Early voting starts Tuesday, Check your election day polling place, Meetings, Events, Announcements

Hello neighbors,

I hope you’ve been able to get out and enjoy the glorious weather this weekend! I spent a part of my Sunday canvassing for my favorite candidates. One of the things we were telling folks is that early in-person voting begins this Tuesday, October 25 and continues through November 6. Also, please note that polling places have continued to change even since the August primary, so please do check your election day polling location at myvote.wi.gov. See a list of November 8 polling places here.

Upcoming Meetings of Interest:

• Monday, October 24, 5:30 PM virtual community session on the budget. 
• Monday, October 24, 6pm – Near West Watershed study. Please register in advance for this online meeting.
• Wednesday, November 9, 6:30pm – Board of Parks Commissioners consideration of changing Forest Hill Cemetery from a “dog friendly” park to a “dog free” park. Goodman Maintenance Facility, 1402 Wingra Creek Parkway. Please submit comments on this topic directly to PACommission@CityOfMadison.com by November 4.

Events

• Halloween on State Street: The City of Madison will once again be working to make State Street and downtown Madison a safe and enjoyable space for celebrating Halloween. Events include:
  • Wednesday, October 26
    • Downtown Madison Family Halloween State Street and Capitol Square trick-or-treating for young children and their families from 3:00 – 6:00 PM sponsored by Madison's Central Business Improvement District.
    • Hayrides around the Capitol Square from 3:00 – 6:00 PM sponsored by Madison Parks.
    • Movies with Madison Parks showing Hocus Pocus from 6:00 – 8:00 PM near the top of State Street.
    • See Halloween Activities for more information.
    • Saturday, October 29
    • Wisconsin Union Directorate Film Committee’s viewing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show at 10:00 PM in Shannon Hall.
    • Claudio Simonetti's Goblin Performing Suspiria at the Orpheum Theater starting at 8:00 PM.
    • Other opportunities for spooky fun all around Dane County can be found here.
• Nurses 4 Black Wellbeing: UW-Madison is seeking research participants for an anonymous survey. The goal of the study is to learn more about the ways wellbeing, physical activity and life stress can affect blood pressure. Participants must racially identify as Black, be age 18 or older, read/speak English, and live in the greater Madison area. The research survey takes 20-30 minutes to complete. Research participants receive one $25 Target gift card as a thank you for their time.
  • Date: Wednesday, October 26
  • Hours: Walk-in hours from 3pm to 6pm  
  • Where: Badger Building, 818 W. Badger Road
  • Please contact Dr. Linda Oakley, black.wellbeing.study@nursing.wisc.edu, 608-263-5866 with any questions.
• Intervention speaker series: Public Health Madison & Dane County continues to work with community partners to implement the Roadmap to Reducing Violence. To support the Roadmap, a violence prevention and intervention speaker series is underway. Recent topics included:
  • Internet crimes against children
  • Back to school safety
  • The next webinar will be Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence “101”, Thursday, October 27, 12pm - 1pm. Register now
• The GLEAM outdoor night art exhibition at Olbrich Botanical Gardens ends on October 29!
• Regent Market Co-op Annual Meeting – October 30, 11am-noon. While the meeting is online, please join afterwards for a brat fry in front of the market from noon-2pm.
  • The Madison Police Department (MPD) is holding a Community Academy for the public to learn more about MPD practices. Upcoming dates:
    • November 2 – Department Introduction & Officer Panel
    • November 9 – Restorative Justice, Diversionary Programs
    • November 16 – Police Use of Force & Scenario Training
    • November 30 – Special Teams Presentations (K9, Mounted, Motor Patrol, Drone Team)

All sessions will be held from 5-7pm. Candidates must commit to attending all sessions.

• Madison Marathon – November 13 
• WIAA State Football Championships – November 17-18

Announcements

• Madison Fire Department is now hiring firefighters/EMTs. Becoming a firefighter/EMT is a unique opportunity to make a difference in a person’s life – and a direct impact in our community – every single day. No previous fire or EMS experience is necessary to apply.
• Electric compactors names announced: The Streets Division would like to introduce you to our newly named compactors – Rosie the Rubbisher and Stone Cold Squeeze Often. To learn how the names were picked and see a breakdown of the voting, read the news release.
• Lake water quality improved this summer: Fewer beaches were closed for swimming this summer. Public Health Madison & Dane County (PHMDC) took a total of 430 water samples this summer from 23 beaches, looking for E. Coli bacteria and blue-green algae, which can make people sick. The total number of beach closures for swimming and recreation was 124, down significantly from last summer’s total of 345. There are many factors that contribute to the water quality of our lakes. PHMDC’s microbiologist helped explain the role of weather, pollutants, and clean water corridors in a recent interview on WORT-FM.
• Madison on Tap is a new Beverage Trail directing you to the more than 30 breweries, cideries, and distilleries in the Madison area.

Take care,

Regina Vidaver