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(Lions Club press release – Nov. 18)

Lion Judy Malone and Lion Steve Malone are shown presenting a check in the amount of $1500 from the Whitewater Lions Club Halloween Drive-thru Pancake Breakfast to Pat Chaput (2nd from right) and Barbara Quast (last on the right) of Whitewater Community Food Pantry.  THANK YOU for the tremendous support for our continuing efforts to SERVE our community. “WE SERVE”

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
November 18, 2020

At the end of the November 17 meeting of the Common Council, Patrick Singer announced that he will not be running for reelection. Mr. Singer will complete his fourteenth year on the council in April. Beginning in 2007 he represented the 5th District, and since 2013 has served in one of the two at-large positions. He was president of the council for twelve years. Patrick indicated a desire to spend more time with his family, including his two young sons.

Three other council seats will be on the April 6, 2021 election: Aldermanic District 1, currently held by Carol McCormick; District 3, currently held by Brienne Diebolt Brown; and District 5, to which Greg Majkrzak II was appointed in September to fill the position vacated by McKinley Palmer. It is not known whether these council members plan to run for reelection.

Council members are elected for two-year terms, which will begin on April 20, and are paid $300 per month. In addition to regular council meetings on the first and third Tuesday of each month, members are also appointed to serve on committees. The total time commitment is significant, but many of those who have served have indicated that it is a very enlightening and rewarding experience.

Citizens who may be interested in running for the council are encouraged to contact City Clerk Michele Smith at 312 W. Whitewater Street, msmith@whitewater-wi.gov, or (262) 473-0102. Ms. Smith can provide information concerning the aldermanic district boundaries as well as the candidacy process. The first day to circulate nomination papers is December 1, and the deadline for filing is 5:00 p.m. on January 5, 2021. Persons running for district seats must submit 20-40 signatures, and for an at-large seat, 50-100 signatures. A primary, if necessary, will be held on February 16.

Banner note: Lynn Binnie is president of the Common Council.

(UW-Whitewater submission) The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Department of Music brings music straight to your home this November with a variety of virtual concerts (see full list of upcoming virtual concerts below). Two of these virtual events include the Symphonic Wind Ensemble (SWE) concert conducted by Glenn Hayes Ph.D., and the Whitewater Symphony Orchestra (WSO) conducted by Christopher Ramaekers, Ph.D. Tickets for these two concerts will be on sale Friday, November 13, 2020 – Sunday, November 22, 2020. Ticket buyers will be sent a link by email to their selected concert on Wednesday, November 25, 2020. The content will be available for viewing Wednesday, November 25, 2020 – Wednesday, December 9, 2020. Single viewer tickets are $13, and family viewing tickets are $26. Tickets can be purchased by calling 262-472-2222, or by going to tickets.uww.edu.

WSO is the flagship orchestra at UW-Whitewater, and includes woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings. Repertoire selections focus on standard symphonic masterworks, but include a variety of pieces from the classical period to modern day. The Symphony will be playing “Symphony No. 38 (Prague)” by Mozart, and “Symphony No. 6 (Le matin)” by Haydn. “Le matin” features the skills of Dayna Hubbartt on flute, Claire Whitney on violin, and Samuel Kristiansen on cello. WSO will also be joined by the UW-Whitewater Chamber Orchestra, and together they will be performing Tchaikovsky’s “Serenade for Strings” and Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto No. 3”.

SWE is the premiere wind and percussion ensemble on campus. The group has distinguished itself internationally, nationally, and regionally; honors include being the first university band from Wisconsin to perform at Carnegie Hall. SWE will be performing “Canzona” by Peter Mennin, “Divertimento for Band” by Vincent Persichetti, movement II of “Four Abstractions for Band” by Robert Ward,” Prelude and Fugue in Ab” by Bach (arranged by Roland Moehlmann), movement II of “Dragon Rhyme” by Chen Yi, and “Mysterium” by Jennifer Higdon.

“We are all learning something new from this experience. There is nothing usual or convenient about what we are doing, and the students have responded magnificently as always,” says Hayes, who conducts SWE. “Following safety standards put in place by the University, we have been rehearsing in thirty-minute increments utilizing appropriate personal protective equipment for musicians. This semester has been a challenge; the equipment allowing us to rehearse and perform safely arrived late, social distancing measures have us spaced out much further than in a normal non-pandemic year and I’m conducting from the audience seating in the space. This semester, SWE is showing their resolve, character, and again, their musical excellence. Nobody planned for this; everybody is working to make it special for all. I could not be prouder of the members of SWE if they were my own children. It is a true honor to be their conductor.”

