April 2, 2015
The DMN e-News and an occasional hard copy DMN News are published by the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association (DMNA) on an “as-needed” schedule. The Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association, Inc. has been working to unite neighbors to solve mutual problems and promote fellowship among neighbors since 1973. Our neighborhood is in Madison & Fitchburg.
President & News contact: Mary Mullen, mmullen4337@charter.net 298-0843
Website: http://www.dunnsmarsh.org <http://www.dunnsmarsh.org>
On Facebook: Type Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association into the search box.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: It’s been nearly 2 months since the last e-News. Follow the Dunn’s Marsh Facebook page for almost daily news in the neighborhood and loads of photos. April 7 is ELECTION DAY. Unfortunately, the polling place has moved AGAIN for Madison voters in the neighborhood. L With the arrival of spring, things are popping in the neighborhood, including a marsh cleanup on April 18. Learn about lots more from the 30 articles in this issue. All articles without attribution were written by Mary Mullen. HAPPY SPRING, & HAPPY READING.
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CALENDAR
KEY Red = DMNA-sponsored events # = article #
Tue., April 7, 7 am-8 pm - Election, #11, #12
Thur., April 9, 7 pm - DMNA Council meeting, 2010 Whenona Dr. (Prairie UU Society)
Sat., April 11, 4-7 pm - South Madison Visioning, 2317 Applegate Road, #14b
Wed., April 15, 6-7:30 pm - UW Diversity Session, B&G Club, #10
April - Sign up to perform at Make Music Madison in the Neighborhood, #4
Sat., April 18, 9-11 am - Dunn’s Marsh waterway cleanup, #24
April 19=25 - Discount Pet Chipping, Dane Co. Humane Society, #27
Sat., May 9, 8-11 a.m - Fitchburg Spring Cleanup Events including recycling, #24
Tue., June 16 (& for 10 weeks) - 5-7 pm - Family fun with Fit2Go van, in Marlborough Park, #16
Sun., June 21, 10 am-8 pm - Make Music Madison free outdoor music, Prairie UU Society), #15
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ARTICLES
ADVERTISEMENT
0 - Got a Hankering For Fresh Organic Food? Join a CSA Farm.
(Attachment: “1 CSA farm advertisement.jpg”)
NEIGHBORHOOD NOW
1 - Madison Provides $300,000 to Attract Grocery Store to Neighborhood
2 - Want To Adopt a Tree in Marlborough Park?
3 - Want Your Own Free Tree?
4 - Neighborhood Musicians, Sign Up for Make Music Madison Now
5 - Dawley Park Prairie Burn Coming Up
6 - Neighborhood Sign Taken Down Down (Attachment: “2 pics sign, construction.jpg”)
7 - Good Progess Made on Mosaic Murals (Attachment: “3 pics mosaic murals.jpg”)
8 - Marlborough Garden Gets Help From Master Gardeners
9 - Marlborough Garden Offers Summer Apprenticeship Position
10 - UW Invites Neighborhood to Hear About Its Diversity Framework Implementation April 15
(Attachment: “4 Diversity Sessions.jpg”)
ELECTION APRIL 7
11 - Polls Relocate AGAIN (Attachment: “5 New voting location.jpg”)
12 - What’s On the Ballot, Tuesday, April 7?
CULTURE
13 - Neighborhood Book Club Forming: Pick Your Books Now
14 - Bookstore Offers Neighborhood History Book as a “Scarce Book”
14b - South Madison Visioning Event April 11 (Attachment: “6 South Madison Visioning.jpg”)
15 - Hear Music From Morning to Night in Neighborhood on June 21
16 - MSCR’s Fit2Go Van Will Offer Fun For Families All Summer
VERONA ROAD PROJECT
17 - Verona Road Project Revs Up: We Suffer & Complain
18 - Safe Walk Route Established at North End of Ped/Bike Bridge
(Attachment: “7 pic north ped overpass route.jpg”)
19 - Traffic Changes Due to Verona Road Project (Attachment: “2 pics sign, construction.jpg”)
20 - Verona Road Open House Meetings Scheduled Quarterly
21 - Madison Metro Transit Offers Onboard Bus Survey
22 - Bus Route #18 Britta Parkway Detour in Effect
23 - Sidewalk Work Scheduled for Summer (routine, not related to Verona Rd.)
EVERYTHING ELSE
24 - Fitchburg Green Blast #66 Offers Numerous Ways to Be Green
25 - Emerald Ash Borer Infestation Just Across Beltline
26 - Tylenol and Motrin Recall: Infant and Children’s Liquid Products
27 - Chipping Can Prevent Pet Loss and Speed Recovery: Discount Chipping, April 19-25
28 - County Executive Joe Parisi Launches Access to Opportunity
29 - Former County Supervisor Dick Ginnold Dies
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ARTICLES
ADVERTISEMENT
0 - Got a Hankering For Fresh Organic Food? Join a CSA Farm.
(Attachment: “1 CSA farm advertisement.jpg”)
Please note that we have an advertisement this issue. It encourages readers to join a CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture) Farm. It’s a great way to get fresh organic vegetables, and in some cases eggs and meat too. 53 farms to choose from. Fresh organic food is delivered weekly to the neighborhood. Easier than growing a garden.
Click on the attachment for more information and URLs of links for detailed information.
NEIGHBORHOOD NOW
1 - Madison Provides $300,000 to Attract Grocery Store to Neighborhood
from Mayor Soglin’s Press Release
On March 25, Mayor Soglin announced in a press release that the City of Madison had released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to attract a grocery store to our neighborhood. The announcemnt noted that “Madison is providing $300,000 for financial assistance to incentivize the establishment of a full-service, affordable grocery store.”
“The City is seeking proposals from developers, property owners, and/or grocery store operators that will seek the funding in the form of a low-interest and/or partially forgivable loan.”
“The letter of intent to apply is due on May 15, 2015 and final proposals are due June 15, 2015.”
2 - Want To Adopt a Tree in Marlborough Park?
by Patricia (Lindquist) Chakravorty, Urban Tree Alliance
Dear Allied Dunn's Marsh residents (and all those interested in planting trees in Marlborough Park):
The Urban Tree Alliance was granted permission by the Parks Department to plant trees in Marlborough Park this spring! Some of you have expressed interest in helping us plant and water trees in this park (thank you!) and I'd like to know how many of you would like to 'adopt' one or more of these trees.
