April 2015
LATEST BREAKING NE
Executive Director Update

There is always something going on at Middleton City Hall - seldom a dull moment in our vibrant community.  Much of what transpires within the many committees and at City Council, isn't visible for some period of time, if at all.  In an effort to keep you, our members, informed, here is an update on what the various City departments have been up to in the first quarter of 2015.

 

Public Works (traffic, streets, maintenance) has been focused on working through details of the Parmenter Street reconstruction (University Avenue to the roundabout; April to mid-August), Valley Ridge Road resurfacing, Allen Boulevard resurfacing (with Dane County) and traffic signals at Airport Road and Nursery Drive.  They're also in the middle of moving from Laura Lane to the new Municipal Operations Center on Parmenter Street.

 

Golf (everyone's favorite committee after the snow melts) reported $30k of green fees at Pleasant View Golf Course for March (15th-22nd).  We'll assume some of you are tuning up early for July 15!

License & Ordinance (City ordinances, licensing, legal) has reviewed and issued numerous special event permits, including: Capital Brewery, Quaker Steak & Lube, KEVA, Good Neighbor Festival, Drums on Parade, 5K races, etc., through the end of 2015. They've been working on a framework to eliminate parking on Century Avenue due to safety concerns and have approved alcohol licenses for Dickey's Barbecue and Cold Fusion.

Planning (zoning issues, development, building project reviews) has spent time on Community of Bishops Bay Phase 3 details, discussion on Steve Brown Apartments proposal for the corner of Pleasant View and Blackhawk Roads and potential changes at Greenway Station - apartments across from DSW, a new loading dock for the former Orvis space and a new building south of Tanner's.

 

Tourism (supporting visitor stays and spending) has approved marketing grants for numerous local events that put 'heads in beds' (room tax $$ at work), reviewed its 2015 Social Media Strategy and confirmed Madison Area Sports Commission grants for two 2015 North American Championships and one 2016 National Championship. Important to many visitors, they've reviewed and determined Trolley routes for Summer 2015-now a 30 minute loop covering each hotel and venturing east on University Avenue to Walgreens and Willy Street Co-op, route maps out soon!

 

Finance (all things budget related, everything!) weighs in on almost all issues that involve procurement, spending, budgets, etc.  Their meetings precede Council meetings and much of their agenda becomes Council agenda.

 

The committee list continues, but most all of their work output falls to Council (ultimate responsibility) for final approvals.  Council has spent time on every issue noted here, and many more.  There are eight alderpersons, representing all of Middleton's geography, making decisions that impact our quality of life and our ability to create and grow successful businesses.   

 

The Chamber will always be at City Hall as a community partner and a common voice for our members, but don't hesitate to reach out directly to your elected officials - they'll appreciate your insights and input (and thanks).  It helps them govern better and we all benefit from that.

 

- Van 

Upcoming Chamber Events

April 2, 7:30am
Get Moving Middleton ( Register)
Hilton Garden Inn

April 8, 12pm
Golf Outing Committee
Pleasant View Golf Course
( Email Lisa to join the committee)

April 9, 5pm
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Dickey's BBQ - 8225 Greenway Blvd.

April 13, 11:30am
Ambassador Committee
Globe University

April 15, 12pm
Economic Development Briefing ( Register)
Wisconsin Bank & Trust

April 16, 12:30-4:30pm
YP Week "Drop Knowledge" Business Tour ( Register)
Starts at Chamber Office

April 21, 8am
Ask the Expert: Managing Risk ( Register)
Edgewood College - Deming Way Campus

April 28, 5-7pm
Business Social Hour ( Register)
Emmons Business Interiors


View the Calendar
New Members

Angus-Young Associates, Inc
555 S. River Street, Janesville
(608) 756-2326

www.angusyoung.com

 







Capstone Consultants

1713 Legacy Lane
(608) 239-0396


CLM Prescriptives, LLC

6827 Erdman Blvd, Suite 200
(608) 234-8979  
www.clmprescriptives.com

 

 


Dave Friedman,
Your Technology Tutor
(608) 301-5602   

www.davetutors.com

 

 




Diversified Personnel Services,
a division of Opportunities, Inc.
930 Stewart St
(608) 274-1894   

www.dpsworks.com

 


First Lutheran Church
4022 Pleasant View Road
(608) 712-5103   

www.historicfirstlutheranmiddleton.org

 

 


First Weber Group 
Lindi Farra 
429 Gammon Place, Stop 2  
(608) 358-9104     
www.lindifarra.firstweber.com



Fuhrman & Dodge, S.C.

