June 5 , 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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ARTICLES
ACTIVITIES, IN ORDER
1 - Mosaic Action Figures Are Being Installed This Week (Attachments: “1 roundabout mosaics.jpg” & “2 pics kid mosaics recap.jpg”)
2 - Dawley Bike Hub Grand Opening and Celebration of Better Biking in Fitchburg, June 6
3 - Guided Ride on June 6th Highlights Fitchburg Bike Paths and Stormwater Features
(Attachment: “3 map - bike tour.jpg”)
3a - Enjoy SummerTrails Festival at Lake Farm Co. Park on the Cap City Trail, June 6
4 - Ride the Drive, Sunday, June 7
5 - Fitchburg Hosts Bike Week Commuter Station at Bike Roundabout on June 9th
(Attachment: “3 map - bike tour.jpg”)
6 - DMNA Council Meeting, June 11
7 - Save Our Children, Especially Sons, Fundraiser, June 13
8 - Fit2Go Van Coming to Marlborough Park Every Tuesday, June 16-August 18
9 - Verona Road Action Figure Mosaics Dedication To Be Held June 20
10 - All Day Music at Prairie Society, Sunday, June 21
11 - Neighborhood Book Club Discusses Life of Pi June 25
12 - Mad City Vegan Fest - Free and Open to the Public, June 27
OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
13 - Neighbor Dick Robinson Passes (Attachment: “4 ltr Dick Robinson.jpg”)
14 - Take A Giant Step Back in Time, by Dick Robinson
15 - Saga of the Neighborhood Sign Ends Well (Attachment: “5 pics neighborhood sign.jpg”)
16 - Marlborough Park Gets 10 New Trees (Attachment: “6 pics trees.jpg”)
16a - Want Your Own Free Tree?
17- Forest Arises Along Verona Road (Attachment: “6 pics trees.jpg”)
18 - Busy Beltline Statements - Do They Conflict?
19 - Habitat Homes To Populate Renaissance Subdivision
20 - Allied Community Co-Op To Start Buying Club
21- Neighbor Writes Article for Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine
MISCELLANEOUS
22- Ticks and Mosquitoes – They´re Back! Time to Pay Attention to Protecting Yourself.
23 - Don’t Move Your Emerald Ash-Borer Wood until October
24 - Watch This Burglary Prevention Video
25 - Low Income Families Can Use FoodShare Benefits at Farmer’s Markets
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ARTICLES (All articles are written by Mary Mullen unless noted otherwise.)
ACTIVITIES, IN ORDER
1 - Mosaic Action Figures Are Being Installed This Week
(Attachments: “1 roundabout mosaics.jpg” & “2 pics kid mosaics recap.jpg”)
The long-awaited action figures that have been turned into mosaics are this very week being installed near the roundabout near MacDonald’s.
It’s been a long haul from initial presentation of the idea in the spring of 2013 to the realization of the mosaics and now their placing on the panels near the roundabout.
The artist, Elizabeth Doyle, was chosen in 2013. A year later, in February of 2014, she held workshops in the neighborhood. Was your child one who got traced at Prairie UU Society, at Second Baptist Church, or the Boys and Girls Club?
Next, in March 2014, kids and adults had a chance to draw and color what they wanted to see inside the action figures.
The artist made a final selection of figures and designs and then set up more workshops where kids and adults could actually place the glass pieces on the tracings. That happened in June and July of 2014. Some were done at Prairie UU Society. Others were fashioned at the Boys and Girls Club.
The original schedule called for installation in the fall of 2014, but you know how construction goes. The installation site wasn’t completed until just this May.
You might want to stop by near MacDonalds to see these fabulous action figures being mortared to the panels facing the roundabout. It looks like the mosaics will all be attached this week, but there’s another step, grouting the spaces between the tiny pieces of glass.
If you want to see what’s going on, drive the Verona frontage road over to MacDonalds to see how the work is progressing.
For photos of the installation work, look at the attachment “1 roundabout mosaics.jpg” For a recap of the whole project, look at the attachment “2 pics kid mosaics recap.jpg.” For larger photos of the project in progress from start to finish, one good place to look is the Facebook page “Verona Road Mosaic Project” https://www.facebook.com/veronaroadmosaic <file://localhost/veronaroadmosaic> . The March 12, 2014 issue of the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood e-News also has additional photos in a photo collage. Go to http://dunnsmarsh.blogspot.com/ and find that issue.
A dedication event is scheduled for June 20 at 1:00 p.m.
2 - Dawley Bike Hub Grand Opening and Celebration of Better Biking in Fitchburg, June 6
from Fitchburg
Please join Mayor Steve Arnold on June 6th from 9-10 a.m. for a Ribbon- Cutting Ceremony and Grand Opening of the Dawley Bike Hub, 3040 S. Seminole Hwy. This grand opening will include a celebration of the new hub and numerous bicycle improvements that were completed in 2014 as a collaboration of multiple agencies, including:
· Dawley Bike Hub, funding by Fitchburg and PARC
· Cannonall Path and Military Ridge Path, funding by Fitchburg and WisDOT
· Apache Pond Boardwalk connection to Belmar neighborhood, funding by Fitchburg and PARC
· Military Ridge Path Overpass of McKee Road and tunnel under Sprocket Drive, funding by WisDOT and Fitchburg
· Dane County Seminole Mountain Bike Trails, funding by Dane County Parks and CORP
Biking just got better in Fitchburg thanks to the contributions from the City of Fitchburg, Dane County Partners for Area Recreation (PARC), Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), Capitol Off Road Pathfinders (CORP), and Dane County Parks!
