Author: Lee Matz

After reviewing photographs taken in 2015 with new ones from the 2017 Another Walk Across Milwaukee, there is a contrast between how much has changed and how time stood still in those 24 months. On October 6, 2015 the Milwaukee Independent made the 84 block, 5.5 mile hike across North Avenue to photo-document the corridor’s condition as a geographical reference with images for future news reports about community projects. On the second anniversary of that journey, October 6, 2017, the Milwaukee Independent retraced those steps. Places that did not exist during the first walk included Pete’s Fruit Market on...

“We’ve been in business now for over a decade and the needs of the community have changed, the future needs of the community are going to be different and this allows us to adapt and grow along with the community and eventually to have the kind of impact we want to have on the future workforce.” – Joel Brennan, Discovery World CEO & President Discovery World broke ground on October 10 for the first phase of its $18 million expansion project, featuring a 10,000 square foot space that will be located along Lake Michigan on the science museum’s north...

The inaugural Valley Week celebrated Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley from September 23 to 30, highlighting the history and evolution of the vital industrial region, ending with a special tour of the area. The week of events invited the community to explore and experience the Menomonee Valley, from a beer run, to a bike ride along the Hank Aaron State Trail, to a Menomonee River Kayak Tour, to family-friendly campfire gatherings, and tree plantings with environmental education about the urban district. Hosted by the Menomonee Valley Business Improvement District #26, Menomonee Valley: Behind, Above, & Below the Scenes was a special...

Women of color were united with locked arms as they gathered in Milwaukee and around the nation to demand racial justice on September 30, during the Black Women’s Empowerment March. The Uplifting Black Liberation and Community (UBLAC), along with Black women, Black men, and allies assembled at Victory over Violence Park in Milwaukee’s Harambee neighborhood. The movement was coordinated in solidarity with national efforts in Washington DC and sister cities, and hosted by the Black Women’s BluePrint. “Black women are the backbone of the family. We’re the nurturers and the caregivers. We work hard, often two or three jobs.”...