Wisconsin Libraries Launch Statewide Author Contest

Irvin L. Young Memorial Library is pleased to join in the announcement of a new statewide contest that will accept submissions of self-published Young Adult and Adult Fiction, to be recognized as the top self-published books in the state.

One winner of this contest will receive:

  • $1,000 cash prize
  • A write-up in the December print issue of Library Journal
  • Honors at the American Library Association Midwinter 2019 THRIVE Reception in Seattle
  • Opportunities to promote your work to Wisconsin public library staff and patrons
  • A Library Journal Digital Review
  • An invitation to speak at the Wisconsin Library Association Annual Conference in October

One runner-up of this contest will receive:

  • A Library Journal Digital Review
  • An invitation to speak at the Wisconsin Library Association Annual Conference in October

Recent data from 2016 showed that 20% of the book market is composed of indie authors. The creation of the Wisconsin Author Project gives librarians not only a chance to engage with this growing group of authors but also an opportunity to be active stewards for new works.

For self-published authors, the contest is a chance to elevate their careers and business. Along with the accolade of the award and its perks, being recognized by librarians creates credibility and visibility in the growing marketplace of digital content and self-published books. Winning authors will reach hundreds if not thousands of new readers via the library, and can also leverage being an award-winning author for additional marketing opportunities.

“We have always been very proud of our local author collection at the library.  This new opportunity for local writers to get their work before the public is very exciting and we are pleased to be a part of fostering that,” says Library Director Stacey Lunsford

Each book that is submitted to the contest must be:

  • Self-published
  • In the genre of Young Adult Fiction or Adult Fiction
  • Written by a Wisconsin resident
  • Available in either PDF or ePUB format

Authors can submit at indieauthorproject.librariesshare.com/wisconsin. Submissions are open until June 30th. A panel of Wisconsin librarians will judge the submissions.

Spring 2018 Innovators’ Showcase

The Innovators’ Showcase is an opportunity for Whitewater’s entrepreneurial community to gather, share ideas and resources, and plan new collaborative endeavors. Innovation Center companies and affiliates will provide project updates, and UW-Whitewater’s entrepreneurial student organizations and scholars will discuss their recent accomplishments and products.

When: Wednesday, April 18, 2018, at 5:30 pm

Where: Whitewater University Technology Park Innovation Center

For a schedule of events, 

To RSVP, 

Whitewater Student Named “Letter About Literature” Winner

Congratulations to Emerson Ellenwood on being named the honorable mention winner in the 2017-18 Letters about Literature program.

His reflective letter was written to Veronica Roth about her book Divergent.  Emerson will receive a framed certificate, a check, a gift certificate from Barnes and Noble, and copies of books from various Wisconsin authors and publishers.  He will receive his awards at a special ceremony held in conjunction with the Untitledtown Book and Author Festival in Green Bay on April 21.

We are very proud of Emerson and congratulate him for receiving this special recognition of his outstanding work!

Dennis “Salvo” Salverson Honored with National Award

Salverson is shown receiving his Brown Forman Award from Teddy Graziano, Brown Forman’s Louisiana State Manager.

At the recent American Beverage Licensees (ABL) 16th Annual Meeting at Harrah’s Hotel & Casino in New Orleans, sixteen beverage retailers from across the United States were recognized as Brown Forman Retailers of the Year in a ceremony at the ABL Honors Gala.  Recipients were nominated by their state beverage association for their success and dedication to the beverage alcohol industry.

Dennis “Salvo” Salverson from Coyote Grill in Whitewater, was honored with the Brown Forman Retailer of the Year Award at the gala.  “The Brown Forman Retailer of the Year Awards provide us with an opportunity to recognize and honor our members – those individuals who serve as the face of the beverage alcohol industry to the consumer,” said ABL Executive Director John Bodnovich. “When selecting these members for their award, there are numerous aspects of small business ownership that are taken into account, among these are: excellence in advocacy, responsible sales and service practice, community engagement and their support of their state affiliate.”

Whitewater High School Track Team Competes in Frigid Meet

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Comments from Coach Houwers:

The track and field teams competed for the first time outdoors this season on Tuesday night.  Even with the cold, there were some very good performances.

For the boys team, Will Leibbrand had a very nice long jump, going over 20′ for the first time this season.  Robby Liberto had a very nice 110 hurdle race, placing second.  Seth Heine ran a great first race in winning the 200m with a 24.53.  Aiden Coburn ran a solid 3200 finishing third, and Justin Mitchell had a personal best in winning the discus.

