Lynn Binnie

Steve Watson writes,
“This came to me while at Gulf Shores. 

Spring Break Gulf Shores bound
Escape Wisconsin winter 
Beach sand burn and peel

It started in the early 60’s with a few families from Whitewater going to Gulf Shores during Spring Break. The migration hasn’t stopped for the last 60 plus years. Whitewater families continue the Spring migration south for the white sand beaches and to get away from Wisconsin winter. I know many of you have fond memories of your time spent in Gulf Shores, Alabama. I know my family does. 

Here’s photos from 2023.”

Our thanks to Rachel Watson and Steve Watson for sharing these beautiful 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!

Editor’s note: The following additions were made on 4/5/23 at 5:10 p.m.: 1) Special WUSD School Board meeting added for Thursday, and 2) Additions made to City of Whitewater Common Council agenda: includes reconvening to open session after closed session.

City of Whitewater Equal Opportunities Commission – Monday @ 5:00 p.m.
Agenda includes Memo Concerning the Hate – Bias Reporting Form and Procedures
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://meet.goto.com/174192213
You can also dial in using your phone.
Access Code: 174-192-213
United States: 1 (224) 501-3412
Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:
https://meet.goto.com/install

City of Whitewater Landmarks Commission – Thursday @ 6:00 p.m.
Agenda includes City-owned Local Landmarks: ongoing assessment of condition, maintenance/repair needs, plans, etc.
Cravath Lakefront Room
312 Whitewater Street
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://meet.goto.com/925662597
You can also dial in using your phone.
Access Code: 925-662-597
United States: 1 (872) 240-3212

Whitewater Unified School District School Board – Special Meeting – Thursday @ 6:00 p.m. (Closed Session); 7:00 p.m. (Open Session)
Whitewater High School Library
534 South Elizabeth Street6:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m. via Zoom Online

• URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87972248099?pwd=TnpvQ3lWMDMwTmZIaEVKSk82b01ydz09

– Passcode: 092603

• Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799
• Webinar ID: 879 7224 8099

– Passcode: 092603

Closed Session Agenda: to discuss and consider a specific student’s transportation request.

7:00 p.m. via Zoom Online – Open Session
Agenda (click on “meetings” in upper right corner) includes Whitewater Aquatic & Fitness Center Negotiations Ad Hoc Committee: Affirmative Statements

• URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82951085777?pwd=RjZZbVdaTDJtWUQ0TXU2NnFZT0E1QT09

– Passcode: 192798

• Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799
• Webinar ID: 829 5108 5777

– Passcode: 192798

City of Whitewater Common Council – Thursday @ 6:30 p.m.
Agenda includes action on requests for Class “A” Beer & Liquor Licenses to sell beer & liquor for off-premises consumption, update on Cable TV PEG channel / Spectrum and closed session, negotiation of Aquatic & Fitness Center agreement with school district and Contract negotiation with Whitewater Professional Police Association. Revised agenda indicates that the meeting will reconvene for possible action related to the Aquatic & Fitness Center agreement with the school district.
This will be an in person AND a virtual meeting.
Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join 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/82803356629?pwd=U3A3VWxNNmFDMlRGeVk3bnpZZUl4QT
09
Passcode: 771691
Or Telephone:
US: 1 929 205 6099
Webinar ID: 828 0335 6629
Passcode: 771691

From the website:

We’ve been working since 2009 to grow local and healthy produce in an open space that enables residents to plant, grow and maintain their own garden plots.

30 plots are available to the public with the idea of bringing together community members of all ages and cultures in the Whitewater area.

Water is provided by the City of Whitewater and is available for registered members.

The main water source is located on the property with additional hoses throughout the plots.

There is also a locked shed filled with everything you need to tend to your plot.

The Plots at WWCG are reserved for residents of Whitewater, WI.

Beginning March 15th 2023, returning gardeners in good standing may submit their application for the 2023 season with a Deadline of April 1st.

Payment will be taken after April 1st and after application is accepted.

Beginning April 10th, 2023, new gardeners may submit their application for a garden plot on a first-come, first-served basis.

The spring general election will be held on Tuesday, April 4 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The City of Whitewater has only one polling place for this election, the Downtown Armory, 146 W. North Street. Sample ballots for city residents may be viewed here https://whitewater-wi.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=503. Wards 1-10 are in Walworth County; Wards 11-13 are in Jefferson County.

The races and candidates for the City of Whitewater and the Whitewater Unified School District are shown below.

State Supreme Court – Vote for One
Candidates in Ballot Order
– Janet C. Protasiewicz
– Daniel Kelly

Responses of the candidates to a League of Women Voters questionnaire may be viewed here after entering your address.

