham Park and Layton Park neighborhoods.
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Brianna takes over as permanent Executive Director at a time when LBWN is in one of its strongest positions in recent history. Since 1995 LBWN has contributed to the neighborhood revitalization of Silver City, Burnham Park and Layton Park by facilitating and supporting:
“As Executive Director, Brianna will build from LBWN’s strong position and guide us by leveraging her years of experience cultivating relationships with neighbors, partners and public officials,” said Marjorie Rucker, incoming-LBWN Board Chair and Executive Director of the Business Council. “Brianna’s leadership as Neighborhood Plan Director and vast network of community partnerships has prepared her for this new role.”
“I have been continually impressed by the investments that the residents and business owners are making in the Silver City, Burnham Park and Layton Park neighborhoods, and it is my sincere honor to lead the trusted organization that supports these thriving neighborhoods!” said Brianna. “I have learned so much from LBWN’s past Directors and I look forward to carrying those lessons with me into this next season for LBWN.”
Layton Boulevard West Neighbors (LBWN), founded in 1995 and sponsored by the School Sisters of Saint Francis, builds strong and healthy Milwaukee communities by stabilizing and revitalizing the Silver City, Burnham Park and Layton Park neighborhoods. LBWN was founded and sponsored by the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1995 and is a 501(c)3 non-pro t community development corporation.

author: Layton Boulevard West Neighbors


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 26, 2017

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: January 26, 2017

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

author: Adam Carr


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Milwaukee Public Schools hosts Enrollment Fair to help families select schools and enroll for Fall 2017 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
January 26, 2017
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) will host the annual MPS All-School Enrollment Fair on Saturday, Jan. 28 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Milwaukee High School of the Arts (MHSA) located at 2300 W. Highland Blvd. in Milwaukee.
Parents, students and families can learn about programs in MPS schools, select their top three school choices, and fill out enrollment applications on site. Interpreters will be present and childcare will be available.
Every school in the MPS district will have representatives on hand to speak with families and help find the best school fit for each child. Families can also learn about transportation, extracurricular activities, athletics, music, arts, special education and more.
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Three-Choice Enrollment for Milwaukee Public Schools will run from Jan. 30 to Feb. 28. During this period, families should enroll their children for Fall 2017 and indicate their top three school choices on their enrollment application.
For more information, call 414-475-8448 or visit mpsmke.com/enrollMPS.

author: Milwaukee Public Schools


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Riverside drumline comes out on top at Chicago competition | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
January 26, 2017
(Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Public Schools)
Riverside University High School is celebrating after its drumline brought home the first-place trophy from the Dr. Martin Luther King Dream Classic Drumline Competition. The annual event, scheduled to honor the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was held at John Marshall Metropolitan High School in Chicago.
Riverside’s drumline competes in three to four contests each year in addition to other appearances. The group has attended the MLK Dream Classic competition repeatedly over the past ten years, earning second place twice and taking first place a total of four times. The Riverside Tigers drumline also took first place at the Fresh Coast Classic Mega Drumline Competition in Milwaukee in November, 2016.
Director Michael Van Pelt revealed the hard work that goes into preparing for competition. “The students have to work together, tightly, responding to each other and the music and the movement. The Riverside drumline has had a successful season, and won two of its three main events.”
Drumlines are one of many efforts across MPS to expand arts programs in all forms, including a variety of choirs, marching bands, jazz bands, orchestra, and specialty music groups, plus a range of visual arts.
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To see the drumline in action, watch its first-place performance. NOTE: for optimal listening, turn the sound very low.


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The preservation of storytelling in a digitally divided world | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Raina J. Johnson
January 26, 2017
An Ex Fabula storyteller performs at the Turner Hall Ballroom. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Raina J. Johnson is a freelance writer in Milwaukee. She calls attention to the importance of preserving traditional storytelling and listening opportunities, especially in the politically divided, digitally connected world we live in.
Digital invitations, smart-phones and mobile applications changed the way we communicate with one other. But in the digital frame of the 21 century, a lot falls through the cracks of the World Wide Web, even when we have access in the palm of our hands. Particularly in this politically divided, digitally driven world, I’m learning that hope and optimism can be restored through opportunities to hear others’ stories.
I currently serve as a board member of Ex Fabula. Ex Fabula is Latin for “from stories.” Our mission is simple; we are committed to strengthening community bonds through the art of storytelling.
In a nutshell, we’re here to fill in the cracks from the web and build greater, lasting connections through opportunities for individuals to tell personal, true stories to an audience. Ex Fabula held its first slam with an audience of 65 people. Since 2009, over 18,000 people have experienced an Ex Fabula event in person, and almost 850 stories have been shared on stage.
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Now in our eighth season, we’ve already had 31 first-time tellers on our stages.
At our monthly StorySlams, tellers are given five minutes to share a personal, true story related to the theme of the evening. Five minutes is more than enough time for an audience member to learn more about you, your beliefs and background — which is a great way to connect.
I remember attending my first StorySlam. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was on the edge of my seat the entire time — captivated by others’ willingness to share, their vulnerabilities — sharing funny and sad stories alike. Listening to other people with whom I probably would not have interacted has given me more insight — but, more importantly restored my hope and optimism for our city and for our country. Ex Fabula is what the world needs right now.
People want to be heard, and listened to. Ex Fabula is the perfect opportunity for that.
Our next StorySlam is our New Year Spectacular: “Our Little Secret,” Saturday, Jan. 28, at The Pitman Theatre at Alverno College, 3431 S. 39 St. in MIlwaukee. Doors open at 2 p.m., stories begin at 3 p.m. Tickets are just $12; no fees!
The Spectacular StorySlam is a special, non-competitive program of true and personal stories on the theme of “Our Little Secret.” It will feature community members who were selected by a jury of storytelling coaches and volunteers. Unlike our monthly events, where stories are limited to five minutes, these stories will be longer. Audience members can participate as well. We’ll be collecting the stories you wish to share in the form of UltraShorts, which are brief, true personal stories written on slips of paper, and then read onstage by our emcee.
Ex Fabula’s StorySlam is a great way to restore hope and optimism, unplug from the digital world and truly connect with others. We hope to see you Saturday.

author: Raina J. Johnson


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UWM Muslim Student Association brings Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to speak March 2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
January 26, 2017
(Photo courtesy of UW-Milwaukee)
Basketball legend turned author and political activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will give a speech and take questions March 2 at the Milwaukee Theatre as the guest of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Distinguished Lecture Series and the Muslim Student Association.
Doors open for the event at 6 p.m., and Abdul-Jabbar will begin speaking at 7 p.m. He will have a book signing after his talk. Copies of his books will be available for purchase. Abdul-Jabbar will sign only his books, not memorabilia.
Abdul-Jabbar began his professional basketball career with the Milwaukee Bucks, when the second-year franchise picked him as the first overall choice in the 1969 NBA draft. Abdul-Jabbar made an immediate impact, leading the league in scoring his rookie year. The next season, he led the Bucks to their only championship.
Abdul-Jabbar became one of the NBA’s most dominant players. His list of accomplishments is long: six-time most valuable player, 19-time all-star, six-time NBA champion, career points leader and many more. He retired in 1989 after a 20-year career and was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.
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In retirement, Abdul-Jabbar has built a career as a bestselling author, activist and cultural commentator. He wrote his first book, the autobiography “Giant Steps,” while still in the NBA. Since then, he has published works about the Harlem Renaissance, a history of African-American intellectual accomplishment, a black tank battalion in World War II, a mystery novel and other subjects.
His most recent book, “Writings on the Wall: Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White,” talks about the country’s partisan divide, bringing to bear his experience as an athlete, African American and Muslim.
He’s a regularly contributing columnist for the Washington Post and Time magazine. His review of two books about Muslim identity was recently published in the New York Times.
In November, President Barack Obama awarded Abdul-Jabbar the nation’s highest honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, citing his basketball career and his work as an “outspoken advocate for social justice.”
The Milwaukee event is organized by the UWM Muslim Student Association. Supporters include several groups at UWM – Student Involvement, Sociocultural Programming, Division of Student Affairs, Division of Global Inclusion and Engagement, Campus Activities Board, Athletics, University Recreation and the College of Letters and Sciences’ Cultures & Communities Program – as well as the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition and the Baye Foundation.
The event is free to UWM students. Tickets for others are $10 in advance for faculty, staff and and alumni, and $15 for the general public. At the door, the cost is $5 more.
Tickets go on sale Feb. 15 and can be obtained at the information center in the UWM Student Union or by calling 414-229-4825. In addition, members of the general public can purchase tickets online at dls.uwm.edu.
A limited number of seats are available for members of the media. To reserve a seat or request an interview, contact Michelle Johnson, UWM director of Media Services, at media-services@uwm.edu.

