The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin and Molly Stentz recap the latest in the ongoing quest to build a grocery store on South Park street to replace the Pick ‘n Save. Should the city spend another million? Plus, more Madison Police officers will now wear body cameras. And Marshfield Clinic wants your ticks. Seriously. Mentioned on the show: 🥫Additional $1 million in city funds would move Park Street grocery forward, says owner Kristie Maurer [Isthmus] 🚓MPD...
Apr 19, 2024•22 min
Have you ever been curious about the Jewish tradition of seders, ceremonial dinners held on the first nights of Passover? Maybe you’ve been invited to one and don’t know what to bring! Perhaps you’re away from home and looking for a celebration to join here in Madison? We’ve got you! Bianca Martin talks to Rabbi Laurie Zimmerman of Shaarei Shamayim about the most important food holiday in the Jewish tradition and what’s on her seder plate. Shaarei Shamayim’s community seder is Tuesday, April 23,...
Apr 18, 2024•22 min
Poet, essayist, educator and playwright Charles Payne has a lot of feelings about the American public school system. His new play called W hen the Classroom Ain’t Enuf opens at Broom Street Theater this Friday, April 19th, and draws on his own experience as a math and science teacher. The play is a series of vignettes about the Black and Brown experience in American public schools, performed by a local cast of Madison community members. It’s set to original music and was influenced by Ntosake Sh...
Apr 17, 2024•22 min
We’ve all been watching the new Bus Rapid Transit stations getting built along East Washington Ave and Mineral Point Road in Madison. And we’ve been wondering: how are these new buses and routes gonna work? We asked what’s on YOUR mind about the biggest upgrade to Madison’s public transit system in decades. And then we put it to the man who knows. Dylan Brogan gets your questions answered by Mick Rusch, Madison Metro’s interim chief development officer. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave u...
Apr 16, 2024•22 min
Jury duty . America’s founders loved it. Many Americans try to avoid it. But what’s it really like to serve on a jury? Do people actually get a jury “of their peers” here in Dane County? And if juries are so important, why do we have so few of them? Bianca Martin speaks with Dane County Judge Nicholas McNamara about what really goes on during jury duty. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm . We’re also on Instagram ! Want more Madis...
Apr 15, 2024•25 min
The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Dylan Brogan, Hayley Sperling and Molly Stentz recap President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel student loan debt for millions and loan interest for millions more. Plus, everyone wants toxic PFAS chemicals cleaned up, so why isn’t it happening? And it’s Terrace time! The iconic Memorial Union chairs will be outside beginning April 17. Mentioned on the show: President Joe Biden unveils student debt forgiveness plan in trip to Madison [Milwauk...
Apr 12, 2024•25 min
he Dane County Farmers’ Market is back on the Capitol Square this Saturday, April 13. City Cast Madison host Bianca Martin finds out what’s new at the market this season from DCFM manager Jamie Bugel. We also have some insider tips on how to navigate the crowds and how traffic’s changing around the Square. Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 ...
Apr 11, 2024•23 min
Madison’s building boom continues. Construction cranes dot the skyline. Huge new apartment buildings are in progress on many of Madison’s largest thoroughfares: East Washington Ave, West Johnson, Regent Street. But downtown, making way for the new means out with the old, and that means demolition of old buildings. Recent city debates over proposed development in the 100 block of State Street, the 400 block of State Street and the 100 block of Mifflin have pitted desires for housing against desir...
Apr 10, 2024•24 min
If you’ve driven down East Washington Avenue in the past year, you’ve probably seen the building under construction: a large wall of glass flanks the front of the building, nestled under the swooping curves of arched roofs. This is the new home of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras . Since the 1960s, WYSO has trained and inspired thousands of young musicians across Madison, and they did so from borrowed rooms across town. Now, they’ve got a state-of-the-art rehearsal facility to bring all t...
Apr 09, 2024•21 min
Madison’s getting a new live music venue. Kevin Willmott II is soon opening the Gamma Ray Bar in the former Barley Pop Live and The Frequency music venue space on West Main Street. You may know long-time local musician and live event host Kevin from his storytelling on the Moth Story Slam, his band Don’t Mess With Cupid or from his time working at the High Noon Saloon. Host Bianca Martin sits down for an exclusive with Kevin to learn about his plans for Gamma Ray and his vision for how it might ...
