🚗 Why do cars keep crashing into this coffee shop?

🚒 Car Crashes into Mother Fools . . . Again

• Mother Fools Coffeehouse is still open for business after a car crashed into the front of the iconic Willy Street coffeehouse Friday. No injuries were reported, but the shop’s entryway and a supporting column were damaged, and the owners are making sure there’s no further structural damage.
• It’s the second time Mother Fools has been damaged by a car. In 2016, three people were injured and the business was closed for a month when two cars collided on the busy street, and one crashed into the shop.
• The crash follows a series of high-profile incidents in which vehicles crashed into buildings, including a Metro Transit bus crashing into Asian House restaurant in February and a vehicle crashed into a near east side barbershop last month. [ 🔒 WSJ, Ch. 15, WKOW]

📻 Wisconsin Public Radio Plans Layoffs

• As President Donald Trump and GOP members of Congress threaten funding cuts to public broadcasting, Wisconsin Public Radio is planning layoffs in the next few weeks, although the network didn’t elaborate on the size or nature of those staff cuts.
• In an email to employees, WPR management said the network has a significant structural deficit and needs to reduce staff to balance its budget. The organization will also become more closely aligned with PBS Wisconsin. [Cap Times]

🏘️ Dane County Approves Two Affordable Housing Projects

• Two housing projects in different parts of the city will bring over 100 affordable apartments to Madison.
• The Dane County Board last week okayed $960,000 in funding from the Dane County Affordable Housing Fund to complete the 65-unit Ellis Potter Apartments off Schroeder Road on the east side, of which 55 will be affordable. The board also approved $4,010,000 to build theKelly Station Apartments on E. Washington Ave., which will have 76 units, all designated as affordable.
• 🎧 Dig deeper: Madison District 15 Ald. Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford knows firsthand the difficulty with finding affordable housing in Madison – she suspended her re-election campaign in January because she couldn’t find a place to live in her own district. On the City Cast Madison podcast today, Martinez-Rutherford talks about how Madison can better take care of each other. [Ch. 15]

At our City Cast Neighbors happy hour last week (thanks to everybody who came!) at the Muskellounge and Sporting Club, a couple of our members mentioned the challenge of finding things to do when their parents come to Madison to visit.

With the UW-Madison commencement ceremonies this week, there’s going to be a lot of parents in town. So, here are a bunch of ideas for how to entertain them, whether they like Madison’s party vibe, they prefer peace and quiet, or they love the outdoors:

For parents who love peace and quiet

Madison has some great museums to escape to, including the Chazen Museum of Art and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, which are both free (but accept donations). If history is more their bag, check out the Wisconsin Historical Society’s new temporary History Maker Space and the Wisconsin Veterans Museum.

Olbrich Gardens is a gorgeous place for the family to walk around in, whether touring the outdoor gardens or heading indoors to Bolz Conservatory. And while there are certainly some crowded areas of the UW-Madison campus, there are plenty of quiet places to explore, such as Washburn Observatory and Music Hall.

For parents who love hustle and bustle

If they want to rub elbows with the locals, start with the Dane County Farmers’ Market on the Capitol Square on Saturday. Then, stroll down State Street and check out the shops and restaurants. Finally, end up on the Memorial Union Terrace for ice cream or a cold beer.

Speaking of beer, you could also head out west to the beer garden at Capital Brewery in Middleton, or out east to the Biergarten at Olbrich Park, for a cold one and some food. And if it’s a summer weekend in Madison, there’s probably an outdoor neighborhood festival going on somewhere in the city!

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