The Capital Times

The Capital Times

Newspaper Publishing

Madison, Wisconsin 2,276 followers

A local news organization delivering authoritative journalism focused on Madison and Dane County. As Madison as it gets.

About us

The Cap Times is a news and progressive opinion organization in Madison, Wisconsin, daily online and in print every Wednesday. We have a membership program where our readers make contributions to support our newsroom, and an array of newsletter options. About us Until 2008, the Cap Times published a newspaper Mondays through Saturdays. The paper ceased daily paper publication with its April 26, 2008 edition and became a primarily Internet-based daily news operation while continuing to publish twice-weekly free paper supplements. We began publishing as an afternoon daily on Dec. 13, 1917, competing directly with the Wisconsin State Journal, Madison's other daily newspaper. The Cap Times' founder, William T. Evjue, previously served as managing editor and business manager of the State Journal, a paper that had been a supporter of the progressive Robert La Follette, whom Evjue considered a hero. When La Follette began publicly opposing World War I, the pro-war State Journal abandoned La Follette. In response, Evjue abandoned the State Journal and formed his own newspaper, The Capital Times, one that would reflect the progressive views he espoused. The newspaper's motto was and continues to be "Wisconsin's Progressive Newspaper."

Website
https://captimes.com/
Industry
Newspaper Publishing
Company size
11-50 employees
Headquarters
Madison, Wisconsin
Type
Privately Held
Founded
1917
Specialties
progressive politics and progressive opinion

Locations

Employees at The Capital Times

Updates

  • Join us tomorrow for a free event offering a behind-the-scenes look at the Cap Times' work covering the 2024 election! 📆 Tuesday, Dec. 17 🕖 7-8 p.m. 📍 Arts + Literature Laboratory 📰 featuring photo director Ruthie Hauge and political reporter Erin McGroarty, moderated by associate editor John Nichols. 🇩🇪 Last month, Hauge and McGroarty traveled to Freiburg, Germany to speak at a panel discussion hosted by Carl-Schurz-Haus/Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institut e.V., which took a special interest in this year’s election and what was happening in swing states like Wisconsin in particular. 📸 In the five weeks leading up to the election, the institute displayed photos of Hauge’s from the campaign trail. Now, Cap Times readers will have a chance to hear Hauge and McGroarty talk about their experiences and see their work at this free event. Cap Times members get exclusive access to a special pre-event reception at Hotel Moxy, to meet the speakers and learn more about their work while enjoying catered appetizers and a cash bar. Become a member at membership.captimes.com to attend 🥂 Thanks to the Arts + Literature Laboratory and FlakPhoto Projects for sponsoring the event.

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  • In all the most important ways, a meal at the newly reopened Greenbush Bar tastes and feels exactly like it did before the iconic spot on Regent Street was sold. There’s still the cramped split staircase that ends in doors that open right into the dining room — and often into the back of someone waiting for a seat. The ceilings are low and covered in Christmas lights year-round, there are no reservations (they don’t even publish a phone number) and the bourbon list is several pages longer than the menu itself. Most importantly, the pizza toppings are fresh and plentiful and sit on a crust that is thin, with crispy edges and a slight chew toward the center. On a recent Saturday night visit, the atmosphere carried the same mix of cozy supper club and comfortable corner bar that made this a neighborhood favorite and Madison staple since it first opened in 1993. Samuel Brown, who owns Leopold's Books Bar Caffè and Fabiola's Spaghetti House & Deli farther west on Regent, bought the bar from original owners Anna Alberici and Gretchen Hils after it closed in July and had it reopened by mid-August. Brown said he changed little about the bar and restaurant, which are housed in a building that dates to 1922, one of the original buildings of the old Greenbush neighborhood. “It's a beloved institution for a reason, and it doesn't really need me to muck with it too much,” he said. “Being able to preserve a place where there's so much memory connected to it is really special. To lose a historic space like that would be a tremendous crime. Regent Street without Greenbush Bar would not be Regent Street.” The pizza, he said, is what has kept people coming back, noting Greenbush was using fresh, local ingredients on its pies before many people had ever heard of the farm-to-table movement. He bought the pizza recipe from Alberici as part of the sale. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eVA6NnZf.

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  • Layla Merrifield isn’t new to the world of technical colleges. Before she started as the leader of the Wisconsin Technical College System, Merrifield served as the executive director of an association that represents the trustees of Wisconsin’s 16 technical colleges. Merrifield previously worked as a fiscal analyst for the Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau and then as a policy advisor for the state’s technical college system. “It certainly helped having the lay of the land,” Merrifield told the Cap Times. Merrifield discussed her priorities, the tech system’s upcoming state budget request and how she’ll approach conversations with lawmakers in a recent interview with the Cap Times. 