Apr 08, 2024•21 min
The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin, Hayley Sperling and Molly Stentz recap Tuesday’s election in Wisconsin, including the nearly 50,000 democratic voters who chose “uninstructed” and the 100,000 republican voters who picked anyone but Trump. And why did some Madisonians have to vote outside in the snow at Rennebohm Park and what is the city doing about it? We have answers! Plus, the UW system will now offer employees six weeks of family leave. Mentioned on...
Apr 05, 2024•27 min
Hạ Long Bay , the popular Vietnamese restaurant on Willy Street, is known for lines out the door and a takeout business so strong their phone is literally often off the hook. And now, the eastside neighborhood staple is under a new generation of family ownership. Jacqueline and Stephanie Le, nieces of founder Jean Tran, have been busy updating the restaurant, while keeping the family traditions and recipes alive. The sisters, who also own Little Palace on King Street, are temporarily closing Hạ ...
Apr 04, 2024•24 min
Artist Marlon Hall would like to invite you to a dinner party. But he has one rule: you absolutely cannot talk about what you do for a living. He invites diverse groups of people to join together over a meal and connect as humans, in the spirit of community. He designs and creates physical doors made of native wood around which the dinner parties gather. He’s hosted dozens of these dinner parties across the country and is now inviting Madisonians to join him for a community-wide dinner party on ...
Apr 03, 2024•21 min
Richard Davis was widely regarded as one of the world’s best bass players. He recorded with Sarah Vaughan, Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, and Miles Davis, just to name a few. And for much of his life, until he passed away last year at age 93, he lived, worked and played in Madison. Richard Davis taught bass at UW-Madison for nearly 40 years and created the Richard Davis Foundation for Young Bassists to inspire more people to learn the instrument. A new film chr...
Apr 02, 2024•21 min
Spring has sprung and Madison is bursting with life! The City Cast Madison team is here to round up a few of our favorite things. Bianca Martin, Hayley Sperling and Molly Stentz share some of our picks for getting out and about in April. 🎸Get your Sh!tty Barn tickets for the summer on April 1st. 🗳️Don’t forget to vote April 2nd ! 🐽Learn about the barons of our food system with Austin Frerick on April 2nd 📚Feed your mind with Ijeoma Oluo on April 2nd 🎵See Herbie Hancock here on April 3rd! 🎞...
Apr 01, 2024•26 min
The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin, Hayley Sperling and Molly Stentz recap the movement to vote “uninstructed” in next Tuesday’s presidential preference election, the Wisconsin Supreme Court case that said Amazon drivers are workers, and the jury decision to acquit the Wisconsin Department of Justice agent who shot at Quadren Wilson. Mentioned on the show: What the 'uninstructed' movement means for Wisconsin voters, Biden's chances [Milwaukee Journal Senti...
Mar 29, 2024•27 min
Jacob Guyette is no stranger to Madison’s restaurant scene, having worked as a chef at Graze, L’Etoile and other fine dining spots. So what made him want to open his own classic Wisconsin tavern, and focus on some of the finest cheeses around? Bianca Martin finds out, with the owner of The Wedge , Schenk’s Corners’ newest bar. They’re in the old One Barrel Brewery space on Atwood. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm . We’re also on...
Mar 28, 2024•21 min
April 15, the deadline to file your income taxes, is fast approaching. Each year, more than 1,500 volunteers trained by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, offer their time to help others with their taxes. These tax preparers help file individual income tax returns (Form 1040) for: Low-to-moderate income individuals Individuals with disabilities Non-English speaking taxpayers Military personnel Senior individuals Individuals who qualify for the homestead credit or the earned income credit Bianc...
Mar 27, 2024•23 min
Next Tuesday, April 2, is election day. Spring elections mean local races – school board, county board, judges and other non-partisan races. There are also two constitutional amendments. Plus, you’ll vote on nominees to become official presidential candidates on ballots later this year. The big news of this election is the turnover happening in county government. What will it all mean? Bianca Martin speaks with Cap Times Local Government Reporter Allison Garfield to break it all down. 🗳️ Check ...
Mar 26, 2024•25 min
The City of Madison believes that geothermal energy is a technology that will help meet its climate goals. So much so, that they are investing in a huge heating and cooling upgrade to their “Triangle” public housing development. But what is geothermal technology anyway? City Cast’s Dylan Brogan sat down with Jon Evans, the Building Design Project Manager for Triangle project, to get the basics on this innovative, climate friendly technology. Is geothermal expensive to put in? What’s the cost sav...
