Lynn Binnie

These photos of the UW-Whitewater Morning Commencement Ceremony on May 13, 2023 are courtesy of Tom Ganser. The ceremony recognized 613 undergraduate and 136 graduate students from the College of Arts and Communication, the College of Business and Economics and the School of Graduate Studies.

The commencement speaker for both ceremonies on the Whitewater campus was Mike Domitrz. Domitrz, who earned a BBA in business in 1993, is a world-renowned speaker and the founder of Center for Respect, an organization with a mission to prevent sexual assaults and encourage safe dating.

The student speaker for the morning ceremony was Hollyn Peterson. Peterson, who earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a painting emphasis, is a three-time cancer survivor who has overcome life-threatening obstacles in her formative years and is now flourishing as a young adult with big dreams.

The City of Whitewater’s Community Development Authority (CDA) provides grants and loans to qualifying businesses to help them grow.

As the economic development organization for the City of Whitewater, the Community Development Authority (CDA) exists to encourage and assist development in the city that creates jobs, increases the tax base, and improves quality of life in the community. The CDA works to recruit and retain businesses by using a variety of strategies, incentives, and assistance.

The CDA offers three loan programs to help business grow:
 The Action Fund Loan program provides financing to businesses for land acquisition, site preparation and
construction, installation of fixed equipment, and working capital.
 The Capital Catalyst program incentivizes capital formation and investment in startups and emerging growth
companies. This program focuses on business development, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
 The Façade Improvement Program helps businesses primarily located in the central business district with external
building improvements.

John Weidl, Whitewater city manager, stated, “The Community Development Authority (CDA) exists to promote development programs and empower its residents to the benefit of the entire city. The CDA has financing available right now to assist with working capital, facade improvements and incentivizing business development and entrepreneurship. These funds add up to well over a million dollars and are specifically available to encourage community building and economic development from the ground up.”

Blue Line Battery, Inc. (Blue Line) is a success story made possible with assistance from the CDA grant and loan programs. As a US based manufacturer headquartered in Wisconsin, Blue Line specializes in the engineering and manufacturing of advanced industrial Lithium-ion battery systems for the material handling industry.

Blue Line produces advanced Lithium-ion power systems that are a more energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and safer alternative to lead acid batteries. Blue Line has been a tenant at the Whitewater University Innovation Center since November 2016. Over the years, several University of Wisconsin – Whitewater students have worked for Blue Line. Blue Line first received a Capital Catalyst Grant in March 2017. As their business developed, the CDA provided a series of loans to Blue Line which provided capital to grow their business. Those loans have now been repaid in full, allowing the CDA to reinvest those funds in other new or existing businesses here in Whitewater.

“On behalf of Blue Line, thank you to the CDA and the Whitewater community for all of your support,” said Nick Rinaldi, Blue Line Battery, “We as a company continue to hold the CDA and the Whitewater community in high regard for helping Blue Line grow to this point.”

Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by the City of Whitewater. Anyone interested in further information about CDA programs is encouraged to contact John Weidl, jweidl@whitewater-wi.gov or 262-473-0104.

Editor’s note: The following press release was found in franchising.com.

Toppers Pizza is excited to announce a strategic transition in its leadership team as founder Scott Gittrich passes the CEO reins to longtime Toppers team member, Adam Oldenburg [WHS ’03].

After leading the popular pizza delivery franchise for over 30 years, Gittrich will be assuming a new role as Chairman of the Board, proudly supporting the brand from a different perspective. As the visionary behind Toppers Pizza’s success, Gittrich remains dedicated to maintaining the unique culture that defines the brand and is excited to witness the continued growth and momentum under the new CEO’s leadership.

“After several years of record performance, this leadership transition marks an exciting new chapter for Toppers,” said Gittrich. “Along with guiding the brand for over three decades, I have also had the privilege of preparing Adam to succeed me as CEO. With several years of record performance and an exceptional leadership team in place, the future of Toppers Pizza is incredibly promising.”

A rabid pizza fanatic and a seasoned business leader, Oldenburg has been an integral part of the brand for over 17 years, starting as a delivery driver and moving on to roles in management, Corporate Operations Director and most recently as Vice President of Operations. He is also part of an ownership group that owns five Toppers locations and was recently awarded Franchisee of the Year. With his extensive experience and deep understanding of Toppers, he is primed to lead the company into a new era of growth and development.

“I am honored to step into the role of CEO at Toppers Pizza,” said Oldenburg. “As a pizza guy at heart, I am fully committed to preserving the culture that makes our brand special. With Scott’s unwavering support, we’re excited to keep up the momentum for Toppers and drive new heights of success and achievement.”

