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Curfew leaves Sherman Park youth with ‘nowhere to go’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
August 26, 2016
Milwaukee County Sheriff’s vehicles patrol Sherman Park as park-goers enjoy an early evening on Milwaukee’s northwest side. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Nearly two weeks after demonstrations and violence swept through the Sherman Park neighborhood, a 6 p.m. curfew remains for the park, imposed by the Milwaukee County Sheriff on Aug. 15.
The early closing time has made it harder for neighborhood youth who have come to expect food and activities in the park, provided by a grassroots organization called Program the Parks. “A lot of them don’t have nowhere to go,” said Vaun Mayes, one of the organizers of the initiative. “A lot of them do not eat if we don’t feed them.”
Fran McLaughlin, who does media relations for the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, said she didn’t know when the early closing order would be lifted and that the decision is up to Sheriff David Clarke.
Mayes, who has been working in the area since the beginning of June, said as many as 200 young people have attended the movie nights and barbecues he and others have held. Program the Parks feeds the youth at least three times a week, offering pizza every Friday and weekend cookouts. Food and drink are provided by in-kind and cash donations from the community; Mayes and others involved volunteer their time.
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On a recent afternoon, only a few young people have come to engage with Mayes and the others; he digs in his pocket to hand many of them a few dollars to get them by for the night.
Mayes said a lot of the youth are homeless, and some have previously slept in the park. Niekale Steward, 15, added that youth open up to people in the group about their circumstances. Steward used to live in the area and still comes to the park whenever the group hosts an event.
Young people, including Niekale Steward (seated), hang out at Sherman Park. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
“You can’t see it on a lot of their faces, but if you go into their homes, into where they live, you will see poverty just everywhere,” said Marcus Duke, founder of Club Kids, an organization that works with youth through events and other programming. Duke said some children sleep on the floor, have no electricity and have no food at home.
According to Charles Edwards, 51, children come to the events “because … they know somebody cares.”
“They know they’ll have somebody that’s going to feed them when they’re hungry, somebody’s going to listen to them when they’ve got issues and problems — somebody that’s going to give them the direction that they need,” he said.
With the park being closed early, many of the youth have nowhere to go, Mayes said. “You push them out of here and put them in the community, they’re going to probably go in a gas station and do a snatch-and-run, they’re probably going to steal somebody’s car so they can get somewhere,” he said. “People do a lot of shit that they wouldn’t do … when they’re in need.”
Steward said he’s heard about more thefts from his friends since the curfew has been in effect — he said they are most likely because youth are hungry, or bored. “What is there for kids to do after they close the park down at 6, go back home to the streets?”
Policing Sherman Park
Mayes decided to patrol Sherman Park regularly after seeing a video on Facebook in late May of law enforcement closing the park early. After he shared the video, responses from residents were all similar: that law enforcement was right to do that because the kids would often fight and cause other trouble.
So, Mayes began to monitor the playground area just off Sherman Boulevard, intervening in and preventing fights. After some time, others joined Mayes and their work began to have an effect — the kids stopped fighting because they knew the adults wouldn’t let them. Some of the youth joined in, and began dissuading their friends from engaging in conflicts.
According to Mayes, at first, sheriff’s deputies were grateful for the help but, after an incident at the end of June when youth threw rocks, damaging a city bus and a window of the gas station that was eventually burned, the mood among law enforcement officers changed.
He said some officers “can accept that we’re needed just like they’re needed.” Mayes said other officers regularly antagonize youth, and that Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) officers and sheriff’s deputies police Sherman Park more heavily than other parts of the city.
In an email response, MPD Sgt. Timothy Gauerke said officers “frequently elect to issue warnings in lieu of a citation” and that the elevated police presence is “due to the volume of calls for service and the levels of crime that are afflicting the residents in that area.”
Gaurke continued, “Residents at community meetings, especially in more disadvantaged areas, are frequently asking for additional patrols in their neighborhoods. They want police to address issues like gunshots being fired, armed robberies, drug dealing, and other issues that affect their quality of life and ability to use their public spaces.”
Mayes noted that “it certainly doesn’t happen in Riverwest; it doesn’t happen on the deep east side lakefront; it don’t happen in downtown where Marquette is; it don’t happen in Wauwatosa, West Allis.” Added Mayes, who is black, “It don’t happen to people that don’t look like this.”
“Crime pays,” Mayes said. “Wisconsin makes a lot of money off incarcerating people.”
Jimmy Pitts, 16, who spends every day from morning until night at Sherman Park, said, “I just want the police to go, so we can have our park back.”
Mayes, himself, had a long record as a juvenile. He stole cars, was involved in robberies and faced a charge involving a firearm. “I was worse than any of them,” said Mayes, who was homeless at age 14. “When I didn’t have to do that no more, I stopped doing it.”
“I had people that looked out for me, like we’re trying to do for them,” Mayes said.
“There’s two things that the kids need … they need some money in their pocket and they need something to do with their idle time,” said Duke, who brought Brewers tickets for the youth.
Steward said Program the Parks has helped many disadvantaged youth, even setting some kids up with jobs. But he said young people need more opportunities, “something to do other than negativity.”
However, Duke said it’s difficult for grassroots groups to have the kind of impact they could, because funding is tough to come by. “The red tape is ridiculous,” he said.
Municipalities and grant-giving organizations need to change their process, according to Duke. While large organizations have more capacity to pursue funding and create “fancy” proposals, he said, the grassroots organizations are doing the work, and understand the needs of those they’re serving.
“The city’s got to approach things differently, the businesses got to approach things differently, the community leaders got to approach things differently,” said Duke. “It all boils down to the kids.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the date that the curfew was imposed.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 25, 2016

source: news-milwaukeenns

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

author: Adam Carr


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Dental clinic opens serving Wisconsin residents with disabilities | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care
August 26, 2016
(Photo by Molly Rippinger)
A new dental clinic designed and built to meet the special needs of people with disabilities will open on Monday, August 29, at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care-Bucyrus Campus, 2450 W. North Avenue.
The Gardetto Family Community Dental Clinic will specifically serve children and adults with physical or cognitive disabilities that prevent them from being treated in standard private practice or community clinics. Patients must be Wisconsin residents and will need a referral from a dentist or medical doctor. All forms of Medicaid will be accepted.
“The mother of one of our patients has been taking her daughter to Minnesota to see a dentist.” said Laura Cherek, director of dental services at St. Ann Center. “There are very few clinics in Wisconsin that can provide the one-on-one attention people with disabilities need,” she added.  “We hope to create a dental home where staff can maintain consistent care for patients from early childhood through their elderly years,”
Russell Dunkel DDS, the Center’s dental director, and Lakisha Arif-Holmes DDS offer exams, teeth cleaning, fluoride treatments, sealants, all forms of X-rays, restorative work including fillings and crowns, extractions, and root canals and dentures as needed. The three-chair clinic’s operatory is large enough to accommodate patients using wheelchairs and scooters.
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According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, 2010 Burden of Oral Disease in the State of Wisconsin, individuals with disabilities have “significantly higher rates of poor oral hygiene and need for periodontal disease treatment than the general public.” Research also links poor oral health with increased risks for systemic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and aspiration associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD).
The dental clinic adds to St. Ann Center’s commitment to providing comprehensive health care to the community. Donors for construction of the dental clinic include the Gardetto family, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Delta Dental and the Ziemann Foundation.
To schedule an appointment or to learn more about the Gardetto Family Community Clinic, call (414) 210-2440 or email lcherek@stanncenter.org.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 26, 2016


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Open letter to Mayor Barrett | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Roy Evans
August 26, 2016
A man looks over the former site of A.O Smith and Tower Automotive. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Roy Evans, an attorney in private practice and an advocate on issues related to the rights and responsibilities of the African-American community, calls for an end to systemic racism and benign neglect in an open letter to Mayor Tom Barrett. Evans has been a resident of Sherman Park for more than 35 years.
Dear Mayor Barrett:
Regarding your opinion piece published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How can we as a community focus on the future without examining the lingering past and current conditions that created and continue to maintain our city’s status as the worst city in America for African-Americans to live?
This includes the long history of discrimination, disrespect and abusive behavior towards the African-American community by the Milwaukee Police Department. Lingering poverty, high unemployment, crime, hyper-segregation, over-incarceration, low educational achievement, outrageous economic disparities and lack of opportunity are not unique individual issues, but are a culmination of long-term neglect and indifference towards Milwaukee’s African-American community.
These disparities are rooted in a history of well intentioned but misguided socio-political policies that were put in place by those who are responsible for administering fairness and justice for all of the citizens of Milwaukee. If things were fair we would not lead the nation in a multitude of negative statistical outcomes that plague the African-American community.
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Without systemic changes, your hope of “years from now the memories of the summer of 2016 should not be ashes and anger” will ring hollow in the ears of a future generation who will inherit the frustrations and hopelessness that continue to control not only black lives but all of our lives. It is wishful thinking to believe that things will get better if things remain the same. Coming together is a useless exercise if substantive change does not occur. There is a message to be heard in our cry of “Black Lives Matter.”
You have been a good mayor and have a strong friendship with the African-American community, but you still remain somewhat disconnected from the realities of the pain and suffering that we endure on a daily basis.  How can we “come together as a united and strong Milwaukee” when systemic racism and benign neglect continue to be the norm?
Where does this unity and change come from? Programs alone won’t do it. Proclamations won’t do it. Press conferences scolding the black community for living in poverty while praising the police won’t do it. Pastors praying for peace won’t do it. So how does this community come together and get it done? It’s not your fault that Republicans treat Milwaukee with disdain and political ill will, and do everything in their power to deliberately hurt our community economically, using racism and bigotry as an excuse for driving their punitive policies. But, Milwaukee is your city. You are the mayor and the leader of the parade. You have to become a more effective drum major for justice. Everywhere adjacent to the defined African- America neighborhoods there is prosperity and business is thriving. The contrast is stark and ominous. Why is this? We need a more fair and equitable distribution of resources in order to uplift the African-American community and as a reflection of Milwaukee’s commitment to the entire community and not just downtown and points east.
You are the mayor and the leader of the Milwaukee community’s hopes and aspirations for a future you claim to want and desire. You have the power to overcome the fear of change and effect change with the power of your vision and direction. It takes guts, political courage and a commitment beyond political correctness to stand up to those who view Milwaukee and the African-American community as a marginalized lost cause not worth saving. (I’ve been around long enough to know that this view exists.)
When the African American community is hurting, of course it speaks from a position of frustration and anger. What do you expect and why should anybody be surprised? A city that ignores and neglects part of itself is not a city that can thrive or claim to be a great city on a Great Lake. You ask, “What will take away our memories of the summer of 2016 and make Milwaukee a united and stronger city?” Good question.

