Registration
Form For
Orchard Ridge
Santa Visits on
Saturday, December 14, 2002
From 6:00-8.30 p.m.
Registration
Deadline: December 6, 2002
Send Registration form to: Holly Halberslaben, 5413 Whitcomb Drive, Madison, 53711 or email to hhobby@charter.net
The ORCC has again invited
Santa to visit our neighborhood as a special treat to ORCC children and
seniors. This event is open to all
children in third grade and under and any senior who would welcome a visit from
Santa. For the first time this year,
you can also supply us names of kids or seniors in Orchard Ridge who you
believe need a visit from Santa but whose parents are not ORCC members. The gifts to ORCC member children in third
grade or under are complimentary. If
you wish Santa to visit a non-ORCC member family, we encourage you to send a
donation in with this form to cover gift costs. For older siblings, Santa will deliver a present if you leave the
present on the porch and let Santa know on the form below. We would like to personalize Santa’s visit,
so indicate something Santa can talk to child(ren) about (e.g., plays hockey,
loves Barbie dolls, loves school, etc.).
To help Santa find his way, please leave your front house lights on and
remember to mark your calendars so no one will forget Santa’s arrival.
*****************************Detach
Here and Send In***********************
|
Sponsor’s or Parent’s Name |
Santa Claus will visit at this address? |
Your Telephone Number |
Is Santa’s visit for your children? If not explain. |
|
|
|
|
|
Children Third Grade and Under
|
Name |
Age |
Sex |
Personalized Subject |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Children 4th Grade or Older
|
Name |
Age |
Sex |
Personalized Subject |
I will leave a gift on the porch-Answer yes or no |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Seniors-65 or older
|
Name |
Age |
Sex |
Personalized Subject |
I will leave a gift on the porch-Answer yes or no |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
___ I am enclosing a donation to cover gift cost
for non-ORCC child. Suggested donation
is $5 per child.
Elected Official Information
The City
wrapped up its budget process on November 12th by adopting the
Capital and Operating budgets. As reported, the City’s portion of your property
tax bill should show a small decrease. The complete tax bill will also include
portions from the County, School District, MATC and State and at this point it
is not certain what the total impact will be on that bill.
On November 14th, the Police Staffing Committee I chair held its last public forum at the Warner Park Community Center. The general concerns raised at each of the forums revolved around traffic issues, including speeding and red light running and the low number of patrol officers at certain times during the day. The Committee will continue meeting with a goal to send a report and recommendations to the Mayor and Common Council in early March.
By the time this reaches you alternate side parking will be enforced. I have, over the years, received calls questioning the policy especially in light of mild winters. However the City has examined this program and cannot find a better solution. The City needs to have a predictable parking situation to deal with an unpredictable weather situation.
As winter approaches, please remember to help out the Fire Department by shoveling around fire hydrants. Also lend a hand to those neighbors who have difficulty in clearing their walks of snow. In recent years Building Inspection has stepped up enforcement of ordinances regarding snow and ice left on sidewalks.
Enjoy
the upcoming holidays. You can reach me at 266-4071 (council office) or via
email: district20@council.ci.madison.wi.us
Cindy Thomas-District 7 Alder
Madison’s City Council had some major issues
before it in November, establishing a City-County Health Department, an
annexation agreement with the Town of Madison and the City of Fitchburg and the
2003 Budget. Alderpersons receive
volumes of information on these topics, attend meetings where city staff or
outside experts try to clarify the “sticking points” of the documents and many
of us call other resources to better understand the ramifications of our vote
on an issue. That is why I am so
disgusted when a resolution comes before us regarding the Patriot Act or
opposing a pre-emptive U.S. military attack on Iraq. I believe we have no business taking council time away from our
major responsibilities to weigh in on federal issues where we have little or no
standing. Our council meetings should
be devoted to debating the fine points of the Health Department merger not
arguing about what the President or Congress should do. So if you see my eyes roll, you know how I
feel. I vote NO on matters that I
believe are outside our jurisdiction. I
hope you agree with my priorities.
Speaking of public safety Some of you have called over the years to let me know you have seen odd activities going on near your home. This behavior may take the form of short term in and out traffic at one house, people standing along the street passing something to a person in a car, and some of this is accompanied by loud stereo music. These calls are not annoyances. It shows a community that cares about its surroundings. I believe my job is to help you with your concerns. You can always call the police but you must have good information otherwise an officer will not be dispatched. You also can call the Dane County Drug Task Force. When you call, please provide a date, time of day and license number and any other information that will identify the people involved. This is our neighborhood and we want to be sure that we do not become apathetic to our surroundings. I understand your reluctance to get involved or to “narc” on a neighbor but your phone call may corroborate other information we have and lead to an end to behavior that is not welcome.
