City of Whitewater Equal Opportunities Commission – Monday @ 5:00 p.m. VIRTUAL MEETING AGENDA MONDAY MAY 2, 2022 5:00 PM Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. https://meet.goto.com/709902797 You can also dial in using your phone. 1 (408) 650-3123 Access Code: 709-902-797 Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts: https://meet.goto.com/install
City of Whitewater Common Council – Tuesday @ 6:30 p.m. Agenda includes update on lakes dredging project, Update on work being done in Walton Oaks Park and Effigy Mounds, and Possible action on Release and Employment Disposition Agreement between City of Whitewater and City of Whitewater Police Chief. This will be an IN PERSON and a VIRTUAL MEETING. Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join us via computer, smart phone, or telephone. Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods. Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device: Please click this URL to join. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88002144924?pwd=RlMzakVSRFZXRHduMTRDUWJ6R2hFdz09 Passcode: 716452 Or join by phone: Dial 1 301 715 8592 Webinar ID: 880 0214 4924 Passcode: 716452
Whitewater Unified School District School Board – Special Meeting – Tuesday @ 6:30 p.m. Agenda (Click on “meetings” in upper right corner.) Whitewater High School Library 534 South Elizabeth Street ———————————————– 6:30 p.m. via Zoom Online – URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83000977917?pwd=ZHlsTVFFZDZJWWdCc1ZPWE5EaW1FUT09 – Passcode: 493080 ———————————————- – Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799 – Webinar ID: 830 0097 7917 – Passcode: 493080
City of Whitewater Landmarks Commission – Thursday @ 6:00 p.m. Agenda Cravath Lakefront Room 312 Whitewater Street Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. https://meet.goto.com/457331381 You can also dial in using your phone. United States: +1 (408) 650-3123 Access Code: 457-331-381
City of Whitewater Police and Fire Commission Meeting – Thursday @ 6:30 p.m. Agenda City of Whitewater Municipal Building Community Room- First Floor 312 W. Whitewater St. This will be an IN PERSON MEETING as well as a VIRTUAL MEETING Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. https://meet.goto.com/295250101 You can also dial in using your phone. United States: +1 (872) 240-3212 Access Code: 295-250-101
Annual Board of Directors Meeting Whitewater Fire Department, Inc Business Meeting – Thursday @ 6:30 p.m. Agenda Location: WFD Meeting Room This meeting will have a virtual viewing only option. Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone : meet.google.com/dqs-zuof-afs You can also dial in using your phone United States: Meeting ID: +1 478-419-3191 Passcode: 171 330 516#
According to a Owen Riese Tweet that’s included in this article on Yardbarker, “UW-W Wide Receiver Ryan Wisniewski has accepted an invitation to attend Packers rookie mini camp, per source.”
The article also provides updates on former Warhawks Jake Kumerow and Quinn Meinerz.
The Chapter Story — Chapter 4: “The Shellback Chiropractor” — Clifford Witte
By Sherrie Benes Whitewater Banner volunteer staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
Acknowledgement: “I would dedicate my story to my wife Beulah (Billy) and my children.”
Introduction: When commenting on this man’s beautiful family he had on display behind his chair, he chuckled and said, “I think they’re very nice.” Then, with some emotion in his voice, he said, “I really appreciate hearing that.”
I knew before interviewing this kind man, it was going to be a beautiful, interesting story, retold from his 100 year old book….enjoy!
“Did I milk cows? Of course! Everyone milked cows in Mt. Horeb. It was all dairy farming out there, you know,” he answered when asked. “We milked 30 or 40 cows by hand. It took a time, yes it did …”
Clifford Witte was the youngest of three siblings, who was born on September 13, 1921, in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin on a 160-acre farm that his grandparents owned. When recalling his childhood, he commented, “Mother ran the outfit and was very precise! We always sat around the table for meals, with a table prayer, that we had to take part of. Father, he just made sure we were there to work!”
His childhood did consist of some fun memories besides work, that he shared!
“We had a creek behind our farm that we would dam up with stones and rocks to make a swimming hole! Our cousins would come from the next farm over to join us. We had a lot of fun in that old swimming hole!”
(This memory must be the reason he loves living on the lake now!)
When it came to his schooling, he recalled how he would have to walk three miles to get to his one room schoolhouse, which held eight grades. “We had a strict teacher, who was an old maid,” he said with a chuckle. I asked if he behaved in school, (after he had disclosed that this strict teacher also had a yardstick’!) “Of course not!” he said laughing.
“So, what did you do, to find yourself in trouble?”
“I’d prefer not to say!” he answered with another chuckle!
(It is worth noting that Cliff was the champion speller of the Spelling Bee competition, held against three other country schools!)
After his graduation, and with the start of WWII, many of these young men found themselves being drafted. When Cliff went to the recruitment center, he was asked if he would mind serving in the Navy. At this time, his older brothers were already enlisted, one in the Marine Corps and the other in the Army, so he agreed with the recruitment officer, and joined the Navy.
