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City takes stance against panhandling with “Keep the Change” initiative | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rebecca Carballo
July 29, 2016
Homeless men wait to shower at St. Benedict the Moor Parish, which offers a variety of services such as a free meal program and a shower program. (Photo By Rebecca Carballo)
Signs reading “Keep the Change” have been appearing in windows of businesses throughout Milwaukee, advising patrons not to give money to panhandlers. The fliers are a result of the Keep the Change initiative adopted by the Milwaukee Common Council on March 1.
The program encourages donations to nonprofits that serve the homeless and other people in need. “When you Keep the Change, you can help that person make a real change in his or her life,” according to the council’s website.
Tim Schwab, who has been homeless for six months, is not happy about the program. He said he was able to feed himself with the spare change given to him on the streets. “If you have extra change that’s going to fall between your car seats anyways, why not help somebody?” Schwab said. “Fifty cents can go a long way.”
Although the initiative discourages it, panhandling is within the law. Aggressive panhandling, defined as following someone and demanding money, is illegal, but asking for money verbally or silently with a sign or a container — is within an individual’s First Amendment rights.
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Schwab said it is a common misconception that homelessness is a result of addiction, and that panhandlers will use the money for drugs.
Local businesses hang signs in their windows to deter panhandling. (Photo By Rebecca Carballo)
“(The city) can’t just assume where the money is going to,” Schwab said. “Some people are without a job and trying to get work. I don’t think it’s (the city’s) right to say who someone can give money to. It’s a person’s choice.”
Alderman Terry Witkowski, who sponsored the initiative, encourages residents to donate to charity instead of giving the money to a panhandler.
“Seventy percent of panhandlers are not homeless, according to the Milwaukee Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office,” Witkowski said.
Witkowski also noted there is no guarantee how panhandlers would spend the money. “Your money isn’t going where you think,” he said.
The initiative’s website recommends making contributions to 18 organizations that provide food, shelter or other services to people in need.
Milagro Jones, a South Side resident who was formerly homeless, said he has benefited from some of those organizations, including Cathedral Center, Inc., Guest House of Milwaukee and the Salvation Army.
Jones attended meetings about the initiative and said he was taken aback when he first heard about it.
“It’s my natural inclination to help someone out,” Jones said. “I thought my direct donation would be helpful.”
Although Jones said he sees why business owners do not want panhandlers near their stores, he also remembers a time when he was the one asking for a dollar.
“I understand where the program is coming from and this issue needs to be addressed,” Jones said. “If people don’t like the solution the city came up with, be creative and make a better one.”
Guest House of Milwaukee Executive Director Cindy Krahenbuhl said the initiative’s message can sometimes be misconstrued.
“The message isn’t ‘don’t help people,’ but simply handing them money is not the means to do that.” Krahenbul recommends offering a sandwich or water rather than money.
Carol McLain, director of resource development at Cathedral Center, said organizations such as hers — which provides emergency housing, workforce development and case management services — can better serve the homeless in the long run than giving people spare change.
“We end homelessness one life at a time; that’s our mission,” McLain said. “Giving money (to panhandlers) isn’t going to solve the problem.”
She added, “We can do more than someone giving five dollars on a street corner.”
Sarah Pollack, partnerships and communications manager at Meta House said some donors have mentioned the initiative and they seemed informed.
Also, business owners and customers said they have noticed a recent decline in panhandling. Vijay Swearingen, owner of Pita Brothers at 1616 W. Wisconsin Ave., attributes that to the Keep the Change sign he displays at his restaurant.
Police Officer Gary Bray, a Pita Brothers customer, agreed that there have been fewer panhandlers on Wisconsin Avenue in the past year.
Bray keeps an eye out for aggressive panhandling, but he noted that it’s important that panhandlers have access to resources they need. “We’re not there to ticket someone,” Bray said. “We try to give them information (about) resources that can help them.”
Alex Deets, a rising junior at Marquette University, said he has been asked for money up to three times during one walk on campus.
“I can tell on their faces that they are not using the money for food,” Deets said. “It’s frustrating because you want to help somebody but that’s not the way to do it.”
He added that panhandlers do not discourage him from patronizing certain businesses. “It’s just a reality you have to deal with,” Deets said.
Deets often eats at Ruby G’s Espresso Bar and Café, at 2043 W. Wells St., which also decided to hang the flier.
Craig Braaten, the café’s owner, said the fliers may be influencing his customers.
“I don’t think fliers will stop panhandling, but maybe it will stop people from giving them money,” Braaten said.

author: Rebecca Carballo


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 28, 2016

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Adam Carr


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An immigrant’s take: living in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 1, 2016
88NINE Radio Milwaukee

created: August 1, 2016

author: Andrea Waxman


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Critical Learning: The Arts and Hope | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Margaret Rozga
August 1, 2016
Community members gather for the opening of “We Speak: An Exhibition on Women’s Rights.” (Photo by Brianna Dorney)
Margaret Rozga, poet, civil rights activist and professor emerita of English at UW-Waukesha, finds hope in the work of teen artists who created “We Speak: An Exhibition on Women’s Rights,” at the Arts @ Large Gallery, which runs until Sept. 30.
Saying the word hope is the first step in believing in a hopeful future. Saying hope moves us toward imagining and creating an alternative to fear. Hope is the anti-fear. In today’s climate of rhetorical violence, fear mongering, scapegoating, snipers and bombings, we all need ways to move beyond fear. We need images of hope.
Hope is alive and well for young artists and students at several Milwaukee schools. That hope is visible in the current exhibit, “We Speak: An Exhibition on Women’s Rights,” at the Arts @ Large Gallery, 908 S. 5th St.
Hope is inclusive. This exhibit includes student-created work from multiple projects and schools. Young women in each project selected and researched an issue impacting their lives and those of other women, and created compelling art to express their insights into their issue. This show brings these various projects together. Hope grows from people coming together and creating from their different perspectives a coherent vision. Out of many, one.
One of these projects, the work of students at the Alliance School, studied human trafficking both locally and internationally. They created two pieces: “Gender-Based Violence, case studies from around the globe” and “Human Trafficking, a pressing issue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.” Their work brings to light startling facts about the trafficking of young women: the average age at which a child begins being trafficked for sex is 13 years old; such trafficking happens all too often right here in Milwaukee. Bringing these facts to public attention serves as a first step toward stopping this horrendous child abuse.
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Student artists at Pulaski High School and Milwaukee High School of the Arts contributed their work from a Know Thyself project, “We Are Here.” These young women are English-language learners, immigrants and refugees, some of whom have been in the United States for less than a year. Their impressive portraits on brilliantly designed and colored backgrounds claim and express their personal identity and culture. They also recorded their stories of coming to the United States and settling in Milwaukee, stories that can be heard by scanning the QR code included in the exhibit.
The possibilities for hope are alive and well in women around the world who model ways to bring their voices to bear on crucial issues for women and in the young women who celebrate these models. “Cut From the Same Cloth: Celebrating Women of Influence,” is the project of students from Washington High School of Information and Technology. Facilitated by artist Vanessa Andrews, the students created stunning collaged denim portraits of women who have worked toward expanding opportunities for women across all aspects of society. Their choice of denim joins their voices with those of women who wore denim to protest the ruling of Italian judges that a woman’s tight jeans implied a woman’s consent to sexual assault.
Adult survivors of gender-based violence wrote poems as part of Mount Mary University’s Justice Department program “Untold Stories.” Their poems inspired artwork by students from Messmer High School, The Alliance School and Washington High School of Information Technology. The poems and visual art responses comprise a multi-generational component within the exhibit.
Students who worked on these and other projects included in this exhibit learned research skills, learned how to focus and organize information, how to be clear and convincing — all important critical thinking and presentation skills. Because they explore issues that impact their lives and the lives of women they know and love, they are motivated to achieve at a high level. They also learn global consciousness. They learn they can make contributions to improve their lives and the lives of their local, national and international communities.
As they find and express their voices in beautiful and compelling ways, they find hope. They also create hope that is active, inspiring and inclusive. It gathers people together to find strength. It empowers these young students, these young artists, who in turn give me hope. In fact they make my heart take flight and soar.

author: Margaret Rozga


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Doctors Are Improperly Billing Some on Medicare, U.S. Says | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 1, 2016
The New York Times


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Froedtert, Medical College pledge $5M in north side partnership with Milwaukee Bucks | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 1, 2016
Milwaukee Business Journal


