Lynn Binnie

This Week’s City & School Board Meetings (Aquatic meeting added)

City of Whitewater Urban Forestry Commission – Monday @ 4:30 p.m.
Agenda
Cravath Lakefront Room-2nd Floor – 4:30 p.m. and Virtual
312 W. Whitewater St., Whitewater
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://meet.goto.com/274387045
You can also dial in using your phone.
Access Code:
274-387-045
United States:
+1 (646) 749-3122
Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:
https://meet.goto.com/install

Whitewater School Board – Regular Meeting – Closed session: Monday @ 6:00 p.m.; Open session: 7:00 p.m.
Agenda: https://go.boarddocs.com/wi/wwusd/Board.nsf/public (click on meetings in upper right corner)
Whitewater High School Library
534 South Elizabeth Street, Whitewater, Wisconsin

6:00 p.m. via Zoom Online (Closed session)

  • URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89212795076?pwd=dW1USlVVcFFkek5xQVhra1phVUdhUT09

– Passcode: 283724

  • Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799
  • Webinar ID: 892 1279 5076

– Passcode: 283724

Closed Session

7:00 p.m. via Zoom Online (Open session)

  • URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88453417209?pwd=VnpTS0RyejRpTGxsOWFueTJ0YytEQT09

– Passcode: 688446

  • Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799
  • Webinar ID: 884 5341 7209

– Passcode: 688446


SCHOOL BOARD PRIMARY ELECTION CANVASS – Tuesday @ 8:30 a.m.
Whitewater Unified School District Central Office William D. Kyle Board Room
419 South Elizabeth Street, Whitewater, Wisconsin 8:30 a.m.


City of Whitewater Landmarks Commission Thursday at 6:00 p.m.
Agenda
Cravath Lake Front Room
312 Whitewater Street, Whitewater, WI 53190
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://meet.goto.com/633483757
You can also dial in using your phone.
Access Code: 633-483-757 United States: +1 (669) 224-3412

UPDATED
Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center Subcommittee Meeting – Thursday @ 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Agenda
City of Whitewater Municipal Building
Community Room
312 W. Whitewater St.
or Virtual
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84632353300?pwd=SUkrTTRqV0I2d2YxMlY3bVVER000UT09
Passcode: 826380
Or telephone:
1 312 626 6799
Webinar ID: 846 3235 3300
Passcode: 826380

Our Readers Share: Steve Watson – Many species on Cravath Lake, Some locals, some passing through

Adult greater white fronted goose, also called speckle belly
Juvenile speckle belly
Redwing black bird
Snow geese – “wrong runway”
“One of these is not like the others” – Mostly snow geese
“None of them look like me”

Steve Watson writes, “My grandson Beckett and I had an interesting Sunday morning walkabout. Cravath Lake is abundant with birds. The sunshine and warmth brought out many species. Some locals, some passing through.”

Our thanks to Steve Watson for sharing more of his beautiful nature 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!

City Water Rates Increase Effective April 28

The Public Service Commission (PSC) has approved the Whitewater Municipal Water Utility application to increase water rates. Effective April 28, 2023, the average residential water customer with a ⅝-inch or ¾-inch meter who uses ~3,000 gallons per month can expect a $7.27 increase in their monthly water charges. The average water bill will increase from $24.55 to $31.82.

Due to water utility infrastructure costs, the water rate case was filed with the PSC on July 31, 2022. The PSC regulates water utilities in Wisconsin and determines rates. After reviewing the rate case, the PSC determined a 30% increase was necessary and issued its final decision on February 15, 2023. The PSC requires the Whitewater Municipal Water Utility to implement the new rates within 90 days. Rates are typically implemented at the end of a billing period. The last of the billing periods that fall within that 90-day window is April 28th, 2023. A meter reading will take place on April 28th. Water used after this date will be billed at the new rate.

This rate increase is, in part, due to the need to replace the two 100-plus-year-old reservoirs with a new water tower. This
replacement has been on the capital planning horizon for several years. Due to the historically low interest rates, the availability of ARPA grant funding, and support of the newly established Tax Increment District, the planned replacement of these reservoirs was pulled forward into the 2022-2023 biennial budget. Unless significant new projects are undertaken, an additional rate increase is not expected for some time.

The approved rate increase provides an additional $687,376 in annual revenue, which will result in an estimated overall rate increase of 30.07 percent over the water utility’s present revenue. This revenue is required to enable repayment of project borrowing while maintaining compliance with bond covenants. These rates are expected to produce a rate of return on the utility’s net investment of 6.6%. This rate of return is used by the PSC as a requirement to maintain confidence in the Utility’s financial integrity. The PSC updates its required rate of return periodically based on a three month rolling average of municipal bond rates.

Editor’s note: The above notice was provided by the City of Whitewater.

