Morning Update: Tuesday, Nov. 30

Change reopens + Canterbury closing + COVID funding

Happy Tuesday, Madison.

Are you planning any outdoor getaways this winter season? Even in the cold months, Wisconsin nature has a lot to offer and campers can get their outdoor fixes now that the DNR has opened year-round camping reservations.

You can make reservations on the DNR’s website, or by calling 1-888-WIPARK. Hot tip: not all camp sites get plowed so be sure to double-check that before heading into the woods.

— Hayley

🖼️ Saying goodbye to the murals at Canterbury Inn.

• The inn is another victim of displacement due to development downtown. Chicago developer Core Spaces — whose portfolio includes the Hub and the James — is set to turn the space on the corner of State and West Gorham streets into a $100 million, 10-story housing structure called Oliv.
• The development has already forced the departure of A Room of One's Own and Community Pharmacy, which have since re-opened at new locations on Madison's East Side. Since there was no viable option for re-locating the inn, its belongings are being sold and its several canvass murals will be salvaged. The Wisconsin State Journal has a nice photo essay on the inn, its past, and its impact.
• Related: Plan commission okays 386-unit Oliv Madison project (Cap Times)
• Dig deeper: ‘Surprised, sad and scrambling’: Businesses reflect on loss of State Street storefronts (Daily Cardinal)

💰 Wisconsin communities are set to receive more than $200 million in federal COVID dollars. Here's where that money will go in Dane County.

• The funds come from the federal American Rescue Plan Act’s State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program. It's "directed to cities, towns and villages with populations of fewer than 50,000 residents," the State Journal reports.
• More than 50 communities in Dane County received a combined total of nearly $15 million. This includes: $1.8 million to Sun Prairie, $1.6 million to Fitchburg, $1 million to Middleton, and close to $700,000 to Verona.

🛍️ Welcome back, Change Boutique.

• After an SUV crashed into its Willy Street storefront over the summer, Change Boutique re-opened its doors over the weekend. The renovation was quite literally a labor of love, with community members, employees, and customers donating their time and materials to rebuild the store.
• Initially after the crash, owner Nikki Anderson set up shop on Livingston Street where lack of foot traffic and opportunistic shoppers cost her nearly 30% of her expected revenue. She's hoping to make up for those losses this holiday shopping season.

❄️ PSA: Here are the Streets Division drop-off sites winter hours.

• From the city: "At close of business on Friday, December 3, 2021, the drop-off sites will change to winter hours. During winter hours, only 1501 W. Badger Rd and 4602 Sycamore Ave. drop-off sites are open. The site at 402 South Point Rd will be closed."
  • Drop-off sites will be closed Dec. 4, 5, 8, and 11. On Dec. 6, 7, 9, and 10, the two sites will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

🎦 Marcus Theaters will soon offer vaccination-required shows.

• Starting Friday, Sun Prairie’s Marcus Palace will offer guests the option of seeing movies in a theater where proof of vaccination is required.
• The theater will have afternoon and evening showtime screenings with vaccination requirements for select movies. According to the theater's website, guests attending these shows will be asked to present a vaccination card or a photo of the card and a photo ID.

“It’s just giving people a choice." — Greg Marcus, president of Marcus Theaters

🏀 The new Wisconsin men’s basketball uniforms designed by players.

• University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team gave their players creative license to design their own alternate uniform. The “By the Players” edition jerseys features "UW" across the front of the chest, a first in the school's history.
• The set was designed by Johnny Davis, Jordan Davis, Ben Carlson, Lorne Bowman II, and Tyler Wahl. And yes, you can buy one.

⚖️ Your lunchtime read: Public health, public safety, and the people caught in the coils.

• From Tone Madison: "For years, County officials have argued that a new jail is needed to close the two unsafe floors of the City County Building (CCB) jail. With ballooning costs, some in the community are asking to keep the jail population down, as it has been during COVID, without building a giant tower. [...] These things may not seem related—our housing and mental health and the jail—but they are connected by more than the bland budget that pays for them."

🦠 Covid-19 Resources

Wisconsin Vaccination Rate: 56%

Dane County Vaccination Rate: 72.6%

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

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

Do you still need your flu shot? Start here.

📅 Events: Tuesday, Nov. 30

• Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting: Portillo's Hot Dogs at 7320 West Towne Way. 10 a.m.
• Drive-in Chanukah Ceremony with Chabad of Madison at Hilldale. Menorah lighting, chocolate gelt dropped from firetruck, and more. A radio station will broadcast the event and attendees must remain inside their cars. 4:30 p.m.
• Understanding the Crisis in Afghanistan with Prof. Pevehouse at Memorial Union. 6 p.m. Free.

For more happenings around town, check out our full events post here.

(Header image via Flickr user Richard Hurd CC BY 2.0)