Category Archives: Madison

Ella’s Carousel Preparing to Twirl

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Landmark restaurant readies its showcase attraction for 2014 season

First tangible sign of spring? Ella's 1927 Parker Carousel is being prepared for the season.

First tangible sign of spring? Ella’s 1927 Parker Carousel is being prepared for the season.

There are many signs of spring: ground hog predictions, re-discovered yard implements from six months ago, as well as sand and grime-infused mounds of recalcitrant snow that defy solar. One additional sign noticed this week is that the process has begun to rouse the Ella’s Deli and Ice Cream Parlor carousel from hibernation.

Ella’s Deli has been a wonderland for children since they opened their East Washington Avenue location in 1976. The fanciful mechanical “animations” as they are termed on the restaurant’s website, are perfect distractions when dining with young children.

Many of these creations as well as the theme of the restaurant was inspired by a visit owners Ken and Judy Balkin made to the Circus World Museum in Baraboo. Ken, along with other employees and local artists, would add to the collection over the years which is like a kaleidoscope, ever changing each time one enters the restaurant.

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These Kids Are All Right

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East High cultural series hopes to encourage more involvement by neighborhood

The Accidentals play Cargo Coffee on March 21, 2014.

The Accidentals play Cargo Coffee on March 21, 2014.

Jazz music wafting through a coffee shop on a Friday evening is not uncommon, nor impressive unless you were at Cargo Coffee Friday night (March 21). A spoken word performance usually garners an echoey smattering of applause, and maybe a spirited “Woo!” from a patron, but not this night.

It could have been their ages, but more likely it was the polished, inspired, and passionate performances of Madison East High Students that brought enthusiastic applause from supporters and customers during a fundraiser to help make healthy snacks available to students at East.

Hungry students is not just an East high problem but is leading some to raise a larger question: Are Near East Side neighborhoods too detached from East High students? Friday’s event at Cargo Coffee shows there is much young talent to appreciate and support.

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East Students to Fight Hunger With Jazz & Spoken Word

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Event to raise money for healthy snacks for EHS students

FrontView_H650A unique event will be held this Friday from 6-8 p.m. at Cargo Coffee on East Washington Avenue to help Madison East High Students struggling with hunger to have better access to healthy snacks. East students will present “An Evening of Jazz and Spoken Word” to raise money for a healthy snack program for students.

Marquette Neighborhood Association Board Member Lynn Lee who also is co-owner of Cargo Coffee says there is little in the way of healthy options for students at East and many, due to their economic situation, come to school without breakfast.

“MNA and Cargo [Coffee] are going to hold a series of fundraisers to donate money to help stock these snack supplies.  Besides the Peat-Piper Scholarship, MNA has been looking for other ways to have a positive impact on our neighborhood schools.”

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Willy Street Blog @ “2”

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Neighborhood blog to continue hyper-focus

What do you give the neighborhood that has everything? Well certainly not another person with an opinion. When you start a blog, its like any good essay, pick a few central themes and nurture them with attribution and reasoned analysis. But it is no small challenge to write about by far the most engaged, opinionated, funky, and cool neighborhood in the nation.

Willy Street Blog was born in March 2012, in the midst of the recall drive, but soon turned away from state politics as plenty of great voices were already speaking to the issue. In a city that features stupendous local reporting from numerous outlets, why should anyone bother to read some random blog?

The key is to really not care.

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MNA Chili Dinner is Tonight!

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Event raises fund for two $500 scholarships for East High Students

ChiliDin_2014The 23rd annual Marquette Neighborhood Association’s Chili Dinner to fund scholarships for East High School students is tonight (March 1) at the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center, 953 Jenifer Street.

A selection of veggie and meat chili , side dishes, desserts and beverages will be served for $10 ($6 for pre-teens) as you enjoy music from The Northwesterns.

This popular event brings out some of the best culinary creations from neighborhood and area restaurants such as Lazy Jane’s, The Weary Traveler, Smokin’ Cantina, Madison Sourdough, Eldorado Grill, The Batch Bakehouse and Monty’s Blue Plate Diner. Additional groceries provided by Jenifer St Market and coffee from Ground Zero will be served beginning at 5 p.m.