For the girls, the tandem of Abby Grosinske and Brianna Tillett went 1-2 in the shot put.  Both ladies are new to the event, throwing for just their second time.  And they both got donuts from Coach Rausch for going over 30′.  Brianna’s color must be silver because she also finished second in the long jump and triple jump.  Hailey Murphy edged out her competition by just .02 seconds to win the 300 hurdles tonight, and Jenna Lee ran a nice 400m, winning her heat.

The Whippets look to improve off the great start at the rescheduled Clinton Relays on Saturday.

WHS Girls Soccer Ties Delavan

From Coach McCrea:

On Tuesday, April 10, the Whippets hosted Delavan Darien in a non-conference match ending in a 1-1 tie.

Whitewater found the back of the net early in the match on a goal by Jenna Prah. The Whippets remained in the lead until the 65th minute when the Comets scored on a corner kick to tie the match. The Whippets distributed the ball well, opening the game up on the flanks to move the ball forward and maintain possession. Kacie Carollo, Jaden Henneman, Meikayla Korf, Carmen Kraayvanger, Rylee Stachow, Odessa Sonn controlled the midfield. The young Whippet defense led by Brianna Zimdars, Hannah O’Brien, Mariana Cano and Lizbeth Rodriguez played extremely well against the talented Comets. Crystal Chan entered the game late to mark Delavan’s premier player and played well. Senior Alexa DuClos again split time in the goal with newcomer Cora Linos.

Delavan JV defeated Whitewater.

Up next, the Whippets, 1-0-0 in Rock Valley play and 1-0-1 overall, will host RVC rival Jefferson on Thursday, April 12th with JV at 4:45 pm and Varsity at 6:45 pm.

 

Whitewater Fire Displaces Two Residents, No Injuries Reported

At approximately 8:30 pm on April 9, 2018, the Whitewater Fire Department was dispatched for a structure fire on N. Esterly Ave. First arriving crews noted heavy smoke and fire on the rear of the structure. Crews were on scene for approximately 2.5 Hrs. for extinguishment and overhaul. Damage estimates were not available at the time of this post. Two occupants were displaced by the fire.

The WFD would like to thank all departments for their quick response and help with the incident.

For more information from the WFD, 

National Money Smart Week® is coming to Whitewater!

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will host several events, open to community members as well as students, for Money Smart Week 2018.


Are you concerned about the cost of higher education? According to the makers of the independent documentary, Broke, Busted, & Disgusted, you should be. A UW-Whitewater showing of the film, followed by a panel and discussion, will be Monday, April 23, at 5 p.m., in Summers Auditorium in the University Center. Community members are invited to attend this UW-Whitewater showing. “I think it’s a really well-done film with a student-focused message. It’s definitely pro-education but anti-debt,” said Naomi Schemm, business librarian at UW-Whitewater. “Explore all your options for funding your education. Know what you’re getting into. It could be really powerful especially for high school students planning their futures.”

RSVP at the following link: http://tinyurl.com/yarpwsja


Even children can start learning money smarts at a younger age than one might expect! In a joint effort, the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library and Andersen Library will offer two financially focused story times for kids. The story time will include a paint-a-bank craft for kids, children’s books to give away, and family-focused educational materials for parents and caretakers (all supplies are first-come, first-served). Targeted toward ages 3-7, the story times are Monday, April 23 at 4 p.m. at Young Memorial Library, and Friday, April 27 at 4 p.m. at Andersen Library.

“Kiddos will decorate their very own piggy bank while you can learn some special money saving tips for your little ones,” said Claire Tidwell, programming librarian at Young Memorial Library. “Talking about money with your kids is easier if you start those conversations and get into those good habits early.”


Learn how to protect your personal information or repair the damage after a breach. Jessica Wagner, loss prevention specialist from the UW Credit Union, will advise and answer questions about Financial Crimes: Awareness and Prevention. The presentation will be Tuesday, April 24 at 3 p.m. in the UW-Whitewater University Center, room 264.


All events are free, open to all, and, except for the film screening, do not require RSVP’s. For more information about these and other nearby events, visit www.moneysmartweek.org.

Money Smart Week is the broadest and most comprehensive financial education program in the country. Started in 2002 in Chicago with just 40 programs, it has expanded significantly to become the only national educational program for people at all stages of life. This is achieved through the collaboration and coordinated effort of thousands of organizations across the country including businesses, financial institutions, schools, libraries, not-for-profits, government agencies and the media. Partnering organizations will host their events April 21 – 28, 2018.

Whitewater Formally Receives Federal Economic Opportunity Zone Designation

The City of Whitewater learned today that it has received Federal approval for two proposed Economic Opportunity Zones (EOZs) in the community. The EOZ designation, which will provide an additional economic development tool in the City of Whitewater, was created under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which Congress passed late last year and President Trump signed into law.

