How to Mail and Ship Without Leaving the Safety of Your Home From Sherrie Benes, Whitewater Postmaster Order stamps and supplies, print postage, arrange pick-up
You don’t have to go to the Post Office to use many postal products and services. In fact, most simple tasks can be done from the convenience and safety of your home with or without a computer.
Like purchasing stamps. Using your computer, you can go to the Postal Store on usps.com and select different stamp denominations. USPS will deliver them right to your home. No computer? No problem! Ask your local Post Office or carrier to bring you a Stamps by Mail order form, complete it and put it in your mailbox with a check. Again, USPS will bring you your stamps.
What if you need to send a package? You can order free Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express boxes, or other package supplies at usps.com. Again, USPS will deliver items to your address. And at usps.com, using Click-N-Ship, you can print a mailing label with the appropriate postage right from your computer.
Need that package picked-up? Go to usps.com and schedule a free carrier pick-up. In your request, let your local Post Office know where they can find the package or packages and the carrier will retrieve them when he or she delivers your mail.
USPS postal employees are working around the clock to ensure you get your important letters and packages. Skip the trip to the Post Office by ordering stamps, package supplies, and print package postage from your home. We’ll pick up your packages too.
It’s the most effective type of social distancing around!
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
At the March 3, 2020 Common Council meeting, retired Streets, Parks, and Forestry Superintendent Chuck Nass was presented a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Urban Forestry Council. The award was presented by Dwayne Sperber, a member of the council from Delafield.
In making the nomination, Olivia Witthun, Forestry Specialist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, recognized the accomplishments of the city’s Urban Forestry Committee and the city’s forestry program during Chuck’s tenure, including developing and adopting an emerald ash borer plan. The plan identified the tree lawn and park ash trees that were deemed to be worth saving, and provided for appropriate treatment by city staff. Chuck attended the DNR’s Community Tree Management Institute and became an instructor, sharing his experiences. At various times Chuck also served the community as Fire Chief, served on the UW-W athletic board and the Whitewater Unified School District board. Chuck also implemented a solid relationship between forestry and engineering, commenting on street plans early in the process and incorporating tree planting, protection, etc. at an early enough stage to be effective. The nomination concluded, “Chuck handled the challenges and successes with aplomb.”
These days, by the way, Chuck continues to be active, driving for Van Galder Bus Company, and has often taken trips with UW-W athletic teams.
Running a Small Business or Nonprofit and Feeling Overwhelmed by Emergency Funding Information? Editorial by Lisa Dawsey Smith
You are NOT alone. And it can be difficult to not have comprehensive, easy to navigate information at your fingertips.
For any of the conversations that I’ve had in the past weeks with local business I’ve started with the caveat: None of us are experts right now whether it be a economic development organization like a Chamber of Commerce or a local media outlet. We’re sifting through just as much information as you are and pulling together reliable resources for you to have quality information in your hands. The best source I’ve found? Your bank. You have a working relationship with your bank and they know you and your business needs better than anyone else. Does that mean you’ll likely get a live person on the phone in the instant that you need them? Maybe not but they’re doing their best to catch up and many have assured me that they will get back to you just as soon as they can!
Now you’ve heard about the CARES act and all of the programs that it created. There’s a lot of information in that to unpack. There’s the SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, and an available advance to that loan. There are provisions for possible loan forgiveness. There’s another program called the Paycheck Protection Program available through existing SBA lenders. There’s an online portal, and one that involves forms that an approved SBA lender has to submit. Confused yet? You’re not alone. So go ahead and call your bank or credit union, leave a voicemail message and while you’re waiting to hear back check out the information compiled by the US Chamber of Commerce located here; it’s an easier to digest format for the information. https://www.uschamber.com/co/start/strategy/cares-act-small-business-guide
The results of the April 7 election will not be known until April 13, since absentee ballots that were postmarked by April 7 will still be counted if received by the 13th. Consequently election officials were barred from releasing the election day outcomes.
Michele Smith, Whitewater City Clerk, indicated to the Banner that there were a total of 1,870 ballots cast on election day, which includes over 1,200 absentee ballots out of the approximately 1,800 that were issued.
