'I loved him so much': Why one woman stayed with her abusive husband
It's not the three decades of abuse she suffered at the hands of her late first husband that still haunts 79-year-old Bea Christensen. What pains her now, so many years later, is what happened to her...
View ArticleJust like family: Big Brothers Big Sisters is turning lives around in Dane...
Dora Zúniga grew up poor in south Texas. "My parents had a third-grade education and spoke little English," says Zúniga, the executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane...
View ArticleScenes from Madison's 2013 St. Patrick's Day parade (slideshow)
Members of Madison's Irish community, both permanent and temporary, donned their green and gathered on the Capitol Square Sunday for the annual St. Patrick's Day parade, full of music, mischief and...
View ArticleA tribute to photographer Phil Ejercito (slideshow)
When collaboration works the way it's supposed to, it's a blast to just participate with the others involved and that's the way it was with Phil every time we worked together.
View ArticleThe Doyenne Group offers support for female entrepreneurs
Next time you're at an entrepreneurial event, count the number of women in the room. Wondering why there are so few? Heather Wentler and Amy Gannon have some ideas. Founders of the Doyenne Group, which...
View Article#MeetMadison: Who are the people of this city?
Madison is a city but can often feel like a small town. Even the most gregarious among us tend to hang out with those we already know. It's comfortable and easy. But we can miss a lot. "#MeetMadison",...
View Article#MeetMadison Live!
Who are the people of this city? "#MeetMadison" introduces you to some of them, via short stories, audio interviews, video clips, and now, social media.
View ArticleThe fearless Chris Taylor: Madison's state rep has quickly made a big impression
Chris Taylor had never planned on running for office. She loved her job as public policy director with Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. And she had a new baby and a four-year-old at home. Getting into...
View ArticleMorrison Street residents make a unique connection in quarterly gatherings
A storm looms over Lake Monona on a Sunday evening in early June, but votive candles cast a comforting glow in the walkout basement of Dave Mollenhoff's lakeshore home. A jazz number called "Mellow...
View ArticleWhen disaster strikes, Madison Preppers will be ready
At his Town of Bristol home, Curt LaHaise has a T-shirt that says it all: "WTSHTF, ITEOTWAWKI." "When I wear it sometimes, people are like, 'What the hell?" LaHaise is a "prepper," and his shirt's...
View ArticleGhost hunters! Searching for the paranormal right here in Madison
Everyone loves a good ghost story around Halloween. For some, a night of horror movies or a trip to a "haunted" corn maze isn't enough. Local groups like Mad City Paranormal Investigations devote...
View ArticleIsthmus on WORT: Hunting ghosts in Madison
"Isthmus" contributor Alan Talaga reports on the search for and stories about the supernatural in Madison in the October 25 issue and discussed his story with WORT producer Dylan Brogan on the October...
View ArticleIsthmus Indie Awards 2013: Dynamic Developer -- Ellen Barnard, FEED Kitchens
"It would be easier to list what parts of the project I "haven't" been a part of," Ellen Barnard confesses of her involvement with the new FEED Kitchens, to open Nov. 1 adjacent to the Northgate...
View ArticleIsthmus Indie Awards 2013: Neighborhood Notable -- Ian Gurfield, Ian's Pizza,...
During the massive 2011 uprising in Madison against Gov. Scott Walker, Ian's Pizza drew international attention when it began delivering donated pizza to the thousands of protesters camped out in the...
View ArticleIsthmus Indie Awards 2013: Fresh Food Friend -- Adrian Reif and Matt D'Amour,...
Sometimes a jar of nut butter is just a jar of nut butter. But a jar of Yumbutter is so much more. Partners Adrian Reif and Matt D'Amour are concerned not just with peanuts and almonds, but with social...
View ArticleIsthmus Indie Awards 2013: Dane and Beyond -- Michael Fenchel, 100State
Some people collect records, others tattoos. Michael Fenchel collects ideas. As the executive director of 100State, a downtown coworking space and startup springboard, he's discovered that...
View ArticleIsthmus Indie Awards 2013: Hometown Artist -- Meghan Blake-Horst, Absolutely Art
Absolutely Art doesn't just show and sell art; it embodies the spirit of Madison's visual-art community. The east-side gallery represents about 200 artists from the area, finding homes for their...
View ArticleIsthmus Indie Awards 2013: Market Spark -- Angela Kowieski, Divine Body &...
Angela Kowieski knew something had to give. The toxic cauldron of harsh chemicals associated with the beauty business " formaldehyde, parabens, ammonia, artificial dyes and more " was taking its toll...
View ArticleIsthmus Indie Awards 2013: Green Angel -- Ann Sensenbrenner, Farm to Vase
Beautiful flowers should reflect the environment that surrounds and sustains them. With this thought in mind, Ann Sensenbrenner founded Farm to Vase, which provides locally sourced flowers.
View ArticleIsthmus Indie Awards 2013: Bridge Builder -- Howard Mandeville, Movin' Out
Howard Mandeville says that people with disabilities only want a chance at "an ordinary life." Movin' Out, the organization he's led since 2005, helps them do just that, by obtaining housing that's...
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