Lynn Binnie

ADRC Offering Welcome to Medicare Workshops

The Walworth County Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) will offer Welcome to Medicare workshops on Thursday, February 23, at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. This popular educational session will provide information about Medicare for individuals turning 65 years of age, those over 65 and planning to retire, or individuals with disabilities that have received Social Security Disability benefits for 24 months or have End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease).

“It is vitally important that individuals eligible to receive Medicare are aware of the different parts of Medicare, including Part A and Part B, as well as the prescription drug coverage,” says Elder Benefit Specialist Julie Juranek. “Being knowledgeable about premiums and penalties for not having creditable prescription drug coverage will help people make sound choices when exploring
available plans.”

The Welcome to Medicare workshops will be held at the Walworth County Health and Human Services building, 1910 County Road NN, Elkhorn. RSVPs are highly recommended by calling (262) 741-3366.

For residents who cannot attend in February, Welcome to Medicare workshops will also be held on April 20, June 8, and August 17. More information can be found at www.co.walworth.wi.us/883/Medicare.

WUSD Bandorama Photo Gallery

Photos from February 11 WUSD “Bandorama” in WHS gym courtesy of Tom Ganser.

5th Grade
6th Grade
WHS Jazz Band
8th Grade
WMS Jazz
Combined WHS
8th Grade
8th Grade & WHS Bands
Combined 5th to 12th Grades

Obituary: Melvin R. Schrader, 95

Melvin R. Schrader, 95, of LaGrange, WI passed away on Tuesday, February 14 at Alden Estates in Jefferson, WI.

Melvin was born on September 2, 1927 in LaGrange, WI the son of Edwin and Alena (Knutson) Schrader. Melvin grew up on the family farm and after his schooling he would continue to work the family farm for a few years before purchasing his own farm. Melvin started as a dairy farmer with his father. He would continue to dairy farm after his father passed away and then later in his farming career, Melvin sold the cows and went to cash crop farming. He was a very hard worker and took pride in farming and providing for his family. Melvin was giving, friendly and just generally a happy man. On December 7, 1974 he was united in marriage to the love of his life, June Weigand at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Palmyra where Melvin was a lifelong member. Melvin and June would go on to enjoy many years together making wonderful memories. Melvin’s interests included good food, polka music, and he also enjoyed a nice Snickers bar. One of the highlights of Melvin’s later years was having the windmill on his farm restored. He was very pleased with the result and seeing the beauty restored to the windmill brought him a lot of joy. Melvin was a good man and he will be missed by those he leaves behind.

He is survived by: his wife of 48 years, June Schrader; his niece and nephews, Donna (Dennis) Scherer of Fort Atkinson, Glenn Jacobs of East Troy, John Jacobs of Janesville, and Steve Jacobs of Whitewater; his brother-in-law, Dave (Virginia) Weigand of Elkhorn; his brother-in-law John Weigand of Aldie, VA; and nieces, Jennifer Weigand of Fort Atkinson, and Sara (Jeff) Buising of Boca Raton, FL. Melvin is also survived by a number of other relatives and friends.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Ethel.

Per Melvin’s wishes, no formal services will be held.

Memorials in Melvin’s honor may be made to the St. Matthew Lutheran Church of Palmyra, WI.

Gibson Family Funeral Homes of Palmyra and Eagle, WI is serving the family. To place an online condolence please visit gibsonfuneral.com

Whitewater Girl Scout Cookie Sale Begins 3/4

Whitewater Girl Scout Troop 7639

Girl Scout Cookie Season is about to begin! Whitewater Girl Scout Troop 7639 will be selling cookies from Saturday, March 4th through Sunday, April 9th.

Cookies are $5/box and all proceeds stay in our local, Madison area council. Our troop is using proceeds to go on our first camping trip, to fund two local service projects, as well as many other fun and educational outings throughout the year.

We have many cookie booths planned this year including:
3/4 Whitewater Walmart 10am-6pm
3/5 Whitewater Walmart 10am-6pm
3/10 Whitewater Walmart 4pm-7pm
3/11 Whitewater Walmart 10pm-6pm
3/12 Whitewater Walmart 10pm-6pm
3/13 Fort Festival 4pm-7pm
3/17 Whitewater Walmart 4pm-7pm
3/18 Whitewater Walmart 12pm-4pm
3/19 Fort Festival 2:30pm-6:30pm
3/21 Fort Festival 4pm-7pm
3/24 Whitewater Walmart 2pm-6pm
3/25 Fort Festival 2:30pm-6:30pm

For a complete list and updated booth info, please follow us on Facebook: Troop 7639 – Whitewater Girl Scouts

New this year is the “Raspberry Rally,” a sister cookie of the best selling Thin Mint. A crisp raspberry cookie coated in chocolate and only available online with direct ship. To place an online direct ship order benefitting our troop please click here:
https://app.abcsmartcookies.com/#/shopify-landing-troop/c169e54b-7f96-ed11-994a-000d3a8a55b5
(link will be live 3/4)

For those who wish to donate cookies to our Cookie Share Program, this year we are having each Girl Scout pick her own recipient. In the past 4 years we have been able to bring hundreds of boxes of Girl Scout cookies to local food pantries, first responders, teachers, and active duty military. We look forward to seeing who each of our Girl Scouts chooses to bless this year.