Whitewater Girl Scout Troop 7639 donated several boxes of cookies to Fort HealthCare’s Obstetrics Clinic on Wednesday, May 10th, as a thank you for all the work Obstetrics does for our community.

As part of its mission of service, Girl Scout Troop 7639 donates a portion of its funds to providing cookies to local nonprofits. In past years the troop has donated to a single charity, but this year troop leaders recognized that they are old enough to choose their own cause. At the beginning of the season, each Girl Scout chose an organization to be included in their donations. Abigail Rhodes chose Fort HealthCare’s labor and delivery nurses.

Last year, Abbie participated in Frosty Rock with her mother, Stephanie Rhodes, who is a CMA at the Center for Women’s Health, and her clinic. During the race, Christine Chuppa, MD, a long-time obstetrician and gynecologist at the Center, made such an impression on Abbie that she chose Fort HealthCare’s Obstetrics team as her cause. Her mother adds that Abbie said the nurses deserve cookies for all they do.

Abbie was her troop’s top seller during this year’s cookie drive, selling 2,500 boxes of cookies. She spent a total of 32 hours selling cookies at booths set up in retail stores and by selling door to door. Abbie, a 4th grader at Washington Elementary in Whitewater, has been a Girl Scout since she was in kindergarten as a Daisy Girl Scout. She is now a Junior Girl Scout.

The Girl Scouts participate in community service projects and Take Action projects that teach them leadership skills and show them the importance of giving back to the community. As part of their mission of service, Troop 7639 is donating a buddy bench to Lincoln Elementary in Whitewater. A buddy bench is a bench installed at an elementary school, that when a student sits on it, communicates to the other students that they are lonely and looking for a buddy. It signals to the other children they should invite the student to play. Buddy benches promote empathy and inclusivity and remind children to check in on their peers while encouraging children to be outgoing and meet and make new friends.

“We have a great troop of girls,” says Stephanie, who is a troop leader. “They’re really focused on giving back. They take what they learn and use it to empower the community. They’re all so sweet.”

“The OB staff is very grateful to Abigail and her troop for their donation of treats and is impressed with this young lady,” says Deborah Schumacher, who manages Fort HealthCare Obstetrics. “We encouraged her to think about being an OB nurse. She thinks she wants to be a vet, though—which is pretty cool, too.”

Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by Fort HealthCare.

City of Whitewater Board of Review – Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Municipal Building 2nd floor Cravath Lakefront Meeting Room
Further information is posted at this link. The agenda may be viewed here.

This alert was canceled on Monday morning, as Ms. Fischer has been found.

The Walworth County Sheriff’s Office issued a Missing Endangered Person Alert on May 21 at 11:28 p.m. for Katelyn Ann Fischer. Fischer, a 30-year-old white female who has developmental disabilities, was last seen leaving, upset, on foot from a group home at 4233 N. Scharine Road, Town of Richmond, Rock County. She is 5’6″ tall, weighs 230 pounds, has brown eyes, and long black hair with blonde highlights. She was last seen wearing black leggings with teal trim, blue tank top, flip flops, and carrying a burgundy purse. She has a tattoo of angel wings on her back or shoulder, nose piercing, tongue ring, and forearm scarring. Fischer has no vehicle. Her cell phone appears to be powered off and she has none of her medications with her.

If you have any possible information relating to this alert please contact the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office, 262-741-4400.

William Graham Post 173 of the American Legion in Whitewater is sponsoring the Memorial Day activities in the city.

On Thursday, May 25th at 5:30 p.m., Post 173 will gather in the center of Hillside Cemetery to decorate the veterans’ graves at the cemetery. All community members are invited to participate, and should gather on the hill inside the second gate. Post 173 will provide the flags.

Plans for the parade and ceremonies at the Downtown Armory are well underway.

The parade will form in the First Citizens State Bank parking lot at 10:00 a.m. on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29th. Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts and other interested groups are encouraged to participate in the parade.

More information will be published later.

“Dead for a Dollar”

Tuesday, May 23, 1 p.m. (Western/Thriller)

Rated R (violence, language); 1 hour, 47 minutes (2022)

Now for something, totally different: a Western!

Chihuahua, New Mexico Territory, 1899.

A bounty hunter is hired to find a prominent businessman’s wife being held hostage in Mexico. But, all is not as it seems…

A rousing tale of deceit, deception and gunfights. 

An excellent cast features Christoph Waltz, Willem Dafoe, and Rachel Brosnahan. 

Seniors in the Park is located in Starin Park, 504 W. Starin Road.