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44º | 6% chance of rain | Sunrise 6:49 a.m. | Sunset 5:33 p.m.
 

⛳ Behind the flag

Learn more about the history of the Wisconsin and Madison flags
608 flag symbol
The Madison flag resembles a map view of the isthmus. | Graphic by 608today
If a picture’s worth a thousand words, a flag is a whole textbook. The Wisconsin and Madison flags are a record of history that experts read like a secret code. Every part carries some meaning.

City flag

Has Madison’s flag always looked strikingly familiar, but you just can’t put your finger on why? A quick glance from the flag to Google Maps will help connect the dots.

The white stripe running from the bottom left corner to the top right represents the isthmus, while the blue background symbolizes Lake Mendota and Lake Monona.

The black and yellow symbol in the middle has a dual meaning. Primarily, it represents the state capitol at the center of the isthmus, but the four legs emerging from the center account for all of Madison’s four lakes — Mendota, Monona, Waubesa, and Wingra.

A brief history. Back in 1962, Rick and Dennis Stone of the Madison Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps, along with their color guard instructor John Price, designed Madison’s flag. While similar to the current design, at the center was the sun symbol of the Zia Pueblo people. Fast forward to July 24, 2018 — the sun symbol was replaced by a solid yellow circle.

State flag

Wisconsin state flag

Wisconsin’s state flag. | Image via Canva Pro

At first glance, our state flag — dating back to 1863 — has a relatively simple aesthetic. The focal point lies in the center of the flag including four main symbols — a badger, a miner, a sailor, and a shield.

Badger: The state animal sits regally atop the golden shield just below a banner with the state’s motto since 1851, “Forward.”

Miner: A large portion of southwest Wisconsin falls in the Driftless Area of the Midwest. During the last ice age, this area was untouched by glaciers rendering it prime for lead and zinc mining in the early era of statehood.

Sailor: Wisconsin has 1,000+ miles of coastline on Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. Before Amazon Prime, 19th-century Wisconsin relied heavily on sailors to transport commerce.

Shield: The shield is divided into four quadrants, each representing a pillar of Wisconsin’s popular trades — a plow (agriculture), a pick and shovel (mining), an arm and hammer (manufacturing), and an anchor (navigation).
 
Events
Monday, Feb. 19
  • Read to a Dog | Monday, Feb. 19 | 2-3:30 p.m. | Central Library, 201 W. Mifflin St., Madison | Free | Young people can build fluency skills by reading aloud to Libby, a certified therapy dog from Alliance Therapy Dogs.
  • Women’s Bicycle Maintenance Clinic | Monday, Feb. 19 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Trek Bicycle Madison West, 8108 Mineral Point Rd., Madison | Free | This hands-on session gives attendees the 411 on maintaining your bike’s wheels.
Tuesday, Feb. 20
Wednesday, Feb. 21
  • The State of the Wisconsin Economy | Wednesday, Feb. 21 | 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. | Wisconsin Trade Center, 8401 Greenway Blvd., Middleton | $25 | A lecture reviewing the broad historical economic trends of the nation and Wisconsin.
  • Brews and Q’s Taproom Trivia | Wednesday, Feb. 21 | 6:30-9 p.m. | North Street, 557 North St., Madison | Free | Bring your smartest friends for Young Blood Beer Co. brews and general trivia Qs.
Thursday, Feb. 22
  • What’s Up Downtown | Thursday, Feb. 22 | 7:45-9 a.m. | Edgewater Hotel, 1001 Wisconsin Pl., Madison | Free | Network and learn about the past, present, and future of State Street.
  • Duerst Farm Equipment Auction | Thursday, Feb. 22 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | 7313 Schaller Rd., Verona | Cost of purchase | The preview will be held on Thursday, and the loadout will be on Friday, March 1 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 23
  • “Women’s Work” | Friday, Feb. 23 | 12-6 p.m. | Garver Feed Mill, 3241 Garver Green, Madison | Free | Don’t miss the final week of this Garver Canvas exhibit.
  • Barrel Aged Strong Ale Release Party | Friday, Feb. 23 | 5-9 p.m. | State Line Distillery, 1413 Northern Ct., Madison | Cost of purhase | Roll out the barrel for this collaboration between Giant Jones Brewing and State Line Distillery.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
News Notes
Traffic
  • Starting this morning, and lasting through Thursday, Feb. 29, North Lake Street will be closed to southbound traffic between State Street and University Avenue. The city is installing temporary communication poles and overhead lines. The northbound traffic lane will remain open.
Outdoors
  • Indian Lake County Park, beloved by local outdoor enthusiasts, is going to have improvements made after the Dane County Board approved its master plan. The plan calls for an expansion of the park’s skiing and hiking trails, having more vehicle parking, and improving the site’s dog park. (Wisconsin State Journal)
Development
  • The construction of a proposed 900-unit housing development on Madison’s North side is being held up by a deed restriction from 75 years ago. Located on 65 acres at the 4100 block of Packers Avenue, the development is on hold because of a height restriction relating to the nearby airport. (Cap Times)
Ranked
  • US News & World Report recently created a list of the country’s most livable cities by weighing factors such as affordability, healthcare quality, and the overall happiness of residents. Madison ranked No. 3 on the list, with Milwaukee at No. 7.
Sports
  • With the arrival of a new women’s softball team to Warner Park, improvements to the facility are being made. They include bringing in the fence and bases, along with altering the pitching mound. The first softball game for the yet-to-be-named team will be on Sunday, June 16. (WKOW)
Biz
  • Racine-based Rogan Shoes is stepping up to Shoe Carnival. The national retailer acquired Rogan Shoes for $45 million. Madison has Rogan stores on the West and East sides. Founded in 1971, Rogan Shoes has over 600 employees. (Wisconsin Public Radio)
Featured Deal
 
Arts

✂️ Get crafty

Get creative with Madison’s newest artist-in-residence
Grace, Bubbler artist
Stop by one of Grace’s workshops before May. | Photos via City of Madison
Meet Grace Olson, The Bubbler’s newest artist-in-residence. Through this May, Grace will hold weekly open studio hours for locals to get involved in Welcome Home and Family Reunion — two ongoing community project opportunities.

Open studio hours

Where: Central Library, 201 W. Mifflin St., Madison
When: Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m.
What: The Bubbler is always open to the public whenever the library is open. Studio hours, however, are a time when the current artist-in-residence is guaranteed to be present and available to bounce ideas off of, work on projects with, and help fuel your creative curiosity.

Welcome Home

A vintage, handcrafted dollhouse can be found right outside of The Bubbler room at the Central Library. Visitors are encouraged to stop by (during open studio and/or library hours) and use materials from The Bubbler room to create miniature elements to display in the dollhouse.

Family Reunion

Drawing inspiration from Maria Schrimer-Devitt’s Wishing Well/Well-Wishes project, Family Reunion focuses on exploring what family means to each individual. Think: Creating collages, sculptures, and multi-media crafts to take home, geared toward multi-generational groups.
The Buy

The Buy 2.19.24 (Affiliate + Six & Main)
A stylish new collar or leash from Six & Main’s collection for your dog to sport during their favorite time of day (walk time).
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The Wrap
 
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Today’s edition by:
Ally
From the editor
Am I the only one who still refers to Madison College as MATC? It’s been rebranded as Madison College since 2009, but I still had to take a second glance when I saw Madison College vs. MATC in our events calendar.
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