UW move-in, MMSD starts school year, Capital High opens, County Board District 13 seat vacancy, Yahara Hills public input sought, events & announcements

Hello neighbors,

There is a LOT going on in our District over the next couple of weeks:

• Please be aware that move-in days for UW-Madison are from August 27-September 1. There are likely to be multiple traffic disruptions during this time, so please plan your routes accordingly.
• Madison public schools re-open for the fall on Friday, September 1 for grades 4K, K, 6, and 9; all other grades resume on Tuesday, September 5. Please slow down while driving through our neighborhoods, particularly at school drop off and pick up times – we want our children to be safe!
  • Note that construction at West High on Regent Street will be completed this week, thus buses will resume pick up/drop off on Regent Street for the school year. Parent drop off/pick up will return to Ash Street. Please note that some signage in the area will be changing as a result.
• Capital High at Regent and Glenway (the former Hoyt School building) will be open for 9th grade students beginning September 1, and students in grades 10-12 beginning September 5. Two buses will travel via Larkin, Franklin, and Regent streets, two times per day:
  • Approximate drop off time is 8:50am
  • Approximate pick up time is 2:25pm

There may also be some shuttle vans, depending on student needs. Please note that there is sufficient parking on site for all staff, and the handful of students who drive personal cars. There should not be need for on-street parking by school users.

County Board Seat 13 Open

The sitting County Board Supervisor for District 13, which covers a portion of Madison Alder District 5, has resigned. Any resident of District 13 who is interested in filling the vacancy should file a declaration of candidacy with the County Clerk’s Office. Interested persons must circulate nomination papers themselves and get signatures from at least 25 electors residing in the district, and file those papers with the County Clerk’s Office. The period for circulating papers begins August 18, 2023 and will close Friday, September 1 at 4:30 PM. Declaration of candidacy forms and nominating papers are available in the County Clerk’s Office, Room 106A City County Building in Madison. The nominating papers can also be found on the County Clerk’s website. Please contact the County Clerk’s Office at 266-4121 if you have questions.

Meetings

• Public Input - Yahara Hills Golf Course Redesign: Improvements are coming to Yahara Hills Golf Course and we want to hear from you about the 18-hole redesign. For background, earlier in 2023, the City of Madison closed on the sale of roughly 200 acres of Yahara Hills Golf Course to Dane County. Our vision is to optimize the golfing experience for 18 holes while utilizing existing infrastructure and preserving the natural landscape. In addition, one of our key objectives is to make golf more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

PUBLIC DROP-IN HOURS
Staff will be available inside the clubhouse at the Yahara Hills Golf Course, to answer questions and receive feedback on the following dates:

• Monday, August 28 from 8:00-10:00am
• Friday, September 1 from 1:00-3:00pm

ONLINE INFORMATION AND INPUT SESSION - August 30 at 6:00pm via Zoom - REGISTER IN ADVANCE. Staff will present the draft plan and solicit feedback during the virtual session.

Events

• August 30, 4-8pm: Jazz at Five – top of State Street.
• August 30, 8:30-10am: Free Hands-Only CPR & AED Class: Learn life-saving skills with Madison Fire Department EMTs and Paramedics!

• August 30, 4:30-6pm: LIVE @ Lake Vista: Candace Griffin and Kat Rhapsody: Join the Lake Vista Café on the Monona Terrace rooftop for live music in a relaxed atmosphere.
• August 30, 6:15-7pm: Barre3 at The Glen. Join Madison's barre3 and Madison Parks Foundation on fairway #1 at The Glen Golf Park for a heart-pumping, joy-filled workout.
• August 30-October 28: Gleam – Art in a New Light at Olbrich Botanical Gardens. While you’re at it, check out all the offerings available at Olbrich, including learning how to grow healthier gardens, and yoga in the garden!
• September 1, 11am-2pm: Community Health Fair, Meadowridge Library. Free blood pressure checks; learn about the importance of controlling your A1C levels.
• September 2-3: Taste of Madison. Join 250,000 of your closest friends at the largest end of the summer picnic, Taste of Madison. Held since 1983, the Taste of Madison features over 80 restaurants, 3 live entertainment stages, 26 beverage stands, and this years special attraction, Lambeau Field Live!
• September 2, 2:30-4pm: Bird & Nature Adventures | Tenney Park: Nature-expert guided walks in Tenney Park along Lake Mendota and the Yahara River Parkway bike path through the Madison Isthmus are free and family-friendly.
• September 2, 2-4pm: Period Party at Madison Public Library Helps Families Get the Facts about Menstruation: Madison Public Library and Public Health of Madison and Dane County are partnering to offer an informational health event at Meadowridge Public Library.
• September 3, 1:30-3pm: Bird & Nature Adventures | Cherokee Marsh: Cherokee Marsh is Madison’s largest conservation park with three units - North, South, and Mendota. Each month, year-round we explore the north unit's beautiful trails through the woodlands, wetlands, and restored prairies along the Yahara ‘Catfish’ River.

• September 4, 8am: Labor Day Dash – Vilas Park.
• September 8, 7pm-midnight: Rhumba 4 Rainbow – Union South, Varsity Hall
• September 9, 9am-5pm: Monroe Street library book sale. Volunteers needed!

• September 12, 5-8pm: You’re invited to the Ready! Set! Market! Open House: The Madison Public Market Foundation will host a Ready! Set! Market! event to offer a taste of what the Madison Public Market will be!

• September 16, 9:30am-2pm: Spanish Language Book Fair, Pinney Library.

Announcements

• Madison Public Library Invites Community Input for Strategic Planning: Madison Public Library leadership seeks community input through September 30 to develop a three-year strategic plan for library services.

• Public Health Offers Free Private Well Testing for “Forever Chemicals”: Public Health Madison & Dane County is providing free PFAS water testing for eligible homeowners with private wells in Dane County.

• August Moving Days. Electronics must be delivered to the Streets Division’s drop-off sites, or to a reputable private electronics recycler in the area. These steps will protect your data and ensure the hazardous materials inside them are handled and recycled safely.
• Food Scraps Recycling thru October 31: Come to the Eastside Farmers’ Market and the South Madison Farmers’ Market to drop off the following food scraps: raw fruits and vegetables, including peelings, cores, etc., coffee grounds, grains, rice and eggshells.
• Final Brush Pickup ends week of September 10 and Yard Waste & Leaf pickup begins week of October 8.

Be well,

Regina Vidaver