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Obituary: Dr. Richard Francis James, 78

Dr. Richard Francis James, 78, passed August 18 at Glenwood.  He was born August 2, 1944, to Dr. Carl and Frances James in Eureka, Kansas.  He had an idyllic childhood building race cars and hunting on the James farm and in Western Kansas.  He was president of his 1962 high school senior class, and he presided over class reunions through 2017.  He enrolled at Emporia State University and was president of the Sig Taus.  In June of 1966, he enlisted in the Air Force.  He was promoted to sergeant and named munitions and maintenance man of the month.  His tour included Vietnam, Korea, and Japan where he built and loaded bombs.  After his discharge, he completed his bachelor’s degree.  He was then hired by the newly opened Shawnee Mission NW High School in Kansas City, Kansas.  In 1974, Kansas named him Outstanding Young Educator.  After earning his master’s degree, he resigned his position at Shawnee Mission but continued to attend reunions of the original faculty.  He then began his doctoral program at Northern Illinois University where he met Marcia when she joined the program in 1976.  He received the Lyle Maxwell Award while at Northern.  After marrying Marcia, he accepted a tenure-track position at UW-Whitewater.  He received the college and university service awards for his prairie reconstruction efforts.  He and Marcia received the Vocational Instructional Materials Award at a national convention after they authored Microcomputer Applications in Business.  He also received the Freedoms Foundation’s Leavey Award for his two-day Mini Business World experience where business people, teachers, and students would work together to create a business.  The Wisconsin Business Education Association recognized him as their Outstanding Postsecondary Educator in 2002.  Finally, Rich helped bring the Programs of Excellence Award to UW-Whitewater three times!  He sang in First English Lutheran Church choir and played baritone in Fort Atkinson’s Community Band for 25 years.  He played golf and made wine with many friends.  He and Marcia traveled extensively. He participated in two Badger Honor Flights.  He is the original owner of a 1964 Corvette, which was driven in the Whitewater Fourth of July parade from 1979-2019.  He continued to hunt, oversee his Kansas farmland while being dad to Griffin (Katie) and Logan and grandad to Canon and Reed.  He was preceded in death by his parents, brother, and six Brittany spaniels.  He is also survived by his sister and many nieces, nephews, and former students.  Marcia and sons would like to thank the staff at Glenwood, Agrace Hospice, Dee Simon, fellow golfers and Pastor Wendt, who faithfully visited. 

The service will be held at First English Lutheran Church on Saturday, August 27, at 11 a.m. The family will be available at 10 a.m. Also, a luncheon will follow at Willow Brook Golf Course. Please send any contributions to the Dr. Richard F. James Marketing Education Scholarship, UW-Foundation, 810 W. Main Street, Whitewater. Nitardy Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Welcome Back Lake Party Tonight

Are you excited that Cravath Lake is back in action? We are! Join us for crafts, snacks, music, and a family friendly party atmosphere to welcome back our lake! This event will take place on August 18th at 7:00 p.m.

Editor’s note: This announcement was provided by the City of Whitewater. Readers may also be interested in the following update that was posted to the city website on July 28.

Lakes Continue to Refill

Cravath and Trippe Lakes continue to refill since the process started on June 13, 2022.  The lakes will continue to refill throughout this summer.   Currently the south end of Cravath is about 6 inches from its original level at the start of the project and Trippe Lake has about another 10 inches to come up by the gate and spillway area.   The rain levels over the past week should help this process.  The lakes fill from north to south making the south ends of the lakes the last area to fill.   

Vegetation in the Lake

The vegetation in the lake is made up mostly of cattails and grasses that grew in while the lake was drawn down.  This is to be expected.  Once the lake level returns to normal a majority of those plants will die off.  City staff will continue to work with the WDNR to monitor the vegetation.  Additional measures such as cutting and harvesting will continue next spring and into the future to help manage the vegetation in our lakes.  