“We’re very excited at the quick approval of our two EOZ nominees given by US Treasury Secretary Robert Mnuchin,” said Dave Carlson, Executive Director of the Whitewater Community Development Authority (CDA). Governor Walker had included Whitewater’s two nominees as a part of a broad list of 118 sites statewide which were forwarded to Secretary Mnuchin in late March.

“This has the potential to spark some much needed growth in our community,” said Larry Kachel, Chair of the Whitewater CDA. “The EOZ program will allow certain investment gains to be redirected, with significant tax savings, into economic opportunity funds which will make investments in communities like Whitewater.” Investors will be able to earn permanent tax savings on the original capital gain based on how long they keep it invested in the economic opportunity fund.

“The details of how the program will operate still need to be ironed out in Washington D.C., but we are excited to be adding this new program to our economic development toolbox,” said Carlson. “We’ll begin working right away with developers who may wish to do projects in Whitewater based on the addition of this new incentive.”

The two Whitewater EOZs include the portion of the city in Walworth County east of Franklin Street and the portion of the city in Walworth County west of Franklin Street and north of Main Street.

East Side EOZ Map

West Side EOZ Map

Young Auditorium Closes Out Its 25th Anniversary Season with Two Creative and Unique Events

You’ve Seen Them on TV…Now Watch Live as Lightwire Theater ‘Lights Up’ theYoung Auditorium Stage

Friday, April 27th – 7:30 pm

When the lights go out, Lightwire Theater shines with its own brand of illuminated storytelling. Using electroluminescent technology, Lightwire creates awe-inspiring glow-in-the-dark theatrical performances that are truly one-of-a-kind. You’ll have to see it to believe it as colorful, vibrant lights help tell the story of Marvin the mouse as he embarks on the space adventure of a lifetime inMoon Mouse: A Space Odyssey.

Featured as semi-finalists on NBC’sAmerica’s Got Talent and Tru TV’s Fake Off, Lightwire combines theater and technology to bring stories to life in complete darkness. Lightwire’s intricate performance costumes are lined with electroluminescent wire known as ‘el-wire’. Unlike backlights, ‘el wire’ can be powered by batteries, requires no theatrical lighting, and gives off 360-degrees of glowing light. The result…anything your inner-child can dream of including 16-foot tall birds, dinosaurs, and mice rocketing to the moon!

For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.youngauditorium.com, stop into the Greenhill Center of the Arts Box Office (located in the Greenhill Center of the Arts atrium on the UW-Whitewater campus), or call (262) 472-2222. Tickets ordered online can be printed at home (small fees apply for this service).


Young Auditorium Calls On Community Members to Take Part in Art Installation at Young Auditorium – April 30th – May 4th

Kinetic artist Kevin Reese works hand-in-hand with YOU to design and construct a large, locally inspired mobile to be permanently installed in the Young Auditorium lobby.

For the culminating event of our 25th Anniversary Season, kinetic artist Kevin Reese is helping Young Auditorium celebrate by ‘mobilizing’ our supporters and leading a large scale, community-based art project. Kevin works hand-in-hand with YOU to design and construct five unique, locally inspired mobiles to be showcased throughout the community, including a large, main piece to be permanently installed in the Young Auditorium lobby. Come to any or all of the following ‘mobile-making’ events to play your part in creating an inspirational, balanced piece of art to be seen by all Young Auditorium patrons for years to come.


OPEN HOUSE 
Monday, April 30 | 12:00-1:00p.m. & 2:00-3:00p.m.*
Tuesday, May 1 | 1:00-2:00p.m. & 4:30-5:30p.m.*

Stop in to cut and sand mobile shapes with Kevin Reese. *FREE Event – Please register in advance. Adults only.

WINE & PAINT NIGHT 
Wednesday, May 2 | 5:00-7:00p.m.*

Bring a group to help paint mobile shapes that will become part of the main lobby installation. *Adults only. Cash bar. No registration required.

DEDICATION & RECEPTION 
Friday, May 4 | 5:30p.m.*

Members of the community are invited to attend a reception and mobile dedication in the Young Auditorium lobby. Desserts will be provided by The Sweet Spot, with music from the LINCS World Drumming Ensemble, and artwork created by Lakeview Elementary students as part of the 2018 Big Read project. *FREE Event – No RSVP required.

For more information on this project, or to register for one of the open house events, please contact:
Shannon Dozoryst – (262) 472-1432 – dozoryss@uww.edu