Tag Archives: Madison WI

The New South Campus of Madison College

Posted on October 4, 2017 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Stan Inhorn; photo by Pete Christianson

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From left: Lucia Nunez, Club President Donna Hurd and Jack Daniels

With great enthusiasm, Jack Daniels, President, described the new Madison College’s South Campus Initiative. Starting in 2013, the college has been working to develop a full-service campus. By partnering with 11 community organizations and agencies, the Initiative has made great strides in the creation of a center for life-long learning for an under-served population.   The foundation of the campus follows the Rotary Four-Way Test.

  1. Is it the Truth? While Madison is considered to have one of the most educated populations in the country, 57.8% of south-side residents have no post-high school education. It is an area of poverty and social isolation.
  2. Is it fair to all concerned? Most residents have barriers to education, including low wages, need for affordable child-care, extreme poverty.
  3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships? The campus will provide social vitality along with partners such as the Madison Metropolitan School District. A pilot program will allow junior and senior high-school students to earn up to 48 college-transferable credits.
  4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned? The Goodman Foundation has pledged $10 million and American Family Insurance has pledged $1.3 million for the first phase in building the campus. Once completed, people in the area will gain the opportunity to pursue jobs that pay a living wage.

Phase 1 contemplates a 38,000-square foot center that will provide learning spaces, support services, STEM-related activities. With additional funding, the campus could expand to 45,000 square feet.

Phase 2 would enlarge the campus to a 75,000 sq. ft. wrap-around, 7-day-a-week full-service academic center. Health professions, IT, business, language, technical trades would be included. Graduates would help meet the present worker shortages in these fields. The building would include 4 science labs, 3 IT labs, with transportation to the Truax campus for certain training. To allow students to pursue their education, financial aid scholarships will be available as will internships.

If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch the video here.

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Posted in Rotary Club of Madison, Rotary Weekly Guest Speaker, Uncategorized

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Gill v Whitford

Posted on September 27, 2017 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Kevin Hoffman; photo by Mike Engelberger

David Canon 9 27 2017

From left: Sarah Canon, Club President Donna Hurd & Guest Speaker Prof. David Canon

UW Professor David Canon presented a historical context and current review of Gill v. Whitford, the Wisconsin case before the US Supreme Court that challenges the most recent redistricting completed in 2011.  The issue is whether the plan used excessive partisan gerrymandering to create an unconstitutional redistricting that discriminated in favor of one political party over another.  Oral arguments are scheduled this Tuesday, October 3.

Professor Canon explained that redistricting happens every ten years following the census to adjust districts for changes in population.  Generally, districts must be of equal population, must conform to voting rights acts (cannot violate racial or ethnic considerations), be compact and contiguous, and respect traditional and natural boundaries.  However, the practice of achieving partisan districts, called gerrymandering (drawing boundaries to enhance political advantage), has been part of our nation’s history for over 200 years.  The party in power wants to maintain an advantage whether it is Democrat or Republican.

Methods used to do this are called “cracking” and “packing”.  Cracking is the practice of drawing the district boundaries to reduce a given party’s voters so that they are too small to have an impact on the election outcome.  The sweet spot for cracking is to obtain a 55-60% election advantage.  Higher than that becomes overkill.  Packing is the practice of drawing the boundaries so that a given party’s voters are concentrated into a few districts.  The objective of these methods is to maximize the number of legislative seats for a given party.

The issue of partisan gerrymandering has come before the US Supreme Court in prior cases but the court has been reluctant to rule it unconstitutional since an objective and neutral measure of partisan balance has not been available.  Gill v Whitford uses an Efficiency Gap calculation to attempt to quantify the competitiveness of a given district.  The gap is the difference in the two party’s losing votes divided by the total votes.  Gaps closest to zero indicate a competitive district.  Anything over 7% is considered uncompetitive.  Wisconsin’s was in the 10-13% range.

The Federal District court has ruled the Wisconsin redistricting unconstitutional but did not force redistricting pending review by the Supreme Court.  The US Supreme Court is expected to come down along ideological lines with Justice Kennedy the swing vote.