By comparison, for the 2016 Spring and Presidential Preference Election, a total of 4,553 ballots were cast, which included 516 absentees. Bear in mind that in that election there were two polling places, and a very large number of university students cast ballots at the UW-W polling place. Although some students are still residing locally, and a number of them voted together with some who are currently living elsewhere, the total student vote will certainly be dramatically reduced this time.
Whitewater citizens owe a debt of gratitude to the relatively small number of regular poll workers who felt they could serve under the circumstances, as well as to the city employees who agreed to fill in, together with the four National Guard members who assisted. A big thanks also to Michele Smith, who always puts in countless hours preparing for, overseeing, and reporting the results of our elections. However, the last minute twists and turns in the plans for this election combined with the efforts required to minimize health risks in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic made this election extraordinarily challenging. Finally, appreciation is expressed to Bill Smith, Michele’s husband, whom, she says, “always comes whenever I call,” dedicating many hours to each election, and that was particularly the case this time.
Jefferson County Trails remain open to the public for walking, hiking, biking, and other outdoor recreation. For the safety of all users we kindly remind all patrons to observe the recommended safety protocol while out.
Practicing Social Distancing—and Good Judgment—on Trails
Four members of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater wrestling team were selected to the 2020 Division III All-American teams by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.
Seniors Mike Tortorice (Wauconda, Ill./Carmel), Hazen Rice (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) and Jaritt Shinhoster (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Barrington) earned first team honors, while senior Ryder Sigler (Fredonia, Wis./Cedarburg) garnered second team accolades.
The quartet helped the Warhawks place second at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships and finish third at the NCAA Upper Midwest Regional Championships. All four qualified for the NCAA Championship, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The All-American teams, which usually consist of the top eight finishers in each weight class at the NCAA Championship, is based on each wrestler’s overall body of work through the regional tournaments.
Tortorice finishes his career as a three-time All-American. He was the top seed in the 125-pound bracket for the NCAA Championship with a 33-1 record. Tortorice claimed the WIAC championship for the third straight season and the Upper Midwest Regional title for the second consecutive year. He placed third in the nation in 2018 and finished as national runner-up in 2019.
Rice was set to be the No. 4 seed at the NCAA Championship after a strong senior campaign at 141 pounds. He finished the year with a 32-1 record, with his only loss coming in the Upper Midwest Regional final against Augsburg’s David Flynn, who was set to be the third seed. Rice closed his career as a two-time national qualifier, two-time regional champion and three-time conference champion.
Shinhoster enjoyed a dominant sophomore campaign, reaching the NCAA Championship for the second straight season at 174 pounds. Seeded fourth at the national tournament, Shinhoster finished the year with a 28-3 mark after winning the WIAC title and finishing as runner-up at the NCAA Upper Midwest Regional. He finished ninth in NCAA Division III with 18 pins.
Sigler broke through for his first NCAA Championship berth at 165 pounds after finishing as runner-up at the NCAA Upper Midwest Regional, including a major decision over two-time defending national champion Lucas Jeske of Augsburg in the regional semifinal to punch his ticket. He finished the year with a 23-13 record and placed third at the WIAC Championships.
Both Shinhoster and Sigler earned spots on the NWCA’s Division III Scholar All-America Team.
UW-Whitewater’s College of Arts and Communication begins its Safer At Home Stories with one about Teagan Collis, a senior majoring in Psychology with a double minor in Dance and Spanish. Collis had always wanted to study abroad and to accomplish that she began organizing her class schedule in her sophomore year to include a semester of study abroad and still graduate in four years. Last summer she applied to study abroad in Spain.
“One day I was studying for midterms in Spain and the next I was booking a flight home. Everything happens so quickly with this virus and we must take it seriously for the well-being of those around us. My heart goes out to everyone, because everyone has been affected by this in one way or another, ” shares Tegan Collis.
She began her study abroad semester at the University of Granada in January and was taking five classes, Spanish Grammar, Oral & Writing, Latin American Civilization & Culture, (the first three courses listed were taught in Spanish) Social & Demographic Changes in Spain, and the Arab World & the West (these two were taught in English). All of her classes are continuing online through May 22 as was previously planned. She explained, “It is much harder to learn a language online than in person, especially with a seven hour time difference, but my professors are working really hard to make it work.”