The Marquette Neighborhood Peat-Piper Scholarships honor friends Becky Peat and Margaret “Burkie” Piper, who were sophomores at Madison East High School in October 1991, when they were killed 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 graduating Madison East High students that reside in the Marquette neighborhood.

Learn more about the Peat-Piper Memorial Scholarship here

Star Bar Ready to Shine

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One Barrel and Jade Monkey owners collaborate, open bar in Capitol East District

Star Bar, 756 East Washington Avenue, is on the first floor of The Constellation building.

Star Bar, 756 East Washington Avenue, is on the first floor of The Constellation building.

A new bar opening in the 700 block of East Washington Avenue plans to fuse Madison’s near-East Side industrial heritage with the present-day funky vibe of the Tenney and Marquette neighborhoods.

Star Bar, operated by Peter Gentry and Hawk Sullivan, opens January 16 on the first floor of The Constellation building, part of a slate of first floor retail offerings for the 12-story mixed-used building which opened last year.

Both men grew up in the Marquette neighborhood and hope to create a bar that is accessible to the surrounding neighborhood while also seizing on the rising activity in the Capitol East District. Gentry opened One Barrel Brewing on Atwood Avenue in 2012, while Sullivan is a longtime business owner with three other hospitality establishments in greater Madison.  Continue reading →

Input on Neighborhood Fests Sought

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MNA survey wonders aloud if Orton Park Fest should change locations

Orton Park Festival in 2012. Photo by: Thomas Balistreri

Orton Park Festival in 2012. Photo by: Thomas Balistreri

The Marquette Neighborhood Association is seeking input from residents through a survey, regarding the scope of their two sponsored neighborhood gatherings: The Orton Park and Marquette Waterfront Festivals. The events are a major city-wide and regional draw and provide a majority of the operating funds for MNA’s other activities. However debate has simmered in recent years about  whether they are most effective in their current form and location

While it seems unbelievable to hold the Orton Park Festival somewhere else, the event is bursting at it’s seams. Central Park is now finally taking shape and some have suggested large neighborhood events like OPF and La Fete de Marquette should be held at that location, just like La Fete was during its first years.

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Central Park West View

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Photo by: Dan Cornelius

Photo by: Dan Cornelius

I was strolling past Central Park yesterday morning on Wilson Street to get a better view of the progress that has accelerated in the past few months. All the pathways are in along with lighting and benches from Brearly to Baldwin Streets. The restroom facility is still under construction but all that seems left is the exterior treatments as the basic structure, including it’s undulating roof, is complete.

I noticed that on the west side of the restroom building is wide circular plaza ringed with benches and imagined what a nice area it will be on warmer days. I thought to myself that I should take a picture but never got it done. But thanks to resident Dan Cornelius, who took a stunning picture later that day, you can all see what sunsets in Central Park will look like for years to come.

Cargo Coffee on East Wash to Embark in January

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Lynn Lee (standing) works on a portion of the floor at the new Cargo Coffee, located in The Constellation. Lynn and his Brother Lee own the franchise.

Lynn Lee (standing) works on a portion of the floor at the new Cargo Coffee, located in The Constellation. Lynn and his Brother Lee own the franchise.

We dropped by the soon-to-be opened Cargo Coffee on the first floor of The Constellation building on East Washington Avenue to see how the Lee brothers were coming along.

Lyndsey and Lynn Lee, who also own Ground Zero Coffee on Williamson Street have been working for months to transform the space into their second Cargo Coffee location. The space will feature of course coffee, along with some beer and wine offerings, some bakery items, and a drive-thru.

Lyndsey says the store should be open by the middle of January and will feature the same travel theme as their original Park Street location, except the base color inside will be blue.

722 Willy Developers to Present Project Changes

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Three design variations to be presented this week at special P&D meeting

MNA’s Preservation & Development Committee will hold their monthly meeting at a special time on Wednesday October 23 to view proposed changes to the 722 Williamson development. The 722 Williamson Subcommittee of P&D has met several times with the project developers, Baldwin Development Group, and committee chairman Bruce Woods reports that BDG will present several changes based on neighborhood input.

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