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South Side residents hit hard by closing of Menomonee Valley Cargill facility | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
August 1, 2014
Cargill owns 10 properties on West Canal Street, several of which are a block from the Potawatomi Casino. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
It wasn’t until a meeting called at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday that workers at the Cargill Corp. beef harvest facility, 1915 W. Canal St., learned that the facility was closing at the end of the week.
By then, many workers had already found out through media reports that their jobs were in jeopardy.
“It is very disappointing to learn of the closing of this plant that provided employment for over 600 hardworking Milwaukeeans, many of whom reside on the city’s near South Side,” said State Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa, who represents the area.
Workers milling around Cargill early Thursday declined to comment.
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The meat factory, located in the Menomonee Valley under the 16 Street viaduct and known for its pungent odor, had been open for more than 60 years, employing hundreds of central-city residents.
Cargill’s ground beef facility, which employs 200 workers and is located a few blocks east on Canal Street, will remain open, according to a company spokesman.
Cargill said the closure is the result of a limited cattle supply, though Cargill’s six other beef harvest plants are unaffected.
Area residents are questioning whether the plant’s closing is related to the opening this summer of the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, which is located a block away. NNS was unable to reach Potawatomi officials for comment on whether the organization is interested in purchasing the property.
John Keating, president of Cargill Beef, called the impact of the closing on workers, their families and the community “unfortunate,” but said the harsh reality is that the U.S. beef cattle herd is at its lowest level since the early 1950s.
Droughts and the resulting high price of beef have changed consumers’ eating habits and caused problems for companies such as Cargill, which also closed a plant in Texas last year.
“Closing our Milwaukee beef plant is taking place only after we conducted an 18-month-long analysis of the region’s cattle supply and examined all other possible options,” Keating said.
Cargill is hosting a job fair next week to help displaced workers find new jobs and some employees will be offered jobs at other factories, the company stated.
Workers who lose their jobs will receive 60 days’ pay.
Zamarripa said she’s reached out to the state Department of Workforce Development to get information about programs to help families and employees affected by the closure. She asked that those seeking help call her office.
“It is a shock to lose so many jobs at once,” said Mike Hatch, president of the Menomonee Valley Partners (MVP) board of directors. A key part of MVP’s five-year $25 million “From the Ground Up,” initiative is to connect residents of surrounding neighborhoods to economic and other opportunities in the valley.
“It is certainly a setback in the progress that we have made in the last decade or more in the valley,” Hatch said.
Hatch said that Cargill has been an important employer and a great partner in the area’s redevelopment.
MVP is not aware of future plans for the property, but its “heavy industrial” zoning allows for a broad range of uses, said Hatch, adding that he hopes “its future will include redevelopment of family-supporting jobs.”
Clarification: The first paragraph of this article should have noted that Cargill began informing employees about the facility’s closure at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday.

created: August 1, 2014


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 1, 2014

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Adam Carr


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Festival featuring music and local artists showcases Bronzeville neighborhood | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
August 5, 2014
Performer G. Womack entertains during the Bronzeville Cultural & Arts Festival. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
Bronzeville Week is in full swing after the North Side neighborhood celebrated its culture and arts during a street festival along North Avenue where more than a dozen musical and performing arts acts were featured.
During the Bronzeville Cultural & Arts Festival, music on three stages filled the air with rhythmic beats as people of all ages enjoyed fare from local vendors and shopped for knickknacks and clothes at booths set up by local business owners.
“I’m here to inspire the community. This is for the people,” said Karl Reeves, a 30-year-old local artist who displayed his colorful paintings along the street.
A young man displays his face paint at the Bronzeville festival. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
The festival was the first event of Bronzeville Week, which consists of guided tours, a business seminar, health screenings and an ensemble performance on Friday. The week is intended to highlight the positive economic and cultural aspects of the historic North Side neighborhood.
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Bronzeville “years ago, used to be the center of black commerce, arts and culture and we are attempting to revive that,” said Alderwoman Milele Coggs during the festival. In March, Coggs unveiled designs for six sites in the Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District along west North Avenue. She has said that the projects would need to have a cultural component to garner her support. Development in the district, which falls within the Harambee community, has been largely stalled for nearly a decade.
Before the festival kicked off, a peace march was held along North Avenue, emphasizing the need for a violence-free neighborhood if the initiative is going to be effective.
“We recognize the tie between commerce and poverty and violence as well as us having solutions for our own condition,” Coggs said.
The Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District is part of a City of Milwaukee commercial and residential redevelopment initiative intended to reinvigorate the historic neighborhood where legends such as Billie Holliday, Duke Ellington and Nat “King” Cole performed in the vibrant nightclub scene during its heyday.
The festival gave young and upcoming artists such as Brent Tyler a chance to show off their talents and get their name out into the community.
“It’s really important for me to be out here to showcase my music and my love for the community because I want to give back,” said Tyler, a rapper, whose stage name is OTS, after he performed at the festival.
In addition to listening and dancing to performing artists and musical acts, festival goers shopped for ornate jewelry, colorful garments and fragrant oils at more than a dozen booths while they enjoyed summer foods including corn on the cob, brats and burgers.
“We came out to show our support for local (artists) and businesses,” said poet Adia Green, who brought her 8-year-old son to the festival, where she too performed.

created: August 5, 2014

author: Brendan O’Brien


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 5, 2014


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Spontaneous summer job program spawns loyalty, support | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 6, 2014
Andre Lee Ellis gives advice and encouragement to some of the young men who came to work in the community garden. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Last Saturday, 62 young men showed up to work in the community garden near the corner of 9 and Ring streets and surrounding blocks. Six or eight adult professionals, most of whom said they grew up in the central city, addressed the group with words of encouragement and support.
As on the previous 14 Saturdays, Andre Lee Ellis, the program’s founder and sole administrator, came up with $20 for each young man, from donations and his own pocket, for four hours of gardening and clean-up work.
During the week and especially on Saturday mornings, a steady stream of people visited Ellis in the garden or on his porch two doors up the street. They came to give him the $20 bills he needs to pay his workers. People donated refreshments and offered help with services such as transportation.
Ellis insists that his grassroots “We Got This” initiative designed itself. The summer jobs program for neighborhood boys and young men just happened, he said.
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Sixty-two young men reported for work at 9th and Ring streets on a recent Saturday morning. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
“It’s hard for me to say what I’m going to do next because I didn’t know I was going to be doing this,” said Ellis, when asked about the program’s future.
Once summer ends and school resumes, Ellis would like to continue supporting the young men in the community by turning the program’s focus to education and more skill building.
He hopes to provide a place to continue meeting with the young men indoors and is contemplating the purchase of a foreclosed house to serve as a resource center. Students from the neighboring Robert M. LaFollette School, 3239 N. 9 St., and others would have a safe place to go after school to do homework, and get tutoring and mentoring help. Ideally, it would serve as a neighborhood center.
One of Ellis’ ideas is to teach the young men construction skills by having them renovate the foreclosed house.
“We’re living in a skill and trade sort of society now and I don’t think that’s going to change … so ‘teaching them to fish’ is important,” Ellis said.
The program needs to be simple, Ellis said. “In the fall and winter it’s about learning and in the summer it becomes a job.” Next summer, he would like to add a program for young women and girls.
Several young men in the garden said they would come if the program continues into the fall. They agreed that “We Got This” keeps them off the streets and involved in positive, community-building work.
“I think it’s a good way to keep us out of trouble. It’s a good way to make a little money,” said Anthony Davis, 16, a junior at Rufus King High School. He would like to see the program continue and if it does, he will come, he added.
Ellis is planning a special event on Saturday, Aug. 30, the last day of the summer program.
Musing that the project’s success may render it unnecessary, Ellis said, “Maybe it’s just to show people what [they] can do and once they get that, it can stop because they can put that energy into the everyday practice of taking care of each other. That’s all the program is.”