There is limited parking available at the Dawley Bike Hub. It’s not too hard to bike over from our neighborhood, but if you want to drive, overflow parking is available on-street in the Pine Ridge neighborhood located to the south on Croix and Arapaho Drive. Walk along the paved path on the west side of Seminole Highway to reach the Hub.
3 - Guided Ride on June 6th Highlights Fitchburg Bike Paths and Stormwater Features
(Attachment: “3 map - bike tour.jpg”)
from Fitchburg
Bring your bikes to the Dawley Bike Hub and join a guided ride from 10:30 a.m.-noon following the Dawley Bike Hub ribbon- cutting celebration. Friends of Capital Springs Recreation Area (FCSRA) is sponsoring the guided bike ride from the Dawley Bike Hub to the Summer Trails Festival near Lussier Family Heritage Center, 3101 Lake Farm Road, Madison. Fitchburg’s Environmental Engineer, Rick Eilertson, will guide the biking tour of the Lewis Nine Springs E-Way, highlighting recent bicycle and stormwater improvements and their positive impacts on the Capital Springs State Recreation Area. Visit www.fitchburgwi.gov/stormwater for a map and tour schedule.
3a - Enjoy SummerTrails Festival at Lake Farm Co. Park on the Cap City Trail, June 6
from Madison Audubon
Don’t miss this family friendly, special event to celebrate National Trails Day.
When: June 6, 2015 at 11:00am to 4:00pm
Location: Across from the Lussier Family Heritage Center at Lake Farm County Park (along the Capital City Bike Trail)
Address: 3101 Lake Farm Road, Madison, WI 53711
Led by: Madison Audubon Society, Friends of Capital Springs Recreation Area, and Dane County Parks
Cost: $5 per person, $15 per family; Kids 3 and under = FREE!
Kick off your summer along the beautiful Capital City Trail at Summer Trails Festival! This event celebrates National Trails Day (a fee-free day for all Dane County trails) and is a great way to start your summer outdoor adventures!
- Hit the trail and explore one of Dane County's most beautiful parks on a naturalist-guided hike
- Get up-close and personal with a variety of LIVE birds and wildlife, including a peregrine falcon, a turkey vulture, and a variety of reptiles and amphibians
- Enjoy fresh eats from local food carts and wash it down with a craft beer from The Great Dane or a refreshing cold-brewed coffee from Just Coffee Cooperative <http://justcoffee.coop/> (food and beverages sold separate from event cost)
- Find out more about the natural areas in your own backyard by chatting with Friends of Capital Springs Recreation Area volunteers and Dane County Parks Service staff
- Create your own birdfeeder from recycled materials and take it home to attract backyard birds
- Younger participants can enjoy our nature-themed story tent, face painting, or get their photo taken with Madison Mallard's mascot, Maynard!
Come and go as you please - and enjoy all that Summer Trails Fest has to offer! Your $5 entry donation directly benefits Madison Audubon Society and Friends of Capital Springs Recreation Area <http://www.friendsofcapitalsprings.org/> .
Summer Trails Festival is sponsored by several non-profits and area businesses who work to actively promote outdoor activity and nature education and enjoyment. Beyond the event partners of Madison Audubon <http://madisonaudubon.org/> and Friends of Capital Springs Recreation Area <http://www.friendsofcapitalsprings.org/> , Summer Trails Festival is sponsored by Dane County Parks <file://localhost/lwrd/parks> , Wheels for Winners <http://www.wheelsforwinners.org/> , Just Coffee Cooperative <http://justcoffee.coop/> , Fontana Sports Specialties <http://www.fontanasports.com> , the Madison Mallards <http://northwoodsleague.com/madison-mallards/> , the Madison Area Herpetological Society <http://madisonherps.org/> , The Great Dane Pub & Brewery, Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District <http://www.madsewer.org/> , Wegner CPAs, Baer Insurance <http://www.baerinsurance.com/wisconsin-illinois/> , Pots-n-Tots Food Cart <http://www.pots-n-tots.com/> , Ich Leibe Dich Gourmet Mac-n-Cheese <http://www.ildmacncheese.com/> , Jay Handy, and Home Savings Bank.
4 - Ride the Drive, Sunday, June 7
from City of Madison
Madison Parks is pleased to bring Ride the Drive, presented by Trek, back for its seventh year! The event on city streets downtown will take place from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 7. Ride the Drive is a community event that turns Madison's signature streets into a public promenade that is open to cyclists, walkers, rollerbladers, and residents out to enjoy car-free streets. Ride the Drive is more than just a bike ride - with music, activities, and fun stopping points along the way - there is something for everyone.
The Ride is 5 miles long and includes John Nolen Drive, Blair Street, East Washington Avenue, two sides of the Square, State Street, West Gilman, North Francis Stree, West Dayton, North Bedford, and Proudfit. All these streets will be car-free. There are activities, entertainment, music and vendors in “villages” on the route. Ride the Drive villages are stopping points along the route that include all kinds of family friendly activities, food, information booths, merchandise tents, art displays, and bouncy houses.
