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Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood e-News
December 6, 2012
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, Bob Hague, bphague@tds.net 218-1760
News contact, Mary Mullen, mmullen@chorus.net 298-0843
Website: http://www.dunnsmarsh.org (under construction)
On Facebook: Just type Dunn’s Marsh into the Facebook search box.
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Editor’s Note: This issue features many attachments. If your e-mail program appends the first page of attachments to the end of your e-mail, get a visual preview of the e-News by going there first.
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CALENDAR (with reference to article numbers for further information)
Thur., Dec. 6 - Free Movie, “Dive,” 6:30 pm, Fitchburg Public Library, #14
Tues., Dec. 11 - Free Movie, “The Clean Bin Project,” 6:30 pm, Monona Public Library, #14
Wed., Dec. 12, Verona Road project “open house,” 5-8 pm, Upper Iowa University
Thur, Dec. 13 - DMNA Council Meeting, 7 pm, Prairie UU, #5
Thur, Jan. 10 - DMNA Council Meeting, 7 pmm Prairie UU, #5
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ARTICLES in the December 6, 2012 Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood e-News
1 - Need a Nursery School For Your Young Child? 9Attachment: “Nursery school ad.jpg”)
NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
2 - DMNA Chooses New Council (Attachment: “1 pics annual mtg.doc”)
3 - DMNA Council Authorizes 6 Committees for the Coming Year. Will You Join One?
4 - Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association Members Approve Expanded Service Area
(Attachment: “2 DMNA service area.jpg”)
5 - Council Meetings Scheduled for December and January
6 - Two Little Free Libraries Installed in Neighborhood (Attachment: “3 pics LFL.jpg”)
7 - Garden Leaders Set Policies for Next Year
8 - Sign Grant Wraps Up with Final Report and Check for $3,310.06 (Attachment: “4 pics potpourri.jpg”)
9 - Fitchburg Approves Safety Island for Cannonball Crossing of Seminole
10 - 2012 Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association Recognitions (November 2011-October 2012)
11 - UW Student Christine Chung Aids in DMNA Website (Attachment: “4 pics potpourri.jpg”)
12 - Wondering How We Voted? Check Here. (Attachment: “5 pics polls.jpg”)
13 - Construction Dates Noted for Verona Road Project (Attachment: “6 graphic Verona Rd stage1 dates.jpg”)
FOCUS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
14 - Free Movies and More: Fitchburg Green E-News Blast #15
15 - Winter Enrichment Nature Lectures Start January 10. Register now.
16 - Nature Poem Series Inspired by Winter Enrichment (Attachment: “7 poems.doc”)
17 - Learn to Keep Bees! Beekeeping Classes 2013
GOVERNMENT IN ACTION
18 - Co. Sup. Carousel Bayrd Proud to Expand Middle School Restorative Justice Programs
19 - Budget To Strengthen Our Communities - A Column by Dane County Executive Joe Parisi from October 15, 2012
20 - Unlimited Bus Pass Requires Photo IDs
TIPS
21 - Get Ahead of Scammers
22 - New York Times Details
22 - A Word to the Wise to Pedestrians
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ARTICLES
1 - Need a Nursery School For Your Young Child? {Attachment: “1 Nursery school ad.jpg”)
If you need a nursery school for your young child, check out the attached advertisement for the New Morning Nursery School. The school is located at 718 Gilmore Street, at the 3200 block of Monroe Street.
NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
2 - DMNA Chooses New Council (Attachment: “2 pics annual mtg.doc”)
On October 17, Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association members attending the DMNA annual meeting elected the 2012-2013 DMNA Council. Seven Council members were elected that night. Later one resigned, but 3 more were chosen at the first meeting of the Council on November 8, resulting in a Council of 9 neighbors. We are very happy for our new members as well as those who chose to continue serving.
For the first time in years all 4 parts of the neighborhood are represented on the Council.
Below is the list of Council members along with their contact information and the committees they’ve volunteered to join.
The Council can have 3 more representatives. If you are interested in joining with your neighbors to work for the good of the neighborhood, please contact President Bob Hague or Communications person Mary Mullen.
DMNA Neighborhood Council, 2012-2013, elected at the annual meeting October 17, 2012 or appointed by the Council on 11/8/12 . These Council members will serve until September or October 2013.
Crawford Reps
President Bob Hague, 218-1760, 770-9693 c, 4321 De Volis Pkwy, bphague@tds.net
Bob is also on the Safety & Law Enforcement Committee
Vice President David Kovach, 608-616-0316, 4353 Britta Dr., dbkovach@gmail.com
David is also on these committees: Safety & Law Enforcement Committee, Transportation & Streets Committee, and Communications Committee.
(appointed by Council 11/8/12)
Belmar Rep
Treasurer Dorothy Krause, 271-7532, 2105 Apache Dr., dorothyk@charter.net
(appointed by Council 11/8/12)
Allied Rep
Secretary Lynette Johnson, 608-520-6082, 2122 Allied Drive, wreckncrew3@yahoo.com
Lynette is also on the Communications Committee.
(appointed by Council 11/8/12)
Marlborough Reps
Thea Bach, 239-9810 (c) 274-7730 (home, before 1 pm), 1905 Danbury St., bachtown2@live.com <mailto:bachtown2@live.com>
Thea is on the Welcoming & Social Committee.
Burree Beaudoin, 278-7956, 2017 Danbury St.
Jon Holmes, 445-6339, 4313 Lumley Rd.
Jon is on the Safety & Law Enforcement Committee and the Marsh Preservation Committee.
Mary Mullen, 298-0843, 4337 Milford Rd., mmullen@chorus.net
Mary is the contact person for the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood e-News, and is on the following committees: Communications Committee, Transportation & Streets Committee, the Marsh Preservation Committee, and the Welcoming & Social Committee.
Donna Sarafin, 273-0437 (h) 233-4108 w 4338 Windflower Way, dksarafin@yahoo.com
Donna is on the Communications Committee and the Transportation & Streets Committee.
Many thanks to the “retiring” member of the Council, Jo Kelley, who brought a wealth of experience, several initiatives, and a calm presence to our governing body.
by Mary Mullen
3 - DMNA Council Authorizes 6 Committees for the Coming Year. Will You Join One?
At its first meeting of the 2012-2013 year, the DMNA Council authorized 5 standing committees to look after the welfare of the neighborhood. They are noted below along with the Council members who volunteered to be on each committee.
While we have this group of “starter members” for each committee, we welcome neighbors from any part of the neighborhood to join any of these committees. It’s through strength of numbers that we can really accomplish what’s necessary to improve the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood.
Any resident, whether a member of the DMNA or not, may become a member of a committee. At an organizational meeting of each committee, a chair will be chosen. Bylaws require the chair to be a member of the Association, but it is extremely simple to join the Association.
These are the committees and the Council members who have volunteered for each.
Safety & Law Enforcement Committee - Bob Hague, David Kovach, and Jon Holmes
Transportation & Streets Committee - David Kovach, Mary Mullen, and Donna Sarafin
Welcoming & Social Committee - Thea Bach, and Mary Mullen
Marsh Preservation Committee - Jon Holmes and Mary Mullen
Communications Committee - Mary Mullen, Lynette Johnson, and Donna Sarafin.
Contact DMNA President Bob Hague or Communications person Mary Mullen if you wish to join one of these committees. Contact information is in the previous article and in the masthead.
by Mary Mullen
4 - Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association Members Approve Expanded Service Area
(Attachment: “3 DMNA service area.jpg”)
The proposed expansion of the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association boundaries to include Dunn’s Marsh and other public lands below the Cannonball Path was approved by members of the DMNA who attended the annual meeting on October 17, 2012.
We now have an enhanced map of the complete service area, developed by staff at the Madison City Planning Department. Many thanks to Sherri Milleville.
Whereas our older map didn’t show the many new streets in the western part of the neighborhood, the new map shows all of them, along with their names. It also shows park areas in green tones and distinguishes between areas within the City of Madison and those within Fitchburg. The delineation of jurisdictions is important when contacting government about issues and also for knowing where to vote.
The new map also has a scale notation. The scale shows that our neighborhood is about 3,300 feet across at its widest part and 6,400 feet from north to south. That translates to 6/10 of a mile wide and 1.2 miles long. Because he area below the Cannonball Path has no residents, expanding the boundaries has not added anything to the workload of the DMNA.
The rationale for adding the public lands was that the DMNA takes its name from Dunn’s Marsh, the DMNA has always advocated for Dunn’s Marsh and the public lands surrounding it, and in fact, the DMNA has been a catalyst in acquiring some of these public lands.
by Mary Mullen
5 - Council Meetings Scheduled for December and January
DMNA Council meeting dates have been scheduled for the coming 2 months. Both will be on Thursday nights, 7 p.m., at Prairie UU Society, 2010 Crawford Drive.
Thursday, December 13, 7 pm
Thursday, January 10, 7 pm
Any resident may attend these meetings. Please let our President Bob Hague know of your interest in attending and if you have a subject you’d like to bring to the attention of the Council.
Bob can be reached at 218-1760, 770-9693 c, or by e-mail at bphague@tds.net
6 - Two Little Free Libraries Installed in Neighborhood (Attachment: “4 pics LFL.jpg”)
After about 10 months of working toward getting several Little Free Libraries in the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood, two LFLs have been installed. Both are in the Marlborough part of the neighborhood, and both were put up on October 16.
The first is at the corner of Danbury and Lumley. Hosts for this library are Kim and Jason Anderson. Their library boasts a combination of design features: barn board sides, a kitchen-cupboard-like front, and a rustic natural wood handle. That LFL is a two-decker.
The other LFL is located in front of Prairie Unitarian Universalist Society, 2010 Whenona Drive. It’s a single-decker, painted to match the church. It is sponsored by Prairie UU.
Both hosts report that their Little Free Libraries are doing a brisk business.
We need to thank DMNA Council Member Thea Bach for bringing LFLs to the neighborhood. She has worked hard to get them. Also thanks is due to LFL inventor Rick Brooks who provided the actual library boxes and the posts and hardware to set them up. Rick also came on October 16 with all his equipment to help install the posts and libraries.
Another LFL is planned for Marlborough Park, and a couple may also be installed on Allied Drive.
by Mary Mullen
7 - Garden Leaders Set Policies for Next Year
Marlborough Community Garden leaders met last Friday to evaluate this past summer’s garden performance and plan for the 2013 season.
Several attendees spoke up for activities for children, and the group decided how to handle the fact that many gardeners did not attend any workday. The committee also discussed what to do with gardeners who neglected their plots.
In addition, it was affirmed that 45 plots of the tilled garden would be converted to no-till status. They are plots from row 13 through 21 on the west end of the garden. That leaves 60 plots on the east end of the main garden that will be tilled by tractor and plow in the spring.
