Here’s what we were reading while wondering what you bring to an orangutan baby shower [1]:
Education
School districts throughout Dane County are facing budget shortfalls [2] due to reductions of aid in the proposed state budget. Madison schools may seek employee contributions toward health insurance [3] in light of a projected budget shortfall. A lawsuit filed by In Business Blogger David Blaska requiring the school district [4] take these steps under the terms of the 2011 law curtailing the bargaining rights of public employees was allowed to proceed. Some Madison Schools are implementing a “kindness curriculum” [5] developed by researchers at UW Madison. Chris Rickert notes an inverse correlation [6] between vaccination rates and tests scores in Madison Schools.
Elections
The Madison primary election is Tuesday, and you can find your polling place here [7]. Capital City Hues profiled what it says are a record number of candidates of color [8] running for office. The final forum before the primary saw the five mayoral candidates try draw more aggressive contrasts [9], especially on issues of development. The Forward Lookout blog has video of all three mayoral forums [10]. The State Journal played 20 questions with the five mayoral candidates [11], getting their positions on a variety of issues. The Capital Times ran op-eds from each [12] of [13] the [14] five [15] candidates [16]. Mayor Paul Soglin’s edge in fundraising has narrowed [17] as challenger Ald. Scott Resnick loaned himself $50,000 for the campaign. Soglin and Resnick have launched television ads [18].
Food and Drink
The Capital Times profiled the rise of female brewmasters in Wisconsin’s craft beer scene [19]. The Isthmus looked at working conditions at the Culver’s on Todd Drive, which pays a higher starting wage than most fast food restaurants and is the highest performing franchise in the state [20]. Blaska highlighted a local whisky operation [21] based just north of Madison. Madison Cocktail Week [22] begins Feb. 25 and features special events at local restaurants, leading up to a one-day tasting event at the Edgewater called Distill America. Taylor Beebe, owner of the new Mad City Frites on State Street, discussed her new venture and Madison’s entrepreneurial culture [23].
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Links:
[1] http://host.madison.com/baby-shower-to-be-held-saturday-for-expecting-orangutan-parents/image_374149ed-66bb-5164-a139-20a99917c350.html
[2] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/dane-county-school-districts-brace-for-funding-loss/article_5a62dc6c-ae79-5eec-a29f-422205fa85ef.html
[3] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/madison-school-district-faces-rising-budget-gap-may-seek-health/article_698bda31-1d95-524f-ae53-a7712bb14e80.html
[4] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime_and_courts/lawsuit-over-teacher-contracts-can-proceed-intact-judge-rules/article_f4041082-559a-5cd3-97fd-b1380652a05b.html
[5] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/research-results-from-madison-schools-suggest-compassion-kindness-can-be/article_9b3386bc-38c8-5447-ab5b-aa1913127f39.html
[6] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/columnists/chris-rickert/chris-rickert-vaccination-is-the-other-madison-schools-achievement-gap/article_63136180-d8ed-5b5a-8924-77382643d8e3.html
[7] https://myvote.wi.gov/
[8] http://www.capitalcityhues.com/020515PrimaryColors.html
[9] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/madison-mayoral-candidates-tackle-economic-development-low-income-housing-at/article_42f0d4af-0cff-5153-a83a-d9e038374118.html.
[10] http://www.forwardlookout.com/2015/02/watch-all-three-mayoral-forums-here/22702
[11] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/questions-with-the-mayoral-candidates-show-differences-on-leadership-issues/article_1d090e3f-0ed4-55ae-8b8d-eea1f1660abe.html
[12] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/richard-brown-doyle-square-project-shows-need-for-better-leader/article_64d0e7ce-56fc-582b-9427-ee9a361ea9d5.html
[13] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/christopher-daly-city-needs-a-public-bank-not-a-doyle/article_cf283f3f-6d17-57f4-af56-e3c56523f436.html
[14] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/bridget-maniaci-for-better-results-we-need-a-different-mayor/article_df972e7b-7899-5b06-8e37-e619da2490a6.html
[15] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/scott-resnick-our-priority-must-be-children-not-an-opulent/article_19ce2c02-c608-5cbf-8be6-481115635759.html
[16] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/paul-soglin-madison-is-better-but-there-s-more-work/article_73675371-1238-533e-8160-8800fca4aefe.html.
[17] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/paul-soglin-s-fundraising-lead-narrows-over-challengers/article_060f1650-8c0c-5011-ba6e-298726949402.html
[18] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/paul-soglin-scott-resnick-launch-mayoral-campaign-commercials/article_555be9f9-1f64-5eea-86da-8619948b9273.html
[19] http://host.madison.com/ct/business/breaking-the-pint-glass-ceiling-female-brewmasters-pouring-into-state/article_3a2ac015-f362-56ac-a730-9b7ba07a68d9.html
[20] http://www.isthmus.com/daily/article.php?article=44505
[21] http://www.ibmadison.com/Blogger/Bring-It/February-2015/Make-my-whiskey-local/
[22] http://www.isthmus.com/daily/article.php?article=44493
[23] http://host.madison.com/ct/business/q-a-millennial-entrepreneur-behind-mad-city-frites-loves-every/article_2c98dd8f-fbd4-5a7c-82e4-a59390de77fe.html