Due to the novel coronavirus outbreak in Spain her study abroad semester was cut short, as all study abroad students were required to return to the USA. One week prior to her departure to the USA a state of alarm was declared in Spain, which meant she was unable to leave her homestay residence. Teagan said, “It was hard spending my last week in Spain inside, but it was also nice to spend some quality time with my host family and roommate before leaving.”
During the 2 ½ months that she spent in Spain she was able to do some sightseeing which included exploring much of Granada, and seven different cities in Spain including two on the Spanish Island of Mallorca. She also visited Morocco which was her first visit to Africa.
This was Miss Collis’ last semester and thanks to the continuation of her online classes she will graduate in May. Amidst the doom and gloom of everyday news, she received some very good news since returning from Spain. She was accepted into graduate school at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA starting this fall, pursuing a master’s degree in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program for Dance/Movement Therapy.
Since returning home she has been self-isolating in her room at home with her feline companion. The time in isolation has been difficult, but worth it to keep her family from risk. She has used this time to study, prepare for her future in Cambridge, MA and to reflect on the time she spent in Spain. Collis shares, “I am definitely excited for the day when I can leave my house, but it has been fairly easy to communicate with everyone I needed to while in quarantine. A lot of friends have reached out to me after hearing what happened in Spain and to see how I’m doing. I even had one friend drop off brownies on my porch! Thankfully cell phones, social media, and Whatsapp have made it easy to stay connected with everyone, including my host family in Spain. I’m not taking any classes at UW-Whitewater right now, but I still feel connected to the campus due to university emails and updates from friends.”
For more information on UW-Whitewater College of Arts and Communication please visit us online at Facebook.com/UWWGreenhillCenter.
In a news release on April 3, Walworth County Health officials indicated that they have detected COVID-19 in “all major Walworth County communities.” It was stated that the county Division of Public Health is “either monitoring cases or conducting contact investigations in every Walworth County community.” According to the release, testing resources are being used for those who are “critically ill.” Consequently the total number of cases in the county “is no longer an accurate measure of the spread of COVID-19.”
In a telephone conversation with a Banner staff member on April 7, Carlo Nevicosi, Deputy Director of the Walworth County Department of Health & Human Services, confirmed that there are “confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19” in Whitewater. Mr. Nevicosi stated that he was not at that time authorized to release any further information regarding the nature of those cases. However, he did indicate that all identified individuals in the county have been “well behaved” in following the health department’s requests, and no legal quarantine orders have had to be issued. Contact tracing is also being conducted.
Carlo Nevicosi also confirmed that the county is in compliance with the Governor’s Emergency Order #19, which requires health departments to provide emergency dispatch centers with the addresses associated with persons who have tested positive for the virus. Dispatch centers are then responsible for conveying this information to first responders such as law enforcement, fire, and rescue personnel in order to protect their health and safety.
Nevicosi was pleased to report that so far there have been no suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in any of the long term care facilities in the county. Anyone in one of those residences who is symptomatic is being tested.
As of April 7 at 1:30 p.m., Walworth County had twenty-one laboratory confirmed cases with five of those persons currently hospitalized. Twelve of the twenty-one persons were considered to have recovered. No deaths have been reported.
Key Updates from Walworth County:
The weather is warming and people will be tempted to gather outside. Social distancing remains one of the best tools we have to slowing the spread of the virus. Please remember to:
Stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) from other people
Do not gather in groups
Stay out of crowded places and avoid mass gatherings
Stay-at-home orders have the potential to exacerbate feelings of loneliness, depression and substance use. The Department of Health Services has launched the Resilient in Wisconsin Initiative to help Wisconsinites cope, stay connected and build resilience during this crisis. Data, resources, and evidence-based tools can be found here https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/resilient/index.htm.
The Department of Children and Families is connecting essential workforce families with available child care resources. To request child care, essential workforce families should fill out this form. Families can also search for available care at a publicly available map. Please submit your request as soon as possible to help child care centers determine whether to stay open to meet the local demand.
