I would like to introduce to you a new feature column that I will be writing for our Whitewater Banner. I am excited to start this column, so let me explain a little bit about it first!
It all started in our local Hillside Cemetery a few years ago…
While taking a walk through this cemetery one day and reading some of the headstones, I began to wonder who all these individuals were. What brought them to Whitewater? What did they do? Who were their families?
Luckily since I was in a cemetery, I had no one around to hear me asking aloud these questions while staring at a headstone that belonged to a person, I had no idea who they were! But they were someone, to somebody, at one time…
After that day, every morning I would say aloud “good morning” to all those who were laid to rest in that cemetery, as I drove past on my way to work. I thought someday it would be an interesting project to research all those resting there and to write their stories. Some had many chapters, some had few, but no matter how many chapters they had in that book, it was their story.
I knew that would be quite the undertaking, so I got to thinking that maybe the next best thing would be to get to know those in our community now, before their book closed. I’ve heard many phrases when people reminisce on their lives, but one thing remains the same, it belongs solely to us; we are the authors.
So, let’s get to know one another, whether it’s a toddler that I may interview, (which will be very interesting seeing that they are in the first chapters of their lives!), or if I am interviewing an individual who may say his story is a Gone with the Wind novel, because he’s on his 96 (years old) chapter!
No matter who the individual is, I look forward to hearing and writing about those who reside in and around our community!
I would like to say “it takes many authors and many pages to create these volumes within our community.”
Welcome to the Chapter Story ‘library’….
If you know of anyone that would like to share their story, you can contact me at:
WhitewaterBanner@gmail.com
Subject line: Chapter Story
I look forward to this fun, unconventional “book club!”
We are hosting an event called “Where are All the Aliens?” on Thursday April 14th at 6:00 p.m. This program will be presented by Dr. Dennis Roscoe, a NASA Solar System Ambassador. This event is open to all ages 10+ and will be held in the Community Room of the library. Registration is not required for this event.
The city’s agreement with Bird electric scooters enters its second season, anticipated to begin this weekend. Bird representatives told the Common Council that brand new scooters will be provided, which will be the new Bird Three model. Features of this model include high powered LED headlights and taillights, a beginner mode with gentle acceleration, and an extended chassis with longer wheelbase for increased stability on all terrains.
The below information is from the city’s website. Further information may be found at bird.co.
FORT ATKINSON, WI – Fort Community Credit Union (FCCU) is pleased to announce the promotion of Kevin Paynter to Chief Lending Officer.
In 1989, Paynter joined FCCU as a Collections Officer. In the years following, Paynter held a variety of roles as he progressed through his career at the credit union. In 2000, with the completion of the newly constructed Whitewater Branch, Paynter was promoted to Whitewater Branch Manager in addition to his duties as a loan officer.
In his 32 years with the credit union, Paynter has earned the Credit Union Business Lending Professional (CUBLP) Designation and has continued to serve as the Whitewater Branch Manager and loan officer. As a Commercial and Mortgage Loan Officer, Paynter found joy in helping local businesses and families qualify for the loans that turn their dreams into a reality. Furthermore, Paynter’s passion for financial literacy and education grew beyond the credit union, teaching economics and finance at the Lakeland College Campus in Madison for 20+ years.
“We are thrilled to promote Kevin to this role, where we know his decades of experience will help lead our teams as we continue to help our members and communities thrive financially,” said Danielle Frawley, Paynter’s predecessor. Following Paynter’s promotion, Frawley will transition to the role of Executive Vice President and Chief Experience Officer.
Paynter currently serves on the board for the United Way of Jefferson and Northern Walworth Counties and University of Wisconsin Whitewater Rec Sports. While his departure from the Whitewater Branch is bittersweet, Paynter’s love for and commitment to the Whitewater community will never cease.
Joy S. Stuckey, a loving mother, ascended peacefully on butterfly wings to the gates of heaven on Tuesday, March 22, 2022 surrounded by family. She was born in Berwyn, IL on May 27, 1943, the daughter of the late Raymond and Helen (Zuetel) Rode. On January 19th, 1963 she was united in marriage to the late Bruce Stuckey at Faith Lutheran Church in Brookfield, Illinois. She was currently residing in Fort Atkinson, WI.