The “villages” are on the Square, in Brittingham Park, Olin Park, and on John Nolen Drive just east of Monona Terrace.
Much more information is available on the City of Madison website at http://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/ridethedrive/ <http://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/ridethedrive/>
5 - Fitchburg Hosts Bike Week Commuter Station at Bike Roundabout on June 9th
(Attachment: “3 map - bike tour.jpg”)
from Fitchburg
Bike commuters are invited to stop for coffee, food, and a bike tune-up on Tuesday, June 9th from 7-9 a.m. at Fitchburg’s bike commuter station. The commuter station is part of Wisconsin Bike Week events and will be located at the bike path roundabout near the convergence of Capitol City and Badger State Trails and Military Ridge, Cannonball and Southwest bike paths.
There are 2 easy routes from the neighborhood. Take the Cannonball Path to the west past Dunn’s Marsh. Get onto the Cannonball from Seminole Highway or via the bike/ped bridge at Apache Pond. Those on the west side the the neighborhood can ride down the Southwest Commuter Path that parallels Allied Drive, then turn off just before the high bridge. Or go over the high bridge and turn left at the first opportunity to go downhill to the convergence of all the paths.
Mayor Steve Arnold will greet riders before joining the Wisconsin Bike Federation’s Community Ride at 7:15 a.m. to the Capitol Square location of Colectivo Coffee Roasters. In addition to Mayor Arnold, join local community leaders Michael Johnson, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County and Peter Gray, board chair of the Wisconsin Bike Fed.
This event is sponsored by the City of Fitchburg, Fitchburg Bicycling Advocates, Fitchburg Chamber of Commerce, Barriques and Fitchburg Cycles. Many thanks to all of our community sponsors!
[EDITOR’S NOTE: The map shows the June 6 bike tour. The bike roundabout is Stop 2 on that map.]
6 - DMNA Council Meeting, June 11
As usual, the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Council will meet on the second Thursday of the month. This month that’s June 11. Meeting time is 7 pm. Location is Prairie UU Society, 2010 Whenona Drive. Enter the building from the Crawford Drive side.
If you want the Council to discuss an issue, it’s best to let the president know ahead of time, so the agenda can list the topic. Contact President Mary Mullen, (608)298-0843 or mmullen4337@charter.net
The Council welcomes any and all neighborhood residents to our meetings.
7 - Save Our Children, Especially Sons, Fundraiser, June 13
This information is from a poster distributed by the Allied-Dunn’s Marsh Nelighborhood Association (ADMNA), our sister neighborhood association which concentrates most of its efforts on the Allied area, the western part of the neighborhood.
A gala event with a purpose is being held on Saturday, June 13, from 3:00-5:00 pm at the Boys & Girls Club, 4619 Jenewein Road. It will include dinner, speakers, and entertainment. The purpose is to raise funds, in the words of the poster: to “SAVE OUR CHILDREN, especially our SONS.”
Tickets are $25 each or $100 for a table of 6. Checks should be made payable to the ADMNA, 2225 Allied Drive, Madison, WI 53711.
For more information, contact Selena Pettigrew at (608) 217-3639 or selenapettigrew@gmail.com
8 - Fit2Go Van Coming to Marlborough Park Every Tuesday, June 16-August 18
Madison School & Community Recreation’s Fit2Go Van will be coming to Marlborough Park every Tuesday from 5:00-7:00 pm starting June 16. Yeah! The van comes with essential fitness equipment and staff to run all the activities.
Kailey Pesik is the young woman in charge of the Fit2Go van which comes with hula hoops, jump ropes, equipment for obstacle races and disc golf. This would be a great chance for teens, younger kids, and adults to learn disc golf, one of the fastest growing sports in recent years. Two MSCR employees come with the Fit2Go Van, Kailey and one of the other two helpers, Cheryl or Audie.
It’s best if families come together so that parents can sign the liability waiver. If parents can’t come, a caretaker age 18 or older may sign the waiver.
If you have a young family, bring your kids for a good time every Tuesday, starting June 16. The Tuesday early evening activities will continue through August 18.
Look for the van in Marlborough Park. It will on the west side soccer field if it gets there before soccer players do. Otherwise, it might go to the softball field below the community gardens and west of the shelter. For updates in case of rain, check the Facebook pages of the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association and Marlborough Community Garden.
For questions and more information, contact Kailey Pesik, (608) 204-3031 or kmpesik@madison.k12.wi.us
By the way, if you are become interested in disc golf, there are chanllenging disc golf courses in Elver Park, 1250 McKenna Blvd and Hiestand Park, 4302 Milwaukee Street. For kids 15 and younger these courses are free. For older kids and adults a daily pass is $5.00 or an annual pass is $40. More information is available at http://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/discgolf/ .
9 - Verona Road Action Figure Mosaics Dedication To Be Held June 20
Come to the dedication of the the action figure mosaics on Saturday, June 20, starting at 1:00 pm. The mosaics are located at 4687 Verona Road near MacDonald’s facing the roundabout under Verona Road.
