Lynn Binnie

Local Man Wins Award for “Gems of Whitewater” Documentary


On Thursday, May 9th, Wisconsin Community Media presented local man, Michael Hilliger, with an Award of Achievement for his work on a documentary about Whitewater.  “Gems of Whitewater” is a 3 episode series, each about one of 3 different local historical sites in our area.  The Train Depot, the Birge Fountain and the Artesian Well natural spring.  It was made possible by our very own Whitewater Community Television.   Other local people worked on these projects, including Haley Dieter, and Kristin Mickelson.  The shows include interviews with several community leaders with thoughtful insights and historical facts about these “Gems.”  Available to watch on WWTV 990 or google “Gems of Whitewater” to see these locally produced shows.

WHS Class of 1954 Plans 65th Class Reunion!

The Whitewater High School Class of 1954 will be holding their 65th class reunion at the Willow Brook Golf Course on Hwy. 59 on July 6, 2019.  The festivities will start with getting together at 12 noon for “meet and greet, get re-acquainted, followed by lunch with ordering off the menu.  Reservations need to be made by June 24th to Evelyn Schneider 262-473-2661.  Any questions and further information, call Evelyn.

Lincoln Elementary Hosts Successful Leadership Day

Lincoln School hosted Leadership Day on Friday, May 3rd.  This included a parent session with information about Leader in Me, an all school assembly, classroom visitations, school tours and a student/teacher panel.  Students were responsible for planning and presenting the assembly and related activities. The day was centered on the theme “Kids Helping Kids.” Classrooms did a variety of activities under this theme and the entire school participated in the first Kids Helping Kids craft fair.  Students made and donated items to sell. Almost $600 was raised. The student body voted and decided to donate the proceeds to the following causes: Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Therapy Dog Program, The Community Space and Whitewater Unites Lives “Mind the Gap” summer food program.

UW-W Spring Commencement Set for May 18 and May 21

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will celebrate the achievements of its graduates on Saturday, May 18, and Tuesday, May 21, as proud families and friends gather for the 2019 spring commencement ceremonies. At the university’s Whitewater campus, a total of 1,643 graduates will cross the stage on May 18 to receive their degrees. The morning ceremony, which begins at 10 a.m., recognizes 759 undergraduate and 88 graduate students from the colleges of Arts and Communication, and Business and Economics. The afternoon ceremony begins at 3 p.m. and recognizes 696 undergraduate and 100 graduate students from the colleges of Education and Professional Studies, and Letters and Sciences. The ceremonies, which last approximately two hours each, will be held in Kachel Fieldhouse.

The commencement speaker for both ceremonies is Damani Short, who earned a BBA in management computer systems in 1994. The Waukesha native has had a wide-ranging career in information technology in organizations as diverse as GE Healthcare, Sharpie, the U.S. Olympic Committee, Johnson Controls and Shutterfly. Short now leads Lexico, a transformation services consultancy, together with his wife and business partner, Cindi.

Thomas Kind, a general management major from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, will be the student speaker for the morning ceremony. As president of Whitewater Student Government, Kind has presided over the student body during an historic time at UW-Whitewater, including the university’s 150th anniversary and the combining of the Whitewater and Rock County campuses. He continues as a UW-Whitewater student, pursuing an MBA.

Zhishu Wang, who is receiving his Bachelor of Science in Education in English, will be the student speaker for the afternoon ceremony. A native of Qingdao, China, Wang always dreamed of attending a university abroad. At UW-Whitewater, he found enthusiastic faculty members ready to engage him in undergraduate research projects in his field of choice, teaching. A student-teacher at Waterford Union High School, in the fall he will begin a master’s degree program at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

The graduating class of the Whitewater campus includes 82 students who are veterans, 31 international students and 231 nontraditional undergraduate students, defined as undergraduate students who are 25 years of age or older. In addition, 111 self-identified students with disabilities will receive degrees.

The commencement ceremonies on the Whitewater campus will be broadcast live online by UWW-TV, the university television station.

The graduation ceremony for UW-Whitewater at Rock County will be held on Tuesday, May 21, at 6:30 p.m. in the gymnasium of the Wells Cultural Center. This ceremony marks the college’s first commencement as part of UW-Whitewater. About 85 graduates are expected to receive their Associate of Arts.

The commencement speaker is State Senator Janis Ringhand, who represents Senate District 15. Ringhand, a lifelong resident of Rock County, has worked as a bookkeeper and has helped to run her family’s business, Ringhand Meats and Beverages, in addition to serving on the Evansville City Council, as mayor of Evansville, as a representative to the Wisconsin State Assembly, and most recently as a state senator.