Joy worked as an administrative assistant at Jefferson County Human Services, Parsons Chiropractic Services, and Dr. Moulton’s Dental Clinic. She made many friends over the years that brought laughter and smiles to those around her. She loved any and all flowers, especially lavender, lilacs, lilies, and tulips. Watching her houseplants and flower gardens bloom as well as the butterflies, squirrels and birds that visit would bring her great pleasure. She enjoyed watercolor painting, sewing, knitting, crafting, and traveling the states. Joy loved all animals, especially cats.
Joy’s passion was devoting her life to her family. She is survived by her two daughters; Sharon (Steven) Olson and Susan Stuckey, both of Fort Atkinson, WI. She has five grandchildren: Candice (Jonathan) Franks, Dawn (Mark) Wokasch, Matthew (Libby) Stahl, Craig Olson, and Maxwell Stuckey. She was also well loved by her eight great grandchildren: Emma Wokasch, Hailey Olson, Sophia Wokasch, Alyvia Olson, Madelynn Franks, Oliver Stuckey, Lainey Franks, and Ryleigh Olson. She is survived by her sister Loralee Gerrietts. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and son, Robert Stuckey.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at a later date and time to better appreciate her love for nature and gardening.
Nitardy Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences can be made at www.nitardyfuneralhomel.com
According to an article on March 23 in the Lake Geneva News, “a 22-year-old man is facing four charges in connection with a burglary that happened at Warhawk Catholic Ministries in Whitewater on Feb. 21.
Camil T. Maroun, of [170 N. Hyer Lane] Whitewater, reportedly illegally entered the religious property, stole the Eucharist and caused a flood in the building.”
Maroun is charged with two felonies, burglary-building or dwelling and criminal damage to religious property, and two misdemeanors.
Carolyn Marie Ferriano is at peace, after a years-long battle with debilitating health issues. Carolyn spent her last 8.5 months receiving wonderful care at Agrace Hospice in Fitchburg. She never lost her incredible will to live or her sense of humor.
Carolyn is survived by her loving family: husband Frank, daughter Sharon, son-in-law Greg and grandchildren, Samuel and Anna. She is also survived by her brother Bob Hofstetter and his wife Susie, and their kids/grandkids, and by many members of Frank’s family – his sister Annette, nieces, nephews. Carolyn adored them all.
Along with family, Carolyn had so many beautiful friends. She loved them all dearly, including Maureen and Lowell Youngs and Greg’s parents, Barbara and George Mischio. If Carolyn loved anything more than her friends and family, it was animals. In particular, their cat Sir Arthur, whom we believe was waiting for her as she passed.
Carolyn met Frank Ferriano, in 1963 in New Jersey. They were married in 1965 and moved to Wisconsin in 1968. They had 57 wonderful years together, many of them spent attending concerts, shows, plays and movies. They also enjoyed their gourmet dinner club and bridge club. But their favorite thing to do together was to travel. Carolyn and Frank enjoyed many cruises, trips to Europe, Alaska and Hawaii. They also made time to visit family in various parts of the country.
Carolyn had a wonderful career as a nurse, and did it all, from teaching nursing to hospital nursing, nursing home, doctors office and home health care. She was incredibly intelligent and caring. She never stopped teaching. The staff at Agrace all talked about how much they learned from her.
After Carolyn retired from nursing, she and Frank returned from living part of the year in Florida so they could fully participate in their grandkids’ lives. They were at all their activities/sports/dance/music programs, etc. We looked forward to our Anna Maria Island trips together every year. That was Carolyn’s favorite place. She loved the beach, sunsets and looking for shells. We will treasure every moment we had with her there.
Carolyn was a talented seamstress, who also did needlepoint, crochet and knitting. She made countless gorgeous blankets, shawls, scarves, bags, and decorative items.
We could not have gotten through these last 8 months without Agrace. It is where Carolyn always said she wanted to end up, and it was beautiful to see the friendships she developed with the staff. We are forever grateful for the loving care she received there.
