Happy November! Here comes an update about all kinds of neighborhood things!
New Little Free Pantry
I am sure most of you have been made aware about the acute changes in SNAP food benefits. ANA Board member Jaala Spiro is sounding the charge to create a neighborhood Little Free Pantry to create an opportunity to offer assistance to neighbors in need. For those unfamiliar with the concept, a Little Free Pantry is a small semi permanent structure placed near the road side that is filled with food and household essentials by donations from neighbors, for anyone to stop by and take what they need. It is a very similar concept to the Little Free Library that currently exists in Harvey Schmidt Park and along Balden St. We are looking for helpers to make this a reality! The needs are described below:
1. Construction! We are looking for handy helpers that could build a cabinet or help retro fit a small book shelf or something similar into a cupboard. Or donate shelving/storage cabinet/wood of some sort that is not longer in use. I am attaching a “blueprint” of an example build as one possible construction option.
2. Location! We are looking for a neighbor along Carver or Martin Street that would be wiling to have the Pantry placed on the edge of their yard. It would need to be set back about 10 feet from the edge of the road to not be considered in the City owned “terrace”/right of way space. Aside from casually monitoring the pantry for damage or vandalism and alerting those that are maintaining it, there would not be much for ongoing responsibility.
3. Donation stock! We need non perishable, nutritious food and household essentials donations. I am attaching to this email a general list of desirable items to stock a pantry with. Which leads into our next item of attention…
Food Drive Neighborhood Get-Together, 11/8/25, Lake Forest Water Co op Pump House “Park”
Come enjoy each other’s company before it gets too cold! There will be a fire pit and some smore’s makings. Everyone bring your own chair (there are two picnic tables on site), hotdogs, hot beverage or just a readiness to hang out with neighbors!
When: Saturday November 8th 2:30-4:30
Where: The Pump House on Martin Street across from the Arb parking lot where the new mural was painted.
**Please bring canned goods, cereal, snacks, diapers or hygiene products, etc as the first food drive for our soon-to-be-operational Little Free Pantry!
Halloween Pet Costume Photo Contest, vote by Tuesday!
We had some super fun costumes walking the neighborhood on Friday! Follow the link below to vote for your favorite pet costume. Voting closes at midnight on Tuesday 11/4/25. I will announce the winner on Wednesday, 11/5/25!
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunity at St. Vinny’s Food Pantry
Another neighbor, Mary Hetrick, has stepped up to organize a group volunteering opportunity for our neighborhood with St. Vinny’s Food Pantry just across Fish Hatchery Rd. (https://svdpmadison.org/program/food-pantry/)
Mary is still in discussion with their volunteer coordinator but we should have more details and a definitive date very soon. We have been advised that “Generally, we schedule volunteer groups in 2 hour sessions, either before 10 AM or after 3 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays.”
Please keep this on your radar for forthcoming details. Or consider volunteering independently! The volunteer coordinator has let us know that the number of patrons utilizing the pantry almost doubled in the last two weeks so the need is strong and they can use the help!
Seasonal Reminders
*How to dispose of your Jack O Lanterns: Madison Streets Division will collect them in your yard waste. Yard waste crews will collect pumpkins, hay, cornstalks, and all sorts of compostable plant decorations. Just remove the wires, lights, candles, and so on, and place by the roadside. If you painted your pumpkins though, they can’t compost those and will need to be placed in your trash bin. Get the dates you should set out the yard waste for pickup on the Streets Division’s yard waste website.
*The Streets Division website will also list dates for fall leaves pick ups still planned for November. Keep in mind that the evolving recommendation is to NOT rake your leaves and instead leave them in place. This locally-written article explains the benefits of keeping leaves on your property, and what to do with your leaves instead of piling them by the curb for municipal pick-up. Read it at https://madison.wildones.org/leaves/
*A word about mouse poison. Two weeks ago, several residents began discussing sightings of an unusually behaving Barred Owl along Martin St. on the neighborhood Whats App group (to join: https://chat.whatsapp.com/Coh2CfXXrzdCB5Rlb4IXXT).My son and I were able to gently capture the owl due to it’s weakened state and rush it to the wildlife rehabbers at the Dane County Human Society Wildlife Center (https://www.giveshelter.org/wildlife-center). It continues to be in their care at this time slowly recovering from rodenticide poisoning. This happens when an owl eats a rodent (one of their primary food sources) that has consumed intentionally placed mouse poisoning as part of pest control. We all know that as the weather gets cold, the mice like to creep in where it’s warm. I am not crazy about a mouse running across my kitchen floor, believe me! Please keep in mind that there are many humane ways to manage this (such as mechanical kill traps or even live traps) that don’t involve poison and the terrible ripple effects that can then affect their predators, such as our neighborhood owls or even your beloved pet cats.
