Dentist in Madison, WI

Luke Fickell knew what he was getting into when he took over as head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers.

But he didn't realize how much he would fall in love with the city of Madison.

His time with the program has helped developed a greater appreciation for the place they call home and the advantages it provides for his players and coaches.

Fickell explained what makes Madison different during an interview with The Jim Rome Show last week.

"People assume they’re going to come to a midwestern town and it’s going to be the same as Madison, as Iowa City, as Lincoln, Nebraska, as all the different ones that they would assume are very similar," he said. "Then you come to a place that’s the capitol city, obviously it’s in the midsts of the city, and yet the city is unique in the sense that it’s not so big. It’s really safe. It’s really clean. You happen to have two bodies of water that are right on both edges of campus. It provides everything."

Every city has its unique features, but Fickell is right to accentuate the lakes that create the isthmus that downtown Madison sits on and the vibrant community it contains.

He's sees the area as a strong tool for recruiting players and retaining them, once they see how Madison stands out from the other schools they might visit.

"What I didn’t know walking in here was how great that was for our recruiting, for our program and for our guys, but also for our families," Fickell told Jim Rome. "This is something a lot different than most college towns that are in the Big Ten and the SEC, and I think we’ve got to continue to build upon that. We can get guys here. They recognize how different the college experience can be."

He thinks that even in the big business that college football has become, the time that players spend on campus away from football is still a key factor and something his staff can leverage as an advantage in recruiting.

Once players get to Madison and experience it for themselves, it makes it easier to attract even more recruits to join them.

No wonder it consistently ranks as one of the best college towns in the country.

A Wisconsin Watch reader asks: How much funding do the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Madison College receive from the U.S. military?

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has 198 active Department of Defense awards, totaling $221.3 million in funding, according to UW-Madison’s declaration from the Association of American Universities lawsuit against the Department of Defense.

Defense-funded research aims to expand “warfighter capabilities” and the U.S. “strategic and tactical advantage.” President Donald Trump’s Department of Defense tried to cap indirect costs at 15%.

Defense awards support research in fields directly related to the military, such as “cybersecurity, maritime navigation, materials science, injury prevention and recovery and military flight technology,” said UW-Madison Vice Chancellor for Research Dorota A. Grejner-Brzezinska in the lawsuit challenging the Defense Department’s attempt to limit indirect costs.

The Department of Defense awarded $67.4 million in grants to UW-Madison in 2023-24, making up 8% of total agency funding, the fourth-highest source after the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. UW-Madison ranked sixth in national research expenditures with over $1.7 billion in the latest annual review.

UW-Madison also has 81 pending Defense grant proposals, as of June 13, 2025, with a requested total budget of $70.5 million, according to Grejner-Brzezinska’s declaration.

Indirect costs are costs that support research but are not directed to a specific award and include “costs for building maintenance, utilities, procurement of shared equipment, administrative services, information technology, libraries and compliance with federal regulations,” said Grejner-Brzezinska in the declaration.

On June 17, 2025, a federal judge in Boston temporarily granted universities a temporary restraining order, meaning they will temporarily operate with the previously negotiated indirect cost reimbursement rates of 55.5%. This follows an NIH cap of 15% on indirect costs, also blocked by a federal judge.

“The 15% rate cap will make most, if not all, of UW-Madison’s proposed and ongoing research projects infeasible,” Grejner-Brzezinska said.

Defense-funded studies at UW-Madison include a group of 30 scientists who study traumatic brain injuries, satellite data systems and artificial intelligence infrastructure and research.

Madison College currently has no active Defense awards or grants, according to a website detailing federal grants.

Brittingham Park is a gem of a park, located right near downtown in Madison, WI. I first explored it last spring with my family – but my husband had already taken my kids there previously. In addition to a really cool, all-inclusive, accessible playground, they also have basketball, canoe & kayak rentals, a beach, a dog park, a community garden, fishing, ultimate frisbee field, volleyball courts and more. There is something for everyone at this beautiful, urban park!

829 W. Washington Avenue – Madison, WI

Open 4am – 10pm daily.

Camp Randall Rowing Club operates out of the Brittingham Boat House, 617 North Shore Drive. Be sure to check their website for details on youth rowing classes, clubs as well as adult programming.

Brittingham Boats operates boat rental, lessons, classes and concessions out of the beach house, 701 W. Brittingham Place.

Address: 701 W. Brittingham Pl. Restroom: Yes Drinking Water: Yes Parking: Parking Lot Amenities: Canoe/Kayak Rental, Concessions, Picnic Tables, Playground Swim Ropes: No Lifeguard: No

Check Lakeforecast.org before heading out – which does water quality monitoring and shows open/closed for blue green algae and water clarity.

Wisconsin residents aged 16 years old or older need a fishing license to fish in any waters of the state. Nonresidents aged 16 years old or older need a nonresident fishing license to fish in Wisconsin waters with hook and line. Visit the Wisconsin DNR website for more information.

playground. The playground enables kids of all cognitive levels and abilities to play freely without having to face barriers. It is fully ramp-connected and features equipment designed to be easy to use for individuals with mobility challenges.

The park features molded merry-go-round seats that are easier to get into from a wheelchair and a spongy, rubber floor. The play structure is also color coded: purple for climbing, green for handrails and brown for support beams. There are several play panels included in the structure that are geared toward motor, audio and visual skills. There is also a bubble-like pod to get a break for those who need it.

We highly recommend adding this park to your Summer Bucket List!

