News

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from Fort HealthCare.

For 39 years, an honored holiday season tradition at Fort HealthCare is the Partners Love Light Tree project. Lights are purchased by community members and added to special trees surrounding Fort Memorial Hospital. The Love Lights Tree project began in 1985. It is a heartfelt way to honor loved ones who are amongst us (colored lights) or to memorialize those who have passed away (white lights). Every year, all monies raised through the Love Light Tree project help to fund special services and projects. 

In 2023, Love Lights campaign funds raised will be used to help subsidize the cost of the CareLine service for those who cannot afford it. CareLine is a medical personal emergency response service that allows subscribers to get emergency help 24/7 at the press of a button. Funds will also be used to support several healthcare scholarships for students and professionals in the community. 

Kari Behling, Fort HealthCare Volunteer Services Manager, states, “The CareLine Program is so important to our community. It allows individuals to remain in their homes and avoid losing their independence. It also provides peace of mind for their families and loved ones knowing that help can be accessed quickly.  For community members who have chronic health conditions and cannot afford this life-saving alert system, the funds raised will allow the Partners CareLine Program to provide FREE or reduced rates to qualifying clients.” 

Behling adds, “We also believe that providing scholarships to students and professionals seeking further education in healthcare is important because they are our future. We want to ensure that the people entering the healthcare field have resources available to pay for their education. Your contributions to these worthwhile projects will be greatly appreciated by the Partners and the many local people who will benefit.”

Purchasing Love Lights

Love Lights order forms are available at www.forthealthcare.com/lovelights, The form and payment can be sent through the mail or made directly through the website (there is a $5 minimum required for online donations, which automatically purchases two lights). Honor cards can be emailed to individuals to show that you’ve made a gift in their honor. Donations of $25 or more are recognized as Love Light Tree sponsors. To ensure you are properly recognized in this year’s sponsor and donor listings published in late December, Fort HealthCare Partners must receive your donations by December 6^th.

Love Lights Tree Lighting Ceremony 

The Love Lights Tree lighting ceremony will take place on Tuesday, December 5th, at 6:30 p.m. on the Sherman Avenue lawn in front of Fort Memorial Hospital in Fort Atkinson.

About Fort HealthCare and our Partners

Fort HealthCare is committed to improving the health and well-being of our communities, with a vision to be the healthiest community in Wisconsin. As the leading healthcare provider in the region, it is our goal to reach as many members of the community as possible with health and wellness messages, providing tools and resources to help individuals improve their health and quality of life while collaborating with several partners to positively improve the population’s health overall on a long-term basis.

As members of the Fort HealthCare Partners organization, Fort Memorial Hospital volunteers are an invaluable resource to the community and a vital part of any healthcare organization. Important roles filled by volunteers add a tremendous amount of value to Fort HealthCare’s services. Call 920-568-5276 or toll-free at 1-800-421-4677 ext. 5276 or visit FortHealthcare.com/volunteer to learn more. More information and donations for Love Lights Tree can be viewed at www.FortHealthCare.com/LoveLights. 

Chuck Owen & ReSurgence – 11/8/23 @7:30 p.m.

5-time GRAMMY nominee, Chuck Owen, unveils his latest musical project with this All-Star jazz septet!  Recognized internationally for his unique compositional voice, Chuck’s creative, evocative, and intensely personal compositions are steeped in the jazz tradition but draw liberally and playfully from an array of additional influences – classical, American folk/roots music, Latin, funk, and more!

ReSurgence (as the name implies) is largely culled from his acclaimed 19-piece Jazz Surge family.  The incredibly accomplished personnel (all Grammy nominees and leaders in their own right) includes: Kate McGarry – Voice, Sara Caswell – Violin, Corey Christiansen – Guitar, Danny Gottlieb, Drums, Mark Neuenschwander – Bass, Chuck Owen – Keyboards, Jack Wilkins – Saxophones.

Tickets are $28 when purchased online; an additional service fee applies if purchased at the door.

Young Auditorium serves as a presenting organization for the performing arts and as an educational and cultural center enriching the lives of regional communities. Tickets for any show can be purchased online, by calling the Box Office at (262) 472-2222, or in person. Ticket Services is located in the atrium of Greenhill Center of the Arts, 950 West Main Street, Whitewater, and they are open Monday-Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. There are two parking stalls in lot 1 that are for ticket purchasing. The Young Auditorium is adjacent to this building at 930 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190, and parking is always free during your event. To learn more, visit www.YoungAuditorium.com.

Whitewater College High Class of 1950 held their 73rd class reunion on October 18.

Pictured, standing, left to right are:

Tom Bray
Helen (Leiting) Kish/ Richards
Bob Stock

Seated

Joan (Weaver)  Bray
Cele (Larkin) Krahn

Not pictured

Joan (Heth) Maasz
Geraldine(Johnson) Traxler

Editor’s note: This submission is courtesy of Patty Tarpley.