author: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee


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Social cohesion in Amani contributes to decreased crime | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
January 27, 2017
Volunteers serve a free meal during a community event at Moody Park in June. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
In October 2016, James Brown, 82, a minister and 40-year resident of Amani waited for more than 12 hours to testify against All Star Foods, a corner store less than a block from his home, at a Common Council license hearing. The store, located at 27th and Burleigh streets, allegedly sold tobacco and alcohol to minors, maintained unsanitary conditions and looked the other way when a young girl was trafficked out of the building’s basement.
According to Brown, 12 individuals from the neighborhood showed up at the 9 a.m. hearing to speak against the store’s license renewal; by the time he testified, at about 10 p.m., there was only one other resident left. Ultimately, the license was revoked and the store was closed.
The store was a nuisance, according to Brown, who lives on the 3100 block of N. 26th Street. He said it was important for him to speak out against an establishment that was a negative influence. “I’ve been here 48 years, and I don’t plan on moving,” he said. “Our neighborhood could be just like the neighborhoods in Brown Deer. But, see, people bring down neighborhoods — neighborhoods don’t run themselves down.”
The opposite can be true, as well, according to Amani residents, neighborhood agencies and law enforcement officials, who have pointed to effective resident engagement and empowerment as the reason for the declining number of reported crimes in the area. Since 2005, reported Class A offenses — which include assaults, breaking and entering, vehicle thefts and homicides — in the four census tracts that make up Amani have dropped by more than 32 percent, compared to a decrease of almost 23 percent citywide over that same period.
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All Star Foods, at the intersection of 27th and Burleigh streets, has been closed since October. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
“We’ve been able to create an interest that allows for people to want to know how they can help,” said Dennis Walton, the former Building Neighborhood Capacity Program (BNCP) site captain in Amani and a longtime resident. “I think [it’s] really important that a community has to be inspired to help itself, as well as bring outside resources in to be a part of that change.”
Since 2012, crime in Amani has decreased at an even greater rate compared to the rest of the city. Between January 2012 and December 2016, reports of criminal damage to property, theft, robbery and burglary all decreased more than 30 percent. Assaults and arsons have also decreased significantly.
COA Youth & Family Centers Executive Director Tom Schneider, whose Goldin Center is in Amani, attributed some of those gains to the ability of residents to help build neighborhood assets. He mentioned the new Moody Park, a family clinic — the result of a COA partnership with Children’s Hospital — and an early childhood education center as examples of residents’ ability to advocate for resources that have helped improve their quality of life.
“This type of resident participation isn’t being seen anywhere else — not in the city and not in the suburbs,” said Schneider. “The residents are there all the time, and they speak up. And, they speak up because they know it’s worth their effort to speak up, because they’ve seen the results of their effort.”
Milwaukee Police Department Sgt. Timothy Gauerke said the data suggest that the community and police are effectively working together. According to Gauerke, confidence in the police and a growing sense of social cohesion can lead residents to intervene in many situations before a crime happens.
“When the police and the community aren’t working together, crime often is higher. When crime’s higher, you feel less comfortable in your neighborhood, you lock yourself in your house and you don’t take back your public spaces,” he said.
Part of this change, according to Barbara Smith, president of Amani United, a neighborhood association created as a result of the BNCP grant, is the trust that residents and police have been able to build because of listening sessions organized by the Zeidler Center for Public Discussion.
“It gave us an opportunity to understand, a little bit better, the side of the police, and then for the police also to understand the side of the residents and the youth,” said Smith.
Collaboration has been key across the board, from the ability of organizations such as COA and the Dominican Center for Women to secure grant funding for neighborhood initiatives to working with police to close All Star Foods. Walton, who has served as a liaison between community members and neighborhood agencies, said continuing to build relationships is essential to Amani’s ongoing success. He added that he believes those working in the neighborhood need to continue to ask, “What is the personality of a healthy community?”
Amani — which is in the 53206 ZIP code, an area where more than 47 percent of residents live in poverty and household incomes are startlingly low — still has its share of challenges, but those working to improve the neighborhood say those efforts need to continue to center around residents.
Walton and Smith said investments in affordable housing and jobs would help community members. And, Brown encouraged fellow residents to get more involved in shaping city policy to ensure those investments are made.
“The residents are the power, they are the resource,” Walton said. “They have the skills; they have the knowledge; they have the ability. And, the elected leadership has to be in alignment with that wealth that lies within communities.”

created: January 27, 2017

author: Jabril Faraj


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Galbraith Carnahan Architects to design new multi-purpose greenhouse for Hope Street Ministry | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Hope Street Ministry
January 30, 2017
(Image courtesy of Galbraith Carnahan Architects)
Galbraith Carnahan Architects (GCA) announces design plans for Shechem, Hope Street Ministry’s newest facility that will offer a unique place for healing and community in one of the most broken and segregated areas of Milwaukee. The more than 21,000-square-foot facility will be located at 2510 West Capitol Drive and will serve men, women and children from the inner city to the suburbs. Services will be provided through programs including: Integrative Wellness, Addiction, Forgiveness, Education, Family Dynamics, Life Skills and Job Preparedness, and Healing from Trauma.
The facility will complement Hope Street’s existing three-story, 24-unit building located at 2522 West Capitol Drive, which has helped them to provide housing and shelter to the community. The new greenhouse’s name derives from to the Canaanite city of Shechem, which was a place of refuge for various tribes and travelers centuries ago.
“The earliest greenhouses were built to cultivate exotic fruits and vegetables in harsh climate conditions. This greenhouse will do the same thing for the people of Milwaukee. It is a place for people who have been profoundly affected by the toxic environment they grew up in, their own poor choices, and drug or alcohol abuse,” said Ashley Thomas, executive director of Hope Street. “We believe this is the next step in our mission. We are charged to be an increasingly healthy part of our community.”
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The three-story building is a site-specific project that will grow out of an urban infill lot adjacent to Hope Street’s existing space. Construction for the $5 million space is scheduled to begin in February 2018.
The large masonry walls of the building, which sit perpendicular to Capitol Drive are arranged in such a way as to allow views deep into the first floor café and aquaponics area. A physical greenhouse will be located on the second and third floors. The greenhouse will be central to the Life Skills and Job Preparedness programs, as participants will gain hard skills in order to pursue jobs at nurseries and greenhouses and in crop protection.
The space will feature a high ceiling and glass windows that are standard to greenhouses in order to allow for plant growth and protection. There will be a slopped, glass ceiling and an arrangement of windows that overlook the street side of the building. GCA is implementing this continuous use of glass in the project in order to make the space clean, transparent and welcoming. At night, the glass will allow the building to literally glow; like a beacon to the community.
“When Beyer Construction asked us to design a building that would directly impact residents of Milwaukee, we jumped at the opportunity,” said Nick Carnahan, partner at GCA. “Shechem exists to help equip and grow people for a new life. The building seeks to reinforce that through it’s unique, imaginative design in order to convey messages of possibility and discovery.  It’s really an honor to be involved in such an impactful project.”
There are a multitude of additional spaces in Shechem. The largest space is an athletic court complete with a digital scoreboard and enclosed viewing area, which will meet many needs of the Integrative Wellness Program. On the first floor there will be a dedicated space for Tablemaker, a for-profit social enterprise table and furniture company owned by Hope Street. Tablemaker will train and employ local residents to create beautiful, hand crafted heirloom-quality, custom pieces. Addiction and Education programs, GED tutoring, parenting courses, and sexual abuse counseling will be offered in the remaining spaces which are comprised of meeting rooms and classrooms.
Fundraising efforts are underway and the project is expected to be completed in December 2018.
Project Team
Hope Street Ministry
Hope Street Ministry provides housing and shelter to individuals. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Milwaukee, the organization’s mission is to provide a safe place to live and a nurturing community where men, women and children in order to flourish. Hope Street operates seven programs: Integrative Wellness, Addiction, Forgiveness, Education, Family Dynamics, Life Skills and Job Preparedness, and Healing from Trauma. www.hopestreetministry.com
Galbraith Carnahan Architects
Headquartered in Wauwatosa, WI, Galbraith Carnahan Architects (GCA) is a growing architectural firm in the Greater Milwaukee Area. Led by Joe Galbraith and Nick Carnahan, the firm values integrity, sustainability, and unique designs that are tailored to each client and site. Drawing cues from the client, the environment, and materials, GCA crafts timeless, practical buildings. www.galbraithcarnahan.com
Beyer Construction
Beyer Construction is a full service construction firm focused on unique building projects that have high aesthetic and technical requirements. The company has renovated existing buildings and built new buildings in Milwaukee since 1951. www.beyer.com

created: January 30, 2017

author: Hope Street Ministry


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unnamed-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 30, 2017


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unnamed | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 30, 2017