The garden committee decided that programs or equipment for children would be developed and paid for only if volunteers from the garden step forward to plan and run them and the leadership committee approves the program and expenditures. This applies to any other programs that gardeners want to initiate.
Two options were considered to discourage no-shows for workdays
- a deposit from all gardeners at the start of the 2013 season that could be returned if they did attend the required 2 workdays or
-a fine for those who did not show up during 2012.
Garden leaders felt that a deposit would punish those who are responsible, would require too much work to return, and would raise the price of gardening unnecessarily. They decided that a fine would be fairer. Thus, a $10 fine will be attached to the garden registration fee of those who came to no workdays in 2012 when those same gardeners register for a 2013 garden. In 2014, the fine will be raised to $20 for those who don’t come to any workdays, but will stay at $10 for those who come to one of the two workdays.
Regarding maintenance issues, a priority list will be established for the 2013 garden. Those who kept their gardens well-maintained will get precedence on the list. Those who totally neglected their plots will have reduced garden space if they had 2 or more plots. Neglectful gardeners who had only one plot will go to the bottom of the priority list and will get a plot only after the waiting list has been exhausted.
The gardeners who attended this committee meeting were the garden manager Pablo Granados; 3 Spanish-speaking women, Clara, Mara,and Angelica; and 2 English-speaking women, Dawn Lalor and Mary Mullen. The meeting was led by CAC garden advisor Micah Kloppenburg. The committee will be meeting again to discuss additional issues.
Any new gardener who wants to be put on the list for a 2013 plot should contact Micah Kloppenburg, michak@cacscw.org or call (608) 246-4730, Ext. 236. “Old” gardeners with a good record of maintenance are already guaranteed space in the garden.
by Mary Mullen
8 - Sign Grant Wraps Up with Final Report and Check for $3,310.06 (Attachment: “5 pics potpourri.jpg”)
The final chapter in the saga of the Dunn’s Marsh neighborhood sign wrapped up with the receipt by the DMNA of a check for $3,310.06 from the City of Madison. The check represented all the out-of-pocket expenses the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association incurred in getting the sign.
What wasn’t paid for was all the volunteer time. A total of 67 hours of volunteer time were logged for this project, but in actuality neighbors spent quite a bit more time if driving time to attend meetings and unlogged time prior to this year had been counted. For purposes of the report, we only logged time in 2012. Efforts from 2008 through the beginning of 2011 went unnoted because that work came to nought.
Expenditures included $2,954 for sign design, manufacture, and setting; $163.66 for topsoil, mulch, and delivery of same; $142.40 for plantings around the sign; and $50 for the sign permit.
by Mary Mullen
9 - Fitchburg Approves Safety Island for Cannonball Crossing of Seminole
[The bulk of this article is by Fitchburg Alder Steve Arnold who was reporting on the bikies listserve. Sections in italics are additions by the editor, Mary Mullen.]
Last August, the Cannonball Path design by Fitchburg Public Works staff was modified by Common Council to remove the safety island at Seminole Highway, and approved in Resolution R-77-12. The adopted resolution provided for path-user-activated flashing caution lights at the Cannonball and Capital City Trail crossings.
Subsequently, I developed and the Mayor introduced another design proposal, with a safety island at the Cannonball Path crossing and path-user-actuated flashing beacons at both the Cannonball Path and Capital City State Trail crossings of Seminole Highway. That design, as Resolution R-88-12, was referred to four city bodies over the last two months, and was back before the Common Council last night.
I am pleased to report that we are back to the staff-recommended design, including the safety island at the Seminole Crossing, and that R-88-12 has passed, however without the user-activated flashing lights. Other project features include a ten-foot wide path from McKee Road near Verona Road to the City of Madison portion south of Arbor Hills, way-finding signage, and a connecting boardwalk to the Dunn’s Marsh neighborhood and points north.
The project will be constructed in 2013. The Council also signaled its willingness to fund and install path-user-actuated flashing beacons at the two crossings in the future, should they prove to be necessary.
Please join me in thanking Mayor Shawn Pfaff and my colleagues on the Common Council for funding the local share of this important bicycle transportation project and for restoring the safety island to the Seminole crossing! Funding also includes the City of Madison's local share and Transportation Enhancement funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The only alders who voted for retaining the user-activated flashing caution lights were Steve Arnold and Dorothy Krause. The alders who voted favorably on the final motion including the island were Steve Arnold, Becky Baumbach, Richard Bloomquist, Dorothy Krause, Carol Poole, and Patrick Stern. Carol Poole and Dorothy Krause are Fitchburg District 1 alders who live in the Fitchburg part of the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood, and we heartily thank them both for their support. Voting against the final motion that included the safety island were Denise Solie and Swami Swaminathan.
Several alders changed their vote to favor the island in the months between the first and second resolutions. DMNA work on this issue was in the mix that brought this safety feature back. The DMNA favored the original staff recommendation for the island as well as the user-activated flashing lights.
by Steve Arnold, Fitchburg Alder, District 4, Seat 7
with additions by Mary Mullen
10 - 2012 Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association Recognitions (November 2011-October 2012)
This past year has been a very active one for the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association. Please check out this list to see what we’ve accomplished and who has made it happen.
Recognition is given to those who attended meetings related to the work of the DMNA, made phone calls, wrote e-mails or letters, or did outreach in the neighborhood. Not listed are residents who simply came to a neighborhood meeting or the picnic, but they too helped make this year a success.
- Verona Road advocacy: meetings, e-mails, and phone calls about Seminole traffic, Seminole bridge, sound walls, bicyclist safety, noise, tunnel, art/aesthetics (Donna Sarafin & Mary Mullen)
- Participation in Verona Road area photo mapping project headed by UW fellow Carie McAndrews (Jo Kelley, Connie Roderick, Kim Zinski, Mary Mullen, Sina Davis, several others from Allied Drive area)
- Cannonball Bike Path: meetings, e-mails, advocacy for pedestrian refuge island and pedestrian-operated flashing yellow lights (Donna Sarafin, Mary Mullen, Dorothy Krause)
- Successful opposition to liquor store application at old Dream Bikes location (Recognition of those who wrote letters and/or spoke at the hearing: Bob Hague, Dorothy Krause, Thea Bach, Mary Mullen, Kent & Marcia Seeker, Susan Tesarik, Diana Burns, John George, Rebecca Malke, Cathy Casper, Sharon Grant, Katherine Vanderbilt, Selena Pettigrew, Sina Davis, Sarah Rogers of DreamBikes, Jan & Chris Ogden who own a frontage road business, Susan Corrado of Allied Wellness Co-op, and any others we might have missed.)
- Neighborhood sign committee formed, progress through city requirements including resolution to put on ROW, sign-maker hired, planting plan, actual placing of sign on frontage road in September, and planting done (Kent Seeker, Susan Kilmer, Mary Mullen, Thea Bach, Donna Sarafin, Dorothy Krause, Patty Stockdale, Mark Miehe)
- Welcomer committee formed, monthly meetings with supper provided, binders assembled, and at least 10 binders given out and new neighbor party held October 13 (Diane Schultz, Thea Bach, Mary Mullen, Kim Zinski, Donna Sarafin, Pam & Sharon Flinn)
- Little Free Libraries initiatives – grant committee formed, grant turned down, but several libraries in progress (Thea Bach, Donna Sarafin, Mary Mullen, Prairie UU Society, Rick Brooks, SIFE students)
- Revival of DMNA independent website (still only a skeleton under construction)
- Concerns about rental property upkeep and disruptive tenant behavior with follow up (Jo Kelley, Bob Hague, Rebecca Malke, VeraRaju Elegandi, Sharon Grant, Jon Holmes, Cathy Casper)
- DMNA Council meetings each month, open to residents. Usually 1 or more residents attended. (All the DMNA Council members: Bob Hague, Jo Kelley, Donna Sarafin, Dorothy Krause, Thea Bach, Mary Mullen, Burree Beaudoin)
- Presentations open to the neighborhood on
- 1/11/12 - Voter ID – 9 or more attendees (Mary Mullen)
- 4/4/12 - Madison Police Community Liaison Brian Sheehy - 29 attendees (Bob Hague)
- 4/4/12 - ATC (high tension electric transmission lines along Beltline) - about 20-25 attendees (Mary Mullen)
- 4/4/12 - Fitchburg Watershed Projects (Engineer Rick Eilertson) - about a dozen attendees
- 5/2/12 – Property Assessments (Madison & Fitchburg) - 34 attendees (Jo Kelley, Brooke Norsted, and a group of other neighbors who met to develop strategy)
- 9/8/12 – Neighborhood bus service change proposals presentation - 10 attendees
- August picnic – 29 attendees, visiting, good food, music, & dancing (Cindy Harrington, Dan Neuhaus, Thea Bach, Donna Sarafin, Dorothy Krause, Mary Mullen)
- e-Newsletters and notices – 30 between last annual meeting and 9/27/12 (Mary Mullen)
- Hardcopy flyers delivered door-to-door about the August picnic & the October annual meeting (Mary Mullen, Bob Hague, Thea Bach, Mary Somers, Dorothy Krause, Donna Sarafin, Susan Kilmer, Brooke Norsted, Kent Seeker)
- Communications with western part of neighborhood (Jo Kelley, Bob Hague, Sina Davis, Dorothy Krause)
11 - UW Student Christine Chung Aids in DMNA Website (Attachment: “5 pics potpourri.jpg”)
In a response to a notice in a UW campus publication, student Christine Chung volunteered to help the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association get its independent website up and running. Already she has set up the organizational structure of the site, put in some content, and given a lesson on how to add new material. The site has not yet gone live.
Christine is a senior at UW-Madison, majoring in Spanish and Journalism, expecting to graduate in December 2012. Currently she is a Web & Communications Assistant at University Health Services.
Why did she choose to take on the web design and development project for Dunn's Marsh Neighborhood Association? She says, “I want to continue refining my web development skills and give back to the community.”
In addition to her web design skills, she brings other interesting background to the job. She has intermediate skill at speaking Korean. A few years ago she was summer Public Outreach Volunteer in the Public Affairs Office in the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan and more recently she worked as an International Admissions Counselor Assistant in the Admissions Office at the UW. She adds that in her spare time, she likes to hang out with friends, go to the movies, read, discover new places to eat and occasionally blog.
She looks forward to working with Mary Mullen and the rest of the members of the neighborhood association.
by Mary Mullen
12 - Wondering How We Voted? Check Here. (Attachment: “6 pics polls.jpg”)
The November 6 election is long past, but perhaps there are a few of you out there who would like to know exactly how the vote played out in our neighborhood.