Tickets for these two concerts will be on sale Friday, November 13, 2020 – Sunday, November 22, 2020. Ticket buyers will be sent a link by email to their selected concert on Wednesday, November 25, 2020. The content will be available for viewing Wednesday, November 25, 2020 – Wednesday, December 9, 2020. Single viewer tickets are $13, and family viewing tickets are $26. Tickets can be purchased by calling 262-472-2222, or by going to tickets.uww.edu.

Upcoming Department of Music virtual concerts

Gala Gets Thankful Scholarship Fundraiser Tickets on sale now | Content available: Mon., Nov. 23 – Mon., Dec. 21 Despite this unusual time, we are profoundly grateful for MUSIC. UW-Whitewater’s Department of Music is shaking up the traditional holiday Gala this year with a digital November event. We are serving up a musical fest with all of the fixings – featuring works from current students, faculty, and more! This year, we are incredibly thankful for our community – you make what we do possible. Tune in for an evening of extraordinary music and generosity as we raise funds for student scholarships.

Symphonic Wind Ensemble Tickets on sale: Fri., Nov. 13 | Content available: Weds., Nov. 25 – Weds., Dec. 9 The UW-Whitewater Symphonic Wind Ensemble is the premiere wind and percussion ensemble on campus. The group has distinguished itself internationally, nationally, and regionally; honors include being the first university band from Wisconsin to perform at Carnegie Hall. SWE will be performing “Canzona” by Peter Mennin, “Divertimento for Band” by Vincent Persichetti, movements II and III of “Four Abstractions for Band” by Robert Ward,” Prelude and Fugue in Ab” by Bach (arranged by Roland Moehlmann), movement II of “Dragon Rhyme” by Chen Yi, and “Mysterium” by Jennifer Higdon.

Whitewater Symphony Orchestra & Chamber Orchestra Tickets on sale: Fri., Nov. 13* | Content available: Weds., Nov. 25 – Weds., Dec. 9* The Whitewater Symphony Orchestra is the flagship orchestra at UW-Whitewater and includes woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings. The Symphony will be playi ng “Symphony No. 38 (Prague)” by Mozart, and “Symphony No. 6 (Le matin)” by Haydn. “Le matin” features the skills of Dayna Hubbartt on flute, Claire Whitney on violin, and Samuel Kristiansen on cello. WSO will also be joined by the UW-Whitewater Chamber Orchestra, and together they will be performing Tchaikovsky’s “Serenade for String”s and Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto No. 3”.

Music Mosaics: Faculty Jazz, Tribute to Charlie “Yardbird” Parker Tickets on sale: Tues., Nov. 10 | Content available: Tues. Dec. 1 – Tues., Dec. 15 The great jazz legend Charlie “Yardbird” Parker would have turned 100 this past August. Charlie Parker the legendary Grammy Award–winning jazz saxophonist who, with Dizzy Gillespie, invented the musical style called bop or bebop. The Faculty Jazz Ensemble performs a tribute to “Yardbird”. The ensemble includes Michael Hackett, trumpet; Matt Sintchak, saxophone; Rob Hodson, piano; Brad Townsend, bass; and Devin Drobka, drummer.

WINTER EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS 2020

As we prepare for another Wisconsin winter, this is the perfect time to make sure you have fresh batteries
in the smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and NOAA Weather Radios at home. It’s also
important to make sure you have an emergency kit in your home and vehicles, supplied with nonperishable food, bottled water, blankets, flashlights with extra batteries, vehicle cell phone charger, and a
first aid kit. “While Wisconsin typically experiences most of its winter weather from late November through
April, this season got off to an early start with several parts of the state receiving a late-October blast of
snow,” said Dr. Darrell L. Williams, Wisconsin Emergency Management Administrator. “It’s an important
reminder that winter weather can be unpredictable, so you need to be prepared early on for what Mother
Nature may throw at us.”

According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, an average of 43 people are killed and 4,138
are injured each year in crashes on icy or snow-covered roads in the state. On average, there are about
18,000 vehicle crashes in the state each year caused by poor winter driving conditions.
“During the winter months, it’s important to check current road conditions before you head out,” Williams
said. “Consider cancelling travel plans, if you don’t need to be on the roads. If you can’t avoid driving,
make sure you have an emergency kit in your vehicle, slow down, and make sure someone knows where
you’re going and that you have arrived safely.”

