Week of August 10, 2026

District Niners,

For the past two and a half weeks, whiplash, chaos, distrust, blunders, loss of objectivity, insanity, inflammatory rhetoric and much, much more has engulfed this city. If not dealt with head on, it will continue to get WORSE.  It's time to assess, plan and provide interventions (inclusive of consequences) for all proposed options or interventions with expectations and/or outcomes. We have some menacing and impending clouds forming over our heads if not addressed.

Updates and Notices

• The primary election is Tuesday, August 11th.  Please VOTE!
• Move in and move out is about to kick into full swing in and around the isthmus.  Remember to bring your 8- or 16-ounce bottle of patience with you.
• Don't wait for unwanted brush and clippings to decompose on their own.      Check out the brush collection website for collection in your area. Better yet, (for home owners) pick up the latest edition of the RECYCLOPEDIA at the public library and push-pin it on a wall in your garage. 

Boards, Commissions & Committee Meetings

• Heads up for those with concerns about safety at the many intersections, consider tuning in to the Transportation Commission meeting on Wednesday, August 12, at 5:00 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include authorizing a contract for planning and engineering services related to intersection safety improvements.  You can register for public comment, and watch online
• The Board of Park Commissioners wil take place on Wednesday, August 12, at 6:30 p.m. in virtual format for those interested in authorizing the use of up to $125,000 in federal CDBG grant funds to support the construction of a shelter at Sandburg Park.

NOTE: If you would like more information about becoming a member of the City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here.

Announcements &News Releases

• Travelers:   Lane Closure for Bridge Repair – W Badger Road: On Tuesday, August 11th at 7:00am, the Zenith Tech company will close a lane on W Badger Road to conduct repairs on the roadway bridge over the railroad. Two-way traffic will be maintained all times on W Badger Road.
•  Chief Patterson will continue to provide you with timely updates about the on-going officer involved shooting investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI).   
• Pleasant View Road travelers:  Road Closure – Pleasant View Road: Starting on Monday, August 10 at 6:00 pm, Parisi Construction will close a section of Pleasant View Road overnight, from Mansion Hill Drive to Junction Road, to continue progress on the Hill Valley project. This closure is expected to last at least 12 hours.
• Published:  News Conference with Mayor Rhodes-Conway and City Officials: The City of Madison has published a FAQ page to address common inquiries that have been received from the public. 
• Personal effects (belongings): to retrieve personal belongings that were collected at Williamson and Baldwin Streets can be retrieved at the parking lot of Demetral
• Statement on the Ongoing Investigation into the Police Killing of Corey Ruiz on July 22, 2026: The Office of the Independent Police Monitor has released an official statement and FAQ page on the ongoing investigation of the officer-involved shooting of Corey Ruiz. Evidence related to the killing of Corey Ruiz was requested from MPD and denied.
• Williamson Street has Reopened: Please be mindful of an increased pedestrian presence in and around that area.
• New Men's Shelter Open House, Monday, August 10: The new Men's Shelter at 1904 Bartillon Drive will begin serving our community on September 1st. Before that transition occurs, the City wants to invite the public to see the facility. An Open House is scheduled for Monday, August 10, 2026, from 4:30pm to 6:30pm.
• Goodman Pool 20th Anniversary Celebration, Friday, August 14: Join us as we celebrate 20 years of the Goodman Pool! We'll have music, games, prizes, food carts and fun! The first 500 people will receive a Goodman Pool yellow duck! Free leis while supplies last.
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Starkweather Creek Area, Saturday, August 15:  Eken Parklands ~ Join Tara Daly and Friends of Starkweather Creek at the Eken Park Festival to learn about Starkweather Creek and the parks and natural areas right in the heart of east side Madison.
• Adapted Swim, Saturday, August 15: Open to all individuals with disabilities and their caregivers and families. Pre-registration is not required.
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Warner Park, Sunday, August 16: Nature Writing ~ Join Naturalist Lynn Persson for a free guided walk and fun writing activity. Bring a pen and paper and take time to stop along the way to contemplate things. 
• Summer Salsa Bash, Sunday, August 16: Join us for the inaugural Summer Salsa Bash, celebrating Latin dance in Madison! The Capitol Social and Monona Terrace are excited to partner to bring you a relaxed, fun-filled dance experience all while soaking in the beautiful views from the William T. Evjue Rooftop Gardens at Monona Terrace.

Parks Alive Dates!

Parks Alive builds stronger neighborhoods and connects neighbors to their parks through fun, family-friendly activities, music and free food. Events are held in parks across the city and throughout the summer. Connect with your neighbors and engage with your community at a Parks Alive event near you! Events start at 5:00 p.m.

• Parks Alive | Allied Park, Monday, August 10
• Parks Alive | Aldo Leopold Park,  Tuesday, August 11
• Parks Alive | Warner Park (Trailsway), Wednesday, August 12

Interested in volunteering for Parks Alive? Volunteers Welcome! Learn more and register online!

Your well-being

Today, I want to leave you with a poem that I've found to provide advice (over my years) about dealing with courage, challenges, integrity and resilience.  It was my dad's favorite. The author: Rudyard Kipling.  The title: “IF"

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;

If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with triumph and disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings—nor lose the common touch;

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run—

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And—which is more—you'll be a Man, my son!

Until next time,

Joann