Concerts! On! The! Square!

Goooood morning, Madison.

Welcome to Wednesday.

Over the weekend, everyone's favorite local curling duo Matt and Becca Hamilton proved their powers again by going undefeated at the 2022 U.S. Mixed Doubles National Championship.

This is the second time the sibling team has won the USA Mixed Doubles title. The Hamiltons will head to Switzerland in April to compete at the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship.

If you take a close enough look at the above photo, you can see Matt's Madison skyline tattoo, which also deserves a medal.

— Hayley

🎻 You bring the cheese, I'll bring the wine. Concerts on the Square is back.

• After a two-year hiatus, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra announced Concerts on the Square will return to the Capitol Square this summer in its full glory.
• Weekly Wednesday night performances begin June 29 and run through Aug. 3.
• Each performance starts at 7 p.m. You can start putting down blankets to reserve spots starting at 3 p.m.

🇺🇦 Police are investigating the possible arson of a Ukrainian flag on the East side.

• According to a Madison Police Department incident report, a woman called MPD Monday to say the flag was missing from her home on the 1700 block of Winnebago Street and she found burnt debris in her yard where the flag had originally hung.
• Police are investigating the incident as a possible arson.

🚌 The city is getting $6.4 million from the federal government for transportation projects.

• The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration recently awarded more than $400 million in grants to 70 projects in 39 states to modernize and electrify America’s buses, including $6.4 million for Madison.
• The funds will be used to restore Madison Metro’s maintenance and administrative facility, NBC15 reports.

🍔 Meet East Johnson Family Restaurant.

• The owners of Johnson Public House and Kin Kin Coffee have opened the new spot in familiar territory at 824 East Johnson Street.
• The diner-style restaurant seats about 40 people and held its soft opening over the weekend.
• As the Cap Times writes, the restaurant serves food that's "approachable" for everyone. They currently serve dinner Monday, Wednesday-Saturday, weekend brunch, and Friday night fish fry.

🌊 Promoting clean water with art.

• The Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District has selected its first-ever artist in residence, nipinet landsem, to bring awareness to water conservation and other water-related issues. landsem is a Madison-based tattoo artist, illustrator, and educator.
• As the State Journal reports, "landsem will spend the next year encouraging the community to talk about water and how to keep it clean, safe and shared."
• landsem will lead a conversation March 26 titled “Water as Community, Water as Kin: A celebration of Indigenous relationship to waterways in Teejop and everywhere.”

“Art has always been a way of connecting people and communicating. Telling the story about water can be really effective. I’ve been in water protector/water steward circles for a while now. Being Indigenous, that is something that we prioritize very highly, so it’s always been part of my upbringing.” — nipinet landsem, Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District artist in residence

🏈 Expect higher prices for Packers tickets this year.

• The Green Bay Packers announced last week they'll be raising ticket prices at Lambeau Field for the upcoming 2022 season.
• Channel 3000 reports fans can expect price increases between $4-$7.
• Related: Aaron Rodgers' extension with Green Bay Packers includes $150 million over first three years (ESPN)

⛵ Your lunchtime read: From Sturgeon Bay to sanctioned: The shipbuilding story of the 'Lady M' superyacht.

• From PBS Wisconsin: "A 213-foot luxury vessel constructed by Palmer Johnson Yachts and completed at shipyards in Door County in 2013 was seized by the Italian government in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine — its industrial legacy can still summon strong feelings in Wisconsin."

🦠 Covid-19 Update

Wisconsin Vaccination Rate: 60.6%

Dane County Vaccination Rate: 78.3%

Resources

• 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.
• Request an at-home testing kit from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
• Where to pick up free masks from the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program
• Where to Buy N95s, KN95s, and Surgical-Style Masks in 2022 (Wirecutter)
• What to Do if You are Sick or Possibly Exposed (PHMDC)

📅 Events: Wednesday, March 16

• Webinar: Understanding Wisconsin’s Courts and Judicial Elections with the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin. An "introduction to the structure and function of Wisconsin's courts, and the importance of voting and engaging in judicial elections." 12 p.m.
• Webinar: Feel Good Food for All: The Pay-What-You-Can Model. Organized by DreamBank. Chef Dave Heide discusses his nonprofit and the pay-what-you-can model at Little John’s. 12 p.m.
• Vinyl Night at Bierock. Every customer that brings in a record will receive Happy Hour pricing on beer and one half price appetizer. 6-10 p.m.
• Presentation: What can Fruit Flies teach us about the Persistence of Memory? Part of the Wednesday Nite @ The Lab series. 7 p.m. Virtual option.
• Comedian Tig Notaro at the Orpheum. Show at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $35.