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The City of Whitewater and Downtown Whitewater, Inc. want to express our gratitude for the continued collaboration with the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater for Make a Difference Day (MADD). MADD is an annual volunteer event held each Spring. It is an excellent opportunity to care for the community and is the largest student-based service event of the year.

MADD took place on April 21, 2023, during Earth Week. Earth Day and Earth Week are annual events where people take time to demonstrate their support for protecting the planet and its environment.

Lisa Dawsey Smith, volunteer for Downtown Whitewater and member of the Whitewater Common Council, shares, “I look forward to the MADD annual event each year. This was my 6th year volunteering. MADD represents a unique opportunity to get to know the students who live in our community while working together to make a difference.”

Beginning in November, City staff and Downtown Whitewater volunteers begin to outline opportunities for projects. For 2023, there were 18 projects in the historic downtown district and park spaces within the City of Whitewater. Over 200 student volunteers, 20 additional volunteers from Generac and First Citizens State Bank, and more than a dozen city employees participated on Friday April 21, 2023.

John Weidl, Whitewater city manager, explains, “The city is grateful for the opportunity to partner with these other wonderful organizations to make a difference. What really sticks out to me is that the things we were doing to make a difference can be done every day and by almost everybody. We all can make a difference and by working together we can multiply the positive impact.”

Editor’s note: The following announcement was posted by UW-Whitewater on April 27

UW-Whitewater is proud to announce the faculty and staff recipients of the 2023 University Awards. 

Karl Brown — History
Everett and Ellen Long Award for the Advancement of General Education

Juk Bhattacharyya — Geography, Geology and Environmental Science
Fannie Hicklin Faculty Award for Trailblazers in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Terrie Freed — Facilities Planning and Management
University Staff Excellence Award

Robin Fox — Academic Affairs
Roger Pulliam Award for Legacy-Builders in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Eileen Hayes — College of Arts and Communication
Fannie Hicklin Faculty Award for Trailblazers in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Jeff Herriott — Music
Outstanding Research Award

Jared Janovec — Art and Design
Sally Bean Academic Advising Award

Susan Johnson — College of Letters and Sciences
Excellence in Disability Advocacy and Service Award

Russ Kashian — Economics
Dr. Elmer G. Redford ’59 Faculty Service Award

Teresa Lind — Art and Design
Excellence in Disability Advocacy and Service Award

Han Ngo — College of Business and Economics
John Truesdale Staff Award for Innovation in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Julie Ridgeman — Communication
University Staff Excellence Award

Brian Schanen — Communication
Excellence Award for Academic Instructional Staff

Max White — Art and Design
W.P. Roseman Excellence in Teaching Award

Kristine Zaballos — University Marketing and Communications
Excellence Award for Academic Staff

Please join me in congratulating these individuals on their well-deserved recognition. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to your respective units and our university!

Corey A. King, chancellor

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Recently the Graduate Teaching Award was also announced:

UW-Whitewater’s School of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education is pleased to announce that Professor Soroush Aslani of the Management Department is this year’s recipient of the Graduate Teaching Award. Professor Aslani stated that his approach to teaching graduate courses involves balancing instructive, experiential, and reflective elements. He is committed to ensuring that students understand key concepts and are able to apply them to practical business situations, while encouraging them to choose assignment topics that excite them. His students enthusiastically endorse Professor Aslani’s instruction methods, noting that he uses vast knowledge and an innovative teaching style to give them comprehensive, real-world skill building that is applicable to today’s business world. They also cite his patient and dedicated mentorship abilities along with a clear commitment to student success. Congratulations to Dr. Aslani on this well-deserved achievement.