Here's the deal:
1) We're allowed to plant as many trees as we're able to care for. The Parks Department is unfortunately unable to help us water trees. Each tree must be 'adopted' by one or more volunteers. All adopted trees must be watered for 2 years (once per week for the first six months, once every two weeks for the next eighteen months, April-November). There is a water source within the park.
2) The trees will be quite large (1.5-2" caliper, which is typically about 7-12' tall depending on species).
3) We can recommend planting locations and species but Parks Department staff will make the final decision. For those of you who wish to have a tree planted near your home, I'll see what I can do :) Species options are listed below (please note that some species may be unavailable by the time I place the order.)
Please respond to Patricia Lindquist Chakravorty - contact information below - if you would like to 'adopt' (water) one or more trees in Marlborough Park! I will need a final count by Monday, March 30th. In your email please let me know how many trees you would like to adopt, if you have a preferred planting location, and if you have a preferred species.
Species availaable include bur oak, white oak, chinquapin oak, swamp white oak, Kentucky coffee tree, hackberry, ironwood, planetree (Exclamation), Redmond linden, elm (Triumph and Princeton), and Turkish filbert
Planting will take place in late April or early May.
I'm happy to answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to email or call me (556-5331), and please let me know if it would be helpful to schedule an in-person meeting at the park.
Thank you very much for your support of tree planting in Madison! I hope to hear from you.
Best,
Patricia (Lindquist) Chakravorty, Urban Tree Alliance, Associate Director, 608-556-5331
patricia@urbantreealliance.org <mailto:evan@urbantreealliance.org <mailto:evan@urbantreealliance.org> >
www.urbantreealliance.org <http://www.urbantreealliance.org/ <http://www.urbantreealliance.org/> >
3 - Want Your Own Free Tree?
Individuals can also get trees free from the Urban Tree Alliance to plant in their own yards in the neighborhood. Contact Patricia at (608) 556-5331 or e-mail her at patricia@urbantreealliance.org
4 - Neighborhood Musicians, Sign Up for Make Music Madison Now
re you a musician who lives in the neighborhood, or do you know any neighborhood musicians? Now is the time to sign up to perform as part of Make Music Madison to play at Prairie UU Society, 2010 Whenona Drive, on June 21.
It doesn’t matter if you just started taking lessons, never took lessons, or are actually a professional musician. Musicians of any age or ability are wanted and needed.
If you have played at Prairie as part of MMM in a previous year or have never done so but think you might possiby want to, contact organizer Mary Mullen immediately: mmullen4337@charter.net <mailto:mmullen4337@charter.net> or (608) 298-0843. A mutually acceptable time can be worked out. This outdoor event will run from 10 am until 8 pm at Prairie.
There’s a process to sign up so your name gets put on the schedule that goes into Isthmus. Mary can help you learn how to use the MMM website or can actually sign you up with your permission.
Don’t wait! Do it now.
5 -Dawley Park Prairie Burn Coming Up
from Ed Bartell, Urban Forester and Naturalist, Fitchburg
This month and next (March & April), weather permitting, the City will be conducting prescribed burns at the park and natural areas listed below.
The purpose of the burns is to promote native prairie vegetation and oak regeneration. Prescribed burns are an essential tool for restoring and maintaining prairie, oak savanna and oak woodland habitats. These habitat types have declined dramatically throughout Wisconsin since initial European settlement in the mid 1800s. Despite the rarity of these habitats, healthy prairies, oak savannas and woodlands support a disproportionate amount of biodiversity and harbor many regionally rare and declining species. The burns will be conducted by Good Oak Ecological Services, the company the City has hired to care for its prairies and conservancy areas.
Good Oak will try to provide up to 24 hours advance notice of the burn, and they will notify all appropriate authorities prior to the burn. Their burn crew consists of trained firefighters with all the equipment necessary to keep the fire under control. In preparation for the burn, Good Oak will be mowing or cutting vegetation around the areas to be burned as necessary. These temporary paths will be used to contain the fire within the park. On the day of the burn, we ask that you avoid visiting the park until the burn is complete, so the burn crew may do their work safely and efficiently. The burn will be conducted on a day when weather conditions allow for a safe burn with minimal smoke impact on your neighborhood and local roads. However, we recommend keeping windows and doors closed to keep smoke or the smell of smoke out of your home.
For more information, please contact Urban Forester & Naturalist, Ed Bartell at 608-270-4289 or Athena Salzer, Restoration Ecologist with Good Oak Ecological Services at 920-292-0485.
6 - Neighborhood Sign Taken Down (Attachment: “2 pics sign, construction.jpg”
The Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood sign that was installed in the fall of 2012 has had to be removed because of sidewalk construction along the Beltline Frontage Road between Whenona Drive and Seminole Highway.
The Yoerger/Zinski family did the lion’s share of the work of unscrewing the sign from the posts and digging out the posts on Tuesday, March 31. Some of the plants were dug the same night, but the rest taken out on April 1. Thanks, Glen, Kim, Sage, and Olivia. Mary Mullen also helped and also took photos of the process. Fortunately, both days were very pleasant and sunny.
We think we have a new location for the sign in the neighborhood about halfway down Seminole Highway, but details have to be worked out.
The requirement to move the sign was an unwelcome necessity. Although the contract with the City of Madison said we would have 60 days notice if the sign ever had to be moved, in reality the letter ordering removal gave much less time. It was dated February 26, and removal was required by April 1.
7 - Good Progess Made on Mosaic Murals (Attachment: “3 pics mosaic murals.jpg”)
As mosaic mural artist Marcia Yapp takes a break from leading open mosaic mural workshops so that she can catch up on other duties to ready the murals for installation, it’s time to take stock of the amazing work that has been accomplished since the first workshop on November 18, 2014.
Two murals have been completely finished. The second one is shown below. The third - and largest - is well underway. The fourth, and perhaps most complicated because it contains people’s faces, will be the last to be started and finished.
The workshops have had many benefits beyond simply creating large works of art that will beautify the community for years to come. Participants - quite a few from the neighborhood or immediately surrounding area - have learned how to cut and shape mosaic pieces, how to blend colors, and how to work with different tiling patterns. The core group of individuals, who have come many times and become friends, have enjoyed meeting up at the workshop on a regular basis. Over 50 people have participated at least once. The 15 from the neighborhood are pictured below this article. Another beneficial aspect is that this is a multigenerational project, attracting people of a wide variety of ages 9 through 75.
