Public information meetings TOMORROW; MMSD Superintendent search; Events and Announcements

Hello neighbors,

There are some upcoming Public Information Meetings I want to draw your attention to:

• October 4, 5:30pm: Public Information Meeting on a proposal to add sidewalks along Harvey Street as part of the Harvey Street and Schmitt Place reconstruction project.
• October 4, 5pm: Listening Session: West Area Park Development Plans – Marshall Park, 2101 Allen Blvd. The community is invited to a listening session for the west Madison area park development plans. The parks involved with this planning process are all fully developed and range in size from 0.1 acres to 15.13 acres. This planning process will provide transparency regarding future plans for each park and allow park users to weigh in on existing and potential recreation opportunities.
• October 5, 5pm: Public Input Meeting - Sycamore Park. The community is invited to attend a public input meeting and learn about a natural surface, 1.5-mile bike trail proposed for Sycamore Park.
• October 25, 6:30pm: Public Information Meeting on the Near West Watershed Study.
• October 30: 6:30pm: Public Information Meeting on plans to make Midvale Blvd safer for bicyclists and pedestrians.

MMSD Superintendent Search

I had the opportunity to attend the first in-person listening session to help with the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) Superintendent search. Please consider engaging either in the remaining in-person listening session on October 4, 6pm at Vel Phillips Memorial High School, 201 S Gammon Rd., or by filling out the online survey. Whether or not you have children in our schools, our schools are an integral part of our community, directly impacting our health and resilience. MMSD needs you to participate!

Events

• October 4, 5-7pm: Learn to Fish with WI DNR. There is no cost to attend (advanced registration is required), however, anglers ages 16 and older will need a Wisconsin fishing license, which can be purchased online at Go Wild. Wisconsin DNR's Fishmobile will be onsite with all the fishing equipment needed to participate.
• October 4, 5-7pm: Cyclocross Practice Ride | Sycamore Park. We've partnered with Capital Off-Road Pathfinders in offering a free, temporary cyclocross course to practice your biking skills.
• October 4, 6-8pm: Fall Home Maintenance with ULGM. Discover Winter Ready Homes: Join Us to Learn How to Prepare Your House for the Season Ahead.
• October 5, 12, & 19, 6-8pm: HUD-Approved Homebuyer Education "Your Path to Homeownership" Three Part Hybrid Class. Your Path to Homeownership is provided by La Casa de Esperanza, a Non-Profit HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agency dedicated to assisting individuals and families to increase income, build savings and gain assets.
• October 5, 7-8:30pm: WRIGHT DESIGN SERIES Sustainable Design: What are we Missing in our Efforts to Curb Global Warming? Presenter Eric Truelove will provide ideas, based on his 40+ years in the energy and construction industries, as to why the current approach in the United States is failing and how an alternate approach can yield results quickly by engaging the market rather than pushing it.
• October 6, 8:45pm: UW Homecoming Block Party fireworks, Lake Mendota.
• October 7, 9am-noon: Co-op Connection. Free exhibitor fair celebrating local cooperatives, including giveaways and kids' activities.
• October 7, 2:30-4pm: Bird & Nature Adventures | Tenney Park. Join Nature Artist Kacy Zander with ReCreate for a free welcoming family friendly nature walk to enjoy the beauty of fall colors and migrating birds along Lake Mendota and the Tenney Park Lagoon.
• October 8, 1-3pm: Dane County Fire Truck Parade. Join the Madison Fire Department and other Dane County fire departments on State Street and the Capitol Square to help kick off Fire Prevention Week! The parade begins on lower State Street (near Lake Street) and proceeds to the Capitol Square.
• October 8, 1:30-3pm: Bird & Nature Adventures | Turville Point. Join Master Naturalist Stephanie Briand for a free nature walk where we will learn about the reasons leaves change color and fall from deciduous trees and the five main modes of seed dispersal.
• October 10, 6-8pm: Fall Financial Empowerment Series - Retirement and Homebuying with Thrivent
• October 19-22: Wisconsin Book Festival, Madison Public Library.
• October 21, 10am: Friends of Hoyt Park workday. Help plant native shrubs.
• October 31, 8:30am-1pm: The Community Housing Task Force of WI, in partnership with Bader Philanthropies and the Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin, is hosting a conference regarding the state of housing for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Wisconsin. Please register by October 13.

Announcements

• A New Way to Get Your Collection Schedules from the Streets Division: The City of Madison Streets Division is testing a new map-based lookup for learning your collection schedules.
• Digital Inclusion: To build more connected communities, everyone needs internet. The federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) has been a monumental tool offering a $30 monthly discount (among other benefits) to lower-income households. The program has enrolled over 20 million American households, with 16,000 in Madison alone. However, without action to continue funding for the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, experts warn the ACP could be out of money by the spring of 2024. This means thousands of Madisonians may lose this vital benefit that keeps them connected.

In light of National Digital Inclusion Week (Oct. 2-6), we want to affirm that the City of Madison is dedicated to bridging gaps in access to and adoption of digital devices and internet connectivity. We also encourage you to share this program with others who might be eligible. Together with Madison Public Library and all our community partners, we can help preserve internet access so all residents can live, learn, work, and thrive.

ACP participants receive up to $30/month discount on internet service and a $75/month discount if your household is on qualifying tribal lands. Participants can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50).

Participants qualify based on household income; if you, your child, or a dependent participate in certain government assistance* programs; if you, your child, or a dependent already receive a Lifeline benefit; or if you qualify through a participating internet provider’s existing low-income program.

Enroll today at www.affordableconnectivity.gov.

Don’t currently have email, computer or Wi-Fi access to enroll?

You can contact the ACP Support Center by phone at (877) 384-2575.

The Madison Public Library offers free computer and Wi-Fi access. Call (608) 266-6300 for a list of library locations and computer use hours.

Need bilingual support?

You can contact the ACP Support Center at (877) 384-2575.

* If you or someone in your household participates in one of the following programs, you are automatically eligible for ACP: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA), Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program including at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Community Eligibility Provision schools, or if you received a Federal Pell Grant in the current award year.

Be well,

Regina Vidaver