2009 West Beltline Highway,  

Suite 102
(608) 327-4200

www.fuhrmandodge.com

 



GC Studios
5306 Valley Ridge Plaza Dr
(608) 285-2035   

www.gcvideostudio.com

 

   

Information Technology Professionals
175 E. Badger Road
(608) 251-6755   

www.itprosusa.com

 


JEAP LLC
4201 Redtail Pass
(608) 692-3853

www.JEAPLLC.com

 

 

   

La Creme Nannies
1022 North High Point Road, #109
(608) 515-1305   

www.lacremenannies.com

 

 

Mad City Chefs,LLC
824 Drumlin Dr, Oregon
(608) 577-4857   

www.madcitychefs.com

 

 

 

 

Massage Envy Spa
8301 Murphy Drive
(608) 833-9500   

www.massageenvy.com/clinics/WI/Middleton.aspx

 

 

   

Middleton Power Center
3230 Parmenter St
(608) 836-2002   

www.middletonpower.com

 




Stark Company Realtors

Bing Bing Li
702 N High Point Rd, Suite 100

(608) 438-5096    

www.starkhomes.com

 


Takara 88 Japanese Restaurant

1900 Cayuga Street, Suite 101
(608) 203-8866   

www.takara88.com

 






The Assistants' Coach LLC

3264 Mansion Circle, McFarland
(608) 220-6918   

www.kathypaulsonconsulting.com

 


Members on the Move
Announcements|Awards|Hires & Promotions
ANNOUNCEMENTS
New Construction and Restaurants Coming to Greenway Station, Greenway Station Shopping Center has announced the construction of a new 4,000 square foot building that will be located on the southern edge of the property near Tanner's Bar & Grill.

Park Bank Empowers Students to Make Informed Financial Decisions, Students at Edgewood High School in Madison recently earned their certification in financial literacy after completing the Park Bank Financial Scholars Program.

The Alliance Announces Board Elections, The Alliance, founded in 1990, has announced their recently elected Board of Directors.

Three Construction Firms Tap Innovation Agency Pop-Dot, Brand strategy and innovation agency, Pop-Dot, was recently chosen to provide marketing and branding services to three Wisconsin-based construction firms.

February Real Estate Statistics, Coldwell Banker Success has released the February 2015 Real Estate statistics.

GFS Marketplace Now Gordon Food Service Store, GFS Marketplace stores are getting a new name.

Greenleaf Announces Non Profit Grants, Greenleaf Media is celebrating the 10th year of their non-profit grant program.


AWARDS

SVA Named Top 100 National Firm, Once again SVA has been named to the Accounting Today Top 100 Firms list.

Summit Awarded Governor's Council Honor for Financial Education Efforts, Summit Credit Union has been honored with the 2014 Wisconsin Financial Literacy Award for its CU at Work educational program for employees of Madison- and Milwaukee-area businesses.

Geiger, Reischel Win Awards, The Wisconsin Newspaper Association (WNA) Foundation presented the 2014 Better Newspaper Contest Awards to winning members during a ceremony at the groups Annual Convention.