For a sense of the size of the project, Facebook subscribers can view a number of photo albums on the Facebook page of the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association. Don’t miss the compilation of images that are part of this newsletter as the attachment “3 pics mosaic murals.jpg”
The murals will be installed this summer on two semi-circular walls that will be visible from the Britta Parkway/Axel Avenue area, the Beltline Frontage Raod, and the ped/bike bridge that will replace the current one at Whenona Drive.
8 - Marlborough Garden Gets Help From Master Gardeners
Last year the Community Action Coallition cut ties with Marlborough Park’s Community Garden and most other community gardens in the area. It was a blow, since our garden had come to depend on CAC’s help.
But, not to worry, Madison Master Gardeners have come to the rescue. The Madison Area Master Gardener Association (MAMGA) decided this year to encourage all their members to adopt a community garden and donate volunteer time to the gardens.
Our garden courted the gardeners by sending a representative to speak on a panel of community garden leaders at a meeting of the Master Gardeners. Three master gardeners signed up to work with the Marlborough Garden at the meeting. Later on, a matchup event was held, and through that process the community garden picked up 2 more master gardeners.
The Master Gardeners who will be helping out at Marlborough Garden are: Barbara Park, Carol Blemker, Percy Mather, Jonathan Davis, and Barb Klasinski. They will be assisting with a variety of tasks.
The garden management committee hopes their work will make a visible difference as they help overwhelmed gardeners weed their plots, and in general keep the area around the garden tidy.
9 - Marlborough Garden Offers Summer Apprenticeship Position
Marlborough Community Garden, in partnership with Community Groundworks, is offering an garden apprenticeship position over the summer.
The position will require 6-8 hours a week with a total of 75 hours between June 15 and August 28. Total pay is $675, to be paid in equal installments each week of the employment period.
The garden is looking for an enthusiastic individual, preferably bilingual in Spanish or Hmong. Applicants can be as young as 14 years old! Besides providing a resume, the applicant will be asked to answer the following questions:
1. How do you feel about being outside, working with/in nature?
2. Have you ever had the opportunity to teach someone something?
Please describe the process (what you did and how it went).
3. What accomplishment are you most proud of and why?
For a complete description of the job and details of how to apply, look on the Facebook page of “Marlborough Community Garden.” Those without a Facebook acount may contact the editor of the e-News for a copy of the job description and application details.
Application deadline is April 18.
10 - UW Invites Neighborhood to Hear About Its Diversity Framework Implementation: April 15 (Attachment: “4 Diversity Sessions.jpg”)
from the University of Wisconsin
The UW-Madison will be holding a series of very important community informational sessions concerning its long-term diversity plan.
The University is a pivotal educational entity and employer for both our state and Greater Madison region, so we encourage everyone to come and hear about this plan – it’s much bigger than targeted minority goals and groups – it concerns everyone.
This is our collective future.
There are 8 sessions, one in our neighborhood, on Wednesday, April 15, 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Club, 4619 Jenewein Road. This presentation will be in English. Spanish language presentations will be at 3 other sessions, one at Centro Hispano on April 21 and others on the UW Campus on April 9, and April 16
For the full listing of sessions, look at the attachment. Some of these sessions include presentations in Hmong, Tibetan, Mandarin/Chinese, and American Sign Language.
ELECTION APRIL 7
11 - Polls Relocate AGAIN (Attachment: “5 New voting location.jpg”)
It seems that just yesterday the Madison polling place moved, and now it has moved again. Due to the fact that the Dane County Parents’ Council no longer wanted to provide space in the old Pizza Hut, Madison voters in the neighborhood will now cast their ballots in the Revival Ridge community room. The address is 2313 Allied Drive.
Where’s that, you might ask. Well, the address is on Allied Drive near Jenewein Road, but confusingly, you can’t park on Allied Drive, nor can you enter the building from Allied.
The trick is to park on Jenewein close to Allied Drive and walk into the plaza where the hands sculpture reaches to the sky. Enter the doors next to the Madison Police shield. They actually face out to Jenewein.
If there’s not space to park on Jenewein, parking in the Boys & Girls Club lot is OK. In that case, just walk up Jenewein to the plaza entrance. Or go the back way by walking to the left on Revival Ridge, then right on Frida Kahlo Crest and into the plaza that way.
Remember that the police shield on the building is the signal that you are in the right spot. You will not see the number 2313 there, but it’s the correct entrance.
Consult the attachment “New voting loction.jpg” for a map.
12 - What’s On the Ballot, Tuesday, April 7?
There’s probably more on the April 7 ballot than most people realize. While some candidates face no opposition, there are several highly contested seats plus a statewide referendum and school district referenda for both the Madison and Verona School districts. (The Fitchburg part of the neighborhood is in the Verona School District.)
The Supreme Court race and the mayoral races have received the most attention
Below are the choices voters will face on April 7 at the polls. To find out more about the candidates and referendum items, consult the League of Women Voters’ Candidates’ Answers online at http://www.lwvdanecounty.org/candidates-answers-spring-election-2015 <http://www.lwvdanecounty.org/candidates-answers-spring-election-2015> Candidates’ Answers was also an insert in the March 19 issue of Isthmus.
STATEWIDE
Justice of the Supreme Court (non-partisan election)
· Ann W. Bradley (incumbent)
· James P. Daley
Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Amendment, Question 1
· Question 1: "Election of chief justice. Shall section 4 (2) of article VII of the constitution be amended to direct that a chief justice of the supreme court shall be elected for a two-year term by a majority of the justices then serving on the court?"
[For a thorough discussion of this referendum item and facts about who supports it and who opposes it, go to http://ballotpedia.org/Wisconsin_Supreme_Court_Chief_Justice_Amendment,_Question_1_%28April_2015%29 <http://ballotpedia.org/Wisconsin_Supreme_Court_Chief_Justice_Amendment,_Question_1_%28April_2015%29> ]
ALL DANE COUNTY BALLOTS
Dane Co. Circuit Court Judge, Branch 2 (non-partisan election)
· Josann M. Reynolds (incumbent)
Dane Co. Circuit Court Judge, Branch 6 (non-partisan election)
· Shelley J. Gaylord (incumbent)
Dane Co. Circuit Court Judge, Branch 10 (non-partisan election)
· Juan B. Colás (incombent)
Dane Co. Circuit Court Judge, Branch 13 (non-partisan election)
· Julie Genovese (incombent)
MADISON BALLOTS ONLY (in our neighborhood)
Madison Mayor
· Paul Soglin (incumbent)
· Scott Resnick
Madison District 10 Alder (our Madison district)
· Maurice Cheeks (incumbent)
Madison Metropolitan School Board
Seat 1
· Anna Moffit
Seat 2
· Mary Burke (incumbent)
Madison Metropollitan School District Referendum
Shall the Madison Metropolitan School District, Dane County, Wisconsin be authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $41,000,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of constructing school additions and improving learning environments, making our schools more accessible to students, families and community members, renovating school buildings and upgrading technology infrastructure?
