Orchard Ridge Neighborhood Association
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NOT an HOA. We also publish The Grapevine; our quarterly neighborhood newsletter. We are a social and civic group, not an HOA.
The Orchard Ridge Neighborhood Association works to foster a strong sense of community among Orchard Ridge area neighbors in an effort to better our neighborhood and city, Madison, Wisconsin. The Orchard Ridge Neighborhood Association (ORNA) is an active group of local residents committed to developing a sense of community among neighbors through social events and advocacy for issues that affect the neighborhood. Our goals include:
-Creating a sense of community, security and friendship among all our neighbors.
-Providing engaging and fun events for people of all ages in our community.
-Hosting the Orchard Ridge Garden & Stewardship Club and the Orchard History Keepers Club.
-Being active on issues of mutual concern that affect the quality of our lives and the future of the neighborhood.
-Improving the quality of area schools, parks, transportation, and other neighborhood amenities.
Annual ORNA events include:
-Fourth of July Picnic & Parade, Fall Fest, Winter Social, Easter Egg Hunt, and Neighborhood Garage Sale.
09/24/2026
At the end of August, three members of ORNA's Garden & Stewardship Club did a walk-through of Orchard Ridge Valley Park with our alderperson Yanette Figueroa Cole to discuss the future of the park. The area has clean, mowed paths that travel through meadows and a wetland that the city has earmarked for increased water retention capacity. Figueroa Cole then introduced us to Mike Sturm, the project manager for development plans for Orchard Ridge Valley Park and Flad Park, as our contact going forward. He has reached out to City Engineering for more information about our concerns including the timing of the State beltline highway project, the City’s floodway storage plans, and recent clearing work at Orchard Ridge Valley Park. The GSC looks forward to working with Mike to keep these parks vibrant and habitable for wildlife and our community. On this particular walk we saw a hawk, many grasshoppers, crickets, butterflies and moths, mature oaks, Queen Anne's lace, goldenrod, and milkweed among other species.
09/15/2026
National Good Neighbor Day is Monday September 28th! Orchard Ridge is celebrating with a neighborhood scavenger hunt. Come to Flad Park from 4:30-6:00pm. Receive a map of the neighborhood, then walk or bike the scavenger hunt! Our neighbors make Orchard Ridge an amazing place to call home!
09/11/2026
Feel like a walk to lunch? How about an all beef "Depot Dog" from the hot dog stand in the entrance of our local Home Depot? Exuberant service and exquisite dogs -- and Home Depot is dog-friendly so bring your pup along too!
09/08/2026
FREE IN-STORE KIDS WORKSHOPS AT THE HOME DEPOT - VERONA ROAD. Join the fun at 9 a.m. the First Saturday of Every Month. Next up on October 3rd: Witch Candy Box. Sign up at https://www.homedepot.com/c/kids-workshop
Ridge Neighborhood Association
08/25/2026
Looking for some local late-summer and autumn fun? Check these out-many are ORNA supporters!
08/07/2026
Roadside dessert stand open until 6pm tonight on Reetz Road! Young entrepreneurs Molly, Nathan and Sophie are selling homemade cookies, brownies, and rice crispy treats for $1 each! 🍪👍
08/03/2026
Awesome breezy ORNA evening at the Madison Mallards! Met some new neighbors, ate excellent food, enjoyed the ballgame, posed with Maynard, marveled at Maverick the bat dog, and enjoyed the various audience-participation contests. Truly a fun and special time together for the whole family! Thanks Jake and the Madison Mallards! .com
07/24/2026
Music tonight at Cambridge Winery Madison Tasting Room.
07/21/2026
THIS! "David Hoffmann is Investing Millions to Preserve Local Newspapers” from the July 3rd Wisconsin State Journal! Below is an excerpt on the importance, value and role of community journalism and it hits just right. ORNA has the Grapevine newsletter and a public page, and is always on the lookout for stories of interest from YOU! Feel free to message us at any time with what’s exciting to you in Orchard Ridge, what makes you proud, events on the horizon, etc.
The Motivation to Save Newspapers
Five years ago, Hoffmann wanted to read about the athletic exploits of his grandchildren in the Chicago area. Unfortunately, that type of local sports coverage wasn’t as plentiful as he had expected, Hoffmann remembers. He found out that the
Pioneer Press in Glenview, one of Chicago’s northern suburbs, had recently closed up shop.
“It made me realize what that meant for many small communities across America,” he says. “The newspaper builds the fabric of a community, celebrates it. What’s going to take the place of that?”
Hoffmann believes that sense of belonging that he remembers from growing up in a small town is essential to the country’s future. “What will we become without it?” he asks. “A country of driverless cars and not knowing our neighbors and our kids sitting there playing video games? Is that what we want?
“In today’s transient world,” he continues, “people can live wherever they want to live, but I’ve got to believe where you’re living, you want to like it, or you’re going to find a way to move someplace else. I think people want to be proud of where they live. And there’s no better way to make that happen than with a newspaper.”
The article also notes that "He believes businesses and newspapers need to support each other to thrive.” We firmly concur, and are constantly seeking to partner with our local businesses of every size for our mutual benefit.
Special thanks to Mal at Meadowridge Library for finding and sharing the PDF of this story with me.
Photo credit: Homesight.org
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