💡 Are there more fireflies this summer?

💡 Fireflies Are a Bright Spot This Summer

• We’ve kvetched here in the Madison Minutes newsletter and on the City Cast Madison podcast recently about how bad the mosquitos are this summer. But there’s another insect population on the rise that we love a lot more – fireflies.
• After a couple of dry seasons, the moist summer we’ve been having that’s been a boon to skeeters has also been great for fireflies, UW-Madison entomology professor Dan Young says. The moist ground is great for fireflies at the larval and pupa stages, leading to more little yellow-green lights flitting around your backyard at night.
• Still, researchers have been worried about a long-term decline in the firefly population over the past 10 to 15 years, caused by light pollution, habitat loss and pesticides. Residents can make their yards more firefly-friendly by turning off outside light sources and limiting pesticide use on their lawns. [Madison Minutes, City Cast Madison, WPR]

🚣 First Phase of Lakefront Project Won’t Require Voter Approval

• The Madison City Council voted Tuesday to allow the first phase of a major redevelopment project of the Lake Monona waterfront to proceed without requiring a citywide referendum.
• City ordinance requires major construction in parks that border lakes or waterways to be approved by voters first, but a proposed amendment would have exempted the LakeWay project, which covers 17 acres and 1.7 miles of shoreline along Lake Monona. But after criticism at Tuesday’s meetings from residents, the council only approved exempting the project’s first phase from a referendum.
• The council also approved zoning changes, including allowing lots to be split into two and allowing two units on a single property, actions that Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway says are essential to alleviating the city’s housing crisis. [WMTV, City of Madison, City Cast Madison]

🏥 Health Officials Warn of Overdose Spike

• Public Health Madison and Dane County officials said there has been an unexplained spike in overdoses in the area recently. EMS providers reported five overdose response calls between July 13 and 14.
• Public health officials speculated that the rise in overdoses may be that the make-up of street drugs has changed, with different mixtures of opiates, fentanyl, and synthetic drugs. They also noted that drug use in the summer months can increase the risks of heat-related illnesses.
• Dig deeper: You can take steps to avoid a fatal drug encounter, learn how. [PHMDC, Madison Minutes]

New parents might be out of the dining game for a while, but as the kids get a little older (and takeout starts to lose its luster), it might be time to start going out to restaurants again.

But what places in Madison are locally-owned, have good food, and are welcome to families with young kids? Here’s some places where both you and the little’uns can have a good meal together.

Tiny Diners at Hilldale

Hilldale has started a new monthly program called “Tiny Diners” which offers a stress-free way for families to enjoy eating out together. Families can order takeout from any of the shopping center’s restaurants, such as Forage Kitchen or Cafe Hollander, and eat together in the outdoor plaza area, where there will be kid-friendly entertainment. Pre-registration is required. The next Tiny Diners night is Aug. 20, featuring a live mariachi band.

Garver Food Truck Fridays

Food trucks in general are a great option for families – not only are you eating outside and don’t have to worry about making noise, but if there’s a bunch of options, everybody can pick their favorite meal. Garver Feed Mill hosts its Food Truck Fridays every week on the outdoor patio featuring lots of food and drink, accompanied by live music.

ZuZu Cafe

This west side cafe seems to be designed entirely for kids, with a large play area and a kids’ menu with sandwiches named after Sesame Street characters. And its location kitty-corner from the Henry Vilas Zoo can’t be beat.

Monty’s Blue Plate Diner

Families are always in good hands whenever the restaurant has “diner” in the name (see also: Hubbard Avenue Diner), and this retro spot on Atwood Avenue is a local treasure, with all-day breakfasts and an extensive kids’ menu that ranges from Mickey Mouse pancakes to a tofu scramble.

Jet Room

For kids, there may be no better dining entertainment than the sight of planes taking off and landing. This breakfast and lunch spot in the Wisconsin Aviation building has a front-row seat to the runways at Dane County Regional Airport via floor-to-ceiling windows. The breakfast and lunch menu is kid-friendly, but brunch gets busy, so maybe make a reservation in advance. (It’s also a cash-only spot.)

Each week, our City Cast Madison Neighbors get the chance to shout out a business, a nonprofit, or some other cool thing in Madison that helps connect them to the city and to their neighbors.

📣 Brooke L. is sharing her rising interest in Knead, a brand-new vendor at the Northside, Eastside, and Capitol View farmer’s markets. “Long-time professional chef Victor makes sourdough bread, biscuits, and sweets - all from scratch!”

📣 Bryn O. celebrated the good work being done by Rise Up & Write, a youth advocacy group for middle & high school youth activists. “Use your voice + change the world!”

📣 Eli W. gave our first repeat Neighborhood Shoutout to Working Draft Beer Company “for being a great welcoming neighborhood gathering spot. You can walk in and make a friend!”

These Neighborhood Shoutouts are just one of the perks of joining our membership program and becoming a City Cast Madison Neighbor. Come join us, and we’ll shout you out!