After working to repair and build new homes near Washington Park since
2013, Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity has announced an ambitious initiative to
build, rehab and repair 100 homes in the Midtown neighborhood over the next
three years.
According to Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II the Midtown 100 project
will include building 65 new homes, rehabilitating 15 homes and completing
critical repairs on 20 homes, which will allow current residents to remain in their
homes. Milwaukee Habitat has said it will invest $10.3 million in the
neighborhood over the course of the initiative, which will allow the organization to
serve the most families per year in its 34-year history.
The Midtown efforts will take place in the area from North Avenue to
Lisbon Avenue and from 30th to 25th Streets.
“Midtown 100 combats our city’s affordable housing crisis by building the
highest concentration of affordable single-family homes in Milwaukee since
WWII,” Alderman Stamper said. “Milwaukee Habitat will utilize its innovative
partnerships with community-focused organizations to dramatically increase
homeownership opportunities while helping current residents stay in their homes.
I want to thank Habitat its partners for this incredibly valuable initiative in my
district.”
Alderman Stamper said Milwaukee Habitat is reporting positive outcomes from
its efforts in the Washington Park neighborhood since 2013, including a 48% decrease in
violent crime on the blocks that have been revitalized and a nearly 20% increase in
residents who say they feel like they are part of the neighborhood.
Local News
Supervisor Supreme Moore Omokunde Developing Proposal for Milwaukee County Citizens Review Board
MILWAUKEE – County Supervisor Supreme Moore Omokunde is developing a proposal for a Milwaukee County Citizen’s Review Board, which could review incidents and citizen complaints regarding Milwaukee County law enforcement and correctional officers, and possibly provide additional oversight functions.
“Citizens expect and deserve accountability at all levels of government. A Citizen’s Review Board would provide greater accountability and help build trust between the public, Milwaukee County law enforcement, and corrections officers,” said Moore Omokunde.
At a recent meeting of the Judiciary, Safety, and General Services Committee of the County Board of Supervisors, the county’s top attorney delivered a preliminary report in response to Supervisor Moore Omokunde’s request for examples, options, best practices, and strategies for implementation of a Citizen Review Board for Milwaukee County.
Supervisor Moore Omokunde asked for the analysis with an amendment to the 2018 county budget.
Moore Omokunde plans to consult with the Office of Corporation Council, the Sheriff’s Department, community groups, and other stakeholders to develop his proposal, and says he envisions the Citizens Review Board as an advisory body to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department and House of Correction.
The Milwaukee Police and Fire Commission provides citizen oversight of the City of Milwaukee Police and Fire Departments. It can receive citizen complaints and independently investigate and discipline department employees, and also monitors complaints filed directly with the Police Department and Fire Department and reviews their completed investigations.
Prevent addiction and protect Lake Michigan during Spring Cleaning
MILWAUKEE COUNTY – On the first day of Spring, Take Back My Meds MKE, parents of young adults who have struggled with addiction, and environmental leaders urge residents to safely dispose of unused medicine they find during their Spring cleaning.
Residents of Milwaukee County can take back their unused medicine on any day of the year at one of 76 locations in the county. A map of all locations with either a drop box or drug disposal envelopes can be found at takebackmymeds.com. Unused medicine is contributing to the opioid crisis in Milwaukee County. Eighty percent of heroin users have used unused medicine for non-medical purposes.
Parents warn that unused medicine left in a home often starts or feeds a dangerous addiction. “My two sons found unused medicine to get high. Sometimes this happened at a neighbor’s house. Keeping unused medicine in your house is asking for trouble so please get rid of it in a safe and responsible way,” said Michelle Jaskulski of Franklin who is now outreach director of the Addiction Policy Forum.
Unsafe disposal of unused medicine also harms the environment. “When Milwaukee County residents flush unused medicine down the toilet it goes straight into Lake Michigan because MMSD is unable to treat it. Using a drop box or mail back envelope keeps unused medicine out of Lake Michigan, the source of drinking water in Milwaukee County,” said Amber Meyer Smith, Vice President of Programs and Government Relations for Clean Wisconsin.