Fish Stocking

Plans for restocking of fish are underway.  Fish stocking will occur in the fall of 2022 and 2023.  Crappie, bluegill, perch and additional feeder fish will be added from fish farms first followed by bass. Additional fish will also help populate the lakes as they move in from upstream. Larger fish such as northern pike will be added by the WDNR as part of their restocking procedures.  

lake drawdown
lake draw down
lake draw down

City of Whitewater Votes to Place EMS Staffing Referendum on November Ballot

Editor’s note: The following press release was provided by the City of Whitewater. It has been edited minimally by the Banner.

CITY OF WHITEWATER VOTES TO PLACE EMS STAFFING REFERENDUM
ON NOVEMBER BALLOT
City voters to consider increased property tax funding to bolster Whitewater Fire Department’s EMS staffing

The City of Whitewater has submitted a resolution to the Walworth and Jefferson
County Clerks placing a referendum question on November 8, 2022 ballots. Voters will be asked whether or
not to increase property tax levies to support the City’s share of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) staffing improvements.

The Whitewater Fire Department provides fire and EMS services to the City and Town of Whitewater, and the
Towns of Cold Spring, Johnstown, Koshkonong, Lima Center, and Richmond. Under the proposed EMS
staffing recommendations, each community would pay its fair share of a $1.47 million increase in funding, beginning
in 2023. The City of Whitewater’s share of the increase, based on a calculation that takes into account the
equalized property value of a community, and a five-year average of EMS call volume, would be $1.1 million.

If approved, the increased funding would support up to 17 full-time, paid-on-premises Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT). Seventeen full-time staff would make it possible to have a fully-staffed, onsite EMS response 24/7, helping to
address increased calls for service, surging response times and a lack of available paid-on-call staff.

“Like departments across the state, our community is no longer served best by a paid-on-call staff,” said Kelly
Freeman, chief of the Whitewater Fire Department. “There is a critical need to invest in highly trained, full-time,
EMT personnel to be in-station and responsive to the Whitewater community.”

For decades, the Whitewater Fire Department has relied on a paid-on-call staffing model. This model, which
requires on-call staff to leave their homes or jobs to respond first to the station, then to the incident, is no
longer providing an adequate level of service to Whitewater. In 2020, 41 percent of EMS calls had a more than
five minute initial departure time. In other words, staff did not leave the station to travel to the incident until five
or more minutes after the initial call came in. This trend continued in 2021. As a result of increasing call volumes, a large number of EMS calls made to the Whitewater Fire Department were answered by a neighboring community, resulting in longer
response times to Whitewater residents.

In November, City of Whitewater residents will be asked whether they support an increased property tax levy of
$1.1 million to fund improved EMS staffing. If approved, the annual tax impact would be an increase of $67 per
$100,000 home value in Walworth County and a $52 annual increase per $100,000 home value in Jefferson County.
This increase takes into account reduced mill rates tied to increasing levy limits by the amount allowable by
state law and the recent closing of tax incremental districts (TIDs).

“We are at a critical juncture to determine the level of fire and EMS services we want in our community,” said
Lisa Dawsey Smith, president of the City of Whitewater Common Council. “These challenges are not unique to
our city. We are seeing departments across the state facing the need to ask residents to enhance EMS and
fire services by increasing the property tax levy.”

In the coming weeks and months, city and department officials will be working to educate the community about
the need for improved staffing, the costs associated with its recommended staffing plan and the upcoming
referendum. Additional information, including a list of upcoming information sessions, will soon be available at
https://www.whitewater-wi.gov/582/Referendum.

Walworth County ADRC to Host a Memory Screening Event on Friday, August 19

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by Walworth County.

The Walworth County Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) will offer a free Memory Screening event on Friday, August 19th from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Memory Screens are not a diagnostic tool but can show if cognitive impairment is apparent or not.

“Tracking our cognition levels needs to be as normal as checking our blood pressure,” says Dementia Care Specialist Jake Sawyers. “It is recommended that once adults turn 60 they should have a memory screen conducted every four to six months. Not only does this give you a baseline, but helps you better understand if there are truly changes occurring.”

The Memory Screening Event will be held at the Walworth County Health and Human Services building, 1910 County Road NN, Elkhorn. RSVPs are required by calling (262) 741-3273.

