End of construction season approaching; seeking comments on public art; public information meetings; events and announcements

Hello neighbors,

It’s November, and you know what that means? The end of construction season is this month! The construction on University Avenue will pause for the winter right around Thanksgiving, and we will have four glorious, construction-free months – hooray! Of course, when spring returns, we will still have to contend with the final bits of the reconstruction project, the addition of the BRT stations at University Bay Drive and Hill Street/Shorewood Boulevard, and the sewer reconstruction project that will impact the on and off ramps at Highland, but let’s not focus on that while we enjoy our construction-free winter!

Landmarks Commission

The Landmarks Commission will be taking up two items in our District on November 6 at 5pm, and another item on November 13 at 5pm. On November 6, the Commission will be considering a Landmarks Designation for 2229 Eton Ridge for its association with the work of Kathryn “Kay” Clarenbach, who was a principal leader in the development of the “second wave” of the feminist or modern women’s movement in Wisconsin and the United States. The nomination does a great job of summarizing the work of this amazing trailblazer! The Commission will also hear a request for improvements of the Triangle fraternity houses on Breese Terrace. On November 13, the Commission will hear a request to split one lot into two in the 2000 block of Chadbourne Ave.

Share Your Ideas for Public Art!

Would you like to see more public art in the West Area? Describe the type of art and where you would like it to be located by visiting the Public Commenting Map through November 9. You are also invited to take a brief West Area Arts Planning Survey and to attend a West Area Arts Focus Group on November 13, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. at Vel Phillips Memorial High School, 201 S. Gammon Rd., Wisconsin Room. Enter the front doors facing Mineral Point Road, turn left down the hall, and left again into the Wisconsin Room, #1210. The focus group will include a facilitated discussion with area artists, neighbors, and City staff. We will discuss ideas shared so far, and how to make them a reality! Sign up for the arts focus group and take the survey here .

Public Information Meetings

• November 6, 6pm: Imagination Center at Reindahl Park Public Information Meeting. The City’s Imagination Center at Reindahl Park is ready for the next step in the construction process, and the City needs your input at its next virtual public information meeting! Please register in advance.
• November 6, 6:30-8:30:Sauk Creek Corridor Plan Information Meeting, Vel Phillips Memorial High School, Wisconsin Neighborhood Center, 201 S Gammon Rd. Join the City in coming up with a plan for this stormwater corridor that can best serve the community! Please register in advance.
• November 9, 6:30-8:30: Sauk Creek Corridor Plan Information Meeting, online. Please register in advance. 
• Listening Sessions Scheduled for City’s First Stormwater Utility Vegetation Management Plan: November 20, and 28. The City of Madison Engineering Division has a number of upcoming listening sessions scheduled to help inform and receive feedback from residents and the community regarding the new Stormwater Utility Vegetation Management Plan, a plan that will incorporate public input and technical expertise to inform vegetation goals and priorities.

Bus Rapid Transit Progress

Check out what’s happening with Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)! Learn more about Metro’s proposed second BRT line to run from the north side of Madison through the downtown area, to Madison’s Southside neighborhoods and ending in Fitchburg.

North/South BRT Planning Meetings:

• Virtual meeting Wednesday, November 8, 6:30–7:30pm Register and receive meeting link at madisonbrt.com
• Fitchburg Thursday, November 9, 5:30–7:30pm Fitchburg Council Chambers (City Hall, 5520 Lacy Rd.)

