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Kikkoman Foods Inc. donates $100,000 for WHS scholarships

On Friday, June 8, Kikkoman Foods Inc., a subsidiary of Kikkoman Corp., the world’s leading producer of soy sauce, announced at its press conference, to kick off their 45th anniversary of their town of Walworth soy sauce factory, that they would be endowing $100,000 with an expressed purpose of funding endowed scholarship(s) for graduating seniors at Whitewater High School. The Whitewater Unified School District was one of six Walworth County school districts to receive the $100,000 donation. The Whitewater Community Foundation will serve as the steward of the donation.

“We are grateful to be considered by Kikkoman Foods Inc. for this sizable donation,” stated Dr. Mark Elworthy, District Administrator of the Whitewater Unified School District. It has been a wonderful journey working with representatives from Kikkoman Foods Inc. in finalizing the donation. Our graduating seniors will truly benefit from Kikkoman Foods Inc.’s generosity. Receiving an education beyond high school, whether a two or four-year degree, is the gateway to success. This gift will allow our seniors to pursue their dreams.

Danielle Frawley, Whitewater Community Foundation President, added, “The Whitewater Community Foundation is proud to steward the generous funds provided by Kikkoman Foods Inc. to provide scholarships to the Whitewater Unified School District students for generations to come. Over the next several months we will be encouraging the Community of Whitewater to match the donation provided by Kikkoman Corp. to share our gratefulness of their generosity.”

Since endowed scholarships are funded by interest earned from the donation, the first Kikkoman Foods Inc. Scholarship will be distributed in 2020.

Whitewater Kiwanis install new members, appoint board of directors

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    New members installed: Steven Speer, Sponsor Rick Norman Chad Buehler, Sponsor Rollie Cooper Jean Bromley, Sponsor Lorrie Koppein
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    2018-19 Kiwanis Board of Directors Standing: Rick Norman, Treasurer and John Newhouse, Co-Secretary Sitting: Shirley Grant, Co-Secretary; Ed Schweitzer, Vice President; Lorrie Koppein, President; Jerry Grant, Past President Not in Photo: Members of the board, Jeanne Obmascher and Irene Potocki

Miss Whitewater Pageant seeking contestants for this year’s pageant

 

The Miss Whitewater Pageant is seeking contestants for this year’s pageant. The first practice will be on June 12th, potential contestants may sign up prior to or at the first practice session. Interested individuals are encouraged to get in contact via our website at http://whitewater4th.com/misswhitewater/ for more information.

Each year the Miss Whitewater Pageant raises money for a veterans charity. The 2018 charity is DAV. DAV is a nonprofit charity that provides a lifetime of support for veterans’ of all generations and their families, helping more than 1 million veterans in positive, life-changing ways each year. The organization provides nearly 615,000 rides for veterans attending medical appointments and assists veterans with more than 250,000 benefits claims annually. In 2017, DAV helped attain more than $4 billion in new and retroactive benefits to care for veterans, their families, and survivors.

Nicholas Huang Receives Fulbright Award

Nicholas Huang, a recent graduate of Butler University with a double major in Finance and Marketing, has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award to Macau for an English Teaching Assistantship for the 2018-2019 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Huang will teach English and US Culture at Macau Polytechnic Institute. Nicholas is the grandson of Whitewater residents Tom and Karen Christofferson, and former residents I-Ning and Joyce Huang. Son of WHS graduates (’83), Kuang-Yu and Susan Huang.

Nicholas is one of over 1,900 U.S. citizens who will conduct research, teach English, and provide expertise abroad for the 2018-2019 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement as well as record of service and leadership potential in their respective fields.

“I am ecstatic to be able to share my American perspective with learners of English and gain insight into their learning experience”, reports Huang.

“Nick is the ideal individual to serve as cultural ambassador,” said Dacia Charlesworth, Butler University’s Fulbright Program Adviser. “He embodies the spirit of the Fulbright mission and I am certain the students and community members in Macau are going to enjoy learning about the U.S. through his interactions.”

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to build lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program, which operates in over 160 countries worldwide.

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has given more than 380,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, professionals, and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

Fulbrighters address critical global challenges in all areas while building relationships, knowledge, and leadership in support of the long-term interests of the United States. Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in many fields, including 59 who have been awarded the Nobel Prize, 82 who have received Pulitzer Prizes, and 37 who have served as a head of state or government.

Pease named next WUSD athletic director

From district administrator Mark Elworthy:

Last week, Jim Pease was approved as the District’s next athletic director. He has successfully coached our boys’ baseball team for the past four years and the football team since 2017. He has strong leadership skills and is respected by his athletes. The 2018 football season will be his last at the helm and 2020 will be his last season leading the baseball team as he transitions to the athletic director position. Jim will be teaching physical education classes in the District as well.