Lost and Found
Someone left behind a size medium woman’s chambray shirt on the weekend of the mural painting. It is a medium-blue with a lot of paint stains on it. Let me know if you are missing this!
More food scarcity resources
Lastly, I know a great of this email was focused on addressing the current food insecurity challenges members of our community may be facing. I want to pass along *one* more brand new resource that has just been created that involves minimal effort for those that just do not have time to volunteer. Madison Grocery Share is a new web based interface that helps connect those in need with those who are willing to donate funds towards their grocery bill. Here is an article from the headlines this week discussing it’s formation and mission:
Also a reminder about the Pets For Life program via the Dane County Humane Society. Our zip code area (53713) is eligible for their services for free pet food and supplies.
What a tremendous event the mural painting project became last weekend! We had 59 community members show up to help paint, set up, clean up, and just enjoy the process together! A special shout out to our neighborhood doggie helpers that were a welcome furry addition over the two days!
Now let’s celebrate this beautiful addition to our area! Please join us at the mural site at the Lake Forest Water Co op pump house, across from the UW Arboretum parking area where Martin Street curves, this Sunday, September 28th at 3 pm. We will have a brief ribbon cutting ceremony with actual ribbon cutting, a few public words and thankyous from the project leads, CAKE, and refreshments. A reminder that this was made possible by funding from the City Of Madison Neighborhood Grant Program and by all of your willing helping hands!
Of special note, the Lake Forest Water Co op has also installed their commemorative sign at the site highlighting the historical timeline of the Co op. It’s really lovely and brings this whole public corner area together as a wonderful “mini park” for passerby’s to stop and rest and enjoy our beautiful area. Please come and check it all out!*Anyone who has pictures to share of the painting process etc please send them my way and I will compile a page on our website*
Lake Wingra Community Bike Ride Sept. 28th 1-3 pm
Come explore Madison’s hidden gem by joining neighbors and friends for a community event around the 6.5-mile Lake Wingra Loop. Whether you bike, run, or walk, the loop offers an urban oasis filled with natural beauty, cultural landmarks, and neighborhood character.
The route circles Lake Wingra, passing through the Vilas, Dudgeon-Monroe, Nakoma, Arboretum, and Greenbush neighborhoods. Along the way, markers and a digital Story Map highlight points of interest – from Native Ho-Chunk heritage sites and historic park developments to the ecological challenges and community stewardship that shape the lake today.
The Lake Wingra Loop Story Map is a product of a collaboration between the Friends of Lake Wingra, City of Madison Engineering, District 13 Alder Tag Evers, the UW Arboretum and representatives of the neighborhoods surrounding Lake Wingra. Detailed descriptions of the sites around the lake were vetted by the group and the larger community, including Bill Quackenbush, Ho-Chunk Tribal Historic Preservation Officer.
Start the event with a welcome at 1:00 pm at the Vilas Park tennis court parking area (end of Edgewood Ave.), then enjoy the route at your own pace. Information tables and local experts will be stationed along the way to share insights about the area’s history, ecology, and cultural significance.
UW Arboretum Special Volunteer Work Party With the Arboretum Neighborhood Oct. 4th 1-3 pm
Micah Kloppenburg, Restoration Outreach Coordinator at the UW Arboretum, and the ANA are partnering this fall on a joint work party on Saturday, October 4, 1:00 – 3:00. We will be working in Harvey Schmidt Park clearing woody brush from the shoreline and will meet at the parking area between Catlin Place and Frazer Place. Micah and his group of team leaders lead volunteer work parties regularly throughout the year and this is the third one just for our neighborhood! Children are welcome and there is a group size limit of 20 so please email Leslie Ladd (lesladd@att.net) if you’d like to participate. Please give her your name, address, email address, and emergency contact name and number. (for Arboretum information only) Here are further details from Micah. If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Leslie.