I received a report from Traffic Engineering indicating that they continue to study the Raymond Rd. and Whitney Way intersection but we do not meet the criteria for a traffic signal. If you want more information on Traffic Signal Warrants call Brian Smith at 261-9625.
Are you interested in improving public safety on your block? Would street lights help? Traffic Engineering installs additional streetlights based on citizen requests. Call Traffic Engineering 266-6536. A process for securing additional lights needs to be followed but it can be done!
My monthly forums have been the last Wednesday in the month, however, due to the holidays I will not offer these in November, December or January. See you starting in February. Join me at the Meadowridge Library between 6:30 pm and 8 pm. You always can call me at 271-5201 or e-mail district7@council.ci.madison.wi.us.
Construction
on CTH PD from Verona Road to just west of Maple Grove Road will begin in the
spring of 2003. It is planned as a four
lane median divided roadway with bike lanes.
A sidewalk will be provided on both the north and the south side. The sidewalk on the south side will be wider
than normal to accommodate bikes although it will not be designated as a bike
path. Landscaping consisting mostly of
trees will also be included in the plans.
The project is programmed at $4,200,000 and is funded with 80% federal
funds and 20% local funds. Local funds
are provided by the City of Madison, Dane County and the City of
Fitchburg. During construction,
portions of the roadway will be closed at times. The project is being phased however to help reduce inconvenience.
A
second phase, programmed for 2007, would be from Maple Grove Road to CTH
“M”. The timing of the second phase is
less certain however as federal funds do not appear available at this time.
More details on the work taking place in 2003 can be provided by Tony Fernandez who is the Project Engineer. Tony can be reached at 266-9219 or at afernandez@ci.madison.wi.us.
Fire Station 7
In the Fall 2002 Grapevine, we discussed the newer of the two buildings sited on the west side of McKenna Boulevard near Raymond Road. In this issue, we discuss the older of the two buildings, the Madison Fire Department’s Station 7.
Fire Station 7 moved from the old fire station located on Raymond Road three blocks west of Verona Road to its present location in 1998. The new fire station is bigger than the old fire station. The new station was designed so that it can accommodate more firefighters in the future if the growth of Madison’s west side requires more fire coverage. The new Station 7 has an extra bay as compared to the old fire station, a community room, sleeping quarters, and a kitchen for the firefighters. The firefighters work 24-hour shifts and are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the buildings at the station. Fire Station 7 is responsible for calls on much of the west side of Madison. Their territory ranges east from Verona Road, north to the Beltline, west to Watts Road, and south to University Ridge. Fire Station 7 averages 5 minutes in transit to a call and answers from six to 12 calls for assistance per day.
So what happens when you call 911 and the Dane County 911 Dispatch Center decides that a fire response is necessary? It depends on the call. The nature of the work requires specialization and the ten Madison fire stations have different specialties:
|
Station Number |
Location |
Specialties |
|
1 |
Dayton Street |
Engine, Ladder, squad, chief |
|
2 |
Grand Canyon |
Ladder, Rescue |
|
3 |
Williamson Street |
Engine, Rescue |
|
4 |
Camp Randall |
Engine, Rescue |
|
5 |
Cottage Grove Road |
Engine, Rescue |
|
6 |
Badger Road |
Ladder, Rescue |
|
7 |
McKenna Road |
Engine |
|
8 |
Lien Road |
Engine, Ladder |
|
9 |
Midvale Road |
Engine |
|
10 |
Troy Drive |
Engine, Rescue |
If the call is for a medical problem, the crew from Fire Station 7 may be dispatched and they can check blood pressure, give oxygen, and control bleeding but Station 7 does not have paramedics in residence. Paramedics will be dispatched from Grand Canyon or Badger Road to do more intensive medical assistance. It may appear that the Fire Station 7 crew and the paramedics work in the same building because they arrive at the scene at about the same time. But, in reality, they are dispatched from two separate locations.
Fire Station 7 has a different responsibility at a fire scene. A fire scene may appear chaotic at the start but different stations have different jobs. For example, the Grand Canyon fire station is in charge of ventilation of the structure and supplying medical support. After Grand Canyon ventilates the structure, Fire Station 7 extinguishes the fire.