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 30, 2017


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Graced by ‘Disgraced’—A play about identity | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rick Deines
January 30, 2017
(Photo by Fernando Reyero Noya)
Rick Deines, a conversation facilitator with The Zeidler Center for Public Discussion, recommends the Milwaukee Rep play “Disgraced,” as a tool to discuss how identity affects how we behave.
Milwaukee is graced by “Disgraced.” The Milwaukee Repertory Theater is presenting this play until Feb. 12 with matinee and evening performances.
“Disgraced” is a near-perfect tool for discussing how our identity, sometimes forced on us and sometimes chosen by us, defines how we behave. Book study groups, churches, teachers and teams of business people will benefit by attending the play and discussing it afterwards.
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The Rep teams with the Zeidler Center for Public Discussion to offer listening circles that follow the play. The first several evenings showed how important it is for Milwaukee to have an opportunity like this to discuss their own identity history and challenges as we continue to experience unfortunate tensions in our community.
The list of tensions in our country, including Milwaukee, is a lengthy one. Conflicts around race, gender, vocation, neighborhood, religion and faith, income levels, educational and health opportunities rage on.
Enter ‘Disgraced.’
The action takes place in the home of Emily, an artist, and her husband Amir. It appears at first that they are living the good life. However, both of them have a fixation on their careers. She is to become a well-known and respected artist, he a man who distances himself from his Muslim upbringing to forge a successful career in the legal profession. That’s on the surface.
But like Edward Albee’s great play, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” Milwaukee playwright Ayad Akhtar rips from those headlines some things that are more real and important. Three other characters connected with Emily and Amir enter with their own understandings and agendas. This heightens the drama and shapes the story. It’s about who they are and how they have been shaped by their history and perspective of others.
How we view our identity (who am I?) is integral to moving forward. Akhtar says: “We celebrate renewal; we do not mourn the rupture. Disgraced is about the gap which is created by not mourning the rupture.”
The value of this play for Milwaukee lies in its confrontation with the pain, sometimes open and sometimes hidden, just waiting to break out that exists among us because of our inability to deal creatively with our differences.
After many of Milwaukee’s ruptures, violence resulting in destruction and death of the innocents is soon forgotten. We remember the violence, but easily forget both the context and the growing history. While calling for healing, we sometimes fail to go deeper into the rupture itself and its causes. We assign personal blame that can entirely destroy the chance for healing.
The recent establishment of a city committee on opioids and the state granting money to deal with the opioid crisis is an example. The rupture is recognized but the emphasis becomes the “renewal,” ie., “We’re doing something about this problem.” Too often that renewal is short-lived and fails to see what caused the rupture in the first place. Money runs out and so does interest.
How many times after outbursts of violence do we hear that this happens because this or that doesn’t exist — jobs, education, etc. We seek to heal the rupture overnight when it is more likely that the failure is rooted in our identities and the stereotyped images that drive how we structure neighborhoods, schools, etc. Shifting images is a more complex task.
As a facilitator in a small group the first two nights of the play, I asked the question, “Where have you experienced your identity being a factor, positive or negative, in your life?”
Almost to a person the responses show how each person bears a mistaken identity. We are boxed in by the perceptions of others that obscure the real person. For instance one response was: “We are an older couple in Whitefish Bay, therefore we must be intolerant of others. “ A second response was: “I am a young black woman who …is ‘naturally’ going to be late to work and disrespectful of my co-workers.” And a third, from U.S. citizen with parents from Pakistan: “You must be Muslim, right, and have some knowledge of the terrorists?”
In Milwaukee “South Side,” “North Side” and “East Side” still bear stereotypical images. The heart of the city still tries to shake the negativity of being the core. There are certain neighborhoods where you will or won’t be safe. The people who hang out in front of the library are simply “homeless.” Code words abound that form a protective wall from reality.
“Disgraced” is yet another opportunity to check ourselves and the ways we feel boxed in and/or live mistakenly based on the stereotypes we have of others. It is a moment of grace (reality breaking through) in the form of “Disgraced.”
Community groups and events in addition to those offered by the Zeidler Center are using the play for discussion about Milwaukee’s divisions. These can be found on the Rep website.

author: Rick Deines


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 27, 2017


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Reagan High School students gear up for Galapagos Islands adventure | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dean Bibens
January 30, 2017
Reagan High School teacher Molly Schuld hopes her students’ trip to the Galapagos Islands will inspire them to travel more and get out of their comfort zone. (Photo by Dean Bibens)
At the beginning of the school year, Molly Schuld, a science teacher at Reagan College Preparatory High School, dreamed of taking students on a trip to the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador. Now it appears that her dream will come true.
“I care about three things: my students, science and traveling,” Schuld said. “I never really thought before about how I could put those three things together. But when this idea came across to me via a flier in my mailbox, I just thought to myself, ‘How could I say no to this?’”
Schuld received approval from Milwaukee Public Schools for the trip, and students have raised more than $22,000, including nearly $3,000 through GoFundMe. In addition, participating students have been making monthly payments toward the trip, using money from work, savings and donations from their families.
“We are all so incredibly appreciative of the support we have received from everyone in the community,” Schuld said. “This trip is going to broaden the cultural knowledge of these students and I couldn’t be more thrilled with the amount of effort they have put into making this happen.”
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Kirstin Hackbarth, a junior at Reagan High School, works to come up with a question that can only be answered by traveling to the Galapagos Islands. (Photo by Dean Bibens)
All Reagan students except graduating seniors were eligible to take part in the trip, which is expected to take place soon after the school year ends. Thirty-five students will be participating and there is a waiting list.
“I think this is a great opportunity for the students to make an impact outside of the classroom and engage with other cultures,” said Mike Roemer, principal of Reagan High School.
“I wanted to take the students to a Spanish-speaking country,” Schuld said. “I’m also very passionate about environmental science, and with the talk that the Galapagos may not be a tourist destination in the future due to environmental threats, I knew I had to capitalize on the opportunity.”
The Galapagos Islands, which are a province of Ecuador, face threats from climate change, pollution, invasive species and other factors. They boast a wide variety of plant and animal species, many of which can be found nowhere else.
The per-student cost of the nine-day trip is $3,750. In September, students set fundraising goals with their parents ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars. They have sought donations from family and friends, and some have gotten jobs to help pay for the trip.
About $61,420 of the total $131,250 cost still needs to be contributed or raised. Schuld says that she is confident the trip will take place.
Kirstin Hackbarth, a junior, said that her experience volunteering at the Milwaukee County Zoo influenced her interest in the trip. “A couple of zoo keepers that I worked with went on the exact same trip about a year ago so when this opportunity came up I just said, ‘Oh my God’.”
Adam Jaraba, a sophomore, said he is incredibly thankful for his family’s support. “We have a lot of family helping us fund raise,” he said. “My mom and cousins have all gone out selling chocolates, which has been a huge help to me.”
Jaraba, Hackbarth and other students said they are passionate about engaging with a different culture. “To see a new culture will provide us insight to a different lifestyle and we are all excited to live that for nine days,” Jaraba said.
Five teachers signed on to chaperone the trip. Said Misa Sato, International Baccalaureate coordinator at Reagan, “I love travelling and I love these kids; I think this trip will open up a lot of doors for them.”

author: Dean Bibens


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 29, 2017

created: January 29, 2017


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4th annual “Phobruary” in Silver City | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Layton Boulevard West Neighbors
January 31, 2017
(Photo by Marcela Garcia
Beat cabin fever this February in Silver City with the fourth annual “Phobruary.”  This year, Silver City participating restaurants include Bamboo Restaurant, Thai Bar-B-Que, Thai Lotus and Vientiane Noodle Shop (all supplied by the Asian International Market).  Each restaurant will offer Pho at a special price of $5 per bowl; Monday through Friday, dine-in only.
The Silver City District, nestled between Miller Park and the Mitchell Park Domes on National Avenue, features four authentic international restaurants participating in Phobruary every Monday through Friday in February:
After trying the various Pho options, individuals may vote for their preferred restaurant on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LaytonBoulevardWestNeighbors/. The winner will be recognized at the end of Phobruary.
So, what is Pho? It’s a soup native to Vietnam, common in Laos and Thailand, which delivers a complex combination of flavors that dance on the tongue’s taste buds. It combines noodles with a choice of thinly-sliced beef, chicken, vegetables or shrimp, and also offers a multitude of garnishes and fresh herbs to tailor the soup to individual preferences. These typically include Thai Basil, sprouts, cilantro, limes, jalapeño, sauces, peppers, and other items. This delicious combination of flavors will satisfy your hunger by the time you get to the bottom of the bowl.
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Looking for ways to take your love for Pho (pronounced “fuh”) up a notch?
“Phon” (fun) in Silver City Challenge:
“What the Pho!” Challenge:
For details on the Pho Challenges and other Phobruary details visit http://www.lbwn.org/restaurants.
The Silver City Business District, located just minutes from the Menomonee Valley, I-94, and downtown Milwaukee, offers amenities such as the Hank Aaron State Trail, the Urban Ecology Center, Three Bridges Park, Miller Park, and the Mitchell Park Domes. Silver City is one of Milwaukee’s most diverse and vibrant neighborhoods, blending historic architecture with exciting retail and ethnic dining opportunities. With its rich collection of international restaurants, one can travel the world without leaving the neighborhood. For more information visit www.lbwn.org/silvercity.
Layton Boulevard West Neighbors stabilizes and revitalizes the Silver City, Burnham Park and Layton Park neighborhoods of Milwaukee through a variety of strategies including promoting small business development, job creation, and strengthening commercial corridors. For more information, visit www.lbwn.org.