created: August 6, 2014

author: Andrea Waxman


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McDonald’s low-wage workers applaud NLRB ruling | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Raina J. Johnson
August 7, 2014
Workers demonstrate for higher wages at a local McDonald’s franchise. (Photo By Raina J. Johnson)
Several dozen people gathered recently at McDonald’s on 35th Street and Juneau Avenue to support higher wages and the right to unionize at franchised restaurants such as McDonald’s. Some drivers passing by honked their horns in agreement.
“At the heart of this movement is fair treatment, and McDonald’s needs to finally admit they have the power to pay its workers fairly,” said Jennifer Epps-Addison, executive director of Wisconsin Jobs Now, addressing the participants.
On July 29, the National Labor Relations Board general counsel issued an opinion that McDonald’s Corp. has control over franchise operations and can decide how much workers are paid and whether they can form unions. McDonald’s and other fast-food chains have claimed they cannot control wages at their franchised restaurants.
McDonald’s maintenance worker Tommie Griffin protests low wages at a rally outside of McDonald’s on 35th and Juneau. (Photo By Raina J. Johnson)
However, the recent NLRB counsel’s decision stated that the company and its franchisees are joint employers.
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Workers allege that they have been threatened with termination for protesting low wages. The NLRB ruled that the company could be held liable for such labor violations by its franchisees. Since 2012, 181 cases have been filed against McDonald’s with the National Labor Relations Board, according to the board. Of those, 43 were found to have merit.
“There’s no two ways about it: The Golden Arches is an employer, plain and simple,” said Micah Wissinger, an attorney who brought the case on behalf of McDonald’s workers in New York City, in a press release. “The reality is that McDonald’s requires franchisees to adhere to such regimented rules and regulations that there’s no doubt who’s really in charge.”
Low-wage workers in Milwaukee and throughout the country have been demanding a $15 per hour minimum wage and the right to form unions without retaliation.
McDonald’s has long held that it does not make employment decisions for its franchisees. Heather Smedstad, senior vice president for McDonald’s, told the New York Times, that this decision “changes the rules for thousands of small businesses, and goes against decades of established law.” About 90 percent of McDonald’s chain restaurants in the United States are franchised.
Mary Coleman, a worker at Popeyes, led the group in a series of chants: “You can’t run, you can’t hide, make our wages super-sized!” And “Get up, get down; Milwaukee is a union town.” Coleman is a long-time activist with Wisconsin Jobs Now.
Tommie Griffin, 50, a maintenance worker since 2009 at the McDonald’s restaurant on 35 and Juneau, said he was forced to work there because of the downturn in the economy, and now feels stuck.
“This McDonald’s is in my neighborhood, it’s convenient for me. I went to school and now I’m stuck here with student debt,” said Griffin who works 20 to 30 hours a week but says he doesn’t earn enough to support himself.
“We should be able to pay basic utilities,” he said. “We’re fighting for higher wages because we’re seeking a better quality of life, a sense of independence.”

created: August 7, 2014

author: Raina J. Johnson


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 6, 2014


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More volunteer tutors needed for record increase of student engagement | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
August 7, 2014
(Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Public Schools)
The successful Interfaith-MPS Tutor Program is seeking more volunteer tutors as it grows to serve more students in Milwaukee Public Schools.
Tutoring in the program is a chance to make a positive impact in the lives of children: Teachers report that 85% of students tutored through the program were more engaged in their learning.
Interfaith-MPS Tutor Program volunteers spend 90 minutes the same elementary-grade classroom each week working with students one-on-one and in small groups. The program is a partnership between Interfaith Older Adult Programs’ RSVP volunteer effort and Milwaukee Public Schools.
Maggie Melvin, an Interfaith-MPS volunteer tutor, said she’s able to reinforce the lessons provided by her students’ classroom teacher, answer students’ questions and connect with each student’s background knowledge and learning style.
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“For the child, it is special, targeted and focused. For me, it is satisfying, relational and energizing,” Melvin said. “That adds up to a win-win situation.”
“Strengthening positive relationships between our students and adults who can showcase the path to success is one of our most important goals,” Acting MPS Superintendent Dr. Darienne Driver said. “We’re grateful for the work of the volunteer tutors, thankful for the partnership with Interfaith/RSVP that makes the program happen and hopeful that more members of our community will join us in this important work!”
“RSVP strives to engage people who are 55 or older in volunteer service to meet critical community needs, to keep residents active in their communities and to bring about positive social change,” RSVP Director Samantha Garrett said. “This is such a great intergenerational activity in which people can really see the impact they are having, every week, on each student they see!”
The Interfaith-MPS Tutor Program began in 2011 with tutors in 16 MPS schools. In 2013-14, it placed more than 200 tutors in 48 MPS elementary schools. For 2014-15, the program seeks to expand its presence even further to positively impact more students. Help the program grow by volunteering for the coming school year!

author: Milwaukee Public Schools


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 7, 2014


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Bronzeville is about more than creating space | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Della Wells
August 10, 2014
Image taken from http://communityjournal.net
Della Wells is a folk artist whose work is exhibited throughout the United States and Europe.
If the City of Milwaukee wants to make the Bronzeville African American arts and cultural district a reality, three key elements must be in place: history, identity and an understanding of the visual and performing arts industry. Branding is essential to attract and grow economic development. Without it, potential businesses, residents and tourists will not be drawn to the district. And to brand the district, the city must look beyond putting up banners, plaques and a big billboard. It must understand what attracts artists and therefore their patrons.
The proposed Bronzeville Arts and Cultural District is supposed to reflect Milwaukee’s African American art, culture and history. To me, it is unclear whether the city understands how arts professionals earn a living doing their craft or how they can help shape the district into a reality.
The purpose of an arts and cultural district is to serve as a catalyst to spark economic revitalization by developing mixed-use buildings consisting of residential and commercial spaces with arts and cultural-related businesses and institutions. This, in turn, is supposed to draw tourism dollars into the area. These arts and cultural districts are intended to improve the quality of life not only for residents living in the district but for all of a city’s residents. More jobs are created, people move into the area, tourism grows, and this leads to more tax revenue for the city and thus more money for education and city services. All due, in theory, to a thriving arts and cultural district.
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It all sounds wonderful. However, as a visual artist and a Milwaukee resident who has attended some of the visioning sessions, focus groups and meetings held by the Department of City Development, developers and UW-Milwaukee, I continuously wonder whether they understand how individual visual and performing artists, organizations, theater groups, poets, writers and other arts professionals run their businesses.
Moreover, do they understand that the arts are a business? Have they asked who are the patrons who support the visual and performing artists, theater groups, poets, writers, etc.? It is these patrons who are going to bring dollars to the businesses in the area.
It is also unclear how the rich history and identity of Milwaukee’s African American arts and cultural scene would be incorporated into the branding and design of the area.
Part of the problem in determining how to create an identity for the Bronzevile Arts and Cultural district has been the way conversations have been presented to African-American artists who have attended these meetings. Some have left us to wonder whether they know who the African-American visual and performing artists are in Milwaukee, and whether there are stereotypical notions that the city and developers have about artists.
For example, at a meeting that I attended a few months ago, the moderator asked the artists, “Do artists have camaraderie together?” If this was what she thought is important to visual and performing artists, it is clear that she does not understand the arts business. And if you don’t understand the arts business, how are you going to brand, create and develop an identity for the Bronzeville Arts and Cultural district?

author: Della Wells


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bronzville | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
July 7, 2014

