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Official Government
Communication
Week of August 5th - August 11th
Dear
Friend,
There is a
lot happening at the State Capitol and it is my hope that this email will
help you stay in touch with your government. As your Senator, I truly
believe in public service. If there is anything my office can do to
assist you, please feel free to contact us.
Here to
serve,
Sen. Lena
Taylor
4th
District
Driving Isaiah to College
 This weekend, like so many families, I will
be driving my only child to college. The ride is roughly 12 hours. I
imagine it will be the longest ride and the shortest ride of my life.
With our car loaded down, the gas stops and food breaks, it will likely
all blend together. We'll have hours to talk, disagree, and laugh. Ok, he
will likely be asleep in the back seat. I, however, will remember his
first steps, his first words, and his first day of school. And before you
know it, we'll arrive on campus, sit through orientation and set up his
room. Then, I will head up the highway... alone. We've prepared our whole
life for this moment, I just didn't think it would come so soon. I am excited
for Isaiah, and all the incoming freshmen like him. I'm excited for
myself and parents like me, who are entering a different phase of their
life. But truth be told, I'm already looking forward to his first school
break. For those of you that are off to colleges around the country, I
wish you safe travels on your new journey!
Faith-based
Visits
 The Senator's week started off with visits
to 7 churches last Sunday. Senator Taylor believes the faith community in
her district plays a vital role in the dissemination of information and
resources, not only to parishioners, but surrounding community members.
With so many congregations offering meals, clothing banks, soft skills
training, re-entry work with formerly incarcerated residents, or
counseling services, she or a member of her staff often attend meetings
and events connected to these faith institutions.
Vel Phillips Street
Dedication
 Sen. Taylor attended the dedication and
renaming of a portion of North 4th Street in Milwaukee in honor of Vel Phillips. Phillips, who passed away in April of
this year, was a true trailblazer for women and Wisconsin's African
American community. She was the first black woman to graduate from the
UW-Madison law School, first African-American judge in Wisconsin, and the
first and only ever African American elected to a statewide office as
Secretary of State among many other accomplishments. Vel
Phillips, who was the first woman and first African-American elected to
serve on the Milwaukee Common Council, was also pivotal in the fight for
fair housing. It was an overdue honor and an appropriate selection, as
Phillips went to school along this street and spent much of her childhood
going to and from church there.
Creating
a Pathway using Urban Agriculture
 Senator Taylor met with representatives
from Employ Milwaukee, Northcott Community
House, and others to discuss how their collaborations can provide
pathways to work by creating urban orchards. They have been supporters
urging Milwaukee County to create urban orchards for nearly 10 years!
With growing concerns about better access to locally grown food and
getting people to eat more produce, orchards are spaces that allow for
social interaction and employment opportunities, exercise, and education.
Senator Taylor enjoys getting to work with people who understand the
benefits urban orchards can bring to Milwaukee residents.
Blood
Center of Wisconsin
 Senator Taylor connected with a
representative from the BloodCenter of
Wisconsin to discuss a recent collaboration between the BloodCenter and several local churches. Churches for
Organ Donation and Registration (CodeR) was
launched earlier this year in an effort to raise awareness about the need
for organ donation in African American communities. Currently, more than
2,000 people in Wisconsin are on the waiting list. CodeR
serves as a platform for people to discuss the importance of donation and
Senator Taylor is very happy to see churches recognizing this issue and
urging people to register with this life-saving program. A follow up
meeting has been scheduled for next week to connect the Blood Center with
local resources that can help them expand upon the great work they do.
Legislative
Council Study Committee on Child Placement and Support
 Senator Taylor met with the Director of
Milwaukee County Child Support Services to talk about the upcoming work
of the Legislative Council Study Community on Child Placement and
Support. The Study Committee is made up of both legislators and public
stakeholders involved in different aspects of child support and parental
custody. The purpose of the committee is to review Wisconsin’s current
model for determining child support and placement and to make
recommendations for how the system could be improved in the next
legislative session. A number of concerned groups and constituents have
reached out to talk about joint custody options, custodial parents, child
support payment models, and more. Senator Taylor is the Vice-Chair of the
committee, and enjoys the chance to hear stake-holder’s concerns and
goals. The first meeting of the Study Committee on Child Placement and
Support will take place at 10:30AM on Tuesday, August 28th in the state
Capitol.
