Snow and cold; MLK observances; Public information meetings; Announcements & Events

Hello neighbors,

With the snow and cold, please take care of yourselves and one another. One way we take care of one another is by clearing our walks of snow and ice (and sanding, if full clearance isn’t possible), and clearing a path to fire hydrants. Remember that failure to clear your walks will be cited without warning. Please note that all clean lakes/clean streets parking restrictions are in effect, even on holidays and during snow emergencies. Please comply with all posted parking restriction signage.

Today’s MLK observances include Wisconsin’s 43rd annual celebration of King, which will return to the state Capitol rotunda at noon. The event is open to the public and will be broadcast on Wisconsin Public Radio and PBS Wisconsin. 

The King Coalition will celebrate the city and county’s annual observance of MLK Day from 5:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Overture Center. The event will kick off with a sing-along of freedom songs performed by the MLK Community Choir starting at 5:15 p.m., and at 6 p.m., the program will feature keynote speaker Terrence Roberts. An educator and author, Roberts was one of the Little Rock Nine, a group who in 1957 became the first Black students to attend Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway will also present the city-county MLK Humanitarian Awards. WORT 89.9 FM radio will broadcast the event live.

Public Information Meetings                                                 

• January 18, 7pm, Community Meeting on the proposed “road diet” for Mineral Point Road, Mid-Town Police District Community Room. 
• A “road diet” has been proposed for Mineral Point Road from Speedway/Glenway to Midvale Blvd. Mineral Point Road is currently four lanes with directional peak-hour lanes. On-street parking is allowed during off-peak times, although not heavily utilized. A road diet on this street would consist of reducing the street down to three travel lanes (one lane in each direction plus a center left-turn lane) with marked buffered bike lanes. All on-street parking would be permanently eliminated along this stretch if this proposal were to move forward. Please come to listen to a brief presentation and share your perspectives on this proposal!
• The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) invites you to a public involvement meeting for the 67-mile I-39/90/94 Study in Dane, Columbia, Sauk and Juneau counties between Madison and Wisconsin Dells. The purpose of this meeting is to provide an update on the study's remaining alternatives and gather public input. There will be three opportunities to participate. All meetings will provide participants with the same information.

Announcements & News Releases

• South Madison Community Invited to Try Virtual Reality during Penguin Party at the Library: Live the life of an Adelie penguin in the Antarctic by playing the Virtual Reality game Waddle: A Penguin's Tale, a learning game developed by FieldDay Lab at UW-Madison, at Goodman South Madison Library on Friday, January 19 from 1-3pm.
• Westside Alders Introduce a New Informational Series to Keep Residents Informed on Citywide Updates Called “Westside Community Connections”: Alders John W. Duncan, Nasra Wehelie and Barbara Harrington-McKinney team up to form a new monthly series of informational sessions called “Westside Community Connections”. The sessions will kick off on Thursday, January 18, 2024, at 6:00 p.m.
• Meet Zeke and Freddie: Badges presented to MPD's newest K-9 officers: MADISON, Wis. – The Madison Police Department is formally welcoming its two newest K-9 officers to the unit.K-9 Zeke and K-9 Freddie were awarded their badges Thursday during a special swearing-in ceremony.
• Reduced Metro Service on January 15: Martin Luther King Jr.
• Thank You! 60th Anniversary of City’s Civil Rights Equal Opportunities Ordinance : The Department of Civil Rights would like to thank everyone who came to the 60th Anniversary of the City of Madison Equal Opportunities Ordinance Celebration. 
• Five Resumes Received for the District 19 Common Council Vacancy : Council Executive Committee Will Meet on January 23rd to Recommend an Interim Alder.
• Cinesthesia Film Series Returns to Central Library January 17: Cinesthesia is back! This eclectic movie series hosted by cinephile Jason Fuhrman returns to Central Library for monthly screenings. 
• County Board Supervisor Andrae provides blog update on airport and jail issues.
• WaterNow Alliance seeks nominations for emerging leaders by January 19.
• MSCR is looking for swim instructors and assistant swim instructors at the new West High pool this winter! 

Events 

• Free webinar on spongy moth January 17 3-4 pm. 
• Meditation At Monona Terrace, Thursdays: Life can be stressful, meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace, and balance that benefits both your emotional well-being and your overall health. All experience levels and drop-ins welcome. Thursdays, January 11 through May 16, from 12 noon – 12:45pm. Virtually on Zoom (advance registration required) & FREE to participate. 
• Green Thumb Gardening classes begin January 18, 6-8pm.
• Groove & Glide, Friday, January 19: Make the most of winter at a Groove and Glide event! Experience the fun and beauty of ice skating under the lights with fun music and games.  All ages and experience levels are welcome. Grab your friends, a date, or the whole family, and come have some fun on the ice. 
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Starkweather Creek Area, Saturday, January 20: Outings in the Starkweather Creek area vary each month - be sure to check the starting location. Adventures typically at 10:00am on the 3rd Saturday of the month, year-round, and frequently start at the Goodman Community Center, unless noted otherwise. Outings include nature walks, canoe/kayak adventures, bicycling tours, and more, and are sponsored by the Madison Friends of Urban Nature, Madison Parks, Badgerland Bird Alliance, Goodman Community Center, Madison Audubon Society, and Friends of Starkweather Creek. No registration is required. Pets are not allowed.
• Candlelight Snowshoe Walk, Saturday, January 20: Join Madison Parks, Wild Warner and the Friends of Cherokee Marsh in this free, family-friendly event at Warner Park. See the park by candlelight and warm up by the fire. Limited snowshoes will be available to borrow during the event, or bring your own or wear appropriate winter footwear. No registration is needed. This event will take place with or without snow cover but may be canceled if conditions are icy or otherwise unsafe.
• Learn to Ice Fish, Sunday, January 21: Learn to Ice Fish with Madison Parks and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources! Participants will learn ice fishing techniques and how to properly, and safely ice fish. This is a free event offered during the Free Fishing Weekend and no fishing license is required. Advanced registration is required. This event is open to adults and children and is ideal for persons aged 7 years and older. Children must be supervised by a parent or adult guardian. Participants will be asked to sign a waiver for themselves and their children, upon arrival. 
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Warner Park, Sunday, January 21: The Art of Winter with Kathlean Wolf ~ At a time when the sun is dim and the landscape has faded to grayscale, the artistry of nature is hidden all around us. Join Wild Warner Naturalist Kathlean Wolf for a free guided walk or take a walk on your own to enjoy contrasts in the landscape, fallen leaves exposing the shapes of trees, dried summer plants creating snow-capped sculptures and ice and frost creating fantastic scenes.
• The Meeting - a powerful and compelling play about the imaginary meeting of two of the most important people of modern times: Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  - to be performed at Mitby Theater on February 10. Reserve free tickets in advance.

Stay safe!

Regina Vidaver