Paul Soglin: Waxing America

Southwest Side Facilities Now Open!

Recently, I joined Alder Phair, Superintendent Cheatham, neighborhood leaders, many volunteers and engaged neighbors at the brand new Theresa Terrace Neighborhood Center and the newly expanded Meadowridge Library and Meadowood Neighborhood Center for their open houses!

Photo Credit: Shanna Wolf

At Meadowridge, community members enjoyed cookies and punch and signed up for summer reading clubs, as they explored the library and community center, linked together through the addition of a community kitchen. As you can see from the photos, the facility is beautiful!

At the Theresa Terrace Neighborhood Center residents and visitors grilled out, painted faces, and enjoyed some outdoor activities.

These facilities are special because a big element of their design came from input of the very people who will utilize them, the residents. Aside from their recreational value, the library and community centers will serve to benefit residents who lack access to resources for education and health care.

Folks who attended both events were very appreciative of the time and effort that Alder Phair has invested in these projects. His work and dedication have paid off.

Thank you to neighborhood residents, Alder Phair, the Madison Public Library, the Madison School District, the Wisconsin Youth Center, Madison School and Community Recreation (MSCR), City of Madison staff and the project architects, whose dedicated efforts made these facilities possible!

Verona Road Mosaic Project

You may have noticed something new along Verona Road in the Allied and Dunn's Marsh Neighborhood. Local artist Elizabeth Doyle has created a new public art project in the form of mosaics!

This project is entirely unique as it features representations of neighborhood residents. Elizabeth invited families to come out and pose for the mosaics. The 'model's' forms were traced and then area children and youth worked in groups to lay stones over the forms.  The results are impressive:

 

This project is a great reflection of the people and culture of this neighborhood and it will serve as a lasting mark of each individual who participated.

Thank you to artist Elizabeth Doyle; Karin Wolf, City Arts Administrator; the Madison Arts Commission; WisDOT; and, of course, the neighborhood residents who came out to participate in the project!

Juneteenth

Even though there was some dodging of raindrops, there was a great turnout for the Juneteenth festivities at Olin Turville Park this year!  As many of you know, Juneteenth is a day dedicated to reflection on, and appreciation for, the African American experience.

The celebration, which brought out some R&B, Jazz, Blues, and Gospel music to be enjoyed with barbecue ribs, chicken, brats, and burgers on the grill, did not disappoint!  Families and teens enjoyed a children's area, teen tents and educational opportunities as well as a visit from the Madison Fire Department and the Madison Police Department's mounted patrol, who came out to meet and engage with community members.

Juneteenth continues to be a very important celebration of African American culture and a strong symbol of appreciation and inclusion of all Madisonians, regardless of race or ethnicity.

My thanks to the many volunteers and sponsors who made this event possible!

Make Music Madison-What a Great Day!

Make Music Madison a great way to spend the Summer Solstice!  You could hear bands in a front yard, in many Madison Parks, in front of businesses, at Monona Terrace, at the Edgewater, on the shores of Lake Wingra, on street corners and in many other locations throughout the City!

The event was free, but donations were donations were accepted and I hope folks were generous.  The volunteer efforts on this event are phenomenal but the event also needs  monetary support.

I have no doubt planning for Make Music Madison 2016 is getting underway soon.  We are all looking forward to another great event!

MadCity Bazaar at the Top of State

There was beautiful weather this week for MadCity Bazaar at Philosophers’ Grove at the top of State! For those of you who aren’t familiar, MadCity Bazaar, described as Madison’s Urban Pop-Up Flea Market, features impressive items from local makers, collectors, and producers.

This week’s market included a variety of unique and impressive items, including glass lawn accessories and jewelry, and even some hula hooping.

If you missed this week’s festivities be sure to catch MadCity Bazaar when it returns to Philosophers’ Grove on Thursday, July 2^nd and 16^th from noon to 7 pm!

As you may recall, this is part of an effort on behalf of the City, the Central Business Improvement District, and Downtown Madison Inc. to bring more kids and families to the Top of State. Look out for more events including Ian’s Pizza Outdoor Open Mic on Tuesday evenings from 5 pm to 7 pm through September 29^th or the Kids’s Day at the Top of State on Fridays from 10 am to noon through August 14^th!

Check out some of this week’s fun below!

Celebrate Father's Day with Make Music Madison!

Make Music Madison It is a one-day, citywide, free day of music and it is a great way to celebrate our community, to spend time with family and friends, to support local musicians and this year, a great way to celebrate Father's Day!

You can learn more about the day by checking out their website (above) or grabbing this week's Isthmus which has a full schedule of musicians with performance times and locations throughout the city.  There will be over 440 concerts, all outdoors and all free!  There are a number of performances in which we can all join such as 60's Rock Stage at Vilas Park, the Community Drum Circle at the Goodman Community Center or Ukuleles Unite at James Madison Park.  One really unique opportunity this year is It's In Us. You can download the lyrics and come and join the choir at James Madison Park at 3:30.

