We are pleased to serve as co-presidents of the Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood Association. As residents we are concerned about the quality of life that is at the core of our neighborhood. The neighborhood is also feeling tensions and pressures from various forces in the city, but the overriding movement seems to be the Comprehensive Plan that is forming for Madison and Dane County. From what we have already learned about the Comprehensive Plan, it is important that we as a neighborhood stand ready to act, not react, to the initiative. We need to be part of the plan, and not just bystanders to it.

We attended the “kick-ff” of the Comprehensive Plan at the end of October and contributed as much as possible the perspectives that we have gleaned from members of the TLNA. The Plan will become an umbrella for coordinating various existing and pending program for education, safety, greenspace, land use, etc., As we understand it, the Plan is intended to prevent conflicts between various county and municipal groups from occurring as the city moves forward. Ideas that were shared at that “kick-off” will soon be compiled, and more information will be forthcoming. As much as possible, we plan to share what we learn with the TLNA. Some of the information may appear in the TLNA Newsletter, but other information is available on the Internet. In fact, the website for the Comprehensive Plan (www.madisonplan.com) is already up and contains some basic information about it.

We were also represented at the 2002 Neghborhood Roundtable. From these sessions, it was clear that the TLNA has a healthy and growing relationship with the East Johnson Business Association. Further issues of concern, which will need additional discussion, are security and traffic safety.

In addition, the newly revised website for Madison (www.ci.madison.wi.us) contains links to many city officers, including the Common Council. While the sheer amount of information can be daunting, we still need to use such tools to find information about the city and, especially, our neighborhood. We recommend that residents who are concerned make themselves familiar with the city’s site.

We are also finding that the Common Council expects citizens who have strong feelings about issues to attend Council meetings and to share their views. We will certainly encourage this at our board meetings, but hope that everyone in the neighborhood will get involved when specific issues affect us. We need to make our voices heard and our presence known!

We look forward to working with the TLNA in the coming year. It is a time of challenges that we can certainly face together! Become active – come to our meetings, join a neighborhood committee!

Sal Calomino

Jim Zychowicz

Co-Presidents of the Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood Association

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