Spiny soft shell (Apalone spinifera) turtle, shy, stealthy and antediluvian. [antediluvian = literally, “before the (Biblical) flood, or prehistoric”]
Cormorants have moved back in.
Duck family raft on the run.
Duck family waddle seeking sun.
Marsh wren, petite, flighty and a very loud voice.
Our thanks to Steve Watson for sharing more of his fascinating photos with us.
— Our Readers Share: We hope that you might have something that you’d be willing to share. Anything that’s been created by someone else should, of course, be credited, and you should ask their permission if you’re able. We cannot post copyrighted material without permission. We can’t guarantee that we’ll have space for all submissions, and contributions will be subject to editorial board approval. The one definite exclusion is anything politically oriented. We will assume that you’re willing for us to include your name as the submitter unless you indicate that you prefer to remain anonymous. Send to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com or click on “submit a story” near the top right of our homepage. Thanks for thinking about this!
Community members of all ages are invited to “Hale O Malo” at the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library on Tuesday, July 11 at 6:00 p.m. Malia Chow hosts “Hands on Hawaii,” a cultural entertainment demonstration & hands-on show and tell. This interactive program uses authentic cultural artifacts such as lava rocks, sea turtle shells, and traditional Hawaiian dance implements as a catalyst for education, fun, and culture. Participants will observe ancient, traditional, and contemporary Hawaiian dance, and be given a dance lesson too! They’ll hear the blowing of the conch, the sounds of ancient drums, and the strumming of the ukulele. Environmental awareness is interwoven throughout this interactive and engaging program.
This is a free, family-friendly event and no registration is required. The Irvin L. Young Memorial Library is located at 431 W. Center Street in Whitewater. Contact Sarah French with questions at sfrench@whitewater-wi.gov or 262-458-2782. For a full listing of the library’s summer events and information about the Summer Reading Program, visit whitewaterlibrary.org.
Jeffrey (Jeff) Mark Erdman, avid reader, funny guy, and fishing extraordinaire, escaped this mortal realm on June 11, 2023. Jeff was from Whitewater, Wisconsin, a place he was proud to call ‘home.’
He leaves behind a dysfunctional family that he loved very much, and a house full of stuff that his family doesn’t know what to do with.
Jeff is preceded in death by his parents, Gordon and Lorraine (Lorrie) Erdman; his sisters, Janice Culver and Leslie Bauer; and the mother of his children, Frances (Diane) Erdman. He is survived by his sons Justin (Vanessa) Erdman, Jacob Erdman, and Josh Erdman; his grandchildren Evan, Alina Kate, Brennan, and Ashton; his sister, Mary Husar; special friends Tom, Donna, and Micah Vaughn; and the Italian food industry which he single-handedly upheld in Whitewater.
His family swears to avenge his untimely death.
Jeff was born on November 21, 1953 to Gordon and Lorraine. After years of treating his body like an amusement park, Jeff’s spirit chuckled and shrugged and left the worn out shell. His spirit is now reunited with his parents and they are exploring the universe. Along for the adventure are his sisters, Janice and Leslie, who beat him to the finish line. Jeff’s brother, Jay, is still traveling the world and, and their sister, Mary, is sweltering in the Alabama heat. They both stubbornly refuse to join the rest of the family; they were always such overachievers. Jeff’s demise will now allow Jay and Mary to emerge from his shadow.
To Justin, Jeff left his intelligence, impatience, integrity, and stubbornness. He also left Justin a love of science fiction, fishing, and reading. Jeff’s mouth lives on with Justin, both the physical mouth that has passed down for generations, as well as the figurative smart mouth that gets both of them into trouble. Justin also inherited his pop’s impulsivity, which has never done either of them any good, but definitely has given both of them some good times.
To Jacob, Jeff left his sense of humor, altruism, practicality, and understanding. Jacob also got his love of reading and the love of a good debate from Jeff. Jeff left his sharp tongue to Jacob, which gets Jacob in trouble, but somehow never out of it. Thankfully, he has Jeff’s wit for that. Jeff’s love of X-Men comics lives forever through Jacob.
To Josh, Jeff handed down a sense of loyalty, generosity, thoughtfulness, and his easygoing nature. He also taught Josh mechanical skills, and left Josh with a great work ethic, where he excels at working with his hands, like Jeff. Jeff also gave Josh a love of fishing and being outdoors, where they loved to crack a beer and have a good laugh.