Farm Toy Show Photo Gallery – FFA Alumni Expresses Appreciation

Photos courtesy of Tom Ganser
 
Whitewater FFA alumni 30th annual farm toy show

What a day – we got another toy show in the books. First off I want to thank all the people in the background; without you we could not have pulled this off. 

Thank you Alice in Dairyland for coming.

A big thank you to all the businesses that donated to the show with door prizes and funds to support our show . 
A big thank you to Whitewater Culver’s for the scoopie coupons; I wish you were there to see the kids’ faces. PRICELESS. 

A big thanks to the vendors and the people that set up displays. A lot of hard work went in to them.

And thank you to all the people that came to look, buy and visit with us; this makes the day worthwhile. 

Many thanks.

Tom Nielsen
Show host

City to Hold Community Listening Session – Strategic Planning


The City of Whitewater is partnering with UW-Madison Division of Extension to facilitate a strategic planning process to help determine the direction for the City’s operations and budget for the next two years. The Extension Institute of Community Development works with communities to build the vitality that enriches the lives of the residents and enhances the quality of life in the community.

John Weidl, Whitewater City Manager, explains, “Strategic planning is about our positioning the City of Whitewater relative
to our competitors and to our opportunities. And we are competing – for potential residents and taxpayers, for qualified
and dedicated staff, for grant money to make road repairs and fund new ideas, to supply services to neighboring
communities and non-City residents, and for other resources from non-government organizations (NGOs) and the State
and Federal Government that are mission critical. Departments also compete for supplies, financing, and resources within
and without the organization with similar needs — from new vehicles and computers to improved software and marketing
efforts. The City is also positioning itself to attract other key stakeholders, such as future employers, investors, or
suppliers.”

Through the strategic planning process, the City of Whitewater will evaluate where we are, identify resources, develop a
vision for the future, and plan for challenges along the way. The goal is to create a roadmap to implement lean
government principles, prioritize key strategic issues, identify our dependencies and interconnections, and identify what
stakeholders want from the City and what the City wants from them.

To provide input in this planning process, a Community Listening Session will be facilitated by UW-Madison Division of
Extension. This session will offer people with diverse backgrounds the opportunity to express their views about key issues
of concern through an organized process. The results of this effort will help City leaders and elected officials to further
understand the community’s current needs and strengths as they complete the strategic planning process.

City of Whitewater taxpayers, residents, commercial property owners and representatives of organizations operating in
the City of Whitewater are encouraged to register to be part of the discussion.

This Community Listening Session will be held Monday, March 6, 2023 from 6:00 -7:30 p.m., at the City of Whitewater’s
Municipal Building, 312 W. Whitewater Street, Whitewater in the Council Chamber.

Registration for this session is required as space is limited to the first 50 registrants. Please follow this link to complete the
registration form: https://forms.gle/xApooi8sYsuyjMW7A

FFA Hosting Donkey Basketball “Tournament”

March Madness is right around the corner! To kick off this exciting month the Whitewater FFA is hosting a Donkey Basketball “tournament” at the Whitewater High School Main gym, on Thursday, March 9th, 2023, at 7 p.m. There will be four teams: Whitewater FFA, Whitewater School Staff, Elkhorn FFA, and Milton FFA. During intermission, kids will be able to interact and ride the donkeys with assistance from one or more FFA members. Community members of all ages will also get the chance to interact and see the donkeys in an exciting, safe environment. 

Tickets are $10 at the door or $7 if bought in advance; kids preschool age and younger get in free. Tickets can be purchased from Banco Insurance Company (inside First Citizens State Bank) in Whitewater and from local FFA members. Raffle tickets will also be sold throughout the night along with concessions located in the cafeteria.  

Please come out for some thrilling action and excitement for the whole family. Root for your favorite teams and donkeys. Bring your family and friends. BE LOUD!! 

Katie Gillette 
Whitewater FFA Reporter

Local Student Graduates from UW-La Crosse

The following area students completed degree requirements at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in December. The 58th Winter Commencement was held at the La Crosse Center Sunday, Dec. 18.

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, founded in 1909, is one of the 13 four-year institutions in the University of Wisconsin System. UWL offers 130-plus degree programs from undergraduate to doctoral levels in arts, social science and humanities; science and health; business; and education. UW-La Crosse – www.uwlax.edu – is a top-ranked national university. It is the No. 1 public university in Wisconsin with less than 25,000 students, according to U.S. News & World Report’s Best National Universities ranking. 

Students earning degrees in December include:

Whitewater, WI 

 Thomas McManaway, Master of Science, Recreation Management

UW-W Men’s & Women’s Basketball Teams Open NCAA Play Friday

By Angela Kelm
Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men’s and women’s basketball teams are both headed to NCAA Division III Basketball Regionals this week. The men’s and women’s regionals are scheduled for Friday and Saturday. 