author: Roy Evans


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Northside YMCA Healthy Kids Day promotes positive start to school year | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 27, 2016
As part of a nationwide YMCA event, the Northside Y, 1350 W. North Ave., recently held Healthy Kids Day. In addition to a visit by Mayor Tom Barrett, the event featured a variety of fun, educational activities, free backpacks, school supplies and health screenings.
The event aimed to help kids start the new school year prepared with the tools they need to be successful. It also promotes a healthy lifestyle.

author: Andrea Waxman


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As Summer Ends, Tensions Remain High Between Black Community and Police | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 29, 2016
TheRoot.com


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City of Milwaukee to Expand Early Voting Opportunities | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 29, 2016
WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio


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Is $4.5 million enough to address issues in Milwaukee neighborhoods? | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 29, 2016
Milwaukee Business Journal


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Latino Vote to Have Strong Impact on 2016 Election as U.S. Hispanic Population & Political Influence See Massive Growth | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 29, 2016
LatinPost.com


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State agency accused of inaccurate Sherman Park job creation numbers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Brendan O’Brien
August 29, 2016
Sherman Park residents call out the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation for inaccurately reporting the number of jobs it has created in their neighborhood. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
A state agency is being accused of inaccurately reporting the number of jobs it has helped create in Sherman Park, a neighborhood struggling with poverty, crime and its relationship with police — issues that came to a head two weeks ago when riots broke out after a black man was shot and killed there by a Milwaukee police officer.
Mapping data generated on the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. website showed the agency, which is tasked with creating jobs and attracting businesses to Wisconsin, has helped create 483 jobs in Sherman Park since its inception in 2011, according to Citizen Action of Wisconsin.
But the organization found WEDC’s mapping data is inaccurate. In a statement released to Citizen Action, WEDC officials said they do not have any idea how many jobs the agency has helped create in the predominantly black neighborhood, where a third of residents live in poverty.
“There is no secret that Sherman Park and the whole North Side is in desperate need of economic opportunity,” said Robert Kraig, director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin, during a recent news conference at the corner of Sherman Boulevard and Meinecke Avenue. “There has been a lot of discussion about what happened in Sherman Park… and how it relates to that lack of hope and that lack of opportunity.”
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The Rev. Willie Brisco, president of MICAH, speaks during a Citizen Action of Wisconsin event calling for more jobs in Sherman Park. (Photo by Brendan O’Brien)
WEDC said in a statement that the allegation by Citizen Action is “false and misleading” and that the agency never claimed to have created a specific number of jobs in the Sherman Park neighborhood, as Citizen Action “falsely contends.”
“WEDC is fully committed to seeing the city of Milwaukee succeed economically,” according to the statement.
WEDC officials were not immediately available for comment when a Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service reporter called last week.
The accusation comes at a delicate time for Sherman Park. The neighborhood was thrust into the national conversation regarding use of force by police and economic inequalities blacks face in inner cities across the country after a Milwaukee police officer shot and killed Sylville Smith on Aug. 13 during a traffic stop in the neighborhood. The shooting ignited two nights of violent protests in which six businesses being burned to the ground.
“We have deception and we have lies … that we have jobs being created when they are not and communities are being served when they are not,” said the Rev. Willie Brisco, president of Milwaukee Inner-city Congregations Allied for Hope (MICAH). “We have people with nothing to do and time on their hands and then all it takes is a flicker to set off what happened in Sherman Park.”
To determine the number of jobs the agency has created, Citizen Action used the WEDC’s online mapping tool that plots businesses that the agency has awarded tax credits, loans and grants in an effort to create jobs and spur the state’s economy. When the physical address data cannot be precisely plotted, such as when a P.O. Box number is provided, the map generates an approximate location, the agency said.
WEDC’s profile of Assembly District 18, which contains Sherman Park, shows the agency has helped create 520 jobs there from more than $62 million in tax credits, loans and grants given to 16 businesses in the neighborhood. But, according to Citizen Action, only three businesses listed in Sherman Park claim to have created jobs and none of the businesses are actually in the neighborhood.
For instance, Saelens Corp. is listed as a job creator in Sherman Park, but according to its website the business has locations in Johnson Creek, Wisconsin and on the far west side of Milwaukee. Another business, Merge Healthcare Inc., is actually located in West Allis, according to Google Maps. The third business, Novation Companies, is based in Kansas City, Missouri. It is unclear what presence the three businesses had in Sherman Park since they received subsequent to receiving tax credits during the last five years.
“It is utterly ridiculous,” said longtime Sherman Park resident Liz Walker, who called for stronger controls over job creation incentives and more economic development in Milwaukee as she watched the news conference.
According to U.S. Census data, Assembly District 18 is home to more than 5,000 unemployed adults, many of whom live in Sherman Park, making the 500 or so jobs that WEDC may have created woefully inadequate, Kraig said.
“We need to be honest…that WEDC…has done nothing about the jobs crisis and the lack of good jobs here,” he said. “There are no new jobs here. There are no new factories here.”
According to Kraig, the agency created by Gov. Scott Walker has no strategy to create jobs in Milwaukee, where thousands of jobs are needed and where one in every five black adults is unemployed.
“WEDC has failed Milwaukee and Sherman Park tremendously,” State Rep. LaTonya Johnson said. “The lack of investment, job creation and economic development by the state of Wisconsin and WEDC is a huge factor in the inner city of Milwaukee and is why Milwaukee is feeling neglected, forgotten, overlooked, disenfranchised and discriminated against.”

author: Brendan O’Brien


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 28, 2016


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29215920535_1481ecfe05_k (2) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 28, 2016


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WISCONSIN BUDGET: Big Benefits From Medicaid Expansion | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 29, 2016
UrbanMilwaukee.com


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Mural honors UMOS legacy, connects past and current movements for equal rights | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
August 30, 2016
A 9- by 90-foot mural honoring the 50-year legacy of UMOS will eventually be set on a building on South 1st Street and West Mitchell. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Jesus Salas, former executive director and board member at UMOS, remembers the struggles of migrant workers and other immigrants who arrived in southeastern Wisconsin more than 50 years ago in need of social services.
“There was a great need for bilingual education, job training and other basic services to help newcomers adjust and survive,” Salas said.
In the process of filling those needs, Salas and other visionaries helped create the first nonprofits to serve the growing Latino community in Milwaukee and other parts of Wisconsin. From those efforts, organizations including UMOS, which began by offering adult education and daycare programming for migrant workers, were born.
The 50-year history of UMOS, which now provides employment, health, housing and a host of additional services to the community, is being honored with a mural and oral history project. The project is spearheaded by artist Raoul Deal, a senior lecturer at UW-Milwaukee’s Department of Art and Design at the Peck School of the Arts. Helping to design and paint the mural are UWM student researchers and artists, volunteers and youth members of ArtWorks for Milwaukee, which is partnering with the university on the project. ArtWorks for Milwaukee provides paid arts-based internships to local high school students.
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As part of their research, Deal and the students conducted interviews with long-time UMOS CEO Lupe Martinez and Salas. Salas shared memories from his participation in a nine-day march from Milwaukee to Madison in 1971 to demand better housing conditions for migrant workers and elimination of trespass laws, which kept UMOS outreach workers from meeting with migrant families. He also talked about his involvement with other Latino activists in occupying UWM’s Chapman Hall on Aug. 27, 1970, to protest discriminatory admission policies.
Raoul Deal, lead artist and senior lecturer at UW-Milwaukee’s Department of Art and Design at the Peck School of the Arts, touches up an image of Jesus Salas. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
“Latino students were being shut out from the university. It was unbelievable that the door was being closed to us,” recalled Salas.
Milwaukee native Isa Cortes, a community arts student at UWM, said she’d heard of UMOS before, but didn’t know about the connection between the organization and the struggle for equal rights. She and other students learned about those connections through interviews and by reviewing archival footage and documents related to the history of Milwaukee’s Latino community.
“I didn’t realize that a lot of the things they were fighting for, people are still fighting for now,” Cortes said.
For Eduardo Rangel, a student at Ronald Reagan High School and an intern at ArtWorks for Milwaukee, the fact that there were migrant workers in Wisconsin was a surprise.
“Being from the city, I didn’t even know that there were and still are migrant workers in Wisconsin [nor] about their long struggle for housing and fair pay,” Rangel said.
The end result of the project will be a 9- by 90-foot mural featuring cornfields, migrant workers, Father James Groppi, breweries, foundries and other images. Together, they symbolize the “swirling winds of activism and movement,” Deal said.
“This mural not only connects the agricultural movement to that of immigrant workers demanding jobs at foundries and breweries, but it also demonstrates how history applies to current events and ongoing struggles for equality,” he added.
Deal and the students have spent the summer painting the mural in the UWM Student Union Art Gallery and at the INOVA Art Gallery at UWM’s South Campus. Upon completion, It will be transported and displayed on a building at South 1 and West Mitchell Street in the Walker’s Point neighborhood. Financial support for the mural is being provided by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, the Wisconsin Humanities Council with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Milwaukee School of Engineering, ManpowerGroup and the federal Community Development Block Grant program. The artwork is expected to be completed this fall, said Deal.
For Rangel, the mural is his way of leaving a mark on the city. “The mural and the meaning behind it are something I will always be able to look at and be proud of,” Rangel said.
Salas said he shared his stories so that today’s students could learn about the history of Latinos in Milwaukee.
“We didn’t just come here with sweat on our hands; we came to build a community,” Salas said.