Member Events
4/2

Shift, Shed & Shine, Susan Young International
4/5

Easter Brunch, Sprecher's Restaurant & Pub
Easter Brunch, Quaker Steak & Lube
4/9

Spring Professional Development, Edgewood College
4/11

Galway on Broadway, Middleton Performing Arts Center
More Info
4/12

Men on the Mat, PULSE Kettlebells & Yoga
4/15

2015 Benefit Changes, The HR Generalist/AERIE
4/16

2015 Mixer, REACH A Child
More Info
4/16

Clean Up Middleton Event, PPD
More Info
4/17

Career Fair, PPD
4/18

City of Middleton Clean N' Green, Nursery Dr at Deming
More Info
4/25

ShredFest 2015, SVA Certified Public Accountants
4/26

Spaghetti Lunch Fundraiser, Restoring Hope



How Did You Get From There to Here?
Profiles on the vocational journey
 
Interview by Linda Abbott

Linda, owner of Never Forget Legacies & Tributes, creates heirloom-quality legacy books for individuals and families to preserve cherished memories and life stories. An award-winning journalist, author and public relations professional, Linda lives in Middleton with her husband Paul.

 


Meet : Amy Good, Senior Director of Development, Habitat for Humanity of Dane County

 

Where did you grow up? What did you want to be when you grew up?

I was born in Madison, but we moved around because my dad ran farming cooperatives, everywhere from Sun Prairie to Gays Mills to Valders to Fennimore. I didn't really know what I wanted to be, even in high school, but it doesn't surprise me where I ended up. One of the things we did as a family was to tour open houses on Sundays or visit neighborhoods under construction. I always liked construction and building things.

 

What were your career goals when you went to college and how did they change?

During my senior year of high school I was thinking maybe I would be a nurse, but then I realized I didn't really like needles (laughter) so I decided to go to UW Whitewater for business management. I changed my major during my senior year of college to social work because of Habitat.

 

Tell me about your first experience volunteering for Habitat and the impact it had on your career path.

I was the only person from Fennimore who went to Whitewater, so starting freshman year I didn't know anyone on campus. There was a group heading out to a Habitat project in Milwaukee, so I got in the car with four people I didn't know and we drove to the site. Even though we were a bunch of college freshmen who didn't know anything about construction, the other volunteers were terrific about helping us.

By the end of the day I knew everyone very well and I was hooked on Habitat. For the next four years I volunteered on weekends and was a board member of the Habitat campus chapter.

I knew then I wanted to help people, do the right thing and make the world a better place. And because of Habitat I thought, okay, maybe this can be a career. I interned at Operation Fresh Start, and after graduation I joined Integrated Community Work. I then went on to work at the Urban League of Greater Madison in 2001 and started working on my master's in nonprofit management, which I received in 2009. When the position came available at Habitat, I knew it was meant to be and I feel very blessed.

 

 

You've gone from swinging a hammer to raising money for Habitat. What are the key messages you share about the organization?

Most people know us for building homes, and that's certainly a core part of what we do. Four in ten families cannot find affordable housing in Dane County, so our home building makes a big impact.

But we're also very focused on strengthening communities.   About half of the homes we build are in neighborhoods that are on the edge, and we've seen over and over again how home ownership can stabilize communities.

We're also committed to building hope. That's huge. There are a lot of families that just don't feel like they will ever reach that dream of home ownership. It's really hard because it's so unaffordable, and we're finding that a lot of people don't have the skills to be ready financially. So we also help families prepare to become homeowners by managing their household budgets and paying down debt.

 

How many houses has Habitat built in Dane County, and what are some current projects?

We've built 232 homes in the past 27 years. This spring we are building multiple homes in Sun Prairie, Fitchburg, Madison and Stoughton. We like to build in neighborhoods where we can have multiple homes because it's more efficient and enhances neighborhood stability.

 

What's the favorite part of your job?

The house blessing. It's a celebration for the families, volunteers, sponsors, people from all walks of life who came together to build a house. We do about fifteen a year, and I still tear up at house blessings, it's really emotional. You get to know these families and this is a real game changer for them. I love to follow the kids, sometimes it's the first time they get to see their bedrooms and they're so excited, many of them have been living in cramped apartments or basements.

 

What is a challenge that you face in your job?  