Due to multiple, anonymous Father’s Day cards which arrived each June, the children suspect there were other siblings but that has never been verified.
Jeff’s 45+ years as a Heat Treater made him a legend in the industry. He traveled extensively for work and hated every minute of it. Jeff met hundreds of fellow idiots who also chose this profession and made an impact on all of them. A handful of them might even say kind things about him, if they were pressed. We’re waiting, Al Arbour, Bob Christiansen, Joe Martich, and Ronny Kendrick… Money, along with your kind words, is always appreciated. We will also accept a note of farewell, written on a cold bottle of Budweiser, and drank in his honor.
He attended the school of hard knocks, where he majored in drinking beer and chasing young women.
Fanatico, Holi Connoli, and The Real MacCoys lost a loyal customer. Visit them the next time you’re in Whitewater and have a meal with Jeff’s memory.
He enjoyed playing music obnoxiously loud, way too late at night. His favorites were Tom Petty, Def Leppard, Bob Dylan, The Traveling Wilburys, and Everclear.
Jeff died knowing that Star Wars and Indiana Jones were the greatest movies, Sudoku was the best game ever, there’s no better video games than Star Craft and Dragon Warrior, and that chicks don’t actually dig on older men.
Jeff had a life-long love affair with Mountain Dew, Swedish Fish, medium-rare steak, Topper’s Stix, chocolate ice cream, Marie Callender’s cherry pie, Dave’s Killer White Bread, fish fries, Mrs. Hoffman’s banana bread (“it’s the best banana bread I’ve ever had!”), shrimp, and his mom’s Mexican wedding cakes. He had a regular menage-a-trois with Marlboros and Budweiser.
He also loved the Packers, the Brewers, the Bucks, a good laugh and a good story, philosophy, and psychology, regaling people with his exploits, fishing, a simple life, science fiction, theology, button-down shirts with pockets, and trying to give away everything in his house.
Jeff despised vegetables, texting, returning phone calls, “keeping up with the Joneses,” drinking water, romantic comedies, inauthenticity, and the Cowboys and the Bears.
Jeff got irrationally upset when someone would eat his chocolate ice cream that sat in the freezer for over a month, even if they asked his permission first. He excelled at talking louder to win arguments. To quote Winston Churchill: “He was a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.”
His regrets were few but include eating a Papa Murphy’s pizza undercooked because he was too impatient to wait, not training his birds to detect blood cancer, and standing behind the guy who smoked him in the face with a pool cue.
Jeff’s memorial service will be held at 841 Brewhouse in Whitewater, WI on July 15, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. The family encourages everyone to wear their Packers or Brewers clothing to the memorial in honor of Jeff. Anyone wearing Cowboys gear or Bears gear will not be admitted to the memorial.
Royalties for all brands listed are expected.
In all seriousness, Jeff died from complications from chemotherapy treatment for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS-EB1; blood cancer), exacerbated by smoking, which led to multiple strokes over the years and the vascular dementia that Jeff suffered in the last two or three years of his life. Please click on the links below to see the warning signs of MDS, strokes, and vascular dementia. And quit smoking! These are the real villains of Jeff’s life.
