N. Esterly Held a Pop-up Self-Distancing Music Festival

Last week Christine C. Hayes, Lincoln Elementary music teacher, emailed an invitation to her neighbors on N. Esterly Avenue to join her and her husband, Dr. Glenn C. Hayes, on March 25 for a “Happening” of a music sing-along. They announced the location would be “your front yard!” “Pull up a lawn chair or blanket in your front yard, bring out your personal device to follow the lyrics, and sing along with Christine, her guitar and amplifier,” Christine wrote. “Wave and smile to your neighbors and know that we are all in this together! Lift your spirits tomorrow from your doorstep. You and not alone.”

It was reported that eleven households participated joyously in songs such as, “You are My Sunshine,” and “What a Wonderful World.”

Sara Kuhl, UW-W Assistant Vice Chancellor for University Marketing & Communication, commented on Facebook, “We were walking on campus and could hear the music from Prairie Street by Heide. It was lovely!”

Click here for a story in the Daily Jefferson County Union.

By the way, if you haven’t yet seen a video of hundreds of thousands of people across New York standing at their balconies and windows on Friday, March 28 at 7 p.m. to cheer for those working on the frontline against COVID-19, it’s quite an uplifting view. Please click here for a Youtube video. It seems that the cheering happening has continued each evening since then.

Inauguration of Dr. Dwight C. Watson as UW-W Chancellor Postponed

Announcement from UW-W
In light of the ongoing and fluid COVID-19 situation, we regret to inform you that the inauguration of Chancellor Dwight C. Watson, scheduled for April 24, 2020, has been postponed. As always, our first priority is the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and guests. We look forward to celebrating with you once it is again safe for us all to gather together.

City Announces Key Sponsors for Cravath Lakefront Park’s New Amphitheater

The City of Whitewater is excited to announce that the construction of the new Cravath Lakefront Park Amphitheater is underway. The overall cost for this project is expected to be $338,000. We wish to thank the Frawley family and the Whitewater Rotary Club for their generous donations totaling $80,000 to help support the project.

In recognition of the Frawley family’s title sponsorship contribution of $50,000, the amphitheater will be named in their honor and the family name will be displayed prominently over the stage. “This community-centric project provided us with a great opportunity to thank the Whitewater Community for their loyalty and patronage over the past 72 years,” said Mike Frawley.

In addition to the Frawley family’s donation, the Whitewater Rotary Club has committed to raising $30,000 to contribute to the project with their fundraising efforts taking place over the next 3-5 years. The Rotary logo will be displayed on the amphitheater pillars when the project is completed.

The Whitewater 4th of July committee is also supporting the project by deferring city support to the festival for the next decade. The city appreciates the committee’s commitment to this important project, which benefits the Whitewater community.

“The City of Whitewater is extremely thankful for the donations that have been given to help support the facility.” said Eric Boettcher, Parks and Recreation Director. “This new amphitheater should truly enhance existing events and music and we couldn’t be happier to see it move forward.”

Citizens can help with the funding of the amphitheater project by making donations through the Whitewater Community Foundation. The Whitewater Community Foundation has set up a fund for this city project and will be coordinating the fundraising efforts for the new amphitheater. To make a donation, visit http://whitewatercommunityfoundation.org/donate/. Click the Donate Now button and choose a dollar amount, how often you wish to donate and which cause you wish to support. Donors can also share a note of why they are gifting the money to the cause.

Far-off Cancellations: Young Auditorium’s “An American in Paris” and UW-W Theatre/Dance Dept. “Summeround” Performances

From the Young Auditorium: “As the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to evolve, Young Auditorium is working with promoters, artists, and artist management to help limit the spread the coronavirus while keeping employees, patrons, and performers safe. With these considerations in mind, the performance of An American In Paris originally scheduled for May 3rd has been cancelled. Patrons who have purchased tickets for the cancelled performance will be personally contacted by a Young Auditorium staff member to discuss options. Given our limited resources during these unprecedented times, we expected to reach all ticketed patrons by Tuesday, April 7th .

Young Auditorium will provide updated information as the need arises, and will adapt our plans as directed by university administration. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we navigate this situation. Please visit www.youngauditorium.com for complete details on event cancellations.

From UW-W College of Arts and Communication: Friends of UW-Whitewater’s Summerround will not be surprised to learn that the 2020 season has been canceled out of an abundance of caution for our patrons, students, faculty, and staff during this period of disruption due to COVID-19.  “Over the years, many have derived great pleasure from attending UW-Whitewater student productions and we are looking forward to your joining us for the 2021 season when a greater sense of normalcy returns,” shared Dean Eileen M. Hayes.

The faculty and staff of the Department of Theatre/Dance are working on creative ways of teaching their coursework and working from home. Creativity is in large supply in the College of Arts and Communication, which will serve us well as we navigate staying safe at home.

 “Our Warhawk family is strong, caring and resilient. I appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we navigate this situation. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 worldwide outbreak, and we will act and adapt our plans as appropriate.” – Chancellor Dr. Dwight C. Watson 

For more information on campus response visit: http://www.uww.edu/uhcs/covid19

Barbara Anne Roth Hill, 85, was called to Heaven and died peacefully on Sunday, March 22, 2020.

