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TRANSCRIPT
Hi, Neighbor!
A Quarterly Newsletter for the Eastmorland Community Association Third Quarter 2018
What we know about the new Pinney Library
— Continued on page 4
by Emil Hoelter Pinney Library is a social and cultural hub in our neighborhood, and the third busiest library in the Madison Public Library system. As much as we love the current library and its great staff, we are all excited to see the new and improved Pinney Library when it opens in late 2019. The new Pinney Library will have a greater emphasis on programming for underserved members of our communi-ty. Schenk Elementary and Whitehorse Middle schools serve a growing community that has a range of needs; more than 75% of students qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches. Pinney will offer complementary educational programs to supplement what is offered in our schools, and it will include dedicated areas for children and teens beyond what is possible at the current location. The plan includes a PlayLab, which will incorporate elements from the educational philosophy Anji Play, an internationally-recognized approach to early learning in which children lead their own play and self-expression.
Large windows, creating a bright and open environ-ment, will look out upon outdoor gardens and patio space. The plan is also to pursue LEED Gold certification in an open space area, which can be used for events and pro-grams. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmen-tal Design, is a certification program administered by the U.S. Green Building Council. The library will update its technological resources, in-cluding planned laptop rentals. Some updates to the li-brary will also be convenient for routine use, such as a quiet reading area as well as a drive-through book drop for returns. The Pinney library interior has been designed by OPN Architects, which has an office in Madison in addition to its offices in Iowa. OPN Architects designed the Lucille Pizzeria building on King Street, the Forward Health Group office on S. Pinckney Street, and the 5th Element Coffee Bar, which closed last year. They are also current-ly designing the new Waunakee Public Library and the King Hotel.
Site plan provided by the Madison Public Library marketing team
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Published Quarterly August 2018
Hi, Neighbor!
Hi, Neighbor! is a community newsletter serving the residents of the Eastmorland neighborhood and is pub-lished and distributed by the Eastmorland Community Association. The newsletter is published the first day of the following months: February, May, August and Novem-ber. Articles for publication should be sent to: [email protected] as a text attachment. Photos are welcome, but please keep in mind they will be printed in black and white. If you do not have access to email, typed copy can be mailed to ECA, Attn: Emil Hoelter, P.O. Box 14584, Madison, Wisconsin 53708. Advertising information can be obtained by calling 241-1158 or by emailing Dan: [email protected]. The deadline for copy and advertising is the 10th of the month prior to publica-tion dates.
NEWSLETTER STAFF MANAGING EDITOR: Emil Hoelter LAYOUT & DESIGN EDITOR: Rebecca Lin ADVERTISING: Dan Zimmerman EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS: Bobbi Nowak, Romelle Witkins DISTRIBUTION: Bryn Thompson, Distributors, and Block Captains
ECA OFFICERS
PRESIDENT Kathy Soukup 244-8965 [email protected]
VICE PRESIDENT Fred Svensson
SECRETARY and TREASURER: Dan Zimmerman
DIRECTORS Bobbi Nowak Bryn Thompson Carrie Ezzell Dan Zimmerman Fred Svensson Grant Foster Kathy Soukup Kris Whitman Patrick Soukup
MEMBERSHIP & FUNDRAISING Carrie Ezzell 244-3117
ECA MEETING AGENDA Dan Zimmerman [email protected]
ECA WEBSITE Dan Glassman [email protected] or [email protected]
WEB LIAISON Jennifer Moore
EASTSIDE PLANNING COUNCIL LIAISON Matt Covert [email protected]
SOCIAL AND RECREATION Bernie Hanson 244-8958
SUNSHINE (call for cards to go out from ECA) Rose Sage 575-4482
GARDENS [email protected]
ECA PLAYGROUNDS Ed Woolsey
ECA ANNUAL GARAGE SALE Bernie Hanson 244-8958
Today I saw an ECA Block Party on Calvert Street as I was headed for the store. I hope there will be more of them, as Officer Emily Samson told us over a year ago that this is an excellent way to get to know your near neighbors and form connections. We certainly have a lot of construction going on; the following streets are to be reconstructed: from Walter Street going up Richard Street toward Schenk Street and from Tulane Street going toward Milwaukee Street on Schenk Street. Leo Duren’s (Duren Income Trust) is filing to demol-
ish the narrow strip of small buildings that it owns at 3630 Milwaukee Street, probably in late summer or early fall.
The whole building will be removed, including the existing asphalt parking lot associated with the building. The neighborhood sign on Milwaukee Street: the latest information is that MG&E cleared and okayed our space for the welcome sign. Elise Gokey let Madison Signs know and we will be discussing ground-breaking/installation as soon as Madison Signs has finished the sign. We will try to keep neighbors posted online: the Eastmorland Facebook page, Nextdoor, our Eastmorland listserv, and eastmorland.org. Our Save the Park Ash Tree committee raised $512.08 at their Plants and Treasures sale. Many have been responding to our need to re-treat the ash trees in our four parks: Eastmorland, OB Sherry, Ontario and Olbrich. Thank you for your donations. Also, our Save the Park Ash Tree committee arranged a fund-raiser at the Olbrich Biergarten and (on the rain date, with the help of neighbors) raised $450. Thanks go also to Mr. Mike Bare and his partners who set this up. Those neighbors present at our ECA meeting on July 10, 2018 agreed with the following proposal: it was moved to authorize a donation of $500 from the ECA general fund to cover the initial investment in at least 50 t-shirts be ordered with white text and picture of an ash tree on a green shirt. The initial investment plus all monies from the sale of the shirts will go into the fund for re-treatment of our park ash trees. There is an article on p.11 from the committee with more details. Lastly, Mike’s Horseshoe Bar & Grill has applied for a conditional license to have tables outside their building on the east side. They plan to serve food but will not have any music outside.
