The League of Women Voters – Whitewater Area (LWV-WW) reminds voters to get ready to vote in the upcoming April 4 Spring Election. Appearing on the ballot are candidates running for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and regional judge races for the court of appeals and circuit courts. Other local races in Walworth and Jefferson counties include city councils, school boards, and boards that govern counties, villages, and towns. Some communities will also be casting their vote on referenda. The League encourages voters to start their research before casting their ballot, so they are informed whether they vote by absentee ballot or on Election Day.
One source of nonpartisan candidate information is the League’s voter guide on VOTE411.org LWV-WW asked candidates running in competitive races to participate in the Spring Election Voter Guide in which voters can read candidates’ responses to the League’s questionnaires. By visiting the site, voters can compare the answers posted verbatim of the candidates. Please note: Not all candidates chose to respond.
Questions in VOTE411 are presented in English and Spanish. Candidates were encouraged to provide answers in both languages.
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, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @lwvwhitewater.
Warhawk Football Coach Jace Rindahl writes, “I would like to invite you to a meet and greet opportunity that we will be hosting this week. You’ll get a chance to meet our staff, learn about our 2023 recruiting class, spring ball plans, and a look ahead to the fall. Hope to see you there!”
WHITEWATER – Barbara J. Quast, 82, died peacefully at her home, surrounded by family, on March 14, 2023. She was diagnosed with late-stage ovarian cancer in December and put up a courageous fight. Barbara will be missed by countless loving friends and family members.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 24, at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Whitewater. Visitation will be immediately beforehand from Noon to 2 p.m. A Celebration of Life will follow from 3:30 to 7 p.m. at The Fuzzy Pig in Whitewater (everyone is welcome to come and meet Barbara’s faithful Miniature Australian Shepherd, Buddy).
Barbara grew up in Loyal, WI, where she graduated high school. Barbara earned a degree in Fashion Merchandising from Ray-Vogue School in Chicago (which explains why she was always dressed to the nines). Barbara met the love of her life, Allen, in her front yard in Loyal, WI, and they married February 3, 1962. Barbara worked extremely hard as a homemaker, providing a wonderful upbringing for their three children and two of their grandchildren. She was a devout Catholic whose faith provided strength and guided her through the tragic murder of Lynnette in 1999, as well as her own diagnosis of terminal cancer. Barbara volunteered over 6,900 hours for various non-profits, most notably her 20 years as a volunteer at the Whitewater Food Pantry, where she has been the co-manager the past four years. Customers of the Food Pantry often commented that Barbara was always smiling and kind, as she received her greatest joy from serving those in need. Even after major surgery and chemo, Barbara returned to her volunteerism serving those she loved up until the last week of her life. When her son tried to throw Barbara a retirement party from the Food Pantry two weeks ago, she said “I’m not a quitter!” and insisted she would continue God’s work until her dying day, which she did with great dignity and honor. Barbara enjoyed camping with family and friends in her TowLow, traveling to amazing destinations, and playing cards with family and friends (up to her final days).
Barbara is survived by her son, Bob (Becky) of Blue Grass, Iowa; dog, Buddy; five grandchildren – Chris, Brian, Jase (Kellie), Lacey (Bret), and Savanna; eight great-grandchildren – Lilly, Zoey, Owen, Emery, Rowan, Bayler, Corinne & Alec; brother, Tom (Jan); plus many nieces and nephews, including Linda & Tom Hett with whom Barbara & Allen enjoyed traveling the world! Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, Julia & Emil; infant brother; devoted husband, Allen, and loving daughter, Lynnette, & son, Tom; niece, Barb; and sister-in-law, Bev.
City of Whitewater Alcohol Licensing Committee – Monday @ 4:45 p.m. Agenda: class A liquor license applications for Whitewater Petroleum Co. (Five Points), Campus Quick Shop, Casey’s (east side), and SS Express (Main & Fraternity). IN PERSON MEETING Community Room – Whitewater Municipal Building
Whitewater Unified School District School Board – Monday (closed session) 6:00 p.m. (open session) 7:00 p.m. Whitewater High School Library 534 South Elizabeth Street, Whitewater, Wisconsin 6:00 p.m. ———————————————– 6:00 p.m. via Zoom Online – URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86971863002?pwd=RGhpTnFPKzZnUWlYTDZyaDZTZWdEdz09 – Passcode: 939544 ———————————————- – Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799 – Webinar ID: 869 7186 3002 – Passcode: 939544 ———————————————- Closed Session Agenda includes preparation for negotiations with Whitewater Education Association and consider participation in another class action lawsuit. ———————————————- 7:00 p.m. via Zoom Online – URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84712363168?pwd=WGZjc2t3dm44c2F3aklCKzFhbVZjUT09 – Passcode: 727354 ———————————————- – Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799 – Webinar ID: 847 1236 3168 – Passcode: 727354 Agenda (click on “meetings” in upper right corner) includes possible action on items discussed in closed session, recognition of service of retiring board members, staffing and program recommendations for 2023-24.