author: Edgar Mendez


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 29, 2016


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On the Block: ‘These kids need us’ | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 30, 2016
Born and raised in Mississippi, Joyce Williams came to Milwaukee at age 17 and to the Sherman Park neighborhood in 1994. A resident of the 3000 block of North 41 Street, across the street from the park, Williams spoke up about the area’s children at a recent weekly meeting at the Mary Ryan Boys & Girls Club.


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Brothers teach technology and entrepreneurial skills to city kids | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
August 31, 2016
Winners of the “marshmallow challenge” celebrate their victory. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
A dozen middle-school kids are chatting and eating a snack as they wander around a room in the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) building, where technical equipment is piled on scattered tables. As they finish eating, they gravitate toward a long table where they find a bag of marshmallows, sticks of uncooked spaghetti, a roll of bright blue duct tape and some string.
“It’s time for the marshmallow challenge,” announced Que El-Amin, one of two brothers running the YES STEAM Accelerator summer technology camp.
The eight-week program was the latest in a series of opportunities that Que, 31, and Khalif El-Amin, 30, offered city youth free of charge. The brothers, who started their for-profit company, the Young Enterprising Society (YES), in 2011, have recently focused their efforts on bringing their knowledge of technology to middle and high school students, mostly in central city schools. The company is using a $90,000 WHEDA grant to fund its in-school workshops and summer camp.
“We feel that if you have the proper resources, anyone can accomplish anything they want to in the world,” Que El-Amin said.
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The marshmallow challenge involves teams of three or four kids, and a yard of string, a yard of tape, 20 sticks of spaghetti and two marshmallows per team. The challenge is to build a standing structure with a marshmallow on top in 18 minutes.
Que El-Amin looks on as David Luckett (left) and Robert Cotton Jr. work on an activity. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
After some minutes of puzzling over and manipulating the materials, Amariana Troutman, 12, shouted, “Start from the bottom and build up.”
Troutman, a seventh-grader at Greater Holy Temple Christian Academy, 5575 N. 76 St., later explained that she had worked on a similar project at school and remembered that the key had been to build a stable foundation.
Like everything that happens at the camp, the goal of the marshmallow challenge is to get the participants thinking creatively and to build confidence in their ability to figure things out.
Other hands-on activities included building a structure out of materials such as boxes, newspapers and plastic bags that could withstand a 10-foot drop; building aquaponics tanks; and flying drones. In addition, visitors including a surgeon, a data security lawyer and a banker demonstrated how STEAM skills could be used in life and work.
“It’s fun,” said Troutman. “We get more connected to technology. They help us learn to build stuff. We worked on connecting wires to a hard drive. We had to download something onto the hard drive and then connect the wires to the motherboard and make lights light up.”
The camp, like the in-school workshops the brothers taught at 13 schools last semester, was free to participants. With the help of technology entrepreneur Greg Meier, a professor of innovation in the business school at Cardinal Stritch University, YES applied for and received a $90,000 grant from WHEDA last year.
Chantia Lewis, whose sons, Jireh, 10, and Jeremiah, 9, participated in the summer camp, said her sons “wish it was an all day, every day program because they love the robotics and the aquaponics.”
Lewis attributes the children’s love of the program to the El-Amin brothers’ “level of excellence, patience and expertise.” They take the time to ask them what they are interested in and the kids know they really care about them, she added.
Que and Khalif El-Amin, who graduated from Dominican High School and Rufus King International High School, respectively, said they acquired their ability to aim high and go around obstacles from their strong family and a sense of friendly competition. Que noted that his family also values education.
“(They) embody the entrepreneurial spirit, said Meier, who has worked with the brothers for four or five years. “(To them) failure is not a reason to stop, it’s a reason to learn,” he added. Meier, the El-Amin brothers and the other 10 or so core members of YES share a passion for contributing to the community, Meier and Que El-Amin agreed.
“We want (our workshops and summer camp) to give young people their first exposure to technology so they can find what they’re interested in and continue to explore,” said Que, who graduated from the University of Wisconsin.
Meier noted that many of the schools that YES has worked in lack basic technology. “The students are as isolated as if they were living on a mountain in Tibet.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 30, 2016


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How to avoid being a helicopter parent | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Beverly Anderson, Ebenezer Child Care Centers
August 31, 2016
If you want your child to be creative, don’t hover over him. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Helicopter parents take it upon themselves to micromanage their children’s lives.
Examples of this might be constantly controlling the play of your 3-year-old and seldom giving your children the opportunity to be creative on his or her own; choosing your school-age child’s friends, teachers, coaches and activities; or constantly picking up after your teenagers, checking their grades and trying to fix their failures.
Children need plenty of guidance, love and acceptance from their parents to build their self-esteem. However, there is a fine line when it comes to becoming too involved or too controlling in your children’s lives. And, while helicopter parents may have the best intentions at first, the reality is that their behaviors could negatively impact their children’s future success in life.
It’s only natural for parents to want to help their children. However, parents need to remember that their most important job is to teach their children to become responsible, independent, thriving young adults who are capable of making good decisions on their own.
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A helicopter parent’s actions can lead children to believe that they aren’t capable of making decisions without their parent’s input. It can also prevent children from learning the coping skills they need to deal with life’s disappointments and add to children’s anxiety levels. This can, in turn, prevent them from learning important life skills and create a sense of entitlement.
If you find yourself hovering, you need to remind yourself of these potential negative long-term effects. Then step back and let your children learn from their successes and failures.


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State rep arrested in Sherman Park says police focus needs to change | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
September 1, 2016
More than 40 officers and six police vehicles filled the intersection of Sherman Boulevard and W. Auer Avenue after 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
State Rep. Jonathan Brostoff and Jarrett English, a youth organizer and police accountability associate at the ACLU of Wisconsin, were arrested and briefly detained by the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) in Sherman Park Tuesday night.
“I didn’t do anything wrong. Neither did Jarrett,” said Brostoff, who was forced to the ground and handcuffed with zip ties by MPD officers “even though I said I was being totally compliant.”
Earlier, officers dispersed a group that had gathered at a memorial for Sylville K. Smith, who was killed by an MPD officer Aug. 13. Eleven individuals were arrested for charges including disorderly conduct and resisting an officer after police said they would not leave the area. Community organizers Frank “Nitty” Sensabaugh and Vaun Mayes were among those arrested; all were subsequently released.
Police did not give a reason for the arrests of Brostoff and English. Eventually, both were released after MPD Inspector Stephen Basting spoke with State Rep. David Bowen, who was also at the scene.
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In an email, MPD Sgt. Timothy Gauerke said, “Milwaukee Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding these arrests to ensure proper procedures were followed.”
“If I had a different job they would’ve taken me in,” Brostoff said, adding that MPD wanted to detain English but that Brostoff made it clear he would not leave without him. “Just because he has a different job than me doesn’t mean he should be arrested — he didn’t do anything wrong.”
Milwaukee police patrol a memorial for Sylville K. Smith, who was shot by an MPD officer more than two weeks ago. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
Brostoff, who was in the area to speak with residents, take policy recommendations and help de-escalate a tense situation, said “the focus should not be me.” He said this incident should be used as an opportunity to address “the systemic issues that are leading to all of this,” including racial disparities in education and economic opportunity, which have resulted in high rates of black male unemployment and incarceration in Milwaukee.
English, who is black, called the experience “confusing,” “embarrassing” and “dehumanizing,” but said he wasn’t worried because he knew people were making calls on his behalf. “I think about the 15-year-old kids, 13-year-old kids who don’t have nobody to call … and just how intimidating and how terrifying that must be,” he said. “And we know that that happens a lot in Milwaukee.”
“This is not happening in a vacuum,” Brostoff said. “There’s a larger set of circumstances that should be a constant focus until they’re fixed.”
Tensions
Since Smith’s death, people have consistently gathered at a memorial erected for him on the south side of W. Auer Avenue. Gauerke said police have received complaints from residents about disorderly groups gathering into the late night.
About 9:30 p.m. more than 40 officers had blocked off W. Auer Avenue; Sherman Boulevard was blocked off at W. Burleigh Street and on the north end by police vehicles, as well. At least 20 officers and five police vehicles patrolled the corner of Auer and N. 44th Street as late as 10:45 p.m.
“We got direction from the alderman (Khalif Rainey) that the neighbors have had enough,” said Basting. “This has been going on for about two weeks — the memorial, the dope smoking, the loud music, the garbage … on the neighbors’ porches, taking over the intersection.”
Basting added, “I’ve got to tell you: I couldn’t live there.”
Barry Givens, 67, who lives on the corner of Sherman Boulevard and Auer Avenue, said both residents and those visiting the memorial have rights. “I can understand the family [is] grieving, but at some point you’ve got to consider the residents in the area,” he said.”
Givens said he was not aware that any residents had made complaints, and said he did not call police. Rainey did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Some residents said they understand that there needs to be peace and that officers are probably afraid for their safety, but that the response of law enforcement can be “over-reactive” and provocative, nonetheless. Givens said he was glad the situation did not escalate.
Basting said MPD would not take the memorial down but that police would “keep a presence in the neighborhood, and hope we get compliance.” “It’s … this group of kids; it’s their decision what happens next,” he said.
“We know they’ve got a hard job,” English said, referring to police. “But it can’t keep going like this. There’s no way that any of that — more cops, more riot gear and all of that — ain’t none of that going to solve any of this, period. And, if they keep going down this route, it’s just going to get worse.”
English said the recently released preliminary public safety plan that calls for 280 police officers to be hired is, “a disaster before it even begins.”
Brostoff said it’s important to “seriously re-focus our efforts from punitive to preventative.” He called for the City of Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention to receive an “appropriate level of funding.”
“That’s the whole idea of prevention,” Brostoff said. “By the time it happens it’s already too late.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to delete quotes from Ghetto the Director.