The Greater Whitewater Committee (GWC) is set to host Dr. Lauren Zepp and Dr. Lana Collet-Klingenberg as guest speakers at its upcoming monthly meeting in July. The GWC’s meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 13th at 7:00 a.m. at 841 Brewhouse: 841 E Milwaukee St, Whitewater, WI 53190. Dr. Zepp is on the faculty of Special Education at UW-Whitewater who is an expert in the area of literacy. Dr. Collet-Klingenberg is the Interim Dean for the College of Education and Professional Studies at UW-Whitewater. Both faculty members will educate and advocate for the Science of Reading at the GWC’S July meeting. The GWC is opening the meeting to the public to advocate for literacy importance. An RSVP is required to attend. To reserve your spot, contact Jeffery Knight at: jpk@knightpublicaffairs.com or 920.728.0662 by Wednesday, July 12th. “We are thrilled to learn more about the science of reading,” said GWC Chairman, Crystal Singer, “GWC has been an advocate for literacy among children for many years. We are excited to hear from trailblazers in the industry.” Dr. Lauren Zepp is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. She is a two-time graduate of UW-Madison and was a special educator and reading specialist for 12 years before pursuing her doctoral degree. Her research focuses on two areas: (1) preparing teachers to provide high-quality reading instruction to students with disabilities, and (2) disability representation in children’s and young adult literature. Lana Collet-Klingenberg is a Professor of Special Education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Since July 1, 2018, Lana has been in leadership in the College of Education and Professional Studies as Interim Associate Dean, and currently as Interim Dean. Lana is currently serving the profession as President of the Wisconsin Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. Dr. Collet-Klingenberg earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in special education from the University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign, and her doctoral degree in special education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Research and scholarly interests include teacher education and professional development, secondary special education, school reform, transition from school to adult life, evidence-based practice, autism spectrum disorders, and more recently trauma informed education. About the GWC The GWC is an action-oriented group committed to working with citizens, elected officials, and policy makers to identify, craft, and implement a pro-business agenda. Its goals are to advance the economic, educational, and social policies required to energize and secure the Whitewater area’s economic future, as well as protect Whitewater’s quality of life.
Judy Blume’s classic novel finally comes to the screen. When her family moves from the city to the suburbs, 11 year old Margaret encounters new friends, new experiences, and growing up.
Starring Abby Ryder Fortson, Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates.
Seniors in the Park is held at Starin Park, 504 W. Starin Road.
Fireworks 4th of July Whitewater from 380-400 ft high Mini 2 Drone
Our thanks to Paul Jhona for sharing more of his great drone photos.
— Our Readers Share: We hope that you might have something that you’d be willing to share. Anything that’s been created by someone else should, of course, be credited, and you should ask their permission if you’re able. We cannot post copyrighted material without permission. We can’t guarantee that we’ll have space for all submissions, and contributions will be subject to editorial board approval. The one definite exclusion is anything politically oriented. We will assume that you’re willing for us to include your name as the submitter unless you indicate that you prefer to remain anonymous. Send to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com or click on “submit a story” near the top right of our homepage. Thanks for thinking about this!
It’s time once again for #flashbackfriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. For the next few weeks, we will be featuring some summer scenes of Whitewater streets. This week it is a rare photo postcard along Center Street showing the lovely elm trees that graced Whitewater before the 1960s. But even more interesting is if you enlarge the image, you will see a clothesline full of wash–must have been a Monday! Do you remember hanging wash on a line?
Join us next week for another great photo of a Whitewater street scene with the Whitewater Historical Society.
The academic honors Dean’s List for the Spring 2023 semester has been announced by Dr. Donna Hedgepath, Campbellsville University’s provost and vice president for academic affairs.
The following student has been named to Campbellsville University’s Dean’s List for Spring 2023:
Brianna A Staebler, from Whitewater, WI.
The academic honors list recognizes students who achieve a grade point average of 3.50 or above for the semester with a course load of at least 12 hours. The Spring 2023 academic honors list includes a total of 875 students, with 398 named to the President’s List for achieving a 4.0 grade point average and 477 named to the Dean’s List for achieving a 3.5 to 3.99 GPA.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university that offers over 100 programs including doctoral, master, bachelor, associate and certificate programs. The website for complete information is www.campbellsville.edu.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater head baseball coach John Vodenlich has been announced as a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Class of 2024. Vodenlich will be inducted in January of 2024 during a banquet at the 80th Annual ABCA Convention.
Coach Vodenlich has accumulated over 700 wins in 20 seasons at the helm of the UW-Whitewater baseball program. A 10-time Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, Vodenlich has led the Warhawks to 14 conference titles and 6 WIAC Tournament championships.
Since taking over the program in 2004, Vodenlich has taken UWW to the NCAA Division III Tournament 16 times advancing to the DIII World Series 6 times including national titles for the Warhawks in 2005 and 2015.
Vodenlich was named the Regional Coach of the Year six times, garnered ABCA National Coach of the Year honors in 2005 and 2014 and was named the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association Man of the Year in 2005.