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Home Loans Reinforce Metro Segregation | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 1, 2016
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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Near West Side Partners invites you to the largest National Night Out in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Near West Side Partners, Inc
August 1, 2016
Near West Side Partners, Inc. (NWSP) will join community members on Tuesday, August 2, beginning at 2 p.m. at 1201 N. 35th Street (east parking lot at Harley-Davidson’s Juneau Campus) for the District 3 National Night Out celebration, which has grown to become the largest in the City, with nearly 2,000 attending in 2015.
Highlights will include: Jammin 98.3, the Milwaukee Flyers, Rosco the Admirals mascot, the Next Door Book Truck, Chinese Kung Fu Center, face painting, the Milwaukee Bike Collective, Home Depot Kid Workshops and the Survive Alive House.
At the event, residents will also be invited to take the NWSP resident survey, which will be used to gauge the perceptions, needs and desires of residents of the Near West Side neighborhood – make your voice heard!
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National Night Out is a campaign involving citizens, law enforcement agencies, businesses, community-based organizations, and faith-based groups. The program is designed to heighten crime awareness, generate support for and participation in local anti-crime program and to strengthen neighborhood spirit and police relations with citizens. Activities for National Night Out will take place in the same location from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

author: Near West Side Partners, Inc


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New asthma research to measure effect of in-home education | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 1, 2016
J’Ali Thornton practices with a basketball in front of his house. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
J’Ali Thornton loves sports, particularly football and basketball. When the wiry, energetic 9-year-old is not in school, he’s usually absorbed in a ball game with his friends. But when J’Ali starts to have trouble breathing, he often doesn’t want to stop playing.
“It’s s very scary thing,” said his mother Latrina Thornton, who lives on the Northwest Side. “His asthma is very severe … When I take him to urgent care, they have to rush him to the back for his breathing treatment.”
From J’Ali’s perspective, the hardest part of having asthma is that “it makes me slower sometimes and I run out of breath fast and sometimes it gives me a migraine so I can’t think in school.”
Thornton, who has a 20-year-old daughter in college in Indiana and five sons ranging in age from 2 to 18 at home, owns a daycare center where she works full time. Emergency visits to the hospital with J’Ali typically take four hours, and last year she took him to urgent care “maybe once a month.” Sometimes she has to call her clients and tell them she has to close the center to care for J’Ali. “It’s worth it because this is his life,” Thornton said.
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Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin is launching a new research study that aims to reduce the health risks and economic burden of asthma in children such as J’Ali. Funded by a $1.25 million grant from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, the five-year study will focus on identifying and reducing irritants that trigger asthma in the home.
Brothers Isaiah Thornton, 18 (left) and J’Ali Thorton, 9, talk with their mother, Latrina Thornton, on their front walk. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
“Research shows that asthma disproportionately affects communities of color with devastating impact,” said Ellen Gilligan, executive director of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. “African-Americans have the highest prevalence of asthma, are hospitalized at five times the rate of white patients and are four times more likely to die of asthma,” she added.
Asthma, a chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways and causes recurring periods of wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing, affects people of all ages, but it most often starts during childhood, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. In the United States, more than 25 million people are known to have asthma and about 7 million of those are children. In Wisconsin, Milwaukee County had the highest rate of hospitalization for asthma and the second highest rate of emergency room visits, after Menominee County, from 2012 to 2014, according to the latest Wisconsin Department of Health Services asthma statistics report.
Gilligan noted that every time a child has an asthma attack, the child misses school and the parents potentially miss work and other things that have a great impact on their finances.
Children’s Hospital allergists Heather Hartman and Mitchell Grayson, who designed and will direct the study, had been trying for a couple of years to get it funded, according to Hartman.
Home visits
The new study, which will focus on children ages 7-13, is part of a larger Children’s Hospital asthma study of people ages 2 to 40. Both studies work through an ongoing program of Fight Asthma Milwaukee (FAM) Allies, a community health advocacy organization and asthma coalition, where Grayson is the medical director. Asthma educators from the FAM Allies program provide in-home education and environmental assessments to patients with uncontrolled asthma.
The new study also will measure chemical irritants in the home and genetic factors related to asthma.
FAM Allies outreach staff members to into each subject’s home for three visits to teach patients and families about their medicines, asthma triggers and how to be healthier, Hartman explained. On three additional visits, they identify problem areas in the home and teach residents how to better clean, get rid of rodents and cockroaches and decrease other irritants such as second-hand smoke. “We go room to room … and talk to families and educate them on the spot,” Hartman said.
“We’re … talking to them about their environment, not somebody else’s environment, and identifying problems as we see them,” she added.
The children participating in the new study will wear a silicone wristband for the first week. The band is a passive sampling device that absorbs chemicals in the air and water around it. “It’s very similar to a “LIVESTRONG” band,” Hartman explained.
“One of the things we really like about (the wristband) is that it’s so unobtrusive. … A lot of other research that’s done on irritant exposure and asthma requires big, heavy backpacks that filter the air and sample it and you can definitely tell the kids that are wearing them,” she said. The backpacks also need their batteries changed every night, so they are labor intensive, Hartman added.
Research subjects will then wear the band for a week at the end of the study and the house will be monitored a second time to see if the environment has become healthier.
The study also includes a blood test for the children to look for genetic differences between subjects whose asthma improves and those who do not improve after changes are made in the home environment.
The researchers hope to complete the study for 50 children during the five-year period. They expect to recruit more than twice that number, as there is typically a 50 percent dropout rate in studies like this. Subjects will participate for nine to 12 months.
This research is very costly to do because the silicone band technology is very expensive, Hartman said. “Hopefully we can get more funding to do more in the future, based on the results from this,” she added.
In addition to in-home education and service, research participants in the GMF-funded study, like all participants in the FAM Allies program, are given home supplies based on need. These include vacuum cleaners, dust mite covers and “anything that we have in our supply closet that we know that they could use,” Hartman said.
Brenda Rivera has a 7-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter with asthma.
After a difficult year with two children who were constantly ill, Rivera found FAM Allies while looking for help online. At about the same time, she was referred to a specialist who diagnosed both children with asthma. “The combination of the doctor and the (FAM Allies) program is really helping,” said Rivera, who missed a lot of work during the winter.
Thornton happened upon a FAM Allies booth at a women’s conference she attended last year and decided to take advantage of the help being offered. Though J’Ali has been seeing a specialist for three years, and Thornton thought she knew something about asthma, she said the in-home assistance “has helped out so much.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
July 31, 2016


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Pull of neighborhood schools remains weak in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 1, 2016
jsonline.com


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Scale Up Milwaukee opens applications for Scalerator 4 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Scale Up Milwaukee
August 1, 2016
Scale Up Milwaukee, an initiative of the Greater Milwaukee Committee supported by WEDC, will again offer its selective growth training program, the Scalerator. In its fourth year, the program will continue focusing on three main areas of content: sales and marketing, finance and operations and management. To date, the Scalerator program has helped 45 participating companies from around southeastern Wisconsin experience significant growth with more than 150 new hires and 42% projected annual revenue growth.
The six-month, seven-session training program teaches business owners the practical skills to inject growth into their ventures. Administered by a team of professors from world leader in entrepreneurship education Babson College, the Scalerator works with investors, banks, professional services firms, universities and public sector stakeholders to support growth.
The application for Scalerator 4 opens August 1, 2016. It is available on the Scale Up Milwaukee website at www.scaleupmilwaukee.org/scalerator.
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author: Scale Up Milwaukee


