Lynn Binnie

Arts, crafts club forming in Whitewater

By Chris Spangler

A community arts and crafts group is forming in Whitewater.

An organizational meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, at Wisconsin Makers, located at 200 E. Clay St.

The club is the brainchild of Mike Alvarez of Whitewater, whose recent post on the Whitewater Anything Forum spurred interest in creating an arts and crafts group for people of all ages and artistic abilities. While the club is based in Whitewater, all area residents are invited to attend. “This club is for people interested in arts and crafts in general, from drawing and painting to paper art, pottery, woodcarving and pretty much anything art-related,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez is the owner of Handy Mike LLC, a handyman service. In his homeland of Puerto Rico, his art was a business, but in the [continental] United States, it is mainly a hobby. “I do art almost every day. Even if I don’t feel that I want to draw, I draw everyday. I make myself to do it as a habit. It helps me with my anxieties. When I finish work, I do this and I feel so relaxed,” he said.

Alvarez decided to start the club after noticing how his two children, ages 11 and 13, sometimes are bored and need a release after school. “Everything started because of my kids,” he said.

He said the nonprofit Wisconsin Makers is the perfect venue because its educational mission matches what the arts and crafts club is all about. “I thought that a makerspace is not only a place where we can show what we know, but we can learn from other people and share with the community,” Alvarez said.

He plans to offer classes and expects that, in time, other artists will step forward to share their knowledge, as well. “I think I am going to be teaching some drawing, painting visual arts, and then we can make other classes more hands-on, like woodworking, woodcarving and stuff like that. I want to integrate every part of the community, from the seniors to the little kids, so everyone can come and participate.”

Being bilingual, Alvarez hopes to generate interest from the Hispanic community, as well.

Wednesday’s organizational meeting will be a time for brainstorming, he noted. “We can start by seeing what people’s interests are, which is great,” Alvarez said. “I am like water. I take the shape that I need to take just to make it work. We want to have fun first and foremost, and then if you want to become a great artist, that is up to you. We want to spark imagination,” he added.

Alvarez said that he thinks the club will meet weekly on Thursdays. However, if there is enough interest, it could meet twice a week with classes on two different topics.

Club members need not join Wisconsin Makers to participate. However, donations toward paying utilities would be greatly appreciated.

Wisconsin Makers is a makerspace that creates an affordable, collaborative and educational environment that inspires people of all ages to becoming innovators within their communities by unlocking their skills through continual training. It has members from Jefferson, Walworth, Rock and Waukesha counties and beyond, and all have access to the workshops around the clock. The facility houses machine, welding/fabrication, electronics, automotive, 3-D printing, laser engraving and woodworking shops. It also offers pottery, ceramics, metal art, quilting, fabric arts, matting/framing and more. The building is handicapped accessible and has off-street parking, WiFi, and many other amenities. For more information about the makerspace, contact Chris Spangler at (920) 728-2960.

DeKALB, Ill. (January 13, 2023) – Northern Illinois University announces its fall 2022 Dean’s List students. To earn this distinction, students must meet a minimum semester grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale in the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology or a minimum of 3.75 on a 4.0 scale in the colleges of Business, Education, Health and Human Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Visual and Performing Arts.

Students from your area who achieved this honor include: 

Brianna Tillett, of Whitewater, who is majoring in Rehabilitation & Disability Se. Tillett is a graduate of Kettle Moraine High School.

Northern Illinois University is a student-centered, nationally recognized public research university, with expertise that benefits its region and spans the globe in a wide variety of fields, including the sciences, humanities, arts, business, engineering, education, health and law. Through its main campus in DeKalb, Illinois, and education centers for students and working professionals in Chicago, Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Oregon and Rockford, NIU offers more than 100 courses of study while serving a diverse and international student body of about 19,000. The 17 NIU Huskie athletic teams compete in the Mid-American Conference at the highest NCAA Division I level. For more information, visit www.niu.edu.

MILWAUKEE, WI (January 13, 2023) – The following residents were named to the Mount Mary University Fall 2022 Dean’s List: 

Amanda J. Hoehn, Biology-Health Sciences, JEDI Virtual Online School
Jennifer M. Villarreal, Broad Field Social Studies, Whitewater High School

The Dean’s List honors full-time students who have earned a 3.6 GPA or better while taking 12 or more credits during the recent semester. Part-time students are eligible for the Dean’s List when they have earned a 3.6 GPA or better while completing at least 6 credits. 

Mount Mary University leads the Midwest for supporting and graduating students of all backgrounds. According to the 2023 Best Colleges Report by U.S. News and World Report, Mount Mary is ranked #2 for social mobility, ensuring undergraduate women of all backgrounds succeed. 

Sponsored by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Mount Mary is a diverse and inclusive urban Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wis., committed to social justice through more than 50+ undergraduate majors for women and 12 graduate programs open to all genders. Visit mtmary.edu.

 

The League of Women Voters-Whitewater Area Hosts Whitewater Unified School District School Board Candidate Forum on January 28, 2023, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

The League of Women Voters-Whitewater Area kindly invites community members to attend the Whitewater Unified School District (WUSD) school board candidate forum on Saturday, January 28, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. The forum is in person and will be held in the City of Whitewater Council Chambers, located on the first floor of City Hall, 312 W Whitewater Street, Whitewater.