“I had a lovely time in boot camp,” he said. Since I’ve never heard of anyone referring to boot camp as lovely, the look on my face must have told him to explain! “Well, it was a nice time,” he said. “I was put in the Choir Company, and we went around to different high schools to sing. We would also perform on the radio, and of course we would have to open and close ceremonies.”
“Oh!” I exclaimed, “you’re a singer?” He laughed and said “well, that’s using the word loosely!”
After boot camp, Cliff soon found himself boarding the USS Osage while stationed in California. “We went west to east, through the Panama Canal. Then we had to do a shakedown of the ship in the Mediterranean, meaning, we had to try the ship out, to see if everything worked! We’d fire the cannons, then take the ship to do quick turns, just to see if the ship was seaworthy!” he recalled. “Do a dry run, you know!”
During the war, they found themselves sailing all over the Pacific Ocean. He recalled the Philippines, China, Japan, New Caledonia, but without many ports of call he said, since they were always on the move.
“Our ship was all the way from Shanghai, China, to the Philippines to Okinawa, and to Luzon in the Philippines. We even got close to Australia,” he recalled, which brought him to an amusing story!
Laughing, he said, “That’s when I became a ‘Shellback’!”
I, not knowing what he was referencing, had to question what caused him such amusement! “Well, before you cross the equator, you’re a ‘Pollywog.’ When you go across the equator you get initiated and then you become a ‘Shellback!’ You never heard of that?” he asked me. “That’s an old Navy tradition!” he said with a chuckle!
“No, I never heard of that!” I replied. “Does everyone on the ship get initiated then?”
Apparently amused with my lack of Navy knowledge, he smiled before continuing. “No, there were some men on the ship that were ‘Old Salts!’ They were the ones who held the initiation. They built a big tube of canvas that you would have to crawl through, and of course you were on your knees and hands with your butt up in the air! And those ‘Old Salts’ would give you a whap on the butt till you moved along, you know! Well, I made it through!” he said with a chuckle!
While listening to more of his travels during the war, I found myself wondering about his two brothers he had mentioned, who were also enlisted.
“Did you ever wonder where your brothers were during this time?” I asked. “Well, I corresponded with my parents, and I knew that all three of us were in the Pacific. Then I found out that my oldest brother, who was in the Marines, was stationed in Guam, after it was taken away from the Japanese. Our ship happened to stop in Guam during this time, so I got off hoping to see if I could find him,” he said with a smile. “I inquired around, as to where my brother might be, and a guy said, ‘he’s down at the supply depot right now, but his desk is right here in this building.’ So, I stood at his desk and waited for him.”
As he started to chuckle, he finished the story, “when he came up from what he was doing down at the hangars, he was taken by surprise to see a sailor standing at his desk, on a Marine base! But after he recognized me, he said, ‘What the hell is a sailor doing at my desk!’ He said he couldn’t believe it!”
After his service in the Navy, Cliff went on to college at the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Iowa, where he would eventually be introduced to his wife. “How did you meet Billy?”
Chuckling he said, “well, that’s another story! We met on a blind date! She was a secretary in the city, and I thought when I first saw her, now that’s apretty nice lady!”
On November 9, 1946, Cliff and his ‘pretty nice lady’ Beulah Ohburg, became husband and wife. He completed his studies, a year after their marriage, and they decided to purchase a home in Platteville, Wisconsin. This would soon serve as both their home, and his chiropractic business.
Cliff continued his practice in Platteville, while they raised their family, until his semi-retirement when they moved to Whitewater.
After purchasing their retirement home on Whitewater Lake in 1976, he decided to set up a chiropractic office in town, at 222 W. North Street, (which he addressed precisely without thought!) where he served the Whitewater community for another 10 years.
After the loss of his beloved wife Billy, Cliff still manages to spread joy and love to those who surround him, even to a stranger like me …
Before leaving that day, I asked if he had any advice on how to live to be over 100.
(It was rather a simple answer, coming from a wise Old Salt!)
“Just breathe,” he said, as his laughter once again, filled the air …
A special thank you to Cliff Witte, for sharing his story for our feature “Chapter Story!”
If you know of anyone who would like to share their story, or your own, please contact me at: sherbenes@gmail.com. Subject Line: Chapter Story
I would love to meet you! ~Sherrie
Our thanks, also, to the sponsors of this Chapter Story!
A quick note from the Whitewater City Market Team:
As we approach the beginning of May, this Saturday 4/30 will mark the end of the Indoor Season for the Whitewater City Market. On Tuesday 5/3 the market once again moves outdoors. Below are a few Indoor Season highlights and a preview of the Outdoor Season.
The Indoor Season of the Whitewater City Market, not counting those who plan to shop this weekend, saw a total of 1,924 shoppers with an average of ten vendors attending weekly. We thank those who came out in all sorts of weather over the season to support our local vendors.
We would like to thank our hosts, Irvin L. Young Memorial Library, once again for allowing us the use of the community room for our indoor market season. The community room is a warm and inviting space that created a perfect atmosphere for the market.