A nonpartisan guide to the Supreme Court races may be viewed here: https://guides.vote/guide/nonpartisan-voters-guide-to-the-2023-wisconsin-supreme-court-race.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Whitewater Unified School District School Board – Vote for up to three; the three candidates with the highest votes will be elected.
Candidates in Ballot Order
Chuck Mills
Thayer A. Coburn (Incumbent)
Stephanie Hicks
Lisa Huempfner
Christy Linse
Joseph A. Kromholz

Information about and perspectives of the school board candidates may be viewed here.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

City of Whitewater Municipal Judge – Vote for one
Candidates in Ballot Order
Patrick E. Taylor (Incumbent)
Art Coleman

Information about and perspectives of the judge candidates may be viewed here.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

City of Whitewater Common Council Member – District 1 – Vote for one
David Stone

City of Whitewater Common Council Member – District 5 – Vote for one
Neil Hicks

City of Whitewater Common Council Member – At large – Vote for one
Lisa Dawsey Smith (Incumbent)
________________________________________________________________________________________________

There are also three referendums. Information on them is here.
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Residents of Jefferson County also have two unopposed judicial races:

Court of Appeals Judge – District 4 – Vote for one
Chris Taylor

Circuit Court Judge – Branch 4 – Vote for one
Bennett J. Brantmeier
________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is required in order to vote and/or to register to vote?

Specific types of photo identification are required in order to vote. This website shows the acceptable forms of ID.

Citizens may register to vote at the polls. Proof of residence is required. This website shows the acceptable forms. A qualified elector is any U.S. citizen who:

• is 18 years of age or older on Election Day.
• has resided in the ward or municipality where they wish to vote for at least 28 consecutive days before the election.  

The WUSD Lincoln 5th Grade Choir is thrilled to be performing the National Anthem at the Milwaukee Brewers game against the Astros on Wednesday, May 24th at 11:50 a.m. Please come support us and watch a great game at our reduced group price! Tickets will be only $17 (half price) on the Loge level, section 206, which is in the shade on the second level.  Advance purchase of general parking at $13 saves $2 over gameday, with advance purchase of preferred parking being $18 versus $25 on gameday. We would love to see you there!

Tickets may be purchased by scanning the above QR code or with the following link: https://offer.fevo.com/lincoln-elementary-school-anthem-performance-cfce0f2?fevoUri=lincoln-elementary-school-anthem-performance-cfce0f2%2Fhouston-astros-may-24-uafbheh-d85bca1

Please contact Teddy Sibilsky with the Brewers at 414-902-4657 if you have additional questions about the event. To secure your tickets and parking, please follow these steps: 1. Select your seats and parking pass. 2. Proceed to checkout. 3. Access your digital tickets via the MLB Ballpark App. For more information on using the app, visit brewers.com/ballparkapp.

Time in nature is essential to our physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. It can calm our stress levels, increase our creativity, empathy and our sense of wonder and improve our social interactions and communication. Even small connections with nature can help reduce feelings of loneliness, isolation and anxiety, and bring significant health benefits.  Persons with dementia can benefit from spending time in nature

Just 20 minutes of movement outside can stimulate the brain, releasing hormones that provide the right environment for the growth of new cells. Just sitting on a park bench beneath filtered sunlight can bring the light and oxygen that are essential to the function of our brains. Nature helps the brain release ‘happy hormones’ which are associated with feelings of pleasure, love and happiness.  These hormones also reduce depression and anxiety and assist with learning, memory, motor system function, and essential processes like heart rate and digestion.

In 1984 a study found that patients in a hospital who had a view of nature recovered faster. Scientists have studied the health benefits of nature ever since, and have discovered just being in nature makes a difference.  All the better if we can connect and interact such as holding a flower, listening to birdsong or digging in the dirt.

For people with dementia, research shows that meaningful outdoor activity and connection with the natural environment can have a positive effect and can slow down the progression of the symptoms.

A less well-known fact is that some trees and plants also release chemicals that have benefits to our health, for example pinene which is present in pine and spruce trees helps us to breathe more easily, allowing more air (and oxygen) into the lungs, and therefore the brain. It also has anti-inflammatory effects.  Breathing deeply in a pine forest can bring some of these benefits.

It’s tempting to think it’s not worth going to the effort of taking someone with dementia outside because they will just forget it has happened.  However research shows we may not remember the activity, but the ‘feel good factor’ may continue to make a person feel content well after the event.  Persons with dementia have lost some of the factual and short term memory forebrain function but the part of the brain (the amygdala) which holds emotional memory is fully functional.  A pleasurable experience in nature can cause a feeling of well-being and comfort to stay for a long time.

