It’s time again for the City of Whitewater’s Community Tree Sale!! Each of the last three years, the Urban Forestry Commission has organized and held our Community Tree Sale to offer native trees and shrubs to our community and the surrounding area. Because of the success of these sales and the efforts of our City Forester to plant more native trees in the city, Whitewater now has one of the most diverse tree inventories in the state of Wisconsin! That’s a very big deal! That means that when the next invasive pest shows up, we will lose fewer trees. Remember the emerald ash borer killed more than 600 trees on public land, and many more on private property. Thank you to all past and future buyers and planters for your hard work in making our forest canopy a much stronger and more resilient one.
As in past years, the sale is held during the last weekend in April to coincide with Arbor Day and Earth Day. This year it will be held at Starin Park’s Upper Shelter on April 25th from 10 – 6, April 26th from 8 – 4 and, if necessary, April 27th from 10 – 4 or until sold out. We will be offering more trees this year due to popular demand, but as in previous years, all sales are on a first come, first served basis. Cash and check will be accepted as payment. Remember that these trees are being offered at prices you won’t find anywhere else as Urban Forestry holds this sale not to make a profit, but to cover the costs of the sale as we get more natives into our landscape. Go to arbatstarin.org for a complete list of trees and shrubs that will be available this year, make your list and we will see you at the sale!
In this fourth (and final..?) film of the series, Bridget (Renee Zellwegger) is a now a widow, mother, screenwriter, and, on her smartphone’s apps, has found a suitor 20 years her junior. Also starring Colin Firth, Hugh Grant and Leo Woodall.
Seniors in the Park is located in Starin Park, 504 W. Starin Road. Although there is no charge to attend, regular participants are encouraged to join Seniors in the Park. The annual fee for residents of the Whitewater Unified School District is $10 and non-residents is $15. The funds support about half of the cost of our front desk staff person for 15 hours per week. The rest comes our of our fundraising monies. If you cannot afford the fee, we have a fund that will cover it for you. Fees are accepted at the Starin Park Community Building or online at https://schedulesplus.com/wwtr/kiosk/
Beyond The Stigma: Understanding Substance Misuse Together A Community Conversation Series Panel and Small Group Discussion on Substance Misuse Date & Time: Tuesday, April 29, 2025, 6:00 pm-7:30 pm Location: Creekside Place, 102 Maple St, Evansville, WI 53536
Substance misuse is a growing crisis in Evansville, WI, and Rock County. In 2022, Rock County ranked 6th in the state for alcohol-attributed deaths, and opioid-related fatalities have risen 25% since 2018. Stigma remains a major barrier to addressing this issue, silencing dialogue, isolating families, and preventing early intervention.
Join us for Beyond The Stigma: Understanding Substance Misuse Together on April 29, 2025, at 6:00 pm. This panel and small group discussion is designed to foster compassionate understanding by raising awareness about substance use disorder, break the cycle of stigma through open, honest dialogue, empower families and allies to support recovery efforts effectively and connect individuals and families to a supportive network to reduce isolation and build resilience.
Panelists include: ● Christine Quinn, Moderator/Founder Living Kindness ● Lori Frison, Psychotherapist & Relationship Coach ● Alicia Ziolkowski, EHS School Counselor ● Sean Mangold, Recovery Coach, Peer Specialist, QPR Suicide Prevention Trainer, SAC-T
This event is free and open to the public. We encourage individuals, families, and community leaders to participate in this important conversation.
Hosts: ● Living Kindness, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, promotes education, support, and compassion around substance misuse. ● The Evansville Fund supports local initiatives that strengthen the community. ● Evansville Community School District
Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by Living Kindness. The description below is from their website.
Conversations
Discover the transformative power of Living Kindness Conversations, where we delve into the complexities of addiction through engaging, research-driven discussions. These conversations are crafted to enhance your understanding by featuring insights from top professionals worldwide.
Our diverse formats ensure a rich and interactive experience. Formats vary, including expert videos followed by engaging discussions and practical applications. Whether you prefer the intimacy of face-to-face meetings or the convenience of online sessions, we offer both to fit your lifestyle.
Join us in these enlightening conversations and become part of a compassionate community dedicated to fostering growth and understanding in the realm of addiction.