City of Whitewater Common Council – Tuesday @ 6:30 p.m. Agenda includes Library Report regarding fundraising campaign; Neighborhood Services Update on Code Enforcement; Consideration of granting the available “Class B” alcohol license to one of the below applicants: Whitewater Petroleum Co. Five Points Mobil, or Casual Joes BBQ LLC; Presentation by Clear Path Energy/Terra Focus on leasing the old Whitewater Landfill (north end of Jefferson Street) for solar energy generation. (DPW Director Request); Closed session, not to reconvene for performance evaluation of city manager. City of Whitewater Municipal Building – Community Room 312 W. Whitewater St. This will be an in person AND a virtual meeting. Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join via computer, smart phone, or telephone. Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods. Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89139306364?pwd=SlpyNDlQaWsvTXFoc1FDN2dNRUdHZz09 Passcode: 013032 Or Telephone: Dial US: 1 309 205 3325 Webinar ID: 891 3930 6364 Passcode: 013032
Sherry L. Bigelow, 74, of Fort Atkinson, WI passed away on Monday, March 13, 2023 at her home.
Sherry was born on April 11, 1948 in Fort Atkinson the daughter of Vern and Betty (Hertel) Reinke. She grew up in the Fort Atkinson area and was a 1966 graduate of Fort Atkinson High School. Sherry worked as an office manager for Whitewater Oil for 27 years and enjoyed her work very much. After her time with Whitewater Oil, she worked at Pick’n Save Grocery until her retirement. Sherry was the type of person who was happy to go to work and she loved her jobs. The first and most important thing in Sherry’s life was her family. She was a loving mother to her two children, Robert and Brenda and a wonderful, supportive grandma to her grandkids. The lights of Sherry’s life were her great-grandchildren. She spent most of her retirement years caring for and babysitting her great-grandchildren and she loved every minute of it. She was proud of her family and made sure they felt loved and cared for. One of Sherry’s favorite things was the Christmas Season. She loved to decorate her home, give gifts, and share the Christmas spirit with others. For many years, Sherry would make a Christmas card for each resident at all of the assisted living facilities in her area which she would deliver to them with the help of her family. Sherry had a fun and sarcastic personality and her wit and laughter will be dearly missed by her family and friends.
She is survived by: her children, Robert Bigelow of Whitewater, WI and Brenda Brown of Whitewater, WI; her grandchildren, Nicholas (Brittany) Osgood of Whitewater, WI, Danielle (Ryan) Larson of Menomonee Falls, WI, Nathan (Brittany) Lathrop of Cambridge, WI, Robert Lathrop of Whitewater, WI, and Andrew Lathrop of Whitewater, WI; her dear great-grandchildren, Duncan, Evan, Connor, Alexis, and a baby girl (Charlee) on the way. She is also survived by two siblings, Gale Kelly of Okauchee, WI, Douglas (Sue) Reinke of Janesville, WI, her dear friend, Betty Fehly of Fort Atkinson, WI, and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
She is preceded in death by her parents, and her brother, Bradley.
Memorials in Sherry’s honor may be made to her family.
A Memorial Service will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 at the Gibson Family Funeral Home in Palmyra, WI (320 W. Main St. Palmyra, WI 53156). Visitation will take place from 5:00 p.m. until the time of service at the funeral home.
Gibson Family Funeral Homes of Palmyra and Eagle, WI is serving the family. To place an online condolence please visit gibsonfuneral.com
Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
News Flash! Women are underrepresented in lucrative STEM careers! I doubt you’re surprised by that, but did you know that you can do something about it?
Encourage your middle school daughter, niece, granddaughter, or neighbor to attend the AAUW Tech Savvy STEM Workshop on Saturday, April 15 at UW–Whitewater.
Tech Savvy is a one-day hands-on workshop for girls in grades 6– 9. Participants will select from ten sessions including Density Bottles, Explore the Universe One Ray of Light at a Time, Hands-on Construction Competition, Plasma Physics & Fusion Energy, Science of Flavors & Fragrances, Soil Bacteria: A Key to New Antibiotics, Spaghetti Car Derby, Surgical Intern for a Day, Wear your Genes, and What Can Glowing Animals Teach Us? Interested boys may attend.
Parents are invited to join their child for one of the workshop sessions and then attend “chat with” sessions designed to help them support their children’s career exploration and educational opportunities. Parents will be able to chat with professional women in a variety of STEM professions and with experts on 2-year and 4-year college programs.
The keynote will be presented by Yana Rawinski, Senior Product Manager, Medtronic Spine and Biologics. She will share her journey from middle school math competitions to a biomedical engineering degree.
Register soon for best choice of workshop sessions! Space is limited. Deadline is Wednesday, April 5. Deadline for a guaranteed t-shirt size is March 25.