If you want to sign up to attend, go to the Facebook page of Verona Road Mosaic Dedication:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1626487184275549/ <file://localhost/events/1626487184275549>
10 - All Day Music at Prairie Society, Sunday, June 21
Like music? Then Sunday, June 21, will be your day on the grounds of Prairie Unitarian Universalist Society in the neighborhood (corner of Whenona and Crawford). Continuing the tradition of participating in Make Music Madison, for the third year in a row the DMNA and Prairie UU Society are sponsoring hours of music on the summer solstice, outdoors and free.
The “show” will kick-off at 9:50 a.m. with an all-music program put on by Prairie UU musicians. Then other musicians will appear throughout the day, ending at 7:15 pm. That’s about 9 hours of music. If it’s rainy, the show must go on, but everyone will just move inside.
In addition, Prairie will be hosting an open house at “the Annex,” the house next door at 2006 Whenona Drive. The church purchased this house over a year ago and has totally remodeled it. Like the church, it will be available for rentals. Check it out.
If you plan to be on the grounds around noon or supper time, bring a picnic lunch so you don’t get hungry. Bottled water will be available for purchase. “Just Bakery” will also be selling their baked goods from 11 a.m. until they run out. The bakery, employing people who were formerly encarcerated, makes scrumptious cookies and sweet rolls among other things.
For your own comfort, you might also want to bring a lawn chair or blanket. Knitters will have plenty of time to carry on their favorite hobby while listening.
Here’s the tentative schedule.
9:50 - Prairie UU musicians present an all-music program that will include a French horn group to make a loud and joyful noise, the Prairie choir, several vocalists, an accordion player, and a singalong of rounds and hymns. Nobody will be put on the spot religious-wise. Come to enjoy the music.
11:00 - Marilyn Duguid plays bagpipes.
11:15 - Mad Town Spoken Word is a group of young men performing their original poems.
11:30 - Helen Avakian (international fingerstyle champion, singer, & songwriter) & Dave Irwin (guitarist) will perform some jazz, Brazilian, Celtic, and contemporary folk music.
12:00 - Dan Proud, guitar and vocals, will be doing Welsh, 60s folk & original material.
12:15 - Guitarists Few & Proud - A vets’ guitar group does singalong standards.
12:30 - Guitars for Vets play guitar and sing rock/pop/country/folk standards for singing along. This group has been very popular the past 2 years.
1:00 - Dark of the Moon Contra-Band - Mary Mullen’s women’s folk band plays traditional music from Europe & America. You can dance waltzes, polkas, and schottisches if you like.
1:45 - Just Duet - Cindy Harrington (from the neighborhood) and Angela Smith sing with the goal of making a more peaceful world.
2:15 - Dave (singer & guitarist) & Mitch (violin) play songs from folk/rock history mixed with a bit of Country/Bluegrass/Swing for good measure.
2:45 - TBA - Donna Sarafin is hoping to get a drumming group going. Bring your hand drum if you have one.
3:15 - Rex Loker & Kevin Royalty sing contemporary songs to make you think, delivered in harmony, backed with guitar & banjo.
4:00 - Ballet Folklorica will bring 3 young girls in colorful costumes to perform Mexican dances. These girls live right in our neighborhood.
4:30 - The Raging Grannies sing original protest songs to familiar melodies.
5:00 - The Oaknut Duet is two women playing classical violin duets.
5:30 - Dave Schindele performs originals and a selection of covers with keyboard and voice.
6:00 - Traditional Frequency is two performers playing traditional Irish and other world folk music.
6:30 - 7:15 - Steve Erbs plays original slack key delta blues-inspired instrumentals in open tuning.
11 - Neighborhood Book Club Discusses Life of Pi June 25
Call up Thea Bach, hike on over to the library, or let your fingers do the walking to get your copy of The Life of Pi. This is the neighborhood book club’s first selection.
The discussion will be held on Thursday, June 25, at 6 pm, on Thea and John Bach’s back porch, 1905 Danbury Street. Bring food, too, as the readers will be having a potluck meal as well.
Since this is a Madison Public Library Book Club kit, and Thea got the kit, she has extra books for lending - 2 in fact.
For more information, or to get a copy of the book, contact Thea at 274-7730.
12 - Mad City Vegan Fest - Free and Open to the Public, June 27
from Alliance for Animals
Saturday, June 27, 2015 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Goodman Community Center, 149 Waubesa Street, Madison
www.veganfest.org <http://www.veganfest.org>
Where anyone and everyone - from curious omnivores to longtime vegans - can enjoy delicious vegan food and find helpful information on protecting animals, the environment, and your health. Inspiring speakers, a vegan food court, awesome raffle prizes, and vegan-minded exhibitors. Plus, lots of free samples.
Mad City Vegan Fest is a project of Alliance for Animals and the Environment <http://allanimals.org/> , Wisconsin's voice for animals since 1983.
OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
13 - Neighbor Dick Robinson Passes (Attachment: “4 ltr Dick Robinson.jpg”)
A well-beloved neighbor who had been active in the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association (DMNA) and in Marlborough Community Garden died earlier this week, Dick Robinson of Crawford Drive. Dick was 88.
An open house was held at his home last Friday. It was well attended by relatives from near and far as well as neighbors.