Wear long pants, sturdy shoes or boots (this is a must!), and dress for the weather (we do not recommend wearing fleece– burrs stick to it). Bring your own water bottle and favorite insect repellent (and EpiPen if allergic to bee stings). We provide the tools, training, snacks, and gloves. The work party will be cancelled if it is raining. You can call the work party cancellation line at (608) 263-7327 after 8:15 a.m. for a message to find out if the work party has been cancelled.
June 2025
ANA Spring/Summer General Meeting June 12, 2025 Minutes
Mitchel Favor, Madison Police Department South District Neighborhood Officer
Officer Favor met with us to provide an overview of the community policing model that the department employs, update us on upcoming MPD events, and answer resident concerns.
The community policing model is based on the SARA model (very) briefly summarized below:
Scanning: Identifying recurring problems of concern to the public and to the police
Analysis: Identifying and understanding the events and conditions that precede and accompany the problem and identifying a variety of resources that may be of assistance
Response: Developing and carrying out the planned interventions
Assessment: Determining whether broad goals and specific objectives were attained
The South District is delineated by the areas between these four “corners:” Seminole Highway to Famous Dave’s Restaurant on Park St. to the Wester edge of Lake Monona and Lake Waubesa to the Northern edge of Fitchburg at Post Rd.
One of the larger concerns being targeted as of late by the South District team is illegal drug enforcement. Some of their other current initiatives include enforcing the current Traffic Safety Plan focusing on excessive speeding and traffic sign violations throughout the area (see press release here: https://www.cityofmadison.com/police/blog/?Id=35472) and promoting community outreach events. Upcoming community events that were highlighted include: Juneteenth in Penn Park 6/21/25, National Night Out in Penn Park 8/5/25, and a free weekly community meal every Friday 12-1 pm at Bridge Lake Point Waunona Neighborhood Center.
The following questions were submitted for Officer Favor:
1. “What is the best way for residents to get follow up information from MPD on neighborhood incidents?” Officer Favor encouraged residents to refer to the MPD website: https://www.cityofmadison.com/police/, selecting the “incident reports” menu, and then searching by date for the incident you are inquiring about. He clarified that MPD does not receive communication from the UW police department regarding incidents that they responded to directly and such inquiries would need to be directed to them. A discussion followed about the overlap in the jurisdictions of the MPD and UW police specific to our neighborhood area. Officer Favor advised that when unsure which police force to contact, a resident is always welcome to contact the MPD non emergency line (608-255-2345) which will triage the situation and direct contact to the appropriate department. Should an active incident be occurring in our area with police force present and engaging, and a resident wants an update or needs reassurance if it is safe to leave their home, they should call 911 in this situation. The 911 responder will again triage the situation and get communication directed to the department actively responding.
The UW Police also have a non emergency line that residents should not hesitate to utilize: 608-264-2677
2. “What strategies is MPD employing to reduce car ‘racing’ on the beltline and in the neighborhood for safety and noise mitigation?” Officer Favor referred to the Traffic Safety Plan previously mentioned (linked above). A discussion followed about specific concerns along Carver and Martin streets, and Arboretum Way where the frequency of speeders racing or “joy riding” through the area has acutely increased. Concerns were also raised about the abundance of traffic violations from drivers disregarding the stop signs along Carver and Martin streets, particularly at the corner of Carver and Dodge streets. Officer Favor confirmed he will bring these concerns to his team and plan to have an officer more regularly stationed in the neighborhood to provide safety enforcement.
