Madison's Meadowood Neighborhood Bursts in New Year

Two Madison women celebrate love and peace at the Meadowood
Health Partnership annual Christmas Community Dinner at Good
Shepherd Church on Dec 21, 2022 on the southwest side.

Madison, Wisconsin — Madison heads into 2023, new year beckons, and peace and love as moral force retain powerful presence in this southwest neighborhood, Meadowood. 

Peace warriors, radical pacifists, longtime neighbors, religious groups, Madison City Hall — the Meadowood neighborhood is a hotbed for love- action, neighbor kindness, not rivaling Madison's Isthmus perhaps, but right in the ballpark, by tradition.

About 100 residents gathered in late December for the annual Meadowood
Health Partnership Christmas Community Dinner at Good
Shepherd Church on Dec 21, 2022 on the southwest side.

The atmosphere, attendees reported, was thick with a sense of community and solidarity that had perhaps waned after Covid-induced isolation and Winter blahs tending to occur with less Sunlight.

"The dinner was wonderful, just wonderful," said Sharay Wallace, an event organizer, community organizer and activist in Dane County.

Community victories for peace over violence and bad will are common in the Meadowood neighborhood.

Satya Rhodes-Conway, Madison Mayor, takes in love with young residents of
Madison's Meadowood neighborhood in Dec. 2022 at Christmas feast.

During a somewhat trying time of temporary duration some five years ago, Meadowood experienced problems from a small number of burdening fascists who menaced, vandalized and generally made a public nuisance of themselves.

With the determination of community activists and Madison Police, the problem has now vanished.

Madison, Wisc Meadowridge Library fought off
Covid to hold presidential elections in Nov, 2022.

Similarly, a troubled and bizarre director of the Madison School District Neighborhood Center in the Meadowridge Shopping Mall halted his pattern of harassment against residents that had become locally notorious, after local peace activists and Meadowridge Library staff voiced complaints.

At the neighborhood Meadowridge Library, early-voting and proactive voter accessibility has become a model for the State.

As the Meadowood neighborhood looks to 2023, the new Los Atlantes Mexican Restaurant and Bakery is thriving in what used to be regarded as a veritable food desert, (WISC-TV).

Love as an economic, social and spiritual force is generating tangible results in Madison's Meadowood Neighborhood.

Shots from the 2022 Meadowood Health Partnership Christmas Community Dinner follow:

Hundreds March for Peace and Children on Madison, Wisc Southwest Side

Hundreds March for Peace and Children on Madison, Wisconsin
Photo by Paul McMahon, (Heartland Images)

Updated - Madison, Wisconsin — Led by 100s of young people, a festive peace march walked down Raymond Road on a beautiful Saturday August morning on Madison's southwest side.

Their message was clear: Stop the violence; save our children, as religious and secular attendees laughed together under the late-morning sun.

Asked why they were participating, Madisonian Nino Amato driving a white MINI Cooper convertible with a young man of approximately six-years, said, "We're here for the children. It's all about peace. We are many together and we stand against hate."

Some 500 marchers and 20 cars made the 1.3 mile jaunt from the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on Raymond Road to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church on McKenna Blvd.

Occurring in the wake of Charlottesville and an emboldened white supremacist movement, the Communities United: Stop the Violence! Save our Children! march was held "in light of the recent violence and shootings in Madison," notes a press release.

The rally had a strong social justice and peace theme of a national scale.

"Future Dr., Don't Shoot," read a sign held by a young black man of approximately five-years-old. Near the young man was a sign, reading "Peace, Not Hate."

"Hey, Hey. Ho, Ho. Violence has got to go," chanted one group of marchers in front of the Meadowood Shopping Mall.

Madison Mayor Paul Soglin attended the rally and could be seen with streams of well-wishers joking with, and thanking the Mayor for his support of the event and the southwest community.

Dozens of well-wishers lined Raymond Road. Many shouted "Thank you. Thank you," and waved as marchers passed by.
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Below are more photos of the event. All photos by Paul McMahon of Heartland Images.