We will have a memorial gathering for mom in the spring – date TBD.
Donations can be made to either Agrace Hospice or the Dane County Humane Society in Carolyn Ferriano’s name.
Cress Funeral & Cremation Services, 3610 Speedway Road, Madison, WI
By Lynn Binnie Whitewater Banner volunteer staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
The Banner reached out to all of the candidates for Common Council in the April 5 election, offering them the opportunity to share with our readers their background, what they feel they would bring (or already bring) to the Council, reasons for running, what they believe should be primary goals for the city, etc. Responses were received from the two candidates for an at-large seat: incumbent James Allen and challenger Chuck Mills, and from the lone candidate for Aldermanic District 4, Jill Gerber. Those responses are published below. Lukas Schreiber (Aldermanic District 2) did not provide a statement.
Another useful source of perspectives is the candidate forum that was sponsored by the League of Women Voters. The video may be viewed here. Finally, the candidates were also given the opportunity to provide responses on vote411.org.
Jill Gerber, Candidate for Council Aldermanic District 4
Name: Jill Gerber Address: 234 S Pleasant St Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Business Law from UW-Whitewater Occupation: Data and Special Programs Assistant within the College of Education and Human Services at UW-Whitewater Email: jgerber1026@gmail.com
What are your reasons for seeking this position? My interest in Common Council developed from working within municipal agencies for over 17 years. I was the executive assistant to the City Manager for the City of Whitewater from 2015-2019 where I was able to see first-hand the ins and outs of each department within the City and how important it is that employees work together to achieve goals.
I feel local government needs to be more efficient in researching projects and more transparent with the citizens so we can be a service to the community and not make our citizens feel like they are getting less for their tax dollars.
As mentioned earlier, I have worked in the public sector for years, not for the money, but because I enjoy feeling like I am making a difference and helping citizens. I enjoy volunterring and being a part of a team that works a project from the start to the finish. Key word being “finish.”
What are the primary goals of the City?
One of the most pressing issues facing the City is getting emergency medical treatment in a timely manner. Whitewater Fire Inc. for years has been facing difficulties in staffing, recruiting, and responding to calls for service. In 2021, EMS had 1,620 calls for service with 272 being a 2nd call. Usually at 1,000 calls for service full-time paramedics are added to the staffing. Not only does Whitewater have a high call volume, but the priority of the calls is also much higher. Currently, we are waiting for a paramedic to respond from other jurisdictions which is causing excess delay time for critical service.
By adding a full-time EMS department under the City of Whitewater, citizens would have a paramedic available to respond on each call for service and receive more advanced medical treatment.
The City of Whitewater has a high population of citizens over the age of 55. Given the higher level of service from a paramedic, comes a reduction in mortality rate. I believe we need to provide better emergency medical care and service to the citizens of Whitewater.
Another pending issue is the City’s housing stock. The City has very few homes that are within the $200,000-$400,000 range that are in type A condition. With a large city population under age 25 and over 55, we are not attracting or retaining homeowners after age 25.
Other issues include: the need for more new businesses, improvements to the Whitewater Aquatic Center and Cravath Lakefront building, more collaboration with the public schools and the university, improved transparency with citizens, and updated City marketing to make Whitewater a destination.
Additional Comments:
If elected to Common Council as your Aldermanic District 4 representative, I look forward to working hard for the citizens, and listening to your questions and thoughts about city government.
I am very interested in working towards a more transparent government and getting accurate information to the citizens. I want to see more developers and business owners being marketed to build and expand in Whitewater. I would love to see our Downtown district flourish with more marketing to the students, citizens and surrounding communities, which will help grow our housing stock.
I believe we will need to spend money on adding full-time paramedics to our EMS staff to improve service and response time. I am a strong supporter of our first responders, including police, fire and EMS. We need our first responders to ensure Whitewater remains a safe place to live, work, and play.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach me through my Facebook site, the Nextdoor app, or by email, jgerber1026@gmail.com.