About the Walworth County Aging and Disability Resource Center: The ADRC provides information and assistance to older and disabled adults, their friends, family, caregivers, and the public. We can assist by evaluating your current needs and providing options available to meet the needs of your situation.

This Week’s Yard Sales Include Johnson Creek Village Wide Sales

Garage Sale
Saturday August 20, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
140 N Esterly Ave
Items for sale: Antique roll-top desk, car ramps, 50’ extension ladder, antique tools, power tools, drain tubes, yard art, solid wood doors, other fun, eclectic items

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Rummage Sale this weekend Thursday and Friday 8-4 and 8-12 on Saturday.

N7678 Pine Knolls Drive, Whitewater

Women clothes sizes 4-24, Boys clothes from 8/10 to 12/14

2 Hoverboards and attachable carts. Air conditioner, books, Legos, games, sporting equipment (T-ball, Softball, Tennis) Children’s Pirate bedding set including lamp (full and twin sized)

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Village Wide Rummage Sales in Johnson Creek/ Friends of the Library Book Sale

The Johnson Creek Community Wide Rummage sales will be held August 19 and 20. Several
non-profits will be holding fundraisers during this event.

Friday and Saturday will feature brats, hamburgers, and hot dogs at the American Legion Post
309 at their club house on 223 Williams Street from 10:30 to 1:30. The bar will be open.

The Friends of the Johnson Creek Library will be hosting their semi-annual used book sale both
Friday and Saturday from 8-2 at the Village Community Center 417 Union Street. Proceeds of
the sale will support programming for children through adults.

On Friday and Saturday, from 9-1 , the Crossroads Church at 111 South Street will have a used
furniture sale. This sale supports the Church’s outreach programming. A wide variety of
furnishings will be for sale.

In addition, sales will be held around the Village. A complete list of sales is available by email.
Send an email to caroljo@tds.net to receive the final list of check Visit Johnson Creek on
Facebook. Listing will be available on August 15.

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A Banner Service: Garage Sale Ads

As a result of a reader’s comment that it’s hard to find garage sales in Whitewater now that we no longer have a weekly shopper, the Banner staff agreed to begin a “consolidated” garage sale posting that will be published by Thursday morning for the upcoming weekend’s sales. This announcement will only be for garage sales (a sale of miscellaneous household goods, often held in the garage or front yard of someone’s house) in the city and school district boundaries. We will not be accepting, for example, ads for cars or other items that are not part of a scheduled garage sale. There will be a limit of three times per year for a particular property. There is no charge for this service.

Those wishing to place a notice must send the information to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com by Wednesday at 6 p.m. You may include a brief description of the items that are for sale, the hours and days of the sale, and of course your address. Photos may also be included.

Obituary: Thomas “Tommy” F. Lange, 85

Thomas “Tommy” F. Lange, 85, of Whitewater passed away peacefully at his home on July 16, 2022.

Tommy is survived by his dear friends Jason Ondricka (Christine), John Vodenlich (Jennifer), Kevin Bullis (Kathy), Matt Zwaschka (April), Adam Latella (Jessica), Ryan Callahan (Danyelle), Bob Berezowitz (Jan), Lance Liepold (Kelly), Carol Miller, and countless other Warhawk students, athletes, coaches, faculty, and alumni. Tommy is preceded in death by his parents Karl F. Lange and Bernice E. Lange (Follensbee), as well as longtime friend and UW-Whitewater Head Baseball Coach Jim Miller.

Tommy was born on November 4, 1936, and raised in Watertown, WI. During his childhood, Tommy was captivated with trains. This fascination with trains continued throughout his entire life. Tommy attended St. Henry’s Grade School and graduated in 1950, followed by Watertown High School in 1954. He received his Undergraduate Degree in History & Economics from Ripon College in 1958, and ultimately received his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from University of Wisconsin – Whitewater in 1973.