Madison, Ward 76, voting at Head Start, Red Arrow Trail
President Obama - 818 (91%); Romney - 68 (8%); other Presidential candidates - 16 (2%)
U.S. Senator Baldwin - 765, Thompson - 78
U.S. Representative Pocan - 714, Lee - 79
Wis. Assembly Rep, District 77 - Terese Berceau (unopposed)
Fitchburg Wards 1-4 - Voting at Fire Station #2 in Jamestown (This polling place includes the Fitchburg part of our neighborhood plus other nearby neighborhoods in Fitchburg.)
President: Obama - 2066 (78%); Romney - 527 (20%); other Presidential candidates - 41 (2%)
U.S. Senator Baldwin - 1973, Thompson - 565
U.S. Representative Pocan - 1896, Lee - 534
Wis Assembly Rep. Dist. 47 - Robb Kahl -1856, Sandy Bakk - 517
In Dane County, 68.83% of voters filled in the arrow for President Obama while 29.4% voted for Mr. Romney. Other candidates got 1.4% of the total votes for president.
For additional information on results at polling stations throughout Dane County, go to
http://countyofdane.com/clerk/elect2012d.html
by Mary Mullen
13 - Construction Dates Noted for Verona Road Project
(Attachment: “7 graphic Verona Rd stage1 dates.jpg”)
Have you been wondering when construction will start on the massive overhaul of the Verona Road/Beltline project? Wonder no more. The following timetable was presented at the Verona Road Public Information Meeting on November 13. However, a more recent newspaper headline suggested that these schedules might slip a year due to state budget considerations.
Action will start in 2013 with work on the southbound lane of Verona Road, the detention area near U-Haul, the area along Warwick Way across from our neighborhood, the Seminole Highway Bridge, access lanes to the Beltline next to the Arboretum, and several places more distant from the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood.
More detail is presented in list form below and in visual form on the attachment which is a map.
Starting July 2013 with completion expected by fall 2013
· Widening and repaving (overlay of the southbound lane of Verona Road from the Beltline to Allied Drive area. There will be 4 lanes built here to accommodate traffic during Verona Road construction.
· Building of the detention pond south of the U-Haul parking lot and laying of storm sewer trunk line to serve it
· Building a road from Allied Drive and under the Verona Road underpass - currently just a bike path - to connect to Freeport Road and the Verona Frontage Road on the west side of Verona Road. This is called the Freeport Connection.
· Work on the curve from Warwick Way to Whenona Drive in the vicinity of where the ped/bike overpass comes down opposite our neighborhood.
· Redoing the Seminole on-ramp to the eastbound Beltline along the Arboretum. This appears to be a widening project.
· Sorm sewer crossing and detention pond in northwest quadrant of Whitney Way
Starting in August 2013 with completion expected by end of October 2013
· Seminole bridge to be replaced along with retaining walls
2013 or 2014 - start July 2013 or Spring 2014 with completion in July 2014
· Noise wall on north side of Beltline along Warwick Way
· Noise wall along Beltline Frontage Road from where Highlander Motel once was to Niemann Place
· Noise wall along exit to Whitney Way
· Cannonball Bike Path grade separation over County PD. Currently, this will be an overpass of PD.
Starting May 2014 with completion in July 2014
· Whitney Way westbound on-ramp and bike path
· Third land added on westbound Beltline from Whitney Way to Gammon Road.
These timetables were presented at the Verona Road Public Information Meeting held on November 13 at Cherokee Middle School. The presenters were Mark Vesperman of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) and Joe Bunker of Strand Associates, the consultant for the project.
Additional information on the entire project is accessible from http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/projects/swregion/18151/ This includes photos and information about work to be done on intersections more distant from the project such as those at Seminole/Sentinel Pass, Seminole/PD, and Seminole/Nakoma Road and others.
by Mary Mullen
FOCUS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
14 - Free Movies and More: Fitchburg Green E-News Blast #15
Full Green E-News Blast #15: http://www.city.fitchburg.wi.us/documents/GreenE-NewsBlast15.pdf
1. Fitchburg Green Thursday - Free screening of "Dive!" Movie - Thurs., Dec. 6, 6:30pm, Fitchburg Library (5530 Lacy Road) - Follow filmmaker Jeremy Seifert and his circle of friends as they dumpster Dive! in the back alleys and ...Read More <http://www.city.fitchburg.wi.us/documents/GreenE-NewsBlast15.pdf >
Additional Fitchburg Green Thursday Events scheduled through May 2013 are at: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-ZCkIcrL_zaRzdsSWpDaEJHMWs/edit <file://localhost/file/d/0B-ZCkIcrL_zaRzdsSWpDaEJHMWs/edit . A video of the Oct. 4th "What's Up w/ our P- Nutrient Recycling in Fitchburg and Dane County" presentation is now available at: http://factv.city.fitchburg.wi.us/Cablecast/Public/Show.aspx?ChannelID=1&ShowID=2013 <http://factv.city.fitchburg.wi.us/Cablecast/Public/Show.aspx?ChannelID=1&ShowID=2013> .
2. Fitchburg Recycles Holiday Light Strings at City Hall – Nov. 30, 2012 to Jan. 15, 2013. A special cart was placed at the Fitchburg City Hall Lobby (5520 Lacy Road, Lobby is available 24 hrs/day) for Fitchburg residents to drop off non-working holiday light strings and extension cords for recycling ...Read More <http://www.city.fitchburg.wi.us/documents/GreenE-NewsBlast15.pdf <http://www.city.fitchburg.wi.us/documents/GreenE-NewsBlast15.pdf> >
3. Monona Green Thursday - Free screening of "The Clean Bin Project" Movie - Tues.., Dec. 11, 6:30pm, Monona Library (1000 Nichols Road, Monona) - "The Clean Bin Project" is about a regular couple and their quest to answer the question 'Is it possible to live completely waste free?' Partners Jen and Grant go head to head in a comedic battle to see who can swear off consumerism and ...Read More <http://www.city.fitchburg.wi.us/documents/GreenE-NewsBlast15.pdf <http://www.city.fitchburg.wi.us/documents/GreenE-NewsBlast15.pdf> >
Special guests George Dreckmann, Recycling Coordinator for the City of Madison, and Rick Eilertson, Environmental Engineer for the City of Fitchburg, will share what's going on in their communities (e.g. Solid Waste Sorts, Organics Collection Pilots, etc.). More information on Green Tuesday and Thursday events scheduled throughout Dane County can be found at: http://www.tnsmonona.org/green-tuesdays-green-thursdays/ <http://www.tnsmonona.org/green-tuesdays-green-thursdays/> .
4. Eco Book Group - Tues., Dec. 18 (from 6 - 7 pm) - Fitchburg Library (5530 Lacy Rd) - Join us for a discussion of a book related to energy conservation. The title of the book is to be determined. Check www.enactwi.org or contact Jamie Hernandez at jamie.hernandez@city.fitchburg.wi.us or 729-1763 for more information as this event approaches.
5. Our "Fitchburg_Green" E-News Mailing List is up and running. Blind copy recipients will be excluded from future "Fitchburg_Green" E-news Blasts unless you subscribe to the "Fitchburg_Green" Mailing List following the directions below.
If you'd like to get future Fitchburg_Green E-News updates, please:
a. Visit: http://www.city.fitchburg.wi.us/mail_list/index.php <http://www.city.fitchburg.wi.us/mail_list/index.php> ,
b. Check the box for "Fitchburg_Green",
c. Enter your Email Address, and
d. Click the "Subscribe" button
from Rick Eilertson, P.E., Fitchburg Environmental Engineer
15 - Winter Enrichment Nature Lectures Start January 10. Register now.
The new year hasn’t turned yet, but nature enthusiasts are eagerly perusing the offerings in the Arboretum Winter Enrichment Lecture series and signing up for the whole kit and kaboodle of 10 lectures or selecting just their favorite topics.
Since 1968, the UW Arboretum has offered lectures for naturalists in the greater Madison area. Originally coordinated by Rosemary Fleming for Arboretum naturalists, the programs are now open to Arboretum volunteers, friends and interested public as space allows. Lectures will begin on January 10 and continue through March 14. We meet on Thursday mornings from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. in the auditorium of the Arboretum Visitor Center. Coffee will be available starting at 8:30; programs will begin promptly at 9. Snacks are also provided by people who attend the lectures and sign up to bring them.
Cost? 10 lectures for $70 per person (Friends of the Arboretum rate $60 per person). You can also register for individual lectures ($10 per person each; $8.50 FOA) at http://uwarboretum.org/events/ <http://uwarboretum.org/events/> or in person on the day of the program if space permits.
January 10: “Geologic Landscapes of Dane County” David M. Mickelson, Emeritus Professor and Senior Scientist, Department of Geoscience at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
January 17: “Emerald Ash & Other Wood-Boring Beetles” Phil Pellitteri, Distinguished Faculty Associate, Department of Entomology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
January 24: “Rebuilding the Past to Understand the Future: Modeling Animal Landscapes from Mosquitoes to Mammals to Leatherback Sea Turtles” Warren P. Porter, Professor, Department of Zoology, Environmental Toxicology, and Invited Affiliate Faculty in Engineering Physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
January 31: “History of the Wisconsin Pearl Rush” George D. Johnson, Historian and Author
February 7: “Science Day” Current research at University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum. Students and faculty will present findings of research projects conducted on Arboretum lands and in the greater Lake Wingra watershed
February 14: “Why Do Birds Sing?” Lauren Vanessa Riters, Professor, Department of Zoology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
February 21: “Archeological Investigation of Horticulture & Habitat in Upper Midwest” Professor William G. Gartner, Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison
February 28: “Birds, Beaks, Words, & Wisdom in the Life and Times of John James Audubon” Susan Fowler, Storyteller, Artist, and Scientist – Harmony by Hand
March 7: “Sustainability, Ecology, & Art” Mrill Ingram, Associate Researcher, U.S. National Science Foundation/U.K. Arts & Humanities Research Council
March 14: “Aldo Leopold, Phenology, and Climate Change” Stan Temple, Beers-Bascom Professor Emeritus in Conservation, UW-Madison and Senior Fellow, Aldo Leopold Foundation
16 - Nature Poem Series Inspired by Winter Enrichment (Attachment: “8 poems.doc”)
Last year I attended all the Arboretum Winter Enrichment lectures. I was inspired to write a poem for almost every lecture.
“Sentinels,” about wind turbines that generate electricity, starts:
They stand like white sentinels in formation
surveying the landscape with their cyclop eyes
waving their arms around that center
a field of pugilists
doing calisthenics.
The majestic circles
slice the air
ever so slowly
slowly
and - from a distance -
silently.