created: September 1, 2016

author: Jabril Faraj


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 31, 2016


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29306731726_9e219d500f_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 31, 2016


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29336277966_c286121db6_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 31, 2016


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29370056715_15d6c5eb34_k | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
August 31, 2016


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We Got This celebrates third season mentoring black youth | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Steines
September 1, 2016
For the past three years, Andre Lee Ellis has employed black youth in the garden at N. 9 and W. Ring streets every Saturday morning for a stipend of $20. We Got This provides a meeting place to teach the value of hard work and relationships. Saturday, Aug. 27, marked the end of another season in the garden.
The celebration consisted of a cook out, live music by the band Cigarette Break and inspiring speeches by Andre Lee Ellis, Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs, State Rep. David Bowen, community member June Perry and countless others.
Keathon Cannon, a young man involved in the program, delivered an emotional speech about his past at the closing ceremony. He said the program changed his life and made him realize “you can do anything if you believe in yourself.”
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author: Allison Steines


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County Executive Chris Abele announces “Parks with Purpose” community workshops | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Chris Abele, Milwaukee County Executive
September 2, 2016
Dineen Park (Photo by Sue Vliet)
Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele today announced a series of nine County-wide public workshops to take place between Sept. 13 and Oct. 5 as part of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture’s “Parks with Purpose” planning campaign.
Information gathered will support the two major park planning efforts underway simultaneously: the 10-Year Parks System Master Plan and the 2050 Park & Open Space Plan. The 10-Year Parks Master Plan will provide recommendations for facilities, programs and services, maintenance and operation, and administration and management of the County park system. The 2050 Park & Open Space Plan will address long-range considerations including the preservation of environmental corridors, conservation lands, the recreational use of water bodies, and make recommendations on the distribution of parks and recreational facilities throughout the County.
“I believe in the value of parks to promote a strong sense of community and encourage learning and stewardship about our natural spaces, which is why we’ve worked hard over the past five years to invest in things like capital improvements, technology, and accreditation,” County Executive Chris Abele said.  “Our parks are successful because our neighbors and community stakeholders participate in these planning processes. When the County renovated Moody Park we didn’t come in with a preconceived idea of what was needed – we asked the community what they wanted to see, and the end result is something even better than anyone could have originally hoped for.”
At the foundation of the “Parks with Purpose” campaign, which will inform the County’s efforts to ensure that that our world-class Parks system remains a vital and vibrant public asset for future generations, is a robust and inclusive input process that engages our community.
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Residents are encouraged to attend any of these upcoming public workshops. All forums will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a brief general presentation followed by a facilitated workshop.
Public workshops are scheduled as follows: Sept. 13, Kosciuszko Park Community Center, 2201 S. 7th St.; Sept. Sept. 14, Lake Park Marcia Coles Community Room, 3133 E. Newberry Blvd. (lower level); Sept. 15, Wilson Park Pavilion, 1601 W. Howard Ave.; Sept. 20, Brown Deer Park Golf Clubhouse, 7625 N. Range Line Road; Sept. 21, Gordon Park Pavilion, 2828 N. Humboldt Blvd.; Sept. 22, Dineen Park Pavilion, 6601 W. Vienna St.; Sept. 27, Sheridan Park Pavilion, 4800 S. Lake Drive; Oct. 4, McCarty Park Pavilion,2567 S. 79 St.; and Oct. 5, Center Street Park Community Room, 6420 W. Clarke St.
“This is the community’s opportunity to have a direct impact in prioritizing future park land use, facility development, and the long-term sustainability of Milwaukee County Parks,” Parks Director John Dargle, Jr. said.
Earlier this month, a statistically valid survey was sent to a representative sampling of 4,000 households.  National recreation survey expert ETC Institute developed the survey, distributed it throughout the county based on population and density, and is administering the process. The household survey closes in mid-September.
After the close of the statistically valid survey, a second, online iteration of the survey will be available.
ADA accommodation requests for the meeting should be filed with the Milwaukee County Office for Persons with Disabilities, at (414) 278-3932 (voice) or (414) 278-3937 (TTY).
For more information, visit countyparks.com and select “Parks with Purpose.”

created: September 2, 2016

author: Chris Abele, Milwaukee County Executive


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 2, 2016


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Summer in our city | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 5, 2016
We’ve reached Labor Day, which means fall is on its way. In this photo gallery, take a look back at a memorable summer of 2016 around our Milwaukee neighborhoods.

created: September 5, 2016


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2016 Milwaukee Film Festival box office opens on Thursday | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Film
September 6, 2016
The 8th Annual Milwaukee Film Festival, presented by Associated Bank, announces the opening of its Festival Box Office this Thursday. Beginning on September 8, the general public may purchase tickets to individual films online, in person at the Landmark Oriental Theatre Box Office, and by phone. Milwaukee Film Members can access the box office one day earlier, on September 7.
Last year’s Milwaukee Film Festival experienced a record 77 sold-out screenings. Anticipating even larger crowds, Milwaukee Film highly encourages festivalgoers to purchase tickets well in advance and for ticketholders to arrive 30 minutes prior to showtime to guarantee seating. Beginning 15 minutes before each film, empty seats will be sold to patrons in the rush ticket line. Rush tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
Today is the last day to save up to 15% on discounted Festival Passes and ticket 6-Packs for the 2016 Milwaukee Film Festival. For a complete list of prices, visit mkefilm.org/tickets.
Tickets for the Opening Night Party will also be available for purchase on Thursday, though admission is complimentary for passholders and patrons with a ticket to the Opening Night Film, Life, Animated. The party will feature food, music, drinks, and dancing. Musical act New Age Narcissism (The Milwaukee Music Video Show, MFF2016) will perform at 9:30 PM.
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For more information about 2016 Milwaukee Film Festival events, visit mkefilm.org/events.
PRESS NOTE: Today is the last day to apply for Press Accreditation for the 2016 Milwaukee Film Festival. Visit mkefilm.org/accreditation for more information.
Box Office Locations, Hours, and Dates
ONLINE (September 7 for Milwaukee Film Members, September 8 for the general public through October 6)
mkefilm.org
Note: A $0.25 cent per ticket surcharge applies to all online orders.
IN PERSON
Landmark Oriental Theatre (September 7 for Milwaukee Film Members, September 8 for general public through October 6)
2230 N. Farwell Avenue
Pre-Festival Box Office Hours
Monday – Friday I 4 PM – 8 PM
Saturday – Sunday I Noon – 8 PM
Festival Box Office Hours
Each festival box office opens one hour before its venue’s first show of the day and closes 20 minutes after the last screening starts.
Avalon Theater (September 23 through October 6)
2473 S. Kinnickinnic Avenue
Landmark Downer Theatre (September 23 through October 6)
2589 N. Downer Avenue
Fox-Bay Cinema Grill (September 23 through October 6)
334 E. Silver Spring Drive
Times Cinema (September 23 through October 6)
5906 W. Vliet Street
BY PHONE (September 7 for Milwaukee Film Members, September 8 for the general public through October 6)
414-755-1965, Noon – 6 PM, 7 days a week
Note: A $3.00 per order surcharge applies to all phone sales.
Opening Night Party
Thursday, September 22, 2016 from 9 PM – 11:30 PM at UWM Peck School of the Arts Kenilworth Building (1925 E. Kenilworth Place)
FREE to Opening Night Film ticketholders (ticket stub must be presented at the door)
FREE to 2016 Milwaukee Film Festival passholders
$13 for Milwaukee Film Members / $15 for the general public
A limited number of tickets will be sold at the door. No student or senior discounts available.
Opening Night Party brought to you by:
UWM Peck School of the Arts I Stamm Technologies I Heiser Lincoln I Neroli Salon & Spa I BelAir Cantina I Lowlands Group I Badger Liquor I Good City Brewing I WMSE 91.7FM I 88Nine Radio Milwaukee I Dori Zori I SAVOR Milwaukee

