Lynn Binnie

Editor’s note: The following announcement was provided by the UW System. As was previously announced on the Banner, Dr. Artanya M. Wesley, UW-Whitewater vice chancellor for student affairs, was one of three finalists for the UW-Platteville chancellor position.

Dr. Tammy K. Evetovich, interim chancellor since June 1, 2022, has been named the 15^th Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Platteville.

The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents on April 25 unanimously approved Evetovich’s appointment, following a recommendation made by a selection committee. Evetovich will assume the leadership post immediately.

Evetovich served as the provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs at UW-Platteville beginning in May 2020. During this time, she led the university’s transition to alternative learning methods due to the COVID-19 pandemic and initiated an academic strategic plan that guides the university as it continues to provide high-quality education. From February through April 2022, she held a concurrent role as interim vice chancellor for administrative Services. Prior to joining UW-Platteville, Evetovich served in two positions at Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb., as Dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences and, prior to that, department chair of the Department of Health Human Performance and Sport.

“Tammy’s commitment to and strong leadership at UW-Platteville will be key to its future success,” said Jay Rothman, UW System President. “As we seek to grow UW-Platteville and enhance the student experience, her background and expertise will serve the UW System well.”

“As a first-generation college graduate having built a career focused on students and around rural communities, this opportunity is especially important to me personally,” Evetovich said. “The work we do at UW-Platteville changes lives, and I look forward to working together with faculty, staff, students and the communities we serve to build UW-Platteville into the best university it can be.”

“Tammy’s enthusiasm for UW-Platteville is unmatched and her commitment and passion are remarkable.,” said Regent Cris Peterson, Chair of the Search and Screen Committee. “She learns and leads, while having a firm understanding of the challenges ahead. She was the best choice amongst a set of remarkable candidates.”

“The focus on student success and community engagement that Tammy brings as incoming chancellor will serve UW-Platteville well into the future,” said Dr. Christina Curras, Vice Chair of the Search and Screen Committee and Professor and Department Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “We look forward to working with her as chancellor.”

Evetovich earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree and Ph.D in exercise physiology from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

President Rothman and the Special Regent Committee for the UW-Platteville Chancellor Search recommended Evetovich to the full Board of Regents. The Committee includes Regents Peterson, Scott Beightol, Mike Jones, Rodney Pasch, and Edmund Manydeeds III.

Whitewater Unified School District – Monday @ 6:00 p.m. (Closed session); 7:00 p.m. (Open session)
Whitewater High School Library
534 South Elizabeth Street, Whitewater, Wisconsin
6:00 p.m.
Agenda: to prepare for Whitewater Education Association negotiations and discuss negotiations of Whitewater Aquatic & Fitness Center agreements
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6:00 p.m. via Zoom Online
– URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86329887532?pwd=ZDE0Q2JNbmtTemc0QXp5ZlZWOUowQT09
– Passcode: 922027
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– Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799
– Webinar ID: 863 2988 7532
– Passcode: 922027
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Closed Session
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7:00 p.m. via Zoom Online Open session
Agenda (Click on “meetings” in upper right corner)
– URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85253160304?pwd=eXprdkdXOVBSZVRnTmxWRlJwT3owdz09
– Passcode: 282228
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– Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799
– Webinar ID: 852 5316 0304
– Passcode: 282228

City of Whitewater Board of Review – Tuesday, 6:30 – 8:30 pm.
City of Whitewater Municipal Building Community Room
Agenda

City of Whitewater Parks & Recreation Meeting – Wednesday @ 5:30 p.m.
Agenda
City of Whitewater Municipal Building
Cravath Lakefront Room- 2nd Floor
312 W. Whitewater St.
or
Virtual Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2219259222?pwd=MmZNc3VOK3lXeVZDTjVqQ25jd1h0UT09
Meeting ID: 221 925 9222
Passcode: 47589
or
Dial 1 312 626 6799
Meeting ID: 221 925 9222
Passcode: 47589

Affordable Housing Public Input Session “open house” – Thursday, 4:30 -6:30 p.m.

The City of Whitewater will host an Affordable Housing Public Input Session “open house” on April 27, 2023, from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. in the Municipal Building Community Room, 312 W. Whitewater Street, Whitewater, WI. This two‐hour open house will allow any person interested in discussing, reviewing, or commenting on the policy to do so.