Dealing with some of the myths out there about Habitat, the No. 1 being that we give our houses away for free. It's a little surprising, but some people aren't aware of the sweat equity our families put into their homes and that they have amortgage to pay. Families go through a pretty extensive screening process - it's not easy to get a home from us.

 

You've been named to the InBusiness Magazine 40 Under 40; won Channel 3/Madison Magazine's Hometown Hero Award and have been nominated for the United Way Community Volunteer Award. What drives you to excel and achieve?

It's not about the awards for me, those have just come along the way. Ultimately I'm driven to make the community a better place.

 

How many volunteers do you have, and tell me about the Habitat ReStores.

We have nearly 4,000 volunteers and 2,500 donors annually.

Our Habitat ReStores are a place where people can donate and purchase used and surplus building materials, furniture and appliances. We have locations on the West and East sides, and the proceeds fund our community building efforts.

 

What do you like to do for fun? Vacations, pastimes, family?

I live in Fitchburg with my husband William and our adopted special needs and senior cats and dogs. I'm the volunteer board president for Angel's Wish, a pet adoption center in Verona (another Middleton Chamber member). For getaways, we day trip around Wisconsin, and I love going up to Devil's Lake to go hiking.


 

March Renewals

Abuelo's

 

alphagraphics Middleton

 

ALTUS Commercial Real Estate

 

American Transmission Company

 

Anunson Chiropractic

 

BConnected, LLC

 

Blackhawk Country Club

 

Bloom Bake Shop

 

Blue River Chiropractic

 

Boley Tree & Landscape Care 

 

Camelot Interiors, Inc.

 

Camping for the FUN of It

 

Capitol Bank

 

CG Schmidt

 

CORE Health & Fitness

 

CPU Solutions

 

Culver's of Middleton

 

David F. Grams & Associates, SC

 

Electronic Theater Controls, Inc.

 

First Weber Group - Wills

 

First Weber Group, Inc.

 

Fleet Feet Sports Madison

 

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse &

Wine Bar

 

 

Food Concepts, Inc.

 

GBR Corporation

 

Geisking Public Relations

 

Globe University

 

Greenleaf Media

 

Henry & Lynch, LLC

 

Infinity Martial Arts

 

Isthmus Eye Care, S.C.

 

Kjorlie Law LLC

 

Knothe & Bruce Architects, LLC

 

Latitude Graphics LLC

 

Lycon Inc.

 

Madison Community Foundation

 

Marcus Hotels/Hilton Madison 

Monona Terrace

 

Middleton Lions Club

 

Middleton Outreach Ministry

 

Middleton Senior Center

 

National Electrostatics Corporation

 

Natus Neurology Incorporated

 

Neider & Boucher S.C.

 

Nerium International

 

Parks Electrical Service, Inc.

 

PKK Lighting, Inc.

 

Quality Cellular

 

Resource Engineering Associates

 

Rhyme Business Products

 

Rural Mutual Insurance Company

 

Sam Simon Real Estate - Reese

 

Savant Capital Management

 

Springs Window Fashions, LLC

 

Starbucks - Greenway Station

 

Starbucks - Middleton Hills

 

Stark Company Realtors - Selin

 

State Bank of Cross Plains

 

Stroud, Willink & Howard, LLC

 

SupraNet Communications, Inc.

 

Tanners Bar & Grill

 

The Nitty Gritty

 

The Wellness Champions

 

Tweedee Productions

 

Weed Man

 

Welton Enterprises, Inc.

 

West Corporation

 

Wisconsin Brewing Company

 

Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra

 

Yahara Software LLC

  
Celebrating 5 Years  
with the Middleton Chamber

 

Culligan Total Water

Meicher CPAs

Middleton Community United Church of Christ

Potter Lawson, Inc.

Prairie Cafe & Bakery

Sullivan Design Build 

 

 
Celebrating 10 Years  

Clasen's European Bakery
NSI, A Division of West Bend Mutual
PPD, Inc.


Celebrating 35 Years  

PDQ Food Stores, Inc. 

Thank You for your continued Membership!