Morning Update: Tuesday, Nov. 2

Goodbye Terrace chairs + hello Vel Phillips statue + Mask mandate

Happy Tuesday, Madison.

The beginning of November marks the celebration of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.

The celebration spans multiple days and marks an occasion to remember and honor those who have passed on. Traditionally celebrated in Mexico, Día de los invites the dead to return for one night. Celebrations often include decorating sugar skulls, parading in costumes, and building altars dedicated to deceased loved ones.

In 2014, the University of Wisconsin-Madison teamed up with several community partners to create the Community Altar Project, which invites the public to participate in building traditional altars for Day of the Dead. This year, the Community Altar Project has hosted in-person and virtual events.

Currently, the Overture Center has dozens of community-made altars that will be on display through Nov. 15.

The Community Altar Project will also host a viewing of the community-submitted pictures and videos it's collected on a large outdoor projection at Garver Feed Mill Nov. 12.

To further get into the spirit of the celebration, check out this piece from Natalie Yahr of the Cap Times, showcasing one local woman who turns her East Side front yard into a massive Day of the Dead altar.

— Hayley

😷 Masks stay on in public places, PHMDC says.

• Public Health Madison & Dane County announced the release of its fourth Face Covering Emergency Order Monday. The mandate essentially extends what is already in place, the new order goes into effect this Friday, Nov. 5 and runs through Nov. 27.
• What's in the order? It requires face coverings for all people ages two and older when in any enclosed space open to the public where people outside of the person’s household are present.
• At this time, PHMDC does not have a plan to replace the order once it expires.

✅ A committee gave the final green light for a Vel Phillips statue outside the Capitol building.

• Who was Vel Phillips? Her list of accomplishments is far too long for one bullet point but notable among them is her list of "firsts." Phillips was the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Wisconsin- Madison Law School; The first woman and Black person elected to statewide office; And the Black woman to sit on Milwaukee’s common council.
• Adding to that list of firsts, her statue will be the first on the capitol grounds to depict a Black woman.
• The statue will stand at the South Hamilton Street entrance to the Capitol and is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.

🏀 The Wisconsin women's basketball team got their first win with new coach Marisa Moseley.

• The Badgers racked up a big win against the UW-Oshkosh Titans in a preseason matchup Sunday, leaving the game 81-47.
• This was the first game for new head coach Moseley. But who is this new coach and what should we expect to see this season? Madison365 has a great profile on the new coach and her hopes for the team, I definitely recommend the read.

🚰 High levels of iron and manganese contamination were found in an East Side well.

• A report from Madison’s Water Utility showed Madison's Well 8 has the highest iron and manganese levels in the city. Well 8 is located on the East Side of town and mostly serves the Schenk-Atwood-Starkweather-Yahara (SASY) and Marquette neighborhoods in the summer months. It's used as a relief well during drier months when the city is strained for water.
• WORT reports that the city is well aware (no pun intended) of the contamination and has plans to overhaul the well completely but that won't start until 2025.

🐺 A federal judge decided not to issue an injunction to halt Wisconsin's wolf but an injunction from a Dane County court remains in place.

• Some context: Six Ojibwe tribes sought to end the state's wolf hunt this year, which was scheduled to start Nov. 6. The state has currently not issued and wolf hunting permits, pending the ongoing litigation. The issue of wolf hunting in Wisconsin has been one of contention for years.
• On Friday, federal Judge James Peterson declined to issue an injunction, essentially taking no action and leaving many lingering questions over aspects of the Nov. 6 hunt, WPR reports.
• The wolf harvest quota still currently sits at zero, because of the Dane County circuit judge’s ruling.

🪑 So long and good night to another Terrace Season.

• As the days get colder and shorter, the Wisconsin Union’s iconic chairs are leaving the Memorial Union Terrace and heading for storage, Channel 3000 reports. Goodbye Terrace Season 2021, it was nice while it lasted. Winter is coming...

🎃 You can put your soggy pumpkins in your leaf piles for removal.

• A statement from the city: "Streets Division crews will collect pumpkins along with other yard waste when crews pick up leaves in your neighborhood. This includes other compostable decorations like corn stalks and hay. Remove any non-compostable items like wire, tea candles, or electric lights from these items and then please set them on top of your leaf pile or leaf bags."

🔥 Is it hot in here, or is it just us?

• Here's a bit of shameless self-promotion: Madison Magazine named Madison Minutes as one of six businesses featured on their October hot list. Major thanks to all of you whose support over these past few months has exceeded all of our wildest expectations. We can't wait to see what the future holds!

⚖️ Dane County's first restorative court director Ron Johnson has died.

• Johnson was 71, his death was unexpected and while the cause is unknown, some family members believe it may have been a heart attack, the State Journal reports.
• Johnson grew up in Milwaukee during the civil rights movement in the 1960s. He joined the Black Panther Party, where he was inspired to get into the education system. Johnson was the very first staff member of the Community Restorative Court and eventually went on to become its leader.

“He really gave selflessly of his time, his talents, his energy, his humility, his humor — especially to young people. He was always about helping people learn and providing that wisdom and guidance.” — UW-Madison law professor Jonathan Scharrer, longtime friend and colleague to Johnson told the Wisconsin State Journal.

🦠 Covid-19 Resources

Wisconsin Vaccination Rate: 55%

Dane County Vaccination Rate: 71.8%

Here's where to find a COVID-19 vaccine near you.

Need a COVID-19 test? PHMDC has you covered.

Are you eligible for a third dose of Pfizer or Moderna? Find out here.

📅 Events: Tuesday, Nov. 2

• Silversun Pickups at the Sylvee. Doors 6:30 p.m., show at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $29.50.
• Outreach For Introverts webinar with the Wisconsin SBDC Network. “Cracking the code on connecting with others and not hating it!” Free. Virtual. 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
• Tiny Moving Parts with Belmont and Capstan at High Noon Saloon. Doors at 6:30 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m.  $20 advance, $25 at door.
• Panel: COVID-19 and a Deluge of Data with UW experts and ProPublica health care reporter Caroline Chen at Wisconsin Institute for Discovery. Panel focused on “how we communicate and make sense of numbers and other data, especially during the rapidly evolving pandemic and amidst a steady stream of misinformation.” 7 p.m. Free.
• Webinar: The Importance of Fair Courts with the League of Women Voters. 7 p.m. Free.
• Author talk: “Dead Lines: Slices of Life from the Obit Beat” with  George Hesselberg. Author shares the most fascinating stories that came from decades of covering the obit and public safety beats. Virtual and in-person options. 7 p.m.
• Author talk: “Giannis” author Mirin Fader. Hosted by the Wisconsin Book Festival. Book tells the story of “Giannis Antetokounmpo's extraordinary rise from poverty in Athens, Greece to super-stardom in America with the Milwaukee Bucks.” 7 p.m. Virtual. Free.