• Public Input - Oak Park Heights Park | Monday, Dec. 11 | 6-7 p.m. | Virtual | Free | OPH residents are invited to help select playground equipment.

• Ukulele Network | Tuesday, Dec. 12 | 1-2 p.m. | Fitchburg Communmty Center, 5510 Lacy Rd., Fitchburg | Free | BYOU (Bring your own ukulele).
• Holiday Centerpieces | Tuesday, Dec. 12 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Grape Water Wine Bar, 7466 Hubbard Ave., Middleton | $50 | Sip wine and create a floral arrangement at this workshop.

• COVID Vaccine Clinic | Wednesday, Dec. 13 | 3 p.m. | Lakeview Library, 2845 N. Sherman Ave., Madison | Free | Kids ages 17 and younger need a parent or guardian present.
• Midweek Meat Raffle | Wednesday, Dec. 13 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Lone Girl Brewing Co., 14 E. Main St., Waunakee | Cost of purchase | Bring your dollars to win meat and beer prizes during 10 raffle rounds.
• Mom Rock | Wednesday, Dec. 13 | 8-11 p.m. | The Bur Oak, 2262 Winnebago St., Madison | $12-$15 | The Canadian-American indie rock group will put on an acoustic show.

• Red Cross Blood Drive | Thursday, Dec. 14 | 12 p.m. | Alicia Ashman Library, 733 N. High Point Rd., Madison | Free | Give blood, save a life.
• Chuck Bayuk | Thursday, Dec. 14 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Monkey Business Institute, 1709 S. Park St., Madison | Free | Enjoy “obscurely familiar songs” from the Beatles and Paul Simon, to a variety of lesser-known contemporary folk and Americana tunes.

• Civilized Supper | Friday, Dec. 15 | 6:15-8:15 p.m. | The Deliciouser, 931 E. Main St., Madison | $62 | Indulge in a three-course French supper.
• Virtual Movie Night Discussion | Friday, Dec. 15 | 7-8 p.m. | Wisconsin Veterans Museum, 30 W. Mifflin St., Madison | Join others online for discussion while watching “A Midnight Clear.”

1. The Savvy Oak Dough Bowl Candle is unique and smells amazing.
2. Holiday parties just got better with the savory Appalachian Trail Mix.
3. Glassware featuring our city’s skyline is a festive way to toast to the holidays.
4. Celebrate the city and state we all love with artwork great for any home or office.
5. Perfectly curated gift sets are excellent go-to presents for the holidays.

• Hoping to make schools easier to navigate for first responders in the event of any emergency, the Madison Metropolitan School District is digitizing its building maps. Currently, the district relies on 2D blueprint-style floor plans. Those are being digitized for each of the 52 district schools. (Fox 47)

• The Ice Age Trail has taken a step up. The trail runs across roughly 1,200 miles of Wisconsin and has recently been designated as a park under the National Park System. The designation will now give the trail greater access to federal funding. (Wisconsin Public Radio)

• The Wisconsin Union Directorate Art Committee is seeking applications for the upcoming 96th annual student art show. Artsy UW-Madison students are encouraged to apply online by Sunday, January 7.

• There is plenty to choo-choo on locally with the coming Amtrak service from Chicago to Minneapolis. Madison is now planning on how to connect the state capital to the passenger rail thanks to $500,000 in development grants from the Federal Railroad Administration. (Cap Times)

• Your child’s letter to Santa may take a bit longer to get there. Short staffing is causing mail delays in multiple Dane County communities, including Fitchburg and Waunakee. Citing staffing, and a tremendous amount of holiday deliveries, the USPS is monitoring the situation. (WKOW)

• The 28th UN Conference of Parties, COP28, is taking place in Dubai right now. There are three UW-Madison faculty members attending the annual meeting. Professor Samudu Atapattu, climate researcher Johnathan Patz, and student Nova Tebbe are all part of the climate change conference. (Daily Cardinal)

• The home of a key figure in the second wave of feminism could soon get landmark status. Kathryn Clarenbach, who organized the first and only National Women’s Conference, lived near Lake Wingra. Madison City Council could make a decision on making her house a landmark as soon as Jan. 9. (Wisconsin State Journal)

• From flames can come a new day. In October 2021, Lodi’s Lucky’s Bridge Motel was destroyed by fire. It’s been reopened as Lucky’s Lodge. The owner is excited to have people back for Lake Wisconsin getaways. (WKOW)

• Do you have an idea for a great community event? The Madison Public Library wants to help. Small teams can apply to participate in a program that includes event planning sessions and $2,000, that will culminate in a program at the library. Applications are being accepted until Jan. 31, 2024.

FedEx deadlines

• Wednesday, Dec. 13 | Ground economy
• Friday, Dec. 15 | 5-Day shipping
• Monday, Dec. 18 | 4-Day shipping
• Tuesday, Dec. 19 | 3-Day shipping (ground) + express saver
• Wednesday, Dec. 20 | 3-Day shipping (home) + 2-Day shipping (ground)
• Thursday, Dec. 21 | 2-Day shipping (home) + 1-day shipping (ground)
• Friday, Dec. 22 | 1-Day home delivery + same day

UPS deadlines

• Tuesday, Dec. 19 | UPS 3-Day Select
• Wednesday, Dec. 20 | UPS 2nd Day Air
• Thursday, Dec. 21 | UPS Next Day Air

United States Postal Service deadlines

• Saturday, Dec. 16 | USPS Ground Advantage + First-Class Mail
• Monday, Dec. 18 | Priority Mail
• Wednesday, Dec. 20 | Priority Mail Express