Currently, Jim owns and operates his family-owned insurance business. Jim is not new to education as he taught and coached in the Sussex-Hamilton School District for 10 years. Jim and his wife, Amy, have three school-aged children. Jim is a UW-Whitewater graduate and played baseball for the Warhawks.

Bark Park Dog Park Opens in Whitewater

The City of Whitewater is proud to open a new dog park on the northwest corner of Jefferson Street and Starin Road.

The Dog Park relocation project has been one of the Parks & Recreation Director, Eric Boettcher’s top priorities upon his arrival to Whitewater last year. “We are excited to announce the dog park is open,” says Boettcher. “The new park will offer dog enthusiasts an upgraded facility for their pets to enjoy.”

The new park features a small/medium dog area and a larger space for all dogs. With ten parking stalls along with one accessible parking spot leading to an entry gate, there is ample space for multiple visitors. The park also supplies picnic tables, benches and garbage cans with the added bonus of Mutt Mitts for easy pick-up after your dog.

Current hours of use are from dawn until dusk and rules are posted for all visitors to view. A grand opening of Bark Park is scheduled for Wednesday, June 13 at 5 pm with events and giveaways. More information to come.
“We are sure the community, both twotwo-leggedd four-legged alike, will enjoy the new facility,” said Boettcher.

Call Parks & Recreation Director, Eric Boettcher at 262-473-0122 for further questions.

WUSD Referendum Project Update – May 2018

 

From District Administrator Mark Elworthy:

The referendum projects continue to be on schedule and on budget. Recently, the WMS choir room was completed and the Lincoln Elementary School Library Media Center will be completed by the end of June. Thank you for your patience and support during the construction process. Here is a link to the May 2018 Referendum Update. For other referendum updates click here. Monthly updates of completed projects will be provided on a monthly basis throughout the summer.

Eileen Nora (Monahan) O’Sullivan, age 80, died Tuesday, June 5, 2018. 

February 13, 1938 – June 5, 2018

She was born on February 13, 1938, to John R. and Nora Monahan.  At the time of her birth, Eileen’s mother passed away, and John raised her with the help of Eileen’s beloved “Aunt Gena” – Virginia (Monahan) Deignan of Lake Geneva.   Later, her father married Louise Clarke, who became her mother in every sense of the word.  Louise brought with her son Joe, and John and Louise eventually had a daughter together.  It was Eileen’s little sister Martha who dubbed her “Nini”, or simply “Neen” as she has been known ever since.  Eileen grew up in Evanston, Illinois, and graduated from Evanston Township High School.

Later, she graduated from Quincy College in Quincy, Illinois, and began teaching English in Chatsworth, Illinois.  Eileen loved her career as a teacher, so after taking some years off to raise her family – as well as getting certified to teach Special Education – she taught several places in southern Wisconsin, including Traver, Pell Lake Star Center and Mukwonago, and then ending her career as a Learning Disabilities teacher at Phoenix School in Delavan.

Eileen married Daniel J. O’Sullivan on June 18, 1960, and together in Lake Geneva they raised 3 daughters.  They were divorced in 1979, and Daniel passed away in 1982.

Eileen also had a flair for the dramatic – she spent time teaching drama and putting on plays at her schools, as well as appearing in community theater productions.  In later years, she was thrilled to be able to share this interest with her grandson Nathan as he pursues a career in the arts.  Eileen’s other grandson, Dan, made her happy in so many ways as well.  With him, she shared a home as he grew up, as well as a love of animals and technology.  She would proudly boast of her personal desktop technician and loved to learn from his computer prowess.

And if you ever got her started talking about the TV show “Survivor”, you’d better be ready for all of the facts.  Under the screen moniker “Coolhand Eddie”, she ran an online Fantasy Survivor tribe, and had several trophies to show for her ability to “Outwit, Outplay, Outlast.”  She was also a rabid football and baseball fan and tried never to miss a televised game.  A Brewer game at Miller Park a couple of years ago, courtesy of her daughter Cathy and son-in-law Tom, was a recent highlight – as (oddly) was the Cubs winning the World Series in 2016.

Eileen loved the outdoors and made her home in a tranquil part of the Kettle Moraine Forest.  There she would mow acres of land, feed the birds, help a local feral cat rescue organization, and gaze at the constellations.  For as long as she could, she maintained gardens; in a recent conversation with a chaplain, she said that she always felt closest to God when in her flower garden.

Eileen is survived by her daughters: Joann O’Sullivan, Whitewater; Cathy O’Sullivan (Tom) Kavanaugh, Sauk City; and Theresa O’Sullivan Fosbinder (Madison).  She is further survived by her grandsons Dan (Alexi) O’Sullivan and Nathan Fosbinder. She also leaves behind several beloved pets who will miss her kindness and kindred spirit – especially her dearest Foggy.

