Dustin Reichwald

Savory Sounds Summer Concert: Steve Meisner, June 21 at 11:30 am

 Steve Meisner

June 21 at 11:30 am

 Birge Fountain in front of the Cultural Arts Center, 402 W. Main St.

Steve Meisner is a multi-talented musician, entertainer, composer & arranger. He began playing the accordion at the age of 5 and has been earning a living in the music business since the age of 16. Steve’s family has a rich musical heritage and he is a second-generation full time working musician. His father, the late Verne Meisner, had a successful music career for over 57 years. Steve’s brand of music is extremely versatile and appealing to a wide audience. He has made a name for himself by taking the music he grew up with from his father and adding his own imagination and feeling. He has brought his brand of traditional American polka into the 21st century with a fresh spark & swing while retaining the roots of this music.

In Steve’s 40 year musical career he has performed with the nation’s top accordionists, polka icons & musicians including Myron Floren, Frank Yankovic, Joey Miskulin, & Verne Meisner. He has amassed 22 LP/CD credits, 6 Single, and 7 Video releases with full production credits. He has performed nationally coast to coast and internationally averaging as many as 250 performances annually including performances at the Lawrence Welk Theater in Branson MO, Stardust-Monte Carlo-Hacienda-Orleans & Plaza Casinos in Las Vegas. He has performed at the Library of Congress, the Kennedy Center, and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington DC. He and the Meisner brand of music has filtered into television broadcasts and motion pictures including TNN’s Crook & Chase Show and the ABC Network 4th of July broadcast of “In Search of America, a 4th of July Celebration” hosted by the late Peter Jennings and folklorist Nick Spitzer. He and his music are featured a full-length motion picture “Chump Change” released internationally by Miramax and he has been heard and seen on the film festival circuit in a short film called “The Pick Up Polka”. He has an original composition in the independent full-length feature “Red Betsy”. Writer/director/actor Steve Burrows from Hollywood CA call’s Steve “the Mozart of Polka”.

Steve has received numerous awards and nominations including “Musician and Band of the Year”, “Favorite Polka Artist”, “Lifetime Achievement Award” by the Maryland Accordion Club, he resides as the 29th inductee to the Ironworld Polka Hall of Fame, and in 2005 an “Honor Roll” induction to the Wisconsin Polka Hall of Fame, he is the first of his generation to reside alongside his father as a “Lifetime Achiever” in the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame in 2012. He and his father’s, original compositions are included on many best-selling polka recordings, Grammy nominated recordings, and can be found in the archives of the Library of Congress, the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Institute, and Wisconsin state libraries in both textbook and music categories. His recordings are used in preschool and kindergarten classes to teach the young and enjoyed by many generations bringing back memories of care free days.

The WAA is grateful to our partners-Fairhaven Senior Services, First Citizens State Bank, Fort Community Credit Union, Olm and Associates, and PremierBank–for helping to make these events possible.

Savory Sounds Upcoming Schedule
(11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on the following Thursdays, inside the CAC if raining)

June 28 UW-W Jazz Camp Ensemble
July 12 Rose Among Thorns
July 19 Brass Knuckles

Call Me By Your Name – Wednesday, June 20 at 12:30 PM, Seniors in the Park

Call Me by Your Name is a 2017 coming-of-age drama film directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by James Ivory. It is based on the 2007 novel of the same name by André Aciman. Set in northern Italy in 1983, Call Me by Your Name chronicles a romantic relationship between 17-year-old Elio Perlman and his professor father’s 24-year-old graduate-student assistant, Oliver. At the 90th Academy Awards, it won the category Best Adapted Screenplay and was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Original Song. Ivory won awards for his screenplay at the 23rd Critics’ Choice Awards, the 70th Writers Guild of America Awards, and the 71st British Academy Film Awards.

When: Wednesday, June 20 at 12:30 PM

Where: Seniors in the Park

Wisconsin Makers, the local Whitewater makerspace, hosting three events

Tri-County Business Networking Group – Tuesday, June 19, 3 – 5 pm; This is a group for business owners, entrepreneurs and creatives in Walworth, Jefferson, and Rock counties who wish to promote positive growth through educational programming and collaboration.

Veterans Open Shop Night – Tuesday, June 19,  6 – 8 pm; We encourage Veterans to come in and see the equipment we have to create your projects. We have 3D printers, laser engraver, woodworking machines and tools, welding area and much more. We are also giving tours of the MakerSpace.

Open Make Night –  First and third Tuesday of every month, 6 to 8 pm. We are here doing projects, socializing and fixing up the MakerSpace. Our technology area is second to none with a laser engraver and 3D printers. Stop in and make something. We are also giving tours of the MakerSpace.