Back in February when I was delivering newsletters door to door, I stopped in to see the Robinsons. Dick was out, but his wife Barbara shared a scrapbook filled with letters and pictures from their 50th wedding anniversary which they celebrated in 2006. To a person, the friends commented on how friendly, neighborly, and hospitable the Robinsons were. They’ve lived at the same house on Crawford Drive since the late 1950s.
One letter in that scrapbook is a from a co-worker who describes Dick as “A fine man indeed!” and then goes on to mention Dick’s work as a Soils Engineer for the Wisconsin Highway Department. Read that letter which is attached to this e-mail. Among other things, you’ll find out that Dick wrote the Wisconsin Soils Manual.
Dick was not only a good neighbor, but he was civic-minded. From 1978-1983 he served on the DMNA Neighborhood Council.
Dick was an avid gardener, and for many years kept a neat garden in the Marlborough Community Garden. Not a man to shirk responsibility, from 1988-1991 he also managed the Marlborough Community Garden when it that was a responsibility of the DMNA. Before the hydrants were installed in the garden, the Robinsons also supplied the garden with water in the spring. It was kept in garbage cans on the north edge of the long garden.
In memory of Dick, below is printed an article that he wrote about the geology of the Dunn’s Marsh area. “Take a Giant Step Back in Time” was originally printed in the August 28,1978, issue of the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood News. Back then, the Neighborhood News was a hardcopy 4-page newsletter delivered door-to-door every month to about 900 hourseholds. The article is also included in the neighborhood history book, In Our Own Words: The Best of the Dunn’s Marsh News.
To learn more about Dick’s life, read his obituary online at
http://www.cressfuneralservice.com/obituary/137508/Richard-Robinson/
14 - Take A Giant Step Back in Time, by Dick Robinson
reprinted from the book In Our Own Words: The Best of the Dunn’s Marsh News
The Dunn's Marsh area, as we know it today, is a landform resulting from complex geologic actions that have taken place over millions of years. If you can visualize a narrow valley about 300 feet deep carved in limestone and sandstone, trending northeastward from Verona to Lake Wingra and under Dunn's Marsh, you have an idea of the "Basement" beneath the area. If you can further visualize huge ice sheets advancing and covering this area, scouring hilltops and filling the valley, you have an idea of the geologic forces that formed the basic landscape scene that we view today.
Valleys similar to the buried one beneath the area can be seen today in southwest Wisconsin as, for instance, in parts of the Kickapoo Valley. However, this buried valley was a tributary to an ancestral Yahara River Valley that underlies the Madison Lakes chain and extends to Janesville roughly coincident with the present Yahara River Valley. Rock depths in the area reach a maximum of about 140 feet beneath Dunn's Marsh. Short distances to the east and west, rock outcrops are found at ground levels. These rocks are of Cambrian and Ordovician ages and are found in the upper limestone bedrock capping the hills in the quarries on either side of Verona Road.
Evidence of glaciation can be seen also in the limestone exposures in the form of glacial striations, which are scratches on the rock surface formed by stones lodged in the base of the ice as it moved over the rock. Particularly interesting examples of striations and gouging can be found at the top of the quarry on CTH "PD" west of Verona Road. [EDITOR’S NOTE: Target occupies one side of the one road now.]
Dunn's Marsh itself was most likely formed by an ice block buried in glacial debris. As the ice block melted, a depression was left forming a somewhat broad, shallow kettle. A more perfect but much smaller kettle can be seen in the southeast comer of the junction of CTH "PD" and Seminole Highway. [EDITOR’s NOTE: This kettle in the southeast quadrant of the intersection was destroyed between 1988-1990 by the developers of Seminole Forest commercial area. New manmade ponds were created in the northeast and southwest quadrants.] The broad upland immediately surrounding the marsh is called a "moraine". This is an ancient French word used to describe ridges formed by glaciers in the French Alps, and in this case, describes the hills left adjacent to the front of a temporary re-advance of the ice front from the Lake Wingra basin.
Material filling the valley southwest of the marsh towards Verona is called "outwash", or material washed out from the melting ice mass. This material is usually well sorted, and obviously a good source of aggregate for construction purposes.
The final act to finish the landscape came after the glaciers melted away approximately 30,000 years ago, and thick deposits of loess, or windblown silt, settled over the bare glacial deposits. Today, loess deposits range from 4 to 8 feet thick over much of Dane County and some form the better soils in the garden area of Marlborough Park.
Gradually, grasses, trees and plants came into the area, eventually establishing a cover of mixed hardwoods with underlying grasses on the uplands to provide the finished, but still geologically temporary, landscape as we see it today.
- by Dick Robinson Aug., 1978
15 - Saga of the Neighborhood Sign Ends Well (Attachment: “5 pics neighborhood sign.jpg”)
It seemed like a year, but it really took just 2 months to complete the relocation of the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood sign from the Beltline frontage road to its new location at 2400 Seminole Highway where Daisy Drive comes out. Well, more than 2 months if you consider the time we got our first inkling that it had to be removed.
That notice came on February 27 in the form of a phone call from neighbor Glen Yoerger who learned of the requirement to move the sign because he works for the City of Madison. The sign was removed on March 31. The plantings were taken out on April 1. The sign was installed at its new spot on May 23. And, finally, the plants were replanted on May 31. Sounds easy told that way in the passive voice, but there’s more to the story.
