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Millions of dollars approved for another juvenile correctional facility. What does this mean for Milwaukee youths? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Devin Blake
September 29, 2023
During the budget process this summer, the state Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance passed a motion that included $6 million for a new Type 1 juvenile correctional facility – one that’s different from what has been planned for Milwaukee.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers approved the money for the facility’s “project planning, development, design, site selection and land and property acquisition,” according to the enacted budget.
Although there is acknowledgment that youths who run afoul of the law need more modern facilities, leaders disagree about whether incarceration is where the state should be spending taxpayer money.
Currently, Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls is the only Type 1 juvenile correctional facility operated by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, or DOC. A Type 1 facility, in contrast to a Type 2 one, has elevated security measures like fences.
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Here are some things to know.
In a 2017 lawsuit, youths at Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake described unlawful use of solitary confinement, mechanical restraints, pepper spray and strip searches. The 2017 Wisconsin Act 185, enacted in March 2018, called for the closure of the facility.
In an August news release, Evers stated that the new DOC facility is intended for Dane County.
This facility would be in addition to the one moving forward in Milwaukee, which is located at 7930 W. Clinton Ave.
Although not unanimously embraced, there has been local support for a facility in Milwaukee. One reason for this support is because of the proportion of incarcerated youths from the area.
As of September, there were 57 youths incarcerated at Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake – 31 of whom are from Milwaukee County, or roughly 54%, according to data provided by the DOC.
A facility in Milwaukee, it is argued, would be far less disruptive to the lives of these Milwaukee-based youths.
“The moving of the facility is a gesture towards more continuity with community,” said Kate Burdick, senior attorney at Juvenile Law Center and one of the attorneys who represented the youths in the 2017 lawsuit against Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake.
“The hope is that they (incarcerated youth) would be in a setting that facilitates greater continuity with education and greater family involvement,” she said.
In January, the City of Milwaukee Common Council voted to rezone the property at West Clinton Ave. – an old vehicle emissions inspection center – with Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s approval following shortly after. The rezoning needed to take place before construction could begin.
Then in August, Evers announced that another step toward building the facility had been taken by the Wisconsin State Building Commission, which approved money for the construction.
Evers’ news release expressed support for both the Milwaukee County and Dane County facilities, stating that they are part of an overall strategy for the youth justice system.
“These facilities will enable more youth to be located closer to their homes and move the state forward in being able to close the outdated Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls located outside Irma,” he said.
“The focus on smaller juvenile correctional facilities over larger conventional facilities will foster increased family engagement, interaction with mentors and access to treatment programs, providing a more supportive environment for youth rehabilitation.”
There is no code stating Milwaukee youths will be placed in the Milwaukee facility, but “the clear intent of Act 185 was to give priority to Milwaukee youth. That’s what will be done,” Kevin Hoffman, deputy director of communications at the DOC, said in an email.
As funding moves forward for these two new juvenile facilities, local efforts also are focusing on reducing incarceration.
For example, the county’s Children, Youth & Family Services, part of the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services, has expanded the Credible Messenger program.
This is a mentoring program intended to prevent kids from getting into the youth justice system and to provide intervention for those who are involved.
Children, Youth & Family Services also is participating in a grant program, along with Milwaukee Turners and the Public Welfare Foundation, called the Zero Youth Corrections, Youth Opportunity Grant.
The grant awards money to organizations doing work intended to prevent young people from becoming impacted by the criminal legal system, said Emilio De Torre, executive director of Milwaukee Turners.
Milwaukee Turners and the Public Welfare Foundation work on issues relating to mass incarceration locally and nationally, respectively.
“We spend so much in punishing people and so little in front-end navigation,” De Torre said.
The budget states that from July 1 to June 30, 2024, the daily cost to counties per person at a Type 1 juvenile correctional facility is $1,246, which amounts to $454,790 per person per year.
State Sen. Joan Ballweg, a member of the Joint Committee on Finance, said in an email that she is in favor of the $6 million for a second facility because it will expand on the legislature’s commitment to close Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake.
But De Torre said he thinks such reasoning is an excuse to push forward the development of both facilities. Opportunities to come up with solutions that do not include building more prisons should be pursued much more vigorously, he said.
SPECIAL REPORT: A tale of two cities: How New York and Milwaukee approach juvenile justice
SPECIAL REPORT: A tale of two cities: New York juvenile justice program stresses ‘safety by relationships’
SPECIAL REPORT: A tale of two cities: New York providers credit ‘aftercare’ for helping youths transition home
Devin Blake is the criminal justice reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. His position is funded by the Public Welfare Foundation, which plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

author: Devin Blake


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52453212662_55fcd74bf5_k-2-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
September 28, 2023

source: news-milwaukeenns

created: September 28, 2023

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

author: Ron Smith


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52453212662_55fcd74bf5_k (2) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
September 28, 2023


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5 things to know and do the week of Oct. 2 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
October 2, 2023
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Walking tours with the Reimagining WIS 175 Study Team will begin Monday, Oct. 2. The tours start at 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., respectively. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Milwaukee County and the City of Milwaukee are working on a study to rethink the WIS 175, also known as the Stadium Freeway or the Stadium Spur. This six-lane freeway, constructed in 1962, impacted Washington Park and other properties as part of a larger freeway network that was never built.  The Reimagining WIS 175 Study seeks to examine alternatives for the future WIS 175 corridor. Meet in the parking lot of the Washington Park Senior Center, 4420 W. Vliet St., to begin the walk. More information here.
Residents can rake their leaves into the streets now through Nov. 15. More information here.
The Milky Way Tech Hub and Latinos in Tech are sponsoring “Accelerate Your Developer Path with AI” as part of Wisconsin Tech Month. The workshop on artificial intelligence, or AI, will help junior developers become midlevel developers and improve their coding skills. The workshop will take place Wednesday, Oct. 4 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 507 S. 2nd St. Registration is free and required. More information here.
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The Bronzeville Collective MKE will celebrate its fifth anniversary on Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 339 W. North Ave. A ribbon cutting ceremony will occur at noon. A “happy hour” from Honeybee Sage and Wellness and Delicious Bites will happen at 3 p.m. along with an unveiling of a new anchor brand. More information here. From the archives: Pop-Up MKE on North Avenue gives birth to collective for black, brown entrepreneurs
The 2023 Culture and Communities Festival kicks off Thursday, Oct. 5. The eight-day event features films, speakers and public forums. More information here.

created: October 2, 2023

author: Chesnie Wardell


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45624884371_962115ef9f_k-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 1, 2023

created: October 1, 2023


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Leaders have high hopes for the redesign of Villard Avenue | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
October 3, 2023
Not everyone foresaw the momentum in progress on Villard Avenue five years ago.
But Angelique Sharpe, then the Villard Business Improvement District 19 liaison at Havenwoods Economic Development Corp., knew it was possible if the neighborhood received the type of support more affluent areas receive.
“Everyone should be elated to see the communities that need it most finally get a seat at the table and get funding they desperately need,” Sharpe said.
Sharpe referred to the latest in a series of history-shaping developments in the neighborhood — a $14 million RAISE grant that will fund a redesign of Villard Avenue.
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She calls it a major boost for a neighborhood that decades ago housed one of the most vibrant commercial corridors in the city but fell on hard times as industries collapsed.
“This grant award is catalytic and is historic on so many levels,” said Sharpe, who now manages the Black Business Boost Program at the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp. “It’s going to build on all the great work that’s been done over the past few years.”
RAISE stands for Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity.
The efforts of Sharpe and others led to a new strategic plan for the area, which includes the redevelopment of vacant commercial properties; public art; community events; improved streetscapes and measures to reduce reckless driving and increase safety,  the recruitment of new business; and the development of affordable housing.
The grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation had been awarded to projects in Milwaukee only twice before.
The first was to build a bridge on Juneau Avenue over the Milwaukee River and the second funded an extension of the streetcar. Both projects were based downtown.
The most recent award is intended to increase the connectivity and safety of Villard Avenue and surrounding streets.
Plans include new bike lanes; a shared use trail that will connect to the Oak Leaf Trail and others in the future; a pedestrian plaza on Hopkins Street; and other major improvements, said Mike Amsden, multimodal transportation manager for the City of Milwaukee’s Department of Public Works.
The plans for the funds came directly from the work of the Villard Business Improvement District and the community, he added.
There’s still no date set for work funded through the RAISE grant to begin, Amsden said.
“I think Villard Avenue is going to be one of the best designed streets in the city,” he said.
Amy Oeth, senior planner for the Department of City Development, worked with the Villard BID, or Business Improvement District, and others to host a meeting of stakeholders during the pandemic as part of the strategic plan for the area.
“I think there’s already been much positive movement for economic development, and the street project will continue that work,” Oeth said.
Que El-Amin, a developer who grew up near Villard Avenue, was one of the first to bring major investment to the area in recent years when he built the mixed-use Villard Commons.
He said he’s happy to see federal interest in the area.
“The redoing of the street is major,” he said. “When you redo the streets and the infrastructure to improve  businesses in the area, it will change attitudes. And when people have something that they take pride in, they take better care of it.”
The remaking of the street also will help improve safety, he added, something that’s been a major aspect of the revitalization process on Villard Avenue.
Stephanie Harling, executive director of the Havenwoods Economic Development Corp., which helped to relaunch the business district under the Villard BID’s guidance in 2018, said vacant buildings and reckless driving are some of the biggest hurdles left to tackle in the area.
Although high-tech cameras placed at different intersections on Villard Avenue, curb extensions and other measures aligned with the Vision Zero strategy to eliminate traffic fatalities have improved safety, more work is needed.
In addition, Harling and others will work to ensure new construction does not impede current or prospective business owners.
“We’ll let them know what’s going on and what’s going to happen and find other ways to support them,” she said.
One idea, she said, is to encourage businesses to take advantage of available funds to improve their facades and properties in general — and to encourage entrepreneurs to redevelop properties to coincide with the other improvements.
Brian Rott, the founding artistic director of Quasimondo Milwaukee Physical Theatre, 5151 N. 35th St., and a longtime member of the Villard BID, looks forward to a new Villard Avenue that is reminiscent of the historic one.
“Traffic will be slower, and the streets will be accessible to pedestrians,” he said. “You would want to spend the afternoon going to the restaurant and shopping at stores in the area, just enjoying all that the neighborhood has to offer.”

