September 3, 2010
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.
President, Jeff Glazer, president@dunnsmarsh.org 277-1778
News contact, Mary Mullen, mmullen@chorus.net 298-0843
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Calendar
Wed., Sept 3, 10 a.m. – Free bus ride to Fresh Madison Market. (Attachments 1 & 2 & Article 1)
Wed., Sept 8, 5 p.m. – Free bus ride to Fresh Madison Market.
Wed., Sept 15, 10 a.m. – Free bus ride to Fresh Madison Market. Consult Article 1 for additional dates.
Tuesday, Sept. 21, 7 p.m. – DMNA Council. Prairie UU Society, corner of Crawford and Whenona. Any resident may attend, but only Council members may vote. If you plan to attend, please let DMNA President Jeff Glazer know: 277-1778 or president@dunnsmarsh.org
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Articles
In the Neighborhood
1 - Free Bus Rides Offered to Downtown Grocery Store (Attachments 1 & 2)
2 - Fiber Optic Cable Laid from Beltline Through the Neighborhood (Attachment 3)
3 - DMNA Requests Painted Bike Lanes on Frontage Road (Attachment 4)
4 - Marlborough Park Gets New Handicap Path (Attachment 3)
5 - DMNA Launches New Website
6 – Sister Association Chooses New Officers
General Interest
7 - If Alcohol is a Problem…
8 - Sold on Native Plantings? You Could Sponsor One on the Fitchburg Library Site.
9 - 2010 Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes
10 - Test Yourself on Women’s History
Alder Report
11 - Alder Brian Solomon’s Update from July 28
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In the Neighborhood
1 - Free Bus Rides Offered to Downtown Grocery Store (Attachments 1 & 2)
All through the month of September, neighborhood residents can ride a bus for free down to the UW campus area to shop at the Fresh Madison Market grocery store. These rides happen mostly on Wednesdays as follows: Wednesday, Sept. 3 - 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 8 – 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 15 – 10 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 22 – 5 p.m., and Tuesday, Sept. 28 – 10 a.m.
Groceries are delivered free with a $40 purchase. For additional information, contact Selena at admna55@gmail.com or call 773-515-7916. Sign up for a ride at Joining Forces for Families on Allied or Headstart on Red Arrow Trail.
2 - Fiber Optic Cable Laid from Beltline Through the Neighborhood (Attachment 3)
When big machines pull up and start making holes in the ground, neighbors tend to come out and ask what’s going on. What was going on August 17 at the corner of Danbury and the Frontage Road and also down a couple of blocks at Sheffield was the laying of a fiber optic cable for Department of Transportation communications use. CCI System Cable Construction, Inc. had previously worked at the corner of Clover and Seminole Highway.
The worker directed my attention to an orange tube on the Beltline side of the Frontage Road and another coming out of the hole on Danbury. He noted that a 96-strand thumb-sized cable from both tubes would be connected. The tiny fibers are melted together to make a connection. I believe the worker also pointed out that this DOT cable was connected to the cameras that monitor the Beltline traffic in our area.
Fiber optic cable allows for an astronomical number of messages to be carried compared to a similarly-sized copper wire. For example, an article I read noted that a copper wire might carry 3.700 messages simultaneously while a like-sized fiber optic cable could carry 20,000. Another description in the same article stated that “a fiber optics system will be able to transmit the equivalent of an encyclopedia set (24 volumes) of information (about 40 million words) in a single second.”
Back to the neighborhood. Does it help to go out and talk to the company doing the work if you have fears about what they are doing and wish for a change of plans? Absolutely! The foreman I talked to explained how the cable installation company had moved the cable box to the north side of Clover because the neighbor on the south side was worried about how the box would affect a beloved tree.
by Mary Mullen
3 - DMNA Requests Painted Bike Lanes on Frontage Road (Attachment 4)
There you are biking merrily along on the Frontage Road after turning into the neighborhood from Seminole Highway. There’s a nicely painted bike lane. Then, a while after the road turns from a 3-lane to a 2-lane, a sign looms that says “Bike Lane Ends.” Help! What are you supposed to do, jump off your bike, jump the curb, and get on the grass?