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2016 Milwaukee Film Festival announces Black Lens program lineup | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Film
August 2, 2016
A still from “The Land” (Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Film)
The 8th Annual Milwaukee Film Festival announces the return of the Black Lens Program for a third year. Featuring work from both emerging and established African-American filmmakers, this series presents eight programs of short and feature-length fiction and documentary films. In 2015, Black Lens film screenings attracted a total audience of 3,288 (a 96% increase over 2014), with an estimated 28% of attendees being African-American.
Milwaukee Film announced in April that it had received a $10,000 FilmWatch grant in support of its Black Lens Program from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Milwaukee Film is one of 16 FilmWatch grant recipients for the 2016-2017 grant year.
In addition to support from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Black Lens has received a grant from the Johnson Controls Foundation to help underwrite the program for a second year. Promotional support for the program comes from Program Sponsors WJMR Jammin’ 98.3 and the Black Lens Engagement Committee, as well as a network of Milwaukee Film sponsors and community partners.
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New this year, the Black Lens Engagement Committee is comprised of individuals from FUEL Milwaukee, Media Circus, Milwaukee Urban League Young Professionals (MULYP), Milwaukee Black Professionals (MBP), and Social X. This group will work collectively with the Black Lens programmers to conduct outreach to various constituencies about the program and the Milwaukee Film Festival.
“In two years, Black Lens has gone from a worthy experiment with ambitious goals to a bona fide attraction at the Milwaukee Film Festival. The growth of the program since its inception is a testament to the need for culturally diverse programming in our city. When you consider how segregated Milwaukee is, and then see the diversity of Black Lens audiences, you realize the power of film and, more importantly, the resonance of great storytelling,” stated Black Lens Co-Programmer Geraud Blanks.
In response to the program’s growth, Milwaukee Film is announcing a jury prize for the Black Lens Program. A $5,000 cash award will be presented to the director of the jury-selected winner of the best short or feature film within the program.
“I don’t think it’s hyperbolic to say that year three for the Black Lens Program will be a game-changer,” exclaimed Black Lens Co-Programmer Donte McFadden. “What also makes year three exciting is the addition of the Black Lens Council, which is designed to provide support directly to the Black Lens Program from new and continuing Milwaukee Film Members.”
The Black Lens Council provides its members ongoing access to films by African-American filmmakers and instills a direct link between the Milwaukee community and the Black Lens Program. In addition, Black Lens Council members receive year-round and festival benefits. For more information, visit mkefilm.org/blacklenscouncil.
In cooperation with Program Sponsor WJMR Jammin’ 98.3, a Black Lens Reception will take place on Friday, September 16 at 88Nine Radio Milwaukee. The event is intended to showcase the program’s film trailers as well as provide an opportunity to engage with the Black Lens programmers, sponsors, and community partners. The event is free and open to the public; details to be available at mkefilm.org.
Facebook: /BlackLensMKE | Twitter: @BlackLensMKE | Hashtag: #BlackLensMKE
Presenting Sponsor: Johnson Controls Foundation
Special support provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Program Sponsors: WJMR Jammin’ 98.3 & Black Lens Engagement Committee
2016 MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL
BLACK LENS
African-American filmmakers explore stories and topics rooted in the black community and relevant to all. This program features fiction and documentary films from both emerging and established voices.
FILMS
9 Rides
(USA / 2016 / Director: Matthew A. Cherry)
Trailer: youtube.com/watch?v=mhqcYoYEimA
It’s New Year’s Eve and an unnamed Uber driver (a remarkable performance from Dorian Missick) is checking in for the busiest day of the year. Over the course of the evening and his numerous fares, he’ll witness couples falling in and out of love, belligerent police officers, and solo passengers; all of these brief interactions underlying his own growing anxiety in the face of recent life-changing news. Shot entirely on an iPhone 6s (the first movie ever to do so!), Matthew Cherry’s intimate and gripping drama combines naturalistic performance with unobtrusive camerawork to tell a very modern story of life and love.
Black Lens Shorts Program
An eclectic array of shorts that represent African-American cinema in all of its glory: stories range from a documentary about the intersection of hip-hop and social justice to boy-meets-girl romantic comedies to striking suspense thrillers. An abundance of talented voices tell stories of love, self-discovery, inclusion, and justice, giving voice to an experience often neglected by our movie screens.
#Bars4Justice (USA / 2015 / Directors: Queen Muhammad Ali, Hakeem Khaaliq)
The Big Chop (USA / 2016 / Director: Derek Dow II)
Black Movie Night (USA / 2016 / Director: Sterling Milan)
Didn’t I Ask for Tea? (USA / 2015 / Directors: Rahwa Asmerom, Essence Ward)
Flowers (USA / 2016 / Directors: Nikyatu Jusu, Yvonne Shirley)
Tap Shoes & Violins (USA / 2015 / Director: Dax Brooks)
(USA / 2015 / Director: Delila Vallot)
Trailer: vimeo.com/130457181
In South Los Angeles, one of the biggest food deserts in the country, the last thing you would expect to find is a beautiful garden sprouting up through the concrete urban landscape. This inspiring documentary follows the journey of four gardeners who are part of an urban gardening revolution taking root. Each of the film’s subjects put their hands in the soil to transform their neighborhoods and change their own lives in the process.
How to Tell You’re a Douchebag
(USA / 2016 / Director: Tahir Jetter)
Trailer: N/A
A fresh, sexy romantic comedy that cuts to the heart of dating in the age of social media, How to Tell You’re a Douchebag manages to be humorous and contemporary without breaking a sweat. Ray is a 20-something struggling writer in Brooklyn, venting frustrations about his stagnant career and love life via his blog “Occasionally Dating Black Women.” A public tirade puts him in the crosshairs of the fiercely intelligent Rochelle, an up-and-coming writer with zero tolerance for Ray’s casual misogyny. Ray attempts to apologize, beginning a journey towards humility and unexpected romance in a comedy that upends all expectations.
The Land
(USA / 2016 / Director: Steven Caple Jr.)
Trailer: youtube.com/watch?v=6pNpHOCRhkA
Executive Producer Nas presents this vivid inner-city saga set amidst Cleveland’s skateboarding culture. During the day, Cisco and his group of friends videotape their daring skate stunts in the hopes of one day going pro. At night, they use them to pull off kinetic carjackings. But when they get mixed up in a drug deal and cross a ruthless queen-pin, they put their friendship–and lives–on the line. The film features an impressive cast that includes Michael K. Williams (Omar from The Wire), Erykah Badu, and Machine Gun Kelly. Set to a solid hip-hop soundtrack, The Land‘s engaging narrative and powerful performances match the music that sustains its energy and poetry.
Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise
(USA / 2016 / Directors: Bob Hercules, Rita Coburn Whack)
Trailer: N/A
A genuine American icon receives the moving and personal portrait she so richly deserves in Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise. The film focuses on Angelou’s prolific accomplishments and allows her to tell her life story in her own words. Co-directed by MFF2011 alum Bob Hercules (A Good Man), this documentary spotlights her career, relationships, causes, and the obstacles she overcame in her ascension towards luminary status.
Somewhere in the Middle
(USA / 2015 / Director: Lanre Olabisi)
Trailer: vimeo.com/121962986
A fractured marriage splinters off into intertwining affairs in this sexy, sophisticated romantic drama. There are certainly less than six degrees of separation between our four principals: Kofi and Billie find their marriage crumbling around them, and while Kofi finds solace in Sofiya, a fragile young woman who sees him as her potential salvation, Billie pursues a relationship with her female co-worker, Alex. Secrets and lies surface as lovers change hearts, and layer after layer of a love quadrangle slowly peels away. Moments that seemed true are revisited, turning them upside down and revealing that when stories intersect, the truth lies Somewhere in the Middle.
Two Trains Runnin’
(USA / 2016 / Director: Sam Pollard)
Trailer: vimeo.com/121266222
In the summer of 1964, hundreds of college students flooded into Mississippi to join the fight for civil rights (as seen in Freedom Summer, a selection from the inaugural year of the Black Lens Program, MFF2014). At the same time, there were two groups of musicians and record collectors that also made their way to the South, seeking to discover the whereabouts of blues musicians Son House and Skip James and convince them to come out of retirement. Containing strong performances of classic blues standards by contemporary musicians such as Gary Clark Jr. and Lucinda Williams, Two Trains Runnin’ tracks the convergence of our political and cultural institutions during one fateful summer that changed the course of both music and American history.
Select film stills can be downloaded here: https://goo.gl/IxBUQG
Festival passes and ticket 6-Packs for the 2016 Milwaukee Film Festival are now on sale. For a complete list of prices, as well as a breakdown of the discount deadlines, visit mkefilm.org/tickets.

created: August 2, 2016

author: Milwaukee Film


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 2, 2016


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Arts @ Large student exhibit highlights women’s personal stories | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sharon McGowan
August 2, 2016
Using photography, illustration and mixed media, student artists at Arts @ Large have created an exhibit that employs art as a tool for social activism. Among the topics explored are the stories of female first-generation immigrants; influential women from around the globe; and local survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking.
The exhibit, which runs through Sept. 30, is at the Arts @ Large gallery, 908 S. 5th St. The project was created in part by Arts @ Large’s Serve2Unite Student Leadership Chapters.
Arts & Large provides local schools with services that include teacher and artist training, and research excursions to museums, organizations and higher education institutions in the Milwaukee area.
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author: Sharon McGowan


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 1, 2016


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On the Block: Common man | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
August 2, 2016
Douglas Harris, an Army veteran and counselor, believes that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, who are running for president, should try to connect to voters. The election, he says, will be won by the candidate who can address the concerns of the common man, while relating to their hopes and dreams.

author: Brendan O’Brien


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Organizers pleased with city’s newest concert series in Mitchell Park | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Rebecca Carballo
August 2, 2016
The final concert of the Music in Mitchell Park series took place Thursday at the Mitchell Park Conservatory, 524 S. Layton Blvd. Music in Mitchell Park is a new concert series that offered diverse music and a free family event for residents of the Clarke Square neighborhood.
“It’s important to provide people with something to do with their families that is safe and free,” said Cathy Peltz, a board member of the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative (CSNI).
Peltz said the first summer has been successful. CSNI hosted four shows and is considering whether to add more shows next year.
A different band performed each week, and community organizations sponsored various activities. The Differentials played at the final concert, and Artist Working in Education provided free crafts and family photos. Two schools, Stellar Collegiate and Christ St. Peter Lutheran School, set up informational tents at the concert.
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All of the musical acts have been local Milwaukee artists. Peltz said CSNI tried to provide a wide variety of genres. She added that she is proud of the diverse music and audience.
“Music brings people together and that’s why we had the idea to do this,” Peltz said. “Our mission is to create positive experiences within the neighborhood.”