created: October 3, 2023

author: Edgar Mendez


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October 2, 2023


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OPINION: Hiring workers is vital to speeding up lead-pipe replacement in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Joe Fitzgerald and Richard Diaz
October 3, 2023
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service invites community members to submit opinion pieces of 500-800 words on topics of interest to central city Milwaukee. To send a submission for consideration, please email info@milwaukeenns.org. The views expressed are solely those of the authors.
Across the city, kids are returning to school, eager to learn. Some will struggle more than others due to high rates of lead poisoning.
Even at low levels, lead exposure creates learning problems, hyperactivity, lower IQ, and a slew of other health challenges. Additionally, lead exposure in adults can lead to high blood pressure, as well as brain, kidney and reproductive health issues.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson has announced a more aggressive timeline for replacing every lead pipe in the city, prioritizing blocks where kids have elevated blood lead levels.
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The current rate of replacement would take 66 years; Mayor Johnson’s timeline decreases it to 20 years. Crucially, Johnson vowed this work will be done at no cost to residents, thanks to a combination of local, state, and federal dollars focused on delivering safe drinking water.
In August, President Joe Biden and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin were here to tout the benefits of two federal funding bills—the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act — which will bring needed resources to our city to remove lead pipes.
The BIL includes $15 billion for lead-pipe removal across the country, and Sen. Baldwin announced that Wisconsin — which is currently ranked with the highest number of lead pipes per capita —should receive about $370 million from that fund. Milwaukee has been working to address the lead problem for years, has an existing inventory and a removal program, but the city lacks the resources needed to move quickly to remove every pipe.
Milwaukee’s neighborhoods with the highest childhood lead levels tend to be lower-income and have more residents of color, making this a significant environmental justice issue and a public health concern.
Replacing lead service lines, prioritizing neighborhoods most impacted, will increase the city’s eligibility for grant funding through the state’s ranking criteria for priority projects. This also allows Milwaukee to accelerate pipe replacement in an equitable way.
We need to make sure those communities receive the full benefits the infrastructure bill brings, in the form of clean water and in the form of living wage careers.
To achieve this vision, we’ve been working with Milwaukee Water Works, Employ Milwaukee, and many other partners on the Milwaukee Water Equity Task Force to help develop and strengthen pathways for underrepresented communities to enter the water workforce and succeed in the public and the private sectors.
Milwaukee has an ecosystem of programs and partners that can train and place workers needed for lead pipe replacement. It’s a good starting point but needs to be strengthened, expanded, and fully funded to get training underway and replace lead lines as quickly as possible.
Within the public sector, Milwaukee Water Works reports having a 25% vacancy rate. That has limited its capacity to accelerate the replacement program. Over the next decade 37% of all water utility workers in the United States will retire, and a total of 1.7 million infrastructure workers will leave their jobs, creating a huge need and opportunity for new workers.
While there are issues in acquiring workers for the water utility, union signatory contractors stand ready to accelerate the pace of lead pipe replacement.
Milwaukee’   — which requires local hiring and racial diversity on projects receiving over $500,000 in city funding — requires that contractors comply with labor standards such as registered apprenticeship, apprenticeship utilization per skilled craft, and hiring from Milwaukee ZIP codes suffering the most from economic inequity.
The United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 75 and Laborers International Union of North America Local 113 both work on training workers within apprenticeship programs and placement with private contractors receiving work. Both unions report having waitlists of people wanting to accumulate apprenticeship hours on projects like lead pipe replacement.
The nationally recognized workforce intermediary WRTP/Big Step recruits, trains, and places workers with contractors, helping to advance key equity and workforce goals and serving as a feeder program into the union trades and a partner on public workforce development.
Milwaukee Water Works’ draft plan to replace lead lines block by block will make projects more accessible for private contractors, and its partnership with Employ Milwaukee on the Milwaukee Water Works Community Project will help fill some, but not all, utility hires needed to replace the city’s 66,000 lead service lines.
Without a fully funded program that staffs up Milwaukee Water Works and bids out enough work for contractors to replace lead lines blocks at a time, Milwaukee will miss the opportunity presented by the BIL.
We support Mayor Johnson’s call to accelerate the replacement of every lead pipe in Milwaukee, at no cost to homeowners, and prioritizing neighborhoods where lead levels are highest. We urge the Common Council to get behind Milwaukee’s lead-free future, and ensure that we have the local capacity and funding in place to meet this moment. By working together, we can make sure future generations are safe from lead poisoning, and can go to school healthy and ready to learn.
Joe Fitzgerald is the Water City Program Manager of Milwaukee Water Commons. Joe leads organizing initiatives to improve water quality and to advance inclusive pathways to blue green employment and water equity in Milwaukee and around the Great Lakes. Joe has worked locally and with leaders around the country to reimagine and reform sustainable and intersectional water systems.
Joe’s contact: jfitzgerald@milwaukeewatercommons.org
Richard Diaz is the Water Infrastructure Organizer of the BlueGreen Alliance. Richard works with BlueGreen Alliance’s legislative, field, and communications staff to engage partners and allies within the Midwest to demonstrate support for advancing an economic recovery focused on manufacturing and infrastructure investments. Richard has extensive community organizing experience across labor, political, issue-based, and neighborhood campaigns.
Richard’s contact: rdiaz@bluegreenalliance.org

