Madison Media Digest: Politics, Development, Community

Here’s what we were reading while trying to imagine Gov. Scott Walker in an episode of Happy Days.

Politics

Women are making headlines in politics this week; Madison’s Mary Burke (who has funded Madison Commons' education coverage) is the first woman to gain a major party's nomination for governor. Also in the news, Lisa Subeck’s win in the primary election on Tuesday completes a female majority among Madison’s Assembly seats.

The Capital City Hues featured an op-ed from state senators Lena Taylor and Nina Turner on federal intervention concerning voter ID laws. Ruth Conniff also commented on the voter ID law for a piece in Isthmus. Turnout in the primary elections was lower than projected, with around 10 percent of voting-age adults showing up to the polls. Deke Rivers at Caffeinated Politics found that many people did not know there was an election.

Development

The Marquette Neighborhood Association has come out in support of the potential South Park location for the new Public Market, while a comic from Isthmus shares developers’ views of Madison. A Willy Street development is on hold while seeking almost $6M in public funds, and developers of the new Edgewater Hotel race to finish construction for the official September opening.

Community

In order to avoid waste, groups like Goodwill and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul are coordinating large-scale donations with high-rises during the traditional August moving rush. Chris Rickert suggests that food programs, such as one coming to Madison schools this year, should be means tested. A new online tool is making vacationing by bike easier and more appealing, and Madison could be one of the app’s featured hot spots for cycling tourists. ForwardFest 2014 will expand beyond the tech industries, encompassing music & food.