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City accepting bids for repainting of Fondy Farmers’ Market | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Russell W. Stamper, II
August 3, 2016
Interested local residents and small businesses can now bid on a City of Milwaukee contract to repaint the Fondy Food Center, home of the Fondy Farmers’ Market at 2200 W. Fond Du Lac Ave.,  announced.
“The Fondy Farmers’ Market is one of the great benefits of living in the 15th Aldermanic District, offering residents the opportunity to purchase fresh produce direct from the source and interact with the people who produce our food,” Alderman Stamper said. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to revitalize this key neighborhood resource, and I would encourage any small business in the neighborhood to apply to be a part of this important project.”
The deadline for completed bids to be filed with the Department of City Development is 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 24, 2016. Bidders are required to take part in a mandatory walk-through of the work site at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, August 15, 2016. Qualified contractors are required to meet certain Small Business Enterprise and residency requirements to qualify.
“With a little know-how and elbow grease to reinvigorate the property, the market will be an even greater source of neighborhood pride,” Alderman Stamper said. “In the locally-focused spirit of the market, I’m hopeful we can find a contractor from the neighborhood to do this project.”
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A copy of the bid notice is attached to this press release.

created: August 3, 2016

author: Ald. Russell W. Stamper, II


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 3, 2016


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NNS on Lake Effect Radio: Westlawn residents move out, ahead of September demolitions | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 3, 2016
After winning a $30 million federal grant to rebuild the second half of the Westlawn public housing development, the city of Milwaukee’s housing authority is relocating the first group of residents.
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28329237185_d2191028ea_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
August 3, 2016

author: Dwayne Burtin


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SHARP Literacy, inc. summer reading program gets boost from community partners to challenge students to read more | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
SHARP Literacy
August 3, 2016
SHARP Literacy announced today the expansion of its popular August Reading Initiatives, MKE Kids Read: Books for Keeps and Summer Reading Challenge, to include additional locations and a permanent “Little Free Library.” The combined reading programs are aimed at keeping elementary school students reading throughout the month of August.
SHARP’s popular MKE Kids Read: Books for Keeps program is expanding this year to include library kiosks in 28 McDonald’s restaurants within the City of Milwaukee. These kid-sized libraries will be stocked with a variety of books for children to read and take home. Milwaukee Police officers will visit each of the restaurants as needed through August 19 to re-stock the mini libraries with a total of 4,000 books that span multiple reading levels from board books to teen favorites, including some books printed in Spanish.
SHARP’s Summer Reading Challenge invites youngsters from throughout the 10-county southeastern Wisconsin area to participate in a fun challenge that couples reading with healthy eating. With this program, students in the fifth grade or below can pledge to read a book before they return to school and receive a free, healthy snack of McDonald’s Apple Slices, Fruit & Maple Oatmeal, GoGurt, milk or juice. SHARP’s Summer Reading Challenge takes place August 1 – 7 in the lobby of 125 participating McDonald’s restaurants from 1-4 p.m, each day; children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.   Additional requirements can be found at www.sharpliteracy.org.
In tandem with the Summer Reading Challenge, students may also bring a book to 11 WaterStone Bank branches and receive a coupon for a healthy, McDonald’s snack. A complete list of participating McDonald’s restaurants and WaterStone Bank branches can be found at www.sharpliteracy.org.
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New for 2016, SHARP has added a Little Free Library to its comprehensive August reading initiatives. The permanent mini library will be installed at the McDonald’s restaurant located at 1575 W. Washington Street on Milwaukee’s southside, with a goal of adding more Little Free Libraries to Milwaukee area McDonald’s restaurants in future years. The kid-friendly Little Free Libraries encourage young readers to borrow and read books year-round.
“By encouraging kids to read in August – through MKE Kids Read: Books for Keeps, the Summer Reading Challenge and our new Little Free Library – we are helping to bridge the education gap of summer and prepare them for school in September,” said Lynda Kohler, president and CEO of SHARP Literacy, Inc. “Instead of ‘catching up’ when school starts, many of these students will be exceeding expectations. Students that read year-round simply have a greater opportunity for academic success.”
The August reading initiatives coincide with SHARP Literacy’s eight-week summer educational program at nine urban locations throughout Milwaukee including: Neighborhood House; Journey House; Our Next Generation; COA-Riverwest; Milwaukee Christian Center; Silver Spring Neighborhood Center; Neu-Life at Gwen T. Jackson; St. Joan Antida High School; and Milwaukee Summer Reading Project. Through these community centers, learning centers and schools, SHARP will reach will reach more than 350 students with its educational summer program.

author: SHARP Literacy


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State grant funds “Smoke Free Homes for Healthy Babies” in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee Health Department
August 3, 2016
The City of Milwaukee Health Department was awarded $10,000 from the Wisconsin Division of Public Health to improve environmental public health in Milwaukee by implementing a smoking cessation initiative called Smoke Free Homes for Healthy Babies.
According to the 2015 Milwaukee County Environmental Health Profile, 10.1% of babies born in Milwaukee County between 2011 and 2013 were born low birth weight (<2500 g) and 12.3% were born premature (<37 weeks gestation). These rates are higher than rates for Wisconsin as a whole (7.3% LBW and 10.3% Preterm birth).
“While there are many factors that affect birth outcomes, secondhand smoke exposure is one of the most modifiable,” Milwaukee Health Department Commissioner Bevan K. Baker said.
This project aims to reduce the number of pregnant women and children with secondhand smoke exposure in their homes by implementing an evidence-based smoking cessation program for men who live with pregnant women, infants, and young children. In tandem, the project aims to raise awareness about the link between secondhand smoke, low birth weight, preterm birth and infant mortality and to increase readiness to quit smoking through a marketing campaign. This new project will nicely complement many of the City of Milwaukee Health Department’s other initiatives aimed at reducing infant mortality in the city, such as home visiting for new moms and dads and safe sleep clinics.
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Secondhand smoke is associated with many negative health outcomes, including poor birth outcomes and infant mortality; tobacco use and secondhand smoke are also associated with asthma, lung cancer and heart disease.
“There are numerous potential health benefits related to smoking cessation, including those for smokers themselves, as well for their children,” stated Jessica Gathirimu, Director of the Family and Community Health Division of the City of Milwaukee Health Department. Rates of asthma and lung cancer are also higher in Milwaukee County when compared to rates for the State.
The project in Milwaukee is one of seven environmental public health projects being funded throughout the state through the Taking Action with Data funding opportunity from the Wisconsin Environmental Public Health Tracking Program, which is housed at the Wisconsin Division of Public Health.
For more information about the City of Milwaukee Health Department, visit http://city.milwaukee.gov/Health/.

author: City of Milwaukee Health Department


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Statement on the death of Sean Flowers III from the Milwaukee Commission on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee Health Department
August 3, 2016
The Milwaukee Commission on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault joins the community in mourning the senseless death of three-month-old Sean Flowers III. We share the sentiment of Mr. Joey Griffin, one of the courageous bystanders who attempted to save the infant, who said, “We all lost. We all lost this one.” Our community feels a tremendous sense of shock, grief, and loss, and the hearts and thoughts of our membership go out to Sean’s loved ones as well as the selfless witnesses and first responders, who continue to grapple with this tragedy.
It is important to note that this case has befallen our city during a year, when domestic violence homicides and shootings have increased in Milwaukee.
Victims have many reasons for staying in abusive relationships, not the least of which is fear for their safety and the safety of their children. When victims assert their independence or leave, perpetrators devise other ways to reestablish control. When this occurs, children can become leverage, and abuse against children can become a perpetrator’s dangerous tool to control current or former partners.
The importance of awareness, prevention, support, and resources for domestic violence cannot be overstated. There is often a lengthy history of violence in an abusive relationship, and close family members or friends may be aware of it. Domestic violence has a cyclical and escalating nature, and when these situations implode, the ripple effect goes beyond the immediate victim and abuser. In fact, merely witnessing violence is enough to traumatize those involved. This is why we must take the warning signs of domestic violence seriously and intervene before it is too late.
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Preventing another tragedy demands collective action from all segments of our community. As a Commission, we remain steadfast and committed in our efforts to ensure a seamless, compassionate, and meaningful network of support for families impacted by violence. We remain unyielding in our advocacy for a system that holds perpetrators accountable while providing pathways to change their abusive behaviors and repair the harm that they have caused. We will continue to seek new ways to stop violence before it starts, sustain healthy families, and make Milwaukee a safer place. Concerned bystanders and loved ones who suspect abuse are urged to report it. If it is safe to do so, reach out to your loved one, convey concern, listen to them, and assist them in accessing supportive resources. If you are being hurt, know that you are not alone, and help is available.
A domestic violence resource listing can be found on the City of Milwaukee Health Department website.
Housed in the City of Milwaukee Health Department’s Office of Violence Prevention, the Commission on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault was founded by the Milwaukee Common Council in 1979 and is a multidisciplinary board representing the many systems that serve families impacted by violence in our community to improve local responses to domestic violence and sexual assault.