Well, not exactly. Bicyclists can ride on any local street including frontage roads. But the point is that signs like “Bike Lane Ends” can be confusing. In addition, when a bike lane simply disappears, the protection that it affords goes away with the lack of lines.
Considering this issue, at its July 20 meeting the DMNA Council authorized communicating with the city about painting bike lanes along the entire Beltline and Verona Frontage Road. A letter and map were drafted and forwarded to City of Madison staff member Mark Winter.
In a conversation prior to the Council’s request, Winter was quite positive about the likelihood of getting the lanes painted if the DMNA requested them. He said the road was two feet narrower than the standard road that would have painted lanes but said that neighbors could appear before the Bicycle Pedestrian Committee to support the lanes even if city staff might recommend against them.
FYI, there are painted lanes on the Frontage Road east of Seminole Highway as well as on Seminole Highway on both sides of the Beltline. Years ago it was an uphill battle to get the lanes painted on Seminole. Why? Because the powers that be expected everyone to go through Nakoma and across the Beltline by way of the pedestrian overpass. They finally recognized that no biker headed out Seminole Highway to Paoli would ever detour to the overpass, and those lanes have been there ever since.
We haven’t heard anything yet about the recent Frontage Road bike lane request, either pro or con. Keep tuned. Check out the attached map to see details. On the map, the route of the requested lanes is dark blue.
by Mary Mullen
4 - Marlborough Park Gets New Handicap Path (Attachment 3)
The cacophany of grading machines and gravel trucks has drowned out the ordinary sounds in Marlborough Park lately. What’s been happening there? Answer: a new blacktop path in the park.
The new path snakes from the lower bike path, around the shelter, and then to the upper bike path. It is meant to be a handicap path that will make it easier for those in wheelchairs or perhaps parents or kids pushing strollers to get to the shelter and back. The path also has a tie into the playground.
With all the problems of illegal and unwanted motorized traffic in the park, one may wonder if this path will just create more problems, but the curved layout is meant to discourage this kind of use.
by Mary Mullen
5 - DMNA Launches New Website
DMNA President Jeff Glazer recently got our Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association website up and running. Getting Secretary Solare O’Brien to nudge her dad, former DMNA President Dan O’Brien, to pass on the password helped, and the rest is history.
So far the new DMNA site is just in its infancy. It contains a short welcome, a list of the Neighborhood Council members, and copies of the monthly agendas since December 2009.
Check it out at http://www.dunnsmarsh.org
If you are lucky enough to have the latest Microsoft Word version or can download a converter, you’ll be able to look at agendas. A trick is to click on the box and then hit the download link. You may be prompted to download a converter so that you can see the docx agendas.
Eventually you will be able to communicate with the DMNA officers through e-mails that look like
president@dunnsmarsh.org
communications@dunnsmarsh.org
officers@dunnsmarsh.org
So far, though, I haven’t been able to get into my designated e-mail which is the communications address. For that reason, if you wish to communicate with me, please continue to use my personal e-mail address: mmullen@chorus.net
by Mary Mullen
6 – Sister Association Chooses New Officers
At its July meeting, the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Council learned that new officers have been chosen by the Allied Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association. The new president is Selena Pettigrew and the new vice president is Sina Davis.
General Interest
7 - If Alcohol is a Problem…
This neighborhood has been concerned about problems related to alcohol and drugs. Witness the turnout from the neighborhood before the Madison Alcohol License Review Committee (ALRC) when two establishments on the Beltline Frontage Road applied for licenses starting last winter.
Well, Dunn’s Marsh neighbors aren’t the only ones with concerns. There’s actually a Dane County Coalition to Reduce Alcohol Abuse. The Coalition got really active when a number of Walgreen’s stores applied to the ALRC.