Events

• Held inside community spaces across Madison, fall Parks Alive events are a chance to participate in fun, family-friendly activities, enjoy free food and get to know your neighbors. Build connections with your community and enjoy changing seasons during this mini-series of fall events.
  • Ho Chunk Nation Community Center November 6
  • Boys and Girls Club of Dane County - Allied Family center, November 7
  • The Salvation Army of Dane County November 8
• November 7, 5:30-7pm: The Urban League of Greater Madison , in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Dane County , invites you to join us for a public issues forum that bears immense significance for our community: "Why Voting Matters: Consequences for Childcare Funding and Diversity in Education ." This event seeks to shed light on pressing matters affecting the lives of Wisconsin families while revealing the urgent importance of civic engagement and the direct effect your vote has on addressing the ongoing childcare crisis and attacks on diversity in education. Location: Urban League (2222 S. Park St.). Virtual Access: You may also join us online via Zoom using this registration link .
• November 7, and November 14: Support our youth in Mentoring Positives by dining on delicious, youth-prepared dinners through Muriel’s Plate .
• Madison Parks Hiring Fair, November 8: Make this a winter to remember and work for Madison Parks! Join us at Madison Central Library on Wednesday, November 8, for the Madison Parks Hiring Fair!
• November 8, 6-8pm: How to ask for a raise . Southwest Madison Employment Center, 1233 McKenna Blvd.
• Learn to Stargaze, November 8: Do you know how to find the Big and Little Dippers in the night sky? How about Orion the hunter or the queen Cassiopeia? Join Madison Parks and UW Space Place and learn about the night sky. The evening begins with a short program on what is visible in the current sky presented by UW Space Place followed by, weather permitting, a view of the constellations and planets with the use of provided telescopes.
• November 9, 12pm: District 7 and District 20 Alders Host Lunch and Learn Focusing on Public Safety and Mental Health: Join Alder Nasra Wehelie of District 7 and Co-Host Alder Barbara Harrington-McKinney of District 20 for a virtual Lunch and Learn focusing on public safety and mental health.
• November 9, 6:30pm: Celebrate Poets! The City of Madison is excited to announce the selected poets for the 2023 Bus Lines poetry project. Selected poems will be placed on Madison buses beginning in late November, and the poets will be honored at a celebratory reading of their work at Pinney Library.
• Meditation at Monona Terrace, Thursdays, through December 14 - 12:00pm: Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace, and balance that benefits both your emotional well-being and your overall health. Anyone can practice; it is simple, inexpensive and does not require any special equipment. Join virtually every Thursday, September 7 - December 14, for this free 45-minute program welcome to all levels. Advance registration for Zoom webinar is required.
• Yoga Core, November 10: Want to build your strength and increase body awareness? This class incorporates a wide variety of seated, standing, balancing, and mat-based yoga poses focusing on strength, stability, and mobility. All levels are welcome! Tuesdays & Fridays, October 6 through December 15, 2023.
• WPCRC Family Fun Night, November 10: WPCRC Family Fun Nights are in partnership with Madison School & Community Recreation.
• Bird & Nature Adventures at the Owen Conservation Park November 11: Explore Owen Conservation Park on gentle trails through historic oak openings on a hillside with an Ice Age kettle and along restored prairies with beautiful vistas on this high point overlooking the west side of Madison. Co-sponsored by Madison Parks, Madison Audubon Society, and the Friends of Owen Conservation Park .
• November 11, 11am-2pm: Equal Opportunities Commission and Civil Rights in Madison Celebrate 60 years. The City of Madison, Equal Opportunity Commission invites the community to a celebration reception at The Atrium at 2300 S. Park St.
• Hayride through Holiday Fantasy in Lights, November 11 & 12: See the Holiday Fantasy in Lights at Olin Park aboard a haywagon! No reservation is needed.
• Bird & Nature Adventures at Turville Point Conservation Park, November 12: Follow rolling hiking paths through the Turville Point Conservation Park woodlands and prairie with beautiful vistas of Lake Monona and Monona Bay. Walks at Turville Point held on the 2nd Sunday every month are co-sponsored by Madison Bird City FUN partners, Madison Parks, Friends of Olin Turville , and Madison Audubon Society . Meet at the Turville Point parking lot, entrance at the E. Olin Ave. stoplight from John Nolen Drive at the railroad tracks, south of Olin Park (not at the boat launch).
• November 14, 7-8pm: Roz Chast – I Must Be Dreaming, Central Library. Roz Chast, inimitable New Yorker cartoonist and #1 New York Times bestselling author, cracks open the mysterious and fascinating world of dreams. Part of the Wisconsin Book Festival celebration.
• November 15, 11:30am: Public art dedication on Pinkney St. The City of Madison invites the public to join City and community leaders to dedicate two new sculptures, Greeting Arc I & Greeting Arc II, by artist Sunghee Min on the 200 block of South Pinckney Street.

Announcements

• Put Your Pumpkins in Your Leaf Piles: Streets Division crews will collect pumpkins along with your leaves and other yard waste materials. This includes other compostable decorations like corn stalks and hay.
• Open enrollment on HealthCare.gov began November 1! Enrollment is open through January 15, 2024. Sign up by Dec. 15 for coverage to start January 1st. Get free, local help from unbiased experts to find the best plan for your health and budget: coveringwi.org
• Spongy Moth: Now is the time to take action against the spongy moth. Finding and destroying egg masses can kill up to 1,000 caterpillars that defoliate our trees – especially oaks – in the spring. You can find more information about how to take action on the City’s webpage: www.cityofmadison.com/SpongyMoth. Or, you can just watch this short video from the Wisconsin DNR and follow their recommendations.·
• Get Your Fall Vaccines Ahead of Respiratory Virus Season: Public Health Madison & Dane County is encouraging everyone to get up to date on flu, RSV, and COVID vaccines ahead of respiratory season.
• The City of Madison is looking for your vision for a green, climate-friendly, and resilient Madison. Where do you see opportunities for improvement? What are your top priorities? The City of Madison wants to hear your thoughts on the draft Sustainability Plan’s eight themes and supporting goals. This plan will help the City advance sustainability through its policies, programs, and projects. By taking this quick survey, you are helping ensure the draft themes and goals are in line with the community’s vision for a sustainable City of Madison. Ten lucky winners will receive a $20 gift card to The Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream! Let’s work together to create a sustainable City for both existing and future Madisonians! Take the survey today!

Take care,

Regina Vidaver