created: September 6, 2016

author: Milwaukee Film


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Judge to rule on permanent order to keep Sherman Park open after 6 p.m. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
September 6, 2016
Residents, community members and elected officials gathered near the playground in Sherman Park Sunday night in defiance of a weeks-long curfew. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
A court hearing on a permanent restraining order is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, after a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge granted a temporary restraining order Sunday against Sheriff David Clarke, prohibiting him from continuing to enforce a three-week long curfew at Sherman Park.
The curfew, which has been in effect since Aug. 15, had caused the park to close at 6 p.m. instead of the normal closing time of 10 p.m., and has stymied a grassroots group working with youth in the area. Clarke instituted the curfew after two days of sometimes-violent demonstrations in the neighborhood following the police killing of Sylville K. Smith.
“The park needs to be open,” said Vaun Mayes, an organizer of Program the Parks. “Every other park is still open till 10. Why are they targeting this one? There’s nobody from a riot or any other situation that is here in this park.”
In an email statement, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele said, “Liberal access to public spaces like Sherman Park should generally be protected, and in this case especially where the park is of significant value to the community, we were all eager to see a return to normal operations.”
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Sheriff’s deputies did not give a reason why the park has remained closed or why Clarke sought to defy an order by Abele to reopen it. The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to a request for comment.
Residents and youth mingle near the Sherman Park tot lot as a sheriff’s vehicle patrols the area. (Photo by Jabril Faraj)
“They’re using it as an excuse to keep the youth, and us, out of this park — that’s really what it boils down to,” said Mayes, calling the move by Clarke a “power trip” and retaliation for the events following Smith’s killing.
He added, “The only thing that’s standing between balance in this community, and this park in particular, is [the deputies’] presence and this curfew.”
From January through July, the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office responded to 206 calls for service to the park. More than half of those were listed as a “high visibility patrol inspection.” Forty-three such patrols occurred in July alone.
Sunday night, elected officials and local media joined a group of residents, youth and small children already gathered in the park. Shortly after 6 p.m., sheriff’s deputies asked individuals from the group to leave, but State Sen. Lena Taylor and County Supervisor Sequanna Taylor rebuffed the request, stating that there was no state of emergency or illegal activity taking place. Food was served, children played on the playground and young people roasted s’mores as the group waited for news on the restraining order.
“When I look at the people who have been showing up to the park, and standing in that park, and committed to the young people … they’re people who are vested in that neighborhood and in that park; they’re vested in what happens with young people in this city in general,” said Reggie Moore, director of the City of Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention.
Moore added that established institutions, including law enforcement, need to make an effort to understand and work with resident leadership. “When people step up, they may not step up always in the way a 501(c)3 would. But the impact that they’re having, it can’t be ignored,” he said.
That starts by reaching out and not walking away, Moore said, adding it’s important to build relationships to keep one another accountable.
Moore said, “If anybody is doing anything that compromises getting to that goal … that is a problem.”
“There are hard conversations that have to be had about the lack of trust,” said Lena Taylor.
“It starts by doing something different. We can’t do the same thing and expect different results,” she said. “You can’t just say, ‘We need more policing,’ but you don’t do policing differently.”
A group of teens in Sherman Park said police need to stop looking at kids as “suspect” and blaming them for the actions of adults.
The Zeidler Center for Public Discussion is holding police-resident listening circles in Amani, Harambee and Metcalfe Park, which Taylor said should be expanded across the city and utilized with all law enforcement agencies. She said training in de-escalation and cultural competency is necessary, but that officers also need more opportunities to interact with the community in a positive way.
Taylor suggested implementing Community Oriented Policing (COP) Houses, a model being used in Racine that has helped re-build trust and reduce crime. She also said Safe Zones, a city-funded community policing initiative, and Program the Parks need to be supported long term.
Sunday night, after informing the crowd that the park would stay open until 10, one of the deputies roasted a marshmallow with children. Taylor called the moment “symbolic.”
“We need more of that,” Taylor said. “We’ve got to do more of that.”


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 5, 2016


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On the Block: The psychology of inequality | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Jabril Faraj
September 6, 2016
Read more about Lonnie Hughes at milwaukeestories.org.


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Taco trucks and voter education | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Margaret Rozga
September 6, 2016
Christine Neumann-Ortiz, director of Voces de la Frontera Action, Liria Rowell-Ortiz, Voces de la Frontera Action member, and Francisco Salazar, owner of Taqueria El Cabrito, pose on Saturday at a voter education event. (Photo by Margaret Rozga)
Margaret Rozga, poet, civil rights activist and professor emerita of English at UW-Waukesha, finds the dire warning of “taco trucks on every corner” issued by a Latino Trump supporter no threat at all.
A taco truck on every corner? What’s not to like? Among the people I talked with recently and the many who posted comments on social media, a taco truck on every corner is the best idea to come out of the Trump campaign. Marco Gutierrez, founder of the group Latinos for Trump, no sooner publicly issued this taco truck threat in what he apparently thought would be received as a dire warning than he found his comment going viral, not because it frightened anyone or rang true, but “because it just sounds delicious.”
Many loved the idea of a taco truck on their corners as a way to help ease some of their pressures. Take, for example, the young mom, a teacher, who leaves home at 7 a.m. so she has time to get her classroom ready for the day and isn’t home again until almost 5 p.m. A taco truck on her corner? A dinner sent from heaven! Or consider my friend who was struck by a car while bicycling. He is finally home from the hospital but needs a lot of care. His family, too, would welcome a nearby taco truck. Even those with less frantic situations, such as my colleagues who retired from cooking when they retired from their full-time jobs, relish the thought of a taco truck or two on their corners.
For the activists of Voces de la Frontera Action concerned about the serious racial baiting the Trump campaign thrives on, the Gutierrez comment added a delicious flavor to the canvassing project they had planned for Saturday, Sept. 3. As part of their long-term voter education project and get out the vote efforts, they planned to canvass in near South Side neighborhoods to talk with Latino voters about election issues.
According to Christine Neumann Ortiz, director of Voces de la Frontera Action, the goal is to mobilize voters “to reject this hate and racism on Nov. 8th.” Volunteers gathered at their office, 1027 S. 5th St., to organize canvassing teams and to enjoy, yes, delicious food from the Cabrito taco truck. Francisco Salazar, owner Taquería El Cabrito, 1100 S. 11th St., who was on hand to help serve, also donned a Voces de la Frontera Action t-shirt to get into the upbeat spirit of the day.
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The focus of attention on voting makes sense. According to a Pew Research Center survey, “Hispanic Voters and the 2016 Election,” there are about 27.3 million adult Latino U.S. citizens eligible to vote. They are projected to make up 12 percent of all eligible voters. Given that the poll found Hillary Clinton holds a 66 percent to 24 percent lead over Donald Trump among Latino registered voters, the Latino vote could be a deciding factor in the election. Concern arises, however, from the fact that “voter turnout among Hispanics has long lagged that of other groups,” according to the Pew report.
That lag may be in the process of being reversed. A majority of Latino voters (63 percent) said in the Pew Research Center survey that “they are more interested in politics than they were in 2012.” The work of the volunteers at Voces de la Frontera Action is designed to raise interest and continue this trend. If the unexpected gift of a national joke about taco trucks also helps stimulate interest in the election and voter turnout, we’ll have Marco Gutierrez to thank.
On the beautiful Saturday morning of the last weekend of summer, I had Christine Neumann Ortiz to thank. She recommended the taco al pastor. It was delicious. I plan to seek out El Cabrito again since its truck doesn’t appear on my corner. Not yet. And I’d welcome a vendor of paletas, those flavorful fruit-based frozen treats, in my neighborhood as well.