____ Yes ____ No
FITCHBURG BALLOTS ONLY (for our neighborhood)
Fitchburg Mayor
· Shawn Pfaff (incumbent)
· Steve Arnold
Fitchburg Alder, District 1, Seat 1 (our Fitchburg district)
· Dorothy Krause (incumbent)
Fitchburg Alder, Distrcit 1, Seat 2 (also our Fitchburg district)
· Carol W. Poole (incumbent)
· Michael Childers
Verona School Board (Fitchburg voters elect Verona School Board members.)
At large (two seats)
· Renee Zook (incumbent)
· Thomas Duerst
Portion 1 (one seat)
· Joanne Gauthier (incumbent)
School District Referendum
Shall the Verona Area School District, Dane County, Wisconsin be authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed$8,350,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of acquiring, by purchase or by eminent domain pursuant to Chapter 32 of the Wisconsin Statutes, parcels of real estate for school sites consisting of: (a) the "West End" parcel, consisting of approximately 45 acres of vacant land situated south of West Verona Avenue, east of US Hwy 18-151 and north of the Wisconsin DNR bike trail in the City of Verona; (b) the "Erbach" parcel, consisting of approximately 63 acres of vacant land situated adjacent to, and east and south of, the "West End" parcel in the City of Verona; and (c) the "Herfel" parcel, consisting of approximately 18 acres of vacant land situated in the Town of Verona and bordered on the West by Locust Drive and on the North by the Cathedral Point subdivision?
____ Yes ____ No
CULTURE
13 - Neighborhood Book Club Forming: Pick Your Books Now
information from Thea Bach, Social Committee Chair
Is reading your thing? Would you like to discuss the books you are reading with people who live nearby rather than going out of the neighborhood to do so?
Then the DMNA Social Committee will fit the bill.
Here’s how it will work. First, let Thea Bach know you want to join up by calling her at 274-7730 or e-mailing her at bachtown2@live.com <mailto:bachtown2@live.com> Then she or Sharon Grant will keep you informed of book selections and meeting times that will be established once a few people show interest.
The first selection will probably be The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett.
Other books can be considered. Thea suggests using the list of Book Club Kits held by the Madison Public Library: http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/print/book-club-kits/author?items_per_page=All <http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/print/book-club-kits/author?items_per_page=All> The kits have at least 8 copies of each book plus a discussion guide.
You could also simply suggest a book you would like to discuss regardless of whether it is part of a book kit. Usually the library has several copies.
Thea, the Social Committee Chair, favors the idea of reading books where there are different media sources, for example, a book, an audio book, and a movie. Then at the meeting of the club there can be some options. “We can all listen together before discussion, as well as read on our own and afterwards watch a movie or movies, based on the book.”
Some possible books with different media sources mentioned by Thea are Maltese Falcon, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl, Erik Larson books such as Devil in White City, Khaleed Hussein books such The Kite Runner, The World Around Us (recommended by Thea’s sister), Life of Pi, Time Traveler's Wife, Seabiscuit, and Water for Elephants.
OK, Dear Readers, now it’s up to you. Let Thea know you are interested. Then choose one of the books Thea has mentioned or something in the list of Book Club Kits on the library site.
Good reading to all.
14 - Bookstore Offers Neighborhood History Book as a “Scarce Book”
Yikes! When checking whether the neighborhoood history book In Our Own Words: The Best of the Dunn’s Marsh News might have been scanned and put online by Fitchburg, I learned that it is available from a Tennessee book store that deals in new, used, and rare books.
Burke’s Book Store calls it a “scarce book” and offers a used copy with “minor thumbing, tight and clean” for $10.
We can do better than that. Get a totally new copy directly from the DMNA for just $3.00. It’s a bargain, and you will learn a lot about the neighborhood including its geologic history going back to Ice Age times and some human history continuing up to 1990, the publishing date of the book. It’s crammed with pictures and illustrations as well as articles by people in the neighborhood.
A large share of the authors still live in the neighborhood, among them Barbara Robinson, Dick Robinson, David Martin, Ron Johnson, Ron Melvin, and Mary Mullen.
Others have moved to different Madison neighborhoods or Wisconsin cities and beyond where some have carried on their civic work. For example, David Wallner moved to the east side and became an alder there and is now president of the Madison Park Commission. Lucy Ebisch has been active in her south Madison neighborhood. John Welter became a lawyer, settled in in Eau Claire, was appointed by Governor Doyle to the Natural Resources Board in 2003, and in retirement works for Trout Unlimited. Brad Matthiessen moved just across the Beltline into the Midvale Heights neighborhood. Cynthia Haq became a medical doctor and besides teaching at the UW Medical School has taken her skills to countries around the world. Fredericka Schilling now lives out in the country near Mazomanie. Sally McCollough, now Sally Konnak, lives in Spring Green and has been active in environmental causes there.
We have lost track of some of the other authors.
In Our Own Words was put together and edited by Mary Mullen, first president of the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association in 1973, and the current president, since October 2013. The backbone of the book came from Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood newsletters which came out monthly in hard copy and were taken door-to-door for well over 25 years.
The book was funded by the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission and matching donations from individuals and businesses.
14b - South Madison Visioning Event April 11 (Attachment: “6 South Madison Visioning.jpg”)
based on poster and quoted article from MMSD
“Art for the Community/By the Community. Transform public spaces: Transform individual lives.”
So begins the poster announcing a South Madison visioning event, a chance to “Share your story: Share your vision” and “Create the FUTURE COMMUNITY you want.” AND it includes performances and free food.
Sounds like something to check out.
The event is Saturday, April 11, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at Zion City Outreach Center, 1317 Applegate Road. Applegate Road is accessible from Greenway Cross at Fish Hatchery Road, a hop, skip and a jump from the Dunn’s Marsh neighborhood. The public is invited.
A Madison School District online article addressed particularly to youth artists and MMSD arts instructors describes the project more fully, as follows.