If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch the video here.

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Posted in Rotary Club of Madison Guest Speaker, Rotary Weekly Guest Speaker, UW-Madison

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Wisconsin’s Economic Outlook

Posted on September 20, 2017 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Bill Haight; photo by Jeff Burkhart

Tom Still 9 20 2017

Tom Still pictured here with Club President Donna Hurd

This week’s speaker was Tom Still, President of the Wisconsin Technology Council, a non-partisan advisory group to the governor and legislature. In addition to policy development, the council’s activities include facilitating collaboration between companies and investors.

In promoting Wisconsin as a place to invest and locate business, Still cited the state’s many advantages such as affordable housing and water in strong supply, both of which can be big drawbacks in other states. He also pointed out that despite a perception of being a “high tax” state, Wisconsin’s taxes are steadily decreasing. Also, Wisconsin is finally getting on the national investment community’s radar, with numerous startup hubs, particularly in smaller cities like Eau Claire and La Crosse.

Wisconsin’s high quality of education is another plus. And in recent years the UW System has become more nimble to react to the type of graduate needed in the new economy. “The Ivory Tower is giving way to a more inclusive approach toward business,” he said.

On the state’s possible incentive for Foxconn, Still said: “I think it’s well worth pursuing.” We should ask “How much would you pay to essentially rebrand the state AND create jobs that support families while attracting young workers and offering underemployed workers a chance to retrain?” The Foxconn investment is less than one percent of the state GDP for one year – but spread over 15 years, he noted.

Possibly more important than the 13,000 promised Foxconn jobs are the indirect effects on the supply chain. “For example, a new glass factory or other manufacturer might spring from Foxconn’s material needs,” said Still.

In closing, Still invited the audience to check out 45 new companies presenting to investors at the November Early Stage Symposium (www.wisearlystage.com).

If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch the video here.  

 

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Posted in 2. Meetings, Rotary Club of Madison, Rotary Club of Madison Guest Speaker

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LHS Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Posted on September 19, 2017 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Founder Moses Altsech; photos by Brian Basken

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Pictured above from left: Phyllis Lovrien, Jed Engeler, Annette Hellmer, Haley Saalsaa, Beth Prochaska & Lew Harned

The Lew Harned Society marked its 10th anniversary on September 18 with a special event hosted by Founder and Dear Leader Moses Altsech.  Founded in 2007, the Scotch Whisky Fellowship was renamed in 2009 in honor of our great friend General Lew Harned, who has been there from the very first meeting.  We enjoyed great homemade food (presumably prepared at the caterer’s home), and music by a barbershop quarter courtesy of Ken Yuska–which coincidentally included someone who had served with Lew in Operation Desert Storm.

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All guests received a gift box of Quintessential single malt Scotch-filled chocolates.  The selection of eight rare single malts included the Mackinlay, a Scotch salvaged from Sir Ernest Shackleton after the wreck of the Endurance, rediscovered in 2007, and faithfully recreated.

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But as much as we like Scotch whisky, the Lew Harned Society is about much more than that.  It’s about Lew: How great a guy do you have to be for your friends to name a group after you?  It’s about friends: Our long-time regulars who are a standard staple, without whom we couldn’t imagine our gatherings, and new friends who want to join a group that’s fun and welcoming to all.  At Rotary we often talk about member engagement–and this is what member engagement is made of.  Goodwill, better friendships and Scotch.  Our group has the best-looking Rotarians, its very own General who’s always in a festive mood, and enough Scotch to keep us alive two weeks past the end of Western civilization.

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If you want to join our second decade, contact the Rotary office at once: Space is probably not limited, but why risk it?

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Posted in Rotary Club of Madison, Scotch Whisky, Lew Harned Society

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Preventing Workplace Violence

Posted on September 13, 2017 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Ben Hebebrand; photo by Jeff Burkhart

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Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney and Deputy Josalyn Longley

Speaking at the September 13 meeting of the Rotary Club of Madison, Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney along with Deputies Josalyn Longley and Cindy Holmes urged business and civic leaders to take a more active stance in preventing violence in area businesses, civic and religious institutions, schools and medical facilities. In the case of many shootings, the majority of which play themselves out in less than five minutes, “we are not there quick enough,” according to Deputy Longley, adding that “we are not the first responders – you are.”