author: Margaret Rozga


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Job seekers hold out hope despite obstacles to employment | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Naomi Waxman
September 7, 2016
The Department of Public Works Infrastructure Division, seen from the 16th Street Viaduct. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Dana Highshaw, 57, lost his job a year ago when the company he worked for was sold. Since he left an interim position at Community Warehouse, which hires displaced workers, he has spent three months looking for work.
“The response I’ve been receiving is ‘we’ll call you,’ and basically that’s it. I never hear from [anyone].”
Fredrick Nelson, an employment and training specialist with the Department of Workforce Development, is trying to improve this experience by regularly facilitating information sessions and on-site interviews for job seekers at the YWCA on the North Side and UMOS on the South Side. He began holding these sessions a year and a half ago on most Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m.
According to Nelson, the typical application process is “putting the carriage in front of the horse. You have to fill out the application and wait for an interview.” In his sessions, “you actually sit down face-to-face with the [human resources] representative and you get a three- to five-minute interview. I’m trying to give hope in the community and give people the opportunity for a better quality of life,” Nelson said.
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Though the city provides robust online resources for those seeking city jobs, it does not hold regular information or hiring sessions, according to Marti Cargile, a human resources representative for the City of Milwaukee
Milwaukee Police Department recruiter Katrina Warren discusses employment opportunities with Daniel Cotton. (Photo by Naomi Waxman)
“It sounds like it’s a worthwhile program that he’s engaged in,” said Cargile, who was not previously aware of Nelson’s efforts.
Old North Milwaukee resident Marrietta Merriweather, 23, echoed Highshaw’s experience, noting her frustration with the lack of communication from recruiters. Hoping to find a clerical position, she attended one of Nelson’s information sessions that focused on jobs with the City of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Fire Department and the Milwaukee Police Department.
“To make the difference we have to be the difference,” said Kischa Buford, a recruiter for the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission. “We need more officers who come from our community and can make the change.”
According to the Public Policy Forum, 54 percent of African-American men between the ages of 16 and 64 were not employed in 2013. The forum cites Milwaukee’s high rate of incarceration, underscored by significant racial disparities, as one of several factors contributing to chronic non-employment of African-American men in Milwaukee.
Other obstacles to employment include lack of drivers’ education and licenses, low levels of educational attainment and criminal backgrounds.
Daniel Cotton, 47, cites his past as a barrier to employment.
“Doors were closed because of my criminal background, which dates back to ’94, so over 20 years ago,” he said. “With a felony on your record it’s hard to obtain certain positions.”
A Sherman Park resident who has spent the past month and a half learning application and interview skills at the YWCA, Cotton feels prepared for his job search.
“The program has taught me job readiness, interview readiness, resume updating and resume improvement as well as preparation for what I’m going to do, my goals and vision and plan after I obtain employment,” Cotton added. He hopes to some day start his own business.
Tylonia Robinson, a Sherman Park resident, agreed that the YWCA sessions arranged by Nelson were helpful.
“They did touch on a lot of things that were informational. As far as a background check, I kind of knew they did that but they did go into detail [about] what the job entails, what exactly you’re going to have to do to keep it and all that stuff, so that was good.”
Though she is currently employed, Robinson hopes to find a job that places less stress on her body after two decades in manufacturing.
“It’s hard if you really don’t know anyone. If you don’t have referrals to say, ‘this is what’s going on,’ or ‘this person knows somebody here,’ it’s hard for you to get into a position,” she said.
Despite significant barriers to employment, job seekers still hold out hope.
“Even though there’s been obstacles, if you pursue your goals and keep your vision in front of you, you view things a lot different. Instead of the cup half empty, it’s half full,” said Cotton. “Those that don’t want to allow me to obtain employment with them or do business ventures with me, that’s going to be their loss.”

created: September 7, 2016

author: Naomi Waxman


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 4, 2016

created: September 4, 2016


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Potawatomi Hotel & Casino’s Heart of Canal Street supporting MKE Plays with $100K gift | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Michael Murphy
September 7, 2016
Potawatomi Hotel & Casino’s signature community charitable program, Heart of Canal Street, today announced the City of Milwaukee’s MKE Plays initiative as its Charity of Choice, and a generous donation from it will be going to renovate a near south side park playground.
Alderman Michael J. Murphy said the first $100,000 raised through Potawatomi Casino’s Canal Street bingo game, running from August 11 through December 16, will be donated to MKE Plays. The funds will be used to renovate the playground at Witkowiak Park, located at 1648 S. 4th St.
For the announcement, Alderman Murphy was joined by Alderman José G. Pérez and Potawatomi representatives.
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“The generosity of the Potawatomi is truly humbling, and it will have a tremendously positive impact on the children and families in the neighborhood who like to use the playground,” Alderman Murphy said. “I speak for the City of Milwaukee in extending my heartfelt thanks to the Potawatomi and the Heart of Canal Street for this very generous gift to the community.”
Alderman Pérez said he is also humbled by the generous gift that will benefit families and children in his district and across the near south side. “As we know, city government has its limitations, and so when a program like this (MKE Plays) comes along, it makes things happen that otherwise wouldn’t,” he said. “On behalf of the kids of my district, I offer my sincere thanks to the Potawatomi who are making this important renovation at Witkowiak Park possible.”
MKE Plays is a city-led initiative aimed at renovating 12 of Milwaukee’s most dilapidated playgrounds in an effort to encourage children to play and exercise and to combat childhood obesity. MKE Plays was selected by Heart of Canal Street based on its focus on developing safe spaces for children and families in some of the city’s most compromised neighborhoods.
The playground at Witkowiak Park is in dire need of attention, as it was last renovated in 1998. It will be completed in 2017 as one of 14 parks to be improved as part of the MKE Plays program. This expansion from an initial scope of 12 parks is due to overwhelmingly successful fundraising efforts.

author: Ald. Michael Murphy


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Heal the Hood summer block party draws large crowd | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Mitchell Mittelstedt
September 8, 2016
More than 700 people attended Heal the Hood’s two-day summer block party at the Parklawn YMCA, 4340 N. 46th St., according to founder Ajamou Butler. In comparison, the spring block party drew roughly 250 people each day.
“It was just an idea of something to do for the people, but the campaign grew and just became a full-steam engine,” said Butler. The first block party, four years ago, started with 30 people.
Sponsors of the Heal the Hood Fest included 7th District Alderman Khalif Rainey, the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee and A Cry for Help Foundation, Inc.
Heal the Hood Fest features vendors, a DJ, two African drumming troupes, the Milwaukee Flyers tumbling team, a martial arts group to discuss self defense, a fitness course, speakers, spoken-word artists, free food, free book bags and even free haircuts.
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“The list goes on and on,” said Butler. “Whatever we can do for our people, that’s what we try to do.”

created: September 8, 2016

author: Mitchell Mittelstedt


text:
| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 7, 2016


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Pilot computer coding class helps prepare students for tomorrow’s careers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
September 9, 2016
Tamarack Waldorf School students Ana Jacinto, Katera Boss and Karina Arevalo work together on their final project, a game to solve the mystery of the missing homework. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Sitting in front of a desktop computer in a classroom on the third floor of Carmen High School of Science and Technology’s South Campus, Katera Boss and her classmates, Karina Arevalo and Ana Jacinto, are typing in a language that is hard for the untrained eye to decipher. The students are writing code, the basic programming language that enables computers to perform pre-set commands. The girls are building a game that solves an age-old mystery. Where has the missing homework gone?
“I’m learning a whole lot about computers while creating this game. Learning to code is something I always wanted to do but never had the chance,” Boss said.
For two weeks, Boss, a junior at Tamarack Waldorf School, and eight other teens participated in Layton Boulevard West’s Code Academy, a pilot computer programming class that is teaching them skills they can parlay into careers in an increasingly technology-driven society.
Computer programming is the process of developing a script of instructions, or codes, that enable computers to perform certain functions. The actions could range from commanding the computer to automatically execute a command such as sending a daily email to creating a video game character that performs an animation, said Ben Juarez, who came up with the idea for the class.
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Juarez, a Public Policy Forum researcher and Layton Boulevard West resident, created it as part of his participation in the Neighborhood Leadership Institute development program at Cardinal Stritch University. The program pairs two individuals living or working in a Greater Milwaukee Foundation Healthy Neighborhood, in this case Layton Boulevard West, to work together on a plan to benefit their neighborhood.
Ben Juarez (right) helps eighth-grader Allen De Windt with his project. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)
Juarez teamed up with Araceli Arevalo, community organizer for Clarke Square and Layton Boulevard West at Safe and Sound. Together, they secured a mini-grant from Safe and Sound to fund the class and recruited youth to participate, including Arevalo’s daughter Karina.
“The goal is to help kids understand what is waiting for them in the future,” said Juarez, who taught himself how to program three years ago. What awaits them is a world where even white-collar jobs are becoming automated, added Juarez.
The students, all ages 12-17, spent the first week of the coding class learning the building blocks of Java, a programming language and computing platform. The last two weeks were spent on a project that will be unveiled during a graduation ceremony this weekend. So far, the road has been bumpy since coding is not an easy skill to master, some students admitted. But, it has been rewarding, Jacinto and others said.
“Coding is hard. But, I find it exciting to learn because it’s a skill that’s utilized in all types of professions including in business settings,” Jacinto said.
Coding helps students understand how computers work, and in the process build language, math and logic skills, said Edwin Lagunes, a senior at Rufus King High School who volunteered to help the novice coders.
“One letter off and the program doesn’t work,” warned Lagunes, who has been accepted to the Milwaukee School of Engineering, where he hopes to major in computer programming. He helps the students find their errors and guides them to solve problems on their own.
Academy instructor and mechanical engineer Uwakwe Omegbu describes the process as learning a new language, which involves a lot of trial and error. Omegbu added that some students are more excited about learning a new language than if they think they’re studying science.
“That excitement is what keeps me going. They’re getting it!” Omegbu said.
Inevitably, some projects won’t turn out as expected. But, that’s all part of the plan, Juarez said. “I want them to feel good about themselves knowing that they can fail. The scientific method is all about learning from failure,” he added.
There’s been a learning curve for everyone involved, Arevalo said. The students’ emotions have transitioned from confused to excited. “From one week to the next they’ve become more and more engaged,” she added.
Arevalo and Juarez hope to offer the class again. For Arevalo, it’s another way to keep kids safe and off the streets. Juarez added that it brings a new skill to the neighborhood. In turn, the teens could play a part in shaping the future.
“Imagine… we could start of a pipeline of engineers in this community,” Juarez said.