“Bumblebee Wisdom” commemorates the lecture on bumblebees. Here’s the beginning of that poem.
Imagine this:
It is freezing and
You are the only one left.
Everyone else has died.
Only you are left.
And all the food is gone:
the pretty flowers
with their energizing nectar
and protein-filled pollen.
You are alone.
Furry though your coat is
and full as your body is
you are still cold and stiff
as molasses in January.
To read the complete poems, open the attachment noted above.
by Mary Mullen
17 - Learn to Keep Bees! Beekeeping Classes 2013
You are invited to attend one of our 'Beekeeping for Beginners' classes to be held at the Dane Co. Extension Building, 5201 Fen Oak Dr, Madison, WI 53718. Saturday classes will repeat on January 19, February 23, March 23 and April 27, 2013.
This class is for those with no experience at all in beekeeping. We will touch on everything you need to know for your first year. The fee of $40 covers a full day of classes, handouts, free sample journals and catalogues, and props galore for you to handle. To register, contact Jeanne Hansen at 608-244-5094 or jeanniealabeannie@yahoo.com.
Cost: $40, additional family members $20 each.
This class is for those with no experience at all in beekeeping. We will touch on everything you need to know for your first year:
-Elementary bee biology - What to do about swarming
- What about the neighbors? - Splitting a hive, or moving it
- Equipment and protective gear - Pests and diseases
- Installing your first package - Harvesting your Honey with Tips on Selling
- Inspecting your hive - Preparing for winter
This is a lecture style class with props galore! Handle everything in sight, taste some pollen, see a live observation hive (if all goes well.) Plenty of time for questions. Registration includes:
-Full day class 9 am - 4 pm -Class Handouts
-Morning Coffee (Please bring your own lunch) -Catalogues
-Membership in the Dane Co. Beekeeper's Association -Honey Recipes
-Reduced subscription rates for Bee Journals -Sample Journals
You may purchase artisan honey, hand dipped candles, and several other products. Bring change.
Rich Schneider of Capitol Bee Supply will be on hand with woodenware and equipment for sale.
To Register, send 1.) name 2.) address 3.) phone number 4.) e-mail address
5.) date of desired session and 6.) check or money order to: Jeanne Hansen, 824 Jacobson Ave. Madison, WI 53714
For further questions, contact Jeanne Hansen 608-244-5094 jeanniealabeannie@yahoo.com
from community gardening listserve
GOVERNMENT IN ACTION
18 - Co. Sup. Carousel Bayrd Proud to Expand Middle School Restorative Justice Programs
“Proud of my Dane County Board budget amendment to expand restorative justice programs in Dane County middle schools. Glad to lead the way to better county-public schools partnership!”
read a November 13 Facebook status entry by our former County Supervisor Carousel Bayrd.
I then asked her to give a few details about what the young people in these programs do.
Here’s her answer.
It is program currently in a few Madison middle schools, and it's been a great success in connecting youth who have some infraction or discipline issue with the individual that they have harmed, and getting the whole school involved in talking about the harm that has happened and getting both the injured and injuring student(s) to see the other side's perspective.
It also is a good foundation for the youth courts in many of the high schools -- they really build upon each other."
The foundation for all of this is understanding that the #1 way youth enter the criminal justice system in Dane County is through school. The success of the restorative justice program and the youth court program have reduced problems in the schools, empowered youth with empathy and understanding and perspective, and in turn reduced the number of arrests at these schools.
I’m proud to increase the funding for these successful programs so that more schools and students can benefit.
The schools Dane County hopes to fund will be schools with higher arrest rates, higher poverty rates, higher diversity rates. It's a small step, but a great one."
by County Supervisor Carousel Bayrd
19 - Budget To Strengthen Our Communities - A Column by Dane County Executive Joe Parisi from October 15, 2012
In these challenging times, it’s important for counties to pursue partnerships to address challenges, protect core services, and work to strengthen communities. My 2013 budget invests in new initiatives to help Dane County’s communities continue to thrive while addressing our shared challenges.
Helping kids, seniors, and the disabled comprises over 50% of the total Dane County budget.
With three new child protective services social workers, including one that will work directly with the District Attorney to ensure timely prosecution of these often troubling cases, my budget makes a significant investment in keeping kids safe at a time when reports of abuse and neglect are up nearly 15% in Dane County.
A new effort to reduce the time our disabled friends and neighbors wait for care will help dozens of individuals and their families become more engaged in their communities and learn job and other skills to enhance their quality of life.
I’ve worked with the United Way to create an innovative new pilot project to address the achievement gap in our public schools, and help more kids succeed both at home and school in the years ahead.
Alcohol and drug addiction continues to place a great strain on families and public safety. My budget includes additional dollars to help drunk drivers and drug addicts who want help kick their addiction for good and make our communities safer.
My 2013 budget also makes investments to enhance our high quality of life, including a multi-million dollar effort to clean up our lakes, the biggest highway improvement budget in the past decade, investments in our green energy jobs economy, and additional resources to ensure our county parks remain crown jewels.
By working together, my budget addresses our needs and invests in our families and communities to ensure all who live here have the opportunity to succeed.
Contacts: Office of the County Executive (608) 267-8823 or cell (608) 843-8858
By Dane County Executive Joe Parisi
20 - Unlimited Bus Pass Requires Photo IDs
Starting Monday, November 12, bus drivers will be requesting employment and school photo IDs for riders boarding with an unlimited pass. Passengers without a valid ID will have their passes confiscated.
Metro Transit staff are addressing concerns that have been raised regarding the fraudulent use of its various unlimited ride passes. For more information please call Madison Metro at 266-4466 or email mymetrobus@cityofmadion.com.
http://www.cityofmadison.com/metro/fares/passinfo/index.cfm
TIPS
21 - Get Ahead of Scammers
Even the scammers know some of the old tricks aren’t fooling anyone. (Has anyone ever really sent money to that Nigerian prince?) So the swindlers have developed new cons designed to rip off unsuspecting folks. Here are a few of the latest scams PLUS some new protections for you!
Text messages from “trusted companies.” Posing as retailers, lottery officials, or even your credit union, scammers send text messages with links to phony sites designed to steal valuable information or even cash. Misspelled words and bad grammar are other telltale signs.
Gameover. The FBI sent warnings earlier this year regarding scam emails pretending to be from the FDIC, Federal Reserve or National Automated Clearing House. The emails caution that there is trouble with the recipient’s account, which can be “fixed” by clicking a link. That click installs malware (nicknamed “Gameover”) onto the recipient’s computer that can steal usernames, passwords, and even money. The FBI recommends making sure your virus software is up to date and to never give personal information online (something a credit union or bank will never request in an email).
“Your computer has been infected!” You receive a phone call from “Microsoft” or an antivirus company with news that your computer has been compromised by a virus. The online helper can clean your PC from infection—you just need to give them remote access to take care of the problem. You can guess the rest: There is no virus and your computer is “cleaned” of passwords and possibly even cash from your savings account. Remember, when your computer has a problem, you call the experts, not the other way around.
From Summit Credit Union
22 - New York Times Details Another Type of Computer Scam
Today’s New York Times detailed a new kind of computer scam that is netting the scammers more money than the typical Nigerian Prince scam.
In this type of scam, when you turn your computer on, you see a disturbing message that you no longer have access to your computer or any of its files. It’s true, you don’t have access. The message claims to be from the FBI, another law enforcement agency, or Anonymous, a group of hackers. Actually, a malware has been installed, dubbed “Ransomware.” You are told that the only way to get you’re your machine back is to pay a heavy fine.
DON’T EVER pay the “fine.” The hackers usually don’t restore your files and you are simply out the money and still can’t use your computer.
Instead, the article advises, hire a computer technician to remove this virus manually.
It’s estimated that 15% of computer users who are attacked by “Ransomware” fork out the “fine” so it is easy money for the hackers who can make up to $400,000 a day!
by Mary Mullen, based on December 6, 2012 New York Times article entitled
“For PC Virs Victims, Pay or Else - Ransomware, a Lucrative Online Crime, Expands in the U.S.”
23 - A Word to the Wise to Pedestrians
A hot topic on the “bikies” list serve is a discussion about how bicyclists should warn pedestrians they are overtaking from behind on a bike path and on what side of the path pedestrians should walk. You can test your own knowledge about pedestrian rules by reading further.
Fitchburg Alder Steve Arnold posted this information he learned of from a Fitchburg staffer who communicated to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
In the face of persistent questions about this, our Transportation Projects Engineer, Ahna Bizjak, hassled the DOT for an answer. What she got back has not yet been mentioned:
On roads, pedestrians are *un*intended users, and are expected to step out of the travel lane for on-coming vehicles.
By contrast, pedestrians are *intended* users of the multi-use trails and paths [such as the Southwest Path] we have around here, and so follow the rules of the road, "keep right, except to pass,"
Other posts pointed out that pedestrians should walk on the left facing traffic when walking on a road, but on a bike path (multi-use path or MUP), they should stay on the right. That’s what Alder Arnold was pointing out in his post.
On the other hand, bicyclists should be riding with traffic on the roads instead of against it like pedestrians do. Unfortunately, I see quite a few bicyclist riding facing traffic even when there is a bike lane. I hate to think what could happen if another bicyclist is riding correctly on the lane and a car is coming along behind. Will the wrong-way biker veer into the car or choose to hit the oncoming biker with both going down and being run over by the motorist? Not fun to contemplate.
Recently, I asked a young biker coming down Whenona Drive to ride on the right, and he immediately moved from the wrong side of the street to the right (pun intended). Perhaps it would help if we all did this.
by Mary Mullen
---- End of the December 6, 2012 DUNN’S MARSH NEIGHBORHOOD e-NEWS ---
Thanks for reading.
Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood e-News
August 12, 2012
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, Bob Hague, bphague@tds.net 218-1760
News contact, Mary Mullen, mmullen@chorus.net 298-0843
Website: http://www.dunnsmarsh.org <http://www.dunnsmarsh.org> (under construction)
On Facebook: Just type Dunn’s Marsh into the Facebook search box.