It’s a story about the volunteers. Without them, perhaps we would have no sign because the sidewalk from Whenona to Seminole had to go in, and the sign had to go. Here are the steps and the volunteers. Be sure to look at the picture collage for the visuals.
Step 1: Get the sign out. Thanks to Glen Yoerger, Kim Zinski, their girls Sage and Olivia, and Mary Mullen. It helped to have Glen’s battery-operated screwdriver, many hands to carry the sign and its heavy posts, and a nice big van to haul it all away to Glen’s garage.
Step 2: Save the native plantings that were just 2 ½ years old. Thanks to Kim Zinski, her girls Sage and Olivia, and Mary Mullen who dug them out and put them in buckets and bags, mostly on April 1. Sometimes it was hard to tell if we got all the plants. Many had not sprouted from their winter sleep. Most were stored on Kim’s north-facing back porch. The rest were parked on Mary’s north-facing front stoop.
Step 3: Search for new locations. That job fell to Glen Yoerger, Fitchburg Alder Dorothy Krause, and Mary Mullen. Thank goodness it was a sunny, though cool, morning on March 17. They chose 4 locations and prioritized them.
Step 4: Contact the owners of the first location, an empty mowed space near apartments on Seminole Highway not to far from the Cannonball Path. After several calls to find out the owners and sending an e-mail with pictures of the sign, Mary Mullen got a negative answer. Phooey! Contact the second owner. Glen Yoerger hit the jackpot when owner Craig Kimball at 2400 Seminole Highway graciously agreed to letting us place the sign at the narrow end of his property.
Step 5: Meet with Craig Kimball several times to talk more specifically about location. Glen did that, too, since he had made the initial contact. Craig agreed to cut down several shrubs to allow for the sign. He was so much more accommodating than those apartment owners who would have had to do absolutely nothing except give permission.
Step 6: Get all the necessary City of Madison permissions for specific location of the sign. Fortuitously, Glen Yoerger works in the City of Madison Engineering Department, so he knew just how to do this, and he carried the ball with the City through April and May.
Step 7: Authorize expenditures for topsoil and shredded bark for the plantings around the sign. Thanks to the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association for approving up to $200 at its April 9 meeting.
Step 8: Dig in the sign at 2400 Seminole Highway. Kudos to Glen Yoerger, Kim Zinski, their girls Sage and Olivia, Ford Stabe, and DMNA Council member Rachel Potter for their work on May 23.
Step 9: Obtain the blended topsoil and shredded bark. Fortunately, Rachel Potter has friends with a truck, and she took care of getting these materials from Midwest Decorative Stone on that very rainy Saturday, May 30. That saved about $70. With some help from Mary Mullen, she unloaded the pick-up at the sign site.
Step 10: Plant the plants. This took place on May 31. Many thanks to Kim Zinski and daughters Sage and Olivia for bringing the plants from their back porch and to Glen Yoerger for marking where they could be planted. Katherine Vanderbilt, Elvice McAlpine, Mary Mullen dug out the sod, spread the topsoil, put the plants in and mulched them. It took 5 hours. Several people stopped to watch, and some of them thanked us for our work. Homeowner Craig Kimball rolled out his hose to give the planting a good soaking in their new home.
Katherine, who has one of the greenest thumbs in the neighborhood, will continue to look after the plants.
As you enjoy the sign and its plantings next time you drive north up Seminole Highway from Daisy, Clover, Sentinel Pass, or further south, we hope you think of how much work it took to put it there. Since it is a
1-sided sign, only northbound traffic can see it, but you can also check it out by going south to the end of Danbury and turning the corner onto Daisy and Seminole.
16 - Marlborough Park Gets 10 New Trees (Attachment: “6 pics trees.jpg”)
Marlborough Park gained 10 new free trees on May 9 when the Urban Tree Alliance sponsored a tree-planting event. One Kentucky Coffeetree, 1 Redmond Linden, 2 Turkish Filberts, 2 White Oaks, 2 Chinquapin Oaks, and 2 Ironwoods were planted.
The project was undertaken after consultation with Madison Parks, individuals, and the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association. Patricia Lindquist, Associate Director of the Urban Tree Alliance, came to the December 2014 DMNA Council meeting to explain the project. It was required that individuals adopt each park tree and agree to care for it for 2 entire growing seasons. Care means watering the tree every week during the 2015 growing season and every other week during the the 2016 growing season.
The people who stepped up to mother the trees are Susan Tesarik, Rachel Potter, and Mary Mullen from the neighborhood and Jess & Rich Bernstein from Verona. Since there are 10 trees, most adoptive parents took several.
Previously, the UTA had offered free trees to individuals for their yards. 28 trees had been planted in the neighborhood last fall. People in the Belmar part of the neighborhood were the most interested in that with 20 of the trees planted those who asked for them. People in the Marlborough area requested most of the rest.
16a - Want Your Own Free Tree?
Individuals may still be able to 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
17 - Forest Arises Along Verona Road (Attachment: “6 pics trees.jpg”)
I don’t know about you, but I started feeling a lot better about the Verona Road Project when it finally entered the landscaping stage. Since spring arrived, muddy areas have been replaced with a carpet of new green sod, and a forest is arising along Verona Road and the other locations that have been so torn up for 2 years. Literally, scores of trees of different varieties have been planted.