From the ECA President: Kathy’s Komments
Kathy Soukup
A Great Tax Break for Taxpayers age 70 ½ or older
By Marshall Mennenga
If you are age 70 ½ or older, any amounts you give to a qualified charitable organization directly from your IRA is not taxable to either the Federal govern-ment or the State of Wisconsin. That’s right, you can give up to $100,000 per year per return and not be re-quired to include the income on either your federal return or your Wisconsin return. The direct contribution from an IRA is considered a Qualified Charitable Deduction (QCD). The QCD law has been around since 2006 but will gain tremendous popularity in 2018 because the new tax law passed in December 2017 increased the stand-ard deduction amounts. With the higher standard deductions, more and more taxpayers will no longer itemize their deductions and thus receive no benefits from their payments to charities. This year, 2018, is the first year the State of Wisconsin allows the non-taxable QCD on the Wisconsin returns. The QCD applies to traditional and rollover IRAs. SEP and Simple IRAs also qualify (as long as you are no longer actively receiving employer contributions).
— Continued on page 13
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2018 ECA Meetings
Tuesday Aug. 14, 2018
Tuesday Sept. 11, 2018
Tuesday Oct. 9, 2018
Tuesday Nov. 13, 2018
ECA meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. on the sec-ond Tuesday of each month. There is no meeting in December. Meetings are held at Lakeview Moravian Community Church, 3565 Tulane Ave. Use the Hargrove Street entrance nearest Dennett Street. Please email Dan Zimmerman at [email protected] if you have an agenda item, need information, or have questions.
“Meet Your Neighbor!” interviews a different neighbor every issue and publishes their photo and Q&A. If you are interested in participating for a future issue, please contact us at [email protected]
Sona Pastel-Daneshgar, Rockwell Street Interview by Romelle Witkins
How long have you lived in Eastmorland? 1 ½ years. What’s the best thing about living in this neighborhood? Friendly neighbors, great parks, easy access to the bike path and Lake Monona. What could make our neighbor-hood better? I think it’s pretty great as it is, but I’m really excited to see Pinney Library in its new spot.
Where else have you lived? Bloomington, IN and Washington, DC. So how does Madison compare? It’s wonderful! There is so much to do here all year long. It’s also not as small as Bloomington and definitely easier to get around than DC. What is one of Madison’s best kept secrets? Free movies at Union South during fall and spring semesters. Can you tell us about your family? I live with my partner, Aaron. We have two cats named Clementine and Cricket. What do you do for a living? I’m a curator at Tandem Press, a fine art printmaking studio and art gallery affiliated with UW-Madison. And in your free time? Reading, biking, hiking, watching movies, and hanging out with friends. What are you currently reading or watching? I’m reading the second book in Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy and watching the World Cup. Where’s your go-to place in town to grab a bite to eat on Friday night? Monsoon Siam or the Ohio Tavern.
Meet Your Neighbor!
STATE SENATOR Mark Miller 266-9170 [email protected]
STATE ASSEMBLY Melissa Sargent 266-0960 [email protected]
COUNTY EXECUTIVE Joseph Parisi 266-4114 [email protected]
COUNTY SUPERVISOR Jeff Pertl 772-2907 [email protected]
CITY ALDER David Ahrens 334-1156 [email protected]
Sona Pastel-Daneshgar
2018 Statewide Partisan Primary Tuesday, Aug. 14
Find your polling place at
www.myvote.wi.gov
OR
Vote early at any Madison Public Library branch
More information on p.12
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Empowerment, independence for people with disabilities by Jason J. Beloungy, Assistant Director Access to Independence, Inc.
ACCESS to Independence has been providing advocacy, services, and resources for 40 years to people of ANY type of disability, and all ages. Services are no cost to those who receive them and are provided anywhere throughout Dane County, as well as Columbia, Dodge, and Green counties. What makes ACCESS unique is that the majority of those employed by the non-profit organization are people with disabilities. ACCESS has intake services available at our office at 3810 Milwaukee Street, so stop by between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. You can also reach us by phone at 608-242-8484, videophone at 608-234-4484, or by e-mail at [email protected]. Below is the list of the services provided by ACCESS to Independence. More information can be found at our website at www.accesstoind.org, or like us on Facebook. Information and Referral —about disability-related topics such as housing, transportation, education, employ-ment, benefits and finances, socialization and recreation, and healthcare and long-term care. Peer Support —Staff and trained volunteers with disabilities assist consumers with reaching independent living goals. ACCESS seeks individuals with disabilities to become volunteer peer mentors. Skills Training—in skill areas such as budgeting, trans-portation; communication, computer and technology skills, cooking, household maintenance, and many more. Advocacy—ACCESS works directly to assist individuals to effectively communicate their needs to obtain services and support including IEP advocacy, hous-ing matters, and grievance and appeal processes. Assistive Technology—Over 1,000 devices can be tried, and many can be borrowed, free of charge, for up to three weeks. Assistance purchasing technology, locating and applying for funding, set-up and training are also available. Additional services include: Transition to Community, Youth Transition, Youth Services, Accessibility, Benefits Assistance, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, and Community Involvement
A video of OPN’s vision for the new library is available on the library website, www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/locations/pinney-library. The neighborhood is gaining not only a new library, but 16,000 square feet of commercial space and 86 apart-ments for seniors. Future phases planned by Ruedebusch Development are adding more commercial space, making more lots, and maintaining some of the undeveloped prai-rie space currently along the bike path. If you are interested in contributing to the Pinney Library, you have some options. The Madison Public Library Foundation is currently holding a capital campaign to raise $1.5 million toward the construction of the library. If the campaign raises more than its target, extra money will seed a permanent endowment for Pinney specifically. To make a donation online, go to mplfoundation.org. Then on the donate page, be sure to designate Pinney Endowment as the designation for your donation. Addi-tionally, One Barrel Brewing Company is donating its proceeds from Toss a Buck for Charity to the Pinney campaign through 2018. For more information, see the event page here: mplfoundation.org/events
The new Pinney Library is projected to open at the end of 2019. As the project get closer to its completion, look for more information here about how you can prepare for the library move, and hopefully what you can do to help with the move. What are you most looking forward to about the new library?