The 12 candidates are: Michael Bergman, Thayer A. Coburn, Will Dammeir, Daniel Dern, Stephanie Hicks, Lisa Huempfner, Joseph A. Kromholz, Christy Linse, Chuck Mills, Brian Schanen, John D. Truesdale and Nathan Vander Pas. Whitewater Area League member Lynn Binnie will moderate this forum, in which candidates will be provided with opportunities to interact with voters by answering audience member questions. The forum will be filmed by Whitewater Community TV and will be available for viewing in advance of the February 21st primary election. The six candidates receiving the most votes in the February 21st primary will appear on the ballot for the April 4 spring general election.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Visit our website at https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/whitewater-area, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @lwvwhitewater.

CEDARVILLE, OH (01/11/2023)– Mina Truesdale, a Whitewater student majoring in Chemistry, was named to the fall 2022 Dean’s Honor List at Cedarville University. Students receive this achievement for obtaining a 3.75 GPA or higher for the semester and carrying a minimum of 12 credit hours.

Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 5,082 undergraduate, graduate, and dual-enrolled high school students in more than 175 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio, recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, high graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and the #4 national ranking by the Wall Street Journal for student engagement. For more information about the University, visit cedarville.edu.

The Whitewater Arts Alliance (WAA) alongside Music Therapist Noelle Larson, MT-BC will be hosting their second Music and Art Wonder Club on Saturday, January 21, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 11:15 AM. The event is free to attend, and will be located at the Cultural Arts Center, 402 West Main Street, in the gallery which can be found on the second floor of the White building.

To sign up for this free event, registrants can fill out the following form: https://bit.ly/3X054WF

To learn more about the event, check out the WAA’s webpage: https://www.whitewaterarts.org/music-art-wonder-club-2023

Art therapy is meant to help both children and caregivers experience a world of creative fun while also learning strategic coping mechanisms. At this workshop, participants will use musical instruments and create colorful sculptures made from dough and child safe materials. These sculptures can be taken home the day of the event.

CAMPBELLSVILLE, KY (01/12/2023)– The academic honors dean’s list for the Fall 2022 semester has been announced by Dr. Donna Hedgepath, Campbellsville University’s provost and vice president for academic affairs.

The following student has been named to Campbellsville University’s Dean’s List for Fall 2022:

Brianna Staebler, from Whitewater, WI.

The academic honors list recognizes students who achieve a grade point average of 3.50 or above for the semester with a course load of at least 12 hours. The Fall 2022 academic honors list includes a total of 874 students, with 364 named to the President’s List for achieving a 4.0 grade point average and 510 named to the Dean’s List for achieving a 3.5 to 3.99 GPA.

Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university that offers over 100 programs including doctoral, master, bachelor, associate and certificate programs. The website for complete information is www.campbellsville.edu.

The Discover Whitewater Series (DWS): Half Marathon, Half Marathon Team Event, 5k, and W3 Fit Kid Shuffle is excited to announce that registration is now open for its 11th annual race. The upcoming Discover Whitewater Series is set to be held on September 17th, 2023.

Since its establishment in 2013, the DWS has hosted 10 successful races, raising $254,500 for local charities. The DWS partners with the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, the Whitewater Unified School District, and the City of Whitewater to make this race a premium community event. Once again, the DWS plans to host a fun and safe event the entire community can enjoy. 

This year, the DWS will be maintaining fan-favorite events from years past such as: the W3 Fit Kid Shuffle, Kids Korral childcare, and Post Race Celebration at 841 Brewhouse. In addition, the DWS will be featuring a new Half Marathon Team Race event where teams of four (all men, all women, or co-ed teams of two men and two women) can compete for the best combined half marathon finishing time. 

“I’m excited for this year’s event; bringing the team competition to the Half Marathon adds a new dimension to the race we haven’t had in the past,” said DWS Executive Director Jeff Knight. “I believe the team element to the race will make it stronger than ever before. It’s wonderful to see how the entire community comes together to host this annual event in September.” 

The 11th annual DWS this September will be bigger and better than ever before with the new team race option for the Half Marathon and much more. DWS is offering an early bird special through the end of the month where registration rates are at their lowest of the year. The DWS team looks forward to another successful race, and is excited to see all the runners come together once again!

To get signed up while early bird rates still apply, visit: www.RunWhitewater.com/Register. 

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.

Editor’s note: The following news release was received from the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library.

The public is invited to a presentation about local landmarks at risk, featuring four City-owned landmarks: Birge Fountain, Starin Park Water Tower, White Memorial Building, and Whitewater Effigy Mounds Preserve. Landmarks Commission members will provide brief overviews and photos of all four landmarks, along with details concerning their current deteriorated conditions and needs for repair and restoration. 

Landmarks Commission member Kori Oberle states, “Local landmarks not only enhance the visual and aesthetic character, diversity and distinctiveness of Whitewater, they are visible reminders that raise the community’s awareness and pride in its past. It is this “sense of place” that encourages people to put down roots in a community. Landmarks also enhance the community’s attraction for residents, visitors, tourists and prospective residents, while stabilizing and increasing property values. They also encourage investment in economic development. These are some of the many reasons that we hope people will help the City safeguard our community’s history and cultural heritage.” 

The presentation will be held in the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library’s Community Room located at 431 W. Center Street in Whitewater on Tuesday, January 24 at 6:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend this free program and no registration is required. For additional information, visit the library’s website at www.whitewaterlibrary.org or call 262-473-0530.