Here are the names of some of them.
· Pear - Cleveland Select (The fruits are less than ½ in but the tree flowers nicely.)
· Autum Gold Gingko
· Kentucky Coffeetree
· Marmo Maple
· Lilac “Ivory Silk,” a flowering tree
· Hybrid Swamp x Bur Oak
· Hackberry
· Hawthorn, also a nice flowering tree
You’ll notice that none of them are ash trees, and with a reason: the emerald ash borer that is killing trees around here.
18 - Busy Beltline Statements - Do They Conflict?
This tidbit about the busy Beltline somehow came to my attention. It was in an opinion article in the Wisconsin State Journal last November 14.
“The DOT found that 45 percent of the traffic on Highway 18-151 heading from Verona to the Madison Beltline doesn’t drive into the city but instead is destined for the I-39-90 intersection.“
Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/opinion/editorial/busy-beltline-needs-relief-improvement/article_9a7c5b00-316b-595c-a6b0-36441781c4f7.html#ixzz3VQiipA2V <http://host.madison.com/news/opinion/editorial/busy-beltline-needs-relief-improvement/article_9a7c5b00-316b-595c-a6b0-36441781c4f7.html#ixzz3VQiipA2V>
This seems to conflict with what DOT officials say at official open house information sessions. There they tell the audience that most traffic that gets onto the Beltline and then gets off 2 or 3 intersections later. Maybe “most” means 55%?
Just a thought.
19 - Habitat Homes To Populate Renaissance Subdivision
Habitat for Humanity will be building homes on all the rest of the empty lots in the Renaissance subdivision. Work has started on the first that will be located on Equity Lane.
Habitat Homes are built by volunteers which include the new owners who must contribute sweat equity in order to qualify for a home.
Photos above . Left, the family that is putting sweat equity into the house. Center: A volunteer crew works on a 2/4 panel that will become a wall. Right: The location on Equity Lane that is being prepared for the house.
20 - Allied Community Co-Op To Start Buying Club
The Allied Community Co-op held an open house on Saturday, May 30, to celebrate the partnership that it is developing with Divine Orders Catering and to launch a buying club for the neighborhood.
The event was held at Divine Orders Catering new Deli and Event Hall, 1338 S. Midvale Blvd. That’s in the lower level of the Dorn Hardware strip mall. Bet you never even knew this location existed unless you were a fishing and camping aficionado looking for outdoor equipment in Dorn’s lower level.
People who attended and joined the Co-op for just $1 got a nice t-shirt as well as a chance to mark what products they would like to have the grocery buying club carry. It is anticipated that the Allied Community Co-op Buying Club will offer about 100 items at first. It will be housed at Divine Orders Catering. The Allied Community Co-op is being advised by the Willy Street Co-op.
A few months ago the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association became a member of the Co-op, donating $20 to the cause.
For more information about the buying club, call Janie at (608) 515-7528
21- Neighbor Writes Article for Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine
“Rubble flew. Dust filled the air. Everything settled in a sudden calm. After the routine blast, an unexpected opening in the rock appeared along the limestone quarry wall on Brigham Farm in Blue Mounds. Light had entered the hollow for the first time in an era, revealing a cavern hundreds of feet long. The workers knew that small southwestern Wisconsin town would never be the same.”
This is the second paragraph of neighbor Kim Anderson’s article about Cave of the Mounds. It’s in the June issue of the Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine. The title of the article is “Where history and nature meet” with the subtitle “Cave of the Mounds: The Story of a Wisconsin Treasure.”
Read the whole article yourself online at http://dnr.wi.gov/wnrmag/2015/06/history.htm
Kimberly Anderson is the operations manager at Cave of the Mounds. She lives in the Marlborough part of the neighborhood.
MISCELLANEOUS
Ticks and Mosquitoes – They´re Back!
Time to Pay Attention to Protecting Yourself from these Unhealthful Pests
from City of Madison
MADISON WI – May 18, 2015 – With the weather warming up, we can finally start spending more time outside. While enjoying this outdoor time, it´s important to remember to protect yourself from the seasonal health risks provided by mosquitoes and ticks. Each of these pests presents us with different potential threats to our health.
MOSQUITOES
Mosquitoes get very active at dawn and dusk and we can usually see them and hear them buzzing around our ears. One variety of mosquito found here is capable of carrying West Nile Virus (WNV). Although your chances of getting bitten by an infected mosquito are small, it still is worthwhile to take appropriate precautions to avoid getting bitten.
Most people infected with WNV will not display symptoms. Those who do show symptoms may develop a fever, headache, rash, muscle and joint aches, nausea, vomiting and fatigue that can last a few days. In rare cases, WNV can cause severe disease including encephalitis and meningitis. There is no specific treatment for WNV infection other than to treat symptoms. If you think you have WNV infection, contact your healthcare provider.
To help track the presence of WNV in Dane County report any sick or dead blue jays and crows you see by calling the Dead Bird Hotline at 1-800-433-1610.
While we can´t predict whether this will be a particularly bad summer for mosquitoes, we can be sure that these annoying and sometimes threatening little bugs will be around. So do your best to avoid getting bitten.