Paul Quinlan, City of Madison Parks Conservation Resource Supervisor
Paul provided updates to our group about the current ecological rehabilitation of Harvey Schmidt Park. Residents may have noticed that the park looks a bit more “brown” then usual this growing season. This is due to the herbicide applications completed in Fall 2024 and Spring 2025. The plant species being targeted are the cattail species designated as invasive by the DNR and Reed Canary Grass. Stantec is the contracted company applying the herbicide which is a surfactant free glyphosate product that is wetlands approved and safe for aquatic and non aquatic animal species. Herbicide is being used to control these targeted perennial species because it will kill their extensive root systems, allowing other species to become established. The alternative would be to excavate the roots, which would be costly and would severely impact the soil and hydrology. Mowing is not effective, nor practical in this setting. While there has been much attention recently to the health risks of glyphosate to people who mix large quantities of the concentrated chemical over time, the use of diluted glyphosate solutions applied carefully to target weed species remains an effective approach, and the chemical degrades rapidly when exposed to the environment. The dead plant material is being left in place over the course of this growing season to further smother any new growth. In later fall 2025 a prescribed burn will hopefully occur to remove the dead plant material.
So, what’s next? Following the prescribed burn of the overgrowth of cattails and grasses, the newly exposed soil will be planted in Spring 2026 with a native seed mix that will include: Joe Pye Weed, Boneset, Blazing Star, Sneeze weed, Obedient Plant, Great Blue Lobelia, New England Aster, and various grasses. In the lowest lying areas where lack of drainage is significant, plugs of emergent aquatic plants will be hand planted including: River Bullrush, Swamp Milkweed, and Bur-reed, along with Tussock Sedge which specifically will work to create a “mat” over the standing water and allow more native plant species to grow that otherwise wouldn’t be able to. The long term goal will be a “managed meadow” where the once overgrown cattails were, with a re established walking path winding through along with the currently mowed areas that typically remain more dry. As we have been stating for awhile now, this will be a slow process. Following the planting in the Spring, there will be a several years period of what is called “establishment mowing” over the meadow areas. This will involve a roughly 6 inch high mow that will seek to remove the flower heads of any encroaching weeds/invasive species to prevent re seeding and allow the newly planted native species time to take over and establish.
Michael Hansen, UW Arboretum Land Care Manager
Mike provided seasonal updates regarding current work projects within the UW Arboretum lands. Mike confirmed that the staff has almost returned to full capacity with only one position remaining vacant. He also confirmed that a new volunteer work party coordinator has been hired, Micah Kloppenburg. (https://arboretum.wisc.edu/news/arboretum-news/welcome-micah-kloppenburg/). Micah looks forward to coordinating volunteering opportunities for our specific neighborhood soon!
Mike reports approximately 50 projects currently on his roster of “hazards” to be removed (ie dying trees, low hanging branches). Priorities and budget are still being figured out. He appreciates all neighbors sharing reports of identified concerns with him as well as ongoing patience as his crew works through the list.
Mike also confirmed a newly identified beaver dam distantly viewable when looking towards the creek across from the fence at the end of Frazer Pl. The land care crew is working to relocate what appears to be a solitary beaver at this point and restore the waterway.Early discussions to begin addressing the
overgrowth and buckthorn removal in the wooded patch of land at Carver and Fish Hatchery roadshave been had
. The timeline for this to begin is still being determined but it is near the top of the proverbial “list”of potential neighborhood volunteer work party opportunities
.
Tag Evers, District 13 Alderperson
Tag received and discussed several questions from neighbors.
1. This question was initially posed to Mike Hansen but was jointly answered by Tag. A neighbor was wondering “if bikes are meant to travel single file on Arboretum Dr. or could overtake the lane and travel side by side?” With some discussion it was concluded that bikes are to be single file along Arboretum Dr. A request was made to look into placement of clear signage that could clarify this.
2. “Can a wider path be mowed along Martin/Carver/Balden/Marshall Parkways to allow pedestrians more space to step off of the road when faced with oncoming vehicular traffic.” Tag reached out to the City Streets Department who confirmed that right of way mowing along the roads will continue to occur two times throughout the growing season as we have been told in the past. Historically the City did not monitor Balden and Marshall Pkwy as it was deemed the responsibility of the UW Arboretum. A new plan has been confirmed that right of way mowing will expand into the lower half of Balden and Marshall Pkwy (basically until each road begins their noticeable incline).
