City Cast Madison

It’s your weekly roundup of the news in the Madison area. The search for a new County leader continues amid controversy. Monona wants to know if they should save the Frank Allis House in San Damiano Park: the lakefront mansion once owned by monks is now a public park. And we examine the struggle for better bathrooms across Madison. Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz wrangle the the news and put it in context. 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.

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 14th. If you’re looking for a brunch recommendation, it’s tough out there. With UW graduation happening the same weekend, most restaurants are full up. But dear listener, all hope is not lost. We’ve got a few ideas up our sleeves. Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz share some of their DIY tips for honoring your mama. 💐 Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers.🥐 Here are The Cap Times’ picks for brunch spots with space available. (Do call ahead!) 🍋 Try this delicious Lilac Lemonade recipe.🧀 Sign up for Pasture and Plenty Cheeseboard class. Or make your own cheeseboard with goodies from Fromagination! Or visit any of our fantastic local farmers markets this weekend: Downtown or Westside (Saturday). Monona, Monroe Street, Southside or Northside (Sunday)🍫 Pick up some chocolate from CocoVaa or Gail Ambrosius or Infusion Chocolates. If mom prefers plants, here are some ideas: 🌱 Check out the plant sale at Troy Farm or the Orchid Sale at Olbrich Botanical Gardens (Saturday!)🌻 Get mom a flower subscription from Yellow Dog, Root to Bloom or Hill & Hollow. Or do some good deeds this weekend: 🌾 Take a nature walk or help restore the prairie at the Arboretum. 🪺 Join in a bird count at Owen Park. 🥰 Make a gift to the YWCA in honor of your mom. 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.

Tucked away inside Vel Phillips Memorial High School is the Madison area’s only planetarium. Not only does it inspire awe in schoolkids from all over, anyone can go. You don’t have to be a kid — or have a kid in the school district — to visit. And for a couple bucks, you’re in for a show. Dylan Brogan caught up with Planetarium Director Ben Senson to learn what’s in the skies. 🔭 Learn the stars of summer at the Planetarium’s last public event for the summer. There are two shows each on May 22 and on May 23rd. 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.

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020, protestors in Madison gathered day after day at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Amid calls for more diverse representation at the Capitol, a statue of Hans Christian Heg was torn down and tossed in the lake.And then, an idea was born: Wisconsin should create a statue memorializing civil rights pioneer Vel Phillips. She was the first woman judge in the state and first African American woman elected to statewide office, among many other firsts. Now that statue is becoming a reality. We speak with Vel’s son, Michael Phillips, about his mother’s legacy and when it’ll happen.To learn more about the Vel Phillips statue, check their fundraising campaign here.Also on the show:Madison Story SlamWanna 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.

It’s not every day you look out your living room window and see a big ‘ole black bear. Especially in Madison. But that’s exactly what happened to Chris Juzwik in his suburban Fitchburg neighborhood. He gives us the low down.Also on the show:Euchre tournament in New GlarusMidwest Vintage Flea Market at Garver Feed MillWanna 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.

UW Madison is wrapping up its semester with a bang. Students are demanding action from the chancellor after a racist video surfaces online. Meanwhile, state lawmakers propose cutting diversity programs from the entire UW system. And UW adds maternity leave! For horses. What a week.Bianca Martin, Dylan Brogan and Molly Stentz are here to rein it all in. PS - Have you seen the BEAR roaming around Madison? 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.

Spring in Madison is a great time to find delicious food right in your backyard. And foraging for delectable local morsels means hunting much more than mushrooms. There’s ramps, watercress, dozens of edible weeds… all around you. But how do you know where to look? And what’s edible… and tasty? Dylan Brogan sits down with Andy Gricevich, owner of What Got Gathered, for some local foraging pro tips.You can find Andy at the Westside Community Market, Monona Farmers Market and the Madison Eastside Farmers Market. Check out his website for details on the wild food walks.🌿 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:🧶 Spring Fest at Warner Park 🎨 Gallery Night all over MadisonWanna 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.

Phosphorous runoff has been plaguing Madison's lakes and streams for years. This fertilizer causes algae to bloom, making our beloved waterways stinky and hazardous. Now facing tougher state and federal regulations, the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District has to clean up more phosphorous than ever. And just how they propose to do that is up for debate. The sewer district says filtering out more phosphorous would be costly, and wouldn’t address other pollutants like mercury, chloride and PFAS. They’d rather change where the water flows. Instead of sending treated water to the Badger Mill Creek in Verona, they’d reroute it to the Badfish Creek southeast of Madison, where there’s a plan in place to manage it. But concerns that the Badger Mill Creek would suffer persist. Come along for a deep dive into what it takes to clean up southern Wisconsin’s water. Dylan Brogan speaks to Martye Griffin, Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District’s Director of Ecosystem Services.Learn more: 📖 Read the Sewer district's plan for phosphorous🎧 Listen to Verona Mayor Luke Diaz outline concerns about Badger Mill Creek .✍🏾 You can submit public comments through Monday, May 8. Here’s how. 🗣️ The public hearing is May 11: Attend via Zoom. Register to speak in person. 🚰 The Sewer Commissioners vote on May 25.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.

Meteorologist Bob Lindmeier has been a household name in the Madison area for decades. Most people know him as the WKOW weatherman. And after 43 years, he’s seen a lot of weather. He’s also seen how it’s changed in the Madison area over the years. More extreme rainfall. Catastrophic flooding. But despite witnessing our changing climate firsthand, he hasn’t given up hope. Dylan Brogan caught up with Bob to learn why.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.

Like many things, too much of a good thing can be very, very bad for you. And the case of Madison-area lakes and rivers, too much phosphorous fertilizer has been a very bad thing: it causes stinky and hazardous algal blooms and fish kills. It’s one reason why many of our beaches get so stinky that public health has to post advisories not to swim in them. The Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District must decide how to clean up phosphorous in its waste water. Prompted by state and federal regs, they can invest in technology to clean up more of it — or dump the treated wastewater into the Badfish Creek, which can better absorb the phosphorous. The sewer district says redirecting the water is the cheaper and easier solution.But the problem? That water currently feeds Badger Mill Creek in the heart of Verona. And Verona Mayor Luke Diaz says the Sewer District’s plan puts their prized trout stream at risk.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.