The purpose of this first conversation is to bring the neighborhood and creatively minded youth together to develop a collective vision for a healthy and vibrant future. These ideals will then act as a springboard for a second conversation that will develop themes and images that will be incorporated in two participatory community art projects, one at the Dane County Transportation site and the other at Zion City Community Outreach Center. The intentions of the conversations and art are to strengthen the social fabric and sustainability of our neighborhoods.
During large community conversations, residents come together over food and new friends to develop this collective vision. Then, in partnership with Dane Arts, a lead artist(s) will transform this collective vision into quality public art. Simultaneously, Sustain Dane will co-lead a workshop series to increase leadership skills of neighborhoods and to implement neighborhood level projects.
This cross-institutional community art project is a collaboration between Sustain Dane and Dane Arts DAMA (Dane Arts Mural Arts), Zion City Community Outreach Center and other neighborhood organizations to bring together hundreds of south Madison Neighbors to envision healthy, happy and vibrant futures, and capture these visions in large public art.
The DAMA project is being led by Sharon Kilfoy and other local artists who will be facilitating guest artists from Chicago and Arizona. This is a pilot to a large mural arts project that could lead to summer jobs for youth and additional training in the arts as well as develop local muralists.
Sharon Kilfoy is the artist who produced the magnificent mural in the hall of the Boys and Girls Club on Jenewein Drive in collaboration with B&G Club participants.
15 - Hear Music From Morning to Night in Neighborhood on June 21
Put it on your calendar now - a full day of live, free, outdoor music on the grounds of Prairie UU Society on Sunday, June 21, from 10 am until 8:00 pm. This all-day concert will be part of the city-wide celebration Make Music Madison.
It’s the third year Madison has held this event. More than 700 cities around the world participate in similar events on the summer solstice.
This year the concert on the Prairie grounds at 2010 Whenona (corner of Crawford) will start at 10 a.m. with musicians associated with Prairie UU participating in an all-music program. Some of that first hour or so will be a singalong.
Consider bringing a picnic if you come at the beginning, and spend the “noon hour” eating and listening. A series of individuals and groups will perform.
Some food may be available on the grounds. The organizing committee is thinking of asking “Just Bakery” to bring some of its delicious wares to sell: cookies, cinnamon rolls, and breads.
Madison-area Urban Ministry’s “Just Bakery” is a vocational and employment training program specifically designed to meet the needs of men and women returning to the community after incarceration. Prairie hosts the bakery once a month. I can personally vouch for the mouth-watering cookies and cinnamon rolls.
Learn more about the “Just Bakery” at http://www.emum.org/justbakery.html <http://www.emum.org/justbakery.html>
16 - MSCR’s Fit2Go Van Will Offer Fun For Families All Summer
Get ready for fitness fun every week this summer at Marlborough Park. In March the DMNA Council learned that the Madison School Community Recreation program will bring its FIT2GO van to the park every Tuesday from 5-7 pm.
The van will make its first appearance on Tuesday, June 16, and will come every Tuesday for 10 weeks.
Parents should come with their children to sign a waiver form.
The van brings jump ropes, hula hoops, and equipment to set up obstacle courses. MSCR personnel will lead the activities. At the Council meeting we met Kalie Pesik who travels with the van. Last summer, she and another young woman accompanying the van made one of the garden stepping stones.
VERONA ROAD PROJECT
17 - Verona Road Project Revs Up: We Suffer & Complain
Verona Road construction projects have ramped up with the coming of spring and the neighborhood is noticing and suffering. Suffering? Well, yes. And not necessarily taking it quietly.
Fortunately, we might add, sometimes something can be done about it since construction supervisors and contractors will respond to e-mails and sometimes have taken action in our favor because of them. Read about one success story in the next article.
If you haven’t noticed, here’s what’s going on.
Noise at night. Noise in the daytime. Closed streets. Changed bus routes. Construction machinery on the streets. (Keep your eyes open, and don’t drive like a maniac.) Constantly changing detours. Sometimes being “on our own” to find a way in and out of the neighborhood. Dust everywhere - impossible to keep your car or windows clean. Fear for kids who walk to school. Need to take down the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood sign and find a new place for it.
The disturbances will go on throughout the summer and into the early winter before they calm down again. By fall, the worst of it should be done.
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18 - Safe Walk Route Established at North End of Ped/Bike Bridge
(Attachment: “7 pics north ped overpass route.jpg”)
Give neighbor Connie Roderick a high five for her work to ensure that her kids and others have a safe walking route to Cherokee Middle School. Because of her, as of March 25, the contractors have created a fenced-off walking corridor on the north side of the ped/bike bridge that spans the Beltline at Whenona Drive. The attachment is a set of pictures from Jim Grender, overall supervisor of the Verona Road project.
Although this article is lengthy, it can be read as a textbook case of how one individual can effect needed change.
Connie Roderick, resident on Crawford Drive, has been concerned about the Verona Road project for years. I have copies of her e-mail correspondence since early 2010. She has concentrated on the ped/bike overpass since early 2014. She wrote this letter to the Department of Transportation on 1/29/14.
My daughter is 12 and walks with several other young people from our Dunn's Marsh Neighborhood to and from school. She has expressed safety concerns walking around moving trucks, workers and having to walk on private property and around construction obstacles at the ends of the walk bridge.
What are they doing?
How long will it take to complete?
Are you working with the school (Cherokee) to provide transportation for the children of our neighborhood so they can be safe and avoid these hazardous areas in their need to get to and from school?
What is the timeline plans for the walk bridge replacement?
As you proceed to replace it, what are the safe pedestrian routes, especially for the school children? Next year there will be a significant more number of children using the bridge to Cherokee School.
DOT’s Steve Theisen responded with the construction schedule related to the ped/bike bridge and sidewalk along the Belltline frontage road. He added that the construction updates would be shared with Cherokee School in the spring of 2015.
Connie took up the issue again this March (2015) with a flurry of letters, copying them to DMNA President Mary Mullen as well as several people at DOT and school officials. Mary Mullen also started her own inquires and advocacy.
At first Connie just asked for an update after her girls and the neighbor girl walking home from Cherokee Middle School “were forced to used the car bridge [on Seminole Highway] as work was being done at the bottom of the north side pedestrian bridge on Whenona.”
Connie remarked in her first letter on 3/15/15 about the Seminole Highway walk detour too.
I walked this [Seminole Highway route] myself yesterday and found out there is no sidewalk available on the south side as you indicated would happen prior to construction in you last email 2/4/14)….