author: Dwayne Burtin


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Special Report: Black men bear the brunt of unequal enforcement of marijuana laws | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
August 11, 2014
Rodney Hudson, 30, said he feels his felony conviction for marijuana possession is essentially a sentence to a life of poverty. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Like many other African American men in Milwaukee, Rodney Hudson is tagged with a label he’ll never shake: he is a convicted felon.  Hudson doesn’t claim to be an Eagle Scout — he pleaded guilty at 18 for carrying a concealed weapon and has two marijuana possession convictions — but he says the life sentence imposed by the felony label is too harsh.
In Wisconsin, a felony conviction can be the gateway to a life of poverty.  Felons don’t qualify for financial aid for higher education, are ineligible to hold occupational licenses, have difficulty finding work and their driver’s licenses are suspended for a minimum of six months.
Now 30, and the dedicated father of a 10-year-old girl and an 8-year-old-boy named Rodney Jr., Hudson became a felon not because he committed a violent crime, but because in Wisconsin, a second state charge for marijuana possession is automatically a felony. In two states, Colorado and Washington, it is now legal to possess marijuana, and in many other jurisdictions, it merits only a ticket and a fine.
Currently, an individual can be convicted three times for an arguably more serious offense, driving while under the influence (DWI), before the offense is charged as a felony.
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Hudson tries not to pity himself. He gets up each morning and follows a few job leads, but so far the few opportunities he’s had to find steady employment just haven’t panned out. He recently interviewed at Chick-fil-A, which was hiring workers for its new Greendale and Brookfield restaurants. He didn’t get it.
“I haven’t had a job in two years,” he said. “It’s so discouraging. I feel like I’ve been blackballed.”
Uneven Enforcement
Police have the authority to issue a ticket or a warning instead of making an arrest for marijuana possession, according to Margaret Johnson, racial disparity practice coordinator at the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office. In Milwaukee, a first offense marijuana possession charge for less than 25 grams is a citation, but all subsequent arrests are sent to the District Attorney’s office for prosecution, said Lt. Mark Stanmeyer of the Milwaukee Police Department. Police have no alternative other than to make an arrest, Stanmeyer said.
But, in Dane County, home of the flagship University of Wisconsin campus, police are known to look the other way when college students are found with marijuana, Johnson said, adding that it’s the same in the Milwaukee suburbs.
Nationally, African Americans are nearly four times more likely to be charged with marijuana possession than whites, although their rates of marijuana use are similar, according to a 2013 ACLU report, “The War on Marijuana in Black and White.”
In Wisconsin, blacks are six times as likely to be charged with possession than whites, the fourth highest disparity in the nation, behind neighboring states Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois. In Milwaukee County, where nearly 70 percent of the state’s African Americans live, 4.7 blacks are arrested for marijuana possession for every one white, according to the ACLU, which examined data from 2001 through 2010. FBI statistics show that in the City of Milwaukee, blacks were 5.5 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites in 2011, the most recent year for which data are available.
Racial disparity in marijuana arrests is a key contributor to racial disparity in incarceration. Possession of marijuana was among the most frequent crimes charged in the state between 2011-2013 and most of the cases originated in Milwaukee, according to data provided by the Wisconsin Office of the Director of State Courts.
According to Chris Ahmuty, director of the ACLU in Wisconsin, once people are caught up in the court system the police are looking out for them, and they’re more apt to be arrested again. “Bad things begin to accumulate and maybe then you end up in prison,” Ahmuty said.
Police on neighborhood beats know who’s on probation, said Jennifer Bias, the deputy trial division director and affirmative action officer at the State Public Defender’s Office. Those who are, “are hammered, they’re arrested; their parole status is taken away,” Bias added.
In an understatement, Rep. Evan Goyke, a former assistant public defender, noted, “The success rate of the people on probation in the state of Wisconsin is not great.”
Go directly to jail
Wisconsin leads the nation in terms of racial disparity in the prison system, according to a study by the Employment and Training Institute at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. The state’s 12.8 per 100 incarceration rate for black males is almost double the national average and three percentage points higher than the state with the second-highest disparity (Oklahoma), the study found.
Most of the offenses are drug-related, and two-thirds of the prisoners are from six ZIP codes representing the poorest neighborhoods in Milwaukee. The hardest hit of those areas is 53206 on the North Side, where Hudson grew up. Nearly 4,000 men from his neighborhood were in prison or had done time between 2000 and 2010, the study found.
Legislators have long known that racial profiling is a problem in the state. Gov. Tommy Thompson established a task force on racial profiling in 1999, which released a report in 2000. His successor, Gov. Jim Doyle, commissioned another report in 2008, which made dozens of recommendations, including better data tracking and sharing, education on cultural competency, alternative justice programs, and improved methods to track progress related to racial disparities. Though drugs and drug abuse were mentioned frequently as areas to be addressed, neither report recommended changes in drug-related laws.
Legalizing marijuana
“We need to rethink how our criminal justice system looks at marijuana,” said state Rep. Melissa Sargent, a Democrat from Madison who introduced legislation to legalize marijuana in January.
Sargent said it is egregious that arrests for marijuana possession in Wisconsin are increasing while across the country recreational smoking is increasingly accepted. In Colorado, for example, residents can walk into a shop licensed to sell marijuana and purchase as much as an ounce, while non-residents can buy 1/4 of an ounce.
Possession arrests also are extremely expensive, Sargent said, noting that each such arrest costs the state $400 to $500. The ACLU report found that in 2010 alone, Wisconsin spent more than $44 million enforcing marijuana possession laws.
Despite increasing public support nationally for legalization, Sargent said she faces stiff opposition from fellow Wisconsin lawmakers, who don’t see any benefits from changing current laws. Many still believe the false narrative of marijuana being a “gateway drug that will ruin our society,” she said. Sargent has only convinced a handful of legislators to sign on, and the governor is firmly opposed.
Rodney Hudson helps his son, Rodney, Jr. , with his shoulder pads. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
“Legalizing marijuana is not a priority for Governor Walker.  As Governor Walker travels the state, this is not an issue he hears about,” wrote Laurel Patrick, a spokesperson for Gov. Scott Walker, in an email to the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.
Goyke, whose district covers part of Milwaukee, hears a lot about the disparity in how marijuana possession cases are handled compared to driving while intoxicated (DWI), which he considers a more serious offense.
Goyke said Wisconsin legislators need to work on parity in the sentencing structure for marijuana possession and other offenses. Last year, he introduced legislation that would make the fourth conviction for marijuana possession — rather than the second — a felony, putting it on par with operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
State Rep. Mandela Barnes, whose 11 District is located in Milwaukee, took a slightly different tack last session, introducing a bill that would have made any marijuana possession charge involving 25 grams or less a municipal offense. The legislation failed, not surprisingly, according to Barnes, since the majority of legislators don’t represent areas with a significant minority population.
“As long as [legislators] see it as an inner-city Milwaukee issue, a black and brown issue, the less likely they are going to take action on it,” said Barnes, who is a member of the 2014 Legislative Council on the Review of Criminal Penalties.
While their white constituents use marijuana just as much as blacks, said Barnes, they’re not as likely to be arrested. Barnes said that for things to change, there would need to be a statewide referendum, or more municipalities would need to decriminalize marijuana on their own.
Molly Collins, associate director of the ACLU of Wisconsin, is working on legislation to decriminalize marijuana possession. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Tickets and fines
The Washington, D.C., City Council recently passed the “Marijuana Decriminalization Amendment Act of 2014,” which made possession of one ounce or less of marijuana a civil offense subject to a $25 fine. The purpose of the act was to address the racial disparity in marijuana possession arrests and the subsequent toll on the community that the convictions cause. As in Milwaukee, the city’s African American community has borne the brunt of the marijuana laws.
In Chicago, Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy is recommending changes to a municipal ordinance enacted two years ago that gave Chicago police the option to issue tickets rather than arrest those caught with less than 15 grams of marijuana. Under the ordinance, people who are caught smoking marijuana in public, or possessing it at Chicago schools or parks or those without proper identification are not eligible for tickets, which prevented it from making any real impact. Most of the individuals caught possessing marijuana in Chicago are arrested rather than ticketed, McCarthy said. He wants police to be able to issue a ticket in all cases involving less than 15 grams, regardless of the circumstances.
In Milwaukee, ACLU Associate Director Molly Collins is working on an ordinance similar to the D.C. law. Collins said that statewide legislation to legalize marijuana is unrealistic given the makeup of the legislature, so the solution needs to be local. Collins, who considers marijuana use a health issue, said if the community is serious about addressing the mass incarceration of African Americans, possession must be decriminalized.
“It’s a racial justice issue,” Collins said. “We have to stop pulling these African American men out of their communities.”
Editor’s note: This article corrects an inaccurate reference to recent legislation introduced by state Rep. Evan Goyke.

author: Edgar Mendez


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 10, 2014


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 10, 2014
“edgar_war_on_drugs”.


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First Stage expands programming for students with autism | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
First Stage
August 12, 2014
First Stage’s award-winning Next Steps program, classes serving students with autism, will return for its third consecutive year at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center located at 325 W. Walnut Street, Milwaukee.  One and two-week summer sessions begin Monday, August 18, with a second one-week session available beginning August 25.  Classes are open to students entering grades 3-12 in the 2014-15 academic year.  Guided by the Academy’s philosophy of teaching life skills through stage skills, students experience the joy of drama, music and movement each day with a team of specially-trained teaching artists and special education professionals.  The program also features small class sizes with a student to teacher ratio of approximately 2:1.
The First Stage Next Steps program is made possible in part by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. The foundation supported the launch of Next Steps in 2012 and has partnered with First Stage to advance and expand the program each year since.
“Next Steps offers children with autism a fun and inspiring educational experience that is tailored to their unique needs,” said Jeannie Fenceroy, Senior Program Officer for the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. “It really demonstrates how the arts can help all students develop and strengthen lifelong learning and social skills, which is why the Greater Milwaukee Foundation has been such an enthusiastic supporter of the program.”
First Stage Sensory Friendly performances for the 2014-15 season have also been announced.  Performances of Stiles & Drewe’s THE THREE LITTLE PIGS and GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS have been adapted to serve children with autism and their families.  These special accommodations include a limited number of attendees, lower volume and a host of family resources and support before, during and after the performance.  “We’re delighted that children with autism and their families can enjoy these interactive performances,” said Jennifer Adams, Next Steps program director.
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Performance dates are Saturday, November 15, 2014 at 3:30 p.m. for THE THREE LITTLE PIGS and Saturday, February 14, 2015 at 3:30 p.m. for GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS.  Performances take place at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center located at 325 W. Walnut Street, Milwaukee.  For resource materials including a Performance Social Story and pre-performance visits to the space, contact Jennifer Adams at nextsteps@firststage.org or (414) 267-2975.  Tickets are $14 per person and are available exclusively through the First Stage box office at (414) 267-2961.
Enrollment for Next Steps is still open for the summer session.  More information can be found at www.firststage.org/nextsteps or by contacting Program Director Jennifer Adams at (414) 267-2975 or at nextsteps@firststage.org.

author: First Stage


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Hatch Staffing and Kforce Staffing compete to benefit teen interns at ArtWorks for Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
ArtWorks for Milwaukee
August 12, 2014
ArtWorks for Milwaukee, a local nonprofit that combines workforce development and the arts, is slated to benefit from the Staffing for a Cause Challenge, a fundraising contest between the employees of Hatch Staffing and Kforce Staffing.
ArtWorks for Milwaukee is experiencing a pivotal year in 2014 in the hope to serve over 100 teens this year and to continue to expand into the future. In 2013, ArtWorks worked with 48 teens. Since 2001, ArtWorks has offered high school students paid internships to help develop life and career skills through art projects.
The Staffing for a Cause Challenge was created by the Hatch and Kforce internal teams. The team that raises the largest amount by September 7th wins the challenge.
“The mission of ArtWorks ties in so well to the staffing industry, encouraging teens to learn job skills and professionalism. We’re excited to support the teens that ArtWorks hires and trains in its arts-based internships,” said Eric Becher of Hatch Staffing.
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author: ArtWorks for Milwaukee