City officials have unveiled initial design concepts for the plazas at the top of State Street that call for tables, planters and programming in order to draw more people to the area and address concerns about public safety.

It’s an example of ongoing city investments in placemaking, a process meant to bring pedestrian traffic to underused areas and create shared, safe spaces.

“This is really the most visible, I would argue, crossroads in the entire state of Wisconsin, the area that connects our state Capitol building to our flagship university,” Ald. Mike Verveer said at a June 23 public meeting held by city planning staff. “Whether it's true or not, I've heard for years that it has more pedestrian traffic at the top of State Street than anywhere else in Wisconsin.”

“We really have to get this right, is the bottom line,” Verveer added.

The top of State Street has been an area of concern for more than a decade. Many homeless residents hang out there during the day and some sleep overnight. Criminal behavior — often from people who aren’t homeless — has prompted city action in the past. Former Mayor Paul Soglin in 2015 removed seating stones designed by Wisconsin artist Jill Sebastian from the area closer to West Mifflin Street. The stones were used as a seat by many people there; their removal was met with dismay by Madison’s homeless community.

Soglin cited the move as one needed to address problems including “drinking, fighting, drug dealing, abusive language, littering, prostitution and using alleys and doorways as toilets,” the Wisconsin State Journal reported at the time.

In 2025, those complaints have persisted.

“I’ve had employees tell me they’re getting accosted walking home from work at night,” said Anthony Moors, manager of Michelangelo’s Coffee House, located in the 100 block of State Street.

City planners in April 2024 began a process to find other uses for the spaces, which are now surrounded by a number of redevelopment projects. The Wisconsin Veterans Museum, which borders North Carroll Street, is set for a renovation in 2027. The construction of the new Wisconsin History Center is underway and Hovde Properties recently announced it planned to develop the Churchill Building into a boutique hotel.

Dan McAuliffe, city planner, outlined three potential designs for the plaza, though he cautioned that “we don't expect any of these as drawn today to be what gets built.” All would add increased lighting and revamped pedestrian plazas to the corners stretching northwest and southeast from State Street. McAuliffe said food carts and vendors could also make use of the spaces.

And city planners would be “relying” on partners like the Wisconsin Veteran’s Museum, Downtown Madison Inc. and the Business Improvement District to devise programming opportunities to bring people into the space, said McAuliffe.

“We build the room,” said McAuliffe. “We don’t throw the party.”

The Forum of Origin, a public art pavilion and mesh dome designed by architect Brower Hatcher in 1993, is not guaranteed to remain in the new design. McAuliffe said that the Madison Arts Commission would have to sign off on the removal and that no decision has been made yet about whether to remove the installation.

Local business owners at the meeting expressed concern about one proposal from city planners — the potential removal of the small parking lot on Carroll Street. Rose Mohan, general manager of Ian’s Pizza, said they use the Carroll Street circle at the back of their building “significantly for our delivery operations.” Delivery operations account for up to $1.5 million of the store’s yearly sales, she said.

“While all three of these designs are beautiful, we are very concerned about how this will impact our delivery conditions,” Mohan said in the meeting’s online chat. “Are there any solutions to this that the city is considering or is this an issue Ian’s will just have to figure out?”

Moors said many of his older customers are accustomed to parking briefly in the spots behind the coffee shop. “I have yet to really hear solutions for somebody’s parking,” he added. “The solution is somebody can cross the street. And that’s a hike.”

McAuliffe said there was a community push during a meeting in January to implement “designs that looked at very limited vehicular access” and noted that the State Street Capitol Parking Garage is nearby.

“We thought this seems like a good opportunity to recapture some space that's predominantly used for storing of private vehicles and program it for a better use of public space,” said McAuliffe. “We certainly understand the delivery schedules…and we're certainly looking at how we can accommodate that.”

McAuliffe said he expects to hold a meeting in the winter to review final designs.

Expect Fourth of July standards — like yard games, burgers and brats on the grill and sparklers — alongside more unorthodox offerings, like a water balloon fight or the “Popthiccle,” a sweet, thick, smoothie-like drink made from coconut cream, fruit puree and a hard seltzer base. On Saturday, July 5, attendees will have a chance to dunk brewers and bartenders in a dunk tank or enjoy a frozen treat from Stellie’s Ice Cream (pop-up from 2-6 p.m.). July 4-6, 1129 E. Wilson St.

Celebrate Independence Day with live music from The People Brothers Band and Natty Nation, family-friendly activities and water shows by the Mad City Water Ski Team on Lake Mendota. July 4, 2-8 p.m., 1001 Wisconsin Place

July 5 has been dubbed “Interdependence Day” — a day to celebrate shared experience and community. In that spirit, the Bur Oak is hosting an all-day party, with five bands performing outdoors, interactive activities and a potluck BBQ. At 7 p.m., the party continues with an indoors, ticketed show. July 5,2 p.m.-midnight, 2262 Winnebago St.

Picnicking has become an unofficial pre-show tradition for playgoers at American Players Theatre in Spring Green. This weekend, attendees will enjoy an extra-special meta moment, since they’ll hike up to Hill Theatre to see a performance of “Picnic,” a play set in a small town simmering with tension. July 6, 6 p.m. (show runs through September), 5950 Golf Course Road, Spring Green

Head to Law Park to soak up the summer sun — while enjoying a free performance of tricks, jumps and stunts on Lake Mendota. July 6, 6-7:30 p.m., 410 S. Blair St.

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