For more information, or to be connected with a Girl Scout for local delivery, please email Troop Co-leader Sarah Hoots hootyhoots@yahoo.com

Arts Alliance Hosting a Social Night at The Vinery Stained Glass Studio – Open to Everyone of All Ages

Barn square fused glass example

In collaboration with the Whitewater Arts Alliance (WAA), the Vinery Stained Glass Studio will be hosting a social night at their building—218 Elkhorn Road, Whitewater, WI 53190–on Thursday, February 23 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. This is a $40 class on fused glass with the theme of barn squares. All materials are provided onsite. This is a precursor course to bring awareness to the WAA’s Public Art Project. Members of the alliance can get a 10% discount, they need only give their name to the Vinery to obtain it. The class is open to everyone of all ages. Additionally, this is a new collaboration that should appear bi-monthly.

No sign up required; show up at the Vinery the day of!

To learn more about the class, visit either the WAA’s page, https://www.whitewaterarts.org/vinery-glass-waa-night, or the Vinery’s Facebook page, https://facebook.com/events/s/fused-glass-barn-quilt/2205916136261185/.

Drug Drop Box is Available 24/7 at the Municipal Building

Do you have unused medication at home that you’re ready to dispose of? It’s never a good idea to flush medication because it can cause water quality issues that impact public health. But ignoring them can be just as dangerous if the medications fall into the wrong hands.

The safest alternative is using the drug disposal drop box located in the Fremont Street vestibule of the Whitewater Municipal Building at 312 W. Whitewater St. We ensure that the medication is collected and disposed of safely in an environmentally sound way.

We accept prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, liquids, patches, inhalers, sprays, nebulizer solution, vitamins, and pet medications. Items that are not accepted include sharps, oxygen tanks, nebulizers, batteries, radioactive cancer medications, IV bags, and mercury thermometers.

Editor’s note: The exterior door to the vestibule is only unlocked during business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. If you wish to deposit drugs at other hours, go to the Whitewater Street vestibule and push the button on the intercom to reach the Dispatch personnel, who will grant you access to the other vestibule.

#FlashbackFriday with the Historical Society: Ice harvested and stored c.1900

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. Prior to electric refrigeration, ice was harvested in winter and stored in ice houses to sell to homes for warm weather ice box use. It was also stored in produce company buildings to keep farm produce cool in warm weather. Here, in this image from around 1900, we see ice being loaded into the warehouse of the Union Produce Company, a farmer’s warehouse that was located at the east end of Main Street.

Ice harvesting was done on Cravath Lake in February when the ice would have been the thickest. Men used large saws and tongs to cut and load the large ice blocks onto the horse-drawn carts. Then, as seen in the photo, the ice blocks were ramped into the warehouse using a pulley system. Men who worked primarily warm-weather jobs or in factories that had winter lay-offs could get much-needed employment during the winter by working for ice harvesting companies.

Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.

(4441PC Whitewater Historical Society)

Community Food Pantry Hours Changing

Greetings everyone from The Whitewater Community Food Pantry.

Beginning March 1st, 2023, The Whitewater Community Food Pantry will close at 11:30 a.m. rather than 12:00 noon. Therefore, the new hours for Wednesday and Thursday will be 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The pantry is located at 146 North Street, Whitewater, WI,  Second Floor of the Old Armory.

With the end of the year 2022 The Whitewater Community Food Pantry served 262 families. In the average week we provided food for about 72 adults and 41 children. Your generous donations and support from everyone, including the churches, schools, companies, organizations, clubs, our farmers and gardeners and the various food drives have made it possible for the pantry to take care and provide for these families.

The food pantry has 22 volunteers who have put in over 3070 hours of their time to serve and help the patrons.

With the new year well underway, as of the end of January, we have 90 families registered which amounts to 228 individuals.

Anyone in need of food is welcome to register with The Whitewater Community Food Pantry.

Should you need help you will need to provide us with:

1. Identification of yourself and all occupants of your household. For children: birth certificate, passport, school report card or library card.
2. Proof of your name and address (utility bill, rental agreement etc.) to show you live within the Whitewater Unified School District.
3. These documents must be provided as soon as possible but no later than the third visit.
4. You must show ID each time you pick up food.

Beginning March 1, the food pantry will be open every week Wednesday and Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Thank you all for your thoughtfulness to the Whitewater Community Food Pantry.

UW-W New Head Football Coach Rindahl’s Top 3 Reasons to Attend Football Summer Camp

Players populate the football field at Perkins Stadium for speed and agility tests during preseason camp on Aug. 11, 2022. (UW-Whitewater photo/Craig Schreiner)

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from UW-Whitewater.

UW-Whitewater was thrilled to recently announce the promotion of defensive coordinator/assistant head coach Jace Rindahl to head coach of the storied Warhawk football program. Following an impressive playing career at UW-W, Rindahl had been an assistant coach with the football program for the past eight seasons. He knows the greatness of UW-W Football better than anyone.

Coach Rindahl also has extensive knowledge of the outstanding UW-W football summer camps. With five camps catering to different ages and positions, there is a camp for everyone! From players entering 5th grade to those beginning their senior year of high school, UW-W’s top-notch football coaching staff is ready to ensure that every camper has an experience they’ll never forget.

“UW-Whitewater’s football summer camps provide young players with an unmatched opportunity,” Coach Rindahl says. “It is the perfect experience for a young player looking to learn more about the game and improve their performance.”

Here are Coach Rindahl’s top 3 reasons to attend a UW-Whitewater football summer camp:

1) Skill Development: Whatever their position, players receive focused skill development, expanding and enhancing their skill-set.
2) First-class Collegiate Experience: From the best-in-class facilities to the dorms and dining, campers are exposed to a taste of college life.
3) Direct Contact with Coaches: Campers are coached by the UW-W football staff, so they learn from the best.

Registration is open now! For more information and to see a full list of football summer camps, visit https://www.uww.edu/ce/camps/athletic/football.