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Back to School Health Fair helps students get ready for class | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Health Department
August 13, 2014
On Friday, City of Milwaukee officials, the Milwaukee Health Department and UnitedHealthcare came together to host the first of two back to school health fairs at North Division High School. Children received free backpacks and school supplies, as well as up-to-date shot records and vaccinations. Attendees included Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett; Ralph Beck, chief operating office of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, Wisconsin; and representatives from the Health Department.
The next health fair is scheduled for this Friday, August 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bradley Tech High School located at 700 S 4th St. in Milwaukee.
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author: Milwaukee Health Department


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 13, 2014


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Gary Hollander honored in Huffington Post 50 over 50 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Diverse & Resilient
August 13, 2014
Diverse and Resilient CEO Gary Hollander was named one of Huffington Post’s 2014 50 over 50 honorees in the category of Giving Back.
Gary Hollander spent three decades working as a public school teacher, school psychologist, and public health researcher. The turning point for him came in 2001 as he experienced the challenges of being a gay man at a time when the myriad health disparities facing LGBT people were becoming visible. He realized that health care and community structures “pathologized” LGBT people. He decided to work to change the social determinants that impact health -– not only for himself, but for all LGBT people. He formed Diverse & Resilient, Inc. as his encore career when he was 54. For the past 12 years, Hollander has worked to address health disparities faced by LGBT people including HIV, alcohol and tobacco use, mental health, suicide, and intimate partner violence. His work reaches thousands of LGBT people each year and his organization is considered a statewide leader in the field. “Since I am a pretty motivated guy already, any job can give me the satisfaction of achieving short-term goals,” he said. “But only very specific work brings me the joy of making a real difference. I decided to go for joy.”
Read full story on Huffington Post
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author: Diverse & Resilient


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Candelaria resigns from Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 14, 2014
Ramon Candelaria, with Journey House Executive Director Michele Bria, spoke to community members about a new GED test in November 2013. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Ramon Candelaria, the executive director of the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative, has resigned after less than two years in the role.
Candelaria was the first person to serve in the position after CSNI was established as a separate organization. For four years prior to that, CSNI functioned as a Journey House program. CSNI’s offices are located in Journey House, 2110 W. Scott St., and Journey House acts as CSNI’s fiscal sponsor and remains a major partner.
During Candelaria’s tenure, CSNI built the organization’s infrastructure and applied for nonprofit status. He established a CSNI council, which functions as a board of directors, and helped form working groups to carry out the nine strategies originally identified by the community as essential to improving life for neighborhood residents.
Ramon Candelaria chats with volunteer Anthony Mercado during the summer’s Serve Your City Day. (Photo by Raina J. Johnson)
“We focused on creating a buzz around the initiative, engaging residents as well as building a structure for the organization,” Candelaria said.
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The original nine strategies are community-school partnership; lifelong learning; employment and job training; youth, parks, and recreation; social connections; public safety; neighborhood beautification; housing; and economic development.
During the last year, under the leadership of Candelaria and the CSNI council, the community decided to add health and wellness as a 10th strategy, according to Tyna Rule, president of the CSNI council. Referred to as “Project 10,” it seeks to address physical, emotional, spiritual and financial health.
“I think there is tremendous potential around all of the strategies we’ve put in place,” Candelaria said. “There is an engaged group with solid work plans and goals for each initiative and with a partner like Journey House the potential is tremendous,” he added.
Candelaria praised the quality and commitment of the initiative’s volunteer leaders and the Zilber Family Foundation. “I have been touched by the commitment they have shown for the residents and the neighborhood,” he said. Rather than telling residents what they need, the initiative has allowed community members to become advocates for themselves, Candelaria added.
“Ramon helped bring us to a place where we are well known and people are excited to work with us,” Rule said. “We have a tremendous amount of momentum and by no means has the need for a new executive director [interrupted that]. Everyone has taken on extra work so we don’t miss a beat,” she added.
CSNI is accepting applications until Aug. 22 and hopes to have a new executive director in place by Oct. 1, said Bria. The job description and a link for submitting a resume are posted on the Journey House web site.
Candelaria resigned to pursue a different opportunity, according to Dr. Michele Bria, CEO of Journey House and CSNI secretary. Candelaria declined to say what his next move would be. “It was a heart-wrenching decision for him and we really appreciate everything he has done for CSNI,” Bria said.
“Ramon has done a fantastic job bringing us to where we are now,” added Rule. “We’re very grateful for that and we wish him well.”


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Do you want a bike station in your neighborhood? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Raina J. Johnson
August 18, 2014
Silvia Tajo, a Fulbright Scholar from Colombia visiting Milwaukee, tests out a Bublr Bike. (Photo By Raina J. Johnson)
Bublr Bikes, Milwaukee’s new bike sharing program, is seeking input from community members and businesses on where additional bicycle stations should go.
Individuals or businesses are invited to suggest locations at the organization’s website. Visitors can see where the bikes are stationed now, as well as what locations already have been suggested.
“The more people who suggest a particular location, the better. We’ll take a close look at that. This is truly a collaborative process,” said Nancy Ketchman, community relations representative for Bublr.
Bublr Bikes is hosting a variety of information sessions about the program until Sept. 3 at Milwaukee County Libraries.
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Bicycle stations with 10 bikes each are located at Discovery World and Red Arrow Park, at Kilbourn Avenue and Water Street.  Additional stations are expected to be installed at eight other downtown locations by the end of the month.
The bikes are a good way to connect people to their communities and to transportation options already in place, Ketchman said. “Bublr Bikes can operate as the last mile connection with transit. If you just miss the bus or want to get some exercise, this is a good option.”
Added Jackie Janz, marketing director for Milwaukee County Transit, “We’re happy about all modes of transportation — bikes, walking or a car — that connect transit with all sorts of people.”
Individuals can rent Bublr Bikes at a kiosk using a credit card or a prepaid membership to purchase a day pass for $7, or a $20 monthly pass for unlimited short trips less than 30 minutes. Longer trips have additional fees. The 2014 bike-sharing season will close at the end of November and reopen in March.
A larger launch of 100 stations and 1,000 bikes is expected over the next few years, beginning with neighborhoods that could include Bay View, Walker’s Point, King Drive, Brady Street and the Menomonee Valley. In 2016, the system is looking to expand to the suburban areas of Wauwatosa, Shorewood and West Allis.
Milwaukee’s master bicycle plan calls for 125 miles of new bike lanes and 40 miles of bike boulevards and trails.  A bike boulevard is a street that has been specifically designed for bicycle traffic, with low speed limits and light traffic.
The bike share system puts Milwaukee on par with Madison, Minneapolis and Chicago, which already have successful bike sharing programs.
Avid cyclist John Jordan rides every day and is excited about the program. “This is a great way to explore the wonders of Milwaukee by bike,” he said.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 17, 2014


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 18, 2014


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Medical Grants Available for Children in Wisconsin | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
UnitedHealthcare
August 18, 2014
The UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation (UHCCF) is seeking grant applications from families in need of financial assistance to help pay for their child’s health care treatments, services or equipment not covered, or not fully covered, by their commercial health insurance plan.
Qualifying families can receive up to $5,000 per grant with a lifetime maximum of $10,000 per child to help pay for medical services and equipment such as physical, occupational and speech therapy, counseling services, surgeries, prescriptions, wheelchairs, orthotics, eyeglasses and hearing aids.
To be eligible for a grant, children must be 16 years of age or younger. Families must meet economic guidelines, reside in the United States and have a commercial health insurance plan. Grants are available for medical expenses families have incurred 60 days prior to the date of application as well as for ongoing and future medical needs. Parents or legal guardians may apply for grants at www.UHCCF.org, and there is no application deadline.
In 2013, UHCCF awarded more than 1,700 medical grants, worth $5.6 million, to children and their families across the United States for treatments associated with medical conditions such as cancer, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, diabetes, hearing loss, autism, cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome, ADHD and cerebral palsy.
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UHCCF was founded in 1999. Since 2007, UHCCF has awarded more than 7,500 medical grants, totaling more than $23 million, to children and their families across the United States.  In Wisconsin, 80 grants have been awarded since 2011, totaling more than $262,000.
“Thousands of children struggle every day for something many of us take for granted – our health. That reality is the driving force behind UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation’s mission to help families in need access medical care that will improve their child’s health. Our medical grants have already helped thousands of children in need, and we are looking to help thousands’ more children in the future,” said Dustin Hinton, CEO of UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin.
New children’s book to raise funds
To help raise funds for its child medical grant program, UHCCF has published a new children’s book, “Oliver & Hope’s Adventure Under the Stars” – the second book in the Oliver & Hope series.
The new 32-page hand-illustrated book continues the story of Oliver the lovable bear and Hope the spirited butterfly as they join their friends Millie the barn owl and Chewie the English bulldog for their first camping trip. The night is filled with amazing discoveries and silly games that make the shadows a little less scary and the adventure a lot more fun. The book follows last year’s award-winning book, “Oliver & Hope’s Amusing Adventure.”
Both “Oliver & Hope’s Adventure Under the Stars” and “Oliver & Hope’s Amusing Adventure” are available on Amazon.com for $13.95 each. The first 250 people who purchase an “Oliver & Hope’s Adventure Under the Stars” book will receive a Chewie the English bulldog plush toy, to be shipped separately.
Proceeds from UHCCF products, including the Oliver & Hope books, help fund UHCCF grants that help families pay for children’s medical expenses not covered, or not fully covered, by commercial insurance. Also, organizations and private donors can make tax-deductible donations to UHCCF at www.UHCCF.org. Donations are used for grants to help children and families in the region in which they are received.
Both bookswere written and illustrated by Meg Cadts and Samantha Fitch. Meg Cadts is the pen name for the UHCCF team of writers and contributors.
The Oliver and Hope characters also host their own page on the UHCCF website, Oliver & Hope’s Clubhouse(www.UHCCF.org/oliverandhope), which features free audiobook versions of the books, activities and games.
For more information on UHCCF and to visit the clubhouse, visit www.UHCCF.org.