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Artist and colleagues give back with 65-foot mural in Walker’s Point | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Emmy A. Yates
August 4, 2016
Local artists Chacho Lopez, Adam Correa, Julian Correa, Jon Bartels, Ben Stark, Josh Ebert, Tom Aldana and Mike Davenport all contributed to the mural. (Photo by Emmy A. Yates)
Looking out the classroom window of the high school he seldom attended, 16-year-old Chacho Lopez could see police officers pulling up to the school building. Scared out of his mind because he knew they were looking for him, he pulled his hood over his head and crept out of the building past the officers. Lopez remembers his gut dropping as his father screamed over the phone, “They’ve raided the house, they’ve got the cans, they’re coming to get you now!”
Lopez, who said he was always getting into trouble as a teenager, remembers hiding in his father’s car, praying. A week later he turned himself into the police and was charged with vandalism, trespassing and loitering. Because he was a minor, he was sentenced to community service.
Graffiti and street painting have always been a part of Lopez’s life. Having come from a highly artistic family, he isn’t surprised that his earliest memory of graffiti is from when he was 5 years old.
Now 25, Lopez has chosen to produce art that’s more positive for his community.
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“Graffiti is 100 percent selfish,” Lopez commented. “You’re risking your freedom, you’re hurting your family, loved ones and your friends. If you think about it, you’re running around all night writing your own name. You’re going around terrorizing by putting your name everywhere.”
Chacho Lopez stands by his most recent mural in Walker’s Point during an early stage in its creation. (Photo by Emmy A. Yates)
During the past two years alone, Lopez has been involved in painting nine free murals for Milwaukee neighborhoods.
“We’re doing murals for free, but it’s priceless.” Lopez said. “You can’t put a price on something that means so much.”
His uncle did graffiti and his father was a tattoo artist. Born and raised in Walker’s Point, Lopez has been tattooing at Walker’s Point Tattoo Company for more than two years. He said it’s easier painting a wall than tattooing an arm. He looks at spray cans as his paintbrush, and blank walls as his canvas.
Lopez sees painting murals as a more mature way of continuing to do graffiti, and it’s his way of giving back, because he thinks murals are for everyone. He prefers working with other artists; by collaborating they can inspire each other and meet people who share the same passion, he said.
His most recent mural in Walker’s Point is located on the side of La Michoacana, an ice cream store at 717 S. 2nd St. The mural reads “Bienvedios A Walker’s Point,” and is filled with neighborhood landmarks such as the Allen-Bradley Clock Tower, Basilica of St. Josaphat, Bruce Guadalupe church and Escuela Verde charter school.
About 65 feet long and 14 feet high, the mural took three weeks to create, including three days of prep work, two days of priming, and more than 130 hours of painting with 300 cans of spray paint. Local artists Adam Correa, Julian Correa, Jon Bartels, Ben Stark, Josh Ebert, Tom Aldana and Mike Davenport all contributed to the piece.
Josh Ebert, who worked on the project, thinks murals foster a sense of community pride.
“It’s something that creates a bond among neighbors,” Ebert said. “It bridges the gap between neighborhoods and gives an artist the chance to represent their heritage or home.”
Artist Adam Correa’s portrait of his grandfather, Rau’l Correa Sr., resides on the far west side of the wall. (Photo by Emmy A. Yates)
Lopez said he often sees muralists from out of town being paid for painting walls in cities they don’t live in. “Milwaukee never wants to put Milwaukee artists on the map,” he said. “The talent is right here, right in front of everyone and this city isn’t supporting that.”
When it comes to collaborating on a large wall, Lopez said there needs to be a solid idea for the piece, and there’s little room for artists to be hard-headed. At the same time, he knows it’s important to let fellow artists express themselves without restrictions.
“There’s beasts you need to unleash like Adam (Correa),” Lopez said. “You have to let an artist like that do what he needs to do. There needs to be trust sometimes because every artist is different.”
The Walker’s Point mural is filled with details that represent who each artist is or where he came from. Correa said he looked at the mural as a way to honor his grandfather, Rau’l Correa Sr., whose portrait is about 10 feet wide.
“I’ve always wanted to paint him,” Correa said. “There’s a lot of stories that can be told through hands and faces. That’s why it was great having the opportunity to paint details that big.”
Lopez hopes the murals influence young people to be more artistic. He and the painters who worked on the Walker’s Point mural are in the process of planning a mural group that serves Milwaukee neighborhoods. Lopez is confident it will become a movement.
“We’re going to start seeing murals pop up like wildfire,” Lopez said. “It’s the same graffiti mentality of getting up and doing a roller here or a tag there. We’re still getting up, just legally. There’s still that heart and that sense of graffiti, but we’re more motivated now to do things right.”
Lopez also said fatherhood helped put him on the right track. He draws inspiration everyday from his own father, Leo, and his daughter, Nana.
“Being a father really got me going because I want to leave something physically for her,” Lopez said. “These murals, these walls, she’ll be able to see them when she’s older and say, ‘My dad did that,’ and everyone will know and respect her because of their respect for me.”

created: August 4, 2016

author: Emmy A. Yates


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Bader Philanthropies moving HQ to King Drive | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 4, 2016
jsonline.com


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Civil Rights Coalition Calls For Improving Police-Community Relations In Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 4, 2016
WPR Wisconsin Public Radio


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Court Watch: 95% of Wisconsin State Judges Are White | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 4, 2016
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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Milwaukee Film Festival announces the lineup for the Black Lens Program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 4, 2016
88NINE Radio Milwaukee


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On the Block: Mind over matter | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
August 4, 2016
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Michael Stephens has been many places, and had his share of highs and lows. Stephens, who was diagnosed with diabetes in his early 20s, recently lost both of his legs to the disease. Nevertheless, he’s continued to live the life he’s been given.
Read more about Michael Stephens at milwaukeestories.org.
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author: Jabril Faraj


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South side Pick ‘n Save to close by summer’s end | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 4, 2016
Milwaukee Business Journal


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MKE United Greater Downtown Action Agenda to create shared, inclusive vision for downtown, adjacent neighborhoods | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Greater Milwaukee Committee
August 5, 2016
Today, the Greater Milwaukee Committee in partnership with the City of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Urban League and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation announced the MKE United Greater Downtown Action Agenda (MKE United), an effort to create a shared, inclusive vision for Greater Downtown Milwaukee, supported by a strategic Action Agenda that will make that vision a reality.
“Milwaukee is experiencing unprecedented downtown development,” said Milwaukee Mayor, Tom Barrett. “Working together, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to leverage those developments to create more equitable benefit for all Milwaukeeans and the neighborhoods adjacent to downtown.”
MKE United defines the Greater Downtown as the downtown area and its surrounding neighborhoods:
Within the Greater Downtown, MKE United’s Action Agenda will be focused on:
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MKE United will leverage the significant planning and implementation work that has already occurred, while creating stronger integration and coordination across neighborhoods, as well as cross-sector partnerships that will accelerate effective implementation.
“There is often skepticism about planning processes, as people fear the end result will only be a plan that sits on the shelf,” said Linda Gorens-Levey, Partner at General Capital Group and Co-Chair of MKE United’s Executive Committee. “Instead, the MKE United Greater Downtown Action Agenda will be a ‘living’ implementation playbook, with actionable items over the next 10 years.”
The MKE United Executive Committee, which includes representation from the Greater Milwaukee Committee, the City of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Urban League and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, is advised by a Steering Committee representing a diverse cross section of Milwaukee leaders from government, community, nonprofit, philanthropy, business and institutional sectors.
A key component of the effort is its civic engagement process, which launched in July 2016 with the creation of the Steering Committee, the convening of community ambassadors and the launch of the project’s website. Workshops began in July to secure feedback and insight into the MKE United process. Additional meetings, workshops and events will be held throughout the summer. Visit www.MKEUnited.com for more information.
“Civic engagement and dialogue is critical to the success of this effort,” said Ricardo Diaz Executive Director of the United Community Center and Co-Chair of the MKE United Steering Committee. “Our goal is to build trust, create cross-sector working relationships and partnerships, and establish a well-informed, long-standing constituency for planning and implementation.”
About MKE United Greater Downtown Action Agenda
The MKE United Greater Downtown Action Agenda (MKE United) is a comprehensive planning process which will create a shared and, inclusive vision for Downtown Milwaukee and its adjacent neighborhoods, supported by a strategic Action Agenda that will make that vision a reality. For more information, visit http://www.MKEUnited.com.

created: August 5, 2016

author: Greater Milwaukee Committee


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Outcomes from Summit on Poverty reveal extensive work needed in Milwaukee County | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Social Development Commission
August 5, 2016
The stark reality of the challenges and work needed to address the extensive state of poverty in Milwaukee County were clear at the conclusion of SDC’s Summit on Poverty held Tuesday, August 2. Hundreds of attendees representing all aspects of the community – educational institutions, community and faith-based organizations, the business community and residents, were committed and motivated to develop an action plan for implementation in the community.
The world-renowned Dr. Joy DeGruy kicked-off the summit with a powerful two and a half hour presentation on trauma to an audience that was fully captivated. Following a rousing standing ovation lasting several minutes, DeGruy took questions from dozens of participants. Participants had so many questions that the Q & A had to be cut-off to ensure adequate time for the scheduled sessions.
(Photo courtesy of SDC)
Four breakout sessions were held concurrently and focused Cognitive Dissonance and Willful Silence – the Economic Divide, The Ism’s (racism, sexism, classism, etc.), Policies & Systems, and Trauma – Causation with Maslow’s Hierarchy. The sessions raised a breadth of questions, causes and issues related to their respective topic and concluded with prioritization of actions needed in the community in order to reduce poverty.
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Focus points from each session were announced at a report-out identifying focus points for the organizing committee to further prioritize and develop an action plan. Topline points included holding politicians accountable for the implementation and activation of new and existing policies and laws to bring people out of poverty; creating viable public transportation to jobs; changing the allocation of funds to meet the community’s needs; and politicians working, in earnest, across the aisle for the benefit of those in poverty.
Trauma focused recommendations directing efforts toward education and the development of non- judgmental attitudes; hearing others’ trauma through listening to their stories; and helping individuals learn to say, “I can trust you.”
Recommendations from Policies & Systems included making politicians, businesses, faith-based and community leaders accountable at all levels; continually having cultural competency, anti-racism, and anti-bias training in systems of traditionally white supremacist structures; and addressing the intersection of race and gender and how each or both translate into the need for emotional and self-care for both normal trauma and that resulting from being beat down at a place of employment.
Themes that emerged from the Cognitive Dissonance and Willful Silence –the Economic Divide had a strong focus on privilege. The feeling that it is often unearned and questioning why is there is a sense of it toward other socio-economic brackets, and are those with a sense of privilege willfully turning a blind- eye to poverty. The need to stop blaming low-income individuals and families for their economic status was raised, as was the role of history and education in shaping viewpoints.
At the conclusion of the day, a number of attendees committed to engage in the execution of the action plan once developed.
The summit’s organizing committee will reconvene in the coming weeks to review all of the data collected, discussion points that led to the recommendations, and contact participants about next steps and assignments for the finalization of the action plan for the community.

