Have You Seen This Thief?

Posted on July 17, 2012 by TheEastSider

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

Posted on July 16, 2012 by TheEastSider

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

Posted on July 14, 2012 by TheEastSider

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.

Willy Street Co-op Expansion Pays Off

Posted on July 13, 2012 by TheEastSider

Co-op profitable two years ahead of schedule

Perfect weather made for a great opening night to La Fete de Marquette 2012. Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble, plus Sarazino got the crowd dancing.

The first day of La Fete de Marquette was a nice mix of community, fun, and music. It was the perfect night to start a 4-day music festival with temperatures in the mid-70s, no wind and clear skies. The Willy Street Co-op held their annual membership meeting on the grounds, offering a free dinner to members, while also reporting on the state of the Co-op 18 months after opening Willy West in Middleton. Continue reading →

La Fete de Marquette is Magnifique

Posted on July 12, 2012 by TheEastSider

Four day music festival growing with style

La Fete de Marquette, July 12-15, 2012 in the Marquette Neighborhood.

The seventh annual La Fete de Marquette, celebrating French music and culture, begins today (July 12) at the corner of South Dickinson and East Main Streets. While Pere Marquette did traipse through these lands in the 1600s (see Portage, Wisconsin), the relative lack of a historical French connection to the Marquette neighborhood will not stop them from holding a really cool party for Bastille Day.

The free four-day event is one of the “Big Four” Marquette neighborhood summer festivals and is a fundraiser for the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center.

Continue reading →

Lake Monona Water Walk Underway at Winnequah

Posted on July 7, 2012 by TheEastSider

Festival hopes to raise awareness of area lakes

The Lake Monona Water Walk Community Festival kicked off last night (July 6) with a music festival at Winnequah Park in Monona. Today and tomorrow is filled with many events featuring multiple educational and inspirational activities will expand people’s awareness, appreciation, and gratitude for the waters of the community and the world.

On Saturday a Water Expo will be held with with exhibitors, vendors, science projects, and Water Art, an outdoor movie screening of Waterlife, an All Traditions Water Blessing, and a community potluck, all building enthusiasm for the Lake Monona Water Walk itself on Sunday.

Continue reading →

Riding in Cars With Expectant Mothers

Posted on July 5, 2012 by TheEastSider

Baby born on John Nolen Drive reminiscent of 1998 Chevy Blazer birth

Tasha Geymonat (left), with her newborn son Jesse James “Blazer” McKellar in 1998. Courtesy: The Ottawa Citizen

Madison Police Public Information Officer Joel DeSpain is known for his poetic re-interpretation of police reports, and some have made national news. Those of us who follow his reports on Twitter were especially struck by a report he released today (July 5) of a high-speed maternity incident that occurred last month. It reminded me of 911 audio I saved from 1998 of a baby born in the back of a Chevy Blazer in the middle of an ice storm.

In the Madison incident, a Sun Prairie, Wisconsin man was observed speeding on East Washington Avenue around 3 a.m. on June 17, 2012 and soon an officer pulled him over on south Blair Street. When it was determined that he was transporting his wife who was deep into labor the officer told him to slow down a bit but offered to follow them to the hospital. Continue reading →

Ale Flows on Atwood

Posted on July 5, 2012 by TheEastSider

One Barrel Brewing hopes to involve patrons in the brewing process

The word “Nano” is now a trendy way to describe something on a small scale. One Barrel Brewing Company, Madison’s first nanobrewery, opened Friday (July 6) on Atwood Avenue in Schenk’s corners, and hopes to embody this concept by offering small batches of experimental beers in the spirit of home brewing while making it accessible to all.

Photographer and Atwood neighborhood resident Nataraj Hauser was fourth in line for the opening and reports that it quickly grew to around 75 and soon the place, which was once a grocery store early in the 20th century, was packed with people. Continue reading →

The Best Goat Salami in America

Posted on June 28, 2012 by TheEastSider

Underground Meats goes whole-hog with local hand-crafted charcuterie

Inside The Cure Box at Underground Meats.

I discovered Underground Meats much in the same way the name suggests: not screaming from a sign or on a loud TV commercial but by word of mouth and a chance encounter on the patio at Mickey’s. There was beer, really tasty brats, and then there, in the corner; some kind gentlemen offering salami samples, including something I had never seen or tried: Goat Salami.

It’s really not that mysterious. Underground Meats is part of the Underground Food Collective (UFC), which is a group that focuses on all kinds of different artisan food projects. UM focuses on dry-curing sausages and whole muscles as well as producing some fresh sausage. The operation is a nod to the days when local production of foods was more prevalent. Continue reading →

Let The Fire Burn!

Posted on June 24, 2012 by TheEastSider

Solstice Festival Marks the Beginning of Summer in Madison

The 10th Annual Solstice Festival was held on the lake side of Olbrich Park Saturday (June 23) and featured afternoon and evening of events culminating in a bonfire at sunset. The solstice is primarily an astronomical event but also has varied cultural significance for humans. The word solstice is derived from two latin words rammed together to basically state “the Sun stands still”. Continue reading →