author: UnitedHealthcare


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All students at 156 MPS schools will be able to receive a healthy breakfast, lunch at no charge | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
August 19, 2014
Milwaukee Public Schools announced Monday an amendment to its policy for serving meals to students under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs for the 2014-2015 school year.
MPS is able to participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture program, which is federally funded, because of its high percentage of students who come from low-income households. Last year, 83% of MPS students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which is close to double the state average in Wisconsin. This school year marks the first year Wisconsin schools are eligible to participate in CEP.
Participating in the program will increase the efficiency of the district’s food service operations.
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“Having every student come to school well nourished and ready to learn is absolutely critical to students’ well-being – and it’s critical to our work to improve student outcomes,” MPS Acting Superintendent Dr. Darienne Driver said. “Children who are hungry can’t concentrate on learning. They’re focused on their hunger. We’re proud to help lead the effort to ensure that doesn’t happen.”


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Bublr around Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Raina J. Johnson
August 19, 2014
NNS reporter Raina Johnson takes a Bublr bike ride around Milwaukee.


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Dwayne Burtin
August 19, 2014


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Micro lawn-mowing businesses put food on table for poor laborers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
August 19, 2014
Richard Wilder stands next to his truck after clearing brush from a lot. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
This is part of an ongoing series of articles that put a face on the poor in Milwaukee, 50 years after President Lyndon Johnson declared a “war on poverty.”
A grey lawnmower sits idle with a bright red plastic gas can hanging from its handle. Dead grass and rust fill its small crevices.
Dewey and his girlfriend Naomi, who declined to give their last names, depend on the ancient machine to make money. The unemployed couple go door to door asking home and business owners if they can mow their lawns, sometimes for just $5.
“It can get pretty rough out here. It takes a lot out of you, but we take it day by day,” said Dewey, standing near the lawnmower outside of a corner store at 38th and Burleigh streets in the Sherman Park neighborhood. “Our area is from here to wherever we can find work.”
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Dewey and Naomi walk miles a day throughout the North Side, visiting regular clients every two weeks in the hopes of cutting their lawns. At times, clients cancel, leaving them frustrated and broke. On occasion, they bring their three children with them on landscaping jobs, hoping that the sight of the children elicits sympathy from potential clients.
“My kids work too. My 3-year-old knows how to pull weeds,” said Naomi, wearing a tank top with a bandana covering her cropped hair.
Naomi rested a mini pizza on her lap as she sat in a lawn chair against the brick wall of the store.  She lifted a small piece high enough for the cheese to dangle into her mouth as she explained her plight.
On a good day, she and Dewey mow five lawns, making about $50. On a bad day, like this one, when they make not a dime, they resort to eating small microwaveable pizzas from the store.
“I didn’t even eat it because it was old. I have had lots of days going to bed hungry,” said Dewey, who has Naomi’s name tattooed on his neck. “There are days that there’s more gas in that gas can than food in my stomach, because I have to stay ready for work.”
Naomi and Dewey are part of an informal service industry in Milwaukee made up of landscapers who go door to door, offering up their services at a discount as a way to make a living. During the winter, many of the landscapers go door to door with shovels, hoping to make a few dollars clearing snow and ice.
Tim Davis has been driving around the city in his sedan for the past two summers with his lawnmower sticking out of the trunk and a leaf and grass blower in the back seat.
“I have to. I have no other income, zero. I got four kids and I got to eat,” Davis said as he stood near the broken rearview mirror outside of the driver’s side of his emerald green Saturn after he left All Star Foods, 3100 N. 27th St. in the Franklin Heights neighborhood.
Davis treats his venture as a small business by being reliable and meticulous and by promoting himself through word of mouth and on Craigslist.
“I like the way he cuts my yard. He does a very good job,” said Flora Hazard, one of Davis’ clients. “I could do it, but I’m a senior.”
In addition to the elderly who are physically unable to maintain their lawns, property owners and renters who cannot afford lawn care equipment create the demand for door-to-door landscapers. Small-business owners also take advantage of the services.
For Richard Wilder, a recovering drug addict and alcoholic, landscaping work is not only a way to bring in income; it’s also therapy.
“This keeps me going. It keeps me from thinking about that first drink because one is not enough and a thousand is too many,” said the 55-year-old, in a deep Southern drawl, wearing a wide-brim straw hat. “It also help pays the bills and gas.”
Wilder proudly wore a “visitor” sticker from a morning Alcoholics Anonymous meeting on his polo shirt, now dampened with sweat from clearing brush from a property near the corner of 49th and Center streets.
“I get joy out of cutting grass. I cut grass the way it ought to be cut,” he said as he wiped his brow, leaning against the back of his bright red pickup truck, overflowing with leafy branches and twigs.
He regularly works for a real estate investor, clearing away brush and weeds from unkempt properties that have just been purchased and are slated for rehab. He also makes money from several grass-cutting jobs throughout city
Wilder, a veteran who grew up in Mississippi at the height of the bloody civil rights struggles, also does some work free of charge as a way to give back to his struggling community.
“It’s a love offering. We need to help each other,” he said. “Everybody has to chip in to keep the neighborhood clean.”
A man who goes by the name of Geno Records tidies his block, sweeping the sidewalk and street, and performing small repair and occasional landscaping jobs in his neighborhood.
“If I clean up the block right now, that’s a pack of hot dogs,” the lanky, towering black man said as he slipped on yard gloves and grabbed his broom outside his attic apartment in the 3000 block of North 28th Street in Sherman Park.
For his work, his neighbors pay him in change, maybe a quarter here and a dollar there.
“I don’t ask for hand outs, I do it because I want to do it, because I am blessed.” he said. “It’s the ghetto. It’s eat or be eaten.”


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Scale Up Milwaukee accepting applications for second class of “Scalerator” entrepreneurial training program | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Scale Up Milwaukee
August 19, 2014
Scale Up Milwaukee, a multi-stakeholder effort helping support entrepreneurs at all stages to grow their ventures by stimulating a strong regional entrepreneurship ecosystem, today announced it is accepting applications for the second class of its Scalerator program – an innovative training designed to teach ambitious, local companies how to maximize their growth potential.
Following the success of the pilot program that saw 12 diverse Milwaukee ventures accelerate growth by close to 25%, the second Scalerator will comprise a larger group of ventures and will take place over a 6-month period during which participants will take a deep dive into topics like sales and marketing, entrepreneurial finance, organizational structure and human resources. The Scalerator will systematically work with regional investors, banks, universities, and public sector stakeholders, to support the growth in various ways.
“Over the last year, we’ve confirmed that this region is filled with growth-minded businesses that have enormous potential to scale and ultimately boost the Milwaukee community,” said Daniel Isenberg, Professor of Entrepreneurship Practice at Babson Executive Education and architect and facilitator of Scale Up Milwaukee efforts. “We’re looking forward to working with a new group of ambitious entrepreneurs and equipping them with practical skills that they can use to rapidly accelerate their growth.”
Training will be administered by a team of professors from Babson College and will span from October 2014 through March 2015, with one full-day and one half-day session per month.
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Meet the Experts:
Interested businesses should have a strong ambition to grow and a scalable business model with annual revenues between $500,000 and $5 million. Businesses should also have an established leadership team that holds significant ownership of the company. Applications are available online at www.scaleupmilwaukee.org/scalerator2014.
The dozen participants of the pilot Scalerator program self-reported that 2014 revenues are projected to increase an average of 25% over their projected 2014 revenues as a result of the training.  The reasons for the new growth included obtaining new financing, growing existing accounts, cross-selling existing customers and expanding operations to support additional customers.
“The impact of having leaders from the business community, financial community, investors, educators and civic leaders working together illustrates how companies like mine can help a community grow – and how the community can help companies like mine grow in time frames of weeks and months,” said Bill Reilly, owner of Hands On Garage and a Scalerator participant. “In fact, as a direct result of the Scalerator program, Hands-on Garage increased our fourth quarter 2013 revenues by 15%. With that extra 15%, we made an equipment investment that is already adding revenue to our bottom line.”