author: Joe Fitzgerald and Richard Diaz


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What you need to know about the North Sherman Boulevard Project | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Meredith Melland
October 4, 2023
Traveling down North Sherman Boulevard will become a different experience in a few years, and your input can help shape its future.
Workers from the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin Department of Transportation and design firms are asking residents what they would like to see incorporated in the boulevard’s design.
They are planning a full reconstruction of a two-mile stretch from West North Avenue to West Capitol Drive. Construction is scheduled to start in 2026.
Here are some things you should know:
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This reconstruction provides an opportunity for the engineers to improve Sherman Boulevard’s pavements and to make modifications to the corridor’s overall design.
These efforts are intended to increase safety for cars, pedestrians and bicyclists while preserving the existing environment.
On Aug. 23, the North Sherman Boulevard Project hosted an open house in the Mary Ryan Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee to present some initial data and gather community thoughts.
“We don’t have anything proposed yet,” said Will Barrett, a transportation designer with Graef, one of the firms consulting on the project. “It’s really just about getting everybody’s input.”
The North Sherman Boulevard Project is 80% federally funded through the Surface Transportation Program – Urban grant and 20% by the city. It’s  estimated to cost $20 million to $25 million.
The project plans to completely reconstruct the whole corridor’s pavement and base; curb and gutter; Americans with Disabilities Act pedestrian ramps; sidewalks; street lighting; traffic signals; and some drainage structures.
North Sherman Boulevard has four lanes of traffic along with center medians and outer lanes usually marked for parking. That means it has a lot of space for additional design changes to become a “complete street” that has accommodations for all types of travelers.
“As an engineer, what we’re looking at is: What can we do to bring in safe bicycle accommodations? What can we do to make it more desirable for pedestrians and bicyclists? How do we reduce some of the speeding and some of the crashes and the reckless driving that we see out there?” said David Tapia, major projects manager of the Department of Public Works.
Representatives from the project’s two primary engineering consulting firms, Strand Associates and Graef, shared posters of preliminary data about the Sherman corridor at the meeting.
From 2017 to 2021, there were 990 crashes on Sherman Boulevard, 68% at intersections with signals, according to the data.
Speeds from 78 mph to 87 mph were tracked at different intersections within the 30 mph speed limit.
The team is evaluating the speed limit and getting feedback to try to meet the goal of calming traffic and reducing reckless driving.
Owen Driscoll, 16, attended the meeting because he wants to be able to bike on North Sherman Boulevard to and from Rufus King High School instead of driving every day.
“When I started driving, my mom was all like: ‘Oh, go the speed limit,’” Driscoll said. “And now she’s like: ‘You better be going 37 on Sherman or you’re gonna get rear-ended.’”
On- and off-street bike accommodations are being considered for the boulevard, including taking the parking lane or the outside lane of traffic and creating a protected or raised track for bikes or using a “flex lane” that can change from parking to bike lanes.
About 19,200 cars on the north end travel daily past West Roosevelt Drive and 26,100 vehicles per day travel along West North Avenue, according to the preliminary data.
The traffic volume numbers will be analyzed to figure out if there is a way to reduce the number of lanes.
To preserve the many historic properties and districts along Sherman Boulevard and minimize impacts to existing trees, a consulting firm will help the project avoid changes that have adverse effects.
Mabel Lamb, executive director of the Sherman Park Community Association, said she would like to see gateway markers added so people know they are entering Sherman Park and to show it is historic.
“I would like to see a focus and an effort on making sure that this project is inclusive of all people,” Lamb said.
She explained that she hopes the project uses diverse businesses and engages residents who might not have internet access or not be able to come to public meetings.
After they gather community input and finalize a traffic report, the project team will develop multiple designs that they will present to the community at the next public information meeting, tentatively scheduled for November or early next year.
You can learn more about the project and get in touch with its public involvement team at its website, improveshermanblvd.com/, or by contacting 262-853-0350 or shermanblvd@milwaukee.gov.
Residents can also pin comments to specific points on the project area’s map and take surveys at the Social Pinpoint website.
For businesses on the Sherman Boulevard corridor, the city’s Support for Business Program has resources on preparing for and operating during construction.
Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

created: October 4, 2023

author: Meredith Melland


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Finding transportation can be hard if you’ve been incarcerated. How one North Side church is working to fix that. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Devin Blake
October 5, 2023
Getting a ride somewhere may seem like a small thing.
But it can make a huge difference for those who are returning to the community after being incarcerated as those rides can be hard to come by.
A North Side church, Invisible Reality Ministries, plans to help, one ride at a time.
The Rev. Willie Davis Jr., senior pastor and founder of Invisible Reality, said he began thinking about how best to support people who have been incarcerated after being regularly approached by returning citizens and their families.
The church, located at 2700 N. 54th St., has roughly 250 members. Davis estimates that about half are people who have been incarcerated or have family members who have been incarcerated.
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Many of the individuals who approached Davis were looking for financial support and job training. But in addition to those needs, Davis noticed that many – mostly men – had some sort of chronic illness for which they were having trouble getting adequate medical care.
Davis worked with other church and community members with the goal of becoming “a hub of the community” by helping organize and enhance services for them.
For example, every Tuesday, students from the nursing program at Alverno College provide free medical help at the church to any returning citizen who wants it as well as to members of the general public.
But arranging transportation, especially for those who are just being released from custody, has proven somewhat more elusive.
The church has engaged with correctional facilities, including both county- and state-run facilities. Their bureaucracies, however, have taken time to navigate, Davis said.
It’s just been very, very difficult contacting someone who can actually answer the questions,” he said.
So far, Davis said, the church has had the most success with the Milwaukee County Community Reintegration Center, or CRC.
The church has proposed a system where CRC staff can call its members on behalf of people who do not have a ride to places like a shelter or a treatment facility, said Kylie Shaw, prison ministry coordinator at Invisible Reality.
“We’re also looking to invite other churches to get involved,” said Davis. “Again, this is a huge issue.”
In an email, David Rugaber, assistant superintendent at CRC, called the proposal from the church “intriguing” and added it “could benefit our residents.”
For returning citizens, said Davis, time is of the essence.
Reliable transportation can help people pursue the  services and programs they need when they get out, Anthony Dodd Sr., assistant superintendent at CRC, said in an email.
Rugaber estimated that 50 to 70 people are released from the CRC every week, with the majority of them having a Milwaukee address.
“By ensuring residents have transportation access, we greatly enhance their capacity to engage in these vital activities promptly,” Dodd said.
To learn more, people can reach Invisible Reality Ministries at invisiblerealitypm@outlook.com or call 414-231-3363.
Devin Blake is the criminal justice reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. His position is funded by the Public Welfare Foundation, which plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

created: October 5, 2023


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PHOTOS: MPS Skilled Trades & Technical Career Fair at Milwaukee Tool | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jonathan Perez
October 5, 2023
Hundreds of Milwaukee Public Schools students attended the Skilled Trade & Technical Career Fair at Milwaukee Tool in downtown Milwaukee on Wednesday.
The fair pairs students with potential apprenticeships and other career opportunities with employers.

author: Jonathan Perez


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MPSTTCF-8 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 4, 2023


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MPSTTCF-9 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 4, 2023


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MPSTTCF | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 4, 2023


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5 things to know and do the weekend of Oct. 6 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
October 6, 2023
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Sen. Lena Taylor and Rep. Lakeshia Myers present the Historically Black College and Universities Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7 at Vincent High School, 7501 N. Granville Road.Informationaldisplays will be vailable whereindividuals can receive assistance and learn more about a college of interest, army recruitment or atrade program. More information here.
The Wisconsin Council of Churches is organizing an event from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 7. Unloaded guns should be placed in the back seat of a vehicle. Officials will remove the firearms and get them dismantled at Alice’s Urban Garden on 2136 N. 21st St. Those who surrender will also receive a gift card. More information here.
Martin Luther King Jr. Economic Development Corp. is hosting its second annual Harvest Fest from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7. This free fall event will take place at Victory Over Violence Park, 2625 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. You can pick free pumpkins and enjoy other activities. More information here.
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Take the kids to the Mitchell Street Library, 906 W. Historic Mitchell St., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. You can build with magnetic tiles, LEGO bricks and foam. More information here.
Join the Sherman Park neighborhood for a cleanup day at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8 at 3052 N. 37th St. Afterward, a community celebration with activities and refreshments will  he Marcus Garvey Garden. More information here.

created: October 6, 2023


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30801430005_7f937e1402_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 5, 2023


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5 things to know and do the week of Oct. 9 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
October 9, 2023
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Fiber artist Ruth Shank offers advice on crafting projects every second Monday to fiber artists of all skill levels.  Bring a project to the Good Hope Branch, 7715 W. Good Hope Road, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 9 to receive assistance .More information here.
A community employment and resource fair will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at the Clinton Rose Senior Center, 3045 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.  BMO Harris Bank, Milwaukee Public Schools and others will discuss opportunities. More information here.
Milwaukee Art Therapy Collective is providing art supplies for participants in this open studio session from 4 to 6 p.m. about “The Art of Infertility” on Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 9224 W. Burleigh St. Art therapists will be there to give guidance and encourage self-expression through art. More information here.
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This coding and networking event takes place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11  at the Indeed Brewing Company, 530 S. Second St. Individuals of all skill levels in technology are welcomed to come network over food and drinks. More information here.
Through the Youth Empowerment Program, or YEP, Native teen girls can come monthly to the second floor of Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center, 930 W. Historic Mitchell St., and discuss topics in a group setting from 5 to 7 p.m. The next discussion is Thursday, Oct. 12. To register, call 414-316-5011. More information here.

created: October 9, 2023


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42376917490_aecb9cfb24_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 8, 2023

created: October 8, 2023


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Utility bills could rise again. Here is what you need to know. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
October 10, 2023
We Energies customers can expect to pay more for electricity in 2024 if a rate increase proposed by the utility company is approved by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission by the end of the year.
According to We Energies, the rate changes are to support new infrastructure expenditures, including renewable energy.
The company says the proposal is part of a plan to save customers $2 billion over the next 20 years.
We Energies, which most Milwaukeeans use, is requesting a 1.6% increase.
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If approved, this would be We Energies’ second rate increase in two years. Last year, the commission approved an 11.2% increase for residential customers of We Energies.
The proposed increase is anticipated to cost less than $4 per month for the average We Energies household electric user, according to the We Energies News Center.
IMPACT 2-1-1: You can dial 2-1-1. IMPACT 2-1-1 would have the most recent information on where you can go for assistance.
Milwaukee County Energy Assistance Program: The Energy Assistance Program provides qualified Milwaukee County residents with a one-time, annual payment toward heating and electric bills. The funding pays a portion of energy costs determined by household size, income and energy costs.
Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program: The Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program, or WHEAP, assists eligible households with their heating and electric bills.