Our
Issues Milwaukee
 Senator Taylor sat down for a conversation
with Andrea Williams, host of the interview series, Our Issues Milwaukee.
The Senator discussed her upcoming National Night Out and the importance
of strengthening community-police relations in Milwaukee and across the
country. Senator Taylor explained how National Night Out ties into her
bigger platform, the LOVE & FAITH initiative, highlighting the
importance of building community hubs. But what is a community hub? A hub
is a physical location that brings organizations that do similar work out
of silos and promotes collaboration between them. When you get
organizations offering resources for health, employment, and literacy
working together in one place for the community, you get real change. At
National Night Out, Senator Taylor and other organizers will be using
Lincoln Park as a community hub.
First
celebrated by 2.5 million neighbors across 23 states in August of 1984
with front porch vigils, the event is now held in every state and
attended by an estimated 38 million neighbors. Beyond the size, the meaning
of the event has expanded as well. What started as a night for residents
to participate in crime prevention has grown into a night to deepen
community ties with the police department and to remind ourselves what it
truly means to be a member of a community.
The 4th
Senate District National Night Out will be held on Tuesday, August 21,
2018 at Lincoln Park. The open space the park provides is just one out of
several key elements that make it a great location to spur open
conversation, get to know one another and have a great time. There will
be family friendly activities, food, free swimming, skating, resource
vendors and more. Our Issues Milwaukee is on My 24 every Saturday
at 6:30 and Sundays at 7:30 on CW 18. To watch the full interview, be
sure to tune into My 24 this Saturday, August 11th!
YES
Luncheon
-fF.jpg) Senator Taylor attended a luncheon to
celebrate youth who have completed accounting internships with Milwaukee
businesses put on by the Young Enterprising Society (YES). YES is an
organization founded by two Milwaukee natives that empowers local youth
and serves the community. Founded in 2012, YES has already been
tremendously successful and connecting youth with amazing opportunities
and inspiring them to take full advantage of them. At the luncheon, the
youth’s accomplishments were acknowledged and attendees got to hear about
their plans for the future.
Juvenile
Justice Reform Updates
 Senator Taylor talked with Lincoln Hills
& Copper Lake Superintendent Jason Benzel
to get updates on a number of initiatives and work being done at the
juvenile facilities. The meeting comes after a previous conversation she
had with the Superintendent in June where they discussed a visit to the
New Beginnings Youth Development Center in Washington DC. Senator Taylor
visited the facility to learn about their work to reform their juvenile
justice system. Department of Corrections personnel also visited about a
week later. Mental and physical health care, substance abuse treatment,
and community engagement are a few of the services New Beginnings uses to
rehabilitate the young men that come under their supervision.
It was good to learn that the facilities are looking for ways to better
engage the juveniles in their care and looking at programming that
provides increased access to family connections, community resources, and
educational opportunities. When youth have an opportunity to receive
these services, there is a better chance at not having them return to
correctional facilities. With the right attention and care we can improve
the outcomes for youth in our juvenile facilities and change the cycle of
recidivism.
Intern
Spotlight: Danny Farber by Abby Routh
 Danny Farber is a communications intern in
Senator Taylor's Madison office. Originally from Basking Ridge, New
Jersey, Danny specifically chose to work in this office. Looking for an
exciting and involved experience, he hoped to build on skills he has
acquired in writing and editing for The Badger Herald. He has gotten the
opportunity to do so, as he says he enjoyed improving his writing skills
the most during his time here. However, his favorite experience on the
job was writing a column for the Milwaukee Courier newspaper. He also
helped constituents by researching and answering their questions in regards
to important issues like juvenile detention in Wisconsin.
Danny is currently studying Economics and History in Madison. When he is
not working in the office or as a Sports Editor for The Badger Herald, he
is working in Productions at the Wisconsin Union. In the future, he sees
himself getting involved in sports media and communications, or possibly
something finance related. We have enjoyed having Danny in the office,
especially since he has written so many intern spotlights in the past,
and we wish him luck as he enters his senior year of college!
Community Action
Alerts
New Date For
National Night Out
Due
to a forecast of rain on Tuesday, August 7th, National Night Out has been
rescheduled to Tuesday, August 21st and it will take place in Lincoln Park
from 4:00 - 9:00 pm. We are sorry for this inconvenience and hope you
will be able to make it!