You can check travel conditions for most major roadways in the state by using 511 Wisconsin, a state
Department of Transportation service updated regularly with the latest traffic and road conditions on
major routes throughout the state. This information, along with live traffic cameras and traffic alerts, can
be accessed through the free 511 Wisconsin mobile app, @511WI on Twitter, or the mobile-friendly
site www.511wi.gov. You may also find updates through local government websites and social media
accounts.

View ReadyWisconsin’s full Winter Awareness Week information at https://tinyurl.com/y2pwqxx3.
Find more tips on getting ready for winter at http://www.readywisconsin.wi.gov. You can also follow
ReadyWisconsin on Twitter (http://twitter.com/ReadyWisconsin) and on Facebook
(http://www.facebook.com/ReadyWisconsin) for daily safety tips and severe weather updates

WHITEWATER, WIS – The Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for a socially
distanced holiday season and announcing an exciting community event, the “Week for the
Community” Virtual Raffle.

This virtual raffle event is designed for the whole community to participate in. The raffle is
helping us put some money in the hands of local businesses while raising money for some
marvelous reasons! The Chamber and its partner organizations, The Whitewater Tourism
Council and Downtown Whitewater, Inc. want to help ease the holiday stress for families who
are suffering this year and celebrate the community of Whitewater. Proceeds from the raffle
will be used to help support the Bethel House holiday giving program and help seed the
preparations for a grand celebration of the Whitewater Community in the Fall of 2021!

The Chamber, with the help of some wonderful and generous sponsors, has put together six
incredible packages filled with experiences that celebrate all that Whitewater has to offer! The
packages range in value from $400 to $500 and we think they could be a great addition
to your holiday giving plans. Tickets are $20 per package or a bundle of 6 tickets (one for each
package) for $100. Ticket sales will begin on November 16th and be available until November
22nd. See the Chamber’s Facebook event page at https://fb.me/e/3AhYplPUq for event &
package details and announcements about tickets and winners.

We would like to thank our generous sponsors! Your contributions are going a long way to
support the community and local businesses. Corporate sponsors: First Citizens State Bank,
Lavelle Industries, 841 Brewhouse, Whitewater Arts Alliance, Premier Bank, LSP
Whitewater/NAES, Fort Community Credit Union, Fairfield Inn & Suites, and The Book Teller.
Individual sponsors: Kim Brotz, Katy Grady, Kristen Burton, and Lisa Dawsey-Smith

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
November 16, 2020

• With a 7-day case incidence as of November 8 of 92.4, Walworth County’s positive cases have continued their climb, from 77.6 in the past week. The county is very deeply into the “very high risk” category (which begins at 25) under the Jefferson County model that Whitewater Unified School District (WUSD) is no longer using as guidance. Whitewater’s case incidence, 104.3, is even higher than Walworth County’s. Meanwhile, Jefferson County is currently reporting a 7-day case incidence as of November 14 of 95. The statewide case incidence is reported to be 93.6. (Case incidence = daily average new cases per 100,000 people.)
• The school district has now had three school closings since the gradual return to in-person school, with classes going virtual at Lakeview for 11/5-6, at the High School on 11/9, and at Lincoln for 11/10-12. The 24 new staff/student cases in the district for the week more than equalled the previous cumulative total of 21. WUSD’s current data indicates that since September 1 there have been 34 positive cases among students and 11 staff members, a change of 18 students and 6 staff members since our report of November 8. In-person classes resumed fulltime for 4K – 5th grade on September 28; grades 6-12 began a hybrid model on October 12, and fulltime in-person classes resumed on November 2.
• UWWs current data shows that last week there were 57 students and 6 staff/others with positive PCR tests, a decline from the 70 students in the previous week. In the initial four weeks of the semester there had been a total of 371 students and 15 others. In the past six weeks there have been 199 students and 21 others with positive PCR tests. Positive results from the rapid antigen tests that are administered to asymptomatic and random volunteers increased from 1.1% five weeks ago to 1.9% four weeks ago, 3.35% three weeks ago, to 8.15% two weeks ago. With an increase in testing, those results dropped last week to 5.85% positive.
• In the past week the state introduced a new “critically high” COVID activity level. Per this state website, the state as a whole and all but seven counties have “critically high” COVID activity levels. The remainder, including Walworth, are at the “very high” activity level. Per the state, “COVID-19 remains very contagious and most people in Wisconsin are still at risk of getting sick from the virus.”
• The majority of new positive cases in Whitewater still appear to be at UW-W; however, it is evident that there is ongoing community spread in the remainder of the community.
• Both Rock and Walworth Counties today indicated that the deterioration in their key indicators have resulted in recommendations to revert to Phase I in their COVID-19 phased guidance.
  