created: October 10, 2023

author: PrincessSafiya Byers


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53229415488_104841fbb9_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 9, 2023


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Inside the NNS Newsroom: Meet DeMar Walker, our news arts and culture reporter | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
DeMar Walker
October 11, 2023
Allow me to reintroduce myself.
Hello! My name is DeMar Walker. I am thrilled to join the Neighborhood News Service team as the arts and culture reporter. I will be covering the people, places and events that make Milwaukee a vibrant hub for its residents.
This position is so exciting as I venture back into the field of journalism after years of working as a teaching and performing artist in Southeastern Wisconsin.
Initially, I planned to work in broadcast news as a reporter and producer. Experiences such as writing for my university’s newspaper and interning at WISN-12 as a bright-eyed undergraduate student is where I received some of my training.
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Storytelling is at the core of whatever I do. It is a fundamental way to express the vast thoughts and emotions that have produced all of my creative work. Whether it’s photographing an image around town or writing a poem while visiting my grandmother, I am thankful for the opportunity to share how I connect with the outer world.
Milwaukee definitely speaks to me in the most boisterous way, too.
I absolutely love music of various genres. I stream at least 20 songs a day on Apple Music. It gets my day started. Give me an awesome beat and insightful lyrics, and I’m ready to take on the world.
I also love hats of different varieties: fedoras, porkpies, snapbacks, newsboys, beanies, etc.  I have so many that I’ve lost count at this point.
North, south, east, best
I am proud to call myself a Black Milwaukeean, third-generation Wisconsinite. My family lineage hails from the Mississippi Delta region, home of blues music and spaghetti and catfish.
I grew up in the Harambee area of the city where I spent much of my childhood running down the Locust Street hill to Burger King for double cheeseburgers and strawberry shakes and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library for tutoring sessions. Also, I am a proud Golda Meir alumnus. Go Owls!
I was raised village-style with my parents, grandparents, tons of aunts and uncles and a slew of family friends and neighbors.
Creating dances, playing basketball, writing short stories and riding bikes to the lakefront with my cousins and friends were some of my favorite childhood activities.
I spent my teenage and early adult years in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. My mother still resides there. Shout out to Jefferson Heights!
Since returning to Milwaukee, I have worked with numerous local arts organizations such as the Ko-Thi Dance Company, Tessa’s Black Entertainment & Youth Center, First Stage Children’s Theater, Danceworks Milwaukee and Black Arts Milwaukee.
I even served as a lecturer in the UWM Dance Department, where I taught an African Diasporic technique course for six years.
In my role as arts and culture reporter, I am searching for compelling stories about Black and Brown people doing extraordinary things within their communities.
It could be anything from poetry slams to gardening classes. These stories are the very heartbeat of Cream City. With my artistic background, I plan to capture the essence of what makes Milwaukee a hidden gem of the Midwest. Creativity and integrity will serve as major pillars in my work as a journalist.
In recent years, I have witnessed a huge increase on the artistic and cultural production of Black and Latinx communities throughout Milwaukee. It has been a joy to be a contributor and spectator of a variety of mediums. The imprint is beautifully etched throughout the area. The murals. The festivals. The open mic nights.  The dance battles. These things and much more are bringing such a dynamic energy during this unprecedented time.
It is my hope that I can be a community voice to the city’s incredible skill, talent and resourcefulness. I believe these news stories will establish a deeper appreciation for the richness that lives within our beloved Milwaukee.
I am also eager to hear from you about the latest happenings in our area. Know of any community events or unsung heroes doing amazing things? I would love to highlight them for the Neighborhood News Service. Feel free to contact me.
I look forward to connecting with you.
You can reach me at demar.walker@milwaukeenns.org

created: October 11, 2023

author: DeMar Walker


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51916911967_ae5723a8f0_b | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 10, 2023


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What you need to know about the West Roosevelt Sewer Improvement Project | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Meredith Melland
October 11, 2023
The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District is finalizing plans for its West Roosevelt Sewer Improvement Project that will run under West Roosevelt Drive from North 42 Street to North 58 Boulevard in 2024.
The work should not affect sewer or water service or cause basement flooding to homes in Sherman Park, Sunset Heights and surrounding neighborhoods, according to MMSD senior project manager Keith Kalinger.
Sewers dug by the MMSD may be 40 feet to 60 feet deeper than ordinary basements, Kalinger said at a neighborhood meeting in August at Sherman Perk Coffee Shop, 4924 W. Roosevelt Drive.
Though Roosevelt Drive will remain open to traffic throughout the sewer project’s duration, construction will affect traffic flow, parking and crosswalks.
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Here are some things you need to know.
MMSD, the government agency that provides wastewater services to the Milwaukee region, will be building sewers under West Roosevelt Drive to redirect flow and remove a sanitary sewer overflow in its system.
The project’s budget is $27.5 million, which includes consultant design, MMSD labor and construction costs, according to Kalinger. He added it will be adjusted to $34.5 million for MMSD’s 2024 capital budget.
The main goal is to prevent sanitary sewer overflows, where wastewater from the MMSD’s sewer system rises back into sewer pipes and might have to be released into the waterways untreated.
As part of the project, a new sewer will be installed along Roosevelt Drive that will flow from the northeast to the southwest and connect to a much larger metropolitan interceptor sewer that is sized to take additional flow, including what a storm could generate, said Robert Seleen, flood hazard mitigation manager for the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works.
Currently, sanitary sewer lines flow northeast toward a meeting point at North 35th Street and West Capitol Drive. A bypass pump station at 35 and Capital could overflow and go into city sewers when wastewater levels are high in MMSD sewers along Roosevelt Drive.
MMSD captured and treated 98.7% of wastewater before returning it to the waterways in 2022, but it has a goal of having zero sanitary sewer overflows, according to its 2023 budget report.
The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District’s Commission, in September, awarded the West Roosevelt project contract to Super Excavators Inc., a tunneling business based in Menomonee Falls.
The project team’s focus will now be on obtainingpermits, which will require review from the city, before construction begins in early 2024.
The project is expected to last from 18 months to 20 months, with construction going on until early 2025 in parts of West Roosevelt’s roadway, not boulevard, during two stages.
Sidewalks will remain open and cross traffic will continue at most intersections during construction, though some turns may be restricted.
In stage 1, the project will focus on tunneling and then backfilling holes and building maintenance holes.
Work will take place on the northeast-bound or south side of West Roosevelt Drive’s roadway from 42nd to 53rd Streets.
Street parking will be removed and both directional lanes of traffic will be shifted into the southwest-bound or north side of the roadway.
Access to driveways and alleys will be maintained, Kalinger said.
Bob Olin, owner of Sherman Perk Coffee Shop and a Sherman Park resident, said he is thankful the project will keep traffic in the westbound lane in the first stageso customers can access the coffee shop more easily.
Still, he expects the construction will affect business.
“I’m sure it will,” he said. “But what can I do about it?”
In stage 2, traffic will move back to both sides of the boulevard in the outermost curb lanes as crews work in the center section of the roadway.
During this phase, the project team will rebuild connection points to the city’s sanitary sewer pipes.
The east crosswalks over Roosevelt Drive along Fond du Lac Avenue and Sherman Boulevard will be closed for both stages while work is performed.
Additional crosswalks will be closed during specific stages. View the crosswalk map for more details.
Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.