Now you can visit the Coalition’s website and take their "eCheckup to Go" by following a link on their page: http://www.countyofdane.com/commissions/alcohol <http://www.countyofdane.com/commissions/alcohol>
This self-assessment was developed at San Diego State University originally for colleges and universities. UW Madison has one for its students. It has proven to be so soundly researched and effective, that an additional version was built for communities.
The Dane County Coalition is the second coalition to take advantage of this; the other was a county coalition in Maine. The Coalition is advertising it in their full-page ad in the back-to-school edition of The Onion (9/3) and in full-page ads in the first two editions of The Badger Herald (9/2 and 9/3).
Here is the description:
Welcome to the Dane County Coalition to Reduce Alcohol Abuse Alcohol eCHECKUP TO GO
· accurate and detailed information about your personal risk patterns
· your individual level of alcohol tolerance
· your unique family risk factors
· harm reduction strategies
The Coalition will receive statistical information, but nothing is ascribed to any individual person. This is a well-researched resource. We encourage Dane County residents to take advantage of this opportunity.
By the way, coming back to the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood, here’s what happened because of neighborhood opposition to liquor licenses. The ALRC sent both applicants back to develop better plans. Neither one provided new plans and neither has received a license. However, Faouzi’s Restaurant, at 4345 West Beltline has opened as a restaurant that serves food only. Neighbors who’ve eaten there have raved about the good food.
by Mary Mullen
8 - Sold on Native Plantings? You Could Sponsor One on the Fitchburg Library Site.
The landscaping plans for the Fitchburg Library have incorporated 5 stormwater rain gardens and several native prairie areas. The current plans are that these will be planted by contractors next spring or summer after the Library is built and the final grading completed. If you or any organization you're involved with would be interested in sponsoring the planting and/or maintenance of one or more of these native plant areas, please feel free to let me know and I can get you in touch with the appropriate contacts.
Thanks for all your help
Rick Eilertson, P.E., Environmental Engineer
City of Fitchburg. 5520 Lacy Rd, Fitchburg, WI 53711
rick.eilertson@city.fitcburg.wi.us
270-4264 direct, 235-0412 cell
9 - 2010 Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes
We probably all know people with diabetes. The disease is rampant these days. Knowing a family member with diabetes is to know some of its insidious effects and all the ways diabetics try to control them.
Because of my mother’s diabetes, I became familiar with many of the issues and procedures to try to control its effects. These ranged from diet and exercise to insulin shots, surgery to improve circulation to her feet, and amputations. One can feel helpless, but there is something anyone can do: help raise money for more research.
This year’s walk to fight diabetes – the 2010 Step Out - is scheduled for Sunday, October 10. Step Out organizers are expecting to raise $60,000 and have more than 500 walkers and volunteers come together at Vilas Park. The Planning Committee is also working hard to create a fun and memorable event and we would love to have you join them this year.
Every dollar raised through Step Out is critical to funding diabetes research, information and advocacy. To learn more about the Walk and to register for the Walk, please go to www.diabetes.org/stepout <http://www.diabetes.org/stepout>
<http://www.diabetes.org/stepout> or call Barb Folco at 608-222-7785.
Planners of 2010 Step Out would like to offer up a challenge to all the Madison Neighborhoods Associaions to see which group can get the most people to participate in this year's walk and to see which group can raise the most money. Not only will this be a fun way to get to know the people in your neighborhood, it will also be helping out your neighbors dealing with diabetes on a daily basis.
Contact Barb Folco at 608-222-7785 if you have questions or need assistance in get a team set up.
10 - Test Yourself on Women’s History
Editor’s Note: Women are more in the news than they used to be. Check out how many of these women you know who were in the news in September or who have September birthdays. I only knew 10 of the 23. How about you?