created: January 31, 2017


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
January 31, 2017


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Black-owned construction company JCP tapped to lead Bader headquarters project | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
January 31, 2017
Rendering of Bader Philanthropies International Headquarters. (Photo courtesy of Uihlein Wilson Architects, Inc.)
JCP Construction President James Phelps, who co-founded the company with his brothers Clifton and Jalin Phelps in 2008, remembers admiring the neoclassical building at the corner of North King Drive and West Concordia Avenue in Harambee when they would stroll by as children.
Now, the brothers will help transform the building, located at 3318 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, into the new global headquarters for Bader Philanthropies Inc., the Milwaukee-based organization that has committed more than $265 million in funding to initiatives that improve the quality of life in Milwaukee and other areas since its founding in 1992. JCP Construction has been chosen as general contractor for the $9.5 million construction project.
“It’s so rewarding to have seen this building since I was a kid and now have the opportunity to turn it into Bader headquarters, which will help them fulfill their mission of making Harambee and other local neighborhoods greater,” Phelps said.
James Phelps, president of JCP Construction. (Photo courtesy of Bader Philanthropies)
It’s the biggest project to date for JCP, which subcontracted on several high-profile projects including the new Milwaukee Bucks arena, the Commons and Northwestern Mutual Tower. For Phelps, JCP’s selection to lead the project is evidence of the capacity within the minority community and workforce. “Those are just excuses being given as far as those who say that there aren’t enough capable minority-owned companies to take on large projects,” Phelps added.
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JCP has also set an internal goal of beating standard minority participation rates on the project.
Thelma Sias, former We Energies vice president, said she’s seen firsthand that when people are given the opportunity, great things happen. “As other parts of Milwaukee are looking, seeking and wanting growth and development, the same is true for our community — and we have the talent to deliver that right here in the central city,” Sias said.
In August 2016 Bader announced that it would be relocating its new headquarters to Harambee and doubled down by also announcing that it would work with as many minority-owned businesses as possible and hire minority skilled and unskilled workers to build the new headquarters.
“We made a decision as a foundation within the context of living our mission that we will choose a minority company in just about every aspect of this project,” said Frank Cumberbatch, project manager at Bader Philanthropies. Daniel J. Bader, president and CEO of Bader Philanthropies, said JCP was chosen as general contractor because of its experience in producing quality work and because it continues his organization’s decades-long mission of improving the quality of life in the city.
“We hope this experience helps JCP take its business to the next level and positions it for more competitive projects in the future, Bader added.
The new headquarters, located on an acre of land, will feature ample parking for visitors, conference rooms on the first floor and office space for Bader employees on the second. Construction should be complete by summer 2018, according to Cumberbatch.
More importantly though, the new headquarters will be located in a community in which many Bader grantees live and work, he added.
“The longer-term goal is that we hope others will share our confidence in the community and either look at opportunities in those neighborhoods or continue to develop the companies and workforce and in the city,” Cumberbatch said.

author: Edgar Mendez


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Youth from Boys & Girls Clubs produce ‘Day 2 Day’ art exhibition | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sue Vliet
January 31, 2017
Participants in the Don & Sallie Davis and Fitzsimonds Boys & Girls Clubs exhibited their art work Saturday in an art installation called “Day 2 Day,” a journey through the life experiences of Milwaukee youth.
Instructors Vedale Hill and James Gavins guided the young people in producing the installation, which included paintings, video and audio. Students explored topics such as the educational system, food desserts, cyber-bullying and safety.
The exhibition took place at Jazale’s Art Studio, 2201 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive.
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author: Sue Vliet


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Donors urgently needed to increase Red Cross blood supply | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
American Red Cross
February 1, 2017
The American Red Cross urgently needs blood donors to make an appointment to give this winter so that patients can continue to receive lifesaving treatments.
Michael Harper knows how critical it is to have a readily available blood supply. “I used over 300 units of blood when I was younger after an auto accident. Blood donations helped save my life,” he said. “Now, I would like to donate as much or more than I have received.”
Blood donations are urgently needed now and throughout the winter to maintain a sufficient blood supply for patients in need. To make an appointment to give blood, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). All those who come to donate from Jan. 30 to Feb. 26, 2017, are eligible to receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email for making blood and platelet donation a priority this winter.
Upcoming blood donation opportunities:
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Milwaukee
2/22/2017: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., UWM Student Union, 2200 Kenwood Blvd
2/25/2017: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Wisconsin Center, 400 W. Wisconsin Avenue
2/27/2017: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Alumni Memorial Union, 1442 W Wisconsin Ave
2/28/2017: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Milwaukee Academy of Science, 2000 W Kilbourn
3/2/2017: 2 p.m. – 6 p.m., Loving Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3909 W Clinton Ave
3/3/2017: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Wisconsin Center, 400 W. Wisconsin Avenue

created: February 1, 2017

author: American Red Cross


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New UCC residential facility empowers women on journey out of addiction | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Naomi Waxman
February 1, 2017
The Latinas Unidas II AODA Residential Treatment Facility is the second community-based residential facility opened by the United Community Center in the Walker’s Point neighborhood. (Photo by Naomi Waxman)
After more than four months in jail on drug-related charges, Laura Haas awoke one morning and realized she didn’t know what she was doing there.
“My light went on,” said Haas, a 60-year-old Milwaukee native. “I had a life before [heroin]… regardless of what I had to do [to get clean], I decided to do it.”
Opiate painkillers had become a crutch for Haas after a knee injury, but when her prescriptions ran out, she turned to heroin to keep withdrawals at bay.
Now a peer specialist working with the United Community Center’s (UCC) new Latinas Unidas II AODA (Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse) Residential Treatment Facility, Haas has chosen to dedicate her life to helping women like her on their journeys out of addiction.
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Mayor Tom Barrett, County Executive Chris Abele, Ricardo Diaz, UCC executive director and Marisol Cervera, UCC director of human services for substance abuse treatment programs, joined a small crowd of supporters and service providers at a recent grand opening of the facility. All noted the dangers of opiates, especially to young people, and praised UCC’s efforts to care for clients and their families.
UCC Director of Human Services Marisol Cervera flashes a smile at peer specialist and former client Laura Haas as they cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the new residential treatment facility. Fleck Foundation President Andy Fleckenstein looks on. (Photo by Naomi Waxman)
“At the local level… it’s about what works,” said Barrett. “In Milwaukee, there’s no question that what works is the UCC. If I could bottle it and reproduce it…we’d be much better off.”
The new facility will house 15 women, with two family suites set aside for clients who are pregnant or have infant children. Cervera stressed that while the new facility has many services for the Latino community, it will serve people of all races and ethnicities.
Services for pregnant and parenting clients are coordinated through UCC’s Madres Sanos, Ninos Sanos (Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies) Program. Clients are not required to be drug-free upon entry but, according to Cervera, most go through approximately two weeks of detox and stabilization.
“This house will be a home, an inviting, warm, safe environment where these women will reside while they pursue their journey in recovery,” Cervera said.
Clinical Director Gena Sousa noted the taboo often associated with addiction and pregnancy. These women, she said, are often afraid to seek treatment because they fear judgment and rejection from service providers.
“[At UCC] we turn that situation into an opportunity…we can really help her to turn things around for her and her baby,” Sousa added.
Developing routines, Cervera added, plays a significant role in recovery. UCC provides clinical services at the UCC Human Services Department, located nearby at 1111 S. 6th St., rather than at the residential facility. This separation, clinicians said, helps provide structure for clients.
“Routine [means] that you don’t have a lot of time to think about the past,” Haas said. “You have to move forward.”
Haas hopes to spread the message among neighbors and the community at large that substance abuse and mental illness are not moral deficiencies.
“We are mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, just like them,” she said. “We need to all work together to decrease what’s going on.”
According to the Milwaukee County medical examiner, deaths from heroin overdose increased from 34 in 2010 to 116 in 2014 — more deaths than homicides and auto fatalities combined. In addition, The National Institute on Drug Abuse found a strong association between prescription painkillers and heroin use, the very circumstance that led to Haas’ addiction and subsequent incarceration.
Haas credits both UCC and the Milwaukee Drug Treatment Court with helping her survive and thrive on her road to sobriety. “It was here,” she said, her voice breaking with emotion and eyes welling up with tears, “that I learned the meaning of hope.”