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53197593918_c42aa6219a_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 10, 2023


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5 things to know and do the weekend of Oct. 13 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
October 13, 2023
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Don’t miss the chance to vote on the best chili and receive resources during the United Methodist Children’s Services of Wisconsin’s fourth annual Chili Fest and Family Housing Resource Fair from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13 at 3940 W. Lisbon Ave. More information here.
Independence First, a South Side organization that serves people with disabilities, is partnering with the Hunger Task Force to provide free meals to seniors 60 and older. Free food will be available from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at a drive-through distribution at 540 S. First St. More information here.
A three-day celebration will beheld on Milwaukee’s South Side for the Oktoberfest Artisan Fair, beginning Friday, Oct. 13 at Our Lady of Lourdes, 3722 S. 58th St. There will be free family-friendly fall festivities to enjoy and handcrafted items to buy over the weekend, so check out the schedule here.
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Clean Wisconsin is celebrating completing 10 summers of stormwater management. Community members are invited to celebrate with food and activities from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14 at the Dominican Center for Women, 2470 W. Locust St.  More information here.
The City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District areasking residents to drop off any household chemicals from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14 in the Department of Public Works parking lot at 3850 N. 35th St. More information here.

created: October 13, 2023


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53254634230_5640047690_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 12, 2023

created: October 12, 2023


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Pay-what-you-can produce market reopens Saturday in new location | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
October 13, 2023
The pay-what-you-can produce market, Greater Good(s) MKE, is reopening Saturday at a new location on the Northwest Side.
The market had been located at Cloud 9 Workshop, 5205 W. North Ave. It lost its original location because Cloud 9, an eco-art studio, expanded and required additional space.
Starting this weekend, the market will open from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays through Nov. 11 at 5531 W. North Ave.
Gina Nygro, the founder of Greater Goods MKE, opened the market in 2021 to serve residents in the Uptown Crossing Business District, which runs from West North Avenue from North Sherman Boulevard to North 60 Street and along West Lisbon Avenue from North 46 to North 51 streets.
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Nygro said there is no produce market nearby.
Neighborhood residents can choose the produce they need and pay whatever they can afford.
It is modeled after Tricklebee Café, a pay-what-you-can community café that offers healthy meals and food-service training.
Nygro said the pay-what-you-can system balances itself out. Some residents pay more than what the produce is worth and others pay less.
Nygro said she plans to run the market until the end of fall. Organizers will spend the winter planning where the market will be in the spring.
Check out the Greater Good(s) website


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53249644660_443d2d24ba_b | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 12, 2023


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5 things to know and do the week of Oct. 16 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
October 16, 2023
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Friends of Cooper Park, a volunteer group that promotes community engagement in Cooper Park, will hold its annual meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. at 8701 W. Chambers St. The group will vote on a new board and other upcoming priorities. More information here.
On Tuesday, Oct. 17, Milwaukee County Supervisors Sequanna Taylor, Priscilla Coggs-Jones and Willie Johnson Jr. will host a joint town hall meeting from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the 2024 Milwaukee County Budget at Freewill Church of God in Christ, 9220 W. Silver Spring Drive. The event allows residents to voice their opinions on the 2024 recommended budget and will include remarks from the supervisors as well as representatives from several Milwaukee County departments. For more information, contact Legislative Aide Keshawn Williams at 414-278-4278 or keshawn.williams@milwaukeecountywi.gov
The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office is encouraging residents to bring their unused legal prescriptions to the Washington Park Senior Center, 4420 W. Vliet St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 18 as part of a national campaign to prevent the misuse of drugs. More information here.
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The Milwaukee Public Library hosts a Worker Connection Program that offers help with résumé writing and how to conduct job searches from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays at the Central Library Branch, 814 W. Wisconsin Ave. Learn how to activate your skills and find career paths that match your interests and needs.  Contact the Department of Workforce Development Worker Connection Program or  call 414-250-6632.
Milwaukee’s fifth annual Love Without Violence Conference kicks off at 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 19 at 3248 W. Brown St. This two-day conference, sponsored by Milwaukee’s Office of Violence Prevention, brings survivors and advocates together to raise awareness of emerging issues, discuss solutions and more. The event is free but registration is required. More information here.

created: October 16, 2023


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46721033655_8c11a84fda_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 15, 2023

