Hello from your friendly State Street Neighborhood Officer! This summer the Business Improvement District has been putting on a number of events in the Central district. There have been several music events, including Jazz at Five, Ian's Open Mic Night, and Live and Local in Elizabeth Link Peace Park. This has been instrumental in bringing all walks of life together, as well as creating a more vibrant State Street. On Friday's there have been events for kids in Philosopher's Grove. I had the honor of being included in one of these activities, "Craft with a Cop". The kids and I made little police badge buttons together, and many stickers were handed out!
Last year there were huge issues in Philosopher's Grove, consisting of public intoxication, fights, and other quality of life issues. The City of Madison, the Madison Police Department, and other community stakeholders came together to effect some environmental changes which transformed the area. The collaboration between the Business Improvement District and the Madison Police Department is a wonderful example of what we can accomplish if we come together as a community.