Fire Station 7, although a large building, is home for only four firefighters per shift. The four people in the crew also have their own specialties. For example, each crew has a fire fighter that is specially trained to drive the “rig”.
What has changed in the Madison Fire Department in the last ten years? According to Lieutenant Lance Langer the largest change has been in the demographics of the department. Firefighters, whom started with the department in the 60’s and 70’s, have retired and a new group of fire fighters has taken their place. Lieutenant Langer has also seen the City of Madison become aggressive in the replacement and maintenance of equipment. He noted the typical fire engine has less than 100,000 miles on its odometer, which has been a change from a decade ago where the City of Madison waited longer to replace its equipment. He added that the current fire engines now have computers in the rig and so the fire fighters can be in constant contact with Dane County Dispatch.
According to Lieutenant Langer, Orchard Ridge does not have many fire calls. What can you do to help the fire department if you need assistance from the fire department? Lieutenant Langer offered these tips:
1. Stay on the telephone when you call 911. If you call 911 and hang up before 911 can determine the location of the fire, the police department is dispatched before the fire department. This delays the fire department from responding to the fire scene. Each minute the fire department is delayed means a larger fire and more property loss.
2. Make sure your house number is large and can be readily seen from the street. House numbers that are the same color of the house, small house numbers, and house numbers located in unusual locations all inhibit the fire department from finding your house.
3. If you make a fire call at night, put the porch light on and meet the fire department in the street.
Besides fire fighting, the Madison Fire Department also offers other benefits. If you are interested in using the public conference room at no cost call 266-4420 to request use of the facility. If you would like the fire department to talk to a group about fire safety call the Madison Fire Department’s Public Education Unit at 267-1153.
Those Darn Leaves
Because Orchard Ridge has mature trees with lots of leaves, we have a lot of leaves to dispose of each year. Leaves are either a curse or a blessing, depending on your point of view. The disposal of leaves is a curse. On the other hand, if this is the biggest problem Orchard Ridge faces, then leaf disposal is not that bad of a problem. One of the ORCC members supplied us the following concern.
“I live in Orchard
Ridge and I am concerned about several of my near-by neighbors who pile
leaves in the street every year. My
concern is two-fold. 1) The leaves
do not belong in the street 2) The piles create a road hazard. The leaves are so far out into the road
(and the same homes have piled their leaves in the street in this manner
for years) that eastbound cars are forced to go into the westbound lane in
order to go around the piles. A
hazard is created because you cannot see around the curve of the road far
enough to see if there is oncoming traffic. I am very concerned that I (or someone else) will someday
have a head-on collision with an oncoming car.“
Legality of Leaves
There is a Madison Ordinance regarding leaves:
MGO 10.17: “DEPOSIT OF RUBBISH AND THROWING OF GLASS ON STREETS PROHIBITED. No person shall deposit any brine, salt, grass, leaves or other rubbish in any street or utter in the City.
According to the Streets Department there is no record of anyone receiving a ticket for placing leaves in the street.
The Streets Department uses the same basic equipment to collect leaves everywhere in the City. They have large “pans” attached to the back end of rear load refuse packers and have “brooms” attached to the front end of tractors, jeeps, and pick up trucks. These “pusher” vehicles push the leaves off the terraces into the street and onto the pans. What the pushers don’t get is raked off the terraces into the street in front of the pusher. The leaves are then loaded into trucks and taken to compost sites.
How many leaves does the
City Collect each year?
Facts: 700 miles of streets, 20 crews working, 12,000
tons of leaves will be collected (enough to fill Camp Randall!)
Rather than having a schedule that holds them to only picking up in a certain area on a certain week, they now can keep going to the next area if they have finished the one they were working on. There is no reduction in leaf pick up just a more efficient way of picking up leaves.
The Streets Department knows there are a number of reasons people place leaves in the street. According to the Streets Department:
1.
They are concerned that their leaf pile will sit for a
long time and the grass under it will die.
2.
They are concerned that our pusher vehicles are driven
on their terrace and may damage their grass or other plantings.
3.
They may have a very narrow terrace and a lot of leaves
- Nakoma is a good example of this.
4.
They are into neatness and they don’t want a messy pile
of leaves messing up their lawn.
5.
Residents argue that there are a lot of leaves in the
street already due to the fall from terrace trees. They also argue that our collection method results in a trail of
leaves left in the street. So why
should they be concerned with putting leaves in the street?