created: October 15, 2023


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Milwaukee schools lack air conditioning despite rising temperatures. Here’s what we know. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jonmaesha Beltran and Rachel Hale / Wisconsin Watch
October 16, 2023
Melissa Pacheco remembers multiple days when her daughter and nephews came home from school with headaches from overheating. One day, her nephew vomited as a result, she said.
She blamed the lack of central air at Academia de Lenguaje y Bellas Artes, a South Side Milwaukee public school that teaches bilingually from preschool to eighth grade.
Pacheco tried to organize other parents to push for investments in air conditioning, but school leaders prioritized recreational equipment instead, she said. She elevated her heat concerns to the Milwaukee Public Schools board as it planned for students to return to in-person learning earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic.
After that didn’t work, Pacheco during the 2021-2022 school year pulled her seventh-grade daughter from the school she attended since kindergarten.
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“I was like, ‘I’m so done with them. Nothing gets done,’” the 41-year-old mother said.
Academia de Lenguaje y Bellas Artes is among about half of public schools in Milwaukee — and thousands nationally — that lack full or partial indoor air conditioning, according to district officials. That shortcoming has caused school closures and left students struggling to concentrate when temperatures rise.
Milwaukee Public Schools has long acknowledged difficulties in keeping classrooms cool, and the pandemic highlighted another indoor air quality challenge: how to limit the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases. But it also provided an opportunity. The federal government created a program — the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Education Relief Fund — to address pandemic-related needs, including upgrading ventilation and air filtration.
The Milwaukee district, Wisconsin’s largest, received more than $770 million in relief funding across three rounds, with 65% of that money arriving in the last installment. Some school leaders and staff hoped the district would invest in air conditioning, but the school board has allocated money elsewhere, citing concerns about pouring money into obsolete buildings needing replacement.
The result is a system of haves and have-nots that leaves those in stuffy classrooms behind. The district has yet to create a strategy to install air conditioning in all its buildings or create a place to retrofit or replace them.
“We still have no idea — even a semblance of an idea — of how we’re going to keep our buildings cool so that we don’t have to close them when we have extremely hot weather,” said Angela Harris, chair of the Black Educators Caucus MKE, which represents the interests of Black teachers and students.
Harris has long advocated for the district to invest in air conditioning for its classrooms. She teaches first graders at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School on the city’s East Side.
Lake Michigan’s proximity moderates temperatures in the building compared to the central city. Still, her classroom temperatures would eclipse 90 degrees Fahrenheit, she said. She brought three fans to school and asked parents last year to donate water bottles she kept cold in a cooler.
Amy Daroszeski taught English at Rufus King International High School in a nearly 90-year-old building without air conditioning on Milwaukee’s North Side.
She raised concerns to the school board about hot classrooms before the pandemic. When the district planned to bring students back after the pandemic shutdown forced them to work remotely, Daroszeski questioned how schools would limit COVID-19’s spread in classrooms that lacked airflow.
She could open only one of her four classroom windows because the others lacked screens, and in 2019 that window was bolted to open only 8 inches. Her classroom was hot and humid from August through part of October, she wrote in an email to the board in 2020. Her classroom thermostat showed high humidity and temperatures reaching 86 degrees Fahrenheit, according to photos she sent to the board via email.
Margaret Olinger Schmidt, a former district language teacher who worked in several buildings over five years, said her classroom felt uncomfortable throughout August, parts of September and near the school year’s end in April and May.
“We’re not just talking about a few days where it’s hot outside, we’re talking about you can’t open the window to get a cool breeze,” she said. “If you’re lucky, you might have one fan in your room.”
Jordan Contreras doesn’t just teach Spanish at Milwaukee School of Languages on the city’s Northwest Side. He also finds solutions to meet the basic needs of his students, including keeping them cool.
Contreras’ windowless classroom looks like it once served as the school cafeteria’s storage unit. During warmer days, rotating fans in each corner keep the air flowing.
Contreras said some of his students have gotten headaches or left class to take a walk because they couldn’t concentrate.
“It’s hard for us as teachers to teach properly when we’re sweating and overheating,” Contreras said. “So imagine students coming from an air-conditioned home, or a home that has air ventilation, to a classroom with no windows.”
The average U.S. school building is about 50 years old. In Milwaukee, it’s 80 with many constructed before air conditioning existed, said Stephen Davis, a district spokesperson. Some schools were outfitted with the technology as it became available, but only 56% of the district’s 156 schools currently offer full or partial air conditioning, Davis wrote in an email.
Peter Lowry, a Milwaukee School of Languages junior, said students in air-conditioned classrooms are privileged over those who sweat it out. Lowry struggles to concentrate on hot days and has skipped school when he knew the heat would sap his productivity.
Black and Latino students are less likely to sit in air-conditioned classrooms, resulting in more learning loss on hot days, research shows.
White public school students in Milwaukee lose about 0.8% of a year’s worth of learning each year, compared to a 9.3% loss for Black students and 11.2% loss for Latino students, according to a 2021 Guardian analysis of data compiled for a study of heat-related learning loss in American and international schools.
Excessive heat is responsible for 5% of the gap between standardized test scores of students of color and their white counterparts, according to a 2020 study in the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy.
Air conditioning inequities exist even within individual buildings. In some cases, administrative offices, libraries and main offices have air conditioning while classrooms don’t. In other cases, temporary solutions — such as purchases of portable air conditioners for certain classrooms — may also create inequities between traditional public and charter schools that share a building.
Milwaukee Public Schools has long identified air conditioning upgrades as prohibitively expensive while using facility funds for other purposes, Harris said.
During a 2021 heat wave that closed schools early, Superintendent Keith Posley said the district would prioritize air conditioning in its third round of federal pandemic relief, but the cost would range from $1.5 million to $2.5 million per building, depending on size, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
Advocates for cooling upgrades thought pandemic funding could bring the district closer to universal air conditioning.
Henry Leonard, a school board director, initially agreed. But he changed his mind after hearing the price estimate for retrofitting outmoded buildings and installing air conditioning: about $550 million — a cost that may now top $1 billion.
Instead, Leonard suggested the district should start smaller by allocating funding for rebuilding older schools, but that proposal didn’t gain traction, he said, adding that the district still lacks a long-term building replacement strategy.
Nationally, 41% of school districts needed to update or replace HVAC systems in at least half of their schools, according to a 2020 federal Government Accountability Office report.
Unhealthy classroom temperatures can result in headache, fatigue and respiratory symptoms, research shows, and young children are disproportionately affected.
It’s a “double whammy,” said Jonathan Levy, chair and professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, adding people who are more prone to health effects from poor air quality often face greater exposure to poor air quality due to infrastructure disparities.
Shundal Tillman worries about how excessive heat in classrooms affects his two daughters who have asthma.
Milwaukee has been ranked as one of the most challenging places in the country to live with asthma.
The condition is the leading cause of absenteeism and resulted in 13.8 million missed school days nationwide in 2013, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Olinger Schmidt, the former Milwaukee Public Schools teacher, said she saw upgrades work on a small scale while teaching in a nearly century-old building in Shorewood, north of Milwaukee. The Shorewood district retrofitted its elementary and high schools with air conditioning.
“It can be done. It’s expensive, yes, but the planet’s only getting hotter,” she said.
In 2019, the Fond du Lac School District passed a $7 million referendum to add air conditioning in eight buildings.
Outside of Wisconsin, Boston Public Schools retrofitted 78 schools with more than 3,800 window air conditioning units in one year. Half the buildings were built before World War II. Funding for the upgrades came from the mayor’s Green New Deal for Boston Public Schools, a $2 billion plan to upgrade schools.
In Detroit, leaders plan to install or improve air conditioning in all schools by 2027 and phase out or rebuild schools that can’t accommodate such upgrades. The district is using $136 million in pandemic relief to install or improve heating, ventilation and air conditioning — part of $700 million in building renovations, Outlier Media reported.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont established a $56 million grant program to fund public school HVAC upgrades.
Excessive heat in recent years — including this year — forced Milwaukee Public Schools to cancel classes at “early start” schools that begin in mid-August. On other hot days, some parents have kept their students home.
About 1,500 classrooms in early start buildings lack air conditioning.
School board director Aisha Carr in 2021 proposed using $140 million in pandemic funding to install air conditioning in the more than half of early start schools that lack it.
A majority of her board colleagues shot down the proposal. Opponents argued she underestimated costs and that the board shouldn’t upgrade cooling in some schools but not others. Unacknowledged in that discussion: a status quo of inequality between early start schools with air conditioning and those without it.
The board later enacted Carr’s scaled-down proposal to allocate $300,000 for window air conditioners or industrial fans in early start schools.
The schools received two fans per classroom, Nicole Armendariz, a district spokesperson, confirmed in an email.
After district schools got $100,000 in pandemic relief for projects of their choosing within a loose set of guidelines, three schools — Allen-Field Elementary, Ninety-Fifth Street School and Riverside University High School — asked for air conditioning. Their requests were denied.
Leonard said $100,000 wouldn’t have covered each school’s installation costs.
The district invested a larger chunk of rounds two and three of pandemic relief in air quality improvements. That included $2 million for updating air conditioning in master closets and more than $100 million on items like temperature control modifications, carbon dioxide detectors, air purifier filters, building outdoor classrooms and replacing windows, doors and carpets.
So far, Wisconsin districts have allocated more than a quarter of third round COVID funding to construction, according to the Institute for Reforming Government, a conservative think tank. In Milwaukee, that construction includes upgrading turf ball fields, tennis courts, a high school stadium, a fieldhouse and pool and locker room renovations.
As Milwaukee School of Languages builds an outdoor classroom and restructures a tennis court, Lowry said his fellow students would instead prefer air conditioning.
“The priorities are in the wrong places,” he said.
But Contreras, the Spanish teacher, sees the outdoor classroom as a temporary solution and plans to teach there when his classroom gets too hot.
The district has until September 2024 to spend $138 million in remaining pandemic funding. It doesn’t plan to spend any on air conditioning at additional schools, Armendariz confirmed.
School Board President Marva Herndon said the district hopes to secure a separate federal grant for air conditioning installation.
Until that happens, Lowry and his peers will face obstacles not present in some other schools.
“Some schools have a higher education than Milwaukee School of Languages because they have better conditions to learn in,” he said. “We don’t have those conditions to learn in, so we’re going to struggle more.”
The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch (www.WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, WPR, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by Wisconsin Watch do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.
This article first appeared on Wisconsin Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.


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53264034299_9476a57c2e_b | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 16, 2023


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Here’s how the West Roosevelt Sewer Project will affect residents | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Meredith Melland
October 17, 2023
The West Roosevelt Sewer Improvement Project will change how a section of West Roosevelt Drive operates during construction stages in 2024, affecting the people who travel and live there.
As the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District project develops, residents of Sherman Park, Sunset Heights, Grasslyn Manor and other communities around Roosevelt Drive say they want to be kept informed.
“MMSD has done this for a long time, these bigger projects, and they have very seasoned people on board to help, but what we want to make sure of is there’s an open line of communication,” said Jamshid “Jim” Zonoozi, a resident.
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Here are more things you should know.
In August, MMSD hosted an evening open house at Sherman Perk Coffee Shop on Roosevelt Drive and answered questions from community members that ranged from snow plowing and garbage pickup to basement backups and rats.
Services like street plowing and garbage pickup are the city’s responsibility, but the project’s team will follow up on some of the concerns raised with the city to make sure they are coordinating, said Keith Kalinger, senior project manager for MMSD.
He added that he does not anticipate much work will be done on the project during the middle of winter.
Construction on West Roosevelt Drive will take up part of the roadway and remove street parking.
“A lot of people in our neighborhood, they don’t either have enough garage space or they park on the street,” Zonoozi said.
He leads the Norwood Neighborhood Group from North 54th to North 60th streets and West Roosevelt Drive to West Keefe Avenue.
Since vehicles will be traveling in the bike and curb lane, there will not be room for emergency vehicles to go around traffic.
“Probably the biggest impact it’s going to have on the broader neighborhood is this is a major runway to the St. Joe’s emergency room,” said Bob Olin, owner of Sherman Perk and neighborhood resident.
MMSD representatives said they have contacted city hospitals, including Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital – St. Joseph Campus, and schools and churches in the area about the project’s traffic reroutes.
Zonoozi’s Norwood Neighborhood Group was working with District 10 Ald. Michael Murphy on a plan to add bump-outs, which extend the curb into the roadway to calm traffic and reduce baselining, on part of Roosevelt Drive.
“We had already started going over the plans with the engineer, and we even had a meeting to talk about what Roosevelt would look like, and then we found out that this was happening and then our project had to be put on hold,” Zonoozi said.
Pausing the bump-out plan until at least 2025 and reserving American Rescue Plan Act funding for it will be an extra challenge because the Norwood community is being redistricted next year into District 7, currently represented by Ald. Khalif Rainey.
Karen Nagle, a resident who leads the Tri-Block Neighborhood Association from West Burleigh to West Center streets and North 53rd to North 56th streets, initially feared the sewer work would impact Roosevelt’s tree canopy and brought the concern to other residents.
“But fortunately, they said no, it wasn’t going to affect the trees,” she said.
Only one tree is planned to be removed because most of the work will be in the roadway and not in the boulevard/median, according to MMSD.
Residents can use the “Contact Us” form on MMSD’s website or project page to contact the West Roosevelt project team.
The sewer work should not cause basement flooding, according to MMSD.
If you have a basement backup, contact Milwaukee’s Department of Public Works using 414-286-CITY (2489) and then MMSD with this wet basement form.
Robert Seleen, the flood hazard mitigation manager for the City of Milwaukee, said the city will send a sewer investigator to determine the cause of flooding.
In the event that rats get into residences, which Seleen said he has not seen in an active sewer project, Milwaukee’s Department of Neighborhood Services can provide resources or potentially bait them.
Sign up to get email updates on MMSD’s project website here.
Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

created: October 17, 2023


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53201306591_6492826809_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 16, 2023