City of Whitewater Common Council – Tuesday @ 6:30 p.m.
Agenda includes Discussion and possible action regarding motion to reconsider RFP for legal services to
retain an outside law firm to advise the Common Council on employee discipline and personnel matters not to exceed $10,000; Discussion and possible action regarding approval of the amended agreement for legal
services from von Briesen and Roper SC; Discussion and possible action regarding MOU/MSP with the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater for the Innovation Center to extend the contract date to June 30, 2024; Discussion and possible action regarding the Whitewater Aquatic Fitness Center lease agreement between the City of Whitewater and the Whitewater Unified School District; and Presentation of the 2024-2025 Budget, which includes $3,000,000 of general obligation debt for the library expansion/renovation. Closed session, followed by open session: 1) Discussion regarding complaints received by the Human Resources
Department and Discussion and possible action regarding the Whitewater Aquatic Fitness Center lease
agreement between the City of Whitewater and the Whitewater Unified School District.
Whitewater Municipal Building Community Room,
312 West Whitewater St., Whitewater, WI 53190
Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or telephone.
Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81780069924?pwd=AiRTEkIgZ3shxTX9mj7mcpo0mjxMjg.1pCVNp6YuTE9hM
kn
Or Telephone:
1 312 626 6799
Webinar ID: 817 8006 9924
Passcode: 679710

Daylight Savings Time ends this Sunday, November 5th at 2:00 a.m. In 2022 the U.S. Senate approved a bill known as the Sunshine Protection Act to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide. But the legislation stalled in the House. This year the Sunshine Protection Act was reintroduced, but so far it hasn’t even made as much progress as last year’s.

The Rock County Sheriff’s Office offers the following safety reminders to help you prepare for an emergency.

 Check household safety items
o Smoke detectors
o Carbon monoxide detectors
o Furnaces
o Wood burning stoves
o Fire extinguishers

Create or update emergency kits for home
and vehicle(s)
o Swap summer items for winter items
o Restock and check expiration dates
• Batteries
• Food
• First aid supplies

For more emergency preparedness tips, visit https://readywisconsin.wi.gov. You can also
follow Ready Wisconsin on Facebook and Twitter.

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

The summer of 2023 will be remembered as Whitewater’s Summer of Detours, as three of the primary routes in/out of the city were closed for significant periods of time. Sometime in the middle of the night on November 3, the detour signs for Highway 12 between Buckingham Road and County M (a primary route between Whitewater and Fort Atkinson) were finally taken down. All routes to Whitewater are now open! Actually the Highway 12 project was completed ahead of schedule, as originally it had been indicated that the road might be closed until nearly the end of the year.

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from The Whitewater Arts Alliance.

The Whitewater Arts Alliance invites everyone to attend its 2023 Members’ Show at the Cultural Arts Center in Whitewater. The show, which features 58 works of visual art in various media by 17 Whitewater Arts Alliance member-artists, opens Thursday,
November 2. A reception will be held Saturday, November 4 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. where light refreshments will be served.

Admission to the exhibit and its reception are free of charge, open to the public, and all are invited. The gallery is open Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12 p.m. (Noon) to 4pm. The exhibit runs from Thursday, November 2 through Sunday, December17, except for Thanksgiving week. The Cultural Arts Center is located at 402 W. Main Street in Whitewater, on the triangle next to the Birge Fountain.

Jeff McDonald, Whitewater Arts Alliance board member and 2023 Members’ Show CoChair, said “this is a great opportunity to sample the wonderful artwork created by visual artists in our community. The Whitewater area is fortunate to have such an abundance of talent. This is an excellent show!”

The Whitewater Arts Alliance believes art plays a significant role in transforming the cultural fabric. It brings people together, fosters dialogue and reflection, and creates a sense of pride and ownership.

Big thanks to our sponsors!
Lynn & Cheryl Binnie
Carole Scharinger
Kristen Burton
Charles Taggart
Virginia Coburn
Barb & Chuck Taylor
Kay Drexler
Roni & Richard Telfer
H. Gaylon & Hannah Greenhill
Pamela Van Doren
Dawn & Lyle Hunter

And all donors/patrons who wish to remain anonymous!

The mission of the Whitewater Arts Alliance is to support, promote, and develop the
arts as an essential and integral part of our community.

Editor’s note: The following announcement was posted on October 26 by Chancellor Corey A. King.

• The State Building Commission has approved $3 million toward the proposed renovations of Winther Hall and Heide Hall. These funds are intended to complete a majority of the project’s design. This is a major victory, bringing us closer to our goal of authorization for construction in the 2025-2027 budget.
• Nearly $1.5 million has been approved to replace the Laurentide Hall roof.

Both UW-Whitewater and leadership at the Universities of Wisconsin were fully engaged with state legislators to advocate for these projects. I am proud of our team’s effort and can’t wait to see the building and design crews in action.