Blooming death, more traffic, typical Wednesday

☁️ Today's weather: Cloudy and chilly. High: 46° Low: 30°

Good morning, Madison!

It's Wednesday and something terrifyingly beautiful is happening soon.

The Olbrich Botanical Gardens took to Facebook to announce the impending bloom of one of its corpse flowers. The plant was donated in 2006 and last bloomed to a height of 6 feet tall in 2010 (12 years ago!).

"A corpse flower bloom is a one-of-a-kind spectacle of the plant world, with the crimson-hued inflorescence emitting the putrid stench of rotting flesh to attract natural pollinators like carrion beetles and flies. The macabre display usually only lasts for 24-48 hours, before the spathe (leafy outer part) closes and the spadix (central spike) collapses," the post reads.

The flower typically only blooms up to five times in the course of its roughly 40-year lifespan, so this is truly a special occasion.

The corpse flower is currently on display at the Bolz Conservatory, which is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The flower is expected to bloom in the coming days. In the meantime, I recommend watching this classic episode of The Simpsons to get in the mood.

— Hayley

🚗 Get ready for more traffic on Atwood.

• Starting Monday, Atwood Avenue will be reduced to one lane in each direction between Fair Oaks Ave. and Oakridge Ave.
• The lane closures will last through May 20 so Madison Gas & Electric can replace wood poles and overhead lines.
• The city says to expect delays during the morning rush hour.

🎮 Raven Software will get a union vote.

• Workers in the quality assurance department of Activision Blizzard's Raven Software — most commonly known as the makers of the wildly popular Call of Duty franchise — will vote next month on whether or not to form a union.
• Some context: Employees of Raven's Middleton office participated in a walkout late last year in protest of the company's (unexpected) decision to lay off 12 contractors on the quality assurance team.

☕ Meet Forward Craft and Coffee.

• A beer and coffee shop will soon open where Barriques Coffee Roasters and Café was on the east side.
• Owners Dan Podell, Chad Walhood, and Melissa Moss are college friends. They plan to focus on craft beer at Forward, with 24 tap lines, two will be reserved for cold brew coffee.
• The State Journal reports the trio hopes to fill a niche in Madison's beverage scene by letting customers order coffee in the evening.
• The team hopes to open in June with hours from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. during weekdays and potentially staying open later on weekends.

📧 A note for Gmail users.

If you're having trouble finding Madison Minutes in the morning, it might be going to your promotions folder. It's a place that is sort of in between spam and your regular inbox.

How to fix it: Click and drag the Madison Minutes email from your promotions tab to your main inbox. Gmail should then ask if you want to have this newsletter go to your regular inbox going forward (click yes).

Let us know if you have questions!

🚲 Good news for members of the Madison Bicycle Center.

• The downtown facility has been open since 2020 but now thanks to the installation of a keycard access system, members and day-pass holders can now use the facility 24/7, Channel3000 reports.
• Annual commuter memberships cost $510, monthly memberships run $50, and day passes cost $7.

🎒 The Madison and School Community Recreation offices have a new home.

• The School Board Monday unanimously approved a lease agreement for space on the west side as the new home for Madison and School Community Recreation offices (MSCR).
• The district will pay $365,287.50 to lease the MSCR building next year, Cap Times reports.

Advertisement from Forward Theater

💼 We heard you like The Office…

• Russian Troll Farm is kind of like that show. But the characters work at the (real) Internet Research Agency, and they don’t sell paper — they sell LIES. And you probably follow them on Twitter…🤯🤯🤯
• Read more about this wicked-smart comedy, running thru 5/8.

🎓 An exit interview with UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank.

• The outgoing chancellor sat down with WPR to discuss her tenure leading Wisconsin's flagship university. If you'll recall, Blank is leaving after this semester to be the president at Northwestern University. She came to Madison in 2013.
• WPR host Kate Archer Kent expertly touches on topics from furloughs and investigations at the university to staff retention and the university's relationship with the Wisconsin Legislature.

📰 Your lunchtime read: Extra! Extra! Neighborhood Kids’ Newsletter spreads joy in Madison.

• From Cap Times: "Koll’s comic appears in the Neighborhood Kids’ Newsletter, a publication launched in October 2020 by Dan Pell and other local parents. They came together to create activities for their children to stave off isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Community members on Lawrence and O’Sheridan streets near Franklin Elementary School receive comics and newsworthy contributions from the kids in the newsletter every month."
• This is quite possibly the cutest story you'll read all week.

📅 Events

Wednesday, April 27

• Wednesday Dane County Farmers’ Market. 8:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m.
• UW–Madison Day at the State Capitol. Day of advocacy for the university. 12-8 p.m.
• Bingo Night at Garth's Brew Bar. 6 p.m. Free.
• Black Journalists Matter panel at Vilas Hall. Journalists will highlight the necessary roles of Black journalists in the media industry. 6-8 p.m.
• Marc Maron at the Barrymore. 7 p.m. Tickets start at $70.
• Nerd Nite at High Noon Saloon. Presentations: “Why we worry about all the wrong things: Modern humans are pretty terrible at risk assessment;” “It’s Not Rocket Science: Well it is….but only the fun parts!”; and “An Introduction to K-Pop.” 8 p.m. Free.
• Presentation: Making a Garden for YOU. Part of Wednesday Nite at The Lab event series. 7 p.m.

📅 Want to share an event with us? Submit details here.

🗣️ Want your message to reach Madison? Learn about our advertising options.

📨 Need something else? Email us at contact@madisonminutes.com.