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Students grapple with uncertain futures after latest DACA ruling | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
October 18, 2023
Local college students are among hundreds of thousands nationwide who have faced uncertainty since a federal judge in Texas ruled last month that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program is illegal.
The ruling bars the government from processing new applications and puts those already enrolled in the program for young immigrants at risk.
Among them is Alma Sandoval, 21, a senior at Marquette University who is majoring in social welfare and justice.
She said she put her decision on whether to attend graduate school on hold.
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“It’s sad because there are so many people out here wondering what they are going to do if the program ends,” Sandoval said.
The DACA program prevents eligible individuals who came to the U.S. as children and were under the age of 31 by June 15, 2012, from being deported. It also provides work authorization for a period of two years.
Many of the program’s more than 800,000 recipients have utilized DACA as a pathway to higher education since it was established in 2012.
In September, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanenruledin support of Texas and eight other states thatsued to stop DACA and deemed the current version of the program illegal.
The states said DACA caused financial harm and is unconstitutional. Hanen’s ruling did not mandate the federal government to act on current DACA recipients, who often are referred to as Dreamers.
But it set into motion a chain of events that will likely result in the program’s fate being decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
It would be the third time the high court has been called upon to make a ruling on the program.
Fatima Jimenez Gonzalez, 21, is a DACA recipient and the president of the Marquette Dreamers. She and  Sandoval helped launch the organization to provide a support system for DACA recipients and other children of immigrants and to educate the Marquette community on the issues they face.
“There’s a lot of stigma for immigrants, and many of us are unable to work legally to support ourselves,” she said.
Jimenez Gonzalez, who came to Milwaukee from Mexico at age 2 with her seven siblings and parents, said immigrants at Marquette and elsewhere are misunderstood.
“Take a closer look,” she said. “We go to work. We pay taxes,” she said. “Lookat us as people instead of as a statistic.”
Another member of the group, Nestor Ruelas, a 21-year-old junior at Marquette, isn’t enrolledin DACA but said the ruling adds to the many challenges immigrants already face.
Ruelas, whose family came to Milwaukee from Jalisco, Mexico, when he was 6 months old,said he hopes to go to law school eventually and open up an immigration law firm and advocate for immigrant’s rights.
“I just want everyone to have a fair chance at life,” he said.
Maria Tijerina, a graduate student at Marquette and the Inclusive Excellence Graduate Fellow for the university’sOffice of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, works with undocumented students.
She said she helps them — some of whom are DACA recipients– learn the nuances of immigration laws in the U.S. and how to access scholarships and other opportunities.
“A lot is helping provide the knowledge and understanding about what being undocumented and documented is and what it means to be a Dreamer,” said Tijerina, who moved to Wisconsin from Monterrey, Mexico, with her family as a child. “There are many legal implications of being undocumented.”
In terms of DACA, she said students are fearful about the program’s future.
“DACA opened up so many opportunities for immigrants and communities and helped the economy in the U.S., allowing everyone to reap the benefits,”Tijerina said.
Cain Oulahan, whose firm Oulahan Immigration Law provides services related to DACA, said he hasn’t fielded many calls about the program since the ruling.
He said he would expect his phone to ring off the hook if the program gets eliminated.
Despite the fact that applications are notbeing processed, Oulahan said the risks likely outweigh the benefits.
The government “might accept it later,” Oulahansaid. “If you file it and they ultimately take away DACA, your information is on file with immigration now, so there is a risk in doing that.”
The real problem, he said, is the lack of federal immigration reform.  It’s an issue that has challenged immigrants for years, he said.
“Our laws are outdated, and there are no better options for Dreamers than DACA,” Oulahan said.
Until there is a true pathway for legal status for immigrants, he said, people will continue to face backlash.
As for Sandoval, she said she’s nowaccustomed to legal challenges related to her immigration status but plans to move forward regardless.
“It’s something I’m always aware of,” she said. “I feel like DACA Dreamers will always hope for a pathway to citizenship, and it will always be a fight.”

created: October 18, 2023


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36678126440_4dfa5e5edc_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 17, 2023


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Milwaukee teens give South Side community garden a new life | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Meredith Melland
October 19, 2023
Over the past three summers, Milwaukee teens have revitalized a South Side community garden as part of Growing Connections, a paid summer internship and community-building program.
The community garden, on South 5th and West Becher streets, buzzed with activity as visitors and bees alike explored its flowers and plants during a harvest and garden reveal event on Sept. 30.
“I learned that even a little area can make a difference in our community,” said Jackie Ramirez, a sophomore at St. Augustine Preparatory Academy who has participated in Growing Connections for the past two years.
Extension Milwaukee County, a division of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, partners with the Milwaukee Christian Center on the internship program.
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Ten students worked on the garden this summer with the help of program mentors, growing a colorful bounty of fruits, vegetables and flowers in planting beds that community members could pick from at the recent event.
After their initial plans changed because of COVID-19, program leaders in 2021 looked for a community garden near the Kosciuszko Community Center at 2201 S. 7th St., where Milwaukee Christian Center hosts youth programming.
Growing Connections started working that spring on the 5 Street garden at the intersection of Historic Mitchell Street and Lincoln Village.
“The first year was a lot of like cleaning up and picking up trash, needles, tires and stuff like that,” said Lue Yang, youth opportunities manager at Milwaukee Christian Center.
By the end of the second summer, the Growing Connections interns had mulched the ground to improve growing conditions, built garden beds and started growing plants.
This fall’s harvest event was the first time the students have shown the garden to the community.
“This is also the first summer where we really like dug in, flowers started growing, our fruits and vegetables are growing,” Yang said.
Produce grown include peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, tomatillos, garlic, squash, chard, peas and other plants.
Katie Boland, an Extension Milwaukee County garden educator who works with Growing Connections, said some of the plants, like broom corn, sunflowers, squash and marigolds, were chosen to pay respect to Native Americans who lived on the land.
Growing Connections empowers youths from  the ages of 14 to 18 to become leaders by engaging them in community service, Yang said.
Students spend two days a week in the summer gardening and learning about food production at the garden and Extension’s Kohl Farm, 8400 W. County Line Road.
On the other days, they participate in workshops on political education, social justice, placemaking and youth leadership.
This year, Growing Connections also worked with students from Escuela Verde, a public charter high school at 3628 W. Pierce St.
One of the program’s best highlights for Ramirez is “growing close bonds with the people that work here.”
The teens also get to explore different career paths, some related to food. This summer, Milwaukee Christian Center’s program participants visited Braise, a restaurant and culinary school at 1101 S. 2nd St., in Walker’s Point.
“We also got to cook vegetables that we made here. We brought it to the restaurant. They let us use their entire kitchen,” Yang said.
Growing Connections leaders hope that community members will be able to rent out beds in the 5 Street garden and use it on a regular basis in the future, as Hmong farmers in the area have done in the past, said Yang.
In the meantime, Yang, Boland and Leslie Quevedo, Extension Milwaukee County’s Positive Youth Development educator, will continue to maintain the garden and grow seeds to prepare for the next summer program.
For more information about Growing Connections, contact Lue Yang at lyang@mccwi.org or Leslie Quevedo at leslie.quevedo@wisc.edu.
Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

created: October 19, 2023


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53236311547_5cce97e553_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 18, 2023


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53237472388_c70ca4c3c5_k-1 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 18, 2023


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53237472388_c70ca4c3c5_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 18, 2023


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53248571432_d11dee45f4_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 18, 2023


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5 things to know and do the weekend of Oct. 20 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
October 20, 2023
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Create towers, bridges, boats and catapults from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20 at the Center Street branch of the Milwaukee Public Library, 2727 W. Fond du Lac Ave.
VIA Community Development Corp. will kick off Halloween festivities from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21 at Arlington Heights Park, 3429  W. Pierce St.  Attendees will engage in family-friendly activities, and children will have the chance to participate in a costume contest based on their age group. Free candy and pumpkins will be given away, too. More information here.
The 2023 Milwaukee Fatherhood Summit will be a celebration of fatherhood that includes workshops, resources, services and more. The summit will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21 at the Destiny Youth Plaza Center, 7220 N. 76th St. This is a free event that requires registration to attend or volunteer. More information here.
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HoneyCreationz LLC, a Black-owned business that creates handcrafted beauty products, will hold its first Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Table Event from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 5444 W. Fond du Lac Ave. Individuals who visit the table will receive education on breast cancer, participate in raffles for giveaways and acknowledge cancer survivors. More information here.
The Zócalo Food Market Food Park, 636 S. Sixth St., will host a “Dead Market” from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 22 to remember ancestors and deceased loved ones in honor of Dia de los Muertos, a tradition that originated in Mexico. There will be food, entertainment and the traditional altar. More information here.