Promoting a more action-oriented approach, the Sheriff’s Department is promoting an approach known as A.L.I.C.E. – and acronym for “Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter the attack, and Evacuate or Escape.” Citing broad support from the FBI or the Department of Homeland Security, the action-oriented approach stands in contrast to a more passive response such as hiding underneath a desk. “Passiveness is deadly,” said Longley.

In explaining A.L.I.C.E., the presenters started with the concept of “Alert”, posing the question whether businesses or buildings have a way to alert everyone to a crisis situation. Alerting everyone in a building in plain language as opposed to a code is the preferred method of communication. As regards to the “Lockdown” component, Longley encouraged that everyone within a building know and determine how you can get behind a locked door or as an alternative how one could barricade oneself. Having the option to lock a door from within a room rather than having to go into corridors is much preferred. The “Inform” function is to call 911 or also text 911 – an option available in Dane County.  Longley urged callers to be as precise as possible with describing one’s location, citing that numbered exit doors may serve as an excellent guide to responding law enforcement. The “Counter” approach is to be employed in cases of last resort – an approach where one should feel empowered to combat the assailant by throwing chairs or other objects. Lastly, the “Evacuate/Escape” function requires that potential victims know the quickest and easiest way to escape. “Do all your people know all the exits?” asked Longley, adding that most of us are creatures of habit, and thus escape the way we usually enter the building.

Ultimately, the best defense is to plan and practice. Just like fire drills have become second nature in schools, planning and practicing drills to prepare for attacks are the key to preventing tragedies. “The body cannot go where the mind has not been,” said Mahoney.

The action-oriented approach, however, has one significant exception. Citizens who are armed under “Conceal and Carry” rights are not trained to take matters into their own hands, said Mahoney, affirming his opposition to “conceal and carry” approaches. Other than the lack of training, armed citizens may also be mistaken as the shooter when law enforcement arrives.

Under the auspices of the Dane County Sheriff’s Department, more than 6,000 individuals in the county have received in the past 18 months specific training programs and educational materials on “Active Shooter and Workplace Violence” scenarios.

Please contact Dane County Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Deputy Josalyn Longley for scheduling and/or additional information.  (Longley@danesheriff.com or 608-977-1300).

If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch the video here.

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Posted in Rotary Club of Madison, Rotary Weekly Guest Speaker

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“How Do We Set Them Right For Future Success?”

Posted on September 6, 2017 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Carol Toussaint; photo by Jeff Burkhart

Katherine Magnuson 9 6 2017Wednesday’s speaker, Katherine Magnuson (pictured here with club President Donna Hurd) of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Institute for Research on Poverty, ended her speech with this question.  She had already provided insight into helping her Rotary audience understand just what is needed to focus on the early years in every child’s life.

At the heart of the issue is that early experience shapes brain development and that experience varies widely as a function of family social and economic factors.  Professor Magnuson had presented similar information to a Federal Reserve conference where she stated that to grow the economy we will need to focus on the first five years of a child’s life.

Identifying the skill and behavior gaps between high- and low – income kindergarteners, Professor Magnuson emphasized that closing the gaps is extremely difficult without the base of early childhood education.  If present when a child starts school, gaps continue through 3rd, 5th, 8th and 12th year.  To look at the skill and behavior gaps in reading, math, externalizing problem, etc., we learned these gaps need to be closed early.

The conclusions that early childhood is a foundation for human capital development and a productive investment were supplemented with graphs.  Our speaker provided documentation as to the vulnerability of children and families who need a range of supports and experiences to thrive.  All evidence points to the benefits from Early Childhood Education Programs, she said, and referenced studies published between 1960-2007 to help her audience grasp the significance of the opportunity to improve conditions for our children.

If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch the video here.

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Posted in Rotary Club of Madison, Rotary Club of Madison Guest Speaker

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