created: September 9, 2016


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 8, 2016


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Scholarship winner reflects on the importance of education, personal growth for freedom | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Milele A. Coggs
September 9, 2016
A graduate of Rufus King High School has earned a scholarship as the winner of the 8th annual Freedom Scholarship Essay Contest, Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs announced today.
Selected from entries sent to the Alderwoman’s office, the winner is Ayanna Ellzey, a first year college student majoring in chemistry pre-med at Xavier University of Louisiana. She is also a former member of the City of Milwaukee Youth Council.
Alderwoman Coggs said the winning essay incorporated a reflection on the need for lifelong education and self-evaluation. “Ayanna is the product of a family and community focused on how education and self-improvement opens doors and strengthens one’s hold on freedom,” Ald. Coggs said.
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In her essay, Ms. Ellzey wrote: “Education and constant self-evaluation and revolution are the only ways to prevent prejudice, discrimination and violence in our world. Self-evaluation is the key for anything to truly become progressive.”
Ms. Ellzey will receive a $500 scholarship award.

author: Ald. Milele A. Coggs


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City of Milwaukee Health Department invites community to ‘Day of Family Health’ open house | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee Health Department
September 12, 2016
Mayor Tom Barrett and Commissioner of Health Bevan K. Baker invite the community to get to know the City of Milwaukee Health Department at open house events to be held Friday, September 9, at the City of Milwaukee Southside Health Center (1639 S. 23rd St.) and Friday, September 16, at the City of Milwaukee Northwest Health Center (7630 W. Mill Rd.). Both events run from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
“Our City of Milwaukee health center locations provide a wealth of services to our community,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “I invite our health center neighbors and residents citywide to join us for a day of free health screenings, information and fun.”
Each event will offer free services including diabetes and cholesterol screening, blood pressure checks, HIV testing, and mammograms*, as well as immunizations for those without insurance or children on BadgerCare. Partner agencies will also be providing additional health services and information for all ages along with children’s activities and games.
“Each year our health centers welcome thousands of individuals for health services and programs,” said Commissioner of Health Bevan K. Baker. “During our Open House events we welcome all who want to learn about City of Milwaukee Health Department services and work.”
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For more information, visit www.milwaukee.gov/health or call (414) 286-3521.

created: September 12, 2016

author: City of Milwaukee Health Department


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Teens Grow Greens members pitch product ideas to business leaders | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 12, 2016
Briana Beal (left) and Keana Nelson developed a line of salsas for the product competition. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Desire Sconiers and Taminisha Hughes stood in front of a cardboard presentation board adorned with information about Saucée (pronounced saw-SAY), a healthy sandwich spread they created. Speaking to a small group of adults gathered before them, the 16-year-old students explained the two flavor variations they developed, Zesty Zucchini and Cool Cucumber. They are considering a third, Spicy Sriracha.
“We are Saucée, where we make sauce, like a boss,” Sconiers and Hughes chanted in unison.
The two are paid interns working for the leadership development nonprofit Teens Grow Greens. Like the other six members of their cohort, Sconiers and Hughes repeated their presentation to 70 business leaders and supporters, who circulated around the room at the first annual Teens Grow Greens Pitch Night, held in the 88Nine Radio Milwaukee building, 220 E. Pittsburgh Ave. Other original product lines pitched by the 14-to-17-year-old interns included salsas, soaps and freezer pops.
Briana Beal, a senior at Milwaukee Collegiate Academy, 4030 N. 29th St., and Keana Nelson, a junior at Riverside University High School, 1615 E. Locust St., designed a salsa that can be customized on the spot at festivals and farmers markets.
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Ja’Kobe Patrick (center) and Daisha O’Bee (right) talk about their product idea, Soapery, with Pitch Night attendees. (Photo by Andrea Waxman)
While selling Teens Grow Greens’ signature acai bowls, Beal and Nelson noticed that buyers were hesitant to purchase products that took time to make. To speed up the process, they developed a pre-mixed salsa base to which they can add tomato or pineapple, according to a customer’s preference.
All products were required to have a “triple bottom line,” according to Teens Grow Greens co-founder and director Charlie Uihlein. That is, they have to be good for the planet, good for people and make a profit. Since the program focuses on teaching leadership and character development through growing and cooking healthy food, it’s not surprising that all of the products incorporated plants, Uihlein said.
Teaching how to be healthy is an important goal of Teens Grow Greens. “Teens who have better knowledge of what to eat can pay more attention in class and studies show they do better in school,” said Uihlein, 32, who founded the organization with his wife Rachel in 2013.
Uihlein said his motivation to help young people learn how to become leaders comes from his own story. “I know what it was like to not feel successful, to not be in the driver’s seat of my own life.” Explaining that he was not a good student, Uihlein said he wishes he had been able to find success earlier.
“Everything we do (at Teens Grow Greens) is for the teens to learn leadership,” Uihlein said, and to help them develop skills and character traits such as resilience, responsibility, self-worth and communication skills, which are all integral to becoming successful and fulfilled individuals.
“Besides academics and athletics, there has to be another avenue toward success,” Uihlein told Pitch Night attendees. “Teens Grow Greens is this other avenue; a nine-month paid internship that is also personal and professional development.”
Though building entrepreneurial skills has been part of the program since the initial interns started in February 2014, this year was the first in which Teens Grow Greens partnered with MKEGrind, a youth-focused career development company. MKEGrind founders Sylvia and Thomas Wilson provided eight weeks of in-depth training, including business planning and marketing, Uihlein said.
This, too, was the first year in which interns were assessed on product development and presentation. On Pitch Night, a panel of five judges chose one winner for the best pitch and another for the fluency of the pitch.
Judging the competition were Tina M. Chang, CEO, SysLogic; Juli Kaufmann, president, Fix Development; Andy Nunemaker, CEO, Dynamis Software Corporation; Beth Ridley vice president of marketing strategy, Northwestern Mutual; and Ronny Thompson, CEO, PeachyClean.
Tami Nunez and Thadniya Glaude were selected for the best product pitch for Peppy Pop, a fruity frozen pop, and Sconiers and Hughes won for fluency.
Ridley, who announced the winners, commended Nunez and Glaude for the novelty of their product idea and their research. She praised Sconiers and Hughes for their thorough knowledge of their product and their ability to answer questions about it.
The Teens Grow Greens interns will sell their new products for the first time at Rock the Green Sustainability Festival in the Reed Street Yards on Saturday, Sept. 17. They will also sell at the Cathedral Square Market on Saturdays, Sept. 24 and Oct. 1.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 11, 2016

