Madison Media Digest: Development, City Life, Police and Politics

While pondering what the new owners had planned for the Isthmus, here’s what we’ve been reading this week: 

Development

With the support of Occupy Madison and a crew of volunteers, Madison’s tiny house village continues to expand. In the Greenbush neighborhood, the city is using a $1 million program, including forgivable loans to help convert student rentals into owner-occupied homes. In finance, Darryl Lund is advocating for local banks with his trade organization, Community Bankers of Wisconsin.

City Life

Summer is in full swing, and Madison is celebrating with art, music and athletics. Willy Street has inaugurated the season as the “Summer of Art,” and the Marquette Neighborhood Association, along with the City of Madison, is sponsoring several murals as part of the Public Art Concept.

 The Fete de Marquette moved home this year, setting up in the new Central Park. Despite occasional showers, the festival was a success. Madison in 100 objects continues its series with Paul Bunyan’s axe, the Orpheum theater sign and the Plazaburger. See the full series here.

Police and Politics

The Madison Police Department’s annual report finds that crime levels have held steady, but rates of arrest for Madison’s white and black residents remains “vastly disproportionate.” Read the report here. Despite economic growth, Madison is facing a budgetary gap and Mayor Soglin is asking managers for another year of no-growth budgets. Jack Craver comments on Bridget Maniaci’s bid for mayor, and her role in the Edgewater development. Maniaci was considered “pro-development and opposed efforts to decrease funding of the development. 

Madison Metropolitan School District is considering providing free breakfast and lunch to students at high poverty schools, streamlining the process and removing the need to apply for the free and reduced lunch program. Around 200 protesters gathered outside Hobby Lobby at South Towne Mall last week in order to bring attention to the Supreme Court decision.

Environment

Newly released data on the number of oil trains rolling through the state is prompting a security response. Wisconsin officials are looking to increase resources and improve training to prepare in the event of a spill. In a more historical environmental piece, Madison Magazine highlighted the Ice Age Trail and the glacial time period that gave the state-wide route its name.