The student speaker is Kaitlyn Dempsey, a native of Edgerton. An English major, Dempsey has served as president of Phi Theta Kappa, the honors society for two-year colleges, and a member of the English honors society Sigma Kappa Delta. After receiving her associate degree, Dempsey will continue her education this fall at UW-La Crosse where she will major in English.

For more information about the UW-Whitewater main campus commencement: https://www.uww.edu/commencement

UW-Whitewater Athletics: Ryan Callahan Named Interim Athletic Director

Ryan Callahan

Ryan Callahan, a member of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus community for more than 15 years, has been named Interim Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. The announcement was sent to all university faculty, staff and students by Interim Chancellor Cheryl Green.

Callahan most recently served as Assistant Athletic Director for Internal Operations, a position he held for the last two years. In that role, Callahan maintained operating budgets for all 20 sport programs and oversaw event management, NCAA/postseason reporting and campus purchasing. He also played a role in capital projects and strategic planning.

“Ryan brings a wealth of experience to this important position for our campus and Warhawk Athletics,” Green said. “For a number of years, he has been a strong and collaborative leader at UW-Whitewater. I believe the breadth of his experiences – from his roles as Assistant Athletic Director for Internal Operations and Director of Continuing Education, to his time as a Warhawk student-athlete – will enhance the solid foundation that exists in our athletics department. He is committed to creating an environment of excellence for our student-athletes, inspiring them to excel in the classroom, the community, and their chosen sports.”

Callahan began working at UW-W in 2007, serving in multiple campus roles before being named Director of Continuing Education. He began working in intercollegiate athletics after serving as Director of Continuing Education from 2012-17. In that role, he assisted with the campus-wide effort in identifying, planning and providing non-credit programming that addresses needs and opportunities among regional constituencies and their communities. His role included oversight of all UW-Whitewater Camps and Clinics, where he worked closely with the UW-W athletic department.

Callahan was a member of the Warhawk baseball team from 2000-01 and 2003-04, helping the team reach the NCAA Division III World Series in 2003 and claim Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004. A three-time all-conference and two-time all-region honoree as a pitcher and outfielder, Callahan is among the top 10 in the program record book in career shutouts, innings pitched, strikeouts and walks allowed per nine innings. After graduation, Callahan played several years within the San Francisco Giants organization as a pitcher. He served as an assistant baseball coach at UW-Whitewater upon arriving back on campus.

Alice’s Ordinary People: Screening & Discussion at Library

The Irvin L. Young Memorial Library will be having a screening and discussion of Alice’s Ordinary People.  The Director of the film will be in attendance to lead the discussion on Thursday, May 16, 6:00 p.m.

Alice’s Ordinary People is a documentary about Alice Tregay, an unsung heroine of the Civil Rights Movement. Her remarkable story spans the historic period from the marches of Dr. King to the election of Barack Obama, and her great contribution in the field of politics is the thread which connects the two. The introduction and discussion will be led by the filmmaker, Craig Dudnick. This presentation is free and open to everyone.  Refreshments will be served.

Mukwonago Area Community Choir presents “Songs of Americana” at Fairhaven on May 11

The Mukwonago Area Community Choir will be performing at Fairhaven on Saturday, May 11 at 6 p.m. The theme is “Songs of Americana” and we are celebrating the folk and less formal music from America’s past. Our selections will include: God Bless America, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands, Erie Canal, America the Beautiful, Cindy, I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair, Streets of Laredo, and many more. Our hope is to show how we can unify our people through song no matter their political ideology, socioeconomic status, race, gender, religion, etc. We are a nation of one people, “E pluribus unum,” and together we are stronger than we are as individuals. Music has the power to bring us together for the greater good of our nation and these songs are our heritage and strength. A free-will offering will be taken to support the UW-W InterVarsity Christian Ministries. 

Middle School 7-8 Math Team Won 1st Place in State Math Meet

L-R Front – Jazmin Cederberg, Emma Clarksen, Cole Schlicher, Jared Apgar

Back – Emilia Houwers, Afton Clapper, Silas Baker, Emerson Ellenwood

Congratulations! Whitewater Middle School’s 7-8 Math Team won 1st place in Class B for the State Math Meet sponsored by the Wisconsin Mathematics Council. Several individual team members were recognized for how many points they scored and have received ribbons. Earning Class B First Team All-State status was 7th grader Jared Apgar.  Earning Class B Second Team Status were 8th graders: Emma Clarksen, Cole Schlicher, and Jazmin Cederberg. Other team members contributing to this success were: Silas Baker, Emerson Ellenwood, Emilia Houwers, and Afton Clapper. Great job Whippets! You make us proud!