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MIFFLIN’S UNCLEAR FUTURE
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Forget the block party: city plans could change the neighborhood completely
Story by David Jones
K
atie Cierzan’s flat on the 500 block of West Mifflin Street has been standing 110 years and shows its age with tall pillars and noisy radiators. Even though her house is in good condition, those surrounding it are slanted with crumbling foundations. But Cierzan has made her house and neighborhood her home—and she would like to keep it that way. Scores of students live in two- and three-story houses in the six square blocks between West Dayton Street, North Broom Street, West Main Street and North Bedford Street. Many houses date back a century and have been rented by students for decades. But on Wednesday, a City of Madison commission passed a proposal that would support replacing many houses on West Mifflin Street and West Washington Avenue with six- to eight-story high-rises. It is one of several proposals that would drastically change the makeup of the neighborhood. Although most city officials and planners
agree the area should be modernized, they are divided by how extensive changes should be. An earlier proposal would replace some old houses with modern ones around West Dayton Street, North Broom Street and North Bedford Street, keeping the neighborhood mostly residential. Both proposals were introduced as part of the city’s Downtown Plan, announced in November 2011. The city creates a Downtown Plan every 20 years to show what type of new neighborhood construction projects the city government would like to see developers propose. City officials who will approve the Downtown Plan final draft do not dictate specific projects be undertaken, but rather, they recommend general urban planning proposals they see as beneficial for the city. Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said city planners have an incentive to redevelop the area. Many of the
mifflin page 3 GRAPHIC BY angel lee
New ASM constitution proves contentious at student council By Cheyenne Langkamp The Daily Cardinal
A new Associated Students of Madison constitution proposal was met with criticism Wednesday after a group of student council representatives presented legislation to put the consitution up for a vote this Spring. Under the proposed constitution, student government would consist of an executive, legislative, judicial and appropriations branch, as opposed to the current model containing student
council, Student Services Finance Committee and Student Judiciary. Ronald Crandall, president of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences student council, spoke in support of the proposed constitution. “It’s really important to students and I really hope you take this seriously,” Crandall said. “It would really encourage students to get involved in ASM.” Many ASM representatives said they were concerned the process of drafting the constitution was not
transparent to both student council and the entire student body. “How are students engaged at all levels when there are only specific people invited to this committee that just happened to be at the top level of student involvement?” Rep. Thom Duncan said. “Where’s the engagement there?” Crandall said supporters of the constitution, including himself, have been reach-
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Ian’s Pizza may move from State Street to Capitol Square Ian’s Pizza discussed possibly relocating from their State Street location to Capitol Square at a city Vending Oversight Committee meeting Wednesday. The restaurant plans to move from 115 State Street to the former Children’s Museum’s location on Capitol Square, which will include an outdoor dining area. Nick Martin, managing partner of Ian’s Pizza, worries the presence of street vendors during the farmer’s market will crowd the proposed sidewalk cafe. “We’re not open until 11 a.m., so this is really only
affecting us from 11 a.m. until 2:30 or 3 p.m. when the farmers market people are there,” Martin said. “Unfortunately, that’s prime time for our patio and having that extra seating is important for the busiest time of the week for us.” Some members of the committee are worried about taking business away from wellestablished street vendors. “If you want to do chicken and the egg, the vendors have been here for twenty years,” said committee member Warren Hansen. Committee members sug-
gested reducing the size of the street cafe on Saturdays to make room for both outdoor dining and street vendors until the farmer’s market closes at 3 p.m. and reopens to its full size. “The farmer’s market has been a huge part of our business,” Martin said. “We’re hoping we can find available space that won’t even require them to be moved.” This resolution would require the removal of at least two city benches, which the city will consider at a later meeting. —Jeffrey More
mark kauzlarich/the daily cardinal
The Extreme Midget Wrestling Foundation, composed of eight little people wrestlers, visited Madison Wednesday night.
Little people wrestling met with controversy in Madison By Alex DiTullio The Daily Cardinal
Calling themselves “The Baddest Little Show on Earth,” little people emerged through plumes of smoke into a 12 by 12-foot ring as the Extreme Midget Wrestling Foundation visited Madison Wednesday. But while the rowdy Segredo’s crowd relished in the night’s entertainment, disability experts in the Madison area question the moral integrity of a performance that they say negatively exploits the disability. Featured on shows such as The Best Damn Sports Show and the
Howard Stern Television Show, the EMWF has been touring the country since 2000. The show features eight little people who perform in a similar fashion to the famous World Wrestling Entertainment. “It was a childhood dream,” EMWF Wrestler “Nasty Boy,” said. “I watched it on TV since the time I could walk and talk and [thought], this is what I wanted to do with my life.” While Nasty Boy said he enjoys the celebrity lifestyle wrestling provides, the Little
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“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”