The Streets Department gives these reasons:
1. It increases the likelihood that leaves will plug storm water inlets and create localized street flooding.
2. It increases the amount of leaves or nutrients (primarily phosphorus) leached from the leaves that will be washed into the lakes. This is especially important given that we are under directives from the EPA and the DNR to take steps to clean up our storm water.
3. Leaf piles in the street take up parking, create driving hazards, and create an attractive nuisance for children.
4. Vehicles are parked on top of the leaf piles, preventing their collection.
What does the Street Department Think About Leaves?
The Streets Department is between a rock and a hard place on this issue. If they push hard to have people not put leaves in the street, then they increase complaints over terrace damage and a messy collection system. If they look the other way and tacitly allow residents to put their leaves in the street they may be found to not be in compliance with storm water regulations. At the current time they have taken a soft sell approach. Public education encourages residents not to put leaves in the street, but they have not sought enforcement about those who do.
Alders also are divided on this issue. Alder Linda Borchardt has introduced an amendment to the above ordinance which would allow brush, leaves, and yard waste to be placed in the street. This proposed ordinance has been referred to staff, the Commission on the Environment, and the Solid Waste Advisory Committee for comment. Alder Cindy Thomas has written against piling leaves in the street because she believes the leaves flowing from the streets into the storm sewer, then into the lakes where they act as nutrients and cause the lakes to die even faster than they are already.
The
complaint was referred to Alder Cindy Thomas.
Alder Thomas called all four of the homes where leaves were piled in the
street based on the complaint. Three of
the people were home and she talked to each of them.
“I have to tell you how gratifying it is to get responses that indicate they are sorry they were doing something incorrectly and will try hard to correct the situation. As it turns out, this is not easily correctible when you have large lots full of oak trees whose leaves do not fall at the same time other trees do and the volume of leaves is too large to fit only on the terrace.”
SMG Expands
By Denny Caneff
St. Maria Goretti (SMG) Parish, at the corner of Gilbert Rd. and Flad Ave., is expanding both its church and school in expectation of more parishioners and students.
SMG will build a parish center, consisting of a community space and offices, slightly south of and perpendicular to the existing church. The school will get a new gym with its own entrance, and the old gym will be converted to four classrooms. The gym will be added at the south end of the existing school building.
Sixty new parking stalls will also be added, giving the parish a total of 220 spaces. The expanded parking, to be added to the south of the existing lot in what is now a grass field, is intended to get some cars off neighborhood streets, a common complaint of SMG’s neighbors.
Only a few neighbors attended a recent public meeting hosted by SMG to explain the project to area residents. Most of their questions had to do with storm water runoff and parking.
Parish membership, currently at 1,900 members, is increasing at about 4 per cent per year, according to Pete Szotkowski, who chairs the parish’s expansion project committee. The school hopes to eventually offer two classes for each grade, kindergarten through eighth.
Pete says the parish’s project is currently under review by the City’s Urban Design Commission. Once the various permits are approved, SMG hopes to break ground for the project next April and be able to celebrate Christmas 2003 in the new structures.
Pete encourages Orchard Ridge neighbors to stop into the church foyer to view the architect’s renderings of the new structures, which harmonize nicely with the existing buildings to which they will be attached.
Older adults in Orchard Ridge can get help with snow shoveling this winter thanks to a new program developed by Independent Living, Inc. Independent Living will match older adults in need of snow-removal assistance with a volunteer from the same neighborhood or nearby who will provide shoveling services when there is an accumulation of two or more inches of snow.
Independent Living is a nonprofit organization providing a unique array of services to help older and disabled adults live with dignity and independence. If you’d like to learn more about receiving the service for yourself, a parent, a friend, or a neighbor, call Susannah at 274-7900.
If you would like to volunteer to help older adults in your neighborhood with snow removal, call Linda at 274-7900 to learn more about the program.
November
24-ORCC Board Meeting
November
30-Chicago Miracle Mile Shopping Trip
December 8-ORCC
Board Meeting
December
14-Santa Visits
February 15,
2003-ORCC Valentine Special
ORCC Valentine Day Social
When: Saturday, February 15, 2003 from 7-10 p.m.
Where: Babe’s on Schroeder Road
Cost: To be determined
Entertainment: We are trying to line up live entertainment.
Coordinators: Dot Kroeber, Eileen Regan
Additional Information: See next Grapevine
What should you do?: Mark the date on your calendar, reserve a babysitter, and get ready for some fun.
 |
Page 48. Change telephone number for Ritchie from 274-8852 to 274-8652