“Safely disposing of unused medicine during Spring cleaning at a drop box like we have at several Hayat Pharmacy locations is something each of us can do to combat the opioid crisis and protect Lake Michigan,” said Hashim Zaibak, CEO of Hayat Pharmacy a founding member of the Take Back My Meds MKE coalition. “Hayat is proud to be making it easier for people to take back their unused medicine.”
Take Back My Meds MKE is a coalition of 15 community organizations and businesses dedicated to making it easier for Milwaukee County residents to combat the opioid crisis by safely disposing of unused medicine. A full list of the coalition’s members can be found at takebackmymeds.com.
15 Spring yard work dos and don’ts from Milwaukee NARI
MILWAUKEE – Spring is coming to Wisconsin, and for homeowners that means yardwork. Homeowners can avoid landscaping mistakes with help from members of Milwaukee NARI, which has been promoting professionalism in the home remodeling industry and fostering consumer confidence for more than 55 years.
“Spring maintenance creates the beautiful yard you want with less summer care,” said Heidi Sommer of Wandsnider Landscape in Menomonee Falls. Milwaukee NARI members provided 15 dos and don’ts to help homeowners get their spring yardwork done right.
* DO cut down spent perennials and remove leaf debris. “This will also remove potential diseases that may have overwintered,” said Sommer.
* DO edge planting beds with a power edger or a spade shovel. “This will give the planting bed a nice, clean, unified look, keeping grass from growing into the bed and mulch from falling out into the grass,” Sommer said.
* DON’T plant too early. According to Jeremy Santori of Bluemel’s Garden and Landscape Center in Greenfield, “Planting too early in spring may lead to plant damage. Be mindful of the overnight temperatures so that you select the proper plants.”
* DON’T rush to judgment on the survival of your hardy plants. They may be okay, even if they look like they aren’t recovering from winter. “Soil temperatures are key,” said Santori. “Your plants may need more time to leaf out, especially if we have a later or delayed spring.”
* DO use pre-emergent herbicide and fertilizer before seeds germinate. Santori said, “Once soil temperatures begin to rise, weeds will begin to germinate.”
* DO mulch planting beds with a shredded hardwood mulch. “The mulch will suppress weeds, insulate the soil, help retain moisture, reduce soil erosion, help feed plants, and aesthetically improve your landscape,” Sommer said. She recommends using an all-natural product with natural forest nutrients to help plants grow.
* DON’T prune Forsythia, Lilac, and Viburnum shrubs. Sommer said pruning them in early spring could result in removing the flower buds.
* DO prune other shrubs and most trees. Sommer said it’s easier to do before they leaf out in the spring. “It’s easier to see branching patterns and broken and diseased parts of the plant that should be removed.”
* DON’T mulch too thick. “Two to three inches is a good thickness for planting beds,” Sommer said.
* DON’T use colored mulch for perennials or groundcovers. Sommer explained, “Many colored mulches are made from construction debris. This kind of mulch can rob important nutrients form the soil that are critical for plant growth.”
* DO mulch in early spring, before the perennials pop out of the ground. Although waiting would decrease the amount of mulch used, Sommer recommends mulching early to save time, so that homeowners don’t have to mulch around the plants.
* DO use high quality soil. “Awesome plants loaded with color need awesome soil,” Sommer said. “You can improve the soil over time with regular applications of a natural mulch or leaf compost, fertilization, and aeration.”
* DO use the right fertilizer for different plants. “Rhododendrons and Azaleas are acid-loving plants that need a boost if growing in less fertile soils. A complete fertilizer designed for acid-loving plants may be applied in early spring,” Sommer said.
