Here’s what we were reading while celebrating Umoja Magazine’s 25th anniversary [1].
Homelessness
The City Council issued a final rejection of a proposed downtown loitering ordinance [2], which would have limited the time people (and especially homeless people) could sit on sidewalks or benches. Brenda Konkel’s attempt to direct homeless people evicted from the City Council Building [3] to a spaced owned by the Madison Cathedral Parish was met with “No Trespassing” signs [4]. Konkel says the effects of the eviction of homeless people from the City County Building have been devastating already [5]. Residents of the Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood raised some concerns about putting a homeless day shelter on East Washington [6]. Brenda Konkel provided a running account of the meeting [7]. One neighborhood resident welcomes the day center [8], pointing to the success of the Tiny Houses Village on the East Side.
Education
Madison schools policy would be in conflict with a state law seeking to prevent transgender students from using the bathroom that matches their gender identity [9]. West High’s homecoming court will be gender neutral [10]. East High brought back its homecoming parade [11]. The first cohort of a program designed to diversify the teaching staff of Madison schools are excited about the program [12]. MATC is going to voters in its attempts to develop a campus in South Madison [13]. Kaleem Caire discussed the importance of early childhood education [14]. Lake View Elementary debuted a mural focused on the school’s culture and student aspirations [15].
Buildings & Business
Exact Sciences Corporation, which is at the center of a $200M downtown development that includes more than $60M in public funds, saw its stock price tumble after a federal panel did not list the company’s test for colorectal cancer as one of the preferred options [16]. Some pointed to the stock’s collapse as they renewed their criticism of decision to fund the development [17]. Others said this was not time to overreact [18]. Madison needs 1,000 new apartment units a year to keep up with growing demand [19]. A developer wants to build 46 units of affordable housing on West Mifflin Street downtown [20]. A study confirms retail businesses are declining on State Street, replaced by restaurants and services, but is that a problem [21]? Local tech firms are trying to grow more diverse [22]. A Sunday Farmers’ Market has now sprouted up on the Capitol [23], this one unaffiliated with the DCFM. A house on West Lawn Avenue turns out to have been designed by Frank Lloyd Wright [24]. The Shoe Slide in Vilas Park now has a sign explaining its history [25].
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Links:
[1] http://www.channel3000.com/madison-magazine/arts-culture/african-american-magazine-marks-twentyfive-years/35574462
[2] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/city-council-overwhelmingly-rejects-paul-soglin-s-bench-ordinance/article_f65a6660-dea4-51d2-b6b9-200edf0f023f.html
[3] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/education/university/madison-homeless-advocates-ask-catholic-diocese-to-allow-camp-on/article_d7265207-725d-5d8a-87bf-3b259fd7c8ff.html
[4] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/columnists/chris-rickert/chris-rickert-religious-enough-to-avoid-taxes-if-not-to/article_451bd425-a46c-532b-be7b-1ea4c4e67a97.html
[5] http://www.forwardlookout.com/2015/10/homeless-with-few-options/23978
[6] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/homeless-day-shelter-met-with-concern-enthusiasm-at-neighborhood-meeting/article_754c8f00-b43e-5fdf-8fda-6bd48c86833d.html
[7] https://www.facebook.com/brendakonkel/posts/10154343900018492?pnref=story
[8] http://host.madison.com/ct/opinion/column/jeff-spitzer-resnick-welcoming-the-homeless-to-our-neighborhood/article_7070cfd4-c381-568c-ba64-146f7bb96d6c.html
[9] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/education/school-bathroom-bill-aimed-at-transgendered-students-at-odds-with/article_89d0490d-f5a6-5f3f-ab07-cd628ad2eaa9.html
[10] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/blazing-a-trail-madison-west-high-school-makes-homecoming-court/article_ea0a4403-9bc2-538c-9d94-f0c1579d1de0.html
[11] http://host.madison.com/traffic/madison-east-high-school-set-to-revive-its-homecoming-parade/article_5fe5fecc-464c-5b33-8471-2cd611fe3371.html
[12] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/education/t-e-e-m-scholars-are-part-of-plan-to/article_4ec84b3f-6e0d-5d60-b4b7-0ba4c855fbe1.html
[13] http://host.madison.com/news/local/education/university/matc-will-have-to-go-to-voters-to-develop-south/article_88519138-f84b-5bf9-b325-e756763629d7.html
[14] http://madison365.com/index.php/2015/10/07/renewed-focus-on-early-childhood-education/
[15] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/school-spotlight-new-mural-captures-essence-of-lake-view-elementary/article_7e5e4fba-7427-53f0-b322-17ec917d1545.html
[16] http://host.madison.com/wsj/business/exact-sciences-stock-plunges-following-report/article_3b55d0c8-c859-501f-a1f8-e3761cb9e55c.html
[17] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/exact-sciences-stock-plummets-renewing-critique-of-judge-doyle-square/article_02a7170e-6c51-11e5-ab9c-cb60d4023ac9.html
[18] http://www.ibmadison.com/Blogger/Van-Lines/October-2015/Alders-its-no-time-to-jump-off-Exact-Sciences-ledge/.
[19] http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/report-madison-needs-to-build-over-rental-units-each-year/article_e8446a58-46db-5124-9358-c89d6a5d931d.html
[20] http://host.madison.com/business/affordable-housing-proposed-for-downtown-area-where-luxury-high-rises/article_dea7e9fc-773b-540b-b50b-e0ab70636f16.html
[21] http://www.isthmus.com/news/news/bars-eateries-crowd-out-stores-state-street/
[22] https://host-dot-madison-dot-com.bloxcms.com/ct/news/local/rewriting-the-code-local-tech-firms-work-to-address-the/article_a66e6215-b35b-5bd1-9b35-caf12b7464a1.html
[23] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/new-farmers-market-open-sundays-on-capitol-square/article_570e64f1-1a37-53f0-be79-253a035b1496.html
[24] http://host.madison.com/wsj/entertainment/arts_and_theatre/visual/frank-lloyd-wright-house-found-in-madison/article_d64c6c9a-c3f0-59f0-b16e-4e8a28d546f8.html
[25] http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/ask/catching-up/catching-up-the-vilas-park-shoe-slide-story-gets-a/article_27ec1cdb-5eb2-5172-bbe5-370c863ab737.html