author: Social Development Commission


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 5, 2016


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Two years after Cargill shut down, displaced workers train for new opportunities | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
August 5, 2016
Donna Jones, a displaced Cargill worker, is taking early childhood education classes at MATC. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
For Donna Jones the memories are still fresh. Two years ago this week, she was one of hundreds of workers at the Cargill Inc. beef slaughterhouse in the Menomonee Valley herded into a large break room and told their services would no longer be needed.
“We were shocked. One day we had a job, and the next we didn’t.”
Jones worked 35-40 hours a week as a bagger on the kill floor at the slaughterhouse, at 1915 W. Canal St., for three years. Like most of the employees — some of whom had been there for decades — she had no inkling that her job had run its course. More than 600 jobs would eventually be lost.
Like Jones, Beatriz Hernandez, who worked for 11 years in Cargill’s parts department, remembers the intense emotions she and others felt after losing their jobs.
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“We didn’t know what to do with ourselves,” Hernandez recalled. “‘Now what?’ we were all asking.”
Cargill’s former beef slaughterhouse facility, 1915 W. Canal St., was purchased in 2015 by the Potawatomi Tribe but it remains closed. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Jones and Hernandez were among 438 displaced Cargill workers seeking out services through the Hire Center at Employ Milwaukee. According to Julie Cayo, director of policy and fund development for Employ Milwaukee, 2338 N. 27 St., services include help applying for unemployment, remedial math and reading, transportation, childcare assistance, resume writing, job training and job search. The program is still providing services to 37 former Cargill workers, Cayo added.
Jones earned her high school equivalency diploma at Employ Milwaukee, and is preparing to enter her second semester at MATC, where she’s working toward an associate’s degree in early childhood education. When she’s not taking classes at MATC, Jones spends 10 hours a week at the Hire Center, receiving help in math.
Hernandez also went back to school, completing an office technical assistance program at MATC. She then was offered a four-month internship as an office technical assistant for Employ Milwaukee. Upon completion, she got a full-time job.
“I experienced the program from both sides, first coming here needing the help and now I’m able to help others,” Hernandez said.
Because of the cattle shortage that led to the closure of Cargill’s slaughterhouse, Employ Milwaukee was able to file a petition on behalf of former workers with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, which allowed workers to continue receiving benefits and other training for two years after their unemployment benefits ran out. Recipients also can file for an extension after that time period.
Ricardo Ybarra, director of adult services at Employ Milwaukee, had recently started his job when he was called upon to help hundreds of former Cargill workers in August 2014. Though it isn’t the largest group of displaced workers he’s served during his tenure, Ybarra said Cargill presented several unique challenges, many related to the diversity of its workforce.
“There were Spanish speaking, Somali, Burmese, and within the Burmese there were subgroups, and there were Arabic speakers as well,” Ybarra said.
Maung Pa Aye, a displaced Cargill worker, now works as a resource room specialist for Employ Milwaukee. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
The organization was able to provide services to workers in their native tongues, according to Ybarra. Originally from Burma, Maung Pa Aye, operated a cutting saw on the kill floor at Cargill for six years, and then was hired by Employ Milwaukee to work with displaced Burmese workers and others. First an outreach worker and then a resource room specialist, he created a Burmese forklift certification training program for former Cargill workers. CNining was also offered in Spanish.
Aye also earned his high school equivalency diploma, and is now taking online courses in graphic design. He said that while he and others have gained sound training for new careers through Employ Milwaukee and TAA, not all the former workers have taken advantage of the opportunity. According to Aye and Jones, some displaced workers found factory jobs in the meat and other industries, while others are waiting for their benefits to end before they look for another job.
“The majority of us did what we had to do to take advantage of the opportunity to gain an education,” Jones said.
Despite the slaughterhouse closure in 2014, Cargill is still active. According to spokesman Michael Martin, the Cargill company has approximately 1,000 workers in the Milwaukee area, including 500 at the Butler ground beef facility, 220 at the Milwaukee ground beef facility and 250 at a recently acquired cocoa and chocolate facility, formerly the Ambrosia chocolate plant. NNS reported in Sept. 2014 that 50 laid-off Cargill workers were hired at other Cargill facilities, of 300 who applied.
Cargill no longer tracks the former workers, said Martin, though the company did conduct a series of job fairs and provide other support for the displaced workers in the months following the plant closure.
The Forest County Potawatomi Tribe purchased the shuttered Cargill slaughterhouse and another Cargill property last year for $6.3 million. Both of the properties sit adjacent to the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, 1721 W. Canal St. According to Potawatomi spokesman Ryan Amundson, the tribe is still deliberating about the best use for the building that housed the slaughterhouse. Federal laws prohibit the property from being used for gaming.
For Jones, the closure of Cargill’s beef slaughterhouse remains a bittersweet memory. While she acknowledges that without the educational training she’s received as a result of the closure she’d be further from realizing her goal of opening a daycare center, she misses the camaraderie at Cargill.
“All of us there, we were like a family. We talk about how much we miss each other all the time,” Jones said.

author: Edgar Mendez


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 4, 2016

author: Adam Carr


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Fourth annual Bronzeville Week opens with cultural and art festival | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 7, 2016
The 4th Annual Bronzeville Week kicked off on North Avenue between 3 and 7 streets with the HaRUNbee 5K Walk/Run to raise awareness of infant mortality. Then, attendees watched performers on stages, danced in the street, sampled foods offered by a large variety of vendors and greeted friends and neighbors. Shoppers bought clothing, jewelry, beauty and heath products from booths lining the four block festival. Artists and cultural, community and religious groups promoted their work and kids had their faces painted, posed for photos, bounced in a fun house and blew bubbles.
The Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District is a City of Milwaukee redevelopment initiative inspired by Milwaukee’s original Bronzeville. It is striving to revitalize the area of Milwaukee where African-American culture has been a mainstay. Click Bronzeville Week for more about the week and see below for a schedule of remaining events.
Monday, August 8th
Bronzeville Live Well Health Screenings
(Free-HIV, HEP C, Blood Pressure, Glucose testing, immunizations)
MLK Heritage Health Clinic
2555 N Dr. Martin Luther King Drive Monday – Friday
10:00AM – 2:00PM
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Bronzeville in Retrospect—The Police in Our Community
First Stage Children’s Theater
325 N Walnut St.
5:00PM Reception
5:30PM – 7:30PM Program
Tuesday, August 9th
Bronzeville Creative Entrepreneurship Business Breakfast
The Big Eazy Restaurant
2053 N Dr. Martin Luther King Drive
7:30 AM- Registration, Networking & Breakfast 8:00 – 9:30 AM – Creative Entrepreneurship Stories & Bronzeville Insights/Trends
Wednesday, August 10
Trolley Rides
Pick-up in front of Gee’s Clippers
2215 N. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive
12 Noon
Heal Your Soul Arts Night
The Big Eazy Restaurant
2053 N Dr. Martin Luther King Drive
5:30PM – 8:30PM
Thursday, August 11th
Cool Aid & Canvas
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library 310 W Locust Street
10:30AM – 1st session
1:30PM – 2nd session
Paint-N-Sip
Best Friends Klubhouse
2722 N Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
6:00PM – 9:00PM
Friday, August 12th
Bronzeville Fire: Our Young and Talented
2200 N Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
6:00PM – 8:00PM
Saturday, August 13th
Pancakes & Poetry
2200 N Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
9:00AM – 11:00AM
Bronzeville Ride
Reader’s Choice Book Store
1950 N. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive
10:00AM
Art Walk
Dr. Martin Luther King Drive
between Garfield Ave. & North Ave.
4:00PM -8:00PM