    Wisconsin's tech college leader seeks more state funding, student aid

    Wisconsin's tech college leader seeks more state funding, student aid

    captimes.com

  • Talk to enough small business owners in Madison and the name Kent Yan is bound to come up. The 39-year-old owner of Plato Commercial Real Estate has helped find homes for countless restaurants, day care centers, nonprofits and more, including Mishqui Peruvian Cuisine, Little Tibet, Anesis Family Therapy, Affordable Dental Care, Savanna Beauty Supply, the Wisconsin Latino Chamber of Commerce and the Latino Academy of Workforce Development, Inc. Yan represents both landlords and tenants in sales and leases. Many of his clients are entrepreneurs of color with little startup capital, people who’ve had to “scrape money together and borrow money from family and friends … and work on a shoestring,” he said. Finding a place that fits their vision and budget can sometimes take more than a year. In a typical year, Yan does around 60 paid deals. Last year was his “craziest,” with around 75 deals. But his work involves more than finding properties and closing deals. He also educates clients about the various grants and loans the city of Madison offers to help eligible businesses renovate or purchase their properties, and sometimes helps them fill out applications. He’s even started teaching clients the basics of investing, urging them to let their hard-earned profits grow. “Before it was basically like, ‘Let’s get the cash, buy the house and buy the cars,’” Yan said. “Now it’s more like, ‘OK, what do we do with this? How are Caucasian business owners able to do what they do, and not work as much at the place?’” It’s that kind of support his clients remember. “I always tell Ken, ‘You should get some kind of award from the city for helping all the underrepresented community people,’” said Namgyal Ponsar, co-owner of Little Tibet restaurant. Yan talked with the Cap Times about rising rents and the benefits of investing business profits.

    This Madison dealmaker aims to build wealth for entrepreneurs of color

    This Madison dealmaker aims to build wealth for entrepreneurs of color

    captimes.com

  • President Jack E. Daniels III’ last day leading Madison Area Technical College is quickly approaching, but he isn’t winding down. In his final weeks on the job, Daniels said he’s focused on efforts to build a child care center in a former fire station next to the Goodman South Campus. On Thursday, he’ll celebrate this semester’s graduates at a ceremony in Madison. Daniels said he was raised to believe, “You carry on your service to the end.” That conclusion will come at the end of the year when Daniels retires. He’s served since 2013 when he became Madison College’s first Black president. The search for Daniels’ successor recently started over after reaching the finalist stage. Tim Casper, the college's executive vice president of student affairs, will serve as interim president. Daniels said he’s leaving Madison College in a “strong” position and he supports Casper “150%.” Presidential searches are “difficult” and “intense” processes, Daniels said. “It can be stressful on either side of the equation,” he said. “But I have full confidence that the board will select an individual who can take this institution to the next level — can build on what has been.” Aside from preparing for the holidays, Daniels said he’s still figuring out what he’ll do next. “There’s some opportunities that I may look at, like consultations,” he said. “I’m going to let that come to me, so we’ll see how that goes.” Daniels reflected on his time at Madison College in a recent interview with the Cap Times.

    Departing Madison College president reflects on child care, DEI needs

    Departing Madison College president reflects on child care, DEI needs

    captimes.com

  • Two and a half years after Mineral Point residents formed a task force to help locals and out-of-towners open businesses in their historic downtown, the group says its efforts are paying off. At least four new businesses have opened, and another five are in the works, said Ald. Keith Burrows, who serves as a liaison between the business-promoting group and city government. That includes Mineral Point’s only bookstore, a cooking school and a locally-owned grocery store set to open next year — three years after the only grocery store in town closed. It’s tricky to say exactly what brings about a new business, but the owners of several new businesses said Mineral Point's task force helped answer their most pressing questions as they were getting started. Mineral Point is the third oldest city in Wisconsin. Founded in 1827, it became a destination for immigrant miners from Cornwall, England, when lead and zinc deposits were discovered shortly thereafter. Today, it’s got around around 2,600 residents and a main street peppered with art galleries that draw a steady stream of tourists.  But in 2022, the city had lost its only grocery store and hardware store after longtime owners retired. That's when residents started the New Business Task Force.

    Mineral Point lost its only grocery. It’s getting a new one and more

    Mineral Point lost its only grocery. It’s getting a new one and more

    captimes.com

  • This year, the Goodman Community Center on Madison’s east side plans to distribute Thanksgiving meals to over 4,000 families. One mobile community event, Cranksgiving, adds donations to the bounty with a planned bike ride across Madison. Cranksgiving celebrated its return to Madison for the eighth consecutive year this past weekend. The annual bike ride and grocery store scavenger hunt brought out a flock of cyclists from across the city. “I love this, it’s my favorite time of year,” said William Calkins, the host of Cranksgiving Madison, in a motivational speech on the steps of the state Capitol Sunday morning. “I’ve done this for so long and put a huge, crazy amount of effort into it at the beginning,” Calkins said. “I needed this thing to be the craziest thing ever. But really, all you need is a bike (and) a bag, and spend as much money as you want to donate. It’s very simple.” In Madison, about 200 people showed up to ride bikes to nearly a dozen grocery stores on the manifest, purchasing food to donate at each one. The manifest began with Metcalfe’s Hilldale and Whole Foods on the west side and progressed to stores on Park Street, East Washington Avenue, Williamson Street and Shopko Drive. The final stop is Goodman Community Center, to drop donations. 