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Read all about it - Articles #1, #2, #3
CALENDAR (with reference to article numbers for further information)
Now until October 31 - Clean Sweep Open, 2302 Fish Hatchery Rd., Dan Co. Hy. garage, #15
Wed., Oct, 17 - DMNA Annual Meeting, 6 pm, #1,#2,#3
Sat., October 23 - Disability Pride planning Meeting, 3810 Milwaukee Street, 1-3 pm
Sat., Oct. 20 - Compost Bin, Rain Barrel, Yardwaste Bag Sale, Fitchburg, #17
Sat., Oct. 20 - Electronics Recycling and Shred Day Event, Fitchburg, #17
Tues., Oct. 23 - Cannonball refuge island at Fitchburg Finance Committee, 7 p.m., City Hall, #9, #10
Tues., Oct 23 - Eco Book Group meets, Fitchburg. #17
Thurs., Nov. 1 - Fitchburg Green Thursday, 6:30 p.m. - City Hall. #17
Fri., Nov. 9, - Yahara Lakes Clean Up Conference, Monona Terrace, all day starting at 7:30 am, #18
Tues., Nov. 13, 7 pm - Cannonball refuge island at Fitchburg Public Safety Com., 7 pm , #9, #10
Tues., Nov. 27 - Cannonball refuge island at Fitchburg Common Council, #9, #10
ARTICLES
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOOD
1 - DMNA Annual Meeting, Wed., October 17, 6 p.m.
2 - Become a Member of the DMNA (Attachment: “1-DMNA member form.jpg”)
3 - Recommended DMNA Bylaw Changes (repeated from Sept. 27 e-News)
(Attachment: “2-bylaws revision 2012.doc”)
4 - Neighborhood Sign Gets Fancy Setting (Attachment: “3-pics sign planting.jpg”)
5 - Little Free Libraries Lurch Forward (Attachments: “4-pics neighborhood colors.doc”)
6 - Welcomer’s Party a Resounding Success
7 - Want to Be a Welcomer?
8 - News from the Wettern Part of the Neighborhood (Attachment: “4-pics neighborhood colors.jpg”)
9 - Revised Cannonball Plan Progresses Through Fitchburg Committees
10 - Why is the DMNA Supporting a Pedestrian Island on Seminole for the Cannonball?
11 - Open House Meetings for Verona Road (US 18/151) Project in Dane County
IN GENERAL
12 - Health Reform Hits Main Street: Video Explains ObamaCare
13 - Good Advice for Any Neighborhood
ENVIRONMENTAL FUN & STEWARDSHIP
14 - Arboretum Offers Many Nature Activities
15 - Clean Sweep Closing for the Season on October 31st.
16 - Fitchburg Green e-News Blast #11
17- Yahara Lakes: Implementing a Vision
VOTER’S CORNER
18 - Using an Absentee Ballot? Read these Cautions.
19 - Vote Absentee in Person at Your Clerk’s Office
20 - Voter Registration Applications Must be Mailed by October 17 (Attachments: “5-Wis Voter Regis Application.pdf” & “6-GAB voter regis info.jpg”)
21 - Tips for Learning About the Candidates (Advertisements Aren’t Reliable) from League of Women Voters
22 - Where to See the November 6 Ballot
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IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
1 - DMNA Annual Meeting, Wed., October 17, 6 p.m.
Do you think self-government and working on neighborhood initiatives and problems is boring or thankless or ineffective? Think again.
Time and again the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association has proved that coming to meetings and working to improve the neighborhood can be stimulating, rewarding, and effective.
On that note, we invite everyone in the neighborhood to attend the Annual DMNA meeting this Wednesday, October 17, at Prairie UU Society, 2010 Whenona Drive (corner of Whenona and Crawford). Doors open at 6:00 pm and the business meeting starts at 6:30 sharp.
If you are wondering what might be in store, below is a sneak preview.
· Starting at 6 p.m., half an hour to sign in and then roam around checking out maps, stopping at display tables, and visiting with neighbors and invited “dignitaries.” You’ll be able to study 3 large air photos of the neighborhood; learn more about Little Free Libraries from Rick Brooks who started this wildfire project; get ideas on how to save money through participating in MG&E’s Green Madison initiatives for your home; flip through past issues of the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood e-News; buy the neighborhood history book In Our Own Words: The Best of the Dunn’s Marsh News; view several past awards to the DMNA; and probably more
· Starting at 6:30, introductions to the people who have been representing you both in the neighborhood and in wider venues (Fitchburg, Madison, Dane County)
· Brief mention of a handout listing 2011-2012 DMNA accomplishments, plus recognition of people who contributed the most to making them happen. We’ve been very busy this year.
· Opportunity for introductions all around and then half an hour of open discussion where everyone present can talk about their concerns and ideas
· Consideration of whether to have mandatory dues for coming year (limit of 10 minutes for this discussion)
· Bylaws revisions (See the article about bylaws in this newsletter as well as the attachment).
· Election of Neighborhood Council for coming year. This is a chance for you to get further involved and work for a year to make your dreams for the neighborhood come true. Of course, you don’t have to become a Council member to be part of a committee working for the betterment of the neighborhood. (limit of 15 minutes for this final business of the meeting)
Please note that ALL neighborhood residents are invited to participate in the open discussion, but only signed-up members of the DMNA may vote on dues, bylaws revisions, and elections. See the separate article on membership.
Snacks will be available to keep up your energy!
by Mary Mullen
2 - Become a Member of the DMNA (Attachment: “DMNA member form.jpg”)
It’s easy to become a member of the Association. There are just 4 requirements:
1. Live in the neighborhood,
2. Be age 16 or older,
3. Agree with the purposes of the DMNA which are to unite neighbors to solve mutual problems and to promote fellowship among neighbors, and,
4. Fill out an application blank and pay any required dues. Dues are currently suggested at $10 per person.
Get a jump on becoming a member by filling out the attached application blank. Then bring it to the meeting. Additional application blanks will be available at the meeting.
Dues go to DMNA expenses such as hardcopy newsletters, annual picnic expenses, annual report fees, and new initiatives of the DMNA such as the neighborhood sign which was this year’s major expense.
by Mary Mullen
3 - Recommended DMNA Bylaw Changes (repeated from Sept. 27 e-News)
(Attachment: “bylaws revision 2012.doc”)
Bylaws are living documents that need revising to reflect changes in conditions and how an organization operates. At its September meeting the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Council recommended two major changes to its bylaws that hadn’t been revised since 2009.
DMNA members attending the annual meeting on October 17 will vote on whether to accept these changes. They are
Remove provision for alternate chairpersons to vote on the Council
This change concerns committee leadership. The change is necessary due to previous changes in the bylaws. The bylaws now state that committee alternate chairpersons can vote on the Neighborhood Council in the absence of the primary committee chair.
Well, committee chairs are no longer obligated to be on the Council at all as they were in the rather distant past. The recommended change would remove the statement about alternate chairpersons having voting rights on the Council. They simply don’t have those rights now, and the bylaws should be changed to reflect that.
Expand our service boundaries to include Dunn’s Marsh
This truly major change would expand our service area to include the lands around Dunn’s Marsh in the DMNA service area. Now our southern boundary is the Cannonball Path (except for a little extension below Allied Drive). However, since its beginning in 1973, the Association has been very active in protecting the marsh.
For example, the Association worked very hard from 1975 to 1979 to get Lots 19 & 20 in public ownership. We succeeded. The City of Madison, Town of Fitchburg, Dane County, and the State and Federal governments all chipped in to buy the land. Now the Apache Pond stands on those lots rather than another set of apartments or condos.
The DMNA also was responsible for the provision in the Dawley Park deed that requires the DMNA to be informed if any of its provisions are change. Dawley Park straddles Seminole Highway south of the first curve in Seminole.
From 1985 through 1988, the Association successfully lobbied Dane County to buy what was then the Schmidt apple orchard south of Dunn’s Marsh. That land is now proposed for a mountain bike park.
Throughout the years, whenever there’s an opportunity to protect the marsh, the Association is standing in the wings ready to support those initiatives. Many additional examples could be cited.
Because of continual interest in Dunn’s Marsh and because we take our name from the marsh, the Council recommends changing the bylaws to include all the public lands south of Dunn’s Marsh in our service area. Consult the map on the attachment to see the extent of this area.
Clean up the wording that describes our neighborhood sub-areas
In reviewing the descriptions of the different sub-areas of the neighborhood, we also found we could “clean up” the wording. See the text of the bylaws to note these minor changes that are for clarification purposes only.
by Mary Mullen
4 - Neighborhood Sign Gets Fancy Setting (Attachment: “pics sign planting.jpg”)
Eight people gathered at the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood sign on the Beltline Frontage Road September 29 to kick off the planting party. Four stayed to set, mulch and water the plants.
In 2 ½ hours there were 95 native plants in the ground around the sign plus 4 big showy clumps of chrysanthemums and 2 ornamental kale plants in front of the sign.
Present on a beautiful sunny Saturday at 1:30 pm were Susan Kilmer who designed the planting and led the party; planters Donna Sarafin, Dorothy Krause, and Mary Mullen; photographer Patty Stockdale; and well-wishers Sharon and Pam Flinn and Leatrice Hungerford.
Right now it’s the yellow and magenta chrysanthemums that take your eye, but next spring, the native wildflowers will put in their appearance to show off and symbolize the more natural features in and around the neighborhood.
The planting culminates an effort that began in 2008, was thought to have expired in 2010, and was revived in 2012 when DMNA Council Member Thea Bach learned from Madison Staff member Linda Horvath that we still had the approved grant we thought had expired.
Kudos to all who helped at any stage.
by Mary Mullen
5 - Little Free Libraries Lurch Forward (Attachments: “4-pics neighborhood colors.doc”)
With an application for permission to place a Little Free Library in Marlborough Park underway and contact with a Prairie Unitarian Universalist men’s group made, the actual appearance of two Little Free Libraries in our neighborhood lurched a bit closer to implementation. They’ve been on the horizon since January.
Others may follow since there is talk of one at the Boys and Girls Club (Jenewein Rd.), another at Joining Forces for Families (Allied Drive), and some chatter on the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association’s Facebook page about locating one or more in the Fitchburg part of the neighborhood, especially down along Crescent Road.
On Sunday, October 7, DMNA Council member and Little Free Library advocate Thea Bach took another step toward two of the libraries.
City of Madison permission is required for the LFL in the park. It will be placed next to the bench that overlooks the east soccer field. Late Sunday afternoon, an excited delegation of 2 adults and 3 kids trekked up to the park for the required photos of the location. Thea Bach came with a 4x4” post to symbolize the LFL. Mary Mullen came with her camera. The 3 little girls were just leaving the park with “gift bags” of what turned out to be sand and tire chunks from the playground - given to them by several unknown older boys. They were happy to turn around and join the fun and learn about the Little Free Libraries. By the time the photos were done, they were begging to join in painting one of the “birdhouse libraries.” See the photo that’s part of the attachment mentioned above.
That same afternoon, Thea had arranged for Little Free Library inventor Rick Brooks to speak with the Prairie UU men’s group about getting Prairie’s already-painted Little Free Library in the ground at 2010 Whenona Drive. Rick was also slated to talk to the Andersons who live on the corner of Lumley and Danbury about another LFL that may go on their property.