Barbara Anne Roth Hill

June 3, 1934 — March 22, 2020

Barbara Anne Roth Hill, 85, was called to Heaven and died peacefully on Sunday, March 22, 2020. After battling kidney disease for many years, Barb is finally at rest. She was a loving wife for 64 years to Charlie “Chas” Hill, wonderful mother to Steve and Lori Hill, Sheryl and Keith Brunette, and Sarah and Bob Geisthardt, devoted “Grandma” to Stephen, Matty and Coley, Nick and Kena, Jackie and Jereme, Jon and Ally, Mikey and Hope, Steph, and Anna, and loving ‘Grandma Grandma’ to Max, Maya, Brody, Emi, Liam, Eva, Allie, Ryan, Charlie, Tommy, Madeline, Henry and Calvin.

Besides husband Charlie, her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, Barbara is survived by brother Charlie Roth and Anna, and sisters-in-law Margaret ‘Peggy’ Simons and Karen Lee as well as beloved and special nieces and nephews, cousins and friends.

Barb was preceded in death by her parents, Silas Martin Roth and Sarah Eleanor Moore Roth; mother-in-law and father-in-law Mildred and Neal Hill; brothers Martin and wife Ardis, John and wife Bonita, Sam and wife Romelle, and Paul A. Roth; sister Rosemary Hadrath and husband Sterling “Bud” Hadrath; sister-in law Dorothy Frutiger and husband Richard Frutiger; and brother-in-law Richard Simons.

Barbara was born in Mauston on June 3, 1934, where she attended and graduated from Mauston High School. Upon graduation, Barbara went to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where she earned her degree in education and later her master’s in special education. Barb was a dedicated Warhawk! Barb taught in the Edgerton, Mauston, Whitewater and Waukesha school districts and was a dedicated teacher for many years before retiring. She was also an active member of the Whitewater Jaycettes and was even elected state president of the Wisconsin Jaycettes.

Barb loved entertaining guests and family with delicious meals and activities such as the yearly game dinner and annual Easter egg hunt. Later, nearing retirement, Barb and Charlie bought, remodeled and rebuilt a lovely cottage on Wheeler Lake in Lakewood, Wisconsin. They made sure there was plenty of room for their ever-growing family, since the family was at the center of Barbara and Charlie’s lives. Upon retirement, Barb and Charlie traveled the 3 1/2 hours to Lakewood countless weekends as well as attending family sporting events and various family activities in between.

“Grandma Grandma” put family first and was happiest when her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were around!

She was the organizer and the center of many, many family gatherings and events through the years. She was the glue in our family and will be greatly missed.

Our family would like to thank DaVita Dialysis Center in Waukesha, Brookfield Rehabilitation Center and Summit Woods Senior Housing for their kind and loving care of Barbara. A celebration of Barbara’s life will take place at a later date, yet to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Barb’s memory are appreciated to the family to be designated to a charity at a later time.

RETRACTION re: COVID-19 in Whitewater

RETRACTION:  On 3/28 the Banner posted an article referencing social media comments that according to reliable sources there are three confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the community.  The Banner staff apologizes that we did not sufficiently confirm this information before going to “press.”  We are working to do so on this story, but at this time cannot confirm the accuracy of the report.  It is our goal to always provide accurate information, and we are instituting a new policy regarding sources in order to avoid future confusion.  We appreciate your reliance on the Banner as a means of keeping up with local news and events, and hope that you understand that this misstep occurred in the best interest of the health and safety of our community in the midst of a rapidly developing outbreak.  

The remainder of the article is well referenced:

As of 3/27, Rock County reports 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19, Jefferson has 6 cases, and Walworth has 5. The state has had a total of 842 positive tests and 13 deaths. Since widespread testing still is not available, there are undoubtedly many additional infected persons who may even be unaware that they could spread the illness to others.

Dr. Ryan Westergaard, Chief Medical Officer & State Epidemiologist for Communicable Diseases in the Wisconsin Department of Health Services stated today that he believes all counties in the state should now be considered to be at high risk of the virus.

There appears to be increasing compliance with social distancing and staying at home, but based on recent data from Unacast, there’s still way too much traveling still taking place. Unacast, a location data and analytics firm based in Norway and New York, has utilized data culled from mobile phones to create a “Social Distancing Scoreboard,” assigning countries, states and counties a letter grade for their change in average distance traveled. As of 3/23 the company gave Wisconsin a D for having only reduced distance traveled by 19% compared with pre-social driving. Walworth county was rated a C with a 20% reduction, but both Jefferson and Rock counties were rated Fs, with only a 8% and 3% reduction respectively.

In accordance with the Governor’s “Safer at Home” mandate, all residents are strongly urged to stay at home until at least April 24. Exceptions include for solitary outdoor recreation (walking, jogging, gardening, etc.) essential employment, medical services or getting groceries. Some grocery stores, including Pick ‘n Save and Festival in Fort Atkinson, offer online ordering with pickup that allow the customer to avoid the risks involved in walking through the aisles.