Editor’s note: In response to our inquiry, Weidl told the Banner that approximately the first 20 minutes “will be a presentation of how the fund was developed, an explanation of the draft policy, and a recap of some of the major feedback we’ve received to this point. That will be followed by an open house style event. We also intend to livestream and record the event.”

By Brienne Diebolt-Brown
Board of Directors
Vice President, Ownership & Outreach, Grants
Whitewater Grocery Co.

Whitewater Grocery Co. incorporated in 2017 after our only grocery store closed. Local leaders had numerous talks with corporate and family-owned grocery stores and came from those meetings with the message that Whitewater wasn’t worth the investment. And we knew we could prove them wrong!

We are thrilled that together we have drummed up enough excitement to entice Aldi to take another look at our wonderful city. It’s a win for our entire community! This wouldn’t have happened without all of our hard work and the investment of almost 900 store owners. It won’t stop us from continuing our efforts to create a community-owned grocery store that supports local vendors and farmers as well as the rest of Whitewater’s merchants. 

Our local leaders knew that the community could support a grocery store, and the Whitewater Grocery Co.’s board of directors did the research to find out how to do it. The GroCo’s mission has always been to bring fresh, affordable, and local food options to town. We have worked with national experts for six years to research the needs and the buying capacity of Whitewater. We have paid for four market studies as the retail market has changed. And, we recently received a $46,300 feasibility grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to solve the problem of Whitewater’s East Side USDA [U.S. Dept. of Agriculture] Food Desert. 

Back in February, the Community Development Authority (CDA) voted to buy land near downtown Whitewater with the intention of locating Whitewater Grocery Co. along with at least one other local business in a new building on that land. The city is still a partner in this endeavor. Developing this piece of land on the east side of downtown will wipe the USDA Food Desert designation off the map and create an anchor store to help revitalize downtown businesses. We are tentatively looking at June 2024 as the day we break ground. 

Whitewater Grocery Co. is continuing to work with the City of Whitewater, the CDA, and our own feasibility firm to bring that vision to life. In the last month, we updated our own market study with the addition of an Aldi, and the market looks good. There is plenty of room for an affordable corporate grocer (that does not specialize in local and organic) on the west side of town, and a locally-owned, affordable grocer that will sell natural and organic food (with a focus on local producers and great customer service) closer to the east side of town.

As the saying goes, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” Whitewater is a vibrant community and we know our town will benefit from a centrally located grocer with a focus on local foods.

Be on the lookout for a call of support when the City of Whitewater announces their agenda to vote on TID [Tax Increment District] financing for our future store.

Whitewater High School, one of the few high schools in Walworth County fortunate enough to have an automotive program, had the opportunity for students to earn their entry-level Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification. The ASE certification from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence is a nationally recognized certification and an industry standard for most mechanics in the industry. Entry-level certification is the first step in building career credentials as an automotive service professional. “The ASE Entry-Level certification tests are designed to indicate a substantial level of practical, knowledge-based readiness for the workforce in those seeking a career in the automotive service industry,” said Mike Coley, ASE Education Foundation president. “These tests are intended for students in career and technical programs and are a predictable gauge for future success with ASE professional-level certifications.”

Sixteen students in our Automotives I and II courses taught by Mr. Justin Buntrock took advantage of this opportunity. Of those students, eight passed their certification to earn their ASE. We as a district and technology education department are very proud of these young men for this achievement. It is a very rigorous test and very content heavy on theory and automotive repair skills and knowledge. In addition to earning their ASE certification, these students are also being provided customized mechanic shop shirts as an acknowledgement of their efforts. Thank you to Mr. Brent Mansky, WHS principal, for providing this reward to our students! Students who have earned their certifications are: Brakes ASE certificate awards: Nolan Legge, Gavan LaFlash, Nate Holden, AJ Canipe and Logan Voegeli. MLR(Maintenance and light repair) ASE certificates: Scotty Krebbs, Justin Johnson and Jacob Raglin.  

Editor’s note: The photos and most of the content of this article are courtesy of Justin Buntrock.

Editor’s note: 4/25 @ 10:40 a.m. – Corrections made to sponsors.

The Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce is celebrating great partnership growth in the last year as they commemorate another year of success and honor the community and local businesses at their annual dinner on Friday, April 28^th. The Chamber has seen over 20 new partner businesses join since January of 2022, returning the Chamber to membership levels not seen since 2018. The new partners, from a wide range of industries and business sizes, are a true representation of the local and regional business community.

The Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce would like to welcome all their new partner businesses who have joined the organization in 2022 & 2023. Please join the Chamber in supporting these local and regional businesses that have dedicated themselves to serving the community of Whitewater and supporting the efforts of the Chamber in helping the community grow and thrive.

United Way of Walworth County, Inc.	Ridgeview Coaching
Duesterbeck’s Brewing Company	Mr. Plumber, LLC
Nordskov, LLC	On the Bias Designs
Live Life Spiritual Direction, LLC	Underground Cutz
Badgerland Computers & Networking	Whitewater Home Repair LLC
The Vinery Stained Glass Studio 2023 Silver Sponsor	DormAdvertising 2023 Silver Sponsor
The Boat House of Whitewater	BaristaCats Café
Walworth County Fair/Agricultural Society 2023 Gold Sponsor	TDS Telecom 2023 Gold Sponsor
Doctor Sealgood	Mr. Fixer Upper, LLC
Imhoff Financial Services Agency	Anderson Commercial Group
Edgerton Hospital and Health Services	Pet Supplies Plus

Discover Whitewater is excited for our future and the future of Whitewater! The Whitewater Chamber of Commerce invites other local businesses to join the organization and take advantage of the many benefits and opportunities to help guide the growth and direction of Whitewater. Come be a part of innovation and creativity that defines the Whitewater business community.

For information about Chamber membership and the benefits of becoming a partner in Whitewater please contact Executive Director, Kellie Carper at (262) 473-4005 or by email at info@whitewaterchamber.com.

According to a notice from the City of Whitewater, the Board of Review scheduled for Tuesday, April 25 has been canceled. Board of Review is the body that hears property owners’ claims that their property assessment is incorrect. A new date and time will be forthcoming.

Whitewater High School Students from Music Masters Ensemble and Jazz Band performed at Whitewater Middle School on April 14th. All WMS Music students were in attendance and the WMS Jazz Band performed with the WHS Jazz Band on one piece of music. Congratulations to all on a fine performance! 

Photo credit: Karen Tordera

The Discover Whitewater Series is CARA Certified for the 11th Year in a Row

The Discover Whitewater Series (DWS): Half Marathon, Half Marathon Team Event, 5k, and W3 Fit Kid Shuffle is excited to announce that the Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA)  has certified the DWS for the eleventh year in a row! The 11th annual DWS will be held on Sunday, September 17th, 2023. 

CARA operates as a non-profit organization committed to serving and advocating for the running communities in the region. CARA provides accessible opportunities for all runners to train, race, learn, be social, and volunteer. They currently have over 11,000 members and over 1,300 programs and events each year. 

Due to the high standards of a CARA certification, the DWS is able to ensure that the race is a safe and professional event for all participants. The DWS is the only Wisconsin race certified by CARA! Along with safety, CARA has high standards for race quality and enjoyment that the DWS is pleased to achieve. In addition to the high-quality running experience this certification provides, CARA races are also able to qualify runners for highly competitive marathon races such as the Chicago and Boston Marathons. 

“We are proud to uphold some of the toughest standards for safety.” said DWS Executive Director Jeffery Knight, “we also send out surveys to our runners to ensure we have met the standards of each and every participant”. 

The DWS is a premium race event for the community for all ages to enjoy. As you go through the course see some of Whitewater’s finest features and be assured that safety and quality is the DWS’ top priority. To register for the 11th Annual DWS, visit www.RunWhitewater.com/Register.

For further details, please contact Jeffery Knight, Executive Director at 920.728.0662 or jpk@knightpublicaffairs.com.

About the DWS

The goal of the DWS is to promote the City of Whitewater and highlight its greatest features, while keeping everyone in the community active. All the proceeds from the race are donated to five local non-profit partners: Bethel House (which provides interim housing for homeless families), Whitewater LEADS, Working for Whitewater’s Wellness (W3), Whitewater Unified School District and the J-Hawk Aquatic Club. The DWS partners with the city, business community, university and the school district to make this a tremendous event that benefits all who participate. For more information about the race visit www.runwhitewater.com.