Kenneth Roger Heckert, 87, of Elkhorn, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on Monday, April 6, 2020. Kenneth (Ken or Kenny as those who knew him would refer) was born to Elmer and Althea Heckert in Elkhorn, WI on December 23, 1932. He graduated from Antigo High School in 1951 and played semi-professional football for the Merrill Foxes for a few years and then enlisted in the Air Force. He is survived by his loving wife Janet (Jansen) of 62 years, sons Bret (Kris) of Smyrna, TN, Mark (Karen Phillips) of Elkhorn, WI, and Kevin (Sally) of Whitewater, WI. Aside from being a wonderful father to his sons, Ken was also an amazing Grandpa and Great Grandpa to Justin (Melissa), Kendyl and Kiersten Kreuziger, Logan (Whitney), Maverick, Troy, Emily, Allison, Meredith, Clare and Liam Heckert. Ken will also be survived by another Great Grandchild to be born in October. He is further survived by sisters Shirley Zalewski (Green Bay, WI) and Laura Fleming (South Beloit, IL), sister-in-law Mary (Tyke) Rice (Sun City, AZ) and brother-in-law Don (Darlene) Jansen (Whitewater, WI) and many loving nieces, nephews and extended family. Ken was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents and brother Russell (Carol) Heckert and a sister-in-law and two brothers-in-law. He was a loving father, husband, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend to everyone. He was best known for his bright smile, funny jokes, old stories and infectious laugh. Ken loved sports, especially football and college basketball. He was an avid Green Bay Packer and Wisconsin Badger fan.
Ken proudly served
his country as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force. He
was an Air Traffic Controller with the AACS Squadron during the
Korean War. His last day of service was December 14, 1955 where he
left Otis Air Force Base, MA. He returned from active duty and met
his beautiful future wife. Ken and Janet were married on October 24,
1957 in Elkhorn where they raised their sons. Ken worked for A.O.
Smith Harvester in Elkhorn and the last few years of his career in
DeKalb, IL. He retired from AO Smith in 1991. In 2018, Ken had the
extreme privilege to be part of the Vets Roll project on a four day
bus trip. They visited numerous locations including the US Air Force
Museum, Korean War Memorial and then to Washington D.C.
When he wasn’t working, Ken enjoyed working on small engines, gardening, fishing, hunting, attending his sons’, grandchildrens’ and great grandchildrens’ many sporting events, school/church activities and the occasional round of golf with his buddies. He loved getting together with friends for breakfasts at Elizabeth’s Café (Delavan WI) and Friday fish fry’s at Tubby’s (Elkhorn WI) or card games at home. Ken could often be found on his homemade lawn roller around town rolling lawns and roto-tilling gardens in the spring. When he wasn’t using it as a lawn roller, Ken and Janet could be found in many local parades with the roller converted into the “Flintmobile” as Fred and Wilma Flintstone. He loved seeing the smiles on faces of people as they rolled down the parade route and hearing his “Yab-ba-dab-a-doo!” Ken was an active member of United Church of Christ (Elkhorn WI) where he faithfully served the Lord as a Church Trustee, maintenance and yard crew member along any other odd jobs. He enjoyed sitting outside in his lawn chair after a long day of work sipping on an ice cold Old Milwaukee, playing ball with his sons’ English Springer Spaniels, petting his Miniature Schnauzers over the years (Cricket, Holly and Lilly) and watching the birds. He enjoyed deer camp in Waupaca with his brother-in-law (Stan Zalewski), sons and nephews. He also enjoyed spending time in Readstown, WI on the back porch of friends Ray and Jeanine Hummel. This was one of his favorite places to have a cocktail or two and take in all of Mother Nature’s “million dollar views.” Ken was always there to help relatives and friends with household projects, fixing yard equipment and many other things. Ken was loved dearly by his family and friends and will be greatly missed.
Ken’s family would
like to give a special thank you to the staff at Vintage on the Pond
(Delavan WI) who cared dearly for Ken over the last few years and
especially during his final days. They would also like to thank
Pastor Scott McLeod, Dr. Fehling and the Cardiology teams of St.
Luke’s Hospital, Lakeland Hospital and Aurora Healthcare. He passed
away knowing he was loved by many. Also, the family would like to
extend their sincerest gratitude to Haase Lockwood Funeral Home and
Crematory for being very accommodating and understanding during this
difficult time. A Celebration of Life and Burial with military honors
will be held at a later date due to the Safer at Home orders.
Memorials can be made in Ken’s name to the Vets Roll project. Donations can be made online at www.vetsroll.org or via mail to: Vetsroll.org, c/o Finnegans’ RV, 1777 Gardner Street, South Beloit, IL 61080.