* DON’T rush to judgment on your yard’s drainage if water pools. “In early spring, the ground is still frozen,” Santori explained. “This leads many to believe their yard has a drainage problem due to pooling water caused by frozen ground. Allow the ground to thaw and see if the problem persists.”
* DON’T start a hardscaping project before the thaw. “Allow the frost to fully come out of the ground before beginning your project. Retaining walls and patio projects that begin before frost has been removed have a significantly higher risk for settling or failure,” Santori said.
“If you decide to have work done, it is important and to your benefit to start with a professional landscape plan,” Santori said, urging homeowners to start planning this process now. “The sooner a plan has been established, the quicker you can get work scheduled and into a construction calendar. Starting the planning process early will allow for more quality time in your newly landscaped yard.”
Milwaukee NARI is an elite association of the best home improvement and remodeling professionals and those in businesses who are affiliated with the industry. As a trusted resource homeowners know and have chosen since 1961, Milwaukee NARI has promoted ethical conduct, professionalism, sound business practices in the remodeling industry, and consumer education. Consumers can have confidence when selecting a Milwaukee NARI member for their project, as all members adhere to a code of ethics that ensures honesty, integrity and responsibility.
For more information or to receive a free copy of the annual membership directory along with the booklet, Milwaukee NARI’s Remodeling Guide, visit www.MilwaukeeNARI.org or call Milwaukee NARI at 414-771-4071.
Representative Young Holds Community Conversation on Gun Safety
(Madison) – State Representative Leon D. Young (D-Milwaukee) will be hosting a “Community Conversation On Gun Safety”, Monday, March 19, 2018, 5-7 p.m. @ Department of Natural Resources (DNR Building) 2300 N. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53212. Registration begins at 4:30 p.m. Program begins at 5:00 p.m. Open to the public. All are encouraged to attend.
Representative Young stated, “Please come and discuss ways to keep our community safe from mass shootings and random gun violence.”
Gun safety locks will be issued by WESTCARE.
Panelist will be: Representative Leon D. Young, 16th Assembly District; Jeri Bonavia, Executive Director of WAVE (WI Anti Violence Effort) Educational Fund; Milwaukee Public Schools; Milwaukee Police Department; Ron Kelly, Board Member, St. Marcus Lutheran School; and Beth Coggs, CEO of WESSTCARE.
Boys & Girls Clubs’ Wisconsin Youth of the Year Advances #MeToo Movement
Milwaukee high school junior Daijahnay Canady has been named the Boys & Girls Clubs Youth of the Year for the state of Wisconsin, the highest honor given to Boys & Girls Club members. Canady, 16, a sexual assault survivor, will be using the platform to advocate for other young survivors in the midst of the #MeToo movement. She earned the Youth of the Year honor by competing against 15 other Boys & Girls Clubs members from across the state at the Wisconsin Youth of the Year competition in Green Bay on Friday, March 2.
Each year local Clubs select representatives to compete at the state level, with winners advancing to regional and then the national competition. Each competing Club member has to meet academic and community service requirements, write essays, submit letters of endorsement and prepare a three-minute speech. Many Club members use the competition to advocate for issues youth face in their communities, and in Canady’s case, she is using her platform to tie into the #MeToo movement.
“I have made so much positive life progress over the past couple of years, but sharing something as personal as sexual abuse is scary,” said Canady. “Ultimately, I decided if sharing my story can help other people on their journey to healing, then it is well worth facing down my own fears.”
As the Wisconsin Youth of the Year, Canady will spend the next few months preparing for the regional competition in Chicago this summer with hopes of making it to the national competition in Washington D.C. She is also slated to speak at the Denim Day Summit on April 25 and Boys & Girls Clubs’ annual MVP dinner at The Pfister Hotel on May 7. She has also won $1,000 in scholarship money from Milwaukee Youth of the Year sponsor FOX Sports Wisconsin, $10,000 from the Home Team Scholarship and $5,000 from national sponsors Disney and Toyota. She will utilize this scholarship money to achieve her ultimate goal of becoming a criminal prosecutor.
