🐶 Should pet stores be able to sell dogs and cats?

🦃 Goodman Center Sees Record Demand For Thanksgiving Baskets

• In a troubling sign of rising food insecurity in Madison, the Goodman Community Center said 4,000 families signed up for its annual Thanksgiving Basket Drive in just five hours, an all-time record.
• In 2024, it took a full day for registration to hit capacity. But center officials say rising inflation and cuts to federal funding have dramatically increased the need, noting that they’re seeing more first-time visitors to the Goodman Food Pantry than ever before.
• Goodman is seeking donations from the community to feed those families this Thanksgiving and to help out Madison residents all year round. [WMTV, Goodman Center]

🐶 Alder Wants To Prevent Pet Stores From Selling Dogs and Cats

• A ban on dog and cat sales at pet stores will be considered by the Madison City Council, even though no stores in the area sell dogs and cats.
• District 13 Ald. Tag Evers said he’s been concerned by reports about “puppy mills,” high-volume for-profit dog breeders that have been accused of animal neglect and cruelty, such as one discovered recently in Blue Mounds. The measure would let stores partner with animal rescue organizations to facilitate adoptions. [ 🔒 WSJ, WMTV]

🎒 UW Students Petition To Keep ASL Classes

• UW-Madison students have collected over 2,000 signatures urging university officials to keep American Sign Language classes after learning budget cuts would cause some of those classes to be canceled.
• Associate Dean of Arts and Humanities for the College of Letters and Science Grant Nelsestuen told students that one of the five ASL classes offered by the college will be eliminated in the spring to meet Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin’s demand that all departments cut 5% of their budgets in the face of federal funding cuts.
• But students say that ASL education is not only important but popular at UW-Madison, noting that there is already a waitlist for the five classes. [News 3, UW-Madison]

Whether you call them “mocktails,” “free spirits,” or “zero proof,” non-alcoholic cocktails, beer, and wine are having a moment right now. We’re in the midst of Sober October, and many people are discovering they can enjoy N/A drinks that are as complex and satisfying as their alcoholic counterparts without the negative side effects.

So where can a Madisonian find a top-notch N/A drink in town?, Here are a few options, along with some signature drink suggestions if you need a place to start.

Lucille

Come for the wood-fired pizza, stay for the N/A craft cocktail menu (just don’t call them “mocktails”), as well as an assortment of N/A beer and wine.

Signature N/A drink: Dream of summer drinks with the Pineapple Mint No-Jito.

Blind Shot Social Club

This spot hits a hole in one for both its indoor driving range and the largest N/A drink menu in Wisconsin. It’s especially strong on brunch cocktails, but has all-day N/A concoctions to suit every taste.

Signature N/A drink: Whether shaken or stirred, the James Bond Style mixes N/A botanical gin and an N/A coffee “liqueur.”

Sober Social

Kristi Tanner started Wisconsin’s first N/A bottle shop as a way to show that not drinking shouldn’t have to mean not socializing, with over 100 varieties of N/A wines, beers, and cocktails at its Middleton location.

Signature N/A drink: With so many options it’s hard to choose, but try a mushroom-fueled cocktail in a can from Little Saints.

One of the perks that comes with joining us as a City Cast Madison Neighbor is getting the chance to shout out a nonprofit, a business, or some other cool thing that makes our community just a little bit brighter.

In this week’s Neighborhood Shoutouts, our members share two of their favorite coffee shops and a beloved local sewing store!

📣 Bailey Z. wants to shout out Liv’s Drink Emporium! “They have a great team working there, awesome baked goods and even better prices. Their peanut butter cold brew has become a Sunday morning tradition.”

📣 Tara D. thinks you should check out Lakeside Coffee House! The shop on Monona Bay “has a super friendly staff, delicious sandwiches and their chai tea is my favorite. I also love the outdoor seating areas.”

📣 Jane H. is singing the praises of the Electric Needle. She specifically wanted to point out staff member Kandra, “who is extremely passionate about sewing and sharing her skills with the community. She hosts a queer sewing club at a church in the Atwood neighborhood where you bring whatever project you're working on and can ask her or people who attend for help. I am even more in love with sewing now because of this wonderful store and their staff!”

Thanks for the shoutouts, everybody! If you want to shout out something great in Madison, sign up to become a City Cast Madison Neighbor!