author: Naomi Waxman


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Aldermen announce effort to help struggling neighborhoods | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 2, 2017
jsonline.com

created: February 2, 2017

author: Andrea Waxman


text:
Clarke Square Apartments Advance | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 2, 2017
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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Crime prevention awards recognize outstanding efforts to improve safety | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
LISC Milwaukee and Safe & Sound
February 2, 2017
Wednesday February 1st, the 68 Annual Crime Prevention Awards were held at the Wisconsin Club to recognize private residents and law enforcement professionals who, through their special contributions to crime prevention, have made the greater Milwaukee area a better place to live and work.
The event was organized by LISC Milwaukee and Safe & Sound, two nonprofit organizations dedicated to safe and thriving neighborhoods in the Milwaukee area, in partnership with law enforcement agencies. Representing LISC Milwaukee, Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton, and Katie Sanders, Executive Director for Safe & Sound emceed the event, with additional presentations by Mayor Tom Barrett, and a blessing by Sister Patricia Rogers of the Dominican Center.
In opening remarks, Common Council President Hamilton said, “We want to shine a light on those who take the lead on public safety, whether as a profession or as a citizen or both.  We want to ensure the great efforts won’t go overlooked and underappreciated.”
Award sponsors, AAA Wisconsin, Nick Jarmusz, and the Salvation Army, Major Tim Meyer, also presented awards. There were 300 guests which included many elected officials and high ranking law enforcement professionals and nonprofit leaders.
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Safe & Sound, Executive Director, Katie Sanders said, “The Crime Prevention Awards is one of my favorite events because it recognizes incredible people doing important work, often with no fanfare. Today was no exception; the recipients honored this afternoon are models of true commitment to the community and should inspire all of us to do more in service of others.”
The following awards and honorees were recognized at the luncheon:
AAA Wisconsin was presented to Cynthia Campbell. Campbell changed her tragedy into triumph after she lost her oldest son Christopher in a fatal car crash in 2006. She is the founder of Love from Afar, the Christopher Allen Williams Foundation and the Parents Against Distracted Driving.
awards were presented to District 6 Police Officers Carlos Felix and Joshua Dummann. These officers were recognized for their ability to build relationships and partnerships within the community through special events and programs including National Night Out, Mexican Independence Day, Milwaukee Public Schools, Project Pay Back nuisance abatement, and cleanup projects.
was awarded to Protect Our Property, a group of residents who turned a burglary into an opportunity to organize neighbors and improve their neighborhood through a variety of projects resulting in increased safety.
was awarded to CaptainBoris Turcinovic. The Captain
set up weekly listening circles at Sherman Park for youth and residents. After hearing teens needed more activities, Captain Turcinovic secured soccer goals and along with other officers, he painted a field and organized a “Sports Week” with local organizations, and he continues to devote long hours due to his passion for the community.
was awarded to Shannon Sims. Sims is reporter for WTMJ-4 has led many efforts aimed at deescalating auto theft and robberies young people, as well as creating an event called “The Power of Her” designed to cultivate self-esteem, health, wellness and safety for young women.
was awarded to Crossway Church. Led by Marques Jones, the church has partnered with the Milwaukee Police Department District 4 and the neighborhood to initiate youth programs at the neighborhood playground, a back to school give-away providing 500 backpacks to Havenwood’s residents, and area home repairs.
was awarded to Police Officer Guadalupe Velasquez. Officer Velasquez was recognized for her kind and personal approach, and for respectful and professional intercommunication with the community.  Her meticulous organization and management of cases are valued by her district teams and community alike.
was awarded to Direct Supply. Direct Supply has shown their commitment through reducing crime by working to provide Milwaukee Police Department District 4 with resources and volunteers. They have also built very strong relationships with community partners like Havenwoods Economic Development Corporation and Teen Challenge.
AAA Wisconsin was presented to Sergeant Carrie Peters. Sgt. Peters received a grant from the High-Visibility Enforcement Pedestrian Grant funded by the WI Bureau of Transportation Safety, on behalf of the Marquette University Police Department to improve campus safety. Her efforts included soliciting incentives from local businesses to encourage positive behavior, organizing media appearances to promote the project and participating as a “decoy” to assist in enforcement efforts.
presented by Anti Vehicle Crime Association of Wisconsin was awarded to Officer Cullin Weiskopf.  Officer Cullin Weiskopf played an essential role in the success of preventing vehicle theft in Milwaukee through the coordination of a highly successful anti-theft program.
was awarded to theSojourner Family Peace Center. The Center is one of the first co-located child advocacy and family violence centers in the country opened at 619 W. Walnut Street in Milwaukee. The new Family Peace Center is one of the first in the nation to provide comprehensive services for victims and families impacted by domestic violence.
The Salvation Army Chaplaincy Program  presented by The Salvation Army Chaplaincy Program was awarded to Lynne Hines-Levy.  As a Chaplain, Hines-Levy dedicates herself to improving the lives of residents in MPD District 7 by working with Community Liaison Officers and leading faith-based initiatives, as well as providing personal support and care for persons experiencing trauma and violence.
was awarded to Mary Lou Navarro. For 20 years, Mary Lou Navarro has advocated for Longfellow’s 900 students and their families. She uses education and advocacy to help empower families by helping them connect to resources like block clubs, financial literacy, and human trafficking prevention.

author: LISC Milwaukee and Safe & Sound


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 2, 2017


text:
Fair Housing Council settles discrimination complaint against Waukesha County | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Kori Schneider Peragine
February 2, 2017
The Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council (MMFHC) has reached a conciliation agreement with Waukesha County, resolving a housing discrimination complaint MMFHC filed with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in March 2011.
MMFHC’s complaint alleged that Waukesha County engaged in illegal housing discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin, and that the County violated HUD’s mandate to affirmatively further fair housing. MMFHC alleged that from 2006 to 2011, Waukesha County deployed more than $12,500,000 in federal CDBG and HOME funds to 35 individual jurisdictions without adequate consideration for its impact on fair housing choice by people of color. The complaint argued that the County funding policy had the effect of perpetuating racial and ethnic segregation. Specifically, by continuing to fund jurisdictions – like New Berlin, Brookfield, Menomonee Falls, the City of Waukesha, Mukwonago and others – that have actively prevented the development of affordable housing, the County discouraged integration of mostly-white communities.
The Milwaukee – Waukesha metropolitan area is the most segregated region in the nation for African-Americans and in the top third of large metropolitan areas for residential segregation of Hispanics. While Milwaukee County’s population is racially and ethnically diverse, Waukesha County’s population is starkly homogeneous. MMFHC filed the complaint after several years of working with a coalition of organizations including the ACLU of Wisconsin, Legal Action of Wisconsin, IndependenceFirst, and Disability Rights Wisconsin, all of which have a shared goal of increasing housing opportunities in Southeastern Wisconsin. Each of these organizations, individually and in concert, made attempts to promote integration and affordable housing opportunities in Waukesha County, but given institutional barriers posed by County government, coalition members’ efforts were stymied.
Under the terms of the agreement, Waukesha County will undertake a variety of activities with the aim of promoting integration and expanded housing choices:
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“I am hopeful Waukesha County will become more integrated and inclusive as a result of this agreement. Communities do not become and remain all-white by accident. They exist because local governments and private actors erect barriers to racial and ethnic integration. Therefore, undoing that segregation requires conscious, deliberate actions,” said William R. Tisdale, MMFHC’s President and CEO. The Senior Administrator of MMFHC’s Inclusive Communities Program, Kori Schneider-Peragine, is optimistic about the efficacy of the County’s planned actions: “For instance, when implemented thoroughly, tools such as Fair Housing Impact Statements will be easy-to-use roadmaps that enable communities to take measureable steps toward the creation of a more equitable housing market for everyone. We’re all better off when we increase housing choices and live up to our shared values of equal opportunity for all.”
According to Attorney Michael Allen, of Relman, Dane & Colfax, PLLC, one of the attorneys who represented MMFHC, “This agreement – which was reached on the first day of the Trump Administration – is evidence of the continued vitality of the obligation to affirmatively further fair housing. We applaud the County for its willingness to address concerns about segregation, and we applaud HUD for its careful investigation and skill in bringing these parties together in an agreement that will expand fair housing choice for families of color.” MMFHC was also represented by Robert Theine Pledl of McNally Peterson, S.C.
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MMFHC is a private, non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote fair housing throughout the State of Wisconsin by combating illegal housing discrimination and by creating and maintaining racially and economically integrated housing patterns.  It operates satellite offices in Dane County (the Fair Housing Center of Greater Madison) and in Northeast Wisconsin (the Fair Housing Center of Northeast Wisconsin).
Persons who feel they may have experienced unfair lending practices or illegal housing discrimination should call 414-278-1240 or 1-877-647-FAIR (a toll-free number for use outside the 414 area code).

