Archive for the 'Community Partners and Projects' Category

These events are amazing! Every month Sustain Dane hosts an evening to gather, meet new people and learn about important and relevant issues in the Madison area. This month is no exception.

This month Sustain Dane’s Eco Salon presents: “Schools. Food? Gardens!” An evening discussion about the growing importance of recognizing good food in our public schools.

March Speakers include:

• Madison School District Superintendent Dan Nerad
• Megan Cain who manages East High’s food/garden program
• Jay Affeldt representing Badger Rock Middle School

Thursday, March 10th
301 S. Few Street, Madison WI
Doors open at 6 pm, program begins at 7 pm
Beer & wine provided along with engaging discussion

We work with many Madison area first time home buyers. We sit and drink coffee or tea together and our clients tell us their dreams in a home. With first time home buyers we usually hear things like: We are tired of sharing walls with neighbors, we want more privacy and we want to paint the walls whatever colors we want. We want to invite our friends over to to grill on the deck. And of course:

We want a yard. A place to let the dogs play. A place to garden. A place to grow food, plant flowers. A place to compost or build a chicken coop. 

So we help them buy their first home. They get their yard. And then what?

They love their new home but don’t know what to do now that they have the yard. We have heard it many times. And now in perfect partnership with Sustain Dane we are excited to bring you a springtime seminar:

MY IDEAL BACKYARD: Turn your yard into a sustainable oasis. 

Part book club, part get-your-hands-dirty workshop, these series of interactive classes teach how to put together a sustainable backyard. Learn the building and gardening skills necessary to install a raised bed, to put in a water catchment system, and to build a chicken coop—and then make them happen!

Throughout the program, participants meet with experts and practitioners to learn the reasons for backyard gardening—and then will take those skills to their own homes.

Each week, participants meet at one person’s backyard and install that week’s lesson.

Limited availability so sign up today!

DATE & TIMES

• Thursday, March 17th, Madison Children’s Museum, 6:30 – 8 pm
  Initial design: Kate Hieber-Cobb, Madison Area Permaculture Guild
• Saturday, March 26th, Madison Children’s Museum 1—2:30 pm
  Review Backyard Designs
• Saturday, April 2nd, 1 —4 pm
  Install garden beds: Megan Blodgett, Willy Street Co-op
• Saturday, April 9th,1 — 4 pm. Madison Children’s Museum
  Introduction to Chicken Coops: Julie King, Rooftop Ramble Coordinator, Madison’s Children Museum
• Saturday, April 16th, 1 — 4 pm
  Install a chicken coop
• Saturday, April 23rd, 1 — 4 pm
  Install water conversation and irrigation systems: Jim Guither, rain barrel program
• Saturday, April 30th, 1— 4 pm
  Worm bins and bee-keeping: Kiera Mulvey, Madison-area Agriculture Supported Coalition
• Saturday, May 7th, 1— 4 pm
  Canning, jarring and enjoying your backyard: Sustain Dane staff

SIGN UP TODAY! Or contact Phil Busse at Sustain Dane with further questions: phil@sustaindane.org, 608.819.0689

Take the kids out dancing!

There is so much to do on New Year’s Eve and I could list a number of hot spots in Madison to celebrate a brand new year but I’m a mom with two young boys and without a doubt our favorite event is U.S. Bank’s New Year’s Party. (If you really are just looking for that list of hot spots…this link will take you there).

Thank you for letting me take this moment to say THANK YOU all for a great year in 2010. Everyone on our team at Alvarado Real Estate Group has been blessed with amazing clients. And we are blessed to work with each other, to learn together, help others and do our part in creating strong communities, healthier homes and inspiring change for a better planet. So let’s celebrate Madison style!

U.S. Bank Eve’s fireworks finale will take place over Lake Monona at 10:05. Best viewing is from the Lake Monona bike path between Monona Terrace and the Lake Shore.

Madison’s Best Family Friendly New Year’s Highlights – for more info on tickets click here.

U.S. Bank Plaza – Downtown Madison

1 South Pinckney
6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Concessions provided by Sunprint

• Main Street Wisdom 6:00 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.
• Kiddie countdown with hats, horns and confetti 7:30 p.m.
• Complimentary 20th U.S. Bank Eve birthday brownie and cup of hot chocolate in the Sunprint Café at our Madtown Party. 6:00 until supplies last!
• Get a temporary airbrush tattoo or balloon hat creation, then step into our photobooth to record your New Year’s look 6:00 – 9:30 p.m.
• Design your New Year’s savings goal visor and START to save with a new piggy bank 6:00 until supplies last!
• See the Spec-can-ular, eco-friendly holiday tree
• Take a tour back in time on the Holiday Trolley, which leaves every 15 minutes beginning at 6:30 p.m. at our Webster Street entrance. Last one boards at 9:30 p.m.

Monona Terrace

6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
1 John Nolen Drive
Concessions Available

     Grand Terrace

• Truly Remarkable Loon 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

     Hall of Ideas

• Learn how to Tango, Conga, Salsa and Merengue from 6:05 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

     Madison Ballroom

• Rick Wilcox’s Magic Show at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

     Mid Level

• UW Space Place Photo Show
• Fly a US Bank Plane

     Olin Terrace

• View wonders of the night sky on the Olin Terrace through telescopes operated by UW Space Place volunteers.

     Exhibit Hall

• Gomeroke: Kid’s karaoke with the Gomers Band from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
• Big Inflatables
• Obstacle Course
• Little Bounces
• Take a ride on the Circus Train
• Enjoy fun and games in Madison Parks hands-on village
• Take part in our 9:30 p.m. Balloon Drop Countdown!

Madison Children’s Museum

6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (Madison Children’s Museum website)
100 North Hamilton

Join a sing-a-long led by Ken Lonnquist at 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the 2nd Floor Celebrations Room.

• Make a masterpiece on MCM’s new paint wall.
• Play in the shadow room.
• Be part of creative crafting in MCM’s permanent, collaborative collage.
• Get your face painted, walk through the rooftop garden or enjoy refreshments at Bean Sprouts Café.
• Countdown to our early New Year’s in the main hall at 8:30 p.m.

Olbrich Botanical Gardens

5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (Olbrich website)
3330 Atwood Avenue

• Holiday Train
• Flower Show
• Bolz Conservatory
• Temporary Tattoos
• Henry Vilas Zoo Animals in the Conservatory
• Wii and Xbox Game Station
• Strolling magician Tom Krzystof
• Games and prizes
• Color your Savings Goal and decorate your new piggy bank, while supplies last!

Prairie Athletic Club and Sun Prairie Ice Arena – New Site!

5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (Prairie Athletic Club website)
1010 N. Bird St/655 Athletic Way

Ice Skating – Bring your own skates, rent for just $2, or rent for free with a donation of two non-perishable food items for the food pantry.

• Swimming
• Gym Games
• Temporary Tattoos
• Bouncy Castle
• Cakewalk
• Design your New Year’s Savings Goal
• Snakes Alive! in Studio 2 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Concessions and raffle to benefit Sun Prairie Youth Ice Hockey Association’s Capital Campaign to build a new ice rink

Keva Sports Center

 8312 Forsythia Street, Middleton (Keva website)
5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

• Open play sports including soccer, football, yard games, tumbling, parachute, basketball and more!
• Concessions
• Hats and Horns
• Temporary Tattoos
• Raffle
• Inflatables for tots and pre-teens from Fun Play
• Design a cookie or your New Year’s savings goal (while supplies last)
• Coat Check and Cubbies Available

So where will you be? Wherever you end up on New Year’s Eve – and even if you stay home and get the kids to bed early please know that we will be wishing you all a Happy Happy New Year! We hope that 2011 will be full of happiness, peace, friendships, laughter and lot’s of LOVE! Best wishes from your friends at the Alvarado Real Estate Group!

perfect photo thanks to Rachel Best Henley!

It is time to remember to SHOP LOCAL! And that isn’t hard to do in Madison this year as there are plenty of great opportunities in our wonderful city. My favorite place to find local shops is at the Dane Buy Local website. Although, even easier, is checking out these great events that bring many local businesses together in one place for OUR convenience! Love it! 

Shopping Local for the Holidays

-          Dane Buy Local promotions, 11/19 – 12/31
-          Anthology Holiday Craft Lounge, 11/27
-          Arboretum Sale, 11/28
-          The Fair Trade Holiday Festival, 12/4
-          Glitter Workshop’s Annual Craftacular, 12/11

Dane Buy Local Businesses Reward You When You Think Local First

Visit and appreciate the unique locally owned businesses in our area this holiday season, and you could be a big winner! From November 19th – December 31st, register to win prizes at 62 participating Dane Buy Local businesses.

You could win the Grand Prize of a local getaway at The Madison Concourse Hotel, with dinner, an overnight stay, and two tickets to a Forward Theater play! Over $6,000 in additional prizes will be given away, including gift certificates and merchandise! Look for the drawing boxes in locally owned businesses, and enter each time you visit. Visit more participating businesses to enter more often. See the map here for all 62 entry sites. We All Win When You Think Local First.

Anthology’s Holiday Craft Lounge

Downtown Madison shopping now features a great holiday shopping event in the lobby of the Overture Center. You’ll find 20 artists hosting from the Madison area. Mark your calendar for Nov. 27, from 10am to 3pm, at 201 State St in the Overture Center. Admission is a $1 donation or a can of food, both of which go to Second Harvest. The “make and take” crafty projects cost between $5 and $25. Kits will also be available if shoppers don’t have time to linger.

Close to Home: Arboretum Local Products Expo

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum will be hosting its second annual “Close to Home: Arboretum Local Products Expo,” celebrating sustainability, recycling and locally produced goods on Sunday November 28 from 10 am to 4 pm at the Visitor Center, 1207 Seminole Highway in Madison. Admission and parking are free.

Art, edibles and “green” gifts will take center stage, showcasing local enterprise and creativity that’s “Close to Home.” This second annual event has doubled in size with more than 40 vendors. New this year, shoppers can have custom gift baskets created on site incorporating their purchases, along with the option to have the baskets mailed.

Fair Trade Holiday Festival

This year’s Fair Trade Holiday Festival is located at the Monona Terrace on December 4th, 9 - 4 pm and features more than 50 vendors of fair trade goods. Visit calamadison.org for details.

Glitter Workshop’s Annual Craftacular

This year the Glitter Workshop’s Craftacular sale will be held at the East Side Club, 3735 Monona Drive on December 11th from 10-5pm. Featuring more than 40 vendors this is a great place to buy gifts for your loved ones and help support local businesses.

Some of these events offer more information here.

If you are ready for a BIG present you can jump in the market and buy a new home for your family – start your search here! Work with our local brokerage, The Alvarado Real Estate Group and we’ll provide friendly, professional and highly experienced Realtors to help you! 

This is the opportunity you have been waiting for!  Own for less than renting, and build equity in this freshly renovated duplex presented by Darcy Haber, Alvarado Real Estate Group!  Both spacious units offers many green and energy efficient features: all brand new energy star low E windows, new roof, open concept living room/dining room area, wood-burning fireplace, screened-in porch, full basement, fenced yard and a one-car garage. Owner’s unit also has a new stove and refrigerator, a bonus room in the basement, all new flooring, and a tile entry. Value Range Price: $210,000 – $215,000, for mls data info and more photos, click here.

This property is owned, and has been renovated by, Project Home and is made available to purchase through the NOAH program (Neighbor-owned Affordable Housing).  See guidelines below.

• Each unit has:
  • 3BRs, 1.5 baths. Owner’s unit = 1453 square feet
  • Screened-in porch with fenced backyard
  • Private entrances
  • Attached 1-car garage
  • A one year home warranty!

Traceway Property Features

$70,000 renovation just completed including:

• New energy star low E windows
• New roof
• Owner’s unit features all new flooring, new countertops, refrigerator, stove, microwave vent and new water heater
• Brand new fireplaces and flue liners in each unit

Neighborhood Features

• Around the corner from Aldo Leopold Elementary School (no street crossings)
• 2 different shopping centers within a half mile include restaurants, groceries, bakery and more
• Aldo Leopold Park and playground one house away!

Buyer  Eligibility and other Guidelines

Buyer must be a first-time homebuyer, and must owner-occupy one unit while renting out the other. Buyer must be under 120% of Dane County median income which equals $96,000 a year for a family of four. Subsidies available for lower-income buyers. Renter must be under 50% of the Dane County median income and rent on the unit cannot exceed $847 per month.

Please contact Darcy Haber to schedule a showing and for more information: 608.358.6180, Darcy@TheAlvaradoGroup.com

FREE Foreclosure Legal Clinic in Madison is now available for any homeowner who is facing foreclosure now. As foreclosure and short sale experts in the real estate world, our team talks to a lot of people who are concerned with their ability to continue to pay their mortgage. Whether their adjustable rate mortgages are coming due or someone in the home has recently lost a job or a divorce is causing financial stress; there are many reasons that a looming foreclosure is a reality. Our website has great information as you start to understand what your options are and there are great local organizations that are here to help too. One of our favorite resources is the Dane County Foreclosure Legal Clinic. 

Madison WI Foreclosure Legal Clinic

DATES: 1st and 3rd Thursdays of every month
TIME: 11am – 1pm (This is a walk in clinic so come when you can)
LOCATION: City-County Building, Room 354 (3rd floor), 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Dane County homeowners facing foreclosure have access to a free legal clinic staffed by volunteer lawyers and law students. The clinic operates on a walk-in basis, no appointments are necessary. 

The purpose of the clinic is to provide homeowners in foreclosure with basic legal information. Homeowners who have been served with a foreclosure lawsuit can receive help preparing a written response, which the homeowner can then file with the court. The goal of the program is to increase access to the legal system. A recent sampling of court filings shows that in 85% of cases in Dane County homeowners face foreclosure without the benefit of legal counsel. The clinic will help those who are unrepresented become more engaged in the process. Experience shows that homeowners who engage in the process early have better opportunities for a positive outcome. 

The Foreclosure Answer Clinic is a collaborative effort of the Dane County Foreclosure Prevention Taskforce, the Dane County Bar Association and the UW Law School, with grant funding provided by the State Bar of Wisconsin and other support provided by Dane County.

The Dane County Foreclosure Prevention Taskforce is a coalition of public agencies, non-profit service providers and other community partners working together to develop sustainable alternatives to foreclosure in Dane County. Sara and Carlos Alvarado are proud to be a part of and support the Dane County Foreclosure Prevention Taskforce.

Visit the Dane County Foreclosure website: www.daneforeclosurehelp.org or contact Carlos Alvarado at 608-438-6757 or carlos@thealvaradogroup.com for further questions.

What an amazing evening hosted by The Business Forum! And a big THANK YOU to Kristin Verstegen for nominating Sara Alvarado and for her leadership within the Business Forum.

Governor Doyle and First Lady Jessica Doyle with Sara and Carlos Alvarado at the ATHENA Young Professional Award Night

ATHENA Young Professional Award Program, Madison WI
 
One of our own, Sara Alvarado, Broker/Owner of Alvarado Real Estate Group was one of the 19 nomimees (these women area awesome!) for The ATHENA Young Professional Award 2010. The program was launched by ATHENA International in 2007. It honors emerging community leaders whose professional and personal achievements make them ideal role models for young women.

The nomination and selection criteria set by ATHENA International, which administers the ATHENA Award® Program worldwide includes both men and women between the ages of 25 and 40. The criteria are:

• The individual is an emerging leader who demonstrates excellence, creativity and initiative in his or her business or profession.
• The individual clearly serves as a role model for young women, personally and professionally.
• The individual provides valuable service by contributing time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community.

Sara is dedicated to building strong communities through education, vibrant neighborhoods and a passion for making a difference.

For the LOVE of REAP we present Pie Palooza! Sunday November 7th at the Goodman Community Center.

We are lucky to have REAP: Research, Education, Action and Policy on Food Group (REAP) is building a regional food system that is healthful, just, and both environmentally and economically sustainable. And to keep REAP strong there are great fundraiser events throughout the year that help bring our community together to educate and celebrate all that REAP is doing and engage its members. Pie Palooza is a Madison favorite that many of our clients rave about! With so many Madison residents harvesting their own food in their backyard gardens and their passion for eating locally grown food, the members of REAP have created a powerful community. We all look forward to gathering together for events like Pie Palooza. Much of this information comes directly from REAP’s website…
 
Pie Palooza is a delicious Sunday brunch including:

• a choice of two slices of scrumptious sweet or savory pies,  baked by area chefs using local products
• a farm-fresh salad
• and beverage.   

All proceeds from Pie Palooza support REAP Food Group programs, which promote the inclusion of healthy, local, sustainably grown foods in schools, restaurants, food stores and home kitchens. 

Here are the pies that will be available:
Bacon, Potato and Cheddar Quiche
Mushroom, Cheese and Herb Quiche
Greens, Fennel and Feta Pie with yeasted crust
Savory Autumn Vegetable Tart
Autumn Harvest Quiche w/squash, onion, parsinips, spinach, & sweet potatoes
Spicy Crawfish Cheesecake Pie
Mushroom Leek Asiago Strata
Bacon Lardon, Leek, Gruyere, Tomato Quiche
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse Pie
Bittersweet Chocolate and Pear Tart
Apple Crisp Cheesecake
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies w/cinnamon cream cheese
Local Raspberry-Almond Tart
Sweet Potato Pecan Pie
Hickory Nut Bourbon Caramel Pie
Cranberries and Cream
Apple Pie with Cheese Crust
Pumpkin Pie with hickory nuts and caramel
Chocolate Pecan Pie

*You can also buy a whole pumpkin or apple pie too! See website for pre order info. 

How do I get tickets for Madison’s Pie Palooza?Tickets are sold for three timed seatings to assure good selections and shorter lines for everyone.

Seating times are 9:30-10:30am, 10:30-11:30am, and 11:30am – 12:30 pm. Walk-ins welcome at 12:30 (and for other times if not already sold out.) Advance tickets are $16. Tickets at the door are $18. Purchase your tickets online.

We hope to see you there!

Alvarado Real Estate Group is committed to setting ourselves apart from the rest in a way that means something to us, in a way that not only helps our clients, but helps our planet Earth too. The homes we live in create a sacred place for our families…and that takes energy and resources. There are many ways we can make changes in our homes and lives that will not only increase our enjoyment but can also be less stressful on the planet.

One of the reasons we love Madison WI is the dedication the city has to sustainability at the city level. Madison has a Water Conservation and Sustainability Plan to reduce per capita water usage 20% by the year 2020. How amazing is that? And they can’t do it by themselves…the city needs us all to participate so they’ve created a wonderful program to help homeowners (and apartment building owners) to replace water wasting toilets (which can use up to 3 gallons of water with each flush) with an EPA WaterSense rated high efficiency toilet that only uses an average of 1.28 gallons of water per flush and they’ll send you an rebate up to $100!

How can Madison Homeowners save more water?

1)      Purchase a new toilet (anytime after January 1, 2009). The toilet model must be on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WaterSense list {click here for the list}.

2)      Submit the original receipt of the toilet and the application {click here for the application form}. Please remember to keep a copy of your receipt for your records. Send your receipt and application to: Madison Water Utility, Toilet Rebate Program, 119 East Olin Avenue, Madison, WI 53713.

3)      The City of Madison will send you a rebate of up to $100 for residential customers!

The City of Madison Toilet Rebate Program:

-You must be residential customers of the Madison Water Utility, and the installation address must be in the customer service area of the utility.

-You must live in single-family homes, condos, or apartments in buildings no larger than four units.

-Rebates are for replacement of existing larger-capacity toilets, and are not for new construction.  -The program is for only one rebate per household.

More details about installation, rebate details and disposal of old toilets can be found on the Madison Water Utility website">/0.jpg" alt="YouTube Preview Image" />.

Madison WI Event & Parade Info

Join us for the first annual Parade for the Planet and Sustainability Fair

12-4pm, Sunday, October 10, 2010 – State Street, Madison, Wisconsin

This parade is for you if you…

• Have worked to reduce your carbon footprint
• Are concerned about climate change
• Want to send a message to our leaders to enact policies reducing our use of carbon fuels
• Want to join with people across the globe to save our planet

Students, congregations, businesses, agencies, non-profits, neighborhoods, and families throughout the Madison area have already been taking many creative and determined steps to lower our carbon emissions.  We invite you to join the Parade! Organize a delegation from your group to celebrate your efforts and ask our leaders to increase theirs. Help us build a movement to stop climate change

Please contact Nathan Gorst at ngorst@gmail.com or visit the event website: www.paradefortheplanet.com

About 350.org

350.org is a global movement to stop climate change. Local members are organizing the Parade and Fair as part of the Global Work Party being held by 350.org on 10/10/10. (Read our mission statement.) Over the weekend of 10-10-10, citizens around the world will complete work projects and celebrate in their communities to show concern for the planet. Our government leaders will take note of the many ways we are all working to reduce our carbon emissions. Leaders will be encouraged to increase their own efforts to create policies and programs that will reduce the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million or less. Find out more about the Global Work Party at 350.org.

Madison’s Green Realtors

Alvarado Real Estate Group is committed to creating awareness and inspiring change for greener homes and living. As trained EcoBrokers we help our homebuyer clients understand homes from an energy and health related perspective as we tour and guide through the decision making process and we help our Seller clients differentiate their home from the competion. We also give our clients Green Home Care Packages when they move into their new homes and do our best to promote ways to create a more energy efficient and healthy living space for their families and for the planet. And as a local and independent Madison WI business we are able to create business policies and office standards with our values at the forefront. Whether it is saving paper, conserving energy or making decisions about our office space and furniture – we are committed to being innovative in every aspect of our business.