author: Scale Up Milwaukee


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NNS on Lake Effect: Unequal enforcement of marijuana laws | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
August 20, 2014
NNS reporter Edgar Mendez talks with Mitch Teich of WUWM Lake Effect about unequal enforcement of marijuana laws in Wisconsin.
For more on this report, see: Special Report: Black men bear the brunt of unequal enforcement of marijuana laws. You can also listen to this show and more on Lake Effect.
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Unequal enforcement of marijuana laws | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dwayne Burtin
August 20, 2014
Wisconsin,Laws,Marijuana


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Borchert Field C.A.R.E.S., but challenges remain | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 21, 2014
Wajeeh Shanaa, brother of Mr. F Foods owner Fayez Shanaa, waits on customers Montreal Pate (left) and Lavalle Hintz. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
When the owner of the corner store at 15th and Ring streets decided he wanted to sell hard liquor, he went to a Borchert Field C.A.R.E.S. block club meeting and asked if they would support his application for a license.
When the group voted the idea down, Fayez Shanaa accepted the decision and said he would look for other products to add to his stock at Mr. F Foods.
Shanaa has owned and operated the store, which has a license to sell beer, since 1989, according to his brother, Wajeeh Shanaa, who was minding the store on a recent Friday afternoon.
“Fayez is a very strong supporter of Borchert Field,” said Denise Wooten, Borchert Field C.A.R.E.S. chair.  “He always participates when we have events, he donates things, he puts out fliers for us and he attends the meetings when he can.”
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The group’s vote against the liquor license was not a rejection of Fayez Shanaa, she said. On the contrary, the members want to help him determine what products residents would like to purchase, Wooten added.
Borchert Field C.A.R.E.S. Secretary Charles Robinson, Sr. and Chair Denise Wooten chat in front of Wooten’s house on 14th Street. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
“(The opposition to the liquor license) was not against me or anyone,” said Shanaa.  A Muslim himself, he said he understands and respects those who opposed the license for religious reasons. One person voted against the proposal because she thinks it would be bad for the young people in the neighborhood. “I respect that too,” Shanaa said.
He is considering surveying the neighborhood on the issue, and said he would seek the block club’s approval again if he finds majority support for liquor sales among residents. But maintaining his good relationship with Borchert Field C.A.R.E.S. is important to him and he wants to do the right thing. “I have had my store here for 25 years and I am part of the neighborhood,” he said.
The incident illustrates the influence of the Borchert Field organization on the community. The core group has worked hard since 2010 to make the neighborhood safer, more attractive and more cohesive. Though the group has grown and made substantial improvements, difficult social conditions such as joblessness, the foreclosure crisis, and state budget cuts to education, transportation and health programs continue to pose challenges.
Improving housing has proven to be particularly difficult. After waging a sustained and ultimately successful campaign to have Borchert Field designated a Targeted Investment Neighborhood (TIN) in 2012, the program there has been a disappointment. Though it was designed to offer eligible homeowners partially forgivable, zero-interest home rehabilitation loans, only one applicant has qualified and made home improvements using a TIN loan.
Wooten looked into applying for a loan to replace her roof and was visited by city inspectors who told her she would have to replace windows and repair a walkway before she could apply, she said.
“It isn’t really a rehab program, it’s a compliance program,” Wooten said. “If I had the funds to do it myself, I’d do it.”
The city “probably stretched a little bit outside of what we normally would do” to accept the neighborhood as a TIN because of the strong leadership of the Borchert Field C.A.R.E.S. group, said Sam Leichtling, Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation (NIDC) program director. “We hoped it would help neighborhood homeowners, but the program was actually designed for more ‘middle market’ properties,” he said.
At the request of Borchert Field C.A.R.E.S., the TIN area was expanded, and a couple of loan applications from homeowners are currently being evaluated, Leichtling said. The TIN designation expires at the end of December.
The nearby Century City neighborhood has benefitted more from its TIN designation, with 10 successful loans to homeowners. “The downturn in property values (there), while it’s still been significant, has not been as significant as in Borchert Field,” Leichtling said.
Borchert Field was one of the hardest hit by the economic downturn and the resulting decline in property values, Leichtling added. Consequently, many TIN loan applicants have found themselves “underwater” on their mortgages, or owing more than the assessed value of their properties. Borrowers must repay a portion of every TIN loan in order to sustain the program, and applicants who are underwater are not likely to be able to do that, Leichtling explained.
The city is seeking other ways to help such property owners rehabilitate their homes, according to Leichtling. The Common Council passed and the mayor signed a resolution in May, to establish “a framework for using tax increments to benefit affordable housing and improve the housing stock.” Specific programs will be created during the fall legislative process.
Leichtling noted that the Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP) and other city programs have helped Borchert Field residents.
In the meantime, Wooten connected with Catholic HEART Workcamp, a national social justice program in which teens do housing rehabilitation work in central city neighborhoods. This summer, a CHWC team painted the exterior of Wooten’s house and made repairs to four other Borchert Field houses, she said.
The group has focused on increasing resident engagement through social activities in several community gardens. Recently, it hosted a “meet and greet” for state Assembly candidate David Bowen, as well as a Ramadan celebration, Wooten said.
“We hope people will come to see what’s happening in the garden and then become more involved in the community,” she added.
Though Wooten would like representatives from each of the neighborhood’s 23 blocks to join Borchert Field C.A.R.E.S., she said there are about seven blocks actively involved now. The block club meets at 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month at Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, 1345 W. Burleigh St.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 20, 2014


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Celebrating America’s health centers and healthier communities | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
UnitedHealthcare
August 21, 2014
As the health care system changes around us, more people are gaining access to health care coverage – yet there are still more than 60 million Americans who do not have access to primary care. According to the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), nearly half (42 percent) of these individuals are low-income, 28 percent live in rural areas—and do have insurance.
That’s where Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) come in.  In the United States, more than 1,200 Centers receive grants under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (PHS) and serve 22 million patients (including more than 920,000 farmworkers and 1,145,000 people who are homeless) at 9,000 locations. The FQHCs qualify for enhanced reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid, as well as other benefits as long as they assist underserved populations, offer a sliding fee scale, provide comprehensive services, and have an ongoing quality assurance program and a community-based governing board of directors.
UnitedHealthcare helps support Health Centers through a broad network of dedicated health care specialists and hospitals – and the need is great; one out of every 15 people living in the United States seeks primary health care from a Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA)-funded Health Center. As part of our partnership with FQHCs, UnitedHealthcare regularly seeks advice and input from FQHC leaders through our National FQHC Advisory Group; participates in the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) industry conferences; collaborates with local Primary Care Associations (PCA) and, during National Health Center Week each year, takes time to recognize our nine-year involvement and shared mission to help people live healthier lives regardless of their age, income or ability.
Together with our FQHC partners, UnitedHealthcare helps provide access to high-quality care, and lowers taxpayer burden and unnecessary costs to the system in the form of $24 billion in savings annually through reduced hospitalizations and visits to the ER.
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Health Centers maintain a more than 45-year record of being ranked among the highest-quality and cost-effective care providers in the nation – a proven model that has delivered better access and cost-savings, and provided jobs and helped people live healthier lives.
While we celebrated National Health Center Week with centers across the country, we are thankful for each and every one of our partners and the commitment we share to help people access the quality health care services they deserve.


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Adam Carr
August 21, 2014


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Milwaukeeans to demonstrate in support of outraged Ferguson residents | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Raina J. Johnson
August 22, 2014
Martha De La Rosa, state director of 9to5 Wisconsin, takes notes at a meeting sponsored by the African-American Civic Engagement Roundtable. (Photo by Raina J. Johnson)
A coalition of Milwaukee organizations has planned a demonstration Friday afternoon to call for justice in the aftermath of the shooting death of an unarmed teenager in Ferguson, Mo.
Milwaukeeans and residents of other cities, including Chicago, are organizing demonstrations against police brutality after the death earlier this month of Michael Brown, 18, at the hands of a white police officer. The Milwaukee organizers said they also would be demanding justice for Dontre Hamilton, who was shot by police at Red Arrow Park on April 30.
Earlier in the week, the African-American Civic Engagement Roundtable held an open meeting to discuss plans for the demonstration. The coalition includes the Milwaukee chapter of the NAACP, Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES!), MICAH, Occupy the Hood, 9to5 Wisconsin and Urban Underground.
The local groups are joining protesters in Ferguson and the national Hands Up, Don’t Shoot movement in advocating for national and local policy changes that would hold police officers accountable for officer-involved shootings or deaths of citizens. They are seeking swift, independent reviews of shootings by police officers, as well as immediate release of officers’ names and police history. Other demands include protecting the rights of protesters to peacefully assemble, requiring police officers to wear forward-facing body cameras and the “de-militarization” of police departments.
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“We stand with the concerned community residents who have expressed outrage at this troubling event and were not allowed to peacefully protest but were instead violently confronted and tear gassed by local law enforcement,” the African-American Civic Engagement Roundtable said in a statement.
Khalil Coleman, founder and executive director of Changing Lives Through Literature, spent last weekend in Ferguson.
“I witnessed the 24-hour occupation spot, a gas station which quickly became a memorial for Mike Brown. The name Mike Brown is tagged all over the building and gas pumps,” Coleman said. “I noticed how people used this spot as a sacred ground.” Coleman added that for many in Ferguson, “it’s a life or death situation — justice now or civil unrest.”
The Milwaukee group plans a peaceful march from Red Arrow Park, 920 N. Water St., to the Milwaukee County Safety Building, 821 W. State St. It is expected to begin at 4 p.m.
Hamilton, 31, was killed after struggling with a police officer at Red Arrow Park. Police had received multiple complaints about Hamilton, who suffered from a mental illness, sleeping in the park. Two officers responded to the call and left after deciding to take no action. But later, another officer got into a confrontation with Hamilton and shot him. The officer has not been identified.
The case was reviewed by the state’s Department of Justice and has been referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office to determine whether to file charges against the officer in Hamilton’s death.
About 100 Milwaukee residents, including Hamilton’s family, gathered Sunday in the park to demonstrate in support of the Ferguson protestors. The coalition is planning more events next week to continue calling attention to what they allege is excessive force by police against minorities. A spokesman for the Milwaukee Police Department did not immediately return a call for comment.