Mar 25, 2024•21 min
It’s the Friday News Roundup! Host Bianca Martin and newsletter editor Hayley Sperling recap what’s behind the public outcry at this Tuesday’s city staff meeting on the city’s draft West Area Plan for housing growth. Plus, we round up what’s on Wisconsin’s 2024 spring election ballot and how to vote early. Mentioned on the show: Angry residents shout down city staff at meeting on draft west-side Madison zoning plan [ISTHMUS] Opinion | City hall is taking aim at Madison homeowners’ neighborhoods ...
Mar 22, 2024•25 min
It’s the end of an era for Morris Ramen . After seven years, the downtown Madison restaurant best known for its heaping bowls of handmade noodles and broth has shut its doors. Bianca Martin catches up with co-owner Francesca Hong about why they closed. 🍜 Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers. Also... 🫱🏿🫲🏻We're hiring! Are you passionate about local journalism and local business in Madison? Do you have sales ex...
Mar 21, 2024•24 min
There’s a new peer support group for people who’ve served time in prison or jail and are now rebuilding their lives back in Madison society. It’s called Build Up and it’s run by Aaron Hicks and Frank Davis, through a partnership between The Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development and UW-Madison. Bianca Martin talks to Aaron about why life after prison can be harder than you might think — and how to break the cycle of incarceration. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail...
Mar 20, 2024•25 min
Parking tickets. We’ve all been there… rushing back to the meter just a few minutes too late or forgetting to move the car when the street sweepers come. And don’t get us started on Madison’s even-or-odd side snow-day shuffle. One man holds the power to take the sting out of those tickets... and he’s actually more reasonable than you might think. Madison Municipal Court Judge Dan Koval is on a mission to make Madison’s local court more accessible to the public. Bianca Martin talks to Judge Koval...
Mar 19, 2024•22 min
Madison Fire Department ambulances and community paramedics now carry a new drug to help people recover from opioid withdrawal. The drug is called buprenorphine and it helps relieve symptoms almost immediately, says Dr. Megan Gussick , the medical director for the Madison Fire Department. They’re one of a handful of departments in the state — and possibly the country — to carry this drug. And with opioid overdoses still at record levels , the idea is that people can begin treatment more easily t...
Mar 18, 2024•24 min
The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin, Hayley Sperling and Molly Stentz recap the proposed huge new housing development for the 100 block of State Street near the Capitol, the federal money we’re hoping to get for our bus system, and places to check out the solar eclipse in April. (Yes, they will involve driving!) Mentioned on the show: 🏗️Developer shares concepts for $40 million remake of 100 block of State Street [Wisconsin State Journal] 🚍Madison's bus r...
Mar 15, 2024•24 min
For the first time in the show’s history, Top Chef will feature an entire season based on Wisconsin food. The reality TV show brings working chefs from around the country to compete in a series of high-stakes competitions, and this season was filmed in Madison and Milwaukee. It launches next week on March 20. For Cap Times Food Editor Lindsay Christians , this is her Super Bowl. Bianca Martin talks to Lindsay about what a show like Top Chef can do for local restaurants, the Madisonians who appea...
Mar 14, 2024•23 min
Our early spring weather may be welcome news for those who hate the cold. But for our state’s freshwater walleye fish, it’s a threat. A new study out of UW-Madison shows that the earlier ice thaw on our lakes is hurting survival for walleye babies who are not adapting fast enough. Martha Barta, the lead author on the study, joins host Bianca Martin to share the results of her and her team’s research. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycas...
Mar 13, 2024•18 min
Maybe you’ve heard of escape rooms, but have you heard of… rage rooms? Tucked away in Sauk City, about a half-hour from Madison, is the Disorderly Conduct Rage Room . It’s a space you can rent and smash things to your heart’s content. Break up with someone? Sure, you can get your feelings out with some old dishes. Bad day at work? Take it out on the stapler. Owner Amanda Chestnut saw a need to help more people process anger and other feelings in a safe and legal way. Bianca Martin sat down with ...
Mar 12, 2024•24 min
Several years and many lawsuits later, Wisconsin has new political maps in place. This November, many voters in the Madison area will see new names on our ballots. We might have new choices for state representative or state senator, because the districts we live in are different. The Madison area saw some of the biggest changes anywhere in the state. And this shake-up could tip the balance of power in Wisconsin. So what does it all mean? Why did Republican lawmakers agree to Governor Evers’ map?...
Mar 11, 2024•23 min