Things are movin’ right along. Look for those LFLs in the next weeks and months.
Find out more about Little Free Libraries online at http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/index.html
by Mary Mullen
6 - Welcomer’s Party a Resounding Success
The Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood was a good place to be Saturday night if you were either a newcomer or an oldie in the neighborhood. About 25 of the invitees attended, a combination of neighbors who had moved here within the last year and DMNA Welcomer Committee members, Council members and their family members, and others who have lived in the Dunn’s Marsh neighborhood for some time - some time meaning anywhere from 5 to 50 years.
Gracious hostess Diane Schultz provided the meeting space in her large and homey garage. We were surrounded by food and drink including four big pots of soup, heaping plates of appetizers, delicious salads, and platters of sweets. It turned out to be much more than we could eat. In the middle of the garage were coolers of various drinks.
The main feature of the evening was self-introductions. We learned that a surprising number of our new neighbors work for Epic, the huge medical software company west of Verona or in a similar career, but at least one is a graduate student, one has her own independent home business, and another works for the Wisconsin Bike Federation.
Among those of us who’ve been in the neighborhood for longer, the career or employer list was more varied including accountant, machinist, retired teacher, retired daycare provider, massage therapist, and those employed by the Arboretum, WPS, MG&E, Mendota Health Center, and Johannsen’s.
As part of introductions, many of us mentioned how we happened to come to this neighborhood. Perhaps not surprisingly, the lower cost of housing was one common denominator. Some ew residents mentioned how they had wanted to get out of apartment living and had deliberately searched out a small house with a yard that wouldn’t occupy all their spare time. Several talked about how they had been attracted by a well-maintained or newly-remodeled house or simply its “cuteness.” Most also said they were finding the neighborhood very friendly and were happy they had moved here. The DMNA Welcomer Committee’s effort has to be a part of the friendliness they’ve felt.
All the new residents who attended this party were from the Marlborough section of the neighborhood within 2 blocks of Seminole Highway, specifically Whenona, Sheffield, Danbury, and Windflower Way. We “oldies” hailed from the Marlborough, Crawford, and Belmar parts of the neighborhood.
Many thanks to all who came and to Diane for providing a pleasant place to meet. The neighborhood is a warmer and friendlier place to be now that we’ve had a chance to become better acquainted.
by Mary Mullen
7 - Want to Be a Welcomer?
Now that you’ve read about the great party sponsored by the Welcomer’s Committee, are you thinking you might want to become involved? We especially need a couple of people from the Belmar (Fitchburg) part of the neighborhood, but ideally we would have a Welcomer Committee member on every street in the neighborhood. (The Allied area, which is part of the neighborhood, has its own Welcomers.)
Joining the committee is a great way to get to know others on the committee as well as new residents. It’s an easy way to get connected to the neighborhood
A Welcomer Committee member attends the monthly Committee meeting which just happens to include a delicious (free) meal prepared by Diane Schultz at her home. At the meeting we put together Welcomer binders of information about the neighborhood and occasionally plan an event like the party described in the previous article. It stands to reason that Welcomers keep an eye out for new move-ins in their part of the neighborhood. Welcomers then deliver the binders to newcomers and invite them to participate in the neighborhood association.
The purpose of Welcomers is to make new residents feel comfortable in the neighborhood and to invite them to participate in the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association.
Interested? Contact Diane Schultz , 273-0086, schultzieje@yahoo.com
by Mary Mullen
8 - News from the Western Part of the Neighborhood (Attachment: “4-pics neighborhood colors.jpg”)
Three people associated with the west side of neighborhood received prestigious awards recently.
Michael Johnson, head of the Dane County Boys and Girls, was named Executive of the Year for the Midwest Region of Boys & Girls Clubs. Prior to the presentation, 50 kids at the Boys and Girls Club were taped chanting their congratulations. A handful of women from the group Mothers in the Neighborhood also gave testimony for the congratulations video.
On October 11, Selena Pettigrew and Sina Davis were honored with the “Someone You Should Know” award from WKOW and the Boys and Girls Club. The two women have been very active in working for people in the Allied part of the neighborhood, and Sina has attended DMNA meetings and events.
WKOW taped the ceremony which included remarks from Michael Johnson, CEO of the Dane County Boys and Girls Club, Fitchburg Mayor Shawn Pfaff, and Fitchburg Alder and Co. Supervisor Dorothy Krause.
For pictorial coverage of these events, click on the attachment.
by Mary Mullen
9 - Revised Cannonball Plan Progresses Through Fitchburg Committees
Thanks to the efforts of Fitchburg Mayor Shawn Pfaff and Alder Steve Arnold, the Cannonball Path plan may include a pedestrian island where the ped/bike path crosses Seminole Highway.
While the Public Works Committee turned down the revised plan that would put in the island, the Public Safety and Health Committee postponed their decision until Alder Carol Poole’s questions could be answered by the Fitchburg Transportation staff.
The Transportation and Transit Commission unanimously supports the revised plan.
The revised plan will be considered by the following committeesat the designated meeting times:
Fitchburg Finance Committee, 7 p.m., Tues., Oct. 23
Fitchburg Public Safety Com., 7 pm., Tues., Nov. 13
Fitchburg Common Council, Tues., Nov. 27
Families, dog walkers, bicyclists, and any others who use the path that runs along the south edge of the neighborhood are urged express their opinions at the meetings or to Fitchburg alders Dorothy Krause and Carol Poole who represent the DMNA area in Fitchburg.
Dorothy Krause, 271-7532 dorothy.krause@city.fitchburg.wi.us <mailto:andrew.potts@city.fitchburg.wi.us>
Carol Poole, 273-3168 carol.poole@city.fitchburg.wi.us
by Mary Mullen
10 - Why is the DMNA Supporting a Pedestrian Island on Seminole for the Cannonball?
These were the points made by the DMNA at recent meetings in which Fitchburg was considering the pedestrian island for the Cannonball Path crossing of Seminole Highway.
The Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association voted at its September 5, 2012 meeting to ask Fitchburg to reconsider its rejection of the pedestrian island on Seminole at the Cannonball Path crossing. In addition to the island there, the motion also requested that pedestrian-operated flashing yellow RRFB lights be provided at both the Cannonball and Capitol City Path crossings. These lights have already been approved by the Fitchburg Common Council. The DMNA asks that the Fitchburg committees recommend the lights and the pedestrian island.
Why?
1. Increasing traffic on Seminole Highway. Traffic on Seminole is now heavy and the road will be much busier when the Verona Road project starts in 2014. Construction will continue for THREE years. Traffic is estimated to increase by 350-450 cars during the peak hours. It’s often difficult to get across Seminole now. It will be even harder with additional traffic.
2. This will probably be a more-used crossing than the Capitol City Path. The Cannonball is flat as opposed to the hilly Capitol City Path. It will likely become a commuter path since it will cross the Beltline and bring bicyclists eventually to Fish Hatchery Road.
3. Safety. An on-line brochure from the Federal Highway Administration called “Safety Benefits of Raised Medians and Pedestrian Refuge Areas” quantifies the value of pedestrian safety refuge areas:
Providing raised medians or pedestrian refuge areas at pedestrian crossings at marked crosswalks has demonstrated a 46 percent reduction in pedestrian crashes. At unmarked crosswalk locations, pedestrian crashes have been reduced by 39 percent. Installing raised pedestrian refuge islands on the approaches to unsignalized intersections has had the most impact reducing pedestrian crashes.
Another statement in that article referred to an RRFB installed with a raised median in St. Petersburg, FL. It notes that
In the first week after the raised pedestrian refuge area and RRFB were installed, over 900 crossings were reported with over 85 percent of motorists yielding to pedestrians.
(Source: http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/tools_solve/medians_brochure/ <http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/tools_solve/medians_brochure/> )
4. Very reasonable cost for the benefit derived from it. Fitchburg pays only 20% of the total cost if the island is installed as part of the Cannonball project. Cost of the island to Fitchburg is set at $14,760 (1.52%) of a total capital budget of $973,651 (2012 CIP budget - The 2013 budget isn’t finalized, but presumably it would be around this amount). Without going into all the calculations - although they can be provided on request - the island safety feature would cost the average Fitchburg homeowner $1.62 in property taxes. If the island saves just one life, isn’t it worth $1.62 for each homeowner?
by Mary Mullen
11 - Open House Meetings for Verona Road (US 18/151) Project in Dane County
Open house meetings will occur at two different locations during the next six months to promote public understanding of the Verona Road (US 18/151) Project.
The following meetings will be held at Upper Iowa State University, 4601 Hammersley Road, Madison:
- Wednesday, October 17 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Wednesday, November 21 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Wednesday, December 12 – 5 to 8 p.m.
The following meetings will be held at the Boys and Girls Club, 4619 Jenewein Road, Madison:
- Wednesday, November 7 – 5 to 8 p.m.
- Wednesday, December 5 – 5 to 8 p.m.
WisDOT representatives will be available at both sites to discuss the project on an individual basis and to respond to questions and feedback. Project maps, displays, documents and handouts will be available, including a copy of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). Construction to outlying intersections scheduled for 2013. Corridor construction scheduled for 2014.
Visit the project website <http://www.veronaroadproject.wi.gov> for more information about the Verona Road (US 18/151) Project.
If you are unable to attend the open house meetings, or would like more information, contact Mark Vesperman at (608) 246-7548. Written comments regarding the project can be mailed to Project Manager Mark Vesperman, WisDOT, 2101 Wright Street, Madison, WI, 53704. Citizens who are deaf or hard of hearing and require an interpreter may request one by contacting Mark Vesperman at least three working days prior to the meeting.
For more information, contact:
Project Manager Mark Vesperman, WisDOT SW Region
(608) 246-7548, mark.vesperman@dot.wi.gov <mailto:mark.vesperman@dot.wi.gov>
Communications Specialist Steven Theisen, WisDOT SW Region
(608) 246-3818, steven.theisen@dot.wi.gov <mailto:steven.theisen@dot.wi.gov>
from Wi Dept. of Transportation website
[Editor’s note. These meetings would be an appropriate place to tell the Wisconsin Department of Transportation what kind of aesthetic treatments you would like to see in connection with this construction. Aesthetics include what the sound walls will look like, what the highway abutments and retaining wall will look like including under the roundabout and at the Verona Road/Beltline intersection, what the ped/bike tunnel should be like, and what other art or landscaping you would like to see.]