    Turkey circuit: Madison’s Cranksgiving is a food drive by cyclists

    Turkey circuit: Madison’s Cranksgiving is a food drive by cyclists

    captimes.com

  • Madison’s public golf courses broke records this year thanks to a short winter and a pandemic-related spike in interest, city officials said. The number of rounds played at city-owned courses was the highest it’s been since at least the early 1990s, said Dave Vetrovec, golf director for the city’s Parks Division. Parks officials reported nearly 160,000 rounds had been played, resulting in a record revenue of around $5.5 million. The city operates four golf courses — The Glen, Monona, Odana Hills and Yahara Hills — where for around $20-$30 for a 9-hole round anyone can play. This year, the weather favored golfers, with city courses opening on Feb. 25, the earliest opening date on record, Vetrovec said. Interest has been trending up since the COVID-19 pandemic began, he said. “We think a number of folks either found or reconnected to the game during this time when being outside and distanced was needed,” Vetrovec said. Sue Shapcott, PhD has been teaching golf in Madison for about 10 years. Her company, Change Golf Instruction, contracts with the city to provide all its golf lessons, which often serve those who are newer to the sport. Shapcott said interest has continued to grow in the years since the pandemic as people who’ve taken up golfing in recent years start to get their friends interested, too. In 2022, 107 novices signed up for lessons. This year, that number was 209. “So we've basically doubled how many people were introducing the game at city courses,” said Shapcott.

    Madison golf courses on the upswing after years of financial struggles

    Madison golf courses on the upswing after years of financial struggles

    captimes.com

  • At 81, retired teacher Christine Cannon is ready to sell her house and move into the senior condo of her dreams. The only problem? That condo doesn’t exist yet. She and her husband, Ted, 86, already downsized once, leaving a two-story raised ranch house in Middleton 12 years ago for a stair-free, one-story house nearby. Their current place has a bigger yard than the old one, a plus for Ted, an avid gardener who maintains the half-acre lot himself. Cannon knows her husband won’t always be able to handle all the mowing and yard work. But she’s not interested in the sorts of assisted living or nursing facilities her friends and relatives have moved into. “So many people just sit around and kind of waste away,” said Cannon, who swims three mornings a week, volunteers for the Middleton-Cross Plains Performing Arts Center and goes for nature walks with her husband. “They don’t develop their minds and bodies through activities.” Instead, she has her eye on the backyard of a 19th century farmhouse on Madison’s west side, where nurse Karin Krause and family educator Paula Reif MA, BCC, CFLE, CFLC are working to build an “intentional intergenerational neighborhood” they say would be the first of its kind in Wisconsin. The 19-unit development, slated to break ground next year at 1115 S. High Point Road, would adjoin Krause and Reif’s existing four-bed assisted living home and be part of the same nonprofit, HOPE & A FUTURE III INC. The new buildings would include 15 independent living condos for people 55 and up, four rental units of “workforce housing,” a preschool and an adult day care. The project offers a new approach to caring for Wisconsin’s soaring senior population as existing facilities struggle to keep up. Founders hope the model could be replicated across the country. Their plan has drawn support from scholars, housing officials and racial justice advocates, who say it could help kids in need, free up homes elsewhere for prospective home buyers and combat pervasive loneliness, which the U.S. Surgeon General has called an epidemic. But first, Hope & A Future’s founders will need to raise another $3.5 million to build their $10 million dream.

    Assisted living alternative? Madison project aims to prove a new model

    Assisted living alternative? Madison project aims to prove a new model

    captimes.com

  • A new wine and cupcake lounge is on track to have a grand opening in February, led by Milwaukee entrepreneur Dr. Shakkiah M. Curtis, DBA. Curtis owns a cycling studio, Spinn MKE, and leads The Pink Hustle, designed to support primarily Black and brown women entrepreneurs in tech-driven industries. Curtis was a consultant on the Black Business Hub in Madison, which opened at 2352 S. Park St. this past August. Curtis worked with Urban League of Greater Madison’s Ruben Anthony, Jr. She said she was “just making suggestions of what he should bring in the building. It became a challenge — ‘Why don’t you do it?’” Tailer Nicole Wine and Cupcakes, a lofty space with gold and copper accents, plans to have seven wines on tap, more by the bottle, Cognac and non-alcoholic options alongside charcuterie boards and cupcakes baked by local entrepreneurs. If all the permits fall into place, Curtis hopes to have “walking bartenders” who stroll the Black Business Hub during events. “We’ve already partnered with a couple of Black sororities that are looking to book things,” Curtis said. “We partner with young professionals, so we already have a slate of calendar events. “The goal is to continuously open that space for communities,” she added. “If you’re holding a networking event, we’re the ones you call.”

    Wine and cupcake lounge to open in Madison's Black Business Hub

    Wine and cupcake lounge to open in Madison's Black Business Hub

    captimes.com

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