Congratulations to all of the WHS Music students who are headed to the Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) State Solo/Ensemble Festival on Saturday, April 29th. The festival will be held between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. with student performances happening throughout the day. Listed below are the students who received a 1* rating at the District Level and qualified for State. Performances are open to the public and will be held on the UW-Whitewater campus. The schedule for our students can be found here: State Solo Ensemble Festival Schedule 2023

Skylar Staebler-Vocal Jazz Improvisation Solo
Skylar Staebler-Music Theatre Solo
Anderson Waelchli-Vocal Jazz Improvisation Solo
Anderson Waelchli-Music Theater Solo
Ayden Clark and Anderson Waelchli-Soprano/Tenor Duet
Brooke Mason-Alto Solo
Marina Linos-Alto Solo

Music Masters Ensemble: Brooke Mason, Alex Clarksen, Meridyth Cashion, Payton Bunger, Anders Clarksen, Marina Linos, Josh Kirley, Skylar Staebler, Anderson Waelchli, Alex Sullivan, and Lauren Rollette- Mixed Vocal Jazz Ensemble

Music Masters Ensemble: Brooke Mason, Alex Clarksen, Meridyth Cashion, Payton Bunger, Anders Clarksen, Marina Linos, Josh Kirley, Skylar Staebler, Anderson Waelchli, Alex Sullivan, and Lauren Rollette- Madrigal Ensemble

Chord of the Rings: Matt Zingsheim, Alex Clarsken, Sam Nickelsburg, Payton Bunger, David Enns, Josh Kirley, and Anderson Waelchli-Contemporary A Cappella  TTBB

Isabelle Dieter-Tenor Saxophone Solo
Kay Mikos-Baritone Saxophone Solo
Anders Clarksen-Alto Saxophone Solo
Alex Martin-Baritone Saxophone Solo
Taiya Kolb-Alto Saxophone Solo
Dante Baker-Marimba Solo

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. Today’s image is a copy of a post card recently donated by Kathy Ewalt. Kathy, a Whitewater native and current resident of North Carolina, came to the historical society to research her family home. The post card is one we are not familiar with, so we thank Kathy very much!

The post card is from c.1925 and in the foreground is a gas station with the name “Pomiac.” A little research shows that the Winona Oil Company of Wyoming started Pomiac gas stations in the 1920s. The Pomiac brand was short-lived; in 1927 the Cities Service Company purchased Winona Oil. You may know Cities Service as today’s Citgo.

The long-time Cities Service gas station at this location was operated by Barney Owens between 1929 and 1954.

Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.

(copy of postcard donated by Kathy Ewalt)

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

On April 26 approximately thirty people gathered in Hillside Cemetery to honor the baby who was found abandoned in a field on March 4 and commit him to his final resting place. After the song “How Great Thou Art,” accompanied by guitar, Pastor Kevin Tranel opened the service, saying that he was amazed by the attendance and that one of the reasons he appreciates living in Whitewater is that people respect that every life is important. Commenting on the name of “Baby Oak” that had been given to the newborn, Tranel found that the oak tree was seen as sacred in European mythology and that the species is known for characteristics such as resiliency. Referencing several Scriptures, Tranel offered assurance that even though Baby Oak’s life was short, he is precious to God and will be resurrected in the end. Finally he committed the child to God’s merciful care. Those who had brought flowers were invited to leave them by the small white casket.

Among those in attendance was City of Whitewater Police Chief Dan Meyer together with four members of the police force. Meyer told the Banner, “This was a tragic and difficult situation, and I personally felt it was important to be here for a sense of closure.” As the service concluded, the pastor acknowledged the presence of the law enforcement personnel, indicating that he recognized that there are times “when you see things you would rather not see, and would like to ‘unsee’,” and that the community is grateful for people who “feel the call.” He then led a prayer for the officers and their family members in the midst of difficult things.

Medical Examiner Nichol Tesch of the Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office, who had felt it to be important for Baby Oak to be buried close to his home and had been assisted by several volunteers in making all the arrangements, was also in attendance. After the service Tesch provided this statement to the Banner:

“Thank you to those that donated their time and resources to make this service happen and thank you to those who attended the service.  All lives should be celebrated and I think we did a wonderful job of recognizing Baby Oak’s short-lived but impactful life. 