IN GENERAL
12 - Health Reform Hits Main Street: Video Explains ObamaCare
Confused about how the new health reform law really works? A short, animated movie -- featuring the "YouToons" -- explains the problems with the current health care system, the changes that are happening now, and the big changes coming in 2014. See it at http://healthreform.kff.org/the-animation.aspx
Learn still more about how the health reform law will affect the health insurance coverage options for individuals, families and businesses with the interactive feature "Illustrating Health Reform: How Health Insurance Coverage Will Work." <http://healthreform.kff.org/profiles.aspx>
from Health Reform Source, The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
13 - Good Advice for Any Neighborhood
by Sheri Swartz of the Meadowood Neighborhood
When I was living in St. Paul 20 years ago, I read an article about a neighborhood where crime was increasing and residents were moving out. The article quoted a woman who had decided to stay and continue raising her children there. She said, in effect, “If all the good people move out, of course the neighborhood will go downhill! If I left, I’d be part of the problem. I’ve decided to stay and be part of the solution instead.” That woman’s words have remained with me all this time, not only because of the simple truth she expressed, but because she was standing behind that truth with her own actions.
The recent reaction to the closing of Meadowood Ace Hardware has brought this quote back to me. So I want to challenge my neighbors in Meadowood and the rest of southwest Madison, to stay and be part of the solution.
It’s hard to find time to be involved, but it would take a lot more time to move. Here are some ideas on how to participate in strengthening our community, any of which could be accomplished for a fraction of the time and effort it would take to move away:
· Get to know your neighbors. Introduce yourself to those who live near you and who regularly walk by or wait at the bus stop. Invite neighbors over for coffee or ice cream in the yard. Set up a neighborhood watch. http://www.cityofmadison.com/police/specialunits/neighborhoodWatch.cfm <http://www.cityofmadison.com/police/specialunits/neighborhoodWatch.cfm>
· Send your children to our neighborhood schools and get involved in those schools. If you have concerns, bring them to the principal and teachers and try to make the school better for everyone. If you like the school, let parents of younger children know.
· Contact Schools of Hope to tutor or read with kids at our neighborhood schools—especially if you don’t have school age children. https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/node/4081
· Take your preschool children to the park, and introduce yourself to other parents you meet there. Or bring them to Play & Learn at the Meadowood Neighborhood Center on Friday mornings.
· Pick up trash in your neighborhood streets and parks.
· Support our local businesses. Get your hair cut at the Meadowood barbershop, get your clothes cleaned at Best Cleaners, pick up some takeout at Chang Jiang or Thai Basil, fill your prescriptions at Walgreens, etc.
· Join your local neighborhood association. Attend the meetings if you can; even if you can’t, you’ll get e-mail updates on community events, safety concerns, and volunteer opportunities. http://www.cityofmadison.com/neighborhoods/neighborassoc.htm <http://www.cityofmadison.com/neighborhoods/neighborassoc.htm>
· Get to know community members who aren’t your immediate neighbors. Attend a Meadowood Community Supper (the next one is in January). Get a community garden plot meadowoodcompost@yahoo.com <http://webmailb.juno.com/webmail/new/5?userinfo=f77e90e111078fb13f073e61f133462d&count=1349027473&type=no%2Dmagic&userinfo=f77e90e111078fb13f073e61f133462d&count=1340074739&cf=SP2&randid=1373236890> .
· Stop by the Meadowood Neighborhood Center. Take a class, teach a class, ask how you might be able to volunteer your time or donate needed items. http://www.mscr.org/MSCR-MeadowoodCenter.cfm <http://www.mscr.org/MSCR-MeadowoodCenter.cfm>
· Join one of our neighborhood workgroups. Southwest side residents are currently tackling issues including housing john@cwd.org <mailto:john@cwd.org> , economic development jerace91804@me.com <http://webmailb.juno.com/webmail/new/21?folder=Inbox&msgNum=00007HW0:001GPGsn00002t29&count=1348795139&randid=452072963&attachId=0&isUnDisplayableMail=yes&blockImages=0&randid=452072963> , hosting the southwest farmers market , http://www.facebook.com/pages/Madison-WI-Southwest-Community-Farmers-Market/86387742218?fref=ts <http://www.facebook.com/pages/Madison-WI-Southwest-Community-Farmers-Market/86387742218?fref=ts> and planning our community suppers ksnhh@juno.com <mailto:ksnhh@juno.com> . The more people than join in, the more effective we can be in these efforts.
· Be a mentor—sign up to mentor a child through Big Brothers and Sisters http://www.bbbs.org <http://www.bbbs.org/> , Mentoring Positiveshttp://www.mentoringpositives.org/ <http://www.mentoringpositives.org/> , or Madison Urban Ministryhttp://www.emum.org/ <http://www.emum.org/> . Tell them you’re from southwest Madison and are interested in mentoring a child from this area.
· Get involved in local government by contacting your alder http://www.cityofmadison.com/council/councilmembers/findAlderByAddress.cfm <http://www.cityofmadison.com/council/councilmembers/findAlderByAddress.cfm> and offering your thoughts and suggestions for how to improve your neighborhood.
Police and city staff must be part of the solution, but we can't sit back and expect them to do it for us. A little effort, by many people, can make a big difference!
by Sheri Swartz of the Meadowood Neighborhood
ENVIRONMENTAL FUN & STEWARDSHIP
14 - Arboretum Offers Many Nature Activities
Where can you get a free education about nature at a world class institution close by our neighborhood? Of course, at the University of Wisconsin Arboretum. The Arboretum offers dozens of opportunities. Below are some coming up this month.
Ecological Restoration Work Party: Grady Tract [The Grady Tract is the area just west of Seminole Highway on the border of the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood.] Saturday, October 20 • 9 am – 12 pm. Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Meet at the Grady Tract parking lot at the corner of Seminole Highway and the Beltline Frontage Road.
Special Event: Trolley Tours, Sunday, October 21 • 1:00, 2:00, & 3:00 pm. Free tickets at the Visitor Center. Access the Visitor Center via Arboretum Drive from Seminole Highway a few short blocks north of the Beltline.
Walk: Woodlands, Sunday, October 21 • 1 pm – 2:30 pm Enjoy what is usually the end of peak for fall color in the restored woodlands of the Arboretum.
Ecological Restoration Work Party: Core Area and Curtis Prairie Saturday, October 27 • 9 am – 12 pm Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas. Meet at the front steps of the Visitor Center.
Earth Partnership for Families: Whispering Trees, Sunday, October 28 • 12:30 pm – 4 pm Trees are full of colors, patterns, shapes and numerous other hidden treasures. There will be activities all about trees in the Visitor Center from 12:30-3:30 p.m. An exploration hike to Longenecker Gardens is from 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Walk: Tour of the Lost City, Sunday, October 28 • 1 pm – 3:30 pm While we always tour this area around Halloween, there is really nothing spooky about this abandoned dream of a Venice of the North. Learn more about this failed 1920s residential area and how understanding the land can be important for proper development. This tour starts indoors with a brief overview of the Lost City project.
Learn more at http://uwarboretum.org/
15 - Clean Sweep Closing for the Season on October 31st
The Dane County / City of Madison Clean Sweep Program for recycling household hazardous waste will end its 2012 season on Wednesday, October 31st at 2 PM.
Items that can be dropped off at Clean Sweep include oil based paints, pesticides, poisons, household products containing organic solvents, ignitable, aerosols, and non-automotive type rechargeable batteries.
On the final day, all traffic will be routed to the Badger Road driveway behind the Dane County Highway garage. Customers will be directed to drive through the facility and remain in their cars while the products are unloaded.
The Product Exchange will be closed during this period.
Customers with large loads will be directed to a parking stall for unloading. A large turnout is anticipated, so there may be delays. The Clean Sweep staff highly recommends that you should avoid the last day rush and drop off materials before the 31st.
Normal hours of operation are on Tuesday – Saturday from 7:00am to 2:00pm. The site is located at the Dane County Highway garage, 2302 Fish Hatchery Road in Madison.
There is only a short time to make an appointment to dispose of very small quantity generator business wastes. Appointment times are filling up fast, so make your appointment soon. October 19th is the last day for business appointments during our 2012 season.
Prior to the last Saturday the site can be accessed from West Badger Road. It is important to drop off household hazardous waste during the listed hours of operation. Leaving materials at the site when it is closed is illegal and can lead to a $2,000.00 fine.
In early 2013, Clean Sweep will be moving to a new permanent facility which will allow the program to operate all year long. More details about this will be announced later this year.
To find out more about any of the Clean Sweep programs, please visit our Web site at www.danecountycleansweep.com.
16 - Fitchburg Green e-News Blast #11
1. Pellitteri Announces More Allowable Items for Fitchburg Recyclers - Yippee! - Pellitteri Waste Systems (Fitchburg's Refuse and Recycling Hauler) has just announced several more items that have been added to the list of allowable recyclables. The complete list is on Fitchburg's web page (www.city.fitchburg.wi.us <http://www.city.fitchburg.wi.us <http://www.city.fitchburg.wi.us> > ) and can be viewed at: http://www.city.fitchburg.wi.us/departments/cityHall/publicWorks/solidWaste/documents/Recycling_list_new.pdf <http://www.city.fitchburg.wi.us/departments/cityHall/publicWorks/solidWaste/documents/Recycling_list_new.pdf> : however, here's a quick summary of the new items that can be added to your blue recycling carts or the recycling dumpsters at the Recycling Drop Off Site (effective immediately):
a. paper milk and juice cartons or boxes
b. plastic bags - if encapsulated in a see-through plastic bag smaller than a basketball
c. metal pie plates, pots, and pans
d. small metal appliances (toasters, blenders, etc.) smaller than a basketball, and
e. small metal plumbing fixtures & pipes (faucets, valves, pipes 2"-12" long)
A video of Pellitteri's new Material Recovery Facility, located at Kipp Street in Madison, is available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1AfLNdSor8 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1AfLNdSor8>
2. Love Your Lakes, Don't Leaf Them Campaign, September to November - Fitchburg City Hall (5520 Lacy Rd) - Stop by Fitchburg City Hall to view a special display cabinet (created by Mac Olsen and Dan Fourness) describing tips on keeping leaves and grass clippings out of the street (and storm system) and using them as nutrients in your yard and garden areas. FREE Yard signs, beverage coasters, and DVDs with information on the Love Your Lakes, Don't Leaf Them are available in the Main Lobby.
3. Compost Bin, Rain Barrel, and Yardwaste Polybags Sale - Sat., Oct. 20th (from 9-11am) - Fitchburg's Recycling Drop Off Site, 2373 S. Fish Hatchery Rd. - Earth Machine home compost bins ($45 - normally $100), Systern rain barrels ($55 - normally $110), Norseman compost turners ($15), Norseman Kitchen scrap pails ($7), and Dayton 50-gallon Yardwaste Polybags ($2 - normally $6) will be available for sale. The supplies will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Advance registration is recommended by contacting rick.eilertson@city.fitchburg.wi.us. Up to 2 FREE Yardwaste Polybags will be available for residents participating in Fitchburg's curbside refuse and recycling program. Visit www.city.fitchburg.wi.us for more information as the event approaches.