She was preceded in death by her father, John Rodríguez Monahan; her mother, Nora (Liston) Monahan; her stepmother Louise Clarke Monahan; her step-brother Joe (“Sug”) Daniels, and her sister Martha Monahan Jones Bromley.

Whether the Brewers win or the Packers lose, or the Cubs sneak into the rotation, Eddie will forever be watching from her flower garden.  We will miss you, Weather Gma.

A Memorial Service will take place on Sunday, June 10, 2018, at 12 pm at Nitardy Funeral Home 550 N. Newcomb St. Whitewater, WI. 53190. Friends may visit with the family on Sunday from 11 am until time of service.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Community Cat Inc., P.O. Box 447 Whitewater, WI 53190 – commcat.org, or ActBlue LLC – www.actblue.com.

www.nitardyfuneralhome.com

WHS Sign Construction Update

“Sidewalk superintendent”, Bruce Schroeder, checking out the construction of WHS sign on Walworth Avenue.

A digital rendering of what the completed WHS Sign will look like.

Young Auditorium Lines Up Amazing Entertainers and Performances for 2018-2019 Season

With world-renowned musical acts, standout theatre productions, and a pair of Broadway’s biggest hit musicals, there is truly something for everyone in the Young Auditorium 2018-2019 Season.

The season kicks off with Young Auditorium’s annual World Music Festival and is highlighted by appearances from classic rock icon Jim Messina, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Coasters, a brand new title from The Church Basement Ladies, and national touring Broadway productions of Jersey Boys and RENT. Country music fans will love Country Royalty: A Tribute to Hank Williams and Patsy Cline, and classical music lovers will not want to miss Bach’s Christmas Oratorio as performed by the Wisconsin Chamber Choir with a full orchestra, or Beethoven’s 9th as performed by the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra. With over 20 performances spanning the worlds of theatre, music, dance, comedy, and family shows, Young Auditorium is truly bringing you the very best in the world of entertainment.

Tickets for all Young Auditorium 2018-2019 shows go on sale Friday, June 8th at 9:30 am. A full event listing including dates, time, prices and purchase details, is available at www.youngauditorium.com. Use the site’s interactive ticket experience to pick your exact seating location for every show and purchase your tickets online.

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

Jim Messina – October 20th, 2018
As one-half of the extremely successful classic-rock duo Loggins & Messina, co-founder of the country rock band Poco, and a key member of Buffalo Springfield, Messina has used his masterful guitar playing and smooth, familiar voice to carve out an illustrious career. Messina’s talents will be on full display at Young Auditorium as he and his band perform some of his greatest hits like, Your Momma Don’t Dance, Crazy Love, and House at Pooh Corner.

The Coasters – November 17th, 2018
With a string of instantly recognizable hits like Yakety Yak, Charlie Brown, and Searchin, The Coasters helped define the rhythm & blues and rock and roll sounds of the 1950s and 1960s. Combining good-humored storytelling with impeccable timing and harmonies, The Coasters have the distinction of being the very first group EVER inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Jersey Boys – February 7th, 2019
Broadway’s Tony Award-winning Best Musical takes you behind the music and inside the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, from the streets of Jersey to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Featuring the hit songs Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Rag Doll, Oh What a Night and Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Jersey Boys ran for 11 record-breaking years on Broadway becoming the 12th longest-running show in Broadway history.

Church Basement Ladies – ‘Rise Up, O Men’ – March 3rd, 2019
The Church Basement Ladies are back at Young Auditorium in a brand new production! ‘Rise Up O Men’ gives the gents a chance to shine in the latest installment of the Church Basement Ladies musical comedy series. As the church prepares for participation in the town’s 1964 Centennial Celebration, we get to see their coming and goings from the eyes of the menfolk, who have their own problems to solve.

Country Royalty: A Tribute to Hank Williams and Patsy Cline – April 6th, 2019
Two of country music’s biggest legends appear on the same stage at the same time when award-winning
musicians Jason Petty and Katie Deal pay tribute to Hank Williams and Patsy Cline. In a show like no other,
Petty and Deal honor these music icons by performing over 20 of their chart-topping hits with a live band!
Hear the songs and stories of Hank and Patsy as performed by two of the country’s finest entertainers.

RENT -20th Anniversary Tour – April 28th, 2019
Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award®-winning masterpiece RENT returns to the stage in a vibrant 20th anniversary touring production. With its inspiring message of joy and hope in the face of fear, RENT follows an unforgettable year in the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams without selling out. The
timeless celebration of friendship and creativity reminds us to measure our lives with the only thing that truly matters-love.