Watch for turtle crossings

Good morning, Madison!

It's that time of year again when turtles emerge from the comforts of rivers, lakes, and wetlands and venture onto dry land to lay eggs.

Wisconsin's 11 turtle species lay eggs in nests from late May through June in sunny and well-draining uplands, like in yards alongside roads. This can make nesting season a dangerous time for turtles.

You can help keep our shelled friends safe by slowing down on roads near wetlands, lakes, and rivers. If you want to go above and beyond, you can keep turtle eggs safe by building cages for their nests to protect them from predators.

For more ways to help turtles this nesting season, check out these tips from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Happy turtle season! 🐢

— Hayley

🚰 Key takeaways from Madison's Water Quality Report.

• The city's annual Water Quality Report provides a look at what's in Madison's drinking water. The most recent report found drinking water in the city meets federal and state health and safety standards.
• Madison's water system consists of 21 active wells and over 900 miles of interconnected pipes. Tests found PFAS chemicals present in nine wells. The highest concentration of PFAS was measured at 38 parts per trillion (ppt) in Well 9.
• Some context: State officials set drinking water standards for PFAS at 70 ppt in 2022. But according to the EPA, there is "no level of these contaminants that is without a risk of adverse health effects."
• Get informed: Find out which well serves your home here.
• Related: What EPA’s nationwide PFAS rule means for Wisconsin drinking water (Wisconsin Watch)

🛝 Madison School and Community Recreation & Madison Parks are hosting an open house.

• Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR) and Madison Parks are hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house tomorrow for their new Lakeside Street offices.
• The facility is located next to Olin Park and has office space for both organizations and activity space for MSCR programming, including studios for fitness and dance with expansive lake views.
• The open house will have guided tours of the building, highlighting MSCR’s programming spaces, and the facility's new art. (Remember when that one Park's sculpture caught the internet's attention?)

🚫 Keeping track of traffic.

• Atwood Avenue: Starting tomorrow traffic patterns will change on Atwood Avenue as the street undergoes major construction. Northbound drivers between Cottage Grove Road and Dennett Drive will be shifted to the new lane along the lake side of Atwood Avenue. The city also says to expect more side road closures in the coming weeks.
• Downtown: South Broom Street is closed to traffic between West Wilson and West Doty Streets. Additionally, eastbound West Wilson Street will be closed between South Broom and South Henry Streets. The streets won't fully re-open until later this fall.

😻 Happy Take Me Home Tuesday! Meet Leo.

• From the Dane County Humane Society: Leo is an adult cat who was among 50+ cats brought to DCHS from one household in Madison earlier this month. His courage continues to grow and he comes out of hiding to explore his surroundings while people are in the room with him.
  
  Leo is looking for a patient family who will give him the time he needs to adjust to his new environment. He would benefit from being adopted with another cat from his previous home or going to a home that already has a social cat.
  
  The cats from this household are part of our Lonely Hearts Club, and their adoption fees have been waived in the hopes of finding them new homes sooner. Learn more about Leo here.  

🎓 Your lunchtime read: UW–Madison chancellor Jennifer Mnookin finishes up her freshman year.

• Via Madison Magazine: "Maybe Jennifer Mnookin had never waded in a cranberry bog, held a piglet at a state fair or ate cheese curds before she became chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, but she’s figuring out the Wisconsin Idea in her first year holding the top job on campus."

🎙️ Today on City Cast Madison

Alex Gee’s Transformational Vision for Madison

You may know Rev. Dr. Alex Gee as the pastor of Fountain of Life Church, the founder and CEO of Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development, the host of the "Black Like Me" podcast, or as the author of the viral Justified Anger editorial taking Madison to task for failing its Black residents.

And if you don’t know Alex Gee yet, you should. He’s a visionary force for change in Madison. His next act? Building the Center for Black Excellence and Culture, a brand-new multimillion dollar building off Park Street in south Madison. It’s “bigger than a community center, broader than a cultural center” and will house a business incubator, performance spaces, a theater, a recording studio and so much more. He’s betting that by uplifting and celebrating the achievements of Madison’s Black community, he’ll transform Madison for generations.

📅 Events

Tuesday, May 23

• Art Party Happy Hour at James Watrous Gallery in Overture Center
• Birds in the Gardens Arboretum Family Class at UW Arboretum
• Dave Mason and The Outlaws at Orpheum
• Hippo Campus with Gus Dapperton at The Sylvee
• Mark Croft + Eric Ryan Johnson at The Bur Oak
• Southern Culture On The Skids at High Noon Saloon

📝 Miss a Minute?

Check out the headlines from our last newsletter.

• New bus routes are coming.
• Madison’s biggest strike since Act 10.
• Wisconsin educators made their voices heard at the capitol.
• Madison Chocolate Co. is expanding.
• Your lunchtime read: Discover Jiggy Jamz, Madison’s Hidden Playground for Electronic Music.