  

DAILY CASE INCIDENCE PER 100,000 PEOPLE – WALWORTH COUNTY

End Date	New cases/14 days	Incidence	New cases/7 days	Incidence
9/15	527	38.8	403	59.2
9/22	648	47.7	245	36
9/29	379	27.9	134	19.7
10/5	302	22.2	176	25.9
10/16	308	22.6	176	25.9
10/25	427	31.4	265	39.0
11/1	533	39.2	268	39.4
11/8	795	58.5	527	77.6
11/16	1218	89.6	628	92.4

DAILY CASE INCIDENCE PER 100,00 PEOPLE – CITY OF WHITEWATER (WALWORTH COUNTY PORTION)

End Date	New cases/14 days	Incidence	New cases/7 days	Incidence
9/15	345	206.8	284	340.4
9/22	419	251.1	132	158.1
9/29	180	107.9	48	57.6
10/17	42	25.1	20	24.0
10/25	61	36.6	45	54.0
11/1	75	44.9	30	36.0
11/8	88	52.7	58	69.6
11/16	160	95.9	87	104.3

TEST POSITIVITY RESULTS – CITY OF WHITEWATER (WALWORTH COUNTY PORTION)

End Date	# Tests Reported – 14 days	# Positive	Positivity %	# Tests Reported – 7 days	#Positive	Positivity %
8/22	216	27	12.5%	103	6	5.8%
8/29	240	19	7.9%	128	13	9.2%
9/7	421	77	18.3%	274	60	21.9%
9/20	958	404	42.2%	571	204	35.7%
9/29	663	180	27.1%	236	48	20.3%
10/17	175	42	24.0%	80	20	25.0%
10/25	310	61	19.7%	140	45	32.1%
11/1	266	75	28.2%	126	30	23.8%
11/8	297	88	29.6%	171	58	33.4%
11/16	413	160	38.7%	234	87	37.2%

TEST POSITIVITY RESULTS – WALWORTH COUNTY

End Date	# Tests Reported – 14 days	#Positive	Positivity %	# Tests Reported – 7 days	# Positive	Positivity %	% of Those with Positive Results Who Reported being Asymptomatic	Total Deaths
8/22	2386	277	11.6%	1071	112	10.5%	11.4%	25
8/29	1972	210	10.6%	901	98	10.9%	11.1%	27
9/7	1953	228	11.7%	986	129	13.1%	10.9%	32
9/22	2689	648	24.1%	1249	245	19.6%	9.7%	34
9/29	2504	379	15.1%	1255	134	10.7%	9.75%	35
10/5	2189	302	13.8%	864	176	25.6%	9.49%	35
10/16	1803	308	14.6%	1142	176	15.4%	9.47%	36
10/25	3304	427	12.9%	1097	265	24.2%	9.36%	38
11/1	2289	533	23.3%	1192	268	22.5%	9.10%	39
11/8	2748	795	28.9%	1556	527	33.9%	8.8%	39
11/16	3465	1218	35.2%	1824	628	34.4%	7.84%	43

WUSD is providing the following “COVID Tracking Data” on its website at this link.

COVID TRACKING DATA

On September 23, 2020 the WUSD School Board voted to suspend the utilization of a community level metric.

Below is the cumulative and current number of close contact, symptomatic, COVID positive staff and students.

District COVID Tracking Data Sept 1 – November 9 (updated Nov. 10)
		Cumulative	Nov. 9
STAFF
	Close Contact Positive Person	37	10
	Showing Symptoms	41	1
	Tested COVID-Positive	11	5
	Total Quarantined Staff	89
STUDENTS	Close Contact Positive Person	225	105
	Showing Symptoms	300	5
	Tested COVID-Positive	34	15
	Total Quarantined Students	559
	Totals	Number of Positive COVID Cases	45
	Number of Days of School	47

UWW has established the following dashboard which provides useful information. It is found at this link.