The Warhawk men (21-7) will be on the road for a regional hosted by Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. UWW will meet Wabash (21-7) for first round action Friday at 2:50 p.m. Central. Both squads won their respective league tournament titles with the Warhawks taking down UW-Oshkosh 92-79 for the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Title and the Little Giants topping Wooster 81-80 for the North Coast Athletic Conference crown. 

The other first round game features Arcadia University (15-11), winners of the MAC Freedom Conference Tournament, and the host CWRU (21-3), the University Athletic Association champions. The winners of the first two first round games will meet Saturday at 5:20 p.m. Central. 

The UWW women will host a regional for the third consecutive national tournament. The Warhawks (21-6), winners of the 2023 WIAC regular season and tournament titles, will open against Webster College (24-3), the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament champions in an 87-84 win over Westminster. UW-Whitewater and Webster will faceoff in the second game Friday, slated for a 7:45 p.m. tipoff. Tickets – available at the door 60 minutes prior to tip-off:

  • $10 for adults
  • $7 for students with a valid college ID, seniors and youth
  • Free for children 3 years old and under

The first game of the regional in Kachel Gymnasium will feature Ohio Wesleyan (18-10), winners of the North Coast Athletic Conference and Gustavus Adolphus College(25-2), the 2023 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament champions. The winners will meet Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff. 

The Warhawk men’s and women’s basketball teams have a combined 43 national appearances as the men make their 22nd trip to the tournament and the women advance to the postseason for the 21st time in program history. 

NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Regional – Whitewater Webpage

UW-W Women’s Basketball Punches Ticket to 7th Consecutive NCAA Tournament

UW-Whitewater Women’s Basketball Tops UW-Eau Claire for Third WIAC Tournament Title to Punch Ticket to NCAA Tournament

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater defeated UW-Eau Claire 71-62 Sunday to claim the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament title for the third time in program history and secure the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. The Warhawks swept the league titles this season for the second time in program history (2018) after claiming a share of the regular season title. 

The 2022 national runner-up will return to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the 21st time in program history and seventh consecutive season. The complete tournament field including host sites will be announced during the 2023 NCAA Selection show scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday, February 27 on NCAA.com. 

Sunday’s championship in Kachel Gym was an afternoon thriller. With 7:46 on the clock in the first quarter, Kacie Carollo (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater) knocked a three-pointer to give UWW a 5-2 lead. The Warhawks never trailed the rest of the way. A minute later Yssa Sto. Domingo (Streamwood, Ill./St. Edward) hit from deep. Maggie Trautsch (Sun Prairie, Wis./DeForest) continued to the barrage from long range to make it 11-6 five minutes in. Trautsch hit the final bucket of the first, knocking down another from beyond the arc to send UWW into the second quarter with an 18-13 lead. 

The teams were even through the second, each registering 13 points, to maintain the three-point gap at the break. 

A huge third quarter gave the Warhawks a cushion as UWW outscored the Blugolds 20-9 in the period. With 3:20 left, Carollo sparked a massive run powering up for a layup and knocking it down despite being fouled on the play. After adding the free throw, Carollo turned defense into offense swiping a steal and going the distance for a layin. 

Abi Baumgartner (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) drained a jumper off to keep the run going. Following a UWEC free throw, Sto. Domingo hit another triple with 47 seconds left in the third. UWW drew another charge call on the defensive end, their fourth of the game to give the Warhawks a final possession in the period.  As the third came to a close, Baumgartner hauled in an offensive board and found Trautsch for a baseline jumper to cap a 12-1 UWW run that opened up a 51-37 lead heading into the final 10 minutes of play. 

Back-to-back buckets for the Warhawks, a jumper from Carollo and another three-pointer by Sto. Domingo gave UWW its largest lead of the game, 17, with 4:48 to play. The Blugolds responded with a run that cut the gap to single digits, 66-57, with 1:31 remaining but the cushion held for the Warhawk win. 

Carollo led all scorers with 24, including 16 in the second half. The sophomore guard drew 10 Blugold fouls in the game knocking down 9-12 from the free throw line. She added 12 rebounds for the double-double. Trautsch dropped in 14 with a pair of assists.

Baumgartner posted 12 points and nine rebounds in more than 35 minutes of action. Defensively, Baumgartner drew two of the teams four charges called against UWEC. Sto. Domingo was a perfect 3-3 from three-point range for nine points adding pair of assists and two steals. 

Purple reigned on Championship Sunday as the Warhawk men’s basketball team defeated UW-Oshkosh on the road to claim their fifth tournament title and earn their spot in the NCAA Tournament for the 22nd time in program history. 

Photo courtesy of Olivia Zinanni

Angela Kelm Assistant
Athletic Director for Sports Information