created: August 7, 2016

author: Andrea Waxman


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Federal legislation ‘born in Milwaukee’ aims to reduce poverty | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
August 8, 2016
St. Ben’s Community Meal, a program of St. Benedict the Moor parish, provides dinner to impoverished Milwaukeeans six days a week. (Photo by Sue Vliet)
All Traci Lee wants to be able to do is to buy a new class uniform and a pair of shoes for her young son each year without having to worry about whether she will be able to pay her bills.
She would also like to get out from under an overdue electric bill before winter, and she dreams of one day buying a car so she could easily get to her two part-time jobs as a home health care worker.
So when the 28-year-old heard about the Stronger Way Act, a piece of legislation that may mean a federal tax refund each year of possibly a few thousand dollars more than she currently receives, she was intrigued and hopeful.
“That would be amazing…it would make things so much better than what is going on now,” said Lee, who is currently looking for a third job to be able to make ends meet. “I could pay off so many bills and debt.”
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That is the intention of the Stronger Way Act, a bill that would create a transitional jobs grant program at the Department of Labor and reform the federal Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit.
The proposed federal grant program would help fund and support local transitional job programs in Milwaukee and across the nation. Transitional jobs are time-limited, wage-paying jobs that train unemployed and underemployed people in specific skills local employers desire.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin co-authored the Stronger Way Act. (Photo courtesy of Tammy Baldwin)
Under the EITC portion of the bill, workers earning above 50 percent of the federal poverty line, about $12,000 a year for a family of four, or earning the minimum wage, which is about $15,000 a year, would receive increased tax credits.
“I crafted and introduced this measure in large part based on inspiration from Milwaukee, a community clearly struggling with poverty, but is also a reflection of so many other communities and hardship faced in urban America as well as rural America,” said U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), who authored the legislation with U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ).
In 2013, soon after she was sworn in as a U.S. senator, Baldwin met with Community Advocates Public Policy Institute officials, where she learned about their research, which showed that a combination of policy reforms that incentivize work and give a financial boost to the poor significantly reduces poverty.
The legislation was “born in Wisconsin, born in Milwaukee,” Baldwin said. “It appears to me to be one of the best ways to have a very significant impact on reducing poverty through a central focus on the dignity of work.”
The Stronger Way Act, in general, has a chance to gain bipartisan support as politicians on both sides of the aisle are in favor of at least portions of the legislation, such as the proposed federal grant program for transitional jobs, according to Baldwin.
The Public Policy Institute points to a study by the Urban Institute that found a federal policy package could cut poverty in half if it includes increasing the supply of transitional jobs and reforming the EITC, along with raising the minimum wage, and creating tax credits and subsidies for child care, senior citizens and disabled individuals.
“The best way out of poverty is through work, but work is not always available,” said Julie Kerksick, a senior policy advocate at the Public Policy Institute. “Even when you do work, it is not always sufficient to get you out of poverty.”
For Markivus Nellum, a 20-year-old father of two young children, getting a stable, decent-paying job has been a struggle because he lacks the necessary skills, making the transitional jobs element an attractive part of the legislation.
“I would be able to go to work and not worry about asking anyone for anything,” Nellum said outside of the Milwaukee County Department of Health And Human Services facility on Vliet Street. “I would be relieved. It would mean a lot because it is tough to struggle like I do.”
The change to the Earned Income Tax Credit would make a difference for people such as Lee, who works 45 hours per week. According to Baldwin, a single mother with two children making poverty level wages would receive about $2,200 a year more, while a working married couple with three children earning $20,000 a year would get a $3,500 increase in their federal tax return check.
“A couple grand would change my life,” Lee said as she waited for a ride outside of the Milwaukee County Department of Health And Human Services facility. “It would mean that all of my hard work is actually paying off.”
The legislation also would expand the EITC to workers who have children to support but do not list them as dependents on their taxes.
The legislation also expands and increases the federal Child Tax Credit for some low-income families and would tie the credit to inflation, which could also increase the resulting tax refund for poor individuals and families.
“All I want is to feed my kids and show them that I love them,” Nellum said.

created: August 8, 2016


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 7, 2016


text:
How Black Lives Matter Activists Plan to Fix Schools | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 8, 2016
The Atlantic


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Immigration Reform News in 2016: U.S. Border Patrol Agency Announces ‘Safe Zones’ for Immigrants | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 8, 2016
LatinPost.com


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Precious Lives: Safe Zones | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 8, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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Save the Date: Health equity mural unveiling and celebration 8/14 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Artists Working in Education
August 8, 2016
Photo courtesy of Artists Working in Education
Save the Date for the Health Equity mural unveiling and celebration!
Art as a Method of Health Advocacy
Sunday, August 14 12:30 pm, in conjunction with Ciclovia MKE
The Milwaukee Diabetes and Oral Health Gallery (1200 Cesar Chavez Dr)
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The Milwaukee Diabetes and Oral Health Art Gallery, Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative, youth from La Luz Del Mundo/Light of the World Church, and neighborhood youth, including interns from Journey House have joined with A.W.E. artists, John Kowalczyk and Isabel Castro, to create a public mural.
The theme of the mural is health equity, an important value in the Clarke Square neighborhood that residents have shared through the Quality of Life planning process. “The mural represents connections to each other and connecting ourselves to health awareness and health goals, it is art as a method of health advocacy,” shares resident and advocate, Marcela Garcia. Marcela and her sister, Dr. Dina Garcia, run the Milwaukee Diabetes and Oral Health Art Gallery.
Community members are encouraged to join in the painting process August 11-12 from 10am-3pm.
This project is funded by the Zilber Family Foundation, the Milwaukee Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin, MPS Partnership for the Arts and Humanities, City of Milwaukee NIDC.
We hope to see you at the unveiling!

author: Artists Working in Education


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 8, 2016


text:
Shaping Conversations Around What #SafetyIs in Black Communities | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 8, 2016
TheRoot.com


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Wisconsin named worst state for black Americans | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 8, 2016
Milwaukee Business Journal


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Community leaders say Milwaukee ‘can’t police’ its way out of violence | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
August 9, 2016
Mallory O’Brien, director, Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission, addresses the crowd at Bader Philanthropies. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Local leaders called for a comprehensive solution to gun violence in Milwaukee during a recent conversation exploring strategies to combat the issue. The solution, they said, must address the root causes of violence.
“You can’t police your way out of this. More police does not reduce hopelessness; more police does not reduce disparities. That happens through jobs, through less incarceration and through education,” said Willie Brisco, president of Milwaukee Innercity Congregations Allied for Hope (MICAH).
The group gathered as part of a project by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the Urban Institute, and the Joyce Foundation, and included representatives from the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), Wisconsin Department of Justice, Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office, Running Rebels, the Greater Milwaukee Committee and the Bradley Foundation.
The project’s goal is to give voice to communities hit hard by gun violence, and look at the issue in a holistic way, according to Spencer Overton, president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.
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The recent discussion, hosted at Bader Philanthropies, followed up an earlier meeting in November. Leaders focused on recommendations from the previous meeting and a national survey on gun violence and perceptions of law enforcement.
Those recommendations included reducing access to guns, improving police-community relations, providing resources to affected areas and individuals and increasing collaboration among organizations working to combat violence. Community conversations in Richmond, Virginia, and Stockton, California, also factored in.
Reggie Moore, director of the City of Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention (OVP), praised the work that has been done. However, he said those recommendations need to be “part of a bigger strategy” and stressed the need to develop a comprehensive, citywide anti-violence plan. He said OVP will begin to develop that plan by asking for feedback from the community, particularly those affected by violence.
The numbers
Local officials, including Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, look on during the event. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
“We are in the midst of a national conversation in this country around policing, and the criminal justice system, and gun violence … and I think this research really should help inform that national conversation,” said Nina Vinik, program director of the Joyce Foundation’s Gun Violence Prevention Program.
Vinik added that the findings create an opportunity for “nontraditional allies and partners to join together to address these issues more comprehensively.”
She said the survey, which was released in April, showed that African-Americans and Hispanics experience these issues personally. Most have a personal connection to someone who has been sent to jail, prison or another correctional facility and young people are disproportionately affected.
Fifty-seven percent of African-Americans and 45 percent of Hispanics believe that most Americans don’t care about the gun violence affecting communities of color. Those numbers were even higher among 18 to 29 year olds. High percentages of both groups expressed concern about interactions between police and young men of color. Only 47 percent of black people agreed that an individual won’t have problems with police if following the law.
Despite those concerns, the survey showed that only 8 percent of African-Americans and 4 percent of Hispanics said police make their community less safe, a finding questioned by Zeynab Ali, a former City of Milwaukee Youth Council representative and founder of Inspirational Impact.
“It just didn’t make sense that African-Americans … didn’t feel uncomfortable with the police being present in their neighborhoods,” said Ali. She said that number would be much higher if youth in Milwaukee were surveyed.
The survey sample, which Vinik said was meant to be “nationally representative,” included a large number of people from non-urban areas. Less than 40 percent of African-Americans and less than 30 percent of Hispanics surveyed earned less than $40,000 a year. Six out of 10 African-Americans surveyed were women.
“I think it probably would’ve been a little bit better if it would’ve been more focused on specific neighborhoods that were most impacted,” said Alan Schultz, a co-chair of Community Uprise at UWM and a member of Ex-Prisoners Organizing.
The local picture
Milwaukee’s poverty rate of 29 percent is almost twice the national average. Almost 40 percent of the city’s black population and more than 31 percent of Hispanics live in poverty. In 2015, there were 145 homicides and 633 non-fatal shootings, according to data from the Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission. Violence rates were highest among those two groups.
Vinik said concentrated poverty is a leading risk factor for violence.
Because of that, Milwaukee NAACP President Fred Royal said there needs to be a more robust discussion about providing resources to those areas that are affected. He said the discussion should address the economic impact of fatal and non-fatal shootings, including the loss of productivity, unemployment and health care and other support costs.
“When you look at the economic impact of this, there should be some political will to get things done,” Royal said.
Mallory O’Brien, founding director of the Homicide Review Commission, said tracking data has helped significantly reduce homicides citywide. The commission has developed recommendations and strategies to prevent violence, including mediation and intervention in communities and consistent programming for youth.
Similar strategies have worked elsewhere, including Gary, Indiana, where homicide rates and non-fatal shooting rates are down.
The president of Bader Philanthropies urged those at the meeting to work together to solve larger issues. Dan Bader said he hopes philanthropic resources will be better targeted and “aligned” moving forward.
Moore said increased philanthropic funding will be beneficial but he added that the public sector — the city, state and county — “has to step up.” “There has to be an equitable balance to what we’re investing in prevention versus enforcement,” he said.
In 2016, MPD accounted for 45 percent of the city’s $615 million proposed budget.
“We can’t put $50,000 into this and expect a population-level change that we want to see in this community,” he said. “There has to be a significant shift in resources.”
Mayor Tom Barrett’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
“We didn’t get into this overnight and we’re not going to get out of it overnight,” said Brisco. “It’s going to take some time, and it’s going to take work.”
Ali said, “I think it’s just a matter of us taking action.”