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On the Block: Dance to the music | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 22, 2014
Dance student Isabel Sovitzky rocked out to the music of the Liam Ford Band at a recent “Wednesdays At The Shell in Washington Park” concert.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 22, 2014


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United Community Center to drop Felix Mantilla Little League | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
August 23, 2014
Felix Mantilla Little League teams have played their games at Baran Park, 2600 S. Chase Ave., for decades. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
According to a statement on the Felix Mantilla Little League-Milwaukee Facebook page, the United Community Center (UCC), 1028 S. 9 St., will no longer run the Felix Mantilla Little League next year.
The league is made up of 22 teams and has been run by UCC for decades, according to Eric Roecker, president of the Felix Mantilla Little League. It no longer fits into the long-term future of programming at the center, Roecker said.
Beginning next year, the baseball league will be run by the Journey House, 2110 W. Scott St., according to the Facebook post.
There are 22 teams in the Felix Mantilla Little League. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
The immediate reaction on Facebook was negative.
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Commenters questioned whether games would still be held at Baran Park, 2600 S. Chase Ave., where they’ve been played for years.
Another commenter asked whether the move to Journey House meant games would be played at Mitchell Park next year, where the center hosts its youth football leagues.
“Maybe in a few years,” replied the administrator of the Mantilla Facebook page.
Julian Haliga, coach of the Milwaukee South Side Baseball Club, which plays in the Mantilla League, called the news “a huge letdown.”
He said that he and others who’ve been dedicated to the league for decades should have been involved in the process. According to Roecker, the decision to drop the league and transfer it to Journey House, though likely, won’t be final for a few weeks.
A Journey House spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.


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ACT results predict most MPS minority students not ready for college | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
August 25, 2014
College Possible students prepare for the ACT test. (Photo courtesy of College Possible)
ACT scores for Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) students rose slightly for the 2013-14 school year, but black and Hispanic students still lag behind, and the vast majority are not adequately prepared for college, according to new data released by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI).
Three-quarters of MPS students who took the ACT last year tested “below college ready” in English and 90 percent weren’t ready for college-level math, according to new data released by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). The ACT college readiness benchmarks are the scores students need to have a 75 percent chance to get a C or above in college-level math and English courses.
Colleges use the ACT to help make acceptance, course placement, scholarship eligibility and other decisions, including whether a student needs to take remedial courses in English or math.
African-American and Hispanic students are struggling to reach ACT benchmark standards. (Photo by Kenya Evans)
Only 4 percent of African American students and 10 percent of Hispanics in MPS met the college readiness benchmark in math, compared to 32 percent of white students. In English, 60 percent of white students, 32 percent of Hispanics and 18 percent of black students tested as college ready. Scores in math and English for both black and Hispanic MPS students were higher than the prior year.
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Statewide, nearly 74 percent of students met the benchmark in English and 53 percent met it in math.
The percentage of MPS students taking the ACT rose to 91.5 percent last school year, the highest rate in the state, according to DPI data. Last year the participation rate was 77.5 percent.
MPS students have been taking the ACT test during the school day since 2010. Prior to implementing the school-day testing program, the ACT participation rate in the district was 48 percent.
MPS students had a composite ACT score of 16.1 for the 2013-14 school year, up slightly from 15.9 the year prior, according to the DPI. African American MPS students had a composite score of 15.2; Hispanic MPS students had a composite score of 16.7.
“Our overall results underscore the need for the district to continue to accelerate efforts to provide critical interventions and improve student achievement,” said MPS Acting Superintendent Dr. Darienne Driver.
As a whole, Wisconsin students’ composite score was 22.1, the second highest rate in the nation behind Minnesota.  “While overall student performance on the ACT was quite strong, we have work to do to close achievement gaps,” said State Superintendent Tony Evers in a statement.
According to the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee website, the school accepts students with a wide range of ACT scores, and there is no minimum score.
Only 5 percent of Marquette University’s class of 2017 had a composite score of below 22, according to the school’s website.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 24, 2014


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Untitled-1a | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 24, 2014


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MPS’ ‘staggered start’ for 3-, 4- and 5-year-old students aims to ensure successful start to school careers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Schools
August 25, 2014
To help ensure a successful start to the educational careers of Milwaukee Public Schools’ youngest students, all 3-, 4- and 5-year-old students attending traditional calendar schools will begin the year on a “staggered start.”
The 3-, 4- and 5-year-old students will start on one of three days – September 2, September 3 or September 4 – instead of all starting on September 2, as older students in traditional calendar schools do. And all 3-, 4- and 5-year-old students will have their second day on September 5.
Staggered start includes all students in kindergarten grades – K3, K4 and K5 – including students with special needs as well as all Head Start students.
The change allows MPS’ youngest students to start their school day in a much smaller group, providing more individual attention as children begin a critical time: the transition from home to school. Staggered start allows students to become accustomed to school procedures, allows families to meet their child’s teacher in a smaller setting and allows teachers to get to know their students and their needs more quickly.
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Families will receive detailed information from schools indicating the first day of school for their kindergarten student. While MPS is committed to the staggered start to improve the first day experience for its youngest students, no students will be turned away if they arrive on a day on which they are not scheduled to attend.
“It’s critical for our youngest students to experience a positive transition from home to school and staggered start is one way we are committed to making that happen,” MPS Acting Superintendent Dr. Darienne Driver said.
Staggered start is one of a number of key efforts underway as the 2014-15 school year begins. They include:


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Basketball league builds brotherhood of black role models | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Raina J. Johnson
August 27, 2014
Members of the Sports Talk Basketball Association wait for the games to begin. (Photo by Raina J. Johnson)
What started as a friendly basketball rivalry on social media has sprouted into a basketball league that is working to make health and fitness a top priority for Milwaukee-area black men. The players, part of the Sports Talk Basketball Association, also mentor young African-American boys, and donate schools supplies to local youths.
Michael Hutchinson, 35, formed the basketball league from a group of men who belonged to a Facebook group called Sports Talk. Hutchinson, former promotions director at WMCS-AM (1290), worked at the station for seven years before it changed its format in 2013 to the current 1290 Martini Radio.
Hutchinson wanted to keep alive the radio station’s slogan, “community first,” and share his love of sports with others.
Players face off at the last game of the season. (Photo by Raina J. Johnson)
Before the Sports Talk Basketball Association was formed, the guys in the Sports Talk group played pick-up games every Wednesday wherever they could find space. “We played at the Parklawn gym. We were ‘ran out’ every game, losing by 30. We were literally out of our league,” Hutchinson said. The men are now fit enough to compete.
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Hutchinson, who grew up in Riverwest, is studying to become a certified personal trainer to help more black men get and stay healthy.
The STBA has six teams with eight players each. The participants, whose ages range from 20 to 40, play three games every Wednesday, at 7:30, 8:30 and 9:30 p.m., at the Hope Christian High School gym, 3215 N. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. Last week, the league wrapped up its second regular season.
The Sports Talk Basketball Association does more than just use the gym at the high school.
“They help by donating things that most people take for granted, like basketballs and warm-up tops. They are extremely generous and helpful,” said Jermaine Evans, dean of students and girls basketball coach at Hope.
“I think it’s great that a group of people can come together and enjoy each other’s company, be active and bring their families to the games,” added Evans, who plays in the STBA.
Said Penny Sikora, a regular participant in the league, “I love the camaraderie, especially among the black men. We’re often stereotyped as violent, unorganized, unprofessional, yet for the second season in a row, we’ve pulled off a great season. And it’s all for charity!”
It’s not Hutchinson’s first charitable endeavor. For the past nine years, he has hosted an annual barbeque called “Mi Casa, Su Casa,” where up to 200 guests are encouraged to bring school supplies for a selected school. This year the beneficiary is Lancaster School, 4931 N. 68 St., a Milwaukee Public Schools elementary school. Guests also bring men’s hygiene supplies that are donated to Repairers of the Breach, a resource center for homeless adults.
“I’m a part of this community, I’m a product of it,” Hutchinson said. “As an African-American, it’s important to give back to break the negative image of black men. We network, we have fun, we build community and a brotherhood.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 26, 2014