About Wisconsin Makers

Wisconsin Makers is a makerspace located in Whitewater, WI, serving the needs of makers, creatives, crafters, and artisans in the Southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois area.

Wisconsin Makers is dedicated to a collaborative and educational approach to creativity.  We’re a community of makers and tinkerers fostering an environment where the only limit is our imagination. We hope to work within our communities to share our love of making things with our own hands no matter our skill level. Please join us in working on your craft, sharing what you know, and learning skills from others. We are Wisconsin Makers!

Tours are generally available during the day with Pete Spangler from 10 am – 5 pm daily. Tours during nights and weekends available on request.

Wisconsin Makers Inc
200 E Clay Street
Whitewater, WI 53190

http://wisconsinmakers.org/

First Citizens Bank awarded Purple Angel for dementia awareness training

 From L to R: Nate Parrish, President – First Citizens State Bank; Penny Ardelt, Customer Service Supervisor – First Citizens State Bank; Eric Russow, Walworth County Aging Network;  Katie Nass, Loan Officer – First Citizens State Bank; Bernadette Russow, Walworth County Aging Network; Mary Lou Ward, AVP & Cashier- First Citizens State Bank.

The Whitewater Dementia Friendly Community Initiative (WDFCI) is proud to announce that the First Citizens Bank of Whitewater was awarded the Purple Angel on June 18th. This is the first business in Whitewater to achieve this honor. Katie Nass and Penny Ardelt of First Citizens, who spearheaded this effort, are trained and can help other businesses become Dementia Friendly. Nass became involved as a member of the Whitewater Dementia Friendly Community Initiative.

The Purple Angel is an international symbol which says employees have received dementia awareness training and are sensitive to customers and care partners who are affected by dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Dementia Friends is a global movement that is changing the way people think, act, and talk about dementia. Developed in the United Kingdom by the Alzheimer’s Association, it is now making its way across the United States. By helping everyone in a community understand what dementia is and how it affects families, each of us can make a difference for the people touched by dementia.

A Dementia Friendly Community is one that engages people with dementia, making them feel welcome and improving their quality of life while supporting their unique needs as well as the care partners and family members.

The community should know that this work is sponsored and supported by the Whitewater Dementia Friendly Community Initiative (WDFCI), the Walworth County Aging Network and assisted by the Alzheimer’s Association and the Dementia Friendly Community Initiative – Walworth County.

Supporting the Dementia Friendly Community are Memory Cafés. There is one in Whitewater on the second Monday of the month at the Irvin L. Young Library Community Room at 431 W. Center St. in Whitewater, at 10:30 am. First-time attendees are asked to call 800.272.3900 to register. You can also find Memory Cafés in Jefferson, Elkhorn, Lake Geneva, Delavan, and Janesville.

The WDFCI is also working to bring a twice a month respite site to Whitewater in the fall. This will allow care partners a break from caregiving and a fun day out for their partner. If you are a caregiver interested in a little “me” time please call 262-473-0535 for more information.

There are free training programs available for businesses, first responders, faith communities, and organizations. For additional information please contact Katie Nass at First Citizens Bank 262-473-1401 or knass@firstcitizensww.com or Deb Weberpal Seniors in the Park, 262-473-0535 or dweberpal@whitewater-wi.gov.

Shirley L. Stekel died on Friday, June 15, 2018 at SSM St, Mary’s Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin.  This was amid loving calls from far-away family and chapters of a James Herriot Book being read aloud by her husband and daughter.

Shirley was born to Alma (nee Madsen) and Verge Dow in San Francisco, California on June 10, 1936.  After the end of WWII, the Dow family moved to Rogue River, Oregon where she graduated from high school.  She always considered herself to be an Oregonian; this was reinforced when she earned BA and MA degrees in Physics from Oregon State University.

Her first teaching position was at the Yakima Valley Junior College in the state of Washington.  After a couple years, she went on to Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan for additional graduate work in physics and a part-time teaching appointment.  She left Wayne State in January 1963 for a position as an Assistant Professor in the Physics Department of (what is now) the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.  She was on the faculty here until her retirement in 2000.  At UW-W she did a lot of work with prospective elementary teachers in a physics class emphasizing hands-on, activity-oriented science instruction.  Shirley also developed and taught a popular course: Physics of Sound & Music.  In 2000, She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Association of Physics Teachers.

At Whitewater, in 1965 Shirley met a newly hired physics instructor, Frank Stekel.  After working together for several years, they were married in August 1967.  They were still working together right up to the present time.