When Canady was seven years old, she was sexually abused—an experience that left her feeling hurt, angry, hopeless and as if she had lost her voice. Without professional help, Canady did her best to cope as she looked for someone to blame. Ultimately, she blamed herself. Over the next several years, she sought attention, and often went about getting it in destructive ways. She acted out in school and let her grades slip, hitting a personal low point during her freshman year of high school.
It was around this time Canady’s life began to turnaround thanks to support from local youth-serving organizations. She was connected to a counselor through Pathfinders’ Hand-in-Hand program for youth survivors of sexual abuse. Finally, she had access to the expert resources who could help her begin the healing process. She also made the decision to transfer to St. Joan Antida High School, which was a better fit for her.
“Daijahnay is a remarkable young lady,” said Paul Gessner, Head of School at St. Joan Antida High School. “From the day she entered the doors at St. Joan’s as a transfer student, we knew she had great potential. Daijahnay’s determination to overcome significant life challenges led her to leverage opportunities, including the Boys & Girls Club programs. She’s grown tremendously as a student, as a leader for her peers, and now as an advocate.”
As a new student, she heard about Boys & Girls Clubs’ afterschool program located in the building. She initially didn’t have much interest in joining until the Club hosted an event associated with the international Denim Day movement—a day to raise awareness that a person’s clothing is never an excuse for rape or sexual assault. Participating in this event gave her purpose and was also the beginning of Canady’s journey to regain her voice.
As Canady spent more time at the Club, staff members began to see a transformation. “When Daijahnay first became a Club member, she lacked confidence,” said Ebony Haynes, Boys & Girls Clubs’ Social Emotional Learning Program Manager. “In the safety of the Club environment and with the encouragement of staff and fellow members, she took on leadership opportunities, began to open up and found her self-worth.”
Now, after nearly two years at her new school and as a Club member, Canady has raised her GPA by 79 percent since freshman year. She is the captain of her high school’s mock trial team, and is being mentored by Chief Deputy District Attorney Kent Lovern. She joined a community service program through Boys & Girls Clubs and now leads the planning for the Clubs’ Denim Day event.
Around the same time Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee put out a call across its Clubs for Youth of the Year applicants, the #MeToo movement was gaining momentum and media attention. The movement showed survivors like Canady they were not alone and empowered victims to speak out. Feeling inspired, Canady decided to submit an application for the Milwaukee Youth of the Year competition. A panel of judges selected Canady from seven finalists to represent Milwaukee at the Wisconsin Youth of the Year competition.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee (BGCGM), one of the largest and longest youth-serving agencies in Milwaukee, offers structured after-school and summer programming to more than 41,000 children and teens each year. Within the safety of 51 locations, youth have access to free meals, academic support, role models and opportunities to build character and explore new interests. More than 80 percent of the organization’s annual budget goes toward youth programming. Charity Navigator, America’s largest and most-utilized charity evaluator, has given BGCGM its highest rating. For more information, please visit www.BoysGirlsClubs.org.
About St. Joan Antida High School
Founded in 1954, St. Joan Antida High School (SJA) provides a student-centered, intensive college preparatory education to young women in grades 9-12. As Milwaukee’s only all-girl International Baccalaureate World School (IB), SJA is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty by providing a competitive education to its students. Partnering with the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) and the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) program, SJA offers an enhanced (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) STEM educational model that is oriented toward academic quality, a culture of excellence, and student-centered learning.
UNCF to host Milwaukee Mayor’s Ball
Securing Quality Education for the Next Generation of Leaders
MILWAUKEE (March 15, 2018) More than 300 business, civic and education leaders from across Wisconsin are expected to attend the second annual UNCF Milwaukee Mayor’s Masked Ball on March 17 at the Milwaukee Art Museum at 6 p.m. The event, hosted by the Honorable Tom Barrett, will help provide scholarship funds for area students and operating support to UNCF’s 37- member institutions.
