University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Thursday, December 1, 2022
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Letter to the Editor: Regarding anti-Zionist chalking
Q+A with Steely Dane’s Dave Alder +ARTS, page 5
+OPINION, page 7
COURTESY OF STEELY DANE VIA FACEBOOK
PHOTO BY TAYLOR WOLFRAM/THE WOLFRAM/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Current District 8 Alder, legal assistant to run for District 2 Alder By Francesca Pica STAFF WRITER
District 8 Ald. Juliana Bennett and legislative staffer Colin Barushok announced their candidacy for District 2 alder in the Apr. 4, 2023 Common Council election. Bennett, a business student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has served as District 8 Alder since 2021. Barushok serves as a legislative assistant at the State Senate and has previously served as a medical licensing program associate for Wisconsin’s Department of Safety and Professional Services. Bennett said she will prioritize addressing Madison’s housing crisis and the city’s budget deficit. In particular,
Bennett said she will continue to advocate for affordable housing as District 2 Alder. “In downtown Madison, we are entering an affordability crisis,” Bennett said. “The current path we are on is limiting who can live, work and do business in downtown Madison. District 2 should be accessible to all people, especially those of low-income status, young people and local businesses.” Barushok emphasized his support for improving Downtown Madison’s economy. He said he supports promoting investment in businesses and tourism on State Street, including the conversion of the street into a pedestrian mall. “I will work with experts and do the complicated leg-
work to achieve a pedestrian mall, starting one block at a time,” Barushok said. “I would support policies to invest in promoting our downtown, which will attract new residents, businesses and tourists. We should also increase food and art vending on State Street and elsewhere.” Both candidates expressed support for increasing funding for Madison CARES, an initiative that dispatches mental health care workers to respond to mental health emergencies as an alternative to law enforcement action. Bennett said her work on the Common Council and her advocacy for issues facing young people shows her commitment to her constituents. “Over the past two years, I
have prioritized bringing the voices of young people to the table,” Bennett said. “We’ve made significant progress in terms of passing affordable housing policies, creating solutions for the houseless population, funding alternative sources for violence prevention and more. I have a proven track record of prioritizing and fighting for my constitutent’s needs.” Barushok said his experience working with healthcare professionals during the pandemic gave him the tools needed to tackle major issues facing the city. “I worked with doctors and other healthcare professionals to help them get licenses, provided individualized service, and helped them get to work,”
Barushok said. “I learned what it takes for the government and stakeholders to come together to respond to a major crisis.” Incumbent District 2 Ald. Patrick Heck declined to run for reelection, leaving the seat open in 2023. Heck cited the redistricting map approved by the city in 2021 that placed his residence outside of the District as his reason to not run for reelection. “While being an alder can be a big job, it is also very satisfying,” Heck said in a statement. “I not only have enjoyed the privilege of representing my constituents, but I have also found great satisfaction working with city staff, other alders, the mayor’s office and many stakeholders as we move Madison forward.”
Lake Street parking garage redevelopment proposal opposed, offered revisions By Sophia Ross STAFF WRITER
Following discussions between the Campus Area Neighborhood Association (CANA) and the Lake Street Garage Committee, the neighborhood group decided against the approval of the proposed redevelopment plan for the Lake Street city parking garage. Throughout the discussion process, the CANA steering committee discovered several flaws in the proposal and broke their feedback down into five groupings: the use of Hawthorne Court, the design, resident experience, bus terminals and sustainability. The committee pointed out that several aspects of the proposed redevelopment interfered with the daily partakings occurring along Hawthorne Court. They felt that the construction would inconvenience all of the businesses located along this street. “There is concern about businesses being impacted by the use of Hawthorne Court. There are emergency exits that exist on Hawthorne Court,” the Lake Street Garage Steering Committee released in a statement. “Not being able to use emergency exits would drastically decrease a business’s
capacity and lead to great financial loss.” Beyond just the economic inconvenience, the committee worried that pedestrian safety could be compromised. According to the committee report published last week, the
amount of traffic.” Ultimately, the committee feared it to be too dangerous. The design of the remodeled parking structure was another point of notice for the steering committee, along with resident experience. The committee was
area, and per the proposal, they felt it was not going to. In addition, pedestrian safety was a key interest to the steering committee. The Lake Street Garage committee outlined that the remodel would include an additional “700 new
DRAKE WHITE-BERGEY/THE DAILY CARDINAL
idea was that Hawthorne Court would be converted into a “oneway street for a significant
concerned with the parking garage matching the aesthetic of the nearby buildings in the
beds to the site,” all of which would make it difficult for nearby residents to navigate their
own parking affairs, according to the committee report. They also mentioned how major forms of transportation would have to have their routes modified at least slightly. “This is a major logistical flaw as this presents lots of opportunities for major backups on University Ave due to buses not being able to cross the lanes of traffic and a higher risk of accidents due to the Hawthorne Ct functioning as an alleyway and not being a controlled intersection,” the committee stated in their report. To combat the issues CANA found in the garage committee’s proposal, a list of solutions was introduced. The steering committee suggested a range of ideas from “moving the entrances to the bus terminal and parking to Lake Street” to solve the potential increased traffic issues, along with “using this project to activate Hawthorne Court with public art, lighting and cameras,” as noted by the committee report. CANA steering committee’s solutions emphasized a goal of proceeding forward with a greater understanding and respect for the businesses and individuals that reside in the area.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”