If you have a topic, you would like us to build a conversation around just email us at kindness@livingkindness.net
The UW-Whitewater men’s bowling club team members, coaches and support staff pose with the trophy after winning the 2025 Intercollegiate Team Championship in Las Vegas.
UW-Whitewater men’s bowling club takes collegiate national title
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men’s bowling club cemented its place atop collegiate men’s bowling in 2025 by winning the United States Bowling Congress Intercollegiate Team Championship on April 14-19 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
After qualifying for bracket play as the No. 8 seed, the Warhawks won their next three matches before defeating Wichita State by a 3-0 score to claim the title and finish off an impressive postseason sweep — they won the Great Lakes Bowling Conference, club national tournament, and collegiate national tournament titles.
UW-Whitewater last won the Intercollegiate Team Championship in 2022. The team earned the 2025 Collegiate Club National Championship in late March, the program’s first title at that tournament since 2021.
The club is currently fundraising to purchase national championship rings for team members.
The men’s bowling club is one of nearly 40 club sport offerings at UW-Whitewater. Warhawk club teams have combined to win 31 national championships since 1982. For more information, visit uww.edu/rec-sports/club-sports.
It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society.
This week’s image is a post card of the paper mill dam. This dam was originally built in the 1840s to power a lumber mill and created a mill pond that we know today as “Trippe Lake.” The lumber mill was replaced with a paper mill, then in the early 20th century, the condensery was built on the site. This became the Hawthorn Mellody milk plant, demolished in the 1990s. The site now has condos but Trippe Lake is still there, a remnant of the early settlement era in Whitewater.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
By Lynn Binnie Whitewater Banner volunteer staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
With only two days’ notice, Marjorie Stoneman and Rosalinda Martinez, on behalf of Whitewater Unites Lives, invited interested residents to participate in a local “Rally in Unity” on Main Street near the bridge with the flags on Saturday, April 19 from 12-2 p.m.
Stoneman provided the following welcome, after which Martinez gave a greeting in Spanish.
“Thank you all for coming today to this Rally for Unity in support of so many important American ideals. My name is Marjorie Stoneman, and I am the co-founder of Whitewater Unites Lives. Whitewater Unites Lives is happy to sponsor this rally. Whitewater Unites Lives – WUL – is a locally-focused civil and human rights group that works to connect the people in our community and to create opportunities for all people to learn and support each other in our common humanity.
That means ALL humans – regardless of race, immigration status, religion, and gender – all people.
So let’s spend the next two hours rallying in support of:
Immigrants
Social Security
Medicare and Medicaid
People with Disabilities
Veterans
LGBTQ+ people
Gun Violence Prevention
Public Education
Colleges and universities
Libraries
The environment
Science and Research
Human Rights
Democracy
The Constitution (copies were distributed)
Kindness
Civility
Choice
Bodily autonomy
Peace Corps
PBS and NPR
The Arts
Civil Rights
Head Start
The list goes on….
Thank you for being here today to celebrate and support all of the good in America!”
One participant indicated that she had counted approximately 130 people in the crowd. Some came from nearby communities. It was likely the largest rally in the city in many years, other than those on the university campus. Stoneman expressed surprise that there was such a response on short notice. “I should not be surprised though because this community has so many people who care for and support others. It’s inspiring,” said Stoneman. Many participants displayed signs; the majority seemed to have gotten Marjorie’s request to “keep our messages proactive.”
An article in The [Janesville] Gazette on April 20 included a report on the Whitewater event. A few excerpts:
“Calls of “this is what democracy look like,” and “the people united will never be defeated,” rang out Saturday afternoon on Main Street in Whitewater, near Cravath Lakefront Park.
Jorge Islas Martinez, who started local adult English as a second language classes in cooperation with the Whitewater school district, said in an address to the crowd that he’s an immigrant who loves the United States. He said people in the Whitewater community are scared of the current administration’s view on Hispanic immigrants. “We are a nation built by immigrants,” Martinez said. Immigrants “came here not for handouts, but for opportunity — for freedom, for a chance to contribute, to raise families and build communities,” he added. His address touched on the growing fear among many immigrant families of the threat of deportation and separation. He noted the emotional toll on children who go to school each day uncertain if their parents will be home when they return. This is not who we are,” Martinez said. “We are better than this.”
