Tag Archives: Willy STreet

Wrong Track

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City to appeal and maybe litigate decision to close isthmus rail crossings

This siding feeds the MG&E coal plant on south Livingston Street. The utility is also opposed to the closing of the rail crossings.

The only people that may be happy about the decision by State Commissioner of Railroads Jeff Plale to close two isthmus rail crossings was Wisconsin & Southern Railroad which operates the tracks, and Union Pacific Railroad which owns them.

For everyone in the City who travels, lives, or works near this 1.06 mile stretch of track, it was a nonsensical decision for Plale to also close Brearly Street after earlier this year Hearing Examiner Douglas S. Wood had recommended only closing Livingston Street.  Continue reading →

Two Union Corners Proposals Now on ‘Short List’

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Gorman and Livesey plans lead the way

Plans from Livesey Co./Stone House Development along with Gorman & Associates are under final consideration for the Union Corners development.

The City of Madison Union Corners Committee held a public hearing Wednesday evening (Sept 12) on the four remaining proposals for development of the Union Corners site. The committee voted to “short list” two of the proposal from Livesey-Stone House Development and Gorman Associates.

The next step is for city staff to conduct a basic preliminary financial review of each proposal. Following that review the UCC will decide what the next steps will be.

Related: C.D. Smith / EUA Withdraws Union Corners Proposal

Related: Where the Sidewalk Ends

 

Brearly Street Added to Rail Crossing Closures

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State Rail Commissioner says Livingston and Brearly Crossings must close

Wisconsin’s Railroad Commissioner has ordered both Livingston and Brearly Street crossings closed, leaving five crossings between Blair Street and East Washington Avenues.

Wisconsin Railroad Commissioner Jeff Plale has ordered the closing of two rail crossings along the rail corridor on Madison’s Eastside. Wisconsin and Southern Railroad, which operates the tracks owned by Union Pacific Railroad, had petitioned to close Blount, Livingston, and Brearly crossings in 2009 and Plale had ordered Livingston Street closed earlier this year following a hearing.

The City of Madison was exploring its legal options and during a regular Pedestrian/Bicycle/Motor Vehicle Commission in July options were discussed on a response, but so far nothing has been announced.

Continue reading →

Gallery: Orton Park Fest – Sunday

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Festival ends with smooth, heavy chords and sunshine

Wendell Holmes of The Holmes Brothers gets into a jam early during their Sunday afternoon set at the 47th Orton Park Festival, August 26, 2012.

The final day of the 47th Orton Park Festival began with light drizzle but ended with sunshine and dry ground, and the smooth, heavy chords of Anders Osborne. The rain never got above mildly annoying and eventually faded to local showers under specific trees when there was a gust of wind.

As the sun rose, so did the audience in front of the main stage. Food and drink vendors did a brisk business as the neighborhood gathered one last day to enjoy a late summer party which is a fundraiser for the Marquette Neighborhood Association. Proceeds raised through the auction, cake walk, along with food and drink sales supports Wil-Mar Center programs including after school programs, food pantry, health classes, and educational programs. Continue reading →

Gallery: Orton Park Fest – Saturday

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Photo by: Thomas Balistreri

Day three of the Orton Park Festival is underway and the park is filling up nicely. Kids games, vendors, bingo, artists, neighbors visiting, along with music on the stage are part of this warm and slightly muggy afternoon.

Madison legends Peter and Lou Berryman began the music lineup at noon and it was followed by other singer/songwriters like Tret Fure and Pieta Brown. The music will continue throughout the day with Canadian indie-rock band The Sadies taking the stage at 8:30 p.m. as the final act of the day.

Brand new Madison resident Thomas Balistreri spent his first Orton Park Festival volunteering at one of the beer stands, but took some time to pass along some photos from this afternoon.

All photos by: Thomas Balistreri

View the 2012 Orton Park Festival schedule here

Previous Orton Park Festival coverage:

Cycropia Dazzles Orton

Orton Park Ready to Celebrate

Mythical Tree Spirit to Fly at Orton Park Fest

Cycropia Dazzles Orton

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International music night with Cycropia’s “Kodama” at 8:15 p.m.

Cycropia peforms “Kodama” on Family Night of the Orton Park Festival, August 23, 2012. Photo by: D.M. Hughes

Crycropia’s performance of “Kodama” was an absolute stunner with throngs of people  attending on Family Night at the Orton Park Festival. Tonight is International Night featuring Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-Stars at 6 p.m., with a break between music sets at 7 p.m. for the MNA Auction, followed by the final festival peformance of Cycropia’s Kodama.

“I went last night. It was breathtaking, beautiful, thrilling-at times, jawdropping. As we used to say, back in the day, ‘It blew me away’, said Atwood resident Dan Melton after viewing Kodama.  “When I shut my eyes to sleep last night, I had pictures of the performance swirling in my head. Still do, this morning.”  Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

La Fete de Marquette is Magnifique

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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 →

Ale Flows on Atwood

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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 →