After retirement, Shirley became a Master Gardener.  She had a special interest in prairies and was a volunteer at Rotary Gardens in Janesville in the presentation of programs for elementary school students.  Shirley loved nature, animals (especially cats) and travel.

She was preceded in death by parents as well as her daughter, Sharon, in January 2017.

She is survived by her husband, Frank D. Stekel of Fort Atkinson; daughter, Sandra and husband, Tim Schmidt, of Bristol; brother, Wayne, of North Granby, Connecticut; sister, GeRee’ Lane, of Jacksonville, Oregon; brother-in-law & sister-in-law, Joe and Carol Stekel of Bangor; special friends, Virginia Epps and Karen Helwig, both of Whitewater; other relatives and friends as well as her fellow Rotary Gardens volunteers,

Burial will be in the Cold Spring Union Cemetery next to her daughter, Sharon. This family ceremony and a memorial gathering will be held later this summer.  In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts are suggested to either the Jefferson County Humane Society or the Rotary Gardens of Janesville, WI.

The Nitardy Funeral Home, Whitewater, Wisconsin is assisting the family, www.nitardyfuneralhome.com.

William Harold Rabenhorst, 62, Whitewater, passed away peacefully in his sleep on June 13, 2018 at his home where he was raised and worked his whole life as a dairy farmer.

Bill was born on August 21, 1955, in Fort Atkinson to Harold William and Edith Grace (Uglow) Rabenhorst.  He graduated from Whitewater High School in 1973.  Bill enjoyed bowling, history and reading, friends and family, farming and taking day trips to get away from the farm.  Bill liked to road farm and shoot the breeze with the neighbors. He also enjoyed riding his Harley. He loved his grandchildren.

He is survived by his daughter Linda Malone (Bo) Klietz, Whitewater; grandchildren Tyler Rabenhorst-Malone, Scarlett and Karleigh Klietz; Sister, Ellen (Lou) Rowland, Fort Wayne, IN,  many nieces and nephews and cousins.  He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Kenny and Larry Rabenhorst and sister Roberta “Bobbi” Litten.

Funeral Services will be held on Friday, June 22, 2018, at 11:00 am at the First United Methodist Church 145 S. Prairie St. Whitewater, WI 53190.  A visitation will be held on Thursday, June 21, 2018, from 5:00- 8:00 pm at the Nitardy Funeral Home 550 N. Newcomb St. Whitewater, WI 53190 and on Friday at the church from 10:00 am until the time of the service.

The family would like to thank the Monday, Wednesday, Friday Dialysis team in Fort Atkinson for the last 13 years, Jim and Jack for the live transplant of kidneys, Agrace Hospice Care, the inpatient doctors and nurses at the UW Hospital and their specialty clinics, many family and friends, neighbors for coming in to help with the farm and house chores, the Baptist church family that brought food and comfort to us and the many prayers from the community.

Upcoming City Meetings: Week of June 18 through June 24

Irvin L. Young Memorial Library Board of Trustees Regular Meeting –  Monday, June 18, 2018, 6:30 pm, Irvin L. Young Memorial Library Community Room. For agenda, 

City of Whitewater Common Council –  Tuesday, June 19, 2018, 6:30 pm, City of Whitewater Municipal Building. For agenda, 

Parks and Recreation Board –  Wednesday, June 20, 2018, 5:30 pm, City of Whitewater Municipal Building – Cravath Lake Front Room. For agenda, 

Whitewater Community Fundraising Partners to raise money for the Whitewater K9 Unit

Saturday, July 28, 2018

Join the Whitewater Community Fundraising Partners on Saturday, July 28, 2018, as we host a full day of activities to raise money for the Whitewater K9 Unit. All events begin and end at Cold Spring Golf Center.

The day starts off with a fun 5K run/walk at 8 am and is $20. Each participant receives a t-shirt, goodie bag, and 1 ticket for the grand prize drawing. Awards to the top 2 male and top 2 female runners and top 2 walkers.

The Poker Run begins at 10 am and is $30 for the first rider, $25 – 2nd rider and $25 for each additional hand. Each participant will receive a t-shirt, lunch, 1 raffle ticket for the grand prize drawing. All Vehicles are welcome. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the Poker Run

The 9 Hole Golf Outing begins at 12 pm and is $120 per foursome. Includes food, t-shirt, 1 raffle ticket for the grand prize. Prizes will also be awarded at the end of the tournament.

The public is welcome to join us at 4:30 pm for appetizers, DJ, and Silent Auction. Entertainment until 7p.m.

You can register for all events at wwcfpruso.eventbrite.com.

If you are interested in sponsoring this fun event, would like to be a hole sponsor, or a run sponsor, please contact Rita Hookstead at 920-344-0573.