The Outdoor Season beginning this Tuesday runs weekly from May 3 through October 25th 4 to 7 p.m. at the Historic Train Depot. Highlights for the upcoming season include a place to get outside and linger with friends old and new, children’s activities, food trucks/prepared food vendors, live music and an average of 30 vendors weekly. We have a number of new additions to the market including two new area farmers: Terra Mana Gardens and Little Red Farms.
We invite you to keep in touch with the market by following our social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram, viewing information on our website at downtownwhitewater.com, or with our weekly newsletter (signup at the bottom of our website). Each week we share highlights from previous markets, seasonal recipes, vendor lists, and tips for using and storing produce.
As always we thank you for supporting our local vendors, and we can’t wait to see you at the market!
It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society.
It is the time of year when farmers are out plowing and planting, so we offer a view of plowing 1900 style. The first farmer is riding a plow attachment behind a three-horse hitch, a marked improvement over the second farmer walking behind a two-horse hitch pulling an old-fashioned plow. The photo was taken by Henry Scholl around 1900 and is one of over 400 glass plate negatives in the society’s collections that depicts life in the Whitewater area at the turn of the 20th century.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
Editor’s note: The following information was provided by UW-Whitewater.
Patricia Clasen, who has served the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater at Rock County for 20 years, has been named dean and assistant vice chancellor, effective Monday, May 2. This position is responsible for the leadership, administration and operations of the Rock County campus and its College of Integrated Studies, which employs 66 faculty and staff, and enrolls 644 students.
Clasen came to UW-Whitewater at Rock County in 2002, and most recently served as interim dean. Over the past few years, she led the campus through a system-wide restructuring of the former UW Colleges, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, while successfully launching a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree and creating new partnerships with technical colleges and businesses.
“I’m so pleased that Patricia Clasen has accepted the opportunity to continue serving in this important leadership role at UW-Whitewater,” said Robin Fox, interim provost. “Dr. Clasen champions the Rock County campus and its mission to provide degree pathways to students of all backgrounds. A strong resume of experience as a professor, department chair, associate dean and interim dean gives her a deep perspective of everything that makes the Rock County campus a critical part of the region and its future. She is an invaluable and trusted leader.”
“It’s truly an honor and a privilege to be named as the permanent dean,” Clasen said. “The campus has been a launching pad for so many students. In a time of change and challenges, we’ve worked hard to build new pathways for students in the area who are looking for personalized attention and an affordable start to their college experience and careers. Through partnerships with UW-Whitewater colleges, community business and organizations, area school districts, and other higher education institutions, I’m excited for what’s to come and so grateful to continue to serve in this role.”
Clasen holds a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from UW-River Falls, a master’s degree and Ph.D. in communication studies from, respectively, Wichita State University and University of Nebraska. She is an elected member of the Rock County Board of Supervisors, representing District 26.
It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society.
This week we are featuring a “modern” grocery store circa 1900. This is the interior of Frank Hall’s store. It was not self-service; clerks retrieved items from shelves behind the counters for the customer.
Note the Jell-O boxes in the upper left corner. Marketing Jell-O as a flavored gelatin dessert did not occur until 1897. So Hall’s store was featuring the latest products of the day.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
Editor’s note: The following press release was received from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Southeast Regional Office.
USH 12 EB (towards Lake Geneva) will be closed for emergency pavement repairs on Friday, April 29 from 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. If repairs are not completed, this same time scheduled will be used on Monday, May 2.
The closure will be from the CTH-NN interchange (Elkhorn) to STH 120 interchange (Lake Geneva). As always, all operations are weather dependent, and subject to change.
For more information regarding traffic impacts, transportation news and improvement project updates in Wisconsin’s Southeast region: · Follow us on Twitter: @WisDOTsoutheast · Visit the region’s 511 website: https://projects.511wi.gov/region/southeast/
Editor’s note: The following information was provided by the City of Whitewater Urban Forestry Commission.
Thank you to all who attended the dedication of The Arboretum At Starin Park (AASP) and who helped make our 1st Community Tree Sale such an overwhelming success! The Tree Sale will continue on Friday, April 29th until all trees are gone, but it won’t be long since supply is very limited!
After a great Earth Day celebration at the AASP, it’s time now for the Arbor Day Children’s Event on Saturday, April 30th from noon until 2 p.m.! Please bring your kids to the lower shelter at Starin Park where they will learn more about trees and birds and the natural world that they live in while playing fun games and trying tree sourced snacks! Both you and your children can check your ‘wing span’ against our life sized Wing Span Banner and learn how to guess the age of trees, make crafts using “tree cookies” and more. Be sure to bring your camera or phone so that you can take Snowy Owl selfies all while relaxing and enjoying the park! Below is the line-up of activities for the day. See you at the Arboretum!
Arboretum Program for Young People Saturday, April 30 (the day after Arbor Day) Noon to 2 p.m. • Tree Cookie Crafts