author: Kori Schneider Peragine


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Journey House Community Garden source of pride for Clarke Square | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Alexandria Bursiek
February 2, 2017
The Journey House Community Garden sign. (Photo By Rebecca Carballo)
Editor’s note: This article is one of an occasional series profiling the 15 finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs). The Journey House Community Garden is a finalist for the Brewers Community Foundation Public Space Award, which recognizes a public space that helps build the community.
In 2013 the site of the Journey House Community Garden was an abandoned house known as a magnet for drug activity in Clarke Square. After the house burned down, an anonymous donor purchased the lot and gave it to Journey House. In 2014 Journey House leaders decided to build a community garden with 22 garden beds, which has become a safe place for residents to meet and socialize. All garden beds are now filled and there is a waiting list.
Initially, Journey House struggled to get residents involved in the garden. During the summer of 2015, only five of the 22 beds were claimed by residents. It wasn’t until the organization partnered with the Milwaukee County SEED Initiative and knocked on more than 150 residents’ doors that neighbors began to get involved. The Milwaukee County SEED (Sowing, Empowering, and Eliminating Food Deserts) Initiative is a University of Wisconsin-Extension program that brings community gardening to Milwaukee’s most underserved areas.
In May, Journey House held a planting ceremony that included a potluck and music. The residents were given free hand tools and starter plants to fill their beds.
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Danielle Nabak (holding plant) works with a mother and her daughter in a garden bed. (Photo courtesy of Kelsey Jorissen)
Because many residents said they did not know how to garden, Journey House held two free gardening classes last June. The nonprofit also offered free cooking classes to neighborhood residents to show them how to prepare healthy meals with produce.
“I think there is a positive impact that just comes from creating a positive space that is safe, that is productive,” said Ian Bautista, executive director of the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative. “This is quality space to meet and have a meal or prepare a meal together.”
Longfellow School, which has roughly 900 students, has been getting students involved with the garden. Journey House worked with UW-Extension and the Milwaukee SEED Initiative to add two beds on the side of the Journey House building. Students also worked with Bean Head Farm to install a living garden wall around the Longfellow playground fence. The Longfellow students helped take care of these sections of the garden and harvest the vegetables.
Signs also were posted encouraging community members to help themselves to fresh produce such as tomatoes, peas, peppers and cucumbers.
“We are trying to make it as self-sustaining as possible; we are not trying to do a two-year “one and done” type of thing,” said Ryan Schone, food systems coordinator at UW-Extension and Journey House. “We are truly trying to make this a neighborhood-driven, resident-driven project.” Journey House is also looking for property to expand the garden and add more beds.
Clarke Square residents listen to live music at the Journey House Community Garden. (Photo courtesy of Ryan Schone)
The long-term goal, according to Schone, is for the garden to become a modern-day agora. He explained that an agora was a Greek community space where individuals came to share food, knowledge and resources. Schone said he hopes that the garden will take on that role for the Clarke Square community.
“This space and the events that we have, which are open to all community members not just the gardeners, provide an outlet to get to know each other,” said Schone. “Not only do we give them a space to grow healthy food, but then we bring in the educators to do these simple cooking classes.”
Denise Sanford-Cleghorn, who has lived in Clarke Square for 10 years, said she really benefited from the classes and guidance last summer. As a Native American, Sanford-Cleghorn said she enjoyed getting her hands “into mother earth.” Sanford-Cleghorn had one garden plot, where she grew produce and marigolds. She also donated a picnic table to the garden.
“It helped people become neighbors,” said Sanford-Cleghorn. “It helped [meet] some nutrition needs.”
The Journey House Community Garden has received funding from a number of organizations and donors. The Milwaukee County SEED Initiative and UW-Extension provided a water tank, compost, topsoil, signage, seeds and garden tools. Bean Head Farm donated starter plants and funded the garden that surrounds the Longfellow playground. High resident engagement at the garden also prompted the Zilber Family Foundation to fund the two-year Clarke Square Neighborhood Food Systems Initiative, which expands access to gardens and green space throughout the community.
According to Michael Chapa, who has lived in Clarke Square for two years, the garden has become a source of pride for residents. He said that working in the garden has helped him to bond with his son and daughter and it also was the first community activity his family got involved in. Chapa’s children helped him plant and water the tomatoes, kale and sunflowers they grew in their garden.
“I think it helps build a sense of community in the area,” said Chapa. “It helped me understand that there is a possibility that I can actually grow my own food… I think people can definitely take pride in being able to grow their own crops and bring food from mother earth onto their own table.

author: Alexandria Bursiek


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On the Block: Forced to leave college | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 2, 2017
Darrin Madison says he is fortunate to have found a mentor in David Bowen, whom he met through Urban Underground, and a benefactor in Sandy Pasch. The current and former state representatives helped Madison raise funds and find employment that enabled him to enter Howard University in Washington, D.C. in fall 2015.
But he was forced to return to Milwaukee after his freshman year to work and raise money to pay off his freshman tuition. Hoping to someday practice environmental law, Madison is a member of Public Allies, coordinating volunteers at the Riverside Park Urban Ecology Center. He has launched a GoFundMe campaign soon to help pay his balance and return to Howard.
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text:
Penfield Children’s Center kicks off year-long 50th anniversary celebration | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Penfield Children’s Center
February 2, 2017
(Photo courtesy of Penfield Children’s Center)
On January 26, Penfield Children’s Center kicked off its year-long 50th anniversary celebration. More than 30,000 children have been served by Penfield staff during the agency’s half a century of care and many prominent individuals from the agency’s past and present were on-hand for our celebration.
Founding board member, Barbara Elsner, was joined by fellow founding trustees Betty Bostrom, Marilyn Bradley, Martie Watts and Bill Eastham, husband of one of our late founding directors, Jane Eastham.
Milwaukee County Executive, Chris Abele, and the City of Milwaukee Health Department’s Director of Nursing, Tiffany Barta, on behalf of Mayor Barrett, made county and city proclamations acknowledging the impact Penfield Children’s Center has had in the lives of Milwaukee families.
Additionally, Bill Chester, husband of our late founding director Priscilla Penfield Chester (daughter of our namesake Dr. Wilder Penfield), his niece, Mary Read, and many current trustees and long-time supporters were on-hand to begin Penfield’s golden anniversary celebration.
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In celebration of 50 years, we will be hosting special events throughout 2017 and sharing stories of our supporters, children and founders at PenfieldChildren.org.
From all of our staff, children and families, thank you for your continued support of Penfield Children’s Center!
(Photo courtesy of Penfield Children’s Center)
(Photo courtesy of Penfield Children’s Center)

author: Penfield Children’s Center


text:
32176644710_38d1d1846b_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 2, 2017

author: Adam Carr


text:
Ralph Hollmon, MillerCoors among Central City Business Award winners | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 2, 2017
Milwaukee Business Journal


text:
Report: Wisconsin’s Black-White Disparity Remains Extreme | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 2, 2017
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


text:
Why Apprenticeships Are Taking Off | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 2, 2017
The Atlantic


text:
Local DJ helps youths pursue alternative music careers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Camille Paul
February 3, 2017
When Dria Rushing was 10 she created her DJ name, DJ Drip Sweat. As she progressed through school she admired hip-hop in all of its forms. She continued to be involved with music through high school.
Rushing, 20, said that since she was little she has wanted to be a DJ. She also knew that the equipment associated with that dream was costly and out of reach.
“One day in high school my mom took me to see a DJ that she knows, DJ O,” said Rushing. Although the meeting went well, it would never go beyond that. “It always was about the equipment and not having equipment.”
In September, Rushing attended her first “Scratch Session,” a DJ class hosted by Tyrone Miller, aka DJ Bizzon. “Had I never walked in here, I would not be DJing right now,” she said. Rushing DJs regularly at a local bar.
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Miller, who has been a DJ since 2007, said his career inspiration came from his love for music and distaste for other DJs. “I was hearing DJs that I didn’t like and thinking, ‘Oh, I could do better,’” he said.
Now, Miller is a youth DJ instructor, conducting Scratch Sessions, at the Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts, 926 E. Center St., in Riverwest.
Tyrone Miller teaches his students how to count the beats to better mash up and mix songs. (Photo by Camille Paul)
Scratch Sessions are free and available to high school youths 12-19 interested in turning their passion for music into a career.
Miller said he knows some students are not interested in being rappers or singers and would prefer to be DJs. “I know that accessing equipment is tough, expensive and complicated at times, so I just want to make it more available for the community,” he said.
“I really enjoy seeing kids come out of their shells and getting money in their pockets,” Miller added.
Miller uses Serato DJ software, vinyl turntables and Traktor equipment to teach his students the basics of being a DJ. The cost to buy the three products can be up to $2,000.
Since Miller pays for rental space and equipment, he seeks donations and time from volunteers. Some drop off food for the meetings; other volunteers are DJs themselves.
“When it comes to youth work and nonprofit work, sometimes funding determines what you are able to do or not and I wanted to do something that whether there were donations or not we would still be able to be here,” Miller said.
He added, “Youth will always know that they can be here on Mondays, they have a safe space to come to, they have food to eat and they have other good people in the community to work with.”
The sessions are open-ended, so students do not receive a diploma or certificate of completion. Instead, they are given the opportunity to accompany Miller to his personal gigs and receive a portion of the fee.
Miller has been teaching students at Ronald Reagan High School how to DJ for the past year. Miller and Adam Murphy, instrumental music instructor at Reagan, meet with 10 to 15 students once a week for two hours after school.
“It’s obvious that his knowledge of music and genuine concern and care for our students is taking the club to the next level,” Murphy said.
Shaq Matthews started attending Scratch Sessions with Miller in late November. Matthews, who is about 10 years older than most students, wants to pursue DJing as a career.
Matthews started DJing at home with her friends from their laptops, and performed for friends and family at neighborhood parties.
“From there, I was really inspired to learn more about the craft so I reached out to Miller,” she said. “I said, ‘I know I don’t really fit the age parameters but I’ve seen you DJ and would love to learn,’ and he made it work.”
Matthews has felt a positive vibe since she started coming to the sessions last November.
“A lot of people will stop by and drop off food,” she said. “Others will stop in and say, ‘Hey I’m coming in to serve and see what people need.’ So the community has been supportive for sure.”

