Props to the Shepherd Express for running a lengthy article on our neighborhood — it’s good to see some in-depth local content on the cover of our city’s news and entertainment weekly. The March 3 story, “Riverwest: From Working Class to Creative Class” was a nice overview of the ‘hood by free-lancer John Rondy. You can see it at www.shepherd-express.com archives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Driver’s License Recovery Program is open through April 8. The program helps drivers recover their licenses if they fill out a form asking for a 120-day extension to pay fines or clear up other problems. If at the end of 120 days a person returns to the court with a valid driver’s license and 50% of what was owed to court for these cases, the judge will permanently remove the remaining 50% of the fines. Forms can be filled out and submitted by April 8 at Municipal Court, 951 N James Lovell Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BikeCollective.jpgGet ready for spring. The Milwaukee Bike Collective is looking for volunteers. Learn how to fix bikes and become part of a worker’s collective. They have bikes for sale that have been repaired and they accept donated bikes to fix up. Hours vary, but the emerging spring schedule is Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 2910 W. Clybourn St. It is a good idea to call first to 414/ 431-0825. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Common Council has joined a growing number of local legislative bodies across the country calling for the repeal of sections of the Patriot Act. A resolution adopted in March called for the state’s congressional delegation to “actively work for the repeal of those sections of the USA Patriot Act that unduly infringe upon fundamental rights and liberties as recognized in the U.S. Constitution.” The resolution was co-sponsored by Alderpersons Don Richards, Mike D’Amato, Marlene Johnson-Odom, Fred Gordon, and Michael Murphy. Eleven of 17 council members voted in favor of the measure. As of February 24, 250 communities in 37 states across the nation and the National League of Cities expressed concern that parts of the Patriot Act threaten civil liberties, the measure says. The resolution says that portions of the Patriot Act “threaten fundamental rights and liberties.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The first annual Green Means Go Run is a 5k race that will run throughout the UWM campus and neighboring streets. Proceeds will be donated to the Milwaukee Area Boys and Girls Club. The organizers hope to increase health awareness for students and the community. Lace up those shoes and ready for the run, to be held Saturday, May 8, at 10 a.m. For an application, e-mail the Green Room at greenmeansgorun@uwm.edu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “Hate Crimes 101” Overview (April 20) will be presented by Madison Police Detective Alix Olson, who has worked on many hate crime cases and is a member of the Dane County Hate Crimes Task Force, will present “Hate Crimes 101” overview April 20 at 7 p.m. at Milwaukee Public Library’s Centennial Hall at 733 N. 8th St. Olson will talk about victims and perpetrators of hate crimes, the types of offenses that occur, how the law defines hate crimes, how often they occur, the “how to’s” of evidence collection, and more. The presentation is sponsored by Wisconsin Center for Pluralism. For more information about Communities United Against Hate or any of its programs, to volunteer at the events, or to share your story, call (414) 272-9984 or email: cuah@wispluralism.org. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The state Department of Public Instruction has invalidated the most recent round of standardized test scores from Palmer Elementary School due to evidence that staff helped students on the tests, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The DPI scrapped the fourth-grade test scores on the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination. MPS also invalidated the third- and fifth-grade Palmer test results on the TerraNova, a test used by the district. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Cornel West visits UWM this month as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series. West, a prominent scholar and best-selling author, will appear on Thursday, April 15, at 5:30 p.m. in the Union Wisconsin Room to give a lecture entitled “It Matters: Affirmative Action, Race, and World Peace.” Tickets may be purchased in advance at the UWM Bookstore, 414/229-4201, or at the door if tickets are still available. Tickets prices are $15 for students and $25 for faculty, staff, and the general public. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A new book called Get Urban by a Columbus-based author says second-tier cities like Milwaukee are a growing frontier for people relocating from the suburbs. The Get Urban web-site, www.geturban.com, touts downtown Milwaukee. Here’s a link to an article on that subject, “City Slicker,” from The San Diego Union Tribune: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040314/news_mz1h14urban.html . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Riverwest Yogashala celebrates its spring open house birthday party April 4, 3-6 p.m., with a free sample class at 3:30 and a potluck supper from 5-6 p.m. Everyone is welcome, especially little ones, and birthday cake and other treats will be provided. Riverwest Yogashala has free classes every third Sunday at 3:30, and runs a “Yoga For the Community” program that this month will benefit Public Allies. For a full schedule, see our calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Riverwest Neighborhood Association (RNA) Youth Committee is developing a directory encompassing employment, education, the arts and recreation opportunities for youth of all ages in the Riverwest area. Please send all information to riverwestyouth@yahoo.com. All responses welcome. Call 414/698-8101 for more info. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . River Revitalization Foundation’s 3rd Annual Earth Day Celebration and Benefit will take place Thursday, April 22, from 5-9 p.m. at the Gordon Park Pavilion (Humboldt and Locust). Free parking in the adjacent lot. Cost is $10, and additional donations are tax deductible. While you’re there, access the trail: the South end of Gordon Park is where the Beerline Trail begins – take a little hike and experience the great outdoors in an urban setting! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “Deal Creatively with Conflict; Strategies, Play and Dialogue,” is the theme of a Spring workshop sponsored by Milwaukee’s Peace Learning Center (PLC). The workshop will be held Saturday, May 1, 8 a.m. – Noon) and is for adults and high school students. Registration is limited to 25-30 participants and is open to the general public. Reservation deadline is Saturday, April 24. Mail checks to Peace Learning Center at 3224 North Gordon Place, Milwaukee WI 53212. The suggested donation of $10 ($5 for students/seniors) is tax deductible, and a box lunch is available for an additional $5/advance. Make checks payable to The Boys and Girls Club, with the ‘memo’ line highlighted for the “Peace Learning Center/workshop.” Reservation forms are available by e-mail: margenewoida@earthlink.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), a group that advocates decriminalizing marijuana, is hosting a talk at UWM’s Fireside Lounge April 3 at 2 p.m. Hear about one woman’s experience with the effects of Multiple Sclerosis and why NORML advocates for legal marijuana use for sick and dying patients. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Residents for Off-Leash Milwaukee Dog Parks is holding a dance party to help support the establishment of a system of off-leash dog parks in the county. The party starts at 8 p.m. Friday, April 2, at the Commodore, 3040 S. Delaware Ave., and features retro 80s music by DJ Peter B. Check out www.milwaukeedogparks.org for more details. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Milwaukee Downtown, Business Improvement District #21, has joined forces with the East Town, Westown, Historic Third Ward and Brady Street Associations, as well as the GMCVB and others to raise private funds to operate a summer Milwaukee Trolley Loop for at least three years. Service will start May 26 and will run on a 20-minute loop to service downtown and east side restaurants, shops, attractions and hotels through September 5 for the first year. Fares will be $1 for adults, with half-fares for senior citizens, children and persons with disabilities. Milwaukee County will provide drivers. A representative of the Milwaukee Trolley Loop Group and executive director of Milwaukee Downtown Beth Nicols says the trolleys are important to downtown visitors, convention-goers, workers and residents, especially over the lunch hour and during large conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A cost cutting change in the request for proposals to build the bike and pedestrian “Marsupial” bridge under the Holton Street bridge resulted in a contract awarded to Lunda Construction. The firm is expected to begin construction this spring. Some landscaping and decorative concrete work was eliminated from the proposal to get the bid within the budget. The City hopes to fund these amenities through other sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rethinking Schools invites you to participate in the Save Our Schools (SOS!) Coalition. A city-wide organizing meeting is Saturday, April 3, at 10 a.m. at 611 W. National Ave. Food and childcare provided. For more info call Mike Trokan at 414/964-9646. To receive e-mail about SOS activities, contact repmilw@aol.com. Participa en la coalicion “Salvemos Nuestras Escuelas.” Ven a nuestra reunion sabado, el 3 de abril a las 10 de la manana en el 611 W. National. Se proporcionara comida y cuidado de ninos. Para mas informacion, llama a Kelley Dawson Salas al 414/531-5720. Para recibir correo electronico acerca de las actividades de Salvemos Nuestras Escuelas, manda un mensaje a repmilw@aol.com.