City Cast Madison

The Mariel Boatlift exodus has been called one of the U.S.’s most complex waves of immigration.It was named for the Cuban Port of Mariel, where more than 125,000 people emigrated from in 1980. You’ve likely heard about the large Cuban community that flourished in Miami. But did you know that nearly 15,000 Cuban refugees were sent to Fort McCoy, the U.S. Army base between Tomah and Sparta in southwest Wisconsin? Many settled in Madison. And many didn’t talk about their experience, until now. Maureen McCollum and Omar Granados tell their stories – and more – in an eight-part podcast. It’s called WPR Reports: Uprooted. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts (NPR link). All eight episodes are also on YouTube. Also mentioned on the show:Madison Film Festival is August 26Sponsored Interview: Scrum Day is Sept 14Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Blake Alvarenga calls himself a Madison liberal. He also owns many guns and he knows how to use them. That sets him apart from many others who he’s met in Madison. He regularly staffs a booth at the Dane County Farmers’ Market, where he talks to neighbors who bought guns for self-defense, and were surprised to learn that nothing comes next. No instructions, no training. So he stepped in to help. He’s the president of the Wisconsin chapter of the Liberal Gun Club and he offers community classes on how to use guns. 📚 To learn more about Blake’s work, check out Joe Tarr’s story in Isthmus: Time to get a gun.📧 To reach Blake, email him at wisconsinchapter@theliberalgunclub.com.Also mentioned on the show:📱 If someone you know is thinking about suicide, call 988 anytime🩸 There’s a community blood drive on Tuesday, August 22📰 Suicides rise in Wisconsin, led by more than 500 gun deaths in 2022 [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz remember Ada Deer, a Wisconsin trailblazer who died on August 15th, just days after celebrating her 88th birthday. We also discuss the comings and goings of Madison concert venues and debate our new friend, the 353 area code. Mentioned on the show:🎧 Listen to Chali Pittman’s full interview with Ada Deer [WORT FM]📖 Read a brief history of the Menominee [Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin]🎶 Tell us about YOUR favorite spot to catch a show in Madison [Madison Minutes]Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Landmark Creamery of Paoli makes some of the best cheeses in the world. You don’t have to take our word for it - that’s according to judges at the American Cheese Society, the Good Food Awards, and the World Championship Cheese Contest.They make a variety of tasty handmade sheep-milk cheeses. And now, they’re making artisan butter down the street at Seven Acre Dairy in Paoli. Landmark Creamery Co-owner Anna Thomas Bates tells us why.Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers.Also on the show:Rest in Power, Ada DeerWanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Driving in Madison takes some know-how. Construction projects abound as the city grows. Plus, it’s that time of year when you see more people turning the wrong way down Madison’s one-way streets. They’re confusing for tourists, students, and newcomers alike. And of course, getting stuck behind a train is a classic problem on the isthmus. We wanted to know the secrets of getting across town these days. So who better to ask that someone who drives for a living? Producer Dylan Brogan spoke to Adam Chern, a driver for Union Cab of Madison, for his best tips. Do you know about the optical illusion on O’Sheridan? Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads.

Local radio is alive and well in Monona. The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association named 98.7 FM WVMO — the “Voice of Monona” — the Best Radio Station in state in 2022. Not bad for a teeny 100-watt station with an antenna on the fire department’s hose-drying tower. WVMO is owned by the city of Monona, run primarily by volunteers, and airs local programs. You can hear a variety of Americana music, updates on city events, and even a quick hello from the Walsh family on Sullivan Street. We speak with founder — and Wisconsin Broadcast Hall of Famer — Lindsay Wood Davis who says, “WVMO serves the community without boring it.” And we talk to one of the station’s youngest volunteers, Beatrix Pauli, host of Bea’s Buzz. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

When Mahanth Joishy became Madison’s Fleet Service Superintendent, the city had zero electric vehicles in its fleet. Now it has nearly a 100 and counting. Joishy is helping Madison reach its goal of running city operations on 100% renewable energy and with net zero carbon emissions, all by 2030. City Cast Madison host Bianca Martin finds out how. Also mentioned on the show:🐔 Madison Children’s Museum Birthday Party and Coopwarming🍻 Sips for Sustain DaneWanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz recap the ongoing saga of state money for our fair city, ask a UW-Madison prof how admissions might change after the U.S. Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision, and ponder why local restaurants wanna break up with food delivery apps. Mentioned on the show:💰 What will Popple River, Wisconsin's second-smallest town, do with a 5,000% increase in state funding? (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)🦩 Was Madison Singled Out for Punishment in State Budget? (City Cast Madison)🦡 The Supreme Court and Admissions (UW-Madison)🍔 Culver's wants regulations for delivery services, but is considering delivery in its future (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

A few times a year, there’s a special eggroll sale in Madison. The Hmong Institute takes orders of eggrolls by the dozen, perfect for stocking your freezer. The eggrolls are handmade by volunteers and the sales fund the non-profit’s work to preserve Hmong heritage and support Madison’s Hmong residents. And friends, eggroll time is now! Producer Molly Stentz caught up with Hmong Institute COO Mai Zong Vue to learn what goes into this labor of love. The deadline to order eggrolls is Friday, August 11th. Pickup is at the Hmong Institute on August 23rd. How to Order. 🥡 Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers.Also on the show:🍲 Ahan is moving to Willy Street!👩🏿‍🍳 Madison Black Restaurant Week is August 13 - 20👩🏽‍💻 Sponsored interview: Scrum Day is September 14Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

PFAS chemicals show up in all kinds of things: non-stick cookware, stain-resistant clothing, microwave popcorn bags, firefighting foam. They’ve been dubbed “forever” chemicals because they don’t break down in the environment, making them very hard to get rid of. And they’re showing up in our water.Scientists are still discovering the health risks of PFAS, but research suggests that PFAS exposure increases the risk of kidney and testicular cancer. The CDC says most of us have been exposed to PFAS at some point.The Madison Water Utility plans to install a PFAS-removing filter at one well that they shut down due to contamination. It’ll cost $6 million dollars. Producer Dylan Brogan caught up with Joe Grande, Water Quality Manager with the Madison Water Utility, to learn how it’ll work.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads at citycast.fm/advertise.