created: February 3, 2017

author: Camille Paul


text:
City Unveils Lead-Safe Milwaukee Campaign | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 6, 2017
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio

created: February 6, 2017


text:
Fair Housing Faces an Uncertain Fate | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 6, 2017
CityLab.com


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Job openings at Lowe’s | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Department of Workforce Development
February 6, 2017

author: Department of Workforce Development


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 6, 2017


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Riley Elementary hosts open house for new dual-language Montessori program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 6, 2017
OnMilwaukee.com


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St. Thomas More High School to host Kevin Hermening, victim of Iran Hostage Crisis | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
St. Thomas More High School
February 6, 2017
St. Thomas More High School is proud to announce that Mr. Kevin Hermening will address our school community on February 16, 2017, at 1:55pm. Hermening was the youngest of the 52 Americans held hostage for 444 days during the Iran Hostage Crisis, which was depicted in the Academy Award-winning film Argo. Members of the community are cordially invited to attend this presentation.
In his presentation, “Liberty and Leadership,” Hermening will provide a personal glimpse into a difficult time in our nation’s history, sharing his experiences in captivity, his views on Iran’s present leadership, and the challenges the US faces in its dealings with Iran and the Middle East.
“Mr. Hermening embodies what it means to be a leader,” St. Thomas More Principal Nicholas Kelly said. “He has endured things in his life that most people cannot fathom. His resilience and commitment to his community and country are truly remarkable.”
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A native of Oak Creek, Hermening served 13 years in the US Marine Corps. He is the recipient of the US State Department’s Award for Valor, the Prisoner of War Medal, and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the nation’s highest peacetime military decoration awarded by the Department of Defense. He now owns Hermening Financial Group, a financial services firm with four offices across Wisconsin, and remains an active volunteer in the community.
“Not only does Mr. Hermening teach about a pivotal event in our nation’s history,” Kelly continued, “but his powerful message teaches us about honor, dignity, and respect. Mr. Hermening’s presentation coincides with St. Thomas More’s mission to transform our students into responsible, mature young adults that are servant leaders in our communities.”
Hermening’s presentation is sponsored by St. Thomas More’s Center for Servant Leadership and Civic Engagement. Established in 2016 in partnership with the EveryDayGood Foundation, the Center for Servant Leadership integrates into the everyday academic curriculum, stressing societal values, such as humility, wisdom, honor, reflection, and community. The Center utilizes guest speakers, case studies of successful leaders, mentoring of grade school students, local and international service opportunities, and group discussions to force students out of their comfort zone and transform them into community-driven servant leaders.
About St. Thomas More High School
Located in Milwaukee’s historic Bay View neighborhood, St. Thomas More High School educates over 500 students in grades nine through 12. Emphasizing academic excellence and innovative project-based learning, St. Thomas More strives to nurture the whole student: spiritually, ethically, intellectually, emotionally, and physically, while encouraging students of all backgrounds to pursue their intellectual, professional, and spiritual interests.
For more information about St. Thomas More High School, please visit www.tmore.org.

author: St. Thomas More High School


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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February 6, 2017

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Veterans struggle to get education credits at UW-Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 6, 2017
Frankie Ratka, a member of the Air National Guard, works at the Military and Veterans Resource Center reception desk in the UW-Milwaukee Student Union. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
UW-Milwaukee student Samuel Rogers served eight years in the U.S. Army, mainly working as an interrogator. During that time, he took 15 months of courses in Army schools, including a six-month intensive course in human intelligence collection. Despite submitting a Joint Services Transcript (JST) that recommended Rogers receive more than 50 credits, UW-Milwaukee has only awarded him five.
When he first applied, UW-Milwaukee encouraged Rogers to submit his military records and military academic transcripts for college credits, he said.
“That was exciting for me because I have numerous credits recommended,” he added, including 36 credits for courses that he found equivalents for at UW-Milwaukee. “They said they had not seen a transcript with as many credits as I have … (but) I don’t have anything to show for it,” Rogers said.
In an effort to address the gap between veterans’ expectations and University of Wisconsin credit-granting practices, representatives from throughout the university system recently formed a workgroup, which met for the first time on Jan. 12.
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One of our aims is to facilitate the review of military training for credits at our institutions,” said Diane Treis Rusk, director of undergraduate education for the UW System Administration and the workgroup chair.
UW-Milwaukee’s Military and Veterans Resource Center gives students a central location for getting relevant information, as well as a place to study and socialize with others who share their experience. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Treis Rusk described the workgroup as “an initiative that is working with campuses that are interested in improving the articulation of credit for prior learning.” She said it is part of a larger effort not only for veterans, but for all non-traditional students. The 17 workgroup members represent UW campuses including UW-Milwaukee, technical colleges from around the state, as well as a federal program that serves veterans.
“Most institutions are now recognizing the importance of veterans’ experiences and giving (them) more weight than what they have in the past. But how much weight, credit-wise, that’s up in the air right now,” said workgroup member Charles Allen, who represents Veterans Upward Bound, a program of the U.S. Department of Education that helps veterans prepare for, gain admission to and succeed at post-secondary institutions. Allen works from an office on the UW-Milwaukee campus.
Other UW-Milwaukee students and college students around the U.S. who have served and been trained in the military also complain that they receive little academic credit from colleges and universities. Most are adults with family responsibilities, and they need to complete their studies as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Kyle Carlson, a five-year Army veteran, attended Minnesota State University Moorhead and UW-Waukesha  before transferring to UW-Milwaukee. Each school evaluated his military transcript differently, awarding him 18, three and eight credits respectively. A 27-year-old geology major focused on water science, Carlson was disappointed with these results. “(UW-Milwaukee) is not very veteran–friendly in terms of accepting credits,” he said.
U.S. Army reservist Dakota Hohenwalter, 25, served three-and-a-half years on active duty. As an intelligence analyst, she presented intelligence reports to a four-star general daily.
UW-Milwaukee gave her six credits for first aid, marksmanship and physical fitness even though she never took marksmanship and her military transcript recommended 49 credits, Hohenwalter said. Noting that the 49 credits would be enough for an associate degree, she added that UW-Milwaukee “doesn’t take any credits that were job-specific.”
“Public speaking was my job and I had a 15-week course in the Army in which we had to do seven or eight presentations,” Hohenwalter said. In the public speaking class she had to take at UW-Milwaukee because her military course was not accepted for credit, she did about half as many presentations.
(Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Hohenwalter said her reserve unit administrator recently told her that it’s almost impossible to get credit for intelligence training and experience because of the classified nature of the work. “It’s frustrating for a lot of vets,” Hohenwalter said.
Rogers was told that if he wanted to get more credits he would have to submit course curricula from the individual schools he attended in the service. “None of them would give you (the curricula) even if you were active duty military because most of the material is sensitive, if not outright classified,” he said, adding that this is the reason the Joint Services Transcript was created.
With an enrollment of 26,000 students, 1,400 of whom are veterans, UW-Milwaukee has the most student veterans among UW system institutions, according to Phyllis King, UW-Milwaukee vice provost.
Every institution in the UW system makes its own decisions about awarding credits to veterans, King said. She noted that the decisions are complicated because it’s difficult to translate recommendations from the Joint Services Transcript into courses needed for specific degrees.
King stated that as of September 2014, UW-Milwaukee “will automatically give (student veterans) 12 credits if they have a JST.”
However, since fall 2013, 1,189 UW-Milwaukee students have been awarded 5,758 military training credits, for an average of just under five credits per student, said Registrar Seth Zlotocha.
While Rogers is unhappy with the credits he has received for his military classes and experience, he has high praise for other support services available to student veterans at UW-Milwaukee.
He cited the number of academic counselors and support staff, the Military and Veterans Resource Center, Veterans Week events, a Veterans Affairs representative on campus and a Military Education Benefits office “that doesn’t really exist at any other college that I’ve heard of.”
But Rogers said he cannot recommend UW-Milwaukee to his veteran friends because of the difficulty getting credit. Nor will he pursue post-graduate education there “because of this issue with credit for military training,” he said. “And (UW-Milwaukee is) hurting itself as much as it’s hurting these (veterans).” The university is missing out on graduates and on post-graduates, he added.
Noting that the federal government spends a lot of money creating Joint Services Transcripts, Rogers said, “The problem is that UWM advertises themselves nationally as this super pro-veteran school, so to veterans that means you accept my training transcripts. Aside from the GI Bill, that’s really all we walk away (from the military) with.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 5, 2017