New Pinney Library — from front page
ACCESS, 3810 Milwaukee Street, empowers people with disabilities.
Construction is ongoing at Royster Corners. Photo by Emil Hoelter
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2nd Annual Wilshire Lane Block Party September 22 from 4-8 p.m.
Please join us on Saturday, September 22 for another Block Party on Wilshire Lane! Everyone had a wonder-ful time last year, and we hope to see everyone again,
plus many more of our Eastmorland neighbors. We will be gathering at the west end of Wilshire from 4-8 pm. Brats and burgers, soft drinks, music and games will be provided. Bring a dish to pass, a lawn chair if you can
and a cooler of your own drinks if you want. See you there!
To be a paid member of ECA costs $10.00 annu-ally. Monies collected are used for general oper-ation expenses and for special neighborhood events, such as the spring park clean-up and fall leaf-raking parties and potlucks. Paid members have additional benefits, including participation in the annual ECA garage sale and Santa visits. As an all-volunteer organization, ECA relies on your support. Please mail this form with $10.00 to ECA, P.O. Box 14584, Madison, Wisconsin 53708. Thanks for being an active member of the community! Name ______________________________ Address ____________________________ Phone ______________________________ E-Mail ______________________________
Can you volunteer to help? Call Kathy (608) 244-8965 and leave a message or email her at [email protected]
Chiropractic Rehab and Wellness Center
509 Cottage Grove Road 442-9909
www.bowersfamilychiropractic.com
Think local first!
Let a business know you saw their ad in Hi, Neighbor!
6
From Our Alder
What does the future hold for Eastmorland? Much is unknown, but some of the answers to that question are in the works or are already visi-ble. Most of the major changes are along the borders of the community. Let’s walk around and see what’s going on. Along the southern border of Cot-tage Grove Rd. some of the changes are already underway. At the Royster Corners complex, apartment houses
and unique single family homes have been constructed and more are planned. The cornerstone of the project, the Library and apartment house above are well-underway. I’m betting the exterior of the building will be completed by the time snow flies. Moving west along Cottage Grove Rd, the current site of Pinney Library, Habitat and the big surface parking lot will be demolished at the beginning of the year and in the spring construction of a major housing development in two buildings will begin. It’s likely that the addition of hundreds of new residents will encourage greater retail options both on and off the new site. When we turn right on Atwood Ave. we immediately see major changes. In two years, there will be a new road, new bike lanes and increased pedestrian safety features. Following construction of the road, there will likely be construction of new multi-unit homes along Olbrich Park up to Dennett. Olbrich Gardens will complete a major construction of an educational and administrative complex by 2021. At a cost of $10 million ($5 million in contributions and $5 million from the city), the building will replace the cur-rent main building and add space for classes, social func-tions and garden preparations. Behind the Gardens is the newly rehabbed Garver Mill property. In place of the graffiti-splattered wreck is a new building inside of an old shell where we can find food manufacturing and retail shops. (At this time, it is not known what will happen to the field behind the building now that the proposal for mini-lodges has been dropped.) Crossing through OB Sherry Park and up to Milwaukee St., we see the most significant changes underway. Barns and cornfields have been replaced by hundreds of homes and new streets. Further east, the development extends to the site of the Swiss Colony and the East Transfer Station. North of the homes is a new park- part play area and in part conservation area. The impact of these changes along the perimeter on the neighborhood inside of the borders is unknown. It is like-ly that the sharp increase in home prices in the area will continue until that bubble breaks. However, the major activity along each side of the neighborhood and the quiet peaceful quality of the neighborhood within its borders will keep increasing interest and desirability of the com-munity alive for the foreseeable future. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns regarding city policies and services. I can be reached at 334-1156 or at [email protected].
David Ahrens 15th District
Quarterly Quiz
Win $25
Anyone who lives in the Eastmorland area is eligible to enter this contest.
The places in Eastmorland that regularly serve food are (in order, clockwise around the neighborhood) Dairyland Family Restaurant, KFC, Chief’s, Michael’s Frozen Custard, the Olbrich Park Biergarten, El Poblano, Asian House, and the Ameri-can Legion Post 501. Our winner is Alex Rodgers. Today’s question: Once located on the corner of Walter Street and Atwood Avenue, what type of business was Gene’s? As always, the winner will be randomly selected from all correct responses sent to [email protected] received before September 1.
