It's been a busy week. Please keep sidewalks clear. Announcements & Events.

Hello neighbors,

This was quite the busy week, from the tragic school shooting and responsive student demonstration, to the announcement that Madison Police Chief Barnes will be leaving for Seattle in February. We also held a meeting with the Regent Neighborhood Association and Traffic Engineering to share concerns about, and ideas for what could be done to improve, traffic in our neighborhood.

As part of that meeting, I heard from many of you about the concerns you have regarding West High students speeding through the neighborhoods, particularly during the lunch break. I have been in touch with Principal Kigeya and Mid-Town Captain Blackamore to ask for more school and police involvement in the area to keep all of us – including West students – safe. I will be sharing more information on traffic engineering options in the coming weeks.

We also had our first snowfall, and I want to remind everyone about your responsibility to clear your walk by noon the day after a snow. When you don’t clear your walk, it is our neighbors, students, and community who suffer. Uncleared walks create unsafe conditions for us all. I also want to remind you to please preferentially use sand rather than salt when you can’t fully clear your walk or there is ice, as is predicted for tomorrow (Monday). Salt washes into our streets and storm sewers, ultimately ending up in our lakes where it does real damage. Please do your part and be a good neighbor by keeping your walk clear and free of excess salt. You are subject to citation if you don’t.

Please save the date for a public information meeting regarding a revised plan for the multi-unit building that has already been approved at 3575 University Avenue. The meeting will be held via Zoom at 6pm on January 16. More information and registration link to come!

Updates and Notices

City Offices are closed on December 24 and 25: Administrative offices are closed on December 24 and 25, 2024 for Christmas. Emergency services will be open; please call 911. Use Report a Problem for non-emergencies.

Resources for the Madison Community: Madison stands with the families of Abundant Life community. This page is dedicated to connecting victims and the broader community to resources and accurate information about the tragic events that happened on December 16.

Announcements and News Releases

• Trash & Recycling Collection Schedule for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2024: There will be no Streets Division collections performed on both Tuesday, December 24, 2024, and Wednesday, December 25, 2024 in observance of the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day holidays. The drop-off sites will also be closed on these two days.
• Read, Play, Write, and Create at Madison Public Library this Winter Break with WE READ: Beginning Monday, December 16, kids and families can visit any Madison Public Library location and find new play materials, reading buddies, scavenger hunts, and more thanks to the Winter WE READ campaign designed to keep kids reading, playing, writing and creating all winter long.
• The Tenant Resource Center announces its hours for January and February:
  • Main Office at 2510 Winnebago Street, Madison
    • WALK-IN ONLY: Mondays, Thursdays: 9am - 6pm APPOINTMENT ONLY: Tuesdays, Wednesdays: 9am - 6pm (make an appointment here)
  • Goodman South Madison College Campus at 2429 Perry Street, Madison
    • Saturdays: 10am - 2pm
  • Sunshine Place at 1632 West Main Street, Sun Prairie
    • Mondays: 8:30am - 3pm (Virtual: 3pm - 5pm), Wednesdays & Thursdays: 8:30am - 5pm
  • UW Madison Campus at 333 East Campus Mall, Student Activity Center, Madison
    • Tuesdays: 10am – 6pmT

Please visit the City news webpage to find additional news and announcements and to subscribe to receive notification of news releases as they are posted.

Events

• Bird & Nature Adventures | Edna Taylor, Saturday, December 28: Join a naturalist for an easy family-friendly walk from Aldo Leopold Nature Center into beautiful Edna Taylor Conservation Park and enjoy a bit of nature education along the way. Walk will begin at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, 330 Femrite Drive. Meet outside at the Children's Shack. Co-sponsored by Madison Parks, and Aldo Leopold Nature Center . 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.
• Madison Parks is hosting a virtual public meeting for the first phase of implementation of the Madison LakeWay. The meeting will take place on Thursday, January 23 @ 6:30pm.You can register for the meeting using the following link: Madison LakeWay Schematic Design PIM. During the virtual meeting, we will provide an overview of the master plan recommendations and review the proposed amenities. The project timeline includes completing schematic design in early 2025, continuing design development through 2026, with construction anticipated to begin in 2027.
• JANUARY 2025 BIRD AND NATURE ADVENTURE CALENDAR
  • Sat Jan 04 1:30 "My FOY First of Year Birds" at Tenney Park Beach with Diane Schwartz/Mary Binkley
  • Sun Jan 05 1:30 "My Nature Resolutions" at Cherokee Marsh North Unit with Sheila Leary
  • Thu Jan 09 12:00 "BirdsBirdsBirdsBingo" Senior Adventure at Warner Park Center with Paul Noeldner
  • Sat Jan 11 1:30 "Bird and Critter Tracks" at Owen Conservation Park with John Newman
  • Sun Jan 12 1:30 "Snowflakes and Subniveans" at Turville Point C5onservation Park with Andria Blattner
  • Sat Jan 18 10am "Otter Go Sledding Party" at Olbrich Park Sled Hill with Paul Noeldner
  • Sun Jan 19 1:30 "Enjoying Winter's Art" at Warner Park Rainbow Shelter with Kathlean Wolf
  • Sat Jan 25 10am "Bird and Critter Tracks" at Aldo Leopold Nature Center/Edna Taylor with John Newman
  • Sat Jan 25 1:30 "Winter Woody Plant ID" at Pheasant Branch Prairie Encampment with Eva Roos
  • Sun Jan 28 1:30 "Winter Wonderland" at UW Lakeshore Nature Preserve with Paul Noeldner

Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar.

Please accept my sincere wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season and New Year.

-Regina Vidaver