created: February 5, 2017


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When Good is Not Good Enough: Repositioning nonprofits as a force for systems change | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Frank Martinelli
February 6, 2017
The Nonprofit Center of Greater Milwaukee is hosting a presentation “When Good is Not Good Enough: Repositioning Nonprofits as a Force for Systems Change” on March 14th, 7:30-9:00 am at Central United Methodist Church, located at 639 N 25th St.
The March 14 session proposes that while the nonprofit sector must  continue to provide services and supports to individuals in need, “we must now reposition the community based nonprofit sector as a powerful force for social change at the underlying systems level”.
Why?  In spite of the valiant efforts of many caring people and organizations over a long period of time, life has not improved for many Milwaukeeans. Our city continues to set records of the wrong kind: Often when a new study is released, Milwaukee is at or close to the bottom of the pack on key indicators.
If things are going to really change, we need to shift attention from modest service goals providing temporary relief for some to courageous actions that challenge and change the economic, social and political systems that are the root cause of the many problems we face.
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For this shift to occur, we must reassess our work in the nonprofit sector — especially those nonprofits working in low income communities. Nonprofits need to direct more efforts at actually changing the underlying systems. Good is not good enough: While we continue to provide services to individuals in desperate need, we must now reposition the community based nonprofit sector as a powerful force for social change at the underlying systems level.
For nonprofits that want to move in this direction, there are key strategies that can help them move more of their impact to the root cause level.
And for each of these strategies, there are resource organizations ready to help nonprofits move their impact to the root cause level. Attend the March 14th presentation to learn more about these strategies and the resources available that can make it happen in Milwaukee.
Presenter: Frank Martinelli, The Center for Public Skills Training
This session is based on a TED Talk delivered in Milwaukee in October 2016 by Frank Martinelli of the Center for Public Skills Training.  Frank has been involved Milwaukee’s nonprofit sector for many years ― as a community organizer, volunteer, staff director, board leader, and as a trainer and consultant to nonprofits
There is no charge for Agency Executive Group members; $15 for non-members
To register: http://tinyurl.com/gv6jyak

author: Frank Martinelli


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WISCONSIN BUDGET: The Limits of Badger Care | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 6, 2017
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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Wisconsin Seeks Restoration Of Funds For Juvenile Justice Programs | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
February 6, 2017
WPR Wisconsin Public Radio


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Conversations, collaboration key to change for city’s black community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
February 7, 2017
Terra McKinney (left) listens to another attendee at the event. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
The Milwaukee County Office on African American Affairs recently held a listening session to solicit feedback from residents on a legislative agenda that it hopes will create significant, tangible change for the area’s black community. The agenda, which is focused on garnering bipartisan support, includes measures that would increase funding for workforce development programs, reform the criminal justice system and increase access to employment and work incentives.
“We are interested in productivity. We want to get stuff done, we want to put some points on the board,” said Nate Holton, deputy chief of staff for County Executive Chris Abele. “We want to get legislation signed into law.”
The Office on African American Affairs (OAAA), which was created in November 2015 by then-county supervisor Khalif Rainey, has been mired by questions of funding, staffing and what the office would seek to achieve.
Rainey, who is now District 7 alderman, criticized what he said was a lack of action by the office in the 15 months since its creation. “In that time, we’ve seen no improvement in the joblessness … the education, and we’ve seen unrest,” he said, referring to the sometimes-violent demonstrations that swept through Sherman Park last August.
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“This is the issue of our time,” Rainey said at the listening session, which was held at the COA Goldin Center, located in the 53206 ZIP code. More than 47 percent of 53206 residents, 94 percent of whom are black, live in poverty. “Considering the dire need that we have right outside this door, you know, I think it should be a priority.”
County Executive Chris Abele addresses the crowd during the event. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
According to the 2017 adopted county budget, $267,170 has been budgeted for OAAA, after the office received no funding in 2015 and 2016. A director has yet to be hired and three of four positions within the office are still vacant. Another $300,000 has been set aside and will be approved by the county board once a director is in place— which Holton said he hopes will happen by spring —and a plan to spend the funds has been approved.
“Once we’re staffed up, that’s going to allow us to take the next step forward,” Holton said.
OAAA has outlined a strategy that utilizes community input to define issues central to Milwaukee’s black community and to influence policy and develop programs “related to the special needs of African Americans,” according to its website. The office is working on an analysis of African-American-owned businesses in the city and has held previous listening sessions focused on segregation and workforce development. It plans to continue the practice, said Abele.
The fourth and most recent session focused on how items such as increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit, doubling funding for apprenticeships, expanding expungement access and “Ban the Box” legislation would affect participants or people they know.
“What is it gonna do for me? At this point, not much,” said Brenda Hart-Richardson, 66, who is now retired and recently moved back to her family home in 53206. “But, what is it gonna do for my children, my grandchildren, my neighbors, my nieces and my nephews?”
Shanyeill McCloud, founder of Clean Slate Milwaukee, an organization that works with individuals to expunge their records, said a prior conviction can affect a person’s ability to get a job, find housing and pursue educational opportunities. In Milwaukee County more than half of African American men in their 30s have served time in state prison.
To expunge a non-violent felony, state law requires the individual to have been younger than 25 at the time of the offense, no matter how long it has been since the offense, a policy that lags behind nearby states. McCloud hopes to see a 2009 law that allowed for felony expungement made retroactive.
“What are we gaining by holding those people back?” McCloud asked.
To that end, OAAA is working with a local black-owned company to scrape data from the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access Portal (CCAP) to be able to better show how prior convictions are affecting the community as a whole.
Republicans hold majorities in both houses of the state legislature, and almost a two-thirds majority in the assembly, which has caused OAAA to focus its agenda on measures it expects will garner support from Democrats and Republicans. McCloud said she has had a handful of one-on-one conversations with Republican legislators regarding the expungement bill and, so far, has received a positive response.
“The legislature is what it is right now,” said Holton, a Democrat. “Either we can stand up and work with them and try to get some stuff done, and move the ball a little bit, or we can just bail and not get anything done, and yell and scream about it, and allow all of our issues to persist.”
Still, some attendees said there are deeper issues that need to be addressed. Terra McKinney, who has lived in Milwaukee since 1996, pointed to a “racial divide” that often doesn’t allow for good-faith dialogue. “You know, you can read the word ‘collaboration’ on a piece of paper but, unless [there are] two sets of rational people there to actually want to get to some sort of a solution, it doesn’t really make sense,” McKinney said.
She added, “How would it hurt the system, or how would it hurt the state, or the city, or the county, if we were to put these [legislative measures] in place?”
Hart-Richardson agreed. “Any time you have a situation like you have in 53206, it’s not by accident, it’s by design,” she said. “The way out is to have a true conversation and get about trying to restore some of it. We’re hurting people. What example, right now, are we showing?”
Holton encouraged attendees to contact their representatives and share their stories about how this legislation may affect them, their friends or family. He added that those type of stories often help to pass laws. “We need to hear them, and we need to make sure that the legislator hears them.”
“We’re always stronger together, and we can accomplish more if we work together,” Holton said. “If we stay in silos we’re not going to get very far.”

created: February 7, 2017

author: Jabril Faraj


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31941632653_6b5b185051_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 6, 2017


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MPS, City of Milwaukee, MPD and Milwaukee Bucks announce the return of midnight basketball leagues | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
February 7, 2017
(Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Public Schools)
Milwaukee Public Schools, along with partners including the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Police Department, Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission, Milwaukee Bucks and Running Rebels, will announce the launch of a Midnight Basketball League on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 4 p.m. at Bradley Technology and Trade High School —700 S. 4th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53204.
The Midnight Basketball League is part of the new MPS C.A.R.E.S. (Community and Recreation Engaging Students) initiative, which was announced in October, 2016. Young men 17 to 25 years old who live in Milwaukee may participate in the 10-week league.
Milwaukee Public Schools will host three 10-week Midnight Leagues at Bradley Tech. The first league will start March 1, 2017; each league will serve 80 to 100 young men.
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MPS has worked with partners in planning the league as a way to engage and support young men and connect them to community resources in Milwaukee.
“This is about more than just basketball,” said Darienne Driver, Superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools. “We want our community and young people to know that we have our doors open for them and that we are here to help support them.”
MPS is working with Running Rebels to bring community-based organizations and resources to participants during the league so young men can access a variety of programs including employment services, driver’s license recovery, child support services and other options.
In addition to resources, the league also supports positive police and community relations. The Milwaukee Police Department will provide mentoring opportunities for young men during the leagues.
The Milwaukee Bucks have played an integral role in the formation of the Midnight Basketball League and will continue to lend support as the league tips off in the coming weeks. Bucks forward John Henson will be on hand at Tuesday’s announcement to speak with MPS students and Midnight League supporters about the importance of working hand-in-hand with local police and other organizations to build stronger, safer communities.
“I am honored to be part of this important initiative,” Henson said. “Creating meaningful improvement in the relationship between the youth and young adults of Milwaukee and the local police is significant. It is our hope that the city’s Midnight Basketball League will be an avenue for all of us to learn from each other, gain insight from different perspectives, and help build a level of trust and respect. We are appreciative of the City, MPS and MPD’s strategy to implement a mentoring and life skills components for the participants – making this a win/win for all involved.”
Added Milwaukee Alderman Khalif Rainey:  “Long before I was elected Alderman for the 7th district, and in my role as Milwaukee County Supervisor, I challenged the community and its leaders to find a way to bring Midnight Basketball back to Milwaukee. To say this is an awesome day – bringing City, MPS, the Bucks and most importantly our young men together around the game of basketball for the end game of a better life is so rewarding.”
Visit www.mpsmke.com/cares to learn more about the Midnight Basketball League and the MPS C.A.R.E.S. initiative.

author: Milwaukee Public Schools


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
February 7, 2017