created: October 20, 2023


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30274019237_7946602aa0_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 19, 2023


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Find trick-or-treating and other free Halloween events in your neighborhood | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Meredith Melland
October 20, 2023
Grab your candy baskets: it’s time for trick-or-treating in Milwaukee.
Enjoy free family-friendly neighborhood events that celebrate Halloween before the City of Milwaukee’s official trick-or-treating hours from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29.
The Urban Ecology Center and other sponsors are hosting a pumpkin carving and trick-or-treating event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21 at the Washington Park Pool House, 40th and Galena streets. There will also be raffles, pedal boats, biking, caramel apples, bag races, face painting and more. More information here.
VIA Community Development Corp. is hosting a family-friendly event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. onSaturday, Oct. 21at Arlington Heights Park, 3429 W. Pierce St. The event will feature spooky activities, costume contests by age group, youth resources, free candy, champurrado and pumpkins while supplies last. Birrieria La Tia Juana and Sabor Culichi food trucks will be on site. For more information, contact Cassandra at 414-409-3474 or cassandra@viacdc.org.
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From noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21, Ascension Lutheran Church, 1236 S. Layton Blvd., will host a trunk or treat event in the church’s parking lot near 26th and Scott streets. Kids are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes. More information here.
From 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 22, Northcott Neighborhood House and Bader Philanthropies will host a trunk or treat next to Northcott Neighborhood House, 2460 N. 6th St. The event will take place on Wright Street from 7th Street to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Treats, vendors, community resources, hayrides, pony rides and more will beincluded in the fun. Contact Elizabeth Coggs at 414-372-3770 or ecoggs@northcotthouse.org for more information.
Milwaukee Police Department’s District 7, 3626 W. Fond du Lac Ave., will open its doors from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 22for a kid-friendly, “Nightmare on Fond du Lac” haunted station. More information here.
From 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 26, Safe & Sound, 4422 W. Leon Terrace, will host a fall festival with a trunk or treat, neighborhood safety and prevention resources, along with food, games and pumpkins. Flu shots and COVID-19 vaccinations will also beavailable. More information here.
A not-too-scary garden walk will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m Sunday, Oct. 22 at 6th and Howard streets. Email dawn@milwaukeegdna.com with questions. More information here.
The Enderis Park Neighborhood Association has announced that neighborhood trick-or-treating will take place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27.Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Non-EPNA guests are welcome. More safety and parking rules can be found on the event page here.
The 30th annual trick or treating for residents of the Martin Drive neighborhood will take place on Friday, Oct. 27. Adults can register a child or family by Oct. 24. A $1 donation per child and candy contribution arerequested. For more information on location and time, click here.
Journey House, 2110 W. Scott St., will have food, music, games and crafts for children ages 12 and under from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 28. Contact info@journeyhouse.org or 414-647-0548. More information here.
There will be indoor trick-or-treating and games for kids ages 12 and under from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 28at South Division High School, 1515 W. Lapham Blvd. as part of the Latino Family Expo and Festival, which celebrates Latino culture and dance. More information here.
From noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, at the COA Goldin Center, 2320 W Burleigh St., Boss Moms Club and other sponsors will hold a free family-friendly Halloween party with pumpkin decorating, face painting, bounce houses, free food and more. More information here.
This festival in Amani will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28at 26th Street between Locust and Burleigh streets. Streets will be blocked off for safety and there will be music, free food, activity stations and information on lead testing from the Coalition on Lead Emergency. More information here.
Mt. Lebanon Church, 4809 N. 60th St., will be having a trunk or treat from 3 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28. The church is seeking volunteers to help with decorating, set up and take down and providing candy. More information here.  Register to help here.
From 6 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 28, Journey House, 2110 W. Scott St., will hold a teen dance with food and music for 13-to-17-year olds with valid ID. More information here.
City of Light Church will have a trunk or treat from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29 in the church parking lot at 6725 W. Burleigh St. More information here.
Did we miss an upcoming community event? Email us at meredith.melland@milwaukeenns.org
Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.


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6296281512_333b84cdeb_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 20, 2023


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5 things to know and do the week of Oct. 23 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chesnie Wardell
October 23, 2023
It’s Monday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Spend $10 for a bounce work fitness class with Feeling it Fitness, which uses hip-hop to burn up to 1,000 calories. Whether you have experience or not, everyone is welcome.The next class is at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 23 at GOE Trendsetters, 6633 W. Mill Road. Click here to register. More information here.
Join the Sherman Phoenix from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 23 for a community partner networking event where you can meet and collaborate with other community organizations at 3536 W. Fond du Lac Ave. Registration is required. More information here.
Barbershop Tuesdays are designated for free haircuts, and the next opportunity to get one is from noon to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, 315 W. Court St. More information here.
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A plant protein food demo will be held at 2007 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 26. Recipes include Edamame avocado dip, lentil Bolognese, and more. Participants will also learn kitchen skills to prepare food properly. More information here.
Hispanic Heritage Month at South Division High School will feature performances led by students and community organizations like Cache MKE.  The program begins at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 26 at South Division, 1515 W. Lapham Blvd. Table activities, a community ofrenda, and food will be available. More information here.

created: October 23, 2023


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49323333778_fdff107f38_b | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ron Smith
October 22, 2023

created: October 22, 2023


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We’ve updated our list on where to find trick-or-treating and other free Halloween events in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Meredith Melland
October 23, 2023
Editor’s note: This list has been updated to include more events.
Grab your candy baskets: it’s time for trick-or-treating in Milwaukee.
Enjoy free family-friendly neighborhood events that celebrate Halloween before the City of Milwaukee’s official trick-or-treating hours from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29
From 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 26, Safe & Sound, 4422 W. Leon Terrace, will host a fall festival with a trunk or treat, neighborhood safety and prevention resources, along with food, games and pumpkins. Flu shots and COVID-19 vaccinations will also beavailable. More information here.
Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing!
The Enderis Park Neighborhood Association has announced that neighborhood trick-or-treating will take place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27.Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Non-EPNA guests are welcome. More safety and parking rules can be found on the event page here.
The 30th annual trick or treating for residents of the Martin Drive neighborhood will take place on Friday, Oct. 27. Adults can register a child or family by Oct. 24. A $1 donation per child and candy contribution arerequested. For more information on location and time, click here.
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, the second annual Harvest Fest will return to Sherman Park, 3000 N. Sherman Blvd. Trick-or-treating, activities, booths, food and community resources will be part of the fest. Learn more about the event and the officials and community groups organizing it here.
The City of Milwaukee Office of Early Childhood Initiatives will be hosting a Halloween-themed book distribution event for kids ages 8 and younger with Joyce’s House Education Center from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28 at 5531 W. North Ave. Mayor Cavelier Johnson will be speaking on the importance of literacy and author Dionne Grayson will be signing books from “The Children’s Gift” series. There will be free books, snacks, a photo booth, music and crafts. More information here.
Journey House, 2110 W. Scott St., will have food, music, games and crafts for children ages 12 and under from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 28. Contact info@journeyhouse.org or 414-647-0548. More information here.
There will be indoor trick-or-treating and games for kids ages 12 and under from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 28at South Division High School, 1515 W. Lapham Blvd. as part of the Latino Family Expo and Festival, which celebrates Latino culture and dance. More information here.
From noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, at the COA Goldin Center, 2320 W Burleigh St., Boss Moms Club and other sponsors will hold a free family-friendly Halloween party with pumpkin decorating, face painting, bounce houses, free food and more. More information here.
This festival in Amani will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28at 26th Street between Locust and Burleigh streets. Streets will be blocked off for safety and there will be music, free food, activity stations and information on lead testing from the Coalition on Lead Emergency. More information here.
Mt. Lebanon Church, 4809 N. 60th St., will be having a trunk or treat from 3 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28. The church is seeking volunteers to help with decorating, set up and take down and providing candy. More information here.  Register to help here.
From 6 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 28, Journey House, 2110 W. Scott St., will hold a teen dance with food and music for 13-to-17-year olds with valid ID. More information here.
City of Light Church will have a trunk or treat from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29 in the church parking lot at 6725 W. Burleigh St. More information here.
Did we miss an upcoming community event? Email us at meredith.melland@milwaukeenns.org
Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.