“With the continuous support of Mayor Barrett and the Wisconsin community, UNCF can make a tremendous impact on the lives of our young people,” said Michael Cox, regional development director, UNCF. “Now more than ever, we must continue to come together to provide resources to the next generation of leaders–securing better futures for us all.”
There is one Masked Award recipient for 2018 who will be honored for her dedication and support of UNCF’s work and her commitment to advancing higher education. The 2018 Masked Award honoree is Danae D. Davis, executive director of Milwaukee Succeeds.
Melinda Davenport, WISN-12 news anchor, will be mistress of ceremonies for the ball, which will feature elegant dining and dancing. Milwaukee’s favorite Chris Crain will provide the entertainment for the evening. The event is made possible by presenting sponsor, Rockwell Automation along with donors Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, Johnson Controls, Brewers Community Foundation, BMO Harris Bank, WE Energies, Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative and SC Johnson: A Family Company.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.uncf.org/milwaukeem
When “NO” is good!
Milwaukee native, author and Oscar winning screen-writer unveils plan to open building for the city’s arts community
By Thomas E. Mitchell, Jr.
In the creative arts world, the word “NO” is a gut-wrenchingly familiar word for writers, playwrights and actors, even producers who pitch ideas to investors for television, movie and stage ideas.
There is a finality to the word that is hard to swallow, and requires the development of a thick skin and a very short memory.
But the word can also serve as fuel for artists, driving him or her to continue plugging away reworking, reshaping, and re-presenting their artistic creations and ideas until they finally…finally hear the most desired and elusive word in their world: “YES!”
Milwaukee native, author, and Oscar-winning screenwriter John Ridley has heard his share of “NOs”—more than he probably cares to remember—before finally hearing the word that green-lights dreams.
It’s a word you hear a lot in the art world, said Ridley. “I never took it as a negative.”
In Japan, “No” has a different meaning for artists in that country. It is a root word for “skill,” “talent,” “artistic endeavor.”
“I wanted to do something with duality in meaning,” Ridley said in explaining why he chose the word as the name for his new arts endeavor: NO Studios.
NO Studios will be a hub for the creative arts in downtown Milwaukee. Ridley, along with business partner and Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, has purchased a 40,000 square foot building at 1037 W. McKinley Avenue in the newly developed Pabst Brewery Complex.
The building is currently undergoing extensive renovations in order to create a social space dedicated to the creation, curation, and presentation of art. NO Studios is a for-profit venture that aims to become a sustainable model for bringing the arts to the city.
It will include long-term and sort-term office space for local individuals, organizations, and companies in creative fields, a 50-seat screening room, food and beverage services, galleries, as well as a roof-top event space with expansive city views.
The design of the space will be comfortable, open, modern, and inviting, encouraging collaboration among tenants and welcoming diverse communities across the city to celebrate art together.
In addition to serving as a physical space for the creative community and art lovers in the city, NO Studios will present year-round programming that will both provide an opportunity for local artists to present their work as well as bring in renowned artisans and artists working in a variety of creative fields from around the world to share their knowledge and work with Milwaukee audiences.
Ridley believes NO Studios will let Black Milwaukeeans and other groups of color know they have a seat at the arts table. He added he plans to make outreach to communities of color a priority.
“When I was a kid, there was nothing like this at all,” said Ridley. “I want the community to understand this (NO Studios) is not for one kind of person, but all and anyone to share their art and passions.”
With the notoriety and financial success he earned from the Academy Award winning movie, “12 Years a Slave,” in which he won an Oscar for Best Screenplay, Ridley said he wanted to build something positive off of the momentum his Oscar win generated.
Conversations with local artists from a multitude of artistic disciplines revealed to Ridley there was an urgent need for a sizable artistic space to create art, edit and screen films by local companies, and a social space for artists to network with each other and the public.
Thus, the creation of NO Studios.