A two-time All-American and four-year standout for the Warhawks as an athlete, Vodenlich was inducted into the UW-Whitewater Hall of Fame in 2007 as a student-athlete. A native of Racine, Wisconsin, he was inducted into the Racine County Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. Following his collegiate career, he went on to play professionally in Europe, helping his team claim the Slovenian National Championship in 1994. Vodenlich was inducted into the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2015 becoming the youngest inductee into the association’s Hall of Fame.
Vodenlich has continues to help grow the sport across the globe conducting and participating in clinics in Germany, England, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary over the years.
The ABCA Hall of Fame Class of 2024 also includes Cal Bailey (West Virginia State), Danny Hall (Georgia Tech), Pat McQuaid (Nova High School, Fla.), Jim Morris (University of Miami), Brian O’Connor (University of Virginia), Tim Pettorini (The College of Wooster), Jim Wells (University of Alabama), Wayne Welton (Chelsea High School, Mich.) and Jeff Willis (Louisiana State University Eunice). The ten coaches will be inducted at the ABCA Convention on January 5, 2024 at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas.
First place winning photograph “After the Storm” by Michael Knapstein. Michael was unable to make it the reception. Photograph taken by Whitewater Arts Alliance/Ashley McDarison.
(left) Gerry Emmerich, Jr. congratulates (right) Howard Rothstein for second place award winning photograph “Cardinal on Snowy Spring Morning”. Rothstein also won honorable mention for his photograph “Bleeding Heart Studio Portrait”. Photograph taken by Whitewater Arts Alliance/Ashley McDarison.
Third place winning photograph “Botanical V” by Annette Knapstein. Annette was unable to make it to the reception. Photograph taken by Whitewater Arts Alliance/Ashley McDarison.
The Whitewater Arts Alliance (WAA) is pleased to announce the award winners for the 2023 14th Annual Fran Achen Juried Photography Exhibition. Judges Gerald Emmerich, Jr. and Steve Heraly selected first, second, and third place awards together with 11 honorable mention awards. The exhibition consists of 83 photographs representing the work of 35 photographers and is now on display at the Cultural Arts Center, 402 W. Main Street, Whitewater. All these pieces can be viewed in the gallery during its open hours Thursdays through Sundays, 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. through Sunday, July 30 or online at https://www.whitewaterarts.org/fran-achen-2023. Editor’s note: Photographers will likely be removing their entries on July 30, so it is best to go early if visiting on that date.
The awards were presented at the reception on Sunday, July 2 by chair Jeff McDonald and judge Gerald Emmerich, Jr. Over 50 attendees viewed the presentation and critique session of each awarded piece by Emmerich, Jr.
AWARDS ❖ First Place – Michael Knapstein (Middleton, WI) : “After the Storm” ❖ Second Place – Howard Rothstein (Whitewater, WI) : “Cardinal on Snowy Spring Morning” ❖ Third Place – Annette Knapstein (Middleton, WI) : “Botanical V” ❖ Honorable Mention – Cindy Vondran (Janesville, WI) : “Butter Paddle” ❖ Honorable Mention – Doug Richter (Fort Atkinson, WI) : “Crown Shyness” ❖ Honorable Mention – Doug Richter (Fort Atkinson, WI) : “Shadow Sojourn” ❖ Honorable Mention – Fletcher Crone (Whitewater, WI) : “Pursuit” ❖ Honorable Mention – Howard Rothstein (Whitewater, WI) : “Bleeding Heart Studio Portrait” ❖ Honorable Mention – Jim Hayes (Mukwonago, WI) : “Farm Truck” ❖ Honorable Mention – Jo Christofferson (Clinton, WI) : “Hummingbird Art” ❖ Honorable Mention – Jo Christofferson (Clinton, WI) : “Monterey Bay” ❖ Honorable Mention – Michael Havice (Whitefish Bay, WI) : “Denise Smith 7896” ❖ Honorable Mention – Michael Knapstein (Middleton, WI) : “Hay Bale” ❖ Honorable Mention – Polly Marzahl (Delavan, WI) : “Sighted”
The Viewer’s Choice award is still available for voting both in gallery and online. Gallery visitors may vote for up to three photographs per visit using slips provided by the WAA. The online virtual show also allows online voting for up to three photographs per visit. Repetitive votes cast in close succession that are obviously “spam” will not count. Viewer’s Choice will be announced Sunday, July 30.