To prevent mosquito bites, wear insect repellant and long sleeves and pants when outside, especially early in the morning and at night. For more detailed information regarding West Nile virus and how to protect yourself against mosquito bites, visit:
www.cdc.gov/westnile/index.html. For information on insect repellents: http://cfpub.epa.gov/oppref/insect/.
For more information regarding West Nile virus in Wisconsin, visit: www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/communicable/ArboviralDiseases/WestNileVirus/Index
For information on WNV and PHMDC´s mosquito monitoring efforts, see
http://www.publichealthmdc.com/disease/westNile/index.cfm
You can also call PHMDC at (608) 266-4821 with questions about WNV.
TICKS
Ticks (usually deer or blacklegged ticks) present a different set of issues and threats. First, they are sneaky, hiding themselves in wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter and slyly attaching themselves to any exposed skin, often without you feeling anything. These ticks can carry bacteria, viruses, and parasites that cause human disease, including Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, and Powassan. Lyme disease is the most common illness that we have seen in Dane County but ticks infected with these other organisms have been found in other counties in Wisconsin.
The risk of catching a tick borne illness is highest from spring through summer when the ticks are most active.
Signs and symptoms of Lyme disease may occur 3 days to 30 days after the bite from an infected tick and can include a rash that looks like a bulls-eye, fever and chills, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes. The disease can be treated with antibiotics when detected early. If left untreated, Lyme disease can result in debilitating arthritis, and serious heart and nervous system complications.
To prevent tick bites and reduce the risk of getting tick borne diseases be sure to use insect repellant and wear long pants and long sleeves. Check yourself, your children and pets for ticks after being in wooded or tall grass areas. See the websites listed below for more detailed information on preventing and managing tick bites.
If you are bitten by a blacklegged tick, call your healthcare provider to discuss whether you should take preventive antibiotics.
For more information on tick borne diseases:
www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/
For details on now to help prevent Lyme disease through actions you can take in your yard, see www.cdc.gov/lyme/prev/in_the_yard.html
23 - Don’t Move Your Emerald Ash-Borer Wood until October - from City of Madison
Did you know EAB - Emerald Ash Borer - infested wood may not be moved into or within Madison city limits from April through September? This is a City ordinance and subject to a fine up to $500 per day. Time outside of these six months (October through March) movement of infested wood is permitted.
Simply, if you currently have infested wood leave it until October.
Many of the ash trees in the city are infected by this insect that bores beneath the bark and eventually kills the tree. If you have cut an ash tree, just leave the wood in your yard until fall
24 - Watch This Burglary Prevention Video
from West Police District
West District officers Tom Grosse and Scott Favour put together this short video with some helpful burglary prevention tips : http://www.cityofmadison.com/police/west/blotter.cfm?Id=6486
If you have an attached garage with a door that opens into the garage, you’ll learn how to make that door nearly impossible to break into.
By the way, the burglars who were responsible for rash of break-ins in the Marlborough section of the neighborhood last summer and fall were caught. Still, it pays to be alert and notice strangers who might be casing the neighborhood.
25 - Low Income Families Can Use FoodShare Benefits at Farmer’s Markets
from Dane Co. Exec. Joe Parisi, City of Madison, and Community Action Coalition
Dane County has a national reputation for its robust local foods economy – local food sales contribute nearly $3 million to our local economy, and the City of Madison is home to the largest farmer’s market in the county on the Capitol Square.
To expand access and affordability of the fresh, healthy produce our county is known for, Dane County and the City of Madison are partnering with Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin (CAC) to enable more low-income families in Dane County to use their FoodShare benefits at participating farmer’s markets across the county.
Markets that accept FoodShare through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) allow people to easily exchange their benefits for market vouchers. The customer can then buy fruits, vegetables, honey, cheese, eggs, meat and more, directly from a local grower.
Participating markets include Madison’s Dane County Farmer’s Market on the Capitol Square, the Westside, Northside, Eastside and South Madison Farmers’ Markets, as well as the Monona Farmer’s Market. CAC is working with community partners and other farmer’s markets in Dane County to raise awareness of the program and expand EBT use in the future.
The initiative also includes the “Double Dollars” program. Double Dollars provides Farmers’ Market EBT program participants with matching dollars for that day’s market purchase, up to $25.00, to help maximize the FoodShare dollars they’re spending and ensure they can afford the produce they need. Double Dollars is available at Madison’s Northside, Westside, and Eastside Farmer’s markets, and at the Monona Farmer’s Market.
For many families, their local farmer’s market is the closest grocery store, or their only grocery store. By allowing more low-income families to use their FoodShare benefit, fresh local produce is no longer a luxury, but a healthy alternative that more people can afford.
To join the partnership, please contact Nahrissa Rush at Community Acton Coalition for South Central Wisconsin, Inc. via phone at 608-246-4730 ext. 208 or send an e-mail to: nahrissar@cacscw.org.
To sign up for FoodShare and/or to determine your eligibility, please visit https://access.wisconsin.gov/ <https://access.wisconsin.gov/> .
from Dane Co. Exec. Joe Parisi, City of Madison, and Community Action Coalition
---- End of the June 5 issue of The Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood e-News ----
Thanks for reading.