I do not feel this is a safe route for the middle school kids as cars were whizzing fast and very close by me as I walked along the road facing traffic on the bike path and several motorists were on their cell phones and did not pay attention to the pedestrian. Also, I know at least 2 neighbors who have had cars collide into their cars when traveling through the intersection at the Beltline Frontage Road and Seminole Highway bridge, which also indicates to me this is not a safe intersection for pedestrians.
… Please reply with an update on the timeline of the walk bridge construction and plans to make this a safer route for our kids and pedestrians.
Notice all those specific details she included and how she requested not only an update but plans to make safety measures.
Mr. Thiesen’s response again referred to the construction schedule and he mentioned that “A temporary barrier will be added along Warwick Way (on the north side of the Beltline) to protect pedestrians and bicyclists.”
But as of March 19 when Connie specifically wrote of her frustrations to Mary Mullen, no safety barriers were in evidence anywhere for pedestrians. On that date, she said, “The other thing I noticed when I walked the route was you had to go UNDER a huge piece of equipment (the arm that had a big bucket on the other end) to get to or get off of the walk bridge on the north side. That seemed a bit odd they would park their equipment like that.”
Early in the afternoon of the 24th, Mary Mullen checked out the north end of the bike bridge when she noticed a large crane with a ball and chain hanging from it in the vicinity of that end of the bridge. She messaged Alder Maurice Cheeks on Facebook, sending him a photo at the same time.
A parent has contacted me about the issue of the ped/bike crossing of the Beltline at Whenona Drive and the fact that with all the machinery and work going on at Warwick and Whenona, it has seemed too dangerous for kids to use. This parent's additional concern is that even though a sidewalk will be built from Whenona to Seminole Highway on the Frontage Road, crossing the Frontage Road at Seminole will be exceedingly dangerous. I'm wondering if having flags like they do on Monroe Street or even a crossing guard there morning and evening would be something you could support and help to initiate. Here's a picture showing the cluster of machines & workers at the north end of the bridge. With the crane hanging over the area and trucks everywhere, it's intimidating.
Mary also wrote an e-mail and sent pictures of the north end of the bridge to Jim Grender, the overall supervisor of the Verona Road project.
That same afternoon Connie wrote again to DOT. Her annoyance was starting to show.
I am writing because I do not know if you realize that your comment "Overpass access remains open to pedestrians and bicyclists throughout this work" is apparently incorrect. I again received a call and picked up 3 kids walking home from Cherokee today that informed me they could not access the walk bridge due to the moving machinery.
I have attached a PDF of photos that I took today about 3:30 pm when I went to go pick them up from the north side of the beltline. There was indeed a lot of machinery movement and vehicles at the foot of the bridge, including trucks blocking the access. I did not include all photos I took. There was also a big truck that was in the way backing up into oncoming traffic on Danbury as I took that route to access Whenona north of the beltline.
I feel this is a real safety problem as there still are no sidewalks constructed on the south frontage road and access to the foot bridge is being blocked even though it is not supposed to be. There was no one watching or directing the truck driver when I watched the very large truck come through the base of the pedestrian access point. The other moving equipment that is very close to the access area is very intimidating and it is not certain they are looking out for pedestrians. In addition, the intersection at Seminole and Beltline Frontage road is also not very safe for pedestrians.
Connie’s photos explain the view she is showing and point to “moving machinery parts” at the north end of the ped/bike bridge.
That same evening (March 24) Mary Mullen attended the Verona Road Open House at the Boys & Girls Club where she talked to DOT’s Chris Frederick about the issue of dangerous north end of the bridge. Mr. Frederick assured Mary that Mr. Grender was aware of the issue.
Mr. Grender, in an e-mail early on the evening of the next day, March 25, indicated that remedial action was being taken:
I have addressed your concerns about access at the north end of the pedestrian bridge with the Contractors. Pedestrian safety fence along with a clear path and where to walk is being addressed this morning. The sidewalk on the west side of the road on Whenona will be closed and require everyone to walk on the east side of the road. A street crossing to the north entrance of the pedestrian bridge will then be delineated with safety fence (at the location of the original street crossing at the corner of Warwick and Whenona). This will keep kids and all others away from the equipment (crane) and construction that will be happening on the west side of the roadway for the new ped bridge.We will continue to make any adjustments needed to ensure safety at this location.
In all honesty, Jim Grender has been very friendly and forthcoming with information since he took on his supervisory job. Mary, as DMNA president, meets with him on a pretty regular basis to check out construction plans and express concerns. One topic she has brought up is lack of plans for a sidewalk between the MDA subsidized housing on Brittta Parkway and the bus stop on the corner where Einstein’s used to be. Another is the suggestion to have a big curved mirror before the entrance to the tunnel under Verona Road so that users can see around curve into the tunnel. She has also voiced these concerns and others to Department of Transportation and City of Madison staff.
Steve Thiesen of DOT also responded to Connie about the ped/bike bridge access with copies to numerous people including the District 10 Alder Maurice Cheeks, Cherokeee School authorities, Mary Mullen, and various DOT correspondents. A nice photo sheet showing the pedestrian accommodations was attached. That photo sheet is also attached to this e-News.
Connie and Mary have both expressed thanks to the Verona Road project people who have responded to our concerns.
19 - Traffic Changes Due to Verona Road Project
(Attachment: “2 pics sign, construction.jpg”
Get ready for a summer of traffic route changes due to the Verona Road reconstruction project.
Currently, a block of Britta Parkway is closed for water main and sanitary sewer work there. Bus #18 and its stops are rerouted to the Beltline frontage road. Neighborhood drivers can either take the frontage road or detour along Helene and Crawford.
Soon the Beltline frontage road between Whenona Drive and Seminole Highway will close while the western portion of the frontage road will be realigned and a sidewalk is built on the south (business) side between Whenona and Seminole. No detour will be marked, but traffic will undoubtedly detour either onto Lumley or the English-named streets that parallel the frontage road. This work should be finished by May 1 when the current bike/ped bridge will be removed. The deadline for the replacement bridge to be ready is September 1.
On the north side of the Beltline, traffic on Warwick will be limited to local traffic because of work that has already commenced on that end of the north end of the ped/bike bridge. Right now many pilings are being driven to support the foundations of that new bridge.
The so-called Freeport Connection - the route under Verona Road near Allied Drive - is now permanently closed as the Southwest Trail is returned to is previous location and the Verona Frontage Road will be extended past Allied to Carling Drive. There will be periodic detours for the Southwest Trail.