Let’s do our part in keeping the virus from getting out of hand in our community.

Municipal Building is Locked Except for Reduced In-person Absentee Voting Hours; However, Online Ballot Requests are Strongly Encouraged; Avoid Rumor Mill

3/24/20 – In an effort to comply with the Governor’s “Safe at Home” directive, and in continued efforts to reduce the COVID-19 risk for city employees, the City of Whitewater Municipal Building will be physically locking its doors today at Noon. The building will remain closed to the public at all times except those times specifically posted for absentee voting. This closure will remain in force until further notice. Individuals needing assistance from the police department will be able to request assistance via the intercom located on the wall in the Whitewater Street entryway or by calling 262-473-0555 (Option 4). Following are points of clarification on this change.

How is this different from the City closure announced last week? – Last week, the City of Whitewater closed the building to the public and shut down all service counters except the counter for absentee voting. However, the building lobby remained open. With this new action, the building will be physically locked. Only employees will be able to enter the building.

With the building locked, how can I vote absentee? – The Municipal Building will be unlocked and open for in-person absentee voting at specific times as listed below. However, please see the information below regarding online absentee ballot requests. The building will remain physically locked at all other times.
• The Municipal Building will be open for in-person absentee voting at the following times:
   o Tuesday 3/24: 8 am – Noon
   o Thursday 3/26: 1 pm – 5 pm
   o Tuesday 3/31: 8 am – Noon
   o Thursday 4/2: 1 pm – 5 pm

The City of Whitewater encourages all registered voters to vote absentee for the 2020 Spring Election, but voting by mail rather than in person is strongly recommended. Please visit MyVote.WI.gov to request an absentee ballot. This site can also be used to confirm the status of a voter registration. NOTE: Per a court order, online voter registration for the spring election is allowed until March 30, 2020.

What do I do if I need to talk with a police officer? – Individuals needing to speak with a member of the Whitewater Police Department can still request assistance by using the intercom in the Whitewater Street entryway or by calling 262-473-0555 (Option 4)

Are any city departments open? – No services will be accessible from the Municipal building. However, a majority of employees are working from home and can be reached via phone or email. Contact information for employees is available on our website (https://www.whitewater-wi.gov/1) by selecting the Contact Us link at the bottom of each webpage of the site.

Avoiding the Rumor Mill. The City of Whitewater would remind residents to observe all formal public announcements from official sources. Avoid contributing to panic by sharing false information. Recommended sources of information include the following:
• Governor Tony Evers Webpage for Executive Orders: https://evers.wi.gov/Pages/Newsroom/Executive-Orders.aspx
• Wisconsin Department of Health Services: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/
• Jefferson County Health Department: https://www.jeffersoncountywi.gov/departments/health/Coronavirus.php
• Walworth County Department of Health & Human Services: https://www.co.walworth.wi.us/304/Health-Human-Services
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
• Whitehouse.gov: https://www.coronavirus.gov/

Thank you for your efforts to reduce the spread and flatten the curve.

WUSD Issues Further Info Re: Meal Distribution Exclusively on Mondays beginning 3/30

The District is making important changes to our meal distribution during the Wisconsin Safer at Home order. Starting Monday, March 30, a week’s worth of meals will be distributed each Monday.  This includes five breakfasts and five lunches for each child. We will not distribute meals Tuesday through Friday.  We will distribute at the same locations and during the same time frame (11:00 am to 12:00 pm).  

These meals are available to all children in the community 18 years old and younger.  Children do not need to be physically present to receive the meal. Parents, guardians, and caregivers are able to pick-up meal bags for all eligible children in the household. Also, children do not have to be accompanied by an adult.  Anyone with a fever or respiratory symptoms should not be picking up meals.

When picking up a meal, you will now need to get out of your vehicle.  The meals will be placed on a table to maintain social distancing. Location and additional information is available on the District’s COVID-19 website:  https://wwusd.org/covid-19.

Sincerely,
Lisa Griep
Food Service Supervisor



Estimadas Familias:
El Distrito está haciendo cambios importantes en nuestra distribución de comidas durante la orden Wisconsin Safer at Home.
A partir del lunes 30 de marzo, se distribuirán comidas de una semana cada lunes. Esto incluye cinco desayunos y cinco almuerzos para cada niño. No distribuiremos comidas de martes a viernes. Distribuiremos en los mismos lugares y durante el mismo período de tiempo (11:00 a.m. a 12:00 p.m.).

Estas comidas están disponibles para todos los niños de la comunidad de 18 años o menos. Los niños no necesitan estar físicamente presentes para recibir la comida. Los padres, tutores y cuidadores pueden recoger bolsas de comida para todos los niños elegibles en el hogar. Cualquier persona con fiebre o síntomas respiratorios no debe recoger comidas.
Al recoger la comida, ahora deberá salir de su vehículo. Las comidas se colocarán en una mesa para mantener el distanciamiento social.

La ubicación y la información adicional están disponibles en el sitio web COVID-19 del Distrito:  https://wwusd.org/covid-19.

Sinceramente,
Lisa Griep
Supervisora de Servicio de Alimentos