⛸️ How to make the most of winter in Madison

🎥 Smile! Over 80 Traffic Cameras in the Madison Area Are Watching

• Madison has resisted installing the surveillance devices known as Flock cameras to read the license plates of motorists, as privacy advocates have warned about the potential for misuse and abuse. But in the rest of Dane County, there are over 80 cameras operated by city, village, county and state law enforcement agencies.
• The locations near Madison include the intersection of the Beltline and W. Broadway in Monona, and Williamsburg Way and S. Whitney Way in Fitchburg. Within the city limits, there are Flock cameras around the Capitol Square operated by Capitol Police and on the UW-Madison campus. [ 🔒WSJ]

🏒 6 UW-Madison Women’s Hockey Players Going to Olympics

• At next month’s Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, four current and two former members of the UW-Madison women’s hockey team will be part of Team USA.
• Laila Edwards, Caroline Harvey, Ava McNaughton and Kirsten Simms are the four current Badgers, while Britta Curl-Salemme and Hilary Knight are the alums. It’s the most of any school in the country on the team.
• Edwards will become the first Black woman ever to play for Team USA.
• Meanwhile, another Badger will take the ice in France, as freshman Adéla Šapovalivová will be playing for Team Czechia. [WMTV, Olympics, Channel 3000]

🧑‍🍳 Zafferano Owners Set to Open Eloura on Capitol Square

• Eloura, a new restaurant offering Mediterranean cuisine with East Asian influences, is set to open by Valentine’s Day on the Capitol Square.
• The restaurant on 10 W. Mifflin St. will be operated by the owners of another fusion restaurant, Zafferano Ristorante, in Fitchburg. Zafferano offers Indian-Italian dishes such as butter chicken pizza and naan bruschetta.
• Zafferano chef Miguel Mora will oversee the Eloura menu, which could include dishes like Korean fried wings with harissa and pesto-falafel pasta. [Cap Times]

It’s January in Madison, and as the saying goes, “If you can’t get out of it, get into it.” Unless you’re heading to warmer climes, the best way to handle a Wisconsin winter is to face it head on, get out there and enjoy a fun cold-weather activity.

On the City Cast Madison podcast today, host Bianca Martin chats with Ashley Pettay, content manager of Destination Madison, about all the winter activities you can try in Madison right now, from sledding at Elver Park to ice skating at the Tenney Park lagoon to snowshoeing at Cherokee Marsh.

Here’s a few fun things to do this winter. Bundle up and check them out.

Sledding

When my kids were younger, our favorite hill to go sledding at was the one near Cherokee Heights Middle School on Midvale Boulevard. But there are a ton of great hills to break out the toboggan, whether it’s tackling the biggest hill in town at Elver Park or a picturesque location like Chicory Meadow Park in Fitchburg.

Skating

There’s no shortage of places to go ice skating in Madison. The city operates 20 free rinks around town (check ahead of time to make sure they’re open). Don’t have a pair of skates? You can rent ice skates at Door Creek, Elver, Tenney and Vilas rinks, and you can get loaner skates for free at Olbrich, Rennebohm, Warner and Westmorland Parks.

Ice Fishing

Want to get out on the ice? Ice fishing is a popular activity around town, but you want to prepare in advance. Check out conditions ahead of time to make sure the ice is thick enough, and get a Lake Access permit if you’re planning to go to Upper Mud Lake or any of the other county-owned lakes.

Finally, give a listen to our interview with Pat Hasburgh, owner of D&S Bait, Tackle, & Fly Shop, about the best places in town to catch a fish.

⬆️ Last Week’s Photo

It’s at the Madison Train Depot on W. Washington Ave.!

🎉 Congratulations to Doug O., Nancy S. and Alexander B.! (Doug and Alexander got bonus points for adding that the letters stand for Chicago Milwaukee Saint Paul & Pacific Railway!)

⬇️ This Week’s Photo

Where is this mural located? A few clues:

• It’s located downtown
• It’s a neighborhood known for bright colors
• Let me know if you recognize this ‘view’!