4. Fitchburg's Fall 2012 Electronics Recycling (Surplus-IT's warehouse - 901 Watson Ave. - 7:30am-11:30am) & Shred Day Event (Oak Bank's Parking Lot - 5951 McKee Road - 7:30am-10:30am) - Sat., Oct. 20th - visit www.city.fitchburg.wi.us <http://www.city.fitchburg.wi.us <http://www.city.fitchburg.wi.us> > for more information as this event approaches.
5. Eco Book Group - Tues., Oct. 23rd (from 6 - 7 pm) - Fitchburg Library (5530 Lacy Rd) - Are you interested in reading about and discussing environmental issues like conserving energy, saving water, eating well and driving less? If so, join the new Eco Book Group! At the first meeting we will discuss "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan, in which he writes about the bad nutritional advice and foods being consumed today. Check www.enactwi.org or contact Jamie Hernandez at jamie.hernandez@city.fitchburg.wi.us or 729-1784 for more information as this event approaches.
6. Fitchburg Green Thursday - Thurs., Nov. 1st at 6:30pm (Free screening of "The Clean Bin Project" Movie. Please contact walker.evans@city.fitchburg.wi.us or 729-1784 with any questions or comments on this or other Fitchburg Green Thursday events. More information on Green Tuesday and Thursday events scheduled throughout Dane County can be found at: http://www.tnsmonona.org/green-tuesdays-green-thursdays/ <http://www.tnsmonona.org/green-tuesdays-green-thursdays/> <http://www.tnsmonona.org/green-tuesdays-green-thursdays/ <http://www.tnsmonona.org/green-tuesdays-green-thursdays/> >
17- Yahara Lakes: Implementing a Vision
Friday November 9, 2012, Monona Terrace, Madison, WI
Register now at www.nalms.org <http://www.nalms.org <http://www.nalms.org> >
Join the conversation and learn how to get involved in the latest exciting work happening to clean up the Yahara chain of lakes (Mendota, Monona, Waubesa, Kegonsa)! At only $45 for the entire day (including meals and materials), you won’t want to miss presentations by local scientists, managers and conservation groups on successes and challenges of implementing water quality improvement strategies, including:
· the action plan to implement Yahara CLEAN and reduce phosphorus inputs by 50% to clean up our lakes;
· the partnership among area farmers, municipalities and the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District to install agricultural practices to control phosphorus;
· how community manure digesters reduce phosphorus runoff; and
· UW’s Steve Carpenter, one of the world's most influential environmental scientists, comments on the future of the Yahara watershed.
Starting at 7:30 a.m. with the Yahara Lakes Community Breakfast hosted by the Clean Lakes Alliance, the information-packed day also includes the full day of presentations, lunch, and a closing reception. The special one-day rate of $45 is supported by sponsors to enable maximum participation by local residents. You won’t want to miss the full day of presentations and discussion, so register now at www.nalms.org <http://www.nalms.org <http://www.nalms.org> > ! After October 26, the Friday rate increases to $65.
from Susan Jones
Dane Co. Watershed Management Coordinator
VOTER’S CORNER
18 - Using an Absentee Ballot? Read these Cautions.
As we approach the November 6 election, campaigns are pushing people to “vote early. Broadcast ads, robocalls and mass mailings are bombarding us with information, some of which is confusing or even misleading. The following tips may save you time and help ensure your vote will be counted.
Don’t be confused by mailings. Many voters in our battleground state are receiving mailings from political campaigns and independent groups, some of which contain a form to request a voter registration application or receive an absentee ballot. These mailings may include your telephone number, birth date and voting record.
The organizations behind these mailings gather information from multiple sources. For example, your voting record is public information, and the state does sell voter lists to private organizations. However, your birth date is not public, and there is no record of how you voted in any given election. It is best to work directly with your municipal clerk’s office or a Special Registration Deputy with a trusted organization, rather than respond to a mailing by an organization which might not understand Wisconsin election law.
Register before Election Day if possible. There are four options:
- Start online at the Government Accountability Board’s voter information website https://myvote.wi.gov/ Fill out the form and print, sign and return it to your Clerk. Your information will be saved in the system waiting for the Clerk to receive your signed paper form. Forms postmarked by the close of open registration on October 17 do not require additional proof of residence. Forms received afterward will require additional proof of residence to be provided by you at the polling place.
- Register with a Special Registration Deputy (SRD) during the open registration period - until October 17. [In the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood, call 298-0843 or 271-3958 to arrange to meet one of the SRDs who lives in the neighborhood. She will have forms and will help you get registered. Do this before October 17.]
- Register in person at your municipal Clerk’s Office by Friday, November 2. Madison residents go to Clerk’s Office in the City-County Building on Martin Luther King Blvd. Fitchburg residents go to the Fitchburg City Hall on Lacy Road just east of Fish Hatchery Road. Take your driver’s licence and proof of residence.
- Register at your polling place on Election Day, Tuesday, November 6. Proof of residence will be required. If you have a driver’s license, its number must be put on the registration form.
Follow the instructions for absentee voting. If you complete your absentee ballot or certificate incorrectly, your vote will not be counted and you probably will never even know it. To avoid this, carefully follow the instructions you receive with your absentee ballot. If you can, it’s better to vote absentee in person at the clerk’s office so that the envelope is filled out correctly.
Mail your absentee ballot back to the Clerk’s Office as early as possible. It must be postmarked by Election Day and received by November 9. Alternately, you may cast an absentee ballot at your Clerk’s Office between October 22 and November 2.
A final word of caution. A law passed last year makes it a felony to vote at the polling place if you have already returned a completed absentee ballot. Previously voters who cast an absentee ballot before the election, and then changed their mind or realized they made a mistake, could go to the polling place and vote on Election Day if their absentee ballot had not already been counted. Their absentee ballot would not be counted. This is no longer an option.
from League of Women Voters of Wisconsin Education Network
The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin Education Network is a nonpartisan organization that advocates for informed and active participation in government.
19 - Vote Absentee in Person at Your Clerk’s Office
If you intend to vote absentee, it’s better to vote in your city clerk’s office than to get an absentee ballot and send it in by mail.
If you do or absentee voting in the clerk’s office, the staff will check whether the front of the envelope is properly filled out. If you mess up the “certificate” on the envelope, election officials will have to reject your ballot on election day and you may never know it.
In Madison for City of Madison Voters, the Clerk’s office is is City-County Building, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd. on the main floor. Vote absentee there on
Weekdays: Mon, Oct 22 - Fri, Nov 2: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Weekend: Sat, Oct 27: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sun, Oct 28: Noon to 6 p.m.
In Fitchburg for City of Fitchburg Voters, the Clerk’s office is on the second (main) floor of City Hall at 5520 Lacy Road. Vote absentee there on
October 22nd - 26th, 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 27 - 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
October 29th - November 1st, 7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 2nd, 7:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
20 - Voter Registration Applications Must be Mailed by October 17 (Attachments: “Wis Voter Regis Application.pdf” & “GAB voter regis info.jpg”)
To vote in the November 6 presidential election, you must be registered. It’s pretty easy because now you can do this by mail.
Registration just got easier. You can fill out a registration form on-line at http://gab.wi.gov/forms/gab-131-fillable and also attached here, then print it out and mail it by October 17.
The catch is that you must provide proof of residence if you are a first-time voter in Wisconsin and you are registering by mail.
The second page of the form lists all the types of proof of residence that are legal. Common types are
· a current and valid WI Driver License / ID card
· an employee ID card with a photograph, but not a business card
· a utility bill for the period beginning not earlier than 90 days before the day the registration is made
· a bank statement
· a paycheck
· a check or document issued by a unit of government
· a real property tax bill or receipt for the current year or the year preceding the date of the election
Junk mail or mail from a relative or friend DOES NOT constitute proof of residence.
It goes without saying that the proof of residence must contain the voter’s current and complete first and last name, the residential address, and is valid on the day used to register to vote.
The form also asks for a signature. Find the “SIGN” options on the menu bar at the top of the pdf form. You’ll get a choice of using a typed signature, of drawing your signature using the mouse, or of importing an image of your signature.
If you do register by mail, it would still be a good idea to take proof of residence with you to the polls just in case the “proof” you mailed in wasn’t an approved type or was invalid for some other reason.
Voters may still register at the polling place on the day of the election.
by Mary Mullen
21 - Tips for Learning About the Candidates (Advertisements Aren’t Reliable) from League of Women Voters
1. Seek out debates sponsored by trustworthy nonpartisan organizations. The moderator and format should give all candidates an equal opportunity to speak and respond to questions. If the debate is televised, be aware of moderator comments, reaction shots, or other techniques that might bias viewers.
2. Consider gathering with friends or family to watch and discuss the debate. Have a potluck with your family, book club or other group.
3. Pay attention to how the candidates respond to questions. Do they answer them directly or evade them? Do they give specifics or speak in generalities? Do they speak about their own positions or mostly attack their opponents? Do their answers seem overly rehearsed or “canned”? Are their positions consistent from one question to the next?
4. Be sure to seek information from other sources in addition to the debate. Campaign ads and so-called “issue ads” that seek to influence an election are not reliable sources by themselves. Go to the candidates’ websites as well as those of nonpartisan organizations you trust, such as the League of Women Voters www.Vote 411.org <http://www.Vote%20411.org> or www.WisconsinVote.org <http://www.WisconsinVote.org>
from League of Women Voters Wisconsin
22 - Where to See the November 6 Ballot
Maybe you are curious about what the November 6 ballot will actually look like. It has many more choices on it than you may be aware of, but it’s easy to get a preview.
Whether you live in Fitchburg or Madison, an easy place to go is the Madison website: http://www.cityofmadison.com/election/index.cfm
If you live in Fitchburg, click on the Assembly District 47 link. If you live in Madison, click on Assembly District 77. You will see a scanned sample ballot.
Another super resource for voting information pertaining just to you at your address is http://myvote.wi.gov
On that site you can find out if you are registered, find the address of your polling place, see a list of all the candidates in the up-coming election (though not a scanned ballot), find out who all your elected representatives are from the federal to the local level (although the state Assembly District representative is incorrect), look at your past voting history (Mine goes back only to 1986 although I started voting in 1964), get other information about voting in a Q & A format, and find other information as well.
Try it out. It’s fascinating.
by Mary Mullen
----- End of the October 15, 2012 DUNN’S MARSH NEIGHBORHOOD E-News ----
Thanks for reading.
Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood e-News 