This is not to speak of the nightly lane and sometimes ramp closures that will occur along the Beltline on a regular bases.
To keep up with the changes in advance, sign up to receive weekly updates by e-mail at <http://lists.wi.gov/t/1022900/2644525/6365/0/ <http://lists.wi.gov/t/1022900/2644525/6365/0/> See the current weekly update at <http://lists.wi.gov/t/1022900/2644525/6368/0/ <http://lists.wi.gov/t/1022900/2644525/6368/0/> >
For more information, contact: Steven Theisen, Verona Road Project Communications Manager steven.theisen@dot.wi.gov <mailto:steven.theisen@dot.wi.gov?subject=Weekly%20Construction%20Update%20-%20March%2023-27 <mailto:steven.theisen@dot.wi.gov?subject=Weekly%20Construction%20Update%20-%20March%2023-27> > | (608) 884-1230
20 - Verona Road Open House Meetings Scheduled Quarterly
from Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation
Quarterly open house meetings are scheduled for 2015 to discuss design and construction activities for the Verona Road (US 18/151) reconstruction project, from the Beltline to County PD (McKee Road) and the Beltline, between Whitney Way and Seminole Highway.
The first of these quarterly meetings was held in March.
Additional meetings have been scheduled at 3 month intervals. from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the following dates at City of Fitchburg Fire Station No. 2 (5415 King James Way, Fitchburg)
- Thursday, June 25, 2015
- Thursday, September 24, 2015
- Thursday, December 17, 2015
Maps and exhibits of the Verona Road improvements will be on display. Wisconsin Department of Transportation representatives will be available to discuss the project on an individual basis.
*No formal presentations are scheduled; stop by at your convenience.
21 - Madison Metro Transit Offers Onboard Bus Survey
from Madison Metro Transit
Metro, in partnership with the Madison Area Transportation Planning Board (an MPO), has been conducting an onboard passenger survey.
The purpose of the survey is to better understand Metro’s passengers and their daily riding habits.
The survey includes questions on frequency of rides, times of travel, stop locations used, transfer details, final destinations, routes utilized and types of fare used.
Survey results will be used to help identify passenger needs and opportunities to improve Metro’s service.
While Metro planned to finish the survey in March, contingency plans called for surveying to continue into April if more surveys were needed. Look for surveyors on your trip wearing Metro identification tags and bright yellow vests.
22 - Bus Route #18 Britta Parkway Detour in Effect
information from Madison Metro
If you are a frequent rider of Bus #18 in the northern part of the neighborhood, the detour caused by utility work on Britta Parkway is old hat. But infrequent riders should know that the #18 bus is temporarily routed along the Belline and Verona Frontage Roads.
For detailed information on where the stops are on the detour, consult http://www.cityofmadison.com/metro/detours/18.cfm <http://www.cityofmadison.com/metro/detours/18.cfm> A map is provided, and you can print the detour flyer.
The detour is expected to last through mid-April.
23 - Sidewalk Work Scheduled for Summer (routine, not related to Verona Rd.)
from a City of Madison bidding document
Sidewalks will be repaired in the 10th Aldermanic district this summer according to a City of Madison bidding document. Much of the neighborhood doesn’t have sidewalks, but those streets that do will have tilted or cracked sidewalk blocks removed and replaced.
Allied Drive seems to have the most work scheduled, but most other streets with sidewalks in the Madison part of the neighborhood will have some work done.
EVERYTHING ELSE
24 - Fitchburg Green Blast #66 Offers Numerous Ways to Be Green
from Fitchburg Pulbic Works Department
Click on http://www.fitchburgwi.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10231 <http://www.fitchburgwi.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10231> and treat yourself to many ways to be Green this spring including Spring Cleanups on Saturday April 18 and Satuday May 9.
In This Issue
1. Save Water and Money During Fix A Leak Week March 16-22
2.World Water Day Activities March 22
3.Drop Off Recyclablesfor Craft Projectsat Fitchburg Library
4.Fitchburg Green and Complete Streets Forum Set for April 9th
5.Spring Waterway Cleanup Set for April 18th ( Printed below)
6.Fitchburg Spring Cleanup Events Set for May 9th (Printed below)
7.Volunteer Today to Monitor a Fitchburg Stream
8.Fitchburg Launches New Mobile Apps for Androids and iPhones
9.Sauk County Sponsors Rain Barrel & Backyard Composter Sale
5. Spring Waterway Cleanup Set for April 18thFitchburg’s Spring Waterway Cleanups for 2015 are tentatively planned for Saturday, April 18th from 9am–11am, rain or shine.*
A cleanup will be held on the north side of Dunn’s Marsh along Crescent Road. Meet at the Apache Pond.
There may be additional cleanup groups forming in your area coordinated by your neighborhood association. Anyone interested in being a group leader may contact Rick Eilertson, Fitchburg Environmental Engineer, at rick.eilertson@fitchburgwi.gov <mailto:rick.eilertson@fitchburgwi.gov> or (608) 270-4264 to coordinate a cleanup in your neighborhood. Fitchburg will provide refreshments and giveaways to allparticipants. Volunteers are encouraged to wear boots and bring work gloves. Restroom facilities are often not convenient to the planned cleanup locations, so plan accordingly.
*Check www.fitchburgwi.gov/stormwater <http://www.fitchburgwi.gov/stormwater> for additionaldetails on the Waterway Cleanups closer to the events.
25 - Emerald Ash Borer Infestation Just Across Beltline
from City of Madison
The City of Madison Forestry Section has confirmed an Emerald Ash Borer infestation on Madison’s south side at Doncaster Park, 4341 Doncaster Drive, Madison. This infestation site is the first on Madison’s south side and adds to previous finds on the City’s north side at Warner Park, multiple finds thru the east side following closely along I-90 and on the City’s west side along the border with the City of Middleton.
"While it's disappointing to have found EAB in a new location within the city it is not surprising, given the ease with which this pest can hitchhike with the help of humans," said Eric Knepp, superintendent of Parks Division.
The Parks Division recommends that property owners who have ash trees in their own yards:
· Keep a close watch on ash trees for signs of possible EAB infestation: Thinning in the canopy, D-shaped holes in the bark, new branches sprouting low on the trunk, cracked bark, and woodpeckers pulling at the bark to get to insect larvae beneath it.