If you just want to tap your foot and listen, there are hundreds of performances from the No Name String Band on South Pinckney Street or the Civil Engineers on East Mifflin Street to Yammer at Eken Park or Life in a Tree on South Whitney Way.

Take your dad, take a picnic, and feel free to donate to do what you can to ensure the sustainability of this kickoff to summer.

Juneteenth Day in Madison

I encourage all Madison area residents to join in the upcoming Juneteenth Celebration this weekend.  Although the original Juneteenth was celebrated in Texas 150 years ago, the Madison tradition began here in the early 1990's. Annie Weatherby-Flowers, a dedicated City of Madison employee has been one of the organizers for many years.

The 150th anniversary will be observed on Friday, June 19 with a Prayer Celebration at Fountain of Life Church from 7:00-9:00 p.m. Saturday the 20th will mark a full day of fun and educational events.  There will be a parade that kicks off from the Alliant Energy Center's Willow Island at 11:00 a.m.  The parade will make its way to Olin-Turville Park where a full day of activities is planned.  There will be greetings from elders of the African American community as well as those from our African community.  There will be educational activities for adults and children on Black History as well as sessions on economic development, health and wellness, plenty of music, dance and of course delicious food.

For a full schedule of the day please check the Juneteenth website.  Juneteenth is the one event that is totally dedicated to the African American experience here in Madison and across the nation.  I encourage you to join the celebration.

Open Houses on Madison's Southwest Side

On Wednesday, June 24th be sure to join Alder Phair, Superintendent Cheatham, and I for two exciting community events: the grand opening of the Theresa Terrace Neighborhood Center and an open house celebrating the completion of the Meadowood Shopping Mall project, including a relocated and expanded Meadowridge Library and Meadowood Neighborhood Center!

At the Theresa Terrace Neighborhood Center, located at 1409 Theresa Terrace, enjoy brats, burgers, and hot dogs on the grill as well as face painting, basketball, bag toss and outdoor sports all followed by a tour and program information.

At the Meadowridge Library and Community Center Open House, located at 5726 Raymond Rd, come out for a tour of the facility, fresh baked cookies, and some arts and crafts followed by the Summer Reading Club signup.

Both openings will run from 5 pm to 8 pm on the 24th with staggered schedules. For the full schedule of events at each facility click here.

These openings demonstrate a commitment to building neighborhoods and community within the City of Madison. I am confident that Madison's Southwest side will enjoy all that staff, volunteers, and residents worked so hard to build!

The Meadowridge Library has been open for a number of months and as you can see from the photos below, it is a beautiful facility.  The final portion of the facility is a shared space for the community, which ties the library and the neighborhood center together.  It is the culmination of hard work on the part of residents and the city and it will be a great addition to the southwest side of the city.

My Brother's Keeper Madison Community Pledge

Recently I was joined by MMSD Superintendent Cheatham, Judge Koval, Chief Koval, District Attorney Ozanne, Sheriff Mahoney, Alder Bidar-Sielaff, Dr. Ruben Anthony, Dr. Jerlando Jackson, Dr. John Odom, and Mr. Everett Mitchell on behalf of UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank to release the My Brother's Keeper Madison Report and Recommendations for Action and unveil the MBK Madison Community Pledge. I am grateful for the partnership of these individuals, the organizations they represent, and many more who have made MBK a priority.

While the City of Madison and our MBK partners are committed to fulfilling the two goals selected by our boys and young men of color (ensure all youth graduate from high school and ensure all youth stay safe from violent crime and receive second chances) progress cannot happen alone. We are asking that Madisonians sign onto the MBK challenge via the pledge.

The pledge is simple; we are asking community members to take action and join in on the MBK initiative.  From taking time to volunteer and mentor youth of color, to simply working to change one's thought processes, there is something for everyone. Take the pledge by clicking here and encourage your friends and colleagues to do the same.

Check out the full news conference by clicking on the image below:

Operation Lifesaver

Operation Lifesaver is a public education program first established in 1972 to end collisions, deaths and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and on railroad rights-of-way.  I am pleased that Common Council President Denise DeMarb was able to join staff from Wisconsin and Southern Railroad, area law enforcement personnel and Wisconsin Rail Commissioner Jeff Plale to see first hand how many close calls Wisconsin and Southern engineers face each day.

The first week of June was Rail Safety Week and Wisconsin and Southern, each year sponsors their Officer on a Train program.  After receiving a safety briefing, the officers from various departments were either stationed on the train, or in nearby squad cars.  When the officers on the train observed illegal track related activity, involving motorists, bicyclists or pedestrians, they radioed to their colleagues in cars who were able to stop the offender and educate them on their violation.

I know Council President DeMarb enjoyed the educational experience and the officers look forward to the event every year.  Thanks to Wisconsin and Southern for hosting.  For more information on Operation Lifesaver, check out their website.