Paul Soglin: Waxing America

New 'dos for Madison Police and Fire Chiefs!

Those of you who attended or tuned in for the Common Council meeting on Tuesday might have noticed something funny on top of Chief Koval’s head: a rainbow-colored clown wig. Sitting beside him, Chief Davis sported a new buzz cut.

Every year the Rainbow Project of Madison, a non-profit that provides services to children and families encountering stress from domestic violence, neglect, or other traumatic experiences, holds their “Rhumba 4 Rainbow” salsa dancing fundraiser. This year they raised the stakes on the dance competition, with an added bet between Chief Koval and Chief Davis. Detective Gloria Reyes, representing the Madison Police Department, and Fire Fighters Local 311 President Mahlon Mitchell, representing the Madison Fire Department, squared off in the dancing competition. The Chief of the losing department would have to sport a new ‘do.  Chief Davis would have his head shaved in front of the crowd and Chief Koval would proudly wear a rainbow-colored wig at the next Council meeting. Mahlon swept away the crowd with his dance moves and won the competition for the Fire Department. Chief Davis did not simply accept his victory; instead, he challenged the crowd to raise an additional $500 for the Rainbow Project. If they met the goal, he would shave his head.  The crowd pulled together and raised over $900! As promised, Chief Koval valiantly wore a rainbow wig at Tuesday’s Council meeting.

Job well done Madison Police and Fire! Way to work for a great cause!

Madison Named the Most Livable City in America

On Monday, September 15^th, Livability.com announced that Madison has been named the number one most livable city in America! I was joined by Matt Carmichael of Livability.com, Alder Skidmore, Alder Demarb, and Alder Subeck to accept the award. The folks at Livability, along with the research team at the Martin Prosperity Institute, looked at several factors including a city’s economics, housing, amenities, infrastructure, demographics, social and civic capital, education and health care.

From number five last year to number one this year, it is clear that we have a come a long way in Madison. I am proud of our success, but our work is not yet done. We must continue to focus on ways to keep making Madison the great place it is!

Click on the link below to read the article or on the image below to watch the press conference!

http://livability.com/best-places/top-100/2015

Another Great Weekend in Madison

There’s never a shortage of things to do in Madison! This past weekend there were so many impressive community events.

On Friday night I spoke at the OutReach 40^th Anniversary Banquet. OutReach was one of the nation’s first LGBT Community Centers when it was founded in 1973. I was proud to be a part of their event and honor their dedication to fighting for equality in the LGBT community.

I also spoke to the great crowd at Fighting Bob Fest. It was a wonderful opportunity to get people talking about some of today’s big issues.  It was great to see so many committed folks working together.

The City of Madison Fire Department also held their Achievement and Promotional Ceremony on Friday night and I was able to spend a few minutes there too.  This ceremony honored Assistant Chiefs, Captains, Apparatus Engineers, Paramedics, and Fire Code Enforcement Officers alike.  Congratulations to all those who were honored!

On Saturday, we held the Mayor’s Neighborhood Conference at the Monona Terrace.  The all-day conference brought together residents from all parts of Madison to support community leaders and discuss ways to promote healthy and walkable neighborhoods. Conference attendees enjoyed a keynote speech from a very special guest, Don Edwards, the CEO of Justice and Sustainability Associates in Washington DC, on ways to improve engagement in Madison neighborhoods. The conference was an excellent opportunity to bring together the larger Madison community for a discussion on ways to improve our city for everyone!

On Sunday I attended “Taste of Elvehjem” at the Elvehjem Community Garden with Alder Denise Demarb. I enjoyed judging the “Healthy(ier) Recipe Contest”. My choice, the Cowboy Caviar, was delicious, and I am proud to say that my alternate choices, the Turkey Chili and Apple Crisp, were also the neighbors' choices! I rounded out the afternoon with Storytime in the Garden, where I read Little Blue Truck Leads the Way to a group of neighborhood children and autographed their books. I enjoyed getting to know my LVM neighbors.

Later that day I headed to the Willy Street Fair. What a great neighborhood. I enjoyed listening to several different kinds of music from three live stages. I also enjoyed visiting the many different food and craft carts and participating in the raffle. As much as this event was for fun, the organizers made sure to remember to give back, donating all raffle proceeds to the Common Wealth’s Youth Programs department and donating other funds to the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center.

Updated 9/17

 

BandSwap Cities: 2014

This Saturday, September 20th, Madison is participating in BandSwap for the second year. Along with Madison, this year's BandSwap includes participants from Athens, GA, Charleston, SC, Chico, CA, Denver, CO, Fort Collins, CO, Lafayette, LA, Nashville, TN, and Portland, OR. BandSwap events include the SynchroniCITY Networking Party for local musicians and industry innovators at the Madison Public Library from 11am – 1:00pm, the CD Release Party at the 100 Block of State Street from 1:00pm to 5:00pm, and finally, the BandSwap Showcase at the Frequency with doors opening at 8PM. BandSwap is a great opportunity to show support for local musicians and check out bands you might not have seen before!

For more details on the event check out the schedule at the link below or the BandSwap website:

http://www.cityofmadison.com/news/2014-madison-bandswaps-full-day-schedule

http://bandswap.org/

Pavement Painting Project

Madison's second pavement painting project was recently kicked off in the Knutson Circle cul-de-sac on Knutson Drive on the Northside of Madison. Community members came together to paint a sunflower, a common sight in the gardens around the neighborhood, with two cranes, the symbol of the Northside, in the center. Once again, this temporary public art project provided an opportunity for neighborhood residents to come together and create something to symbolize their community bond and sense of place. From children to the elderly, a great time was had by all!

This project also marks the beginning of a new relationship: sister neighborhoods. While only in its beginning stages, sister neighborhoods will mimic a sister city relationship within the Madison area and assist them in similar placemaking activities. I hope you agree with me that this is a great idea and I look forward to more and similar partnerships!

The next pavement painting project is set to kick off on September 20th from 9AM to 2PM at Turbot Drive and Sunfish Court in the Leopold neighborhood. Come by and join in on the fun.

Check out some pictures of the Knutson Circle project:

Grocer of the Year

Congratulations to Mark Skogen, President and CEO of Festival Foods, for being named Wisconsin's Grocer of the Year for 2014. As you probably know, Festival Foods will soon be building a store on East Washington Avenue. The groundbreaking will be held on September 16th and the store is planned to open in the summer of 2015.

Mark Skogen has created a reputation of employee support through stock ownership plans, associate discount cards, and reimbursement programs for tuition and fitness memberships. Unsurprisingly, this is not the first time Mark Skogen has been recognized for his efforts and dedication to community outreach. Under his leadership, Festival Foods was the recipient of the American Foundation of Counseling Services' Ethics in Business Award in 2013.

I am glad to welcome Festival Foods to Madison and thank them for their lasting commitment to giving back to the community.

Check out the article at the link below:

http://www.theshelbyreport.com/2014/07/31/festival-foods-skogen-is-wisconsin-retailer-of-the-year/#.VBCt3cso7ct