The League of Women Voters-Whitewater Area kindly invites community members to attend the Whitewater Municipal Judge Candidate Forum on Sunday, March 19, from 1-2 p.m. The forum is in person and will be held in the City of Whitewater Council Chambers, located on the first floor of City Hall, 312 W Whitewater Street, Whitewater. Candidates for Municipal Court Judge are Art Coleman and Patrick Taylor (incumbent). The majority of municipal court cases involve traffic, parking and ordinance matters.
The League will be assisted in running the forum by Whitewater High School students under the supervision of both the League and Whitewater High School social studies teacher Greg Stewart. The forum will be moderated by WHS Senior Alex Martin. Two other students will assist League members in sorting and selecting the candidate questions.
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, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @lwvwhitewater.
Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the City of Whitewater.
Whitewater’s compost site will open on Saturdays starting April 1, 2023, at 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The compost site will also open on Wednesdays starting April 5, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The City will provide a loader for loading chips and compost beginning Saturday, April 1. This loader will be available the first Saturday of every month until the site closes for the season.
*Please allow enough time for unloading as the compost site will close promptly at the posted times.* NOTICE: It is against city ordinance to deposit any yard waste debris on City streets or right of ways.
“Early, in-person voting: Town of Whitewater – Tuesday, March 21 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM; Thursday, March 23 4:00 – 7:00 PM; Saturday March 25 9:00 – Noon
Public testing for voting machine: Saturday, March 25 at Noon
Please remember if you are voting absentee, ballots must be either mailed to the Town Hall or dropped off during normal Town Hall hours: M, T, Th 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM. Use of the drop box is prohibited.
Editor’s note: Per the press release below, Artanya M. Wesley, UW-Whitewater Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, has been named one of three candidates for Chancellor of UW-Platteville (UW-P). According to her resume, Dr. Wesley is a two-time graduate of UW-P, having earned a BS in Psychology and an MS in Counselor Education there. She was also employed by UW-P from 2006-12 in positions ranging from residence hall director to dean of students. She joined UW-Whitewater in 2016 as dean of students and Title IX coordinator and assumed the vice chancellor role in 2019.
Editor’s note: In separate news, the following announcement was posted to the UW-W announcements page. “Dr. Matt Aschenbrener has announced that he has accepted a position at University of Houston – Clear Lake and his last day at UW-Whitewater will be April 20. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Matt for his years of service and leadership. We wish him well as he takes on this new opportunity.
With this departure, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater invites applicants for the position of Assistant Vice Chancellor for Enrollment and Retention. This position will provide strategic leadership for university enrollment and retention efforts under the direction of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. The search is internal to UW-Whitewater. See postingfor further details. John Chenoweth, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs”
MADISON, Wis.—University of Wisconsin System President Jay Rothman today announced three finalists for the position of chancellor at the University of Wisconsin–Platteville, a 6,500-student university in the southwest corner of the state that offers more than 50 undergraduate majors, 10 graduate programs, 60 minors, 15 pre-professional programs, and 30 certificates.
A Special Regent Committee selected the finalists from a list of candidates identified by a Search and Screen Committee led by Regent Cris Peterson, chair, and Christina Curras, Professor and Department Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering, vice chair.
The finalists, listed in alphabetical order, are:
Philip A. Cavalier Interim Chancellor, University of Tennessee at Martin Martin, TN
Tammy K. Evetovich Interim Chancellor, University of Wisconsin–Platteville Platteville, WI
Artanya M. Wesley Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, University of Wisconsin–Whitewater Whitewater, WI
In the coming weeks, the candidates will participate in separate campus public forums, offering opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and community members to interact directly with them.
After reviewing campus feedback, Rothman and the Special Regent Committee, comprised of Regents Peterson, Scott Beightol, Mike Jones, Edmund Manydeeds III, and Rodney Pasch and chaired by Regent Peterson, will interview the finalists and recommend a single successful candidate to the Board of Regents, which must approve the appointment.
The person selected through this process will be UW-Platteville’s 15th chancellor.
For more information about the candidates, the public conversations, and the search process, see the UW-Platteville chancellor search page: https://www.uwplatt.edu/chancellor-search. For more information about UW-Platteville, go to its homepage: https://www.uwplatt.edu/.
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UW-Platteville was founded in 1866 as the State Normal School in Platteville—the first teacher training institution in the state. In 1907, the Wisconsin Mining Trade School in Platteville was founded. The two institutions would eventually merge in 1959, forming the present-day UW-Platteville and beginning its rich tradition of academic excellence and unparalleled student experience. UW-Platteville has one of the premier engineering programs in the Midwest and strong programs in agriculture, education, criminal justice, forensic investigation, and the STEM disciplines. The university offers top-level, hands-on education with a strong liberal arts foundation. UW-Platteville is also known for the exceptional, personal support it provides students—in particular, first-generation college students, who make up 35% of the undergraduate student body.