Whitewater resident John Wilberding gave out polished rocks to rally attendees, saying they were “courage and resistance rocks” and that he just wanted to do something.
One participant wrote afterwords, “It was a rewarding experience; my first rally but definitely not my last! It was a positive way to turn anxiety into action.”
From April 15 – 20, 24 student members of Ferradermis and 9 adults traveled to Houston, Texas for the FIRST Championships featuring 600 top FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Teams from around the world. The 600 teams were divided into 8 fields, each named after a famous scientist, and each field played to determine a champion. The champion alliances from each field came together in a new playoff bracket to determine the world champion. The world champion alliance included perennial powerhouses MadTown Robotics from Madera, California and Jack-in-the-Bot from Mill Creek, Washington, as well as Maverick Robotics from Lafayette, Indiana and Iron Panthers from Burlingame, California. Playoff alliances were made up of 4 teams each, instead of the traditional 3, allowing the alliance captain to present a line-up card before each match, designating which 3 robots would play in that match.
Ferradermis played on the Galileo Field with 75 high school robotics teams representing 27 states and 6 other countries. The team went 7-3 in their 10 qualification matches, ending qualifications ranked #23 out of the 75 teams. This was the highest ranking that the Whitewater High School team has ever achieved at worlds, having also qualified for the event in Detroit in 2018 and 2019 and Houston in 2024. Ferradermis members had made a major change to their robot design and match strategy going into Houston, changing their bot from one that focused mainly on the coral game piece to one that focused on scoring the algae game piece, hoping that this would allow them to complement the strategies of the elite bots they would encounter. Although the bot performed very well, Ferradermis was not selected as part of a playoff alliance.
One highlight of the trip was a new autonomous routine for the robot, developed over many trips to the practice field in Houston. This routine allowed the robot to score two game pieces in the autonomous period for the first time this season, placing a coral on the top level of the reef, removing an algae from the reef, and placing the algae in the barge. Another highlight was a newly formed scouting alliance with IronClad, a team from Bradley, Illinois that Ferradermis had worked closely with at last year’s Midwest Regional.
Students traveling to Houston were Team Captains Andrew O’Toole, Maddi LaHaie, and Emerson Dunham, Subteam Leads Chacha Binagi, Erison Dreskler, Rae Breisath, Ace Hudec, Elora Wildermuth-Breitzman, and Andrew Zimmermann, and team members Asher Downs, Emilie Bruns, Letty Trautman, Virginia Nelson, Nina Heim, Jayden Kehrer, Georgia Esch, Preston Miller, Carson Miller, Colby Long, Vivian Harris, Margaret Brown, Cooper Housel, Cyrus Hudec, and Sam Raupp. Team members assumed many of the same roles that they had at previous competitions including drive team, scout, ambassador, and media.
In addition to four full 12-hour days at the George R Brown Convention Center for the competition, the travelers were able to add in a little fun on the travel days at the beginning and end of the trip. Upon arriving in Texas, the team’s first stop was Space Center Houston where they were able to visit historic mission control and experience the moon landing as mission control experienced it in 1969. Before heading home, the team made a stop at the Downtown Houston Aquarium.
The spring and summer will continue to be busy for the team. On Saturday, May 10, the public is invited to attend the second annual STEAM Faire at Whitewater High School from 10:00 – 2:00. The WUSD Robotics Booster Club has arranged for a large variety of interactive exhibitors for young and old to enjoy. The event is great free family entertainment. There will also be a LEGO Build Competition for students sponsored by Lake Home Info. (Students must register and prepare their entries in advance.)
Ferradermis has two upcoming competitions. The team is one of 32 Wisconsin teams invited to compete in the inaugural State Championship event on June 13 – 14 in Sheboygan. Ferradermis currently ranks #6 out of the 70 teams in the state based on season points earned. They will then participate in the MROC Off-Season Competition at Mukwonago High School on July 26 – 27.
The team will be open to new members starting this summer. Please reach out to Laura Masbruch at lmasbruch@wwusd.org with questions.
Thank you to our season and worlds sponsors for making all of this possible!
Rick Halverson
Whitewater Unified School District
LaGrange International Airport
Regal Rexnord
Borglin Family Foundation
Anonymous
TDS Telecom
In Memory of Howard P Nelson
Intuitive Foundation
Gene Haas Foundation
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Applied