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Milwaukee Public Library seeks development partners | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Library
August 27, 2014
Taking the first step towards identifying potential real estate development partners to build mixed-use buildings featuring a library on the first level, Milwaukee Public Library (MPL) is asking real estate developers to submit information on current and potential projects that could be compatible with a library near four neighborhood libraries slated for replacement.
The Milwaukee Public Library (MPL) today released a Request for Interest (RFI) to hear from developers who may be interested in partnering on a mixed-use development including a branch library. The four libraries identified for replacement are:
“We are excited to hear from developers in the community that have an interest in working with us,” said Library Director Paula Kiely. “Over the next six years, MPL will replace four of our neighborhood libraries with mixed-use buildings much like we are doing at the new East Branch and the recently opened Villard Square Branch.
“This is an exciting venture for MPL and for city residents who will benefit from having a new, technology-rich, 21st-century library in their neighborhood that is also a catalyst for economic and neighborhood development and stability.”
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Mayor Tom Barrett, the Milwaukee Common Council and the Library Board of Trustees have identified $22.4 million for the library project.  MPL anticipates spending $4.4-4.5 million on each library.  In all, five branch libraries will be renovated or replaced.  The Tippecanoe Library will be fully renovated, but remain in the same building.  The renovation is currently in the design phase and will begin construction early next year.
For developers interested in learning more,  with Project Manager of Library Construction Sam McGovern-Rowen th
th Complete details can be found on http://mpl.org/about/library_development.php.

author: Milwaukee Public Library


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On the Block: Bus serves | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 27, 2014
High school student Robyn Amire talks about her experience with the city bus system as she waits for a bus to take her home to the Northwest Side.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 27, 2014


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Riverwest, Harambee artists transform space into creative ‘ARTery’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 28, 2014
Vedale Hill’s daughter Jazale shoots baskets at his hoop crate as he waits to catch the ball. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Editor’s note: This article, originally published on Aug. 28, 2014, is one of a series profiling the finalists for Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs). The Artery is a finalist for the Brewers Community Foundation Public Space Award, which recognizes a public space that helps build the community.
Sixteen-year-old Jordan Leong is about to move to Arizona with his family, but before he goes, he will install a sculpture he created somewhere here in his hometown. The piece is a wooden basketball backboard with a plastic crate “hoop” attached.
Leong spent a day constructing it out of scrap wood that he designed to look like a video game platform. He decorated it with themes from early Mario Brothers video games, with pen and paint. He hasn’t decided yet where he will mount it but he wants it to be used to play basketball.
The piece is one of the first to be created by neighborhood young people participating in Riverwest artist Vedale Hill’s “Hoop Dreams” art project in “the artery,” a reclaimed and repurposed stretch of the old Beerline train tracks.
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Hoop Dreams refers to the passion that many young boys have for basketball, and their desire to emulate the sport’s stars who came from poor urban backgrounds like their own. It also is the name of a celebrated 1994 documentary that follows two African-American high school students who dreamed of becoming professional basketball players.
Harambee and Riverwest neighbors shared a community potluck dinner at a 100-foot table set up on a pedestrian bridge at the end of the artery. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Hill’s goal is to teach the youth skills that will help them transition to more realistic life goals when they reach young adulthood and basketball suddenly drops out of their aspirations.
“I find what they’re interested in and I try to teach them in a way that will help them long term,” Hill said. “If you don’t make it to the (professional basketball) leagues you can be a carpenter, because now you know how to use a hammer, a drill and all the tools it took to create these sculptures that are basketball hoops,” Hill added.
It’s also about making something positive out of a negative, such as the artery space, which was “a hub for graffiti, drugs and many shady things” before the artery project started here, Hill added.
The artery is located on a two-thirds mile stretch of land that traverses a narrow space just north of the intersection of E. Keefe and N. Richards streets. It is marked by a newly installed sign, a sculpture made of discarded tires, and a banner explaining that this is a space for visual and performance art.
The “art park” extends to the far side of a pedestrian bridge over Capitol Drive at 3 Street. It includes five railroad shipping containers that have been remade into a digital computer lab dubbed ICAN2, and storage and performance stages.
The artery is one of two projects that make up an effort called Creational Trails. Funded by a $350,000 grant from ArtPlace America, Creational Trails seeks “to activate spaces as a means of encouraging acceptance and growth of the cultural diversity in Milwaukee,” according to its Web site.
Led by the Greater Milwaukee Committee’s Innovation in Milwaukee (MiKE) initiative, it is managed by a non-profit “placemaking” organization called beintween. beintween founder Keith Hayes, an architect, identified the Beerline trail for such a project several years ago, according to consultant Sara Daleiden. Placemaking is a multifaceted approach to shaping communities’ physical, social and economic wellbeing through art and culture.
A sign marking the entrance to the artery, just north of the intersection of E. Keefe and N. Richards streets, was installed recently. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Another project planned for the artery is a mural on the side of the U.S. Corrugated Inc. industrial building at 3832 N. 3rd St. It borders the park and serves as the backdrop to a stage built for performances there.
Because getting permission to paint the mural has taken longer than expected, Hill developed “Hoop Dreams” to create art that would make an immediate impact on the neighborhoods of Riverwest and Harambee, he said. He recently installed his own basketball crate hoop near the pedestrian bridge.
The artery also has hosted a variety of performances. Selected by a jury of Milwaukee artists and community leaders, 20 of 116 ideas submitted have been performed at “festivals” once a month during the summer. Each festival occupied a new public space defined by “upcycled” materials such as the shipping containers. Performances take place on three stages as well as in ICAN2 LABS. Artists slated for the Aug. 30 festival include Erick Ledesma, Present Music, Kameelah + Yazmeen Muhammad, Milwaukee Public Theater, STITCH Milwaukee, Ina Onilu Drum and Dance Ensemble, and Playback Milwaukee Theater Company.
A wide variety of events including potluck dinners, open mic nights, and trivia games also are taking place in the artery. Canvassers are going door-to-door asking neighbors about their heritage and about favorite family recipes. There are plans to use this information in future art projects.
As for how the neighbors are responding to the project, Daleiden said, “In areas like this that had, and still have, many social justice issues like poverty and crime … it’s a slow process to build trust. But given that condition, I feel inspired regularly by our connection with people in these neighborhoods.”
An end-of-summer barbeque is planned for Friday, Sept. 19, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., according to Daleiden.


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Why Milwaukee is not Ferguson | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Keith Stanley
August 28, 2014
Milwaukee demonstrators protest excessive force by police. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Keith Stanley is the Executive Director of the Avenues West Association and former Staff Assistant to Common Council President Willie Hines.
I have heard that Milwaukee will be the next Ferguson, Mo.  I disagree with that statement. Here are my reasons Milwaukee will not be the next Ferguson.
#1 – The Nonprofit Community
Milwaukee may have too many nonprofits and programs; however, they are addressing a need. City Youth Development, Social Development Commission, Running Rebels, Urban Underground, Neighborhood House, City of Milwaukee Earn and Learn, Ald. Hamilton’s “Let’s Be The Change” — and the list goes on of very diverse programming that engages youth.
#2 – Police Chief Edward Flynn
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If you have ever had the opportunity to have a one-on-one with the chief, I believe you will be struck by one in particular characteristic: the chief is real. He understands the reality of crime, racism and urban life. In fact, he understands it better than most Wisconsinites.
#3 – Residency Requirement
Having cops who care and have the experience of working, living and understanding both minority and urban communities is really important.
#4 – Fewer Dense Urban Centers
Milwaukee, working with local and national developers, has been really good at spreading, diversifying and supporting populations. Although we have segregation, we do not have high-rise, high-density apartment buildings like Cabrini Green was in Chicago. The multi-million dollar Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee project in Westlawn is a good example.
#5 – It’s Not An Option
It’s not an option for Milwaukee’s young black community to riot and loot. To say that it could not happen would not be accurate; however, there have been many opportunities and such behavior was not the outcome.
Here are some reasons that Milwaukee could become Ferguson.
#1 – Politically Deaf Politicians
I like some of the people who are declaring and exploring a mayoral candidacy. However, some seem to be politically deaf when it comes to youth, in particular black youth.
#2 – Militarization of the Police
This is an issue across the country and specifically in minority communities.
#3 – Removal of the Residency Requirement
Less diversity, less experienced cops and a lack of understanding of the urban dynamic continues to destroy what little trust there is between communities of color and the police force.
#4 – Hyper-segregation in Our Communities
People who live together understand each other better. As we continue to see more hyper-segregation in Milwaukee people do not have the opportunity to understand, work and depend on each other. It is these factors that make a city such a dynamic place to live.
#5 – Outlets for youth
We need outlets for youth. Funding and supporting youth programming is important and provides an outlet for their energy.
#6 – Media
Media has and will highlight any and all negative aspects of minority communities while flagrantly ignoring the good stories, people and organizations that make this community very special.
#7 – Absence of Black Parents
We need more black parents heavily involved in their child’s life. Engaging their children at school, in community and in extra-curricular activities is so important.

author: Keith Stanley