Concerns were raised about the section of roadside between Dodge and Irwin Pl consistently being excluded from right of way mowing and wondering if this was due to the parcel being considered a part of the UW Arboretum. Clarifications are forthcoming.
3. “When is there going to be proper signage (indicating parking length and usage) so that the parking lot at Harvey Schmidt Park can be adequately monitored. The number of renters parking there has gotten continually worse since the Town of Madison ended. I’ve spoken with Park Rangers several times and they have always been receptive and responsive. However, they said that without signage indicating parking length and usage limits, it is unfair for them to issue tickets. Also, making sure there is adequate signage regarding dogs being restrained with leashes at all times in the park.”
Tag communicated with the Park Rangers who confirmed that this issue remains on their radar. They are looking into the addition of 3 hour limit parking signs which can be placed without having to review ordinance revisions, which is often the source of slowed progress in making changes. That said, there is no guarantee as to the timeline for this as the Parks staff as a whole is extremely short staffed presently and there are only FOUR Park Rangers employed to manage ALL the City parks. At this time there are two signs existent in Harvey Schmidt Park that list all the rules and ordinances of City of Madison Parks, which include a statement that all dogs MUST be leashed at all times. This signage is considered adequate at this time to allow enforcement of the need to have all dogs restrained within parks. Neighbors are encouraged to reach out to the Park Rangers to report any violations noted to help them identify areas of frequent concern. The direct line to the Park Rangers office is: 608-235-0448.
4. “What measures is common council taking to reduce ongoing deficit spending over next five years?” Tag clarified that the common council does not engage in deficit spending. They are required by law to balance their budget every year.
Tag has also offered to hold a private audience with our neighborhood association if there is interest in having a more in depth Q&A about these budgetary concerns.
Alissa Karnaky, the neighbor who oversees the community garden in Fraust Park, asked to share this request: “we could use excess cardboard boxes from neighborhood residents for sheet mulching at the community garden in Fraust Park. They are very helpful for tamping down weeds! Neighborhood residents may drop off flattened brown cardboard boxes at the garden in Fraust Park just inside the garden gate under the arbor. We would appreciate it if tape and labels could be removed. We can use a significant quantity of boxes and prefer flattened boxes with a width of 2’ or more.”
Folks are welcome to contact me with questions at fraustparkgarden@gmail.com.
ANA Updates
Neighborhood Garage Sale Recap:
The first Arboretum Neighborhood Garage Sale is in the books and was largely a success per all participants. There has been some interest in holding a second sale at the end of summer. For those that would like to get this organized, the ANA Board will be happy to send out neighborhood email promotions but will bow out in terms of spearheading any organization for this round. We do recommend making use of the neighborhood buy/sell/trade WhatsApp group to coordinate efforts and connect! Follow this link with your PHONE first to set up the app (it can later be synched to your tabletop devices): https://chat.whatsapp.com/Coh2CfXXrzdCB5Rlb4IXXT
Upcoming events/Save the dates:
Save the date for the second annual neighborhood picnic planned for August 9th, 1-3pm (ish) at the Fraust Park Shelter. This will be planned as a pot luck event much like last year. This year we will have grills available as well for cooking! There will be games and crafts also like last year. Please reach out to Jaala Spiro at jaalaspiro@protonmail.com to get involved in the planning!
Also on the horizon is a Community Mural Painting event! The ANA has been awarded a grant by the City to fund this project. I will send out a separate email with all the details specific to this separately. But save the date for September 13th and 14th and 20th and 21st!
Fundraiser:
The Arboretum Neighborhood Association is a volunteer run, dues free, 501c3 non profit organization. All of our events are entirely funded from donations and grants. Because of this, we are always welcoming donations from our residents and looking for new and creative ways to fundraise. Our very own Board member and neighbor, Jaala Spiro, recently designed the new beautiful logo of the ANA that features our beloved resident sandhill cranes. She has personally funded having the logo placed on small round vinyl stickers that are for sale for $3 a piece. All proceeds go directly to the ANA fund. Please contact her at jaalaspiro@protonmail.com to inquire! Also, any monetary donation inquiries can be directed to ANA Treasurer Nancy Gores at nancytoday@pm.me
Arboretum Neighborhood Association 
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