Monthly Archives: July 2012

Atwood-Fair Oaks Intersection to Open 3PM Today

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City hopes to open intersection just before afternoon rush

The detours will be over in a matter of hours as the City announced that the intersection will open at 3 p.m. today (July 26, 2012).

Yang Tao, of the City of Madison Traffic Engineering Division, sent out a letter Wednesday to city officials and neighborhood associations to announce that the Atwood-Fair Oaks intersection, that has been closed since June 18, will open at 3 p.m. today, six days ahead of schedule.
Tao writes:
We got quite a few emails/phone calls asking for the status of the project, and I thought giving everyone an update would be a good idea….
 
…We were able to work with our contractors to get the road work done ahead of schedule, and now City crews are doing their best installing above ground facilities, such as traffic signals, flashing beacons, streetlights, speed board, signing and pavement markings. It looks like they will finish early as well, and should be able to get everything done by early tomorrow afternoon. So instead of originally scheduled opening date of August 1, we are planning onopening the street around 3 PM tomorrow (July 26, Thursday) before peak afternoon traffic hours.
 
Thanks for everyone’s hard work on the project, and thanks to all residents for the involvement and inputs during the process. We appreciate your patience and sacrifice through the construction for the past few weeks.
 
Yang Tao, Ph.D., P.E.
City of Madison – Traffic Engineering Division

Madison Contests Livingston Rail Crossing Closure

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Update on appeal at Vehicle Commission meeting, stop signs grow on Baldwin

If a Wisconsin State commission’s ruling stands, the railroad crossing at Livingston Street will be closed by June 2013 and cul de sacs installed.

A key municipal meeting is coming up today at 5 p.m. at City Hall. The Pedestrian/Bicycle/Motor Vehicle Commission will meet to discuss a few ongoing items that directly affect multi-modal movement along the Capital City Bike Trail and Central Park.

On the agenda is whether to install an All-Way stop sign at South Baldwin and East Wilson Streets and discussion on the City’s response to the State Office of Commissioner of Railroad’s (OCR) recommendation to close the railroad crossing at South Livingston Street.  Continue reading →

The Whole World is Flying to Oshkosh

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‘World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration’ underway

Overhead at EAA AirVenture, the largest fly-in anywhere. Courtesy: EAA

Seven Days, 10,000 aircraft, 500,000 people, eight air shows including one at night, 800 exhibitors, and over 900 registered media are all you need to know that the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture event in Oshkosh, Wisconsin (July 23-29) is the world’s largest fly-in and convention.  Continue reading →

Gallery: Live On King St.

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Cloud Cult delights with high energy and thick harmonies

Hundreds showed up for the 2nd Annual Live on King Street summer concert series which was expanded to four dates this summer. Majestic Resident DJ Nick Nice cast music down upon the gathered crowd from his perch including a pre-concert set along with music in between performances.

Nice was followed by the up and comping pop duo MS MR from New York City and the headliner Cloud Cult, which after a two year absence played like a band earnestly making up for lost time and the crowd responded with enthusiastic love. Video of Cloud Cult in action including the on-stage painters is below.

You can read a review of the evening from the Isthmus here

Atwood-Fair Oaks Intersection to Open Soon

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Paving is complete as City expects to open the intersection the week of July 23

With paving finished, the Atwood-Fair Oaks intersection is expected to open the week of July 23, 2012.

In just over a month, construction crews are nearly finished with the complete reconstruction of the intersection of Atwood and Fair Oaks Avenues. In an update posted on the City of Madison website, the intersection was being paved and signs and markings would be installed soon in preparation for an opening the week of July 23.

Indeed by Thursday (July 19) contractors were observed paving the intersection and by Saturday morning the intersection appeared completed, save for lighted traffic signals, signs and pavement markings. So far the project is at least a week ahead of schedule.  Continue reading →

Olbrich Deep Well Activated for Drought Support

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Water Utility says nearby Kipp contamination not a concern

Deep Well #8 on the Olbrich sledding hill. This seasonal well is the last of the 22 wells to be activated by the city in their drought response.

