What we were reading about…
30 years ago, April-May 1996
— Blackhawk Middle School celebrated its 30th anniversary with a fun fair that included a Z104 DJ, a dunk tank featuring school staff, and many activities. An open house and food fair offered displays of students’ projects, skits and special performances. Teacher Jennifer Peters received the prestigious “Friends of Education Award” from Congressman Scott Klug.
— An article featured the Silent Lutheran Church on Huxley Street. The church, affiliated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, was founded in 1931 to minister to the deaf population. The choir signed the words of hymns without music but with a voice recording. Sermons were in voice and sign. The church also offered Sunday school and a weekly Bible study class.
— When the State of Wisconsin decided to sell the site of the Troy Drive community gardens, a coalition of Northside neighborhoods and organizations formed to try to preserve the gardens and surrounding land. The Madison Area Community Land Trust, a local nonprofit, agreed to work with the Northside Planning Council, area neighborhoods, and the city to develop a land use plan.
20 years ago, April-May 2006
— More than 150 people attended a meeting to learn about the Cherokee Park development proposal. Concerns ranged from environmental impact to the social consequences of blending high and middle income neighborhoods. Plans included 100 housing units — a mix of single family and duplex houses, townhomes and condominiums — built in several phases over two decades, and improvements and expansion at Cherokee County Club.
— Lakeview Lutheran Church celebrated its 150 year anniversary. The church began in a small white schoolhouse on Sherman Avenue in 1856. Pastor Dean Kirst described the congregation’s current outreach ministry, including a food pantry, an annual free Thanksgiving Day meal, Red Cross blood drives, funds raised for Hurricane Katrina victims, and members who built homes for Habitat for Humanity.
— Troy Gardens encouraged teens to work part-time at its new 11-week Troy Farm and Field Program. On March 27, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and Mayor Dave Cieslewicz attended the ground-breaking for new homes at Troy Gardens, where the Madison Area Community Land Trust planned to build 30 townhouses on five acres to be completed by 2007.
10 years ago, April-May 2016
— The Northside Planning Council took over operation of The River Bakery Training program. FEED Kitchens continued the program in order to help those unemployed gain the experience and skills to secure employment and earn a living wage. The River Food Pantry began the program in 2013 but determined that continuing the it was not in The River’s best financial interests.
— Northside TownCenter celebrated its 50th anniversary. The property was a dairy farm purchased by Ernest Bruns in 1867. In 1966 brothers Richard and Ernie Bruns opened Sherman Plaza shopping center on the site. In 2005 current owners Dave and Don Bruns changed the name to Northside TownCenter. Two of the original tenants —Lakeview Library and Sherman Plaza Barbers — are still there.
— Mendota Elementary School was selected as a Community School for the 2016-17 school year. Being a Community School allowed Mendota to integrate services, like health care, academic tutoring, mentoring, food access and parent leadership opportunities into the school. These services for students and families were beyond what an elementary school normally could provide.