Tommy was an active service member of the United States Army from 1959-1970. He was stationed in Korea for over a year during this time. Tommy achieved the Commissioned Officer rank of Captain by 1964, and he served in the Adjutant General’s Corps. Upon being relieved from active duty in 1970, he transferred into the National Guard. Tommy was honorably discharged from the military in 1976. During his service, Tommy received the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and the Army Commendation (1st OLC).

Tommy began his 30-year career with the United States Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service as a Tax Auditor in 1974. During his tenure he was appointed as the Representative of the District Director of the Janesville IRS office.

Beginning in 1977, Tommy dedicated 45 years of service to UW-Whitewater Warhawk athletics as a volunteer, supporter, contributor, and fan. For many years, he was the PA announcer for football games, baseball games, wrestling meets, and women’s basketball games. He also worked the table for men’s basketball games. Tommy additionally donated his time at football practices as the air horn man who had coaches switch segments of practice on schedule. Tommy was a member of almost every booster club, including the Quarterback Club, the Tip-Off Club, and the Dugout Club, serving as the treasurer of the QB Club for several years. He sponsored numerous trips and meals for the different athletic teams, and was always willing to assist any program with a donation. In 1997, Tommy became a Warhawk Athletics Hall of Fame inductee and recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, for his years of significant contribution to the success of UW-W athletics programs.

Over the years, Tommy made a point to know every player by name and position on each of the teams he supported. He touched countless lives working with Warhawk athletic staff and teams, pouring his time, energy, and resources into their programs while asking for nothing in return. His presence, laughter, Elvis impressions, and one-liners will be dearly missed.

Tommy “The Kid” was truly a legend. He lived and breathed Warhawk athletics, and will always be remembered as “Mr. Warhawk.”

Tommy was known by everyone for his countdown toward the upcoming season by telling you the exact hours, minutes, and seconds left before the first game. Tommy lived a service filled life, totaling 751,234 hours, 26 minutes, and 18 seconds. . . ”but who’s counting,” as he would have said. Tommy’s legacy lives in all of us that were truly blessed to call him our friend.

The Funeral Service for Tommy will be held on Monday, August 29th, from 5 p.m.-7 p.m., at Nitardy Funeral Home in Whitewater, WI. A private burial will take place at St. Henry’s Cemetery in Watertown. A Celebration of Life Memorial Ceremony will be held at the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater University Center on Monday, September 19th, from 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m. In honor of Tommy, please wear your favorite Whitewater Warhawk apparel when attending the funeral service and/or memorial ceremony.

Nitardy Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements. Online condolences can be made at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com.

Obituary: Thomas “Tom” Edward Ganfield, 60

THOMAS EDWARD GANFIELD

Thomas (“Tom”) Edward Ganfield, age 60, at rest August 13, 2022 when he was surrounded by his loving family. Thomas was born in Chicago March 23, 1962 to the late Muriel (Davis) and David Ganfield. He graduated Loyola Academy in 1980, attended the University of Michigan, and then graduated Knox College in 1984. He completed his graduate studies at Duke University, earning a master’s degree in environmental engineering in 1985.

He started his work career as an environmental scientist with the State of Missouri in Jefferson City, MO, then to Woodward-Clyde Consultants in Chicago, and lastly at Baxter & Woodman in their Burlington, WI office. It was then that he moved to his beloved lake home on Whitewater Lake in southeast Wisconsin, where he had happily lived for the past 22 years.

Earning an early retirement in 2019, Thomas served his clients with considerable expertise as a wetlands specialist engaging in environmental impact assessments, wetlands restoration, and water quality issues. He was deeply involved in volunteer efforts with myriad local environmental and community causes, as well as writing short stories and plays and researching family history. He was an inveterate Chicago Cub fan.

Thomas Ganfield was a true “man for others”; his brother and family meant everything to him. He was a man of strong principles and lived his life according to them: faith, family, and community service. To his family and friends, he was also a model of strength and will be most remembered for his gentle and kind spirit, love, passion, and acceptance. Indeed, he was loved by everybody who knew him and will be sorely missed.

He is the beloved brother of David (Jeanne) of Lake Bluff, IL; adoring nieces Jacquelyn Ganfield and Lindsay (Drew) Barrios both of Chicago, IL, and nephew Peter Ganfield of Denver, CO; cousins, and many friends.