Ridley said NO Studios isn’t trying to compete with the Milwaukee Art Museum, noting both entities have different missions. For one, the art museum is for and supported by patrons of fine art.
“This (No Studios) is a working space for artists working with a purpose, educating with a purpose and showing (art) with a purpose. I want the space to directly engage with the community.”
Election Watch 2018
Passion for serving others is what’s driving Felesia Martin’s run for county board seat
By Thomas E. Mitchell, Jr.
“If you want something done, you have to do it yourself!”
That’s an iconic phrase all of us have heard at one time or another. It best sums up the “do it yourself” mentality we often times adopt when something needs to be done and there’s no one else to do it or help you do it.
That’s the attitude Milwaukee County Board candidate Felesia Martin adopted when outgoing County Board Sup. Michael Mayo revealed to her he was stepping down at the end of his term representing the seventh supervisory district.
“No one else wanted to run, or feel they could beat an incumbent (which Mayo was before he announced his retirement from the board several months ago),” said Martin in a recent interview about her candidacy.
Mayo told Martin he was stepping down during a meeting the two had in his county courthouse office. Martin was there to discuss the issues facing the district like transportation and juvenile corrections.
Martin asked Mayo when was he going to retire, noting she had an interest in public service dating back to her childhood.
“That’s when he told me he was going to retire,” said Martin, adding it was the moment she decided to throw her proverbial hat into the ring. “I had an inkling I would run (for Mayo’s board seat). But his announcement of his retirement solidified it for me.”
And what intangibles does Martin bring to the district? Aside from her 40-plus year residency in the district and knowing its challenges and strengths (such as its diversity), she said her passion and love for the area ultimately drove her to stay when she had an opportunity to leave.
That same passion and love is driving Martin in the race to be the seventh district’s voice and champion for positive change.
But the political bug didn’t bite Martin until she got involved in her first election campaign, knocking on doors for President Barack Obama’s two campaigns, and the campaigns of other political office holders. She later joined Organizing America.
“I’ve always connected to the community and what residents are looking for to improve the quality of their lives, like fighting for health care.”
Martin also participated in the campaign against Gov. Scott Walker’s Act 10 legislation which stripped state labor unions of most of their collective bargaining power.
The board candidate said her most potent strength is her ability to look at both sides of an issue and try to find common ground.
“(The ability to) negotiate is part of my success,” said Martin. “I always try to add value to people’s lives. I try to get an idea of how other peoples’ values and faith match up with mine.
“I try to listen and understand their needs and where they are, where they want to go, and want to accomplish.
“I may not be a well-known face or name, but if you’re involved in politics in Milwaukee and Wisconsin, I’m very well-known.”
But Martin is well known at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where she has worked for 31 years in an administrative capacity, monitoring and managing government budgets for academic research. She feels her expertise in this field will be an asset when it comes to scrutinizing budgets that come before the board.
Martin has also worked for the Boy Scouts of America, where she helped establish Scout troops in predominately Black neighborhoods.
Asked what areas she would focus on if elected April 3 over her opponent, Kenneth Ginlack, Sr., Martin said she would focus on three areas: Parks and recreation, mass transit, and public safety.
Parks—
Martin said parks contribute to the health of a community and are safe, clean spaces for children and families.
Mass Transit—
Martin said the focus shouldn’t be solely on connecting people to jobs with Fox Conn. She said transit dollars and resources should also be focused on expanding transit service to what she calls “WOW” Counties: Waukesha, Ozaukee, and Washington counties.
Public Safety—
Though strides are being made to rectify the problem in the area, Martin said the Sherman Park Neighborhood has a serious crime issue, which is what drove many in the Jewish community (and other ethnic and racial groups) to outlying metropolitan areas. Martin said she would like to see more residents in Sherman Park, and the district as a whole, organize watch clubs and hold neighborhood meetings to discuss crime issues, as well as improve police-community relations.