· Consider preventive treatments if your property is within 15 miles of a known infestation. Visit our homeowners toolkit <http://http/www.cityofmadison.com/parks/services/forestry/pests/EAB/toolkit.cfm <http://http/www.cityofmadison.com/parks/services/forestry/pests/EAB/toolkit.cfm> > which includes a helpful decision making guide on whether to chemically treat your ash trees. Treatment costs vary depending on size of the tree and whether you do the treatments yourself or hire a professional.
· When replanting, consider planting a variety of tree species that are not susceptible to EAB.
· Call a professional arborist for expert advice, and visit emeraldashborer.wi.gov <http://emeraldashborer.wi.gov/ <http://emeraldashborer.wi.gov/> > for detailed information.
Madison Parks Forestry staff made the find by keying in on heightened woodpecker activity in the ash trees within the park. Woodpeckers will eat emerald ash borer larvae that are under the bark this time of year. This usually happens higher in the tree where the emerald ash borer prefers to attack first. If there are large numbers of larvae under the bark the woodpecker damage can make it look like strips of bark have been pulled off of the tree. This is called "flecking."
Emerald ash borer is native to China and probably entered the United States on packing material, showing up first in Michigan about 10 years ago. It was first found in Madison in 2013 in Warner Park. EAB adults lay eggs on the bark of ash trees in mid to late summer. When the eggs hatch a week or two later, the larvae burrow under the bark for the winter and eat the wood, forming the characteristic S-shaped tunnels and destroying the tree's ability to take up nutrients and water. In summer, the adults emerge through D-shaped holes in the bark.
Contact:
Ann Shea, Parks Public Information Officer, 608-266-5949, ashea@cityofmadison.com
26 - Tylenol and Motrin Recall: Infant and Children’s Liquid Products
Working in consultation with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), McNeil Consumer Healthcare is implementing a voluntary recall of infant and children’s liquid products due to manufacturing deficiencies which may affect quality, purity or potency. Following McNeil’s recall announcement, the FDA is providing additional advice to consumers.
For more information go to
http://fda.org/index.php?article=tylenol-and-motrin-recall
27 - Chipping Can Prevent Pet Loss and Speed Recovery: Discount Chipping, April 19-25
Libby, pictured with family, went for a run recently after being let out to relieve herself. She was found in a park by some kind people and quickly brought to Dane County Humane Society where she was scanned and, thanks to a microchip, was identified and returned to her owners within hours of her going missing. A sad fact is that 90 percent of lost pets without proper identification never make it home again.
Last year Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) received 922 dogs and 1,903 cats brought to the shelter as strays. Most of us never expect our beloved pets to be lost or stolen. The two biggest reasons for pet loss are children and workmen inadvertently letting them out of the house or yard.
Many more pets could be reunited with their owners if they were microchipped and/or tagged. The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association reports a return-to owner rate of 52 percent for dogs who are microchipped, versus a rate of just 22 percent for dogs who enter a shelter not microchipped. That means microchipping your dog more than doubles your chances of finding her, if she’s ever lost! Cats have aneven more dramatic increase in successful returns home. Only 2 percent of unchipped cats are returned to their owners, compared to more than 38 percent of microchipped cats. The combination of a tag and microchip gives the best of both worlds by providing a visual and an implanted ID.
In conjunction with National Pet ID Week, DCHS will be hosting a steeply discounted ID tag ($5) and microchip ($15) event during normal hours of operation April 19-25 at the shelter for both dogs and cats. Microchipping services will be offered on a walk-in basis during this event as well as throughout the year at the regular price. It’s also understandable, especially in tough economic times, that some owners can no longer afford to care for their pets. NEVER release your pet into the wild. Doing so will likely result in a slow, stressful, and painful death of your animal. Please surrender a pet you can no longer care for to DCHS so someone else can provide it a safe home. If you find a stray or injured animal, bring it to the shelter at 5132 Voges Road or call Animal Services (608-255-2345). If after hours, take the animal to Madison Veterinary Specialists at 229 W. Beltline Hwy (phone: 608-274-7772). Please go to the DCHS website (giveshelter.org) for more information or call 608-838-0413.
28 - County Executive Joe Parisi Launches Access to Opportunity
by Joe Parisi
Dane County is repeatedly ranked as one of the best places to live in America - with practically limitless opportunity. However, not all of our residents have access to all our community has to offer. My top priority as County Executive is to work with our entire community to ensure that every single resident has access to opportunity which is why I recently launched my Access to Opportunity initiative.
We know the most reliable vehicle out of poverty and toward upward mobility is accessing and maintaining family sustaining employment. All of my efforts will support our residents in accomplishing that goal by addressing barriers that they may face along the way.
Some of the most urgent challenges include: access to a valid drivers license, successful reentry to the community after incarceration, employment training and placement, and mental health services. My Access to Opportunity initiative will work with the community, businesses, and other levels of government, including the state, to tackle some of these challenges in a practical way.
We are embarking on challenging, yet exciting, work in our efforts to make Dane County a better place to work, play and live for all its residents. I am optimistic that Access for Opportunity will take a large step forward towards addressing some of the longstanding issues of inequity and racial disparities we face in this community. We no longer have the luxury of discussing the problems without taking bold and meaningful action steps towards addressing them. That’s what my plan attempts to do.
For more details on this initiative go to: https://opportunity.countyofdane.com/
Joe Parisi
Dane County Executive
29 - Former County Supervisor Dick Ginnold Dies
Former County Supervisor Dick Ginnold, one of the people who is responsible for the establishment of the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association back in 1973, died in May 2014. I just came across his obituary on the Internet.
Dick and the then-City of Madison alder encouraged us to start a neighborhood homeowners’ association. The 4 women who thought it was a good idea to have a neighborhood organization rejected the idea that only homeowners should be included but instead called a meeting to which all residents were invited. In February 1973, the DMNA was formed. The rest is history.
Dick Ginnold was a friend to the neighborhood and the environment. He stopped by a few years ago on a trip to Wisconsin to renew our acquaintance.
To read his obituary, go to http://dickginnold.com/RichardGinnoldObituary.pdf Dick wrote an autobiography which may be found on his blog. The portion of it detailing his time representing our neighborhood and the rest of his County Supervisor district can be found at http://dickginnold.com/mylife/danecounty.htm Both the obituary and his life story are well worth reading.
--------- End of the April 2, 2015, DUNN’S MARSH NEIGHBORHOOD e-NEWS ---------
THANKS FOR READING.
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