James Allen, Candidate for Council Member at Large
I’m Jim Allen
I was born at Fort Memorial Hospital and have been an integral part of the Whitewater community since. From participating in boy scouts to working the Whitewater Gazette route to assisting at my father’s local garage and gas station, I’ve been able to see Whitewater transform into such a wonderful place to live, work, and play. I am a proud Whitewater Whippet and UW-Whitewater Warhawk. While in middle school, my confirmation class at the Methodist Church started the United Methodist Youth Fellowship (UMYF), which is open to students of any denomination. Later on, I became the manager at Randy’s Restaurant Banquets and Brewery for 17 years, later taking on a job at the University as catering director. I chaired the Whitewater Fourth of July committee, keeping the event free for all. My other prominent positions have been on the Whitewater Community Development Board, on the Birge Fountain Restoration Committee, on the Whitewater Tourism Committee, on the Police and Fire Commission, and on the Public Works committee and the City Finance Committee.
I will bring a local and logical sense of thinking to the common council and I use my background in business to guide the City of Whitewater on its budget. My main focus is on what the city needs and how to pay for those needs without raising taxes. With inflation and the consumer price index rising higher each day, this is placing pressure on everyone, especially those with fixed incomes. This city needs to be challenged to find ways to provide our current levels of service to the taxpayer when our revenues do not stretch as far. Next fall will most likely see a referendum re-organizing our EMS service and volunteer fire department. These changes will come with significant costs and I will make sure these decisions are made with a steady watch on the budget while continuing my support of department members.
I want to see Whitewater grow and I want to see new businesses choose Whitewater and as a place for new families to settle down, while retaining the businesses that we have. I want us to incentivise housing development for families with a wide-range of incomes and I want to support our library, with the city’s need for additional meeting space. I will continue supporting our downtown efforts and our senior center, as well as support our police department who we all count on to provide us with safe neighborhoods. I will assure you that this will be done in a financially responsible way.
Please consider voting for me to continue representing you at the polls on April 5th.
Chuck Mills, Candidate for Council Member at Large
Hello to everyone in Whitewater. My name is Chuck Mills. I am the owner of Mills Automotive on the east side of town. I may have towed your vehicle or changed your oil or rented you a U-Haul at some point. I am running for the at-large seat on the Whitewater City Council. My wife Jean and I moved to Whitewater from Milwaukee thirty years ago. We live on Whiton Street. My goal is to represent all Whitewater residents. I would like to work together with the rest of the city council to bring our Main Street back to the economic success of the past. I have a goal to bring jobs to our commercial park. I also feel our Whitewater’s infrastructure is in need of attention. I feel Whitewater’s priorities should be to finish current projects before we take on new ones. I do not believe in mandates. I believe mandates are a violation of our precious Constitution. I am a proponent of our EMS, Fire, and Police Departments. I spent many years helping with our 4th of July committee. The result of this is the current and continued success of Whitewater’s 4th of July celebrations. Starting a business (Mills Automotive) and raising my three beloved children with my wife Jean has been my life’s work. Whitewater is our home. Now is my time to serve. Please feel free to contact me with your questions, concerns, and ideas so together we can move Whitewater forward. I would love to hear from everyone. I can be reached at millsautomotive@yahoo.com or by phone 262-473-8901. Thank you so much. Chuck Mills
Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by the City of Whitewater.
The Irvin L. Young Memorial Library is excited to be part of Remake Learning Days — a week-long, innovative learning festival where youth and families have the chance to explore hands-on educational experiences across southern Wisconsin. Join us on Saturday, April 23 at 1 p.m. for family-friendly STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) activities, maker stations, and see how our 3D printer works!
No registration is required. Drop in anytime between 1:00 – 2:30 pm.
“The Eyes of Tammy Faye” Tuesday, March 29, 1 p.m. (Biography/Drama/Romance) Rated PG-13; 2 hours, 6 minutes (2021) The rise, fall, and comeback of Televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Baker, PTL, CBN and the 700 Club.(Andrew Garfield and Jessica Chastain; Best Actress nomination). Also nominated for Best Makeup & Hairstyling.