Hundreds of Job
Opportunities in Milwaukee
Journey House and Wave One DCMKE Inaugural Member is
partnering with City of Milwaukee’s Department of Neighborhood Services
and Department of Health Services to host a job fair targeted at young
adults aging out of foster care.
- Where: Journey
House, 2110 W.
Scott Street, Milwaukee
- When:
Thursday August 16th from 10:00 am to
3:00 pm
Contact
Stephanie Samarripa at 414-286-3319 for more
information.
Job fair hosted by Ald. Khalif
Rainey - More
than 100 positions will be showcased by employers from leading industry
sectors. Be there!
- Where: Wheaton Franciscan (St. Joseph’s) auditorium at 5400 W. Chambers Street
- When: Thursday August 23rd
from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Randstad is currently recruiting for
temp to permanent positions for Packaging Associates for the 2nd
or 3rd Shift. Wages
begin at $15.48 per hour. Apply online at www.randstadusa.com.
WRTP/BIG STEP is recruiting for several
manufacturing positions for ATI on
Wednesday August 22nd 2018. Call 414-342-9787 to register for
a scheduled time slot.
Informational Meeting
for North Teutonia Construction
Please see the
briefing below from the Wisconsin Department of Public Works regarding
the reconstruction project on North Teutonia
Avenue.
You are invited to attend the second Public
Informational Meeting for the proposed reconstruction project of North Teutonia Avenue, from West Garfield Avenue to West Groeling Avenue. The meeting will be held in the
hallway outside of the auditorium in an “Open House” format with project
related sketches and plans on display. Representatives from the City of
Milwaukee’s Department of Public Works and Kapur
& Associates will be available to discuss the project plans and
answer your questions.
It is very important that we receive public input on the
proposed project as it will be directly impacting businesses and
residents in the area. Input that is received at the Public
Informational Meeting will assist in completing the proposed design.
When: Wednesday, August 15, 2018, from
5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Where: North Division High School, located
at 1011 West Center Street
Free
Friday Night Concerts
I encourage you all to take advantage of
the free Friday night concert series hosted by Arts @ Large. All concerts
will be located at the corner of 3rd and Walker Streets in the Walker’s
Point neighborhood of Milwaukee.
Below are the dates and performers of each
show:
- Aug
10 Tritonics – Rock Steady Reggae
- Aug
17 LaChazz – Latin Jazz
- Aug
24 Sindoola – African Dance Music
- Sept
7 Listening Party – Bluegrass/Americana
- Sept
14 Command Performance – Big Band
For more information check out Art @ Large's website. Enjoy!
South
Howell Avenue Reconstruction Project
Please
see the briefing below from the Wisconsin Department of Public Works on
reconstruction on South Howell Avenue in Milwaukee.
The City of Milwaukee Department of Public
Works (DPW) announces that a reconstruction project on South Howell Avenue
from West Grange to Layton Avenues will begin on Monday, July 16, 2018
with preliminary work on the avenue crossovers. This is a State of
Wisconsin Department on Transportation project, managed in conjunction
with DPW, and is expected to last into December 2018, weather permitting.
IMPORTANT: Access
to General Mitchell International Airport (GMIA) from S. Howell Ave. will
be maintained during this project.
However, GMIA travelers, customers,
employees, and vendors should be aware of traffic pattern changes and
possible delays accessing the airport during the project. The traveling
public may wish the use South 13th Street between W. Layton and W. Grange
as an alternative route to the airport.
What to expect during construction:
- Two-way
traffic on S. Howell Ave. will continue during construction.
- On
Thursday, July 19 the east side of S. Howell Avenue will be closed.
- One
lane in each direction will be open on the west side of the street.
- The
intersection of S. Howell/ East & West Layton will also be reconstructed;
traffic lane closures on Layton will occur as well.
Bus Routes: #55 and the Green Line will
remain in operation on their regular routes. Route #80 will detour
to/from the Airport Spur via W. Grange Ave. to S. 6th St. Passengers
should watch for possible additional and/or relocated bus stops, and
other possible delays, and plan accordingly.
Parking: There will be no on-street parking
on S. Howell during construction.
Pedestrian access: Short-term disruptions
will occur as sidewalks are being removed and rebuilt. Temporary
accommodations will be provided as needed.
For more information on this project go to
the DPW website.
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