Visitation Saturday, August 20, 2022 9:30 a.m. at Wenban Funeral Home, 320 Vine Avenue, Lake Forest, IL, with celebration of Thomas’ life to follow 11:00 a.m. at The Church of the Holy Spirit, 400 E. Westminster, Lake Forest, IL 60045. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Humane Society of Jefferson County, W6127 Kiesling Rd., Jefferson, WI 53459 https://hsjc-wis.com/donate/

Info: Wenban Funeral Home, www.wenbanfh.com or (847) 234-0022.

Meyer Finally Deletes “Interim” from Police Chief

Daniel “Dan” A. Meyer

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

The City of Whitewater has been without a “non-interim” police chief since December 3, 2021 when former chief Aaron Raap was placed on administrative leave following an arrest in which he was ultimately not charged. However, an investigation conducted for the city by an outside police officer took months to complete. Raap resigned and retired effective June 30, 2022. Deputy Chief Daniel “Dan” A. Meyer has served as interim chief since December. He certainly did not expect to wear that title for over eight months, but “interim” was officially removed from his title on the evening of August 16 when the Common Council unanimously approved an employment agreement with him. Meyer had been approved as chief by the Police and Fire Commission on July 25, with all that remained being for his salary and benefits to be approved by the council.

Meyer’s annualized salary will start at $102,800. It was indicated that the car that had been assigned to the previous chief is of greater benefit to the department if made available to all members of the command staff for use while on duty. Consequently a transportation stipend is included in the agreement. The agreement does not specify a term and provides that the chief may resign with 60 days notice. The Police and Fire Commission may terminate the chief for cause at any time.

Meyer graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2009 from UW-Platteville with a B.S. in Criminal Justice, with minors in psychology and Spanish. There he was a four year letter winner in track and field. The same year he graduated from the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Academy. Meyer joined the Whitewater Police Department as a patrol officer in January of 2010. He served as a detective from January 2013 to August, 2014. Meyer then rose through the ranks as follows: Detective Sergeant, August, 2014; Detective Lieutenant, September, 2015; Captain, November, 2015, and Deputy Chief, April, 2019. Meyer earned an M.S. in Public Administration, with a criminology and criminal justice specialization from University of Nebraska – Omaha in 2019. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve in 2020 after eight years of service.

ADRC of Walworth County Offers Self-Care Workshop for Caregivers

(ELKHORN, WI): Caring for someone with an injury or illness, such as dementia, cancer, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, or stroke, can be physically, emotionally, and financially demanding. It’s important for caregivers to take time for self-care, and the Walworth County Aging and Disability Resource Center’s (ADRC) Powerful Tools for Caregivers workshop will help them do just that. This educational series is designed to provide caregivers with the tools they need to take care of themselves while caring for a loved one. The program helps family caregivers meet other local caregivers and share their experiences while providing the tools to help them reduce stress, improve self-confidence, improve communication, balance their lives, increase their ability to make tough decisions, and locate helpful resources.

The class consists of six sessions held once a week. There will be onsite respite care, available at no cost, for the caregiver’s loved one during this workshop. The program is facilitated by experienced class leaders, many of whom are caregivers themselves and have successfully applied the techniques they teach. Interactive lessons, discussions, and brainstorming will help caregivers take the tools they learn and put them into action in their lives.

Powerful Tools for Caregivers will be held on Mondays, 1 to 3 p.m., September 12, 2022, to October 17, 2022, in the Observatory room at the Walworth County Health and Human Services Building, 1910 County Road NN, Elkhorn. The workshop has a suggested donation of $10.

For questions, or to register for the program, contact Chetney Blaszczyk RDN, CD at (262) 741-3309.

About the ADRC of Walworth County: The ADRC provides information and assistance to older and disabled adults, their friends, family, caregivers, and the public. We can assist by evaluating your current needs and providing options available to meet the needs of your situation. Learn more at www.co.walworth.wi.us/376/Aging-Disability-Resource-Center.