September Highlights in US Women's History
Sept 12, 1910 - Alice Stebbins Wells, a former social worker, becomes the first woman police officer with arrest powers in US (Los Angeles, CA)
Sept 14, 1964 - Helen Keller receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom along with 4 other women: Dr. Lena Edwards, Lynn Fontainne, Dr. Helen Taussig, and Leontyne Price
Sept 14, 1975 - Elizabeth Ann Seton is canonized. She is the first American-born saint, and founded the first U.S. Order of Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph
Sept 20, 1973 - Billie Jean King defeats Bobby "No broad can beat me" Riggs in the battle of the sexes tennis match
Sept 25, 1981 - Sandra Day O'Connor is sworn in as the first woman U.S. Supreme Court justice
Sept 26, 1971 - Rep. Shirley Chisholm (D-New York) announces she will enter the Democratic presidential primaries
Sept 26, 1973 - Capt. Lorraine Potter, an American Baptist minister, is the first woman U.S. Air Force chaplain
Sept 29, 1988 - Stacy Allison becomes first U.S. woman to reach the summit of Mt. Everest
September Birthdays
Sept 1, 1933 (2006) - Ann Richards, second woman elected governor of Texas (1990)
Sept 2, 1948 (1986) - Christa McAuliffe, NH teacher, selected in 1985 to be the first teacher in space; died aboard space shuttle Challenger
Sept 3, 1920 (1966) - Marguerite Higgins, first woman to win Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting (1951) for coverage of the Korean War
Sept 6, 1860 (1935) - Jane Addams, founder of Hull House in Chicago, first major settlement house. First American woman to receive Nobel Peace Prize (1931); helped establish American Civil Liberties Union (1920)
Sept 8, 1859 (1918) - Mary M. Kimball Kehew, union organizer, cofounder of the Union for Industrial Progress (1892); first president of National Women's Trade Union League (1903)
Sept 14, 1830 (1910) - Emily Edson Briggs, first woman White House correspondent, during Lincoln's administration; first president of Women's National Press Assn. (1882)
Sept 14, 1879 (1966) - Margaret Sanger, pioneer in birth control and sex education; founded predecessor to Planned Parenthood
Sept 18, 1905 (1993) - Agnes De Mille, dancer, choreographer, pioneer of the American Ballet Theater
Sept 20, 1946 - Judith Baca, Latina visual artist and muralist; community activist.
Sept 23, 1863 (1954) - Mary Church Terrell, first president of National Assn. of Colored Women (1896); picketed in Washington DC for suffrage and desegregation
Sept 23, 1838 (1927) - Victoria Woodhull, feminist, first woman candidate for U.S. President (1872) for the Equal Rights Party; with sister, first women to be members of the NY Stock Exchange (1870's)
A year-round women's history calendar is available on our website www.nwhp.org <http://www.nwhp.org/ <http://www.nwhp.org/> > in the News and Events category.
from National Women’s History Project
Alder Report
11 - Alder Brian Solomon’s Update from July 28
Greetings District 10 Residents and welcome to the July update. Thanks all, and be well. Brian
Edible Landscaping / Fruits and Nuts: A small victory was achieved last Wednesday at Parks Commission, as Commissioners passed an MOU policy that replaced the fees and insurance that was previously going to be required. This victory may prove to be temporary because Alder Skidmore (District 9) brought the decision to the city attorney for a double check. I remain 100% supportive of edible orchards in Madison and, honestly, remain stunned that we’re not doing everything in our power to clear a path for them throughout the city. I’ll keep working to support these in Marlborough Park, in Wingra Park, and everywhere else we can. For more information on the Parks Commission action, check out this article: http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt_and_politics/city_hall/article_5830a434-905f-11df-8139-001cc4c002e0.html <http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt_and_politics/city_hall/article_5830a434-905f-11df-8139-001cc4c002e0.html> . And don’t forget to keep voting: http://www.madisonfruitsandnuts.org/ <http://www.madisonfruitsandnuts.org/> . I’m joining a couple alders and city staff for a meeting in August to further discuss.
