Street closures, scrap recycling, free Summerfest tickets

Good morning, Madison!

Summer festival season is upon us and if you're looking for a way to party for free, Summerfest has you covered.

The massive Milwaukee music festival is offering free admission on its opening day as part of its Stomp Out Hunger Day.

How does it work? NBC 15 explains all you need to do is bring (at least) two jars of peanut butter to any of the festival gates from 12-3 p.m. on June 23 and you'll receive one free admission ticket.

If you're looking for local venues, Madison Magazine made a nice roundup of where you can find live music on patios in the Madison area.

— Hayley

⛔ Traffic update: Two street closures starting today.

• Starting today, Felland Road on the east side will be closed to through traffic between Bridle Way and Commercial Avenue for street construction. The closure is expected to last through mid-August.
• Also starting today, Vilas Park Drive will be closed to all traffic through the end of day Friday, June 17. When it re-opens, it will be with a new traffic pattern. According to the city, upon re-opening, the eastern end of Vilas Park Drive from South Orchard Street to the Vilas Park Shelter will allow for two-way traffic. The western end of the road — from Edgewood Avenue to the shelter — will be closed to motor vehicles.

🥒 Gather all ye food scraps!

• Here is your official reminder that food scrap recycling at the South Madison and Eastside Farmers’ Markets begins Tuesday.
• You can bring your scraps to the designated drop-off tents at the markets every Tuesday through Sept. 27. Attendants will be available if you have any scrapping questions.
• Materials like metal, glass, and plastic will not be accepted. Check here for a fuller list of what can and can't be recycled.

🍎 In an attempt to keep teachers, a Madison charter school is trying out a four-day work week.

• Madison’s One City Schools announced starting next fall it will switch to a four-day work week for its teachers and some staff.
• How does that work? Students will still keep the same five-day schedule, but teachers will get an extra day off during the week to re-energize. During that time, a co-teacher takes over classroom duties.
• Why the change? As with many other professions, educators have faced extreme burnout rates since the onset of the pandemic. This move toward a flexible schedule is an attempt by the school to keep its teachers happy and attract new staff, NBC 15 reports. Third grade teachers at the school piloted the program a month ago and another pilot program will be launched this summer in early childhood settings.

🪲 Wisconsin’s ‘chronic Lyme’ patients are fighting to treat a condition many doctors say doesn't exist.

• An investigation from Wisconsin Watch digs into the experiences of five women who have been "searching for validation and experimenting with personalized treatments" in their battles with chronic Lyme disease.
• The outlet reports Wisconsin is a hotspot for Lyme infections, ranking No. 5 among states for cases in 2019.

⚾ The Brewers broke their losing streak, and Forward Madison keeps winning.

• The Milwaukee Brewers snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory over the Washington Nationals Sunday. AP reports this had been the team's longest losing run since September 2015.
• Forward Madison FC managed its first-ever win against Greenville Triumph Saturday. As Madison365 reports, this win puts the 'Mingos into playoff position for the first time since the second week of the season.

🗳️ Despite a legal challenge, Tim Michels' name will be on the primary ballot.

• Last week, the Wisconsin Elections Commission voted unanimously to dismiss a complaint seeking to keep Republican Tim Michels' name off the ballot for governor.
• Some context: Democrats asked the commission to reject 3,516 of Michels' nominating signatures because they were "collected on petitions that failed to list both his voting and his mailing addresses," WPR reports. This would have left him well below the number of signatures needed to appear on the ballot. Former President Donald Trump gave Michels his endorsement earlier this month.
• The primary is scheduled for August 9.

🏳️‍🌈 Your lunchtime read: Wisconsin communities are among smallest in the world to host Pride events.

• Via WPR: "With a population of just 64, Stockholm in western Wisconsin’s Pepin County is back this Saturday hosting Lake Pepin Pride. It is the smallest Wisconsin village and likely one of the smallest communities in the world to hold Pride festivities.
  
  The Motorama Auto Museum near Aniwa, 30 miles east of Wausau, hosts Central Wisconsin Pride June 17-19. Aniwa’s population is 243.
  
  'This is so important because I want our trans community, I want our queer community in general to know they are loved, and we’re going to love you,' said Lake Pepin Pride organizer Jennifer Lindahl."