created: August 9, 2016


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Milwaukee Public Library announces extended service hours | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Library
August 9, 2016
A high school student does homework at Forest Home Library. (Photo by Maria Corpus)
Milwaukee Public Library announces a new schedule of hours effective this week that will extend service at four branch locations including Atkinson (1960 W. Atkinson Ave.), Capitol (3969 N. 74th St.), Forest Home (1432 W. Forest Home Ave.) and Mill Road (6431 N. 76th St.).
Atkinson, Capitol and Forest Home branches will expand service from 5 days a week to 6 days a week, adding Fridays to the schedule. The hours on Fridays will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The first Friday will be August 12, 2016.
Mill Road will expand service from 5 days a week to 6 days a week, adding Saturdays to the schedule. The hours on Saturdays will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The first Saturday will be August 13, 2016.
“Expanding our service hours is another way we are able to increase the services we provide to neighborhood residents,” said Library Director Paula Kiely. “We are working hard to improve access and remove barriers in the library so that we can advance our mission to help patrons read, learn and connect.”
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The increase in hours is the result of a 2016 budget amendment passed by the Milwaukee Common Council that added six librarian positions to support the additional hours. For complete information on all MPL locations and hours of operation, please go to www.mpl.org.

author: Milwaukee Public Library


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 9, 2016


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How to save money on back-to-school necessities | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Wisconsin Better Business Bureau
August 10, 2016
Before buying new clothes and supplies, check out these back-to-school budget tips from BBB:
Do a Home Inventory List. You may already own many of the items.
Make a shopping list. Even if you do not know the exact school supply list, you should get an idea of school clothing and other basic school needs. Beware of impulse buying.
Create a budget. Sign up for online sales alerts from your favorite stores. Consider buying basic supplies (like notebooks, folders and pencils) at discount stores, such as a dollar store.
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Review advertisements. Review ads for price matching policies. Be aware of restrictions on quantities and dates for sale and return policies. When online shopping, read the fine print for return and exchange policies. Also, be sure to take advantage of free shipping specials.
Network with other parents. Seek out or host a clothing swap online or in your neighborhood. This can be a great way to recycle your gently used items and save money on the things you need this year. Also, consider buying certain items in bulk and splitting the cost with other parents in your area.
Take advantage of discounts. Many stores offer student and teacher discounts on hot items like laptops and uniforms. Retailers will be trying to make room for fall fashion and the newest models, so there are incredible savings to be had on older items.

author: Wisconsin Better Business Bureau


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African-American arts center with theater, cafe, planned in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 11, 2016
Milwaukee Business Journal


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Appeals court blocks voter ID changes | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 11, 2016
jsonline.com


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BREAKING THE FOSTER CARE TO PRISON PIPELINE | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 11, 2016
preciouslivesproject.org


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Bronzeville forum explores police-community relations | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Mark Doremus
August 11, 2016
Milwaukee Police Department Community Liaison Officer Melissa Jones talks to a community organizer in the Midtown neighborhood. (Photo by Mark Doremus)
Sergeant Felmers Chaney, one of the city’s first African-American police officers, said of himself, “I’m big. I’m bad. But I’m fair.” He was trusted and respected in the black neighborhoods he patrolled decades ago. His memory was celebrated as an example of community-oriented policing at a forum that was part of the city-sponsored Bronzeville Week. First Stage hosted the forum at its home in the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center.
Artist Mutope Johnson, one of four panelists at the event, was born and raised on Fourth and Brown streets in the predominantly black Sixth Ward. He recalled his personal encounters with Felmers Chaney, a beat cop who patrolled the neighborhood on foot back in the 1950s.
Johnson recalled that he didn’t often see African-American police officers. “To see him walk through with the uniform on really gave credibility to who he was as a person and also helped the early stages of learning to trust officers and the role that they played in the lives that we were living,” he said.
Chaney was on the Milwaukee police force for 36 years. He’s become a symbol of community-oriented policing based on mutual trust between police and the citizens they serve, a trust that some say is missing for people of color in Milwaukee.
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“How do communities of color trust these (officers) who are supposed to protect and serve when there really hasn’t been any public apology for mistreating black folks and Hispanic folks for years in this community?” asked one audience member.
Police-community relations was the focus of a public forum organized by First Stage, Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission, Friends of Bronzeville and Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs. (Photo by Mark Doremus)
Clifton Crump, the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission’s new operations manager, agreed that the city’s history of segregation and poor race relations are an obstacle. He added, “We have to start here and hopefully we can move forward,” he said.
“Police are human beings” and their attitudes can “harden,” said David Mohammad of the Milwaukee Health Department’s Office of Violence Prevention. But, he added, the police need to understand that there are many neighborhood residents who want and need their services and they expect to be treated with respect.
When Chaney joined the Milwaukee police force, there were just a handful of black officers. They are still under-represented in the ranks of the police department. In December 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) launched a voluntary review of the Milwaukee Police Department’s policies, practices and accountability systems. Already, the DOJ has recommended that the city look at its hiring practices to make sure it is “testing in” good candidates for police work, not “testing them out” with its hiring criteria.
Crump said there is no shortage of people of color applying to the police and fire departments. “We have thousands of people apply, and it’s like a funnel. By the time we get to the interviews we have a small pool that’s remaining,” he added.
The commission is looking at how it can modify the hiring process and is aware that good people are “being lost in the shuffle,” Crump explained. “(Some candidates) may have a lot of community service … be reliable, honorable. Right now that’s not really valued in the testing process,” he said.
As Johnson recalled, Chaney was closely connected to the neighborhood he patrolled.
“He knew so many families, even the kids … my folks in particular,” and he would speak to each of them, Johnson said.
That relationship allowed Chaney to turn over some youthful offenders to their families for discipline, instead of throwing them in jail.
Panelists and members of the audience also acknowledged that the community has a responsibility for enforcing good conduct on and off the streets. In response to a question, panelist and police Sgt. Sheronda Grant, representing the League of Martin, a local organization of black police officers, said calling the police should be a last resort.
“When police come in to the home or the school they come, for the most part, to disperse or arrest,” Grant said. If we have strong communities and strong families, there is less need for police intervention, she added.
According to Crump, strengthening the relationship between the police and the public has emerged as a high priority for the Fire and Police Commission.
“It’s a new day. We have a new executive director, MaryNell Regan, and we’re trying to get our own identity and our own relationship with the community,” Crump said.
Regan, whose appointment was confirmed by the Common Council a year ago, said then that her preferred approach is collaboration and education. She added that she wanted to be “out and about” in the community to educate citizens about the role of the Fire and Police Commission and to establish links with community members.
“The Fire and Police Commission is a civilian body,” Crump said. “We’re bound to have a direct relationship with the community. And that means we have to find out what the community’s thinking, what they’re feeling.”

author: Mark Doremus


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 10, 2016


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 11, 2016


text:
Closing the Gaps: SistaStrings Perform, Talk Strange Fruit Music Festival | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 11, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


text:
The US government will track killings by police for the first time ever | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 11, 2016
Vice News


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Contractor fair will open the doors to doing business with the Housing Authority | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee
August 12, 2016
The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) will host a contractor fair on Wednesday, August 17 to provide contractors with information about doing business with HACM and $200 million of contracts expected to be awarded over the next five years.
Contractors can register for the event at www.hacm.org.
The event will feature two informational presentations from 10:00 – 10:30 am and from 1:00 – 1:30 pm that will include an overview of the upcoming contracting opportunities, including demolition work and new construction of hundreds of housing units in the Westlawn neighborhood.  Presenters will also discuss ongoing maintenance bid opportunities and key elements of doing business with HACM. Between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm, several Question & Answer stations will be open to allow contractors to speak directly with HACM staff about the contracting process, workforce development strategies, and contracting goals.
WHAT:
Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee Contractor Fair
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WHEN:
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Question & Answer Stations Open 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Key Information Sessions Scheduled 10:00 – 10:30 PM and 1:00 – 1:30 PM
WHERE:
ManpowerGroup Headquarters (Downtown Milwaukee)
100 Manpower Place
Milwaukee, WI 53212
WHO:
Contractors should attend if they offer any of these services:
Landscape Services
General Construction Services
Snow Removal
Demolition Services
General Maintenance and Repairs
HVAC
Floor Refinishing and Repair
Consulting/Professional Services
Other Services
Register for the event at www.hacm.org.
For questions regarding contracting with HACM, email hacmprocurement@hacm.org or call (414) 286-2769.