COVID-19 Dashboard

The COVID-19 pandemic is an ever-changing situation and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater actively monitors and reviews a series of health, safety, and resource metrics to guide decision-making with regard to university operations. These metrics are considered in combination and consultation with recommendations and orders from the state and county health departments before any changes in operations are made.

Last Updated 11/16/2020 at 9:00 AM

COVID-19 cases reported to UW-Whitewater

	New reports – Week of Nov. 8-14	Previous week	Cumulative reports since March 2020
Students	57	73	607
Employees	3	6	36
Other	1	0	5
Unknown	2	0	2

Dashboard is updated on business days with available data. Numbers include cases reported through university-coordinated testing, as well as those reported through the COVID-19 Hotline, which may include testing that occurred off-campus through other health clinics/providers. Student employees are counted in the student numbers. The “Other” category is defined as any positive cases reported to UW-Whitewater who are neither students nor employees and may include visitors to the university, contractors or vendors, or others who have been to the university in person.  These numbers represent individuals who have had direct contact with the campuses.  Individuals who are working or attending solely in a remote manner and not living in University Housing are not included.

Regional Metrics

	University Health and Counseling Services (10/31-11/13)	Walworth County (10/28-11/10)	Rock County (10/28-11/10)	Jefferson County	Wisconsin (7-day average)
Percent Positive	43% (166/390*)	26.54%	26.4%	32%	36.5%
Time to complete contact tracing	100% of contacts are initiated within 48 hours**	79% of contacts are initiated within 48 hours	49% of contacts are initiated within 48 hours	Not Available	N/A
Healthcare system capacity level	No crisis management of care	15% ICU beds available	Hospitals at a medium capacity level	Not Available	14% Available (Based on Immediate Bed Availability)
Total cases per 100,000	n/a	973.5 (69.5 per day)	1136.9 (81.2 per day)	1254.2 (89.6/day)	1310.6 (93.6)

*UHCS percentage positive is based on PCR testing performed at the University Clinic site of students only.  Case totals are represented by (Total Positives/Total PCR Tests)

**To avoid duplication, UHCS actively partners with Walworth, Rock, and Jefferson Health Departments.  County Health Departments do tracing of positive cases and UHCS employees do tracing of contact cases. 

Previous 7 days of PCR Tests Administered

PCR* Test Date	# of PCR Tests Administered
11/5/20	30
11/6/20	26
11/9/20	0
11/10/20	16
11/11/20	61
11/12/20	24
11/13/20	14

*PCR testing is conducted on symptomatic individuals and individuals with positive Antigen testing results.

Total All PCR Tests	# of PCR Negative	# of PCR Positive	Percentage Positive
1404	1023	456	30.8%

3.2%Antigen* Test Date	# of Antigen Tests Administered	# of Antigen Negative Results	# of Antigen Positive Results	Percentage Positive
11/5/20	242	221	21	8.3%
11/6/20	106	97	9	8.5%
11/9/20	170	155	15	8.8%
11/10/20	113	105	8	7.1%
11/11/20	633	613	20	3.2%
11/12/20	54	50	4	7.4%
11/13/20	66	62	4	6.1%
Weekly total	1384	1303	81	5.85%
Total All Antigen Tests	5330	5090	233	4.4%

*Antigen testing is conducted on asymptomatic and random volunteers.

(LWV -Whitewater Area press release – Nov. 16)

League of Women Voters – Whitewater Area To Host Program on Feeding Communities

The League of Women Voters-Whitewater Area invites the public to attend a virtual presentation, “Feeding Communities In Difficult Times: How WI Food Pantries Adapted to COVID-19,” on Thursday, November 19, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. Join us in taking a closer look at how local food pantries and other community-owned organizations address food distribution issues in underserved communities. Panel members include representatives from the Whitewater Grocery Co., Community Space, and local documentary producers Jim & Parker Winship (What We’re Hungry For: How Food Pantries Fed Rural Wisconsin During the Pandemic).

Due to COVID-19, this event will be virtual. To attend live, please join the webinar by using the URL: https://bit.ly/LWVFoodProgram. Passcode: 249359. Or, join us by telephone: Dial (312) 626-6799, Webinar ID: 931 0257 0849, Passcode: 249359. This event will be recorded and made available to the public afterwards.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Visit our website at https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/whitewater-area and like us on Facebook!