Dog Park Cleanup, Earth Day Challenge, Bay Creek Bikeways, Spring Yard Waste Collection

Hi Everyone,

As winter wanes and spring emerges, several seasonal items are worth noting. The annual rite of reawakening brings with it a variety of chores. Spring cleaning of different sorts, personal and collective, provides occasions for volunteer service, a couple of which are noted below.

Annual Dog Park Cleanup Day

Last year I became the grateful owner of Bella, a beautiful Chow-Lab mix.

We regularly go to dog parks, as Bella loves to play and run with other dogs.

Unfortunately, some dog owners who frequent dog parks are reluctant to clean up after their pooch, which creates unhealthy conditions for other dogs, including the possible spread of pathogens like giardia.

If you love taking your dog to a city of Madison dog park, Madison Parks is asking you to join in helping clean up your favorite off-leash dog park on Saturday, April 2 from 9am to 11am. Volunteers are needed to assist with picking up trash and scooping up dog poop. Madison Parks will supply trash bags, gloves, scoopers, and buckets. You may bring your own gloves, scoopers, and additional bags. Weather and park conditions determine which dog park locations are included in the volunteer project. Click here to register in advance.

(Note: Quann Dog Park on the edge of District 13 needs a lot more volunteers!)

Earth Day Challenge

Celebrate Earth Day with your neighbors and friends by volunteering to clean up your local park on Saturday, April 23 from 10am to 12 noon. Join this community-wide volunteer effort to make a difference. Earth Day Challenge Projects are held throughout the city, including several D13 city parks. Volunteers may assist with trash pickup, raking, weeding, and removing sticks. We will supply gloves, garbage bags and rakes. Rakes at each park will be based on the number of volunteers participating. Click here to register in advance.

Bay Creek Bikeways Improvements

The City is considering creation of a bike boulevard to connect the South Shore and West Shore Dr Bike Blvd to the John Nolen Drive underpass. The new bike boulevard would connect via Lakeside St, Rowell St and Van Deusen St. The City is also considering improvements to the West Shore and South Shore Bike Boulevard. The City is proposing to construct a new path section that will connect the Goodman Park Path to the Wingra Creek Path via the Goodman Park's Maintenance Facility Parking Lot.

The City is also proposing resurfacing projects at the following D13 locations:

• Wingra Creek Path: Sections between Olin Ave and John Nolen Dr Underpass
• Quann Park Path (along W Olin Ave): From Colby St to John Nolen Dr

These improvements are among those included in the survey the City wants your feedback on. Please complete the Bay Creek Bikeways Survey  by 12 p.m., April 8, 2022.

To learn more about these proposed improvements, a virtual public information meeting about the city's Bikeways 2022 is scheduled for 6 p.m., March 31, 2022, via Zoom. Registration prior is required. Click here to register.

Badger Rd. Drop-off Site Closing This Week

The Streets Division's drop-off site located at 1501 W. Badger Road will be closing this Friday, March 22 for a construction project. Residents will not be able to use the Badger Road drop-off site while it is closed. The site will remain closed until at least the spring of 2023. Read more here.

Spring Yard Waste Collection

Set-out dates for spring yard waste collection are now available. Read more here. Learn when to set out your yard waste for pickup by visiting the Streets Division website, www.cityofmadison.com/yardwaste.

Spring Election April 5th

As you prepare for the Spring Election on April 5, the City of Madison Clerk's Office wants to remind you what types of photo ID you can use for voting in Wisconsin.

• Click here to learn more and see a list of acceptable forms of photo ID.

• A recent court decision has a significant impact on how an absentee voter can return their completed absentee ballot. As a result of the decision, the use of absentee ballot drop boxes is prohibited and no one but the absentee voter is able to return their completed ballot. Find more information here.

• Voters can view a sample ballot for their address on the MyVote Wisconsin website. More details can be found here.

Body-Worn Cameras

The Police Civilian Oversight Board will review the Body-Worn Camera Feasibility Review Committee Final Report Policy Recommendations at their meeting on Thursday. The report recommends considering a body-worn camera pilot in Madison under certain preconditions. The Police Civilian Oversight Board and Independent Monitor are implicated in several of those preconditions and in the model policy. You can find the report and model policy here and a link to the meeting details here. The council is expected to vote in April on a resolution authorizing MPD to begin a pilot. I will share more thoughts ahead of that vote.

Quote of the Day

"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it."  -- Nelson Mandela

Take care and stay safe.

Tag