The kindness of these people should be publicly appreciated!
Pederson-Nowatka Funeral Home of Watertown for the care and service to Baby Oak
Hillside Cemetery for the burial plot
Lake Shore Burial Vaults for the casket
The Bruch Family for their donation of a beautiful headstone (to be placed at a later date)
P.L. Gehl Memorial Company for gravestone design
Pastor Kevin Tranel for his services
Floral Villa Flowers and Gifts (Whitewater) for the floral spray
Wine & Roses Floral Shop (Jefferson) for the teddy bear and carnations”

Several of the people who attended the service had shown considerable concern that Baby Oak would be provided a respectful burial. The Banner asked one of them if she would like to say something about the importance of being there, and she provided the following statement. The writer preferred to remain anonymous.

There are many reasons that Baby Oak’s service and burial were important to me. First and foremost, no baby’s life should be wasted. In whatever circumstances a baby is conceived, the baby is not a mistake. Giving life is never the wrong thing to do. God has a purpose for everyone from conception through great age. There is someone wanting to love each baby that
is born if only given the chance.

When I was young our family took in an infant abandoned at the hospital because he had “defects” because his mother contracted German measles during pregnancy. We were told he would not live long as he had several holes in his heart. He was also blind and deaf. But he was a sweet, happy and much loved baby and it was devastating to us all when he died. The county
(in another state) where we lived at the time, would not allow any service for him, except that all the costs entailed, be paid by my parents. They simply were not able to bear that financially, so our precious baby was buried in an unmarked grave in a potter’s field unknown to us.

Having that background made it important for me to see that Baby Oak’s life was acknowledged and valued enough for him to be clothed and buried with dignity, and with the recognition that he was here, no matter how briefly, and will be remembered.

Get ready for summer by learning how to make craft mocktails (non-alcoholic cocktails) and try yummy samples at the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library. Non-alcoholic drinks are a hot trend right now as more adults are eliminating or reducing the amount of alcohol they ingest. Librarian Sarah French will demonstrate several mocktail recipes and participants may taste samples and leave with fun recipes and ideas.  

Please register in advance by visiting the library’s website at whitewaterlibrary.org and clicking on “Events—Registration Forms.” This program is for adults only and there is no cost to attend. 

The event will be held at the Irvin L Young Memorial Library’s Community Room located at 431 W. Center Street in Whitewater on Tuesday, May 2 at 6:30-7:30 p.m. 

You may contact Sarah French with questions or to register at sfrench@whitewater-wi.gov or 262-458-2782. 

Editor’s note: This article and photo were submitted by Sherry Stanek for the Urban Forestry Commission.

THANK YOU to all who braved the crummy weather last weekend to expand our urban forest with nearly 200 new native trees and shrubs!! Thank you to all of our volunteers who worked and made it happen! We couldn’t do it without you!

Editor’s note: This article and photos were provided courtesy of Liesl Schultz Hying.

Colorful picture books that document and share the journey of each season of the Lincoln Elementary Growing and Learning Garden are now in the Irvin. L Young Memorial Public Library in Whitewater. The books are on the top shelf in the Whitewater Room with the local youth collection.  In May, they will be a part of the gardening display in the library. 

The  garden books feature the students, families and community members tending to the school garden over the past eight years!  From the very first seeds planted in the spring, to sunflowers reaching high for the sky to harvesting and tasting tomatoes during recess in September, so much happens in a season of a school garden. 

2023 will be Season #9 for the Lincoln School Garden. This week, seeds that can endure the cooler soil and air temperatures will be planted in the school garden. Spinach, lettuce, radishes and more! Then by the end of May, students will be able to taste the food they planted and have tended to. 

School gardens encourage healthy eating, connect students to where food comes from, enrich school curriculum, build community and foster inquiry about the natural world around us. Life-long, healthy habits are being learned, hands-on, sensory-enriched learning is happening every day and having great pride for a project all happens in this garden and nature space.  

Big thank you to W3 -Working for Whitewater’s Wellness for funding these books for the public library. 

Two copies of each book are also in the Lincoln school library for students and staff to check out. These books were funded by the Lincoln Family Teacher Partnership group. 

Helping hands are always needed in the school garden. To get involved with the school garden project, please email LINCSgarden@gmail.com.