Excerpted from https://dementiaadventure.org/resources/the-benefits-of-nature/

Read more at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28835119/ and https://www.nextavenue.org/finding-healing-dementia-outdoors/

This article is submitted by Dementia Friendly Community Initiative, which is a program of Whitewater Seniors in the Park.  New members are always welcome.  Contact jfrench@whitewater-wi.gov or call Jennifer French at 262 473 0535.

University of Wisconsin Organ and Tissue Donation (UW OTD) has awarded Fort HealthCare (FHC) the Excellence in Tissue Donation award for their donation performance in 2022.

UW OTD’s award recognizes the dedication of hospital teams to maximize the amazing gift of organ and tissue transplantation. FHC earned the Excellence in Tissue Donation award for exceeding tissue consent rate goals.

“Organ and tissue donation brings hope to patients and families in the communities we serve, said Lisa Jensen, MBA, BSN, RN, Vice President Nursing Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Fort HealthCare. “It is an honor to provide the opportunity for the gift of donation in collaboration with UW OTD.”

The Excellence in Tissue Donation award is given to hospitals that achieve at least a 60% consent rate. This metric measures the collaborative work between the hospital staff and tissue bank in coordinating communication around tissue consent conversations. Fort HealthCare’s tissue consent rate for 2022 was 71%, thanks to the gifts of donors and families.

95% of Americans are in favor of being a donor, but only 58% are registered. Signing up means you could save a life. To register to be an organ and tissue donor, visit organdonor.gov.

About University of Wisconsin Organ and Tissue Donation

UW Organ and Tissue Donation (UW OTD) is one of 57 federally designated, not-for-profit organ procurement organizations in the nation. UW OTD advocates for donors, donor families and recipients and educates healthcare professionals and the public to enrich and save lives through organ and tissue donation. Our vision is to identify and maximize every opportunity to save lives through organ donation.

According to a press release from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, deputies responded on Saturday, April 1 at 8:24 p.m. to a single vehicle crash on State Highway 106 near Calkins Road in the Town of Palmyra. It is indicated that preliminary investigation shows that the driver of a vehicle traveling northbound on STH 106 lost control and entered the ditch, striking a culvert which caused the vehicle to turn over, with one of the two occupants being ejected from the vehicle. Both of the occupants were declared to be deceased of their injuries on the scene.

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

There seems to have been very little mention in the media about the fact that there are three referendums appearing on the April 4 ballot. In the Walworth County portion of the city the referendums will appear on the second side of the ballot. The questions are shown below. Questions one and two are binding referendums, which is to say that the Wisconsin Constitution will be amended if they are passed by the voters. The Legislature has already passed them for the required two times, and if approved in this election they will go into effect, as they cannot be vetoed by the governor.

Question three, however, is an advisory, non-binding referendum which has no legal effect.

Sample ballots for the city may be found here.

This article by the Associated Press on the PBS Wisconsin website provides a variety of views on the referendums.

State of Wisconsin Conditions of Release Before Conviction Referendum – Question 1
Vote for one
QUESTION 1: “Conditions of release before conviction. Shall section 8 (2) of article I of the constitution be amended to allow a court to impose on an accused person being released before conviction conditions that are designed to protect the community from serious harm?”
Yes
No

State of Wisconsin Cash Bail Before Conviction Referendum – Question 2
Vote for one
QUESTION 2: “Cash bail before conviction. Shall section 8 (2) of article I of the constitution be amended to allow a court to impose cash bail on a person accused of a violent crime based on the totality of the circumstances, including the accused’s previous convictions for a violent crime, the probability that the accused will fail to appear, the need to protect the community from serious harm and prevent witness intimidation, and potential affirmative defenses?”
Yes
No

State of Wisconsin Welfare Benefits Referendum – Question 3
Vote for one
QUESTION 3: “Shall able-bodied, childless adults be required to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits?”
Yes
No

Good Friday Midday Service
Friday, April 7

Procession
1:00 – First English Lutheran Church (ELCA)
401 W. Main St.
1:45 – Congregational UCC
133 S. Franklin St.
2:30 – First United Methodist Church (UMC)
145 S. Prairie St.

Many churches, one unifying service for the solemn observation of Good Friday, remembering the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

This ecumenical (inter-denominational) Christian service has been organized by the Whitewater Ministerial Association, is open to the public, and will feature a procession from sanctuary to sanctuary, carrying the cross and praying together.

While you are welcome to join at any time, participants are encouraged to attend the full event (consisting of three 30 minute services with time for movement in between).

Learn more online at dwellinguww.org/fri and ask any questions to Pastor Madeline: burbankm@uww.edu or text 262-813-6234