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News from Our Schools
Schenk Elementary
Welcome to new families joining Schenk Elementary in September for the 2018-19 school year. Please join us for a Schenk playground playdate just before school starts on Sunday, August 26 from 3:30-5 p.m. It’s almost time to buy school supplies. Save yourself time by purchasing supplies through schooltoolbox.com. Simply search for Schenk and select the appropriate grade level. You are able to remove supplies that you already have or want to purchase yourself. You can also add extra supplies requested by the teachers. Supplies are delivered to your house, and 10% of your purchase goes back to Schenk. If you have a child who will be joining Schenk this fall, feel free to reach out to the PTO at [email protected] with any questions you have. Please consider supporting the Schenk PTO through the following activities: Box Tops Schenk collects General Mills Boxtops for Education (we receive 10 cents for each one!). Even if you don’t have a child at the school, donations of these are much appreciated. They can be dropped off at school, or if you cannot drop them off please give them to a neighbor whose child attends Schenk, or send an email to [email protected] and we can arrange to have them picked up or send them to Schenk at 230 Schenk St, Madison, WI 53714. Amazon Smile Schenk is participating in Amazon Smile. Order everything you do through Amazon, but use the web address: https://smile.amazon.com. Select Schenk Elementary PTO as the charity you are supporting and then a portion of your purchases will benefit Schenk. Cash Donations Schenk PTO also accepts cash donations. All PTO funds pay for events for Schenk students and families or school expenses. Donations to the Schenk PTO are tax-deductible. Donations can be sent to Schenk at 230 Schenk St, Madison, WI 53714. If you have any questions about the PTO, please email me at [email protected]. Thank you for supporting Schenk! -Heather Daniels, Schenk PTO
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From Our County Supervisor
Funding for Allis School road construction jeopardized In early June, Alder Ahrens and I began working with area local offi-cials, the County Executive as well as County and City staff to resolve concerns regarding the proposed ju-risdictional transfer of County High-ways AB (Buckeye Rd.) and BB (Cottage Grove Rd.) from the County to the City. Both units of governments jointly
will pay for the current reconstruction, but the outstanding issue is around the responsibility for future maintenance and improvements. We have made significant progress on this issue, with the County advancing multiple proposals (including the original position advocated for by City staff). Unfortu-nately the Mayor has rejected all of these proposals, in-stead advocating for the transfer of funds to cover federal funding shortfalls in other projects. Transferring the fund-ing from the projects will short-circuit ongoing efforts to reach a positive resolution on this issue, scuttle these cru-cial projects for an unforeseeable period of time, and neg-atively impact neighborhood families, particularly those enrolled at Allis school. Our top priority has been addressing the road condition, sidewalks and other improvements around Allis School. The nearly 500 students enrolled at Allis are 77% students of color, 67% low income, 25% English learners, and
Jeff Pertl District 17
14% special education. These students and their families deserve a road that meets urban standards around their school. Additionally, both the County and City have spent years planning these projects and committed over $2 million to planning, design, and property acquisition for these pro-jects. Given the time and resource investment, it would be imprudent to abandon these projects at this time. Transferring this funding strips communities on the eastside of funds needed to reconstruct roads that are in poor condition and do not serve the needs of the commu-nities. In the alternative, we find it critical that local lead-ers are open to compromise and reach a mutually accepta-ble agreement. Most of all, in the end we remain commit-ted to moving forward, working together, and investing in these critical neighborhoods. As we work through this issue, I would encourage you to reach out to Mayor Soglin and ask him to maintain funding for Buckeye and Cottage Grove Rds. You can reach him here: www.cityofmadison.com/mayor/contact
Algae blooms a cause for concern When beaches are closed, Public Health Madison & Dane County (PHMDC) advises residents and their pets to avoid coming into contact with algal blooms which may cause illness for those who accidentally swallow or inhale water containing algae, or have prolonged skin contact with the algae.
— Continued on page 11
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Pat’s Pointers
Ornamental grasses add texture and interest to your landscape by Patricia Blair President of Blair Lawn & Landscape
With summer now in full swing, plants have matured and we can enjoy ornamental grasses in our landscape or neighboring gardens. From the unique texture of the blades of the grass to the plumes that sway in the summer breeze, grasses are an easy addition to any landscape. Needing minimal care and able to tolerate hot, dry condi-tions, grasses would do well along that south or west side of
a home or back bed that isn’t easy to water. Most grasses are not too picky; they love sun and like well-drained soil but don’t need constant care or watering. Fountain grass, or Pennisetum, is an annual that is mounded with graceful plumes that last into autumn. Pur-ple Fountain Grass, or Purpureum, is easy to find at local nurseries and is excellent in pots or annual plantings for a pop of color. Feather Reed grass, or Calamagrostis acuti-flora, tends to be taller and some cultivars can grow as tall as five feet with narrow green blades and tan plumes that are showy with a gentle summer breeze to show them off. The Overdam cultivar is a little shorter at about 30 inches. All Feather Reed grasses are able to thrive in dif-ficult conditions, even some clay soils, and only need water during extended droughts. It can be left tall for winter interest and cut before new growth starts. Another grass that add color is Blue Oat Grass. It grows 2-3 feet tall with a pale blue color that holds through winter and adds interest as the blades pop through fresh snow. Blue Fescue is a much smaller plant, cute in its own way, growing only 6-10” inches and great in mass plantings or along sidewalks. Sometimes a bit short lifespan here, you can cut back foliage if it browns out. Prairie Dropseed is native to Wisconsin and the plant de-velops a fragrant flower in late summer. Its airy look makes it interesting in the summer and winter garden. Other grasses, including Miscanthus and sedges, can also have a place in your land-scape. Just be sure to properly site the plant for soil condi-tions and mature size, and install the plant in the right location for the amount of sun and mature height. Grasses can be beautiful as specimen plants or carefully mixed into a perennial garden to add interest as they blow in the summer breeze.
