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Reflections; Hit and run in neighborhood; Budget deliberations; Events & Announcements

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Hello neighbors,

I have been struggling to figure out how to express my thoughts appropriately for this communication. Then the words of Beth Israel Center Rabbi Betsy Forester crossed my desk, and I found them to capture my feelings in this moment. With permission, I have included a portion of her message below:

“Where there is shattering, new growth will take root. It is a remarkable feature of our species that hope often rises up from where we hurt and grieve. I believe that our community has a role to play in making our world more habitable and more loving, for ourselves and our children and grandchildren. I look forward to joining together to make it so. Our world was on fire before the election and it remains on fire. We will fight for our values and our belief that we can make it better. That has always been the mission of our people. We will always remember that we are all connected, that we need each other, and that each of us has something to offer.”

I also wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the terrible hit and run at Kendall and Highland that took the life of a beloved pet and injured its owner. There have been calls for additional traffic control features in this area as a result. I first want to highlight the traffic control elements that are already in place on Highland from Regent to University and surrounding streets:

  • Raised crosswalk between the West High playing fields and football practice turf, with associated signage indicating the crossing.
  • RRFB (rectangular rapid flashing beacons) that are pedestrian activated at the corner of Highland and Van Hise.
  • School signage at southbound Highland and Mason
  • Signage at Kendall and Highland indicating the presence of walkers and bikers, with painted crosswalks.
  • Stop signs on every E-W street facing Highland.
  • The parking bump ins on the east side of Highland at Kendall were noticed to cause a lack of visibility for westbound traffic on Kendall, so the curb was painted yellow to ensure that parked cars were set back enough to ensure appropriate visibility.

Notably, the person who perpetrated this act ignored the traffic controls that were in place, namely the stop sign on Kendall. And, they drove away, making their fleeing a crime. Unless there had happened to be a police officer in the immediate area at that moment, an engineering solution would have been highly unlikely to prevent the wanton carelessness of the driver. Nonetheless, I have been in touch with and will continue to engage traffic engineering to determine what else might be possible to improve traffic safety in this area. (Note: speed humps cannot be installed on Highland because it is an emergency through-route). I’ve also been in touch with the new Mid-Town Police Captain, who has promised to step up general patrols in the area as officer assignments allow.

In my opinion (and it’s only my opinion), there are two things that could be done to increase overall traffic safety on our streets:

Both of these interventions would require action at the state level: Municipalities are preempted from installing red light cameras by the state. Also, Wisconsin has some of the most lax OWI laws in the country, with a first offence being the equivalent of a traffic ticket rather than a criminal offence, which it is in every other state. Should you wish to contact your state representatives to request action on traffic safety, find your representatives here.

I thank the voters of Madison for choosing to invest in our community through the referendum that passed last week. The Common Council will be deliberating the Capital and Operating Budgets beginning Tuesday of this week:

If you need a refresher on the difference between the Capital and Operating Budgets, and how they do and do not intersect, you can refer back to this prior edition of the Regent Neighborhood Association newsletter.

Announcements and News Releases

Events

  • OIM Opening Investigative Process, Monday, November 11: The Office of the Independent Monitor will be providing details on the opening of its investigative process. The Office is also announcing the start of a data project in collaboration with UCLA. After remarks, Independent Monitor Robin Copley and Data Analyst Greg Gelembiuk will be taking questions from the media.
  • Parks Alive Fall | Allied Park, Monday, November 11: 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!
  • Parks Alive Fall | Warner Park, Wednesday, November 13: 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 fall. Connect with your neighbors and engage with your community at a Parks Alive event near you!
  • LGBTQ 50+ Intergenerational Autumn Dinner, Thursday, November 14: A fun fall gathering of like-minded adults to mingle, enjoy a meal, listen to music, and maybe even do some dancing. Blush is a local all-girl band out of Madison. Their music is grungy alternative-rock, and they will play some originals and some covers everyone is sure to know.  A $20 donation for the meal is appreciated but not required. Registration required, call 608-255-8582. Open to all ages of queer folks and their allies.
  • World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, Friday, November 15: The City of Madison Vision Zero team will be hosting their 3rd installation display to honor those lost from traffic violence beginning on Monday, November 11. 
  • Bird & Nature Adventures | Starkweather Creek Area, Saturday, November 16: Fall Tree Walk ~ Join Naturalist Tree Expert Sean Gere for a fun and informal free family friendly guided walk or take a healthy nature hike on your own any day in Necember on easy walk and bike paths along Starkweather Creek. Enjoy the outdoors and learn about trees when leaves have fallen and you can see the branching structures and bark more easily.
  • During the November 16 Badger football game, they plan to launch fireworks at a few points before and during the game.
  • Join the Friends of Hoyt Park for a FULL MOON NIGHT WALK Saturday, November 16th at 6PM. Meet at the Hoyt Park Main Shelter for a guided nighttime walk through the park. Although the moon is supposed to be bright, please bring a small flashlight to light your way on the trails. We will have a brief introduction on what you might see or hear in Hoyt Park at night. We will then divide into groups for a short, guided walk along park trails with several routes to accommodate a variety of activity levels. There will be a warm fire in the Main Shelter fireplace along with hot beverages and snacks to enjoy after the walk.
  • Hayride Through Holiday Fantasy in Lights, Saturday, November 16 & Sunday, November 17: See the Holiday Fantasy in Lights at Olin Park aboard a haywagon! No reservation is needed.
  • Bird & Nature Adventures | Warner Park, Sunday, November 17: Walks at Warner Park held on the 3rd Sunday of every month are co-sponsored by Madison Bird City FUN partners Wild Warner  and Madison Audubon . Meet at the colorful Warner Park shelter by the lagoon. Parking is available nearby. No registration is required. No pets are allowed.
  • Holiday Fantasy in Lights at Olin Park, November 9th through December 31, 2024: Lighted holiday themed displays set in beautiful Olin Park. Drive through anytime Dusk until Dawn to enjoy this magical light show for free, brought to you by The Electric Group.
  • Empowering Small Businesses: District 7 Lunch and Learn featuring the Office of Business Resources, Thursday, November 21: Join Alder Nasra Wehelie as she hosts staff from the Office of Business Resources! Learn more about small business opportunities, how to apply for city programs, TIF, TBE certification, and more! This virtual event is free and open to all Madison residents.
  • District 11 Book Club with Stu Levitan, Wednesday, December 11: For our next District 11 Book Club on December 11th, Stu Levitan will give an illustrated talk on Madison in the 1970s, adapted from his forthcoming book, Madison: The Illustrated Sesquicentennial History, Volume 2, 1932 to 1979.

For the full list of upcoming events, please visit the City events calendar.

Take care of yourselves and one another,

Regina Vidaver

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District 5 - Alder Vidaver

Alder Regina Vidaver

Alder Regina M. Vidaver

District 5
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