Plastic Bottle Recycling: We can now recycle lids and caps from plastic bottles. They must be ON THE BOTTLE to be recycled. Step one: Buy less plastic. But if you have to, then proceed to Step 2: Empty bottle. Step 3: Give ‘em a little squeeze to let some air out. Step 4: Reattach lids or caps. Step 5: Throw in your single stream recycling, alongside mixed paper, aluminum, steel, and glass.
Central Library Public Meetings: Hmmm. This has been an interesting couple weeks, with the State Journal reporting that the library project is being radically downsized and Mayor Dave responding that they’ve lost their minds. Regardless, we are moving forward on something, and the first step was taken at our council meeting last night, where we approved forward movement on some initial design and planning work. As part of this, there will be several public meetings. If you have any interest in the redevelopment of the central library, please attend!
City Development Process / Neighborhood Summit: Another brain teaser. First the Mayor and development interests get upset that a huge, controversial, shoreline hotel project, requesting $16 million in taxpayer assistance, in a historic district proves to be, well, controversial. It passes anyway. Then everyone starts screaming that the process is broken. DMI issues a series of recommendations (http://www.downtownmadison.org/uploads/media/Development_Approval_Recommendations_062510_final.pdf <http://www.downtownmadison.org/uploads/media/Development_Approval_Recommendations_062510_final.pdf> ). The Mayor says fixing our broken approval process is the biggest economic development priority for the next year. Meanwhile, unemployment in Madison hovers above 6% (twice its normal rate; but not even factoring underemployment or those who have given up completely). Foreclosures remain high. Homelessness remains high. Thousands of Madisonians are completely isolated from the economic mainstream and 50% of Madison public school students qualify for federal free or reduced school lunch. But I digress. Back to the aprpoval process, which looks to silence (or at least diminish) the voices of neighborhoods. I believe the active engagement of our neighborhoods represent democracy in action. I believe they are part of what makes Madison great.
So, along with Alders Bidar-Sielaff (District 5), Verveer (District 4), Rummel (District 6), Schmidt (District 11), Rhodes-Conway (District 12), and Kerr (District 13), I co-sponsored an alder-initiated neighborhood summit to talk about land use approval processes and the roles of neighborhoods. (The meeting was July 31.)
Highlander Motel. Madison Police and the City Attorney’s Office have been working hard to deal with the Highlander, which has 700 police calls in the past two years. The goal was to use chronic nuisance to force closure and a change in ownership. The court, however, ordered an “undertaking.” Am outside management company will be hired by August 5, 201. Cameras will be required at all exits. All residents will be run through CCAP monthly. A roster of residents will be sent to police every two weeks. A $5,000 lien will be placed on the property of these actions aren’t taken. Finally, the Highlander will close January 31, 2011. What happens from there is uncertain. I remain concerned that places like the Highlander are often the only option other than homelessness for many Madisonians. In other words, they provide a vital public service. But 700 police calls is not acceptable and I think this is a good resolution. I am thankful to the City Attorney’s Office and Madison Police for their great work.
Bike Path Restaurant. I’ve gotten lots of calls and emails about this, as folks may expect. About half think it’s the greatest idea ever. The other half think it’s a great idea, but don’t want it where its been proposed. I’ve talked many times to Chris Berg about this idea, but not lately and I was a bit surprised when I opened the paper and saw the article. My first thought was, “uh oh.” Ten minutes and 536 emails later, I had a better sense of why that thought had crossed my mind. Anyway, more to come. Talking to planning staff and I have a call in to Chris. We’ll almost certainly schedule a public input / neighborhood meeting as things progress. There is still a long way to go on this… but there is SOME good news: at least no one is planning a 10 story luxury hotel on the bike path…
Yet.
from Madison District 10 Alder Brian Solomon
--------- End of September 3, 2010 DUNN’S MARSH NEIGHBORHOOD E-NEWS -------
THANKS FOR READING
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