Pet Vignette features a different neighborhood pet each issue. To have your pet featured in an upcoming issue, please email [email protected]
Iggy’s hobbies include: playing with (and eating) string, eating wheatgrass, basking in the sun and toasting his fluffy buns. Ramona’s hobbies include: bothering Iggy, chasing bugs, eating, and stealing her mom’s pillow. We’ve had Iggy for five years and Ramona for one and a half. They always bring so much joy to us (even when they’re being pests). We love playing and cuddling with them and watching the world go by from the front porch. You can sometimes see Ramona on her leash, watching ants, or in her tent. -Jamie & Hahna are Iggy and Ramona’s humans
Pet Vignette
Drums n’ Moore School of Music
Your local music store since 1994
Keep up your chops
Drums, Guitar, Keyboards, Woodwinds,
Strings, Brass, Accordion
Instrument rentals
6033 Monona Drive Retail 222-DRUM (3786)
Music Lessons For The Whole Family
We practice what we teach. Teachers with Degrees in Music!
Prairie Dropseed
Purple Fountain Grass
Iggy (left) and Ramona (right)
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From Our State Representative
WI Attorney General Brad Schimel’s record on rape kits In 1979, Wisconsin became the first state to create a crime victims’ bill of rights, providing survivors the right to be treated with fairness, dignity, and respect. I, for one, take these rights very seriously, and I’ve been a strong advocate on this issue, especially as it relates to sexual assault kit testing in Wisconsin. After a sexual assault, a survivor may undergo a forensic examination to collect and preserve evidence from
the assault for a sexual assault evidence kit, colloquially known as a “rape kit.” Rape kit DNA evidence is tested, then analyzed and compared against DNA databases to hopefully identify offenders, connect suspects with cur-rently-unsolved or future offenses, and ensure justice for survivors. But for a rape kit to afford justice to a survivor, someone actually has to test it. A 2014 Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) invento-ry survey of local law enforcement agencies’ storage de-termined Wisconsin had more than 6,000 untested rape kits. Since then, Attorney General Brad Schimel has spent three years shirking responsibility for inaction on address-ing Wisconsin’s rape kit backlog. He’s blamed his prede-cessors, saying the backlog was “inherited.” He’s blamed crime lab staffing and funding levels. He even went so far as claiming there is no backlog at all. And all the while, delaying justice for survivors in Wisconsin. So, I take issue when, on the eve of an upcoming elec-tion, Schimel tries taking a victory lap on rape kit testing under his watch by promising to test remaining untested kits by the end of the year. Schimel shouldn’t get to take a victory lap after ignoring this issue for three years. Survivors deserve justice and an attorney general who understands survivors have a right to be treated with fairness, dignity, and respect, regardless of whether or not it happens to be politically expedient.
Melissa Sargent 48th State Assembly
608-395-2300 300 Cottage Grove Road Madison, WI 53716
Daily Food and Drink Specials
Serving Tasty Sandwiches
and BUCK’S Pizza made to order at your table.
All BUCK’S coupons accepted.
All New Beer Lines with 16 Local and
Craft Beers to enjoy Icy Cold
Happy Hour: Mon. - Thurs. 3:30 - 7:30 p.m., Fri. till 6 p.m.
Live Music Fridays at 6:30 p.m.
Hours Monday - Friday: Open 11:30 a.m. till close
Saturday & Sunday: 11:00 a.m. till close
11
Support our park ash trees by purchasing a t-shirt by Parthy Schachter
Want to show neighborhood pride while supporting our park ash trees as we continue to treat them against emerald ash borer? Purchase an Eastmorland Community Association ash tree t-shirt! The t-shirts are green with white print and available in sizes Adult S, M, L, and XL, and Youth M and L. They feature an image of an ash tree with the text “Save Our Park Ash Trees! Eastmorland Community Association” T-shirts are $20/each and 100% of the proceeds go to our park ash tree retreatment fund. To order a shirt, email Parthy Schachter at [email protected] and specify size and quantity.
The blooms can cause symptoms such as stomach upset, rashes, and respiratory irritation. To check for beaches closed as a result of algal blooms, visit this website: www.publichealthmdc.com/environmental-health/beaches-lakes-pools/beach-conditions/ -Content courtesy of Public Health Department
Protect yourself in severe heat Extremely high or unusually hot temperatures coupled with high humidity can have some serious effects on your health such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Over 600 deaths from extreme heat events occur annually in the United States. Most vulnerable are older adults, those who work or exercise outdoors, infants and children, the homeless or poor, and people with a chronic medical condition. Taking the following precautions in this extreme heat will help you avoid severe health consequences: stay cool, stay hydrated, and stay connected. Stay aware about your own situation as well as what’s going on around you. If you start feeling overheated, weak, dizzy, nauseated, or have muscle cramps, you could be experiencing heat illness. Move to air conditioning, drink water, get under a fan, and put on cool washcloths. If your symptoms worsen or don’t improve, go to the emergency room. If you see a parked car with a child left alone, call 9-1-1 and stay with the car. If you see a pet left alone, also call 9-1-1 and don’t leave until help arrives. -Content courtesy of Emergency Management
From Our County Supervisor — from page 8
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From Our County Executive
We all watched in horror as children were being taken away from their par-ents at the US-Mexico Border, creating what has now become a humanitarian disaster. History will judge those in power for the way they are treating our fellow human beings. Here in Dane County we welcome our immigrant community. Last year I created a new county po-sition, an immigration specialist, along with seed money for a legal assistance fund, in order to assist our immigrant
community in the face of increasing hostility from the federal government. We are sending a clear message that we care about our immigrant community. We stand with them not only in word but also in deed, especially as they endure unprecedented hostility from federal officials. Immigrants are not a problem; they are a vital part of the solution. There is no moral or logical reason not to welcome our immigrant neighbors. So we’re going to fight for them, we’re going to stand by them, and we’re going to help them in their quest to realize the American Dream.