created: September 11, 2016


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Doors Open Milwaukee showcases Sherman Park and Clarke Square neighborhoods | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Steines
September 13, 2016
Sunflowers adorn the entranceway of Vanguard Sculpture Services, an Art Deco-style building. The inside is spacious and full of interesting nooks and crannies, studio spaces and a gallery to exhibit local artwork. Light seeps in the windows and spills over buckets of wax, limestone sculptures and bronze casts.
Vanguard Sculpture Services is one of 150 sites throughout the city featured in Doors Open, an annual event that allows the public to explore interesting locations throughout the city. The two-day event, to be held Saturday, Sept. 17, and Sunday, Sept. 18, showcases museums, churches, theatres, breweries, art studios and community centers, which will open their doors to visitors, free of charge.
Two of this year’s spotlight neighborhoods, Clarke Square and Sherman Park, are in Milwaukee’s central city; the third is West Allis. Many locations include guided tours, but others allow visitors to explore and observe at their leisure.
Vanguard Sculpture Services, 3374 W. Hopkins St.
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Vanguard Sculpture Services has participated in Doors Open Milwaukee for the past three years and usually brings in about 200 people, according to Beth Sahagian, one of the two owners. Sahagian and co-owner Michael Nolte will take visitors on guided tours to show them their process.
“We work with artists from all over the country,” said Sahagian. “Mainly what we do is … cast their art into bronze. We reproduce it. Often times the piece is like a clay, or a piece of wood, or a base, or a piece of hardware,” she added. “We have to mold that, make waxes, and then reproduce it using the lost wax process, which is one of the oldest processes of casting.”
Vanguard Sculpture Services will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday during the Doors Open weekend.
Featured artists will include Evelyn Patricia Terry, showing her pastel drawing series, Pandora’s Box, and Fatima K. Laster, showing abstract paintings. The space will also exhibit works by photographer Todd Groskopf and sculptor Lois Johnson.
Wisconsin Black Historical Society, 2620 W. Center St.
The historical site is a place for people to gain knowledge and awareness of African-American history in Wisconsin. The museum’s collection ranges from life-size displays to tiny intricate artifacts.
Special archives will be on display during the Doors Open event. One archive includes a silver crown, white gloves and a photograph belonging to the late Mattiebelle Woods, an African-American woman who wrote for the Milwaukee Courier from the 1950s to 2005.
“Part of her legacy was that she lived until she was 103,” said Clayborn Benson, founder of the Wisconsin Black Historical Society.
The other archive features James Cameron, founder of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and author of “A Time of Terror.” Cameron’s first copy of the manuscript sits on the table next to his photograph.
Visitors will also be able to view a 30-minute PowerPoint presentation and walk through the museum from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Journey House Packers Field, South 22nd and Pierce Street (Mitchell Park)
What used to be the Green Bay Packers’ practice field in the 1990s and 2000s now serves as a space for the Journey House Youth Football League and Cheerleading Program. The field opened in 2013 after being donated by the Packers.
On average, Journey House hosts seven games a week. The crowd total on a Saturday alone can reach 4,000.
“It’s a nice field for the kids to play on. Keeps the kids out of trouble, keeps ’em busy,” said community member John Mattox.
“The boys are 6, 7 and 8,” added Gary Gilbert, watching a game on a recent Saturday. “The blue and yellow team is Michigan and the all-yellow team is Green Bay Packers.”
More than 500 youths from underserved neighborhoods in the inner city are involved in the league, which is a platform to teach young people life skills. Charles Brown, coach and youth development coordinator at Journey House, makes it clear that the emphasis is on education, nutrition, character development and parental involvement.
“It has changed the neighborhood,” said Brown. “It really gives our kids an experience of winning, not just on the field but off the field too.”
Journey House Packers Field is located behind the Mitchell Park Domes; it will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Factory, 1223 S. 23rd St.
With durable wooden floors and abundant windows, the building serves as studio space for 30-40 painters, musicians, woodworkers, fiber artists, graphic designers, screen printers and more.
The Factory’s sturdy structure was originally built in 1894 as a place to produce straw hats.
“It means a lot to have a space where we can do whatever we want to do. There is a lot of freedom here,” said artist Janelle Gramling. “The space is affordable. There is nothing precious or fancy about the floors or the walls or the windows. You can just kind of make whatever work. And that’s what’s cool about this place.”
During the Doors Open weekend, the building will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. All tours will be self-guided.
Tree Of Life Earthworks, 1030 S. 26th St.
Nestled behind the home of Lori Gramling sits Tree of Life Earthworks, in a recently renovated 1889 carriage house. Earthworks began about six years ago and functions as a classroom, art gallery and studio space.
The building has both an upper and lower level. The lower level doubles as an art gallery and classroom. The gallery exhibits a holiday show and a spring show, presenting works by Lori Gramling, Matthew Gramling, Janelle Gramling, Melissa Muller and Cathy Elsinger.
The upper level is a studio space for Lori Gramling to work on her own art.
“Anything that has creatures on it, those are mine,” she said. “If it has lizards or birds on it, those are my things. Nature returns you to yourself — which is hopefully what therapy does and hopefully what art does — so that in turn you can bring what you have to the world.”
Visitors are invited to participate in building three walls. “As a group we decided to promote an image of creating three walls; a wall of courage against fear, a wall of love against hate, and a wall of hope against cynicism and hopelessness,” said Lori Gramling.
The three walls idea was created by a group of women called the Sisters Circle, a group of therapists and psychologists who use their creative visions and artistic skills to instill positivity into others. During Doors Open, different groups will participate by inscribing their thoughts about courage, love and hope into clay walls.
“I think art helps to reach a place that sometimes logic cannot,” Gramling said.

created: September 13, 2016


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LISC is now accepting nominations for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDI) | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
LISC Milwaukee
September 13, 2016
The Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (known as the MANDIs) recognize individuals, organizations and projects that enrich central city neighborhoods.  Nominations for 18th Annual MANDIs will be accepted through October 21, 2016.
Sponsored by US Bank, the awards pay tribute to the people and organizations working tirelessly to make Milwaukee a great place to live, learn, work and grow. Individuals, organizations and projects in the city of Milwaukee are eligible to apply.
Information is available at www.lisc.org/milwaukee  or go directly to the nomination website at www.mandiawards.org for category details and the online application. Award categories include:
• BMO Harris Bank Cornerstone Award: Recognizes an organization for tenacious commitment and effectiveness
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• Northern Trust Navigator Award: Recognizes an individual for outstanding leadership and collaboration
• PNC Trail Blazer Award: Recognizes an innovative approach to a community problem(s)
• State Farm Building Blocks Award: Recognizes a real estate project that enhances the community
• Brewers Community Foundation Public Space Award: Recognizes a public space that enlivens a neighborhood
All of the finalists will be eligible for the Wells Fargo People’s Choice Award at the 2017 MANDIs. The Wells Fargo People’s Choice Award is an interactive category that allows the public to vote online for their favorite finalists starting April 1st.
MANDI is hosted by LISC Milwaukee (Local Initiative Support Corporation). Winners are selected by an independent committee, and will be announced at a gala on Thursday, April 6, 2017. Finalists will be announced at a live event on Wednesday, December 7, 2016. All MANDI winners receive a trophy and $1,000.
Visit www.lisc.org/milwaukee for detailed category descriptions and links to the nomination website www.mandiawards.org.  Entries must be submitted by Friday, October 21, 2016.
SAVE THE DATE FOR MANDI 2017
Thursday, April 6, 2017, at the Potawatomi Event Center
2016 MANDI winners included: Rodney Bourrage, Sr., Founder and Executive Director, Operation Dream; Moody Park, Milwaukee County & Partners; ACTS Housing’s Foreclosure Reclamation Project; St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care –Bucyrus Campus; and the COA Youth & Family Centers.
About LISC: Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is the recognized leader in neighborhood development. Since 1980, LISC national has marshaled $9 billion from 3,100 investors, lenders and donors to foster the revitalization of more than 300 urban neighborhoods and rural communities. Since 1995, LISC Milwaukee has invested $100 million in the central city by mobilizing resources for neighborhood revitalization and investing these funds through grants, loans and technical assistance to neighborhood-based community development efforts.

author: LISC Milwaukee


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 13, 2016


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Local subcontractors sought to work on 15th and North project | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Russell W. Stamper, II
September 13, 2016
Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II invites local subcontractors to attend an information session on Monday, September 19 to learn more about opportunities for work that will be available in the construction of a new apartment development at N. 15th Street and W. North Avenue.
Located in Milwaukee’s Lindsay Heights neighborhood, the project will feature the adaptive reuse of the former Blommer Ice Cream factory into mixed-income housing units, and the construction of a new building with mixed-income housing and commercial space. It is anticipated that Legacy Midwest Renewal Corporation and Evergreen Real Estate Group will begin construction early in 2017.
Alderman Stamper encourages interested resident subcontractors to attend the information session to learn about which trades are needed to complete the project and how to successfully bid on the project.
“This project is another great step forward for revitalization along the North Avenue corridor,” Alderman Stamper said. “With the many positive redevelopment and construction investments being made in the area, the time is right for the 15th and North Apartments, and it’s only appropriate that local subcontractors should step forward to play a crucial role in this new development project.”
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What: Subcontractor Information Session
When: 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. on Monday, September 19
Where: Social Development Commission (1730 W. North Ave.)

author: Ald. Russell W. Stamper, II


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Milwaukee Public Library to forgive fines for patrons who visit the library | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Public Library
September 13, 2016
Atkinson Library (Photo by Adam Carr)
Milwaukee Public Library welcomes back library patrons of all ages who may have been blocked from using the library due to fines and fees associated with having long overdue materials. Adults and children are encouraged to visit their local branch of Milwaukee Public Library between Monday, September 26 and Sunday, October 9, 2016 when Library staff will help patrons get reconnected to the wealth of resources that the library has to offer.
Those interested in participating in the “Welcome Back” campaign should visit, in-person, one of the thirteen Milwaukee Public Library locations where they may return any overdue books, videos, music, or other library materials during this two-week campaign. Any cardholder with MPL fines or materials charges may come in and ask for fine forgiveness for themselves or for their children, even without materials. Library staff will work with patrons to re-activate library accounts, in addition to waiving all fines and fees. Items placed in book drops and fines on suburban Milwaukee materials are not eligible for this program.
“We are working hard to increase access to the library for Milwaukee residents,” said Paula Kiely, City Librarian.  “We’ve added hours, enhanced our programming, and now we want to remove one of the biggest barriers – old fines and fees.  Our staff will work personally with patrons to bring their library record back into good standing, and provide a personal update on the programs and services the library has to offer.”
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In addition to reclaiming lost material, the library’s goal is to renew or issue new library cards to as many eligible participants as possible.   Paula continued, “Library cards open a lot of doors to information and opportunity.”   To obtain a library card, patrons must show their legal name and demonstrate residence in Milwaukee County. For a full list of valid forms of identification, see: www.mpl.org/library/library_card/.
On May 24, 2016, MPL’s Board of Trustees approved implementation of a Fine Forgiveness Campaign. The last time the MPL held such a campaign was in April 1998 when over 12,000 items were returned in a one week period.
For more information on the “Welcome Back” campaign please visit www.mpl.org/fineforgiveness

author: Milwaukee Public Library


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On the Block: Kicking heroin | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
September 13, 2016
Mike C., 34, is living the hard life. Addicted to heroin, the full-time MATC welding student is trying to find a place to stay and get back into a drug treatment program.


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| Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
September 12, 2016

author: Adam Carr