We’re not sure if Madison is running out of water, but as part of its drought response, the city has activated its last remaining dormant well as a precaution. Well #8, located at Welch and Lakeland Avenues also known as the Olbrich sledding hill, is in the process of being flushed so it will be ready in case demand increases again. The well has been dormant until now and some are raising concerns about water quality since its blocks from the Madison-Kipp Corporation plant where ground contamination has been an on-going concern.

In a letter to Madison 6th Ward Alder Marsha Rummel, Madison Water Utility Public Information and Conservation Official Gail Gawanda said that flushing of Well #8 began the week of July 17. The well is being placed in service as a precaution since all the other wells and booster stations are running at nearly non-stop pace to meet current demands.

Continue reading →

Live On King St. Debuts Friday

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Cloud Cult to headline Block Party, DJ Nick Nice atop the Majestic marquee

The 2nd annual Live On King Street free summer concert series kicks off Friday July 20th featuring Cloud Cult, an experimental indie rock band from neighboring Minnesota. The band was started by Craig Minowa to support some of his solo projects and has grown to eight current members and almost an equal number of alumni. Cloud Cult features mostly traditional instruments including guitar, cello, violin, bass, keyboard, trombone, drums, and trumpet.

One unique aspect of Cloud Cult’s performances is the employment of one or two painters (including Craig’s wife Connie) on stage that complete pieces during the performance. The pieces are auctioned off at the end and audience members can also commission works to be done during the show.

Opening for Cloud Cult is MS MR, a Brooklyn-based duo with poppy, retro, and sometimes experimental sounds. Their first single “Hurricane” was released this month and is available on 7’’ vinyl. You can download their Track Addict Mix Series, including “Hurricane” from Soundcloud.

Majestic Resident DJ Nick Nice. Courtesy: Nick Nice

The all ages concert begins at 5 p.m. (21 to drink) with Majestic Resident DJ Nick Nice spinning from atop the Majestic marquee as he did last year. Nick Nice will then move inside the Majestic and host the 80s New Wave Rave beginning at 10 p.m.

Have You Seen This Thief?

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Passerby rummages through cars, takes bike from Sector67

This thief wandered into the Sector67 parking lot early Tuesday morning (July 17), looked through these two cars then took a bike.

Management at Sector67, a technology center at 2100 Winnebago Street reports that a thief rifled through vehicles in their parking lot at 12:55 a.m. on Tuedsday (July 17) and stole a bicycle.

Chris Meyer, director of Sector67 asks anyone who has seen the bike or recognizes the person in the video below to contact Sector67 at 608-241-4605 or call Madison Police.

A photo of the stolen bike, a Schwinn Frontier. Courtesy: Sector67

Willy Street Co-op Mural Dedicated

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Graffiti artist/activist tapped as part of ongoing neighborhood art project

“The Siamese Twins”, a mural painted on the Willy East Co-op by Brazilian Graffiti Artist Panmela Castro.

A large mural, covering the entire west side of the Willy Street Co-op East, was dedicated July 6 with a reception in the courtyard of the Co-op building along Jenifer Street. “The Siamese Twins” mural is one phase of the Marquette Neighborhood Association (MNA) Art and Culture Committee’s Public Art Concept, an ongoing project in coordination with the City of Madison Arts Coordinator that will populate the Willy Street Corridor with various art projects.

The Committee commissioned Brazilian graffiti artist Panmela Castro to design and paint the mural. Many in the neighborhood may have already seen her work earlier this year on the side of the Mother Fool’s Coffeehouse permission wall. Castro grew up in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro and soon established herself in the Rio arts scene, going by the graffiti name Anarkia.  Continue reading →

New ‘Phalt

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South Ingersoll reconstruction finally finished

500 block of S. Ingersoll gets new ‘phalt after a long and involved “down to the dirt” reconstruction.

The 500 block of S. Ingersoll Street was completely removed with new below ground plumbing and road bed. The project, in places, wrapped all the way around Orton Park to Rutledge Street. It included a complete reconstruction of it’s intersection with Spaight Street.