Joe Parisi Dane County Executive
Register to vote before next election The next statewide election is a partisan primary on Au-gust 14. City of Madison residents with appropriate proof of residence can register to vote at any Madison Public Library branch up until the Friday before an election. Examples of acceptable proof of address include: -Current Wisconsin Driver License -Wisconsin ID (issued by DMV) -Utility bill from the past 90 days -Bank statement -Vehicle registration -Government document or government check There are several days before each election during which you can't register to vote and have it apply to that elec-tion, but you can always register to vote at the polls on election day! Other options for registering to vote that work for some people: -Register online at https://myvote.wi.gov -Register by mail -- instructions at: https://www.cityofmadison.com/clerk/elections-voting/voter-registration Do In-Person Absentee Voting at your local library City of Madison residents with appropriate photo ID can do in-person absentee voting at any Madison Public Library branch during the following planned dates: July 31-Aug. 11, 2018 for the August Primary Election Oct.16-Nov. 4, 2018 for the November Election City Clerk: 608-266-4601 Pinney Library: 608-224-7100
Concerts in the Garden Tuesdays, June 19-August 14, 7 p.m.
A U G U S T
Butterfly Action Day
Friday, August 3, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Madison Public Library’s Summer Reading Club Concert and Picnic
Tuesday, August 7, 7-8 p.m.
Fresco Opera Tuesday, August 14 Roaming performances throughout the Gardens (no seating provided)
Daylily Sale by the Wisconsin Daylily Society
Saturday, August 18, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sunday, August 19, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Opening Reception—GLEAM: art in a new light Saturday, August 25, 7:30-10:30 p.m. (rain or shine)
GLEAM: Art in a new light August 29-October 27, Wednesdays-Saturdays
August & September, 7:30-10:30 p.m.
October, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
S E P T E M B E R
Member Movie Night Friday, September 7 (Rain date: September 14)
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. First film starts at 7:30 p.m.
CRACKLE
Friday, September 28, 7-10 p.m.
O C T O B E R
CRACKLE
Friday, October 5, 7-10 p.m.
Fine Art & Craft Sale
October 27 & 28, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Olbrich Gardens events
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and Auxiliary 301 Cottage Grove Rd.
Employer-sponsored plans like (401(k)s, 457s, and 403(b)s do not allow for QCD treatment. By selecting to use the QCD strategy, your Ad-justed Gross Income is lowered which can impact other items on your returns, such as reducing the taxable amount of your Social Security benefits and reducing the amount you pay for future Med-icare premiums.
Do QCD distributions count toward the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD)? Upon turning 70 ½, retirement account holders are obligated to take annual distributions (withdrawals) from their accounts. These manda-tory withdrawals are known as the required mini-mum distribution (RMD). If you do not take any distributions, or if the distributions are not large enough, you may have to pay a 50% excise tax on the required amount not distributed. Yes, any amounts distributed from an IRA directly to a qualified organization count towards the RMD requirement.
Can I still deduct the amount that went from my IRA directly to a charity? The IRS can be generous, but not quite that generous. No, it is more advantageous to exclude the amounts on page 1 of your 1040 versus de-ducting it on Schedule A – Itemized Deductions.
Not age 70 ½? You may want to consider donating appreciated securities due to the double tax benefit of avoid-ing the tax on the capital gains and appreciation, in addition to receiving the charitable tax deduc-tion.
It is our goal at Mennenga Tax & Financial to educate everyone about various strategies to keep your taxes as low as possible within the limit of the laws. If you are part of a charitable organiza-tion and would like us to do an educational semi-nar regarding charitable giving, please call us at 608-241-5678. Marshall Mennega is the President of Mennega Tax and Financial Service.
Tax Break — from page 2
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Welcome to this month’s Know Your Home! I’m Dave Pausch, a li-censed Realtor with the Roost Realty team at Realty Executives Cooper Spransy—and an Eastmorland resi-dent! Each quarter I address questions about the general real estate market, buying and selling a home, and provide tips to keep your home in tip-top con-dition. Have a real estate question you’d like answered in future
columns? Send them to [email protected]!
This month’s questions focus on questions related to a homeowner’s responsibilities regarding the condition of their home prior to putting it on the market. I also have an update on a question from last quarter. Do I have to have my home inspected before sell-ing? Do I have to disclose possible problems with my house if I don't really know if there are problems? I’m answering these together, as they are intertwined. Regarding the first question, no, a homeowner is not re-quired to have their property inspected prior to sale. The right to have a home inspected prior to purchase is primari-ly the buyer’s as part of the Inspection Contingency in the state-approved WB-11 Residential Offer to Purchase form. It allows the buyer to ascertain the condition of the home prior to closing, and ask for repairs or remediations. That said, occasionally sellers will have their home inspected prior to listing, with the intention of providing assurances about the condition of the property to potential buyers. While there is nothing stopping you from doing this, there are a few things to consider prior to going forward. Having your home “pre-inspected” does not preclude any buyers from also having the home inspected, nor does it satisfy the buyers Inspection Contingency. And while you may be lucky enough to find a buyer who will accept the results of your pre-inspection, most likely won’t, wanting to having their own inspector provide a second opinion. Given that inspections can cost upwards of $400 or more, it might not be worth the cost to provide assurances that likely will not be accepted by the buyer. Also, a pre-inspection can open a seller up to liability is-sues (this is where the second question comes into play). Per the WB-1 Residential Listing Contract, sellers agree to two things: 1) complete a Real Estate Condition Report to the best of their knowledge, and 2) represent to the listing
agent and their brokerage that the seller “has no notice or knowledge of any Defects affecting the Property other than those noted on the real estate condition report.” Not doing so, or doing so in a way that is “incorrect or incomplete” can leave the seller “liable for damages and costs.” Pre-inspecting a house could give a seller knowledge of issues they were otherwise unaware of, requiring them to disclose them. And if they disclose them incompletely, incorrectly, or not at all after having that knowledge, they likely could open themselves up to liability issues. So in this situation, a little knowledge could go a long way to some significant legal problems. If there are aspects of my home that aren’t up to the current building code, must I fix those items (e.g., plumb-ing, electrical, etc.) prior to listing? Per the Wisconsin Realtors Association legal team: “A property owner is not generally obligated to make improve-ments on a property unless such an improvement was or-dered by a government building inspector or another au-thority.” So, in general, no, you won’t need to bring things up to code simply to sell your property. However, there could be situations where it might be a good idea to do so. For example, the presence of knob and tube wiring, once common in houses built between the late 1800s and 1930, can make it very difficult or impossible for a buyer to in-sure the home after purchase. It can be a detriment to sell-ing the property for the same reason. While you would not be required to upgrade the wiring prior to sale, it may be a prudent thing to do. Also, if you renovate your home, you will be required to have all new parts of the property com-ply with current code. Update on estimating the amount of “pay-back” one can expect from a home renovation: Last issue I talked a bit about the question of how much of the cost of a renova-tion a home owner can recoup when the home is sold. I have new information! The Remodeling 2018 Cost vs. Val-ue Report (www.costvsvalue.com) gives a breakdown of the percentage of renovation costs a seller can anticipate re-couping at sale. The data is broken down nationally, region-ally, and even by city, allowing you to compare against the rest of the state and other cities. That’s all for this issue. Send in your questions and I’ll do my best to answer them in future issues of Hi, Neighbor! See you around the neighborhood!