Martin also stressed the need for more informed trauma care for residents psychologically impacted by the shootings, speeding cars, and the residual effects of the unrest in the Sherman Park Neighborhood in 2016.
She explained informed trauma care focuses on children and families and treats them using a wholistic approach, giving them the tools to cope with the depression and anger they’re dealing with.
Despite the downsizing of the county board’s hours, salary and influence on metropolitan affairs, Martin is confident the governmental body can still make a positive impact on the welfare of its residents.
“Working with the county executive, we can still change Milwaukee for the better.”
To learn more about Martin and her compaign, go to her Facebook page (Martin for Milwaukee), her website (martinformilwaukee.com), phone (414)-745-9185.
Health department joins other health agencies in doubling efforts to halt rise in STIs and HIV
Compiled by MCJ Editorial Staff
While students across the nation-and the Milwaukee area-demonstrated Wednesday to bring attention to the national crisis of school gun violence and demand local and federal government enact stricter laws to prevent easy access to guns, a coalition of local health agencies gathered the day before to bring attention to another crisis.
The crisis: The alarming increase in the number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) diagnosed in the city. Milwaukee is one of a number of cities reporting increases in the number of diagnosed HIV/STI cases.
Of 127 people recently tested in one social network, 76 tested positive for HIV, syphilis or both.
Last year, there were 4,400 cases of gonorrhea in Milwaukee, the highest number of cases in the nation. It’s a new development in a continuing epidemic that has the city among the worst nationally for sexually transmitted diseases.
The Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) also expressed concern about three cases of congenital syphilis that were identified in 2017. “This is considered a sentinel event, it rarely occurs,” said Milwaukee Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia McManus in a statement during a news conference on the matter at city hall.
“The last known, single case, was in 2012. The MHD strongly encourages pregnant women and women of childbearing ages to use protection, get regularly tested for HIV/STIs and complete treatment regiments as required.”
“If this isn’t a wake-up call for the city of Milwaukee and parents throughout the area, I don’t know what will be,” said Michael Gifford of the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin (ARCW).
Gifford admitted the response by the city and health agencies to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) “has not been nearly enough.”
Aside from ARCW and MHD, representatives of Milwaukee Public Schools, Diverse & Resilient, Planned Parenthood, and Children’s Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin also promised stepped-up efforts to deal with the crisis.
McManus noted Milwaukee, like other cities, has a high number of vulnerable populations which are experiencing high incidences of diagnosis.
Vulnerable populations include Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSMs), ethnic minorities, injection drug users, women (especially those in the sex trade), and young people caught up in sex trafficking.
“Sexually exploited youth are at particular risk for sexually transmitted infections,” said Dr. Wendi Ehrman of Children’s Hospital and MCW.
The recent HIV and syphilis spike in Milwaukee has exposed another concern: that the people being impacted are younger than ever before, and reaching even into the schools.
MHD noted a handful of youth were newly diagnosed with HIV or syphilis. Generally, the diagnosis is seen between young adults 14 to 24 years of age.
Health advocates representing the agencies urged parents to take the crisis seriously .
“The MHD strongly encourages parents, caregivers, teachers and others to promote the idea of teens abstaining from sex, or using protection if they are sexually active and to get regularly tested for HIV/STIs.
“The stigma and discrimination with being tested for HIV/STIs and or having the infections must be removed to increase early diagnosis and proper treatment,” said McManus.
Tony Snell-Rodriquez, the interim executive director of the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center said parents will begin to understand it (the crisis) when it happens to their child. And by then “it may be too late.”
ARCW, the city health department and some 10 other health agencies that deal with STI/HIV are increasing their hours for testing, coordinating outreach programs, hotlines and information efforts focusing on testing and prevention.
ARCW is also creating a hotline and announced they have established the “Strategic HIV/STI Prevention Leadership Fund. The $250,000 Fund is a lead investment to catalyse the community’s commitment to attack HIV, STIs, and their root causes.