The SummerTimes issue is out!

SummerTimes is an annual Isthmus tradition but associate editor Linda Falkenstein, the mastermind behind the issue, outdid herself this time. Paoli, the charming town just 30 minutes or so from Madison, is the focus of this year’s edition.

Linda wrote a wonderful piece chronicling both the history of the town and how it has become a true tourist destination, with new shops, restaurants, a taphouse, and the opening of Seven Acre Dairy, which boasts a boutique hotel, fine dining restaurant and cafe.

She quotes Lori McGowan, who succinctly sums up one of Paoli’s draws, despite its newfound popularity. “It’s not pretentious,” says McGowan, who owns the historic Mill building there.

Linda expounds on that: “There’s a casual feeling about Paoli. It’s in the way its businesses sit, clustered along County Highway PB where the Sugar River passes through. It’s not the tidy Main Street of nostalgia — it’s all a little more slapdash, rustic, organic.”

More on the Paoli package: I write about how the town has long been a favored destination for cyclists. In fact, as Eric Maves, owner of 1 OAK Bicycles, puts it, Paoli has been like “a little secret that the cyclists let everybody know about.” It’s now possible to ride almost the entire way from Madison on a paved path, and some local residents are looking to secure easements along the last stretch — Sun Valley Parkway — to make that final leg more safe.

Robin Shepard writes about the Hop Garden Brewery Taproom, a lovely spot by the river with outdoor seating and lots of free music. This should give you an idea of the vibe: “We’ve tried to make this like having a beer in your backyard, only you don’t have to do all the clean-up,” says owner Rich Joseph.

And Ricki Millevolte writes about Landmark Creamery, which in 2017, four years after its founding, opened a shop in an empty storefront on Paoli Road and built aging caves for their cheese in the back. Co-owned by Anna Landmark and Anna Thomas Bates, the two are now also making butter for Seven Acre Dairy, their neighbor down the road, and will also be making ice cream in the future.

In other content: UW-Madison student and Isthmus freelancer Liam Beran has a scoop with his report on an internal briefing from UW-System that includes recommendations for downsizing the remaining branch campuses. (UW System president Jay Rothman above.) Liam also reports on Peter Bernegger, an election denialist, who has filed some 20 cases against Wisconsin election officials. Although Bernegger has had no success in the courts with his claims, he is facing a criminal charge himself for unlawfully modifying a subpoena.

Staff writer Eric Murphy reports on why transportation planners do not see the Webcrafters site as a potential train station location and on construction plans for a new northeast bike path.

He also writes about a west-side stroll he took with city of Madison planners to get a better understanding of their land use vision for the city, and reports on the continued opposition to an apartment project proposed for Old Sauk Road. The redevelopment proposal is slated to go before the Plan Commission June 10.