Know Your Home
Dave Pausch
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Fresh, Fast & Hot
222-5001 www.dreamlanes.com
Attention gardeners: Be on the lookout for jumping worms! by Elise Gokey Have you ever heard of the newest menace to Wiscon-sin’s natural areas, the jumping worm? These worms (like all others) are not native to Wisconsin and are spreading rapidly. They belong to the genus Amynthas, are native to Southest Asia, and have been populating the Midwest at an alarming rate. These worms are named after their behavior. Unlike Wisconsin’s common red worms or night crawlers, jump-ing worms are very active and thrash around violently, even jumping in the air when disturbed. They also have a shinier body, and have a distinctive white band. Jumping worms leave troubling, destructive conse-quences in their wake. They destroy top soil and thus cre-ate far greater damage to forests, landscaped areas and gardens. They also reproduce very quickly and typically double their population every summer. People have been unknowingly spreading jumping worms by using them as bait, transporting eggs on the soles of shoes, buying plants or compost that has infected soil, and spreading worm eggs after leaving raked leaves at the curb. If you spot a jumping worm in your garden, please re-port this to the DNR ([email protected]) and make sure the worm is destroyed. If you would like more infor-mation on this invasive species, please contact the Wis-consin Department of Natural Resource using the email above or visit www.dnr.wi.gov.
Invasive jumping worm Photo: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Seeds of Peace 2nd Annual
“Tunes on the Triangle” Outdoor Benefit Concert
Thursday, August 30 4:30 - 9:30p.m.
Working to Alleviate Food Insecurity on the East Side
“Tunes on the Triangle” is a fundraiser benefiting the school nutrition programs at Schenk, Frank Allis and Nuestro Mundo elementary schools, coordinated by the Seeds of Peace congregations of the east side of Madison and Monona. The evening festivities will include food carts, kids’ activities, pie auction, and live music by local bands, fea-turing: Acoustic Collective, A Perfect Fifth, Roots of the Love Tree, Oak Street Ramblers, Natty Nation! Join the fun and invite your friends to Lakeview Mora-vian Community Church, 3565 Tulane Ave., and make a difference in the lives of our community children! If you are interested in helping with the event or participating in the “pie clinic” at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, watch for more details in upcoming newsletters and bulletins.
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Pinney Branch Library Events
Pinney Adult Book Group Tuesday, Aug. 28 @ 7:00 p.m.: Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout Tuesday, Sept. 25 @ 7:00 p.m.: You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me by Sherman Alexie Tuesday, Oct. 23 @ 7:00 p.m.: Vintage by Susan Gloss Pinney Afternoon Book Group Wednesday, Aug. 8 @ 2:30 p.m.: The Dry by Jane Harper Wednesday, Sept. 12 @ 2:30 p.m.: The Tea Girl of Hum-mingbird Lane by Lisa See Wednesday, Oct. 10 @ 2:30 p.m. Title TBA Stop by the library for a copy of our Book Group selec-tions. Movie Screenings Ready Player One - Friday, Aug. 3 @ 6:30 p.m. Hotel Salvation - Wednesday, Aug. 15 @ 6:30 p.m. Isle of Dogs – Friday, Sept. 7 @ 6:30 p.m. Bye Bye Germany – Wednesday, Sept. 12 @ 6:30 p.m. A Quiet Place – Friday, Oct. 26 @ 6:30 p.m. Friends of Pinney Library Fall Book Sale Thursday, Oct. 18: 12:00-8:30 - Members sale (join at the door!) Friday, Oct. 19: 9:00-8:30 - Open to the public Saturday, Oct. 20: 9:00-4:30 - Open to the public Sunday, Oct. 21: 1:00 - 4:00 – Open to the public, $5 Bag Sale Spanish Family Storytime Aug. 4 @ 10:30 am. Acompáñenos para escuchar cuentos en español! Nos en-focamos en la alfabetización temprana a través de la lec-tura, la música y el juego. Please join us for stories, songs and rhymes in Spanish, focused on building early literacy skills.
USS Bubbler Regatta Saturday, Aug. 4 @ 2:00 p.m. Ahoy shipbuilders! Anchors away for the first annual Bubbler Regatta! Create your own mini vessels from re-cycled materials, test their seaworthiness, and race against your friends down our raingutter course… you may have to supply your own wind. Children under 7 should be ac-companied by an adult. Libraries Rock! Read Like a Badger Concert and Picnic at Olbrich Gardens Tuesday, Aug. 7 @ 6:00 p.m. Pack up your supper and head to the Olbrich Gardens (3330 Atwood Ave) for a fun-filled family concert! Come, rain or shine, at 6:00pm to play with bubbles, make a project with Olbrich Gardens staff, and practice voting with the Madison City Clerk's office. Then, at 7:00pm, Jack and Kitty will get your toes tapping while you munch! Hoop Embroidered Felt Lettering with Anthology Tuesday, Aug. 7 and 21 @ 6:00 p.m. Learn a half dozen basic stitches to embroider your origi-nal drawing or iron-on transfer design onto fabric stretched inside an 8" wooden hoop for display. This workshop is for adults and teens age 13 and up. Registra-tion opens 7/24 for the 8/7 event and 8/7 for the 8/21 event.
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Library Events — from previous page
Panels and Pizza: Graphic Novel Discussion Group Wednesdays. Aug. 8, Sept. 12 and Oct. 10 @ 5:00 p.m. Kids ages 10-13 are welcome to join their peers for a monthly meet-up to read and discuss graphic novels. We'll be talking about old favorites, reading new titles, and doing occasional activities around them. Pizza will be served! For questions, contact Beth McIntyre: 608-266-6345 or [email protected]
Libraries are for Everybody Drop-in Screen Printing Saturday, Aug.18 @ 10:00 a.m. Stop by for this drop-in workshop and create your own screen print of an inclusive "Libraries are for Everyone" image, with text available in English, Spanish, or Arabic. Bring your own t-shirt/tote/material to print on, or create a print on paper. One print per person, please. Rock the Library Summer Reading Celebration Saturday, Aug. 18 @ 1:00 p.m. Finish your summer reading Bingo card and earn a golden ticket to rock out at the library! Create a music video to your favorite song on your own or with your friends with our green screen or stop motion animation technology. Make props with us or bring your own costume for this one of a kind jam session. Read Like a Badger is funded in part by Topitzes Family Foundation, the Steve Stricker American Family Insurance Foundation, and the Madison Public Library Foundation.
Spanish Storytime and Sweets / Cuentos y pan dulce para la familia Saturday, Sep. 22 and Saturday, Oct. 20 @ 10:00 a.m. ¡Acompáñenos para escuchar cuentos en español y disfru-tar de pan dulce! Para niños de todas las edades y sus fa-milias. Join us for stories and songs in Spanish, and enjoy yum-my treats! For kids of all ages and families. DaneNET Computer Fix it Clinic Tuesday, Oct. 16 @ 5:30 p.m. Device Fix IT clinics are to repair and support computers and hardware owned by households without the means to fix them. Adults can bring in their devices (smart phone, desktop, tower, laptop, etc.) and DANEnet staff and vol-unteers will help assess, fix and clean the devices. DANE-net will provide free recycling for items beyond their use-ful life. Please check the Pinney events calendar online for all programming updates: www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/pinney
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Rain gardens reduce flooding and improve water quality by Theresa Nelson, Engineer, City of Madison Summer 2018 had a wet start! Recent heavy rains have not only caused localized residential flooding, but also prompted slow-no-wake restrictions on some of the Madi-son lakes as well as the closure of several area beaches due to unsafe algae blooms. While these closures are only temporary, they leave many of us frustrated, wondering if anything can be done. I’m happy to tell you that we all can play a part to reduce flooding and improve water quality in our lakes and rivers — by creating a rain garden! Rain gardens are shallow landscaped depressions de-signed to capture water runoff from our homes and yards. Plant roots and the soil then filter pollutants and allow the water to soak into the ground instead of running into our storm sewers and ultimately our lakes and rivers. When planted with native plants, rain gardens can provide much needed urban wildlife habitat for birds, butterflies, and oth-er pollinators. Despite the many benefits, we still run into myths or mis-conceptions that may discourage people from creating rain gardens: Myth #1 – Rain gardens breed mosquitoes: Rain gar-dens are designed to let water soak into the ground in 1-2 days (or less). Mosquito eggs need at least 5-7 days of standing water to hatch, therefore rain gardens do not con-tribute to mosquito problems.
Myth #2 – Rain gardens are messy and weedy look-ing: Just like any garden or landscape planting, rain gar-dens look best when plants are chosen to fit their location and are properly maintained. Choosing shorter species that will not flop over and having a defined edge for your gar-den can give it a clean and tidy look. Plants suitable for rain gardens can be purchased at a reduced cost through Dane County’s Plant Dane program. Orders are due in Feb-ruary so mark your calendars and track the website: http://ripple-effects.com/plantdane. Myth #3 – Rain gardens are difficult to build: Creat-ing your own rain garden is as easy as digging a small de-pression and planting with native plants. Plus there are many resources to get you started – here are just a couple:
www.cityofmadison.com/engineering/stormwater/raingardens/ http://ripple-effects.com/rainGardens Creating a rain garden in your yard, school, church, or park is a great way to personally contribute to improving local water quality, reducing flooding impacts, and increas-ing pollinator habitat! City of Madison staff are here to support your rain garden efforts – send us an email or give us a call:
Phil Gaebler: [email protected] 608-266-4059
Theresa Nelson: [email protected]
608-266-4913
Spaight Street rain garden under construction (left) and two years after planting (right).
We love to hear from our readers!
Send your photos, suggestions and stories to [email protected]
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Past issues of Hi, Neighbor! available online and in color at eastmorland.org
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