Category Archives: Madison Commentary

Priceless Mix Tapes Reunited With Owner

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Thief failed to see value of cassette tapes full of memories

East Side resident Vanessa was reunited with her box of mix tapes that were stolen from her car while it was parked on Center Avenue Saturday evening. The thief must not have seen much monetary value in a box of cassettes and ditched them at the south end of Circle Park on Elmside Avenue.

A friend of Vanessa’s told her about the media attention the found box of tapes received and she was at the police department this morning (July 19) to claim her memories which ran the gamut from blues, to ska, to punk, to Tom Petty.  Continue reading →

Salvation Army Homeless Shelter May Move From Downtown

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Sale of E. Washington Ave location pondered to fund Darbo Campus expansion

Image courtesy: Google

The Salvation Army has announced that it proposes to move it’s shelter at 635 East Washington Avenue including medical and dental services to their Darbo Campus location. The shelter houses approximately 18 families and also contains a single women’s shelter that holds 30 residents per night.

The Salvation Army, along with District 6 Alder Marsha Rummel and District 12 Alder Larry Palm, is hosting a neighborhood meeting Wednesday June 26 at 6:30 p.m. in the Salvation Army Basement Annex, 3030 Darbo Drive to present their proposal to the public including preliminary architectural drawings and site plans and to receive public comment and questions.

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City and Developers Complete Union Corners Agreement

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Medical clinic, library branch and housing part of new development

Union Corners has been vacant for quite some time but the City sees its redevelopment as one of the crown jewels of resurrecting the Capitol East corridor. The red bricks (at right) from the French Battery Company plant will be incorporated into the new development.

Union Corners has been vacant for quite some time but the City sees its redevelopment as one of the crown jewels of resurrecting the Capitol East corridor. The red bricks (at right) from the French Battery Company plant will be incorporated into the new development.

The City of Madison and Gorman & Company of Oregon, Wisconsin have signed a Letter Of Intent to proceed with developing Union Corners. District Six Alder Marsha Rummel announced the successful negotiations with Gorman to purchase the City-owned property in an email to constituents. When completed the development will include a health clinic, Madison Library branch and 50-100 housing units.

Rummel, whose district includes the Union Corners property, will introduce a resolution approving the Union Corners Selection Committee’s recommendation of Gorman & Company as the developer and authorizing the City to execute a purchase agreement for the property in the sum of $1.  Continue reading →

Protecting Their Ladybusiness

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Women and men rallied at the State Capitol today as the Wisconsin GOP doubled-down on social issues with the passage of Senate Bill 206. Over 20 demonstrators met at the top of State Street and made one lap around the Capitol Square before moving inside to join the Solidarity Sing-A-Long.

Inside the Capitol the Guerrilla Feminism Protest AB 227/SB206! took place in the Assembly gallery. Women were asked to appear with tape over their mouths to signify the chilling effect the legislation will have on women’s rights in the state. Activist and DJ Nick Nice posted this observation to his Facebook Page:

“Watched 3 people get arrested/kicked out for wearing tape over their mouths to protest the GOP bill that sanctions State-mandated rape”

Nice told Willy Street Blog later that soon after he left with his son the Capitol Police cleared out the entire gallery. Meanwhile, the GOP seems afraid to support their own bill in the light of day. Observers are reporting that most GOP members of the Assembly are not even on the floor during the debate. Obviously this bill, so doggedly pursued by this party, doesn’t sound as appealing once its heard out loud.

Peat-Piper Memorial Scholarships Presented

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MNA President Michael Jacob poses with 2013 Peat-Piper Memorial Scholarship winners Huck Sachse-Hofheimer (right), and Rudy Hernandez.

MNA President Michael Jacob poses with 2013 Peat-Piper Memorial Scholarship winners Huck Sachse-Hofheimer (right), and Rudy Hernandez.

In October 1991 friends Becky Peat and Margaret “Burkie” Piper who were sophomores at Madison East High School were killed by a driver as they crossed East Washington Avenue in front of the school.

In the years following the crash the Peat-Piper Memorial Scholarship fund was set up to award $500 each year to Madison East High students.

The fund is administered by the Marquette Neighborhood Association and is funded partially through proceeds from MNA fundraisers.

This year four recipients were named, three from East and one from Shabazz City High School. Wednesday night (June 5) the awards were presented to the East students by MNA President Michael Jacob.

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Opinion: Plan B Should Try Harder

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Nightclub should get license renewal but still fails at the simple things

My location (right) on the night I heard the Plan B hubub. Without trying I was able to clearly hear talking and music from over 200 yards away.

My location (right) on the night I heard the somewhat typical Plan B hubbub. Without trying, I was able to clearly hear talking and music from over 200 yards away. Base image courtesy: Google

In a few days the Alcohol License Review Committee will hold a separate hearing to further examine the renewal of Plan B nightclub’s alcohol license. This is the second straight year the establishment, located at 924 Williamson Street, has received extra scrutiny rather than their license being renewed in a block by the City of Madison.

This blog has looked at the various reasons for the problem surrounding Plan B’s operation, and both the owners of the club and neighbors affected by the noise have legitimate beefs. But it was not until Sunday night, May 26, when I took Plan B co-owner Rico Sabatini up on his challenge to take a late night walk on Jenifer Street, that I concluded that Sabatini and his partner Cory Gresen are not trying hard enough.

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Plan B Alcohol License to Receive Special Hearing

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ALRC votes to separate license renewal after MNA request

The City of Madison Alcohol Licensing Review Committee voted Wednesday night (May 22) to separate Plan B Nightclub’s (924 Williamson Street) license renewal and consider it at a special hearing on June 3. The separation was requested by the Marquette Neighborhood Association, in a letter, citing unresolved noise issues since the nightclub opened in 2009.

While the typical nightclub noise has largely been addressed, at least three households on the 900 block of Jenifer Street continue to cite lost sleep from low bass frequency noise emanating from Plan B. Both the club’s owners, and an audio specialist they hired to assess the location, agree bass noise is being transmitted through the roof of the club; housed in an older concrete block building that used to house Star Photo, a commercial photo processing business.  Continue reading →

East High Flight of Remembrance

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East Aviation students given airplane rides by friends of deceased teacher

Madison East High Senior Charles before his flight with Bob. Charles took classes from Erik Anderson and will join the Navy this summer.

Madison East High Senior Charles Lombardo before his flight with Bob Gilbreath. Charles took aviation classes from the late Erik Anderson and will join the Navy this summer.

A promise of the departed was fulfilled by his friends Saturday (May 11) as students of Erik Anderson were given airplane rides at the Dane Country Regional Airport. Anderson taught Aviation classes at Madison East High School and music at Sherman Middle School for 11 years before he died suddenly in his classroom last September.

Known by students and colleagues alike as having the unique ability to connect and motivate the most troubled students, Anderson reveled in teaching Aviation at East and promised to take any student that was interested for a ride in his airplane, which he kept at his home on the Waunakee Airport.

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MNA Requests License Review of Plan B

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Association says nightclub has failed to adequately address noise issues

The Marquette Neighborhood Association voted this week to ask a City of Madison Committee to review the alcohol license of Plan B nightclub at 924 Williamson Street. In a letter approved by the MNA Board on Thursday, April 18, the association wants the City’s Alcohol Licensing Review Committee (ALRC) to separate Plan B’s license for closer scrutiny when the ALRC makes its yearly license renewals in June.

The battle over noise at Plan B has pitted a nightclub which appears to be in compliance with current noise ordinances against neighbors who nightly feel vibrations from the bass portion of the music being played at the club. The owners of Plan B say they have made good faith efforts and spent money to ameliorate the noise issues. The neighbors say that Plan B has only taken minimal steps to solve the problem and refuse to tackle the main culprit: a roof that is susceptible to vibration and is likely transmitting it toward the neighborhood one block away.  Continue reading →

Gehbardt Proposal Selected for Block 800

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Neighborhood leader calls plan a “Home Run” as grocery store closer to reality

The 800 North Block East Washington Avenue Committee has unanimously voted to recommend that a proposal submitted by Gebhardt Development be built on the city-owned parcel of land next to Reynolds Park. The $63.7 million proposal features 48,000 square feet of commercial space, 262 residential units and a 50,000 square-foot Metcalfe’s grocery store which has been long-desired by the neighborhood.

In addition to approving the proposal, the committee added six additional recommendations as City Staff move on to the negotiating phase with Gebhardt. The recommendations expand on the sustainability aspects of Gebhardt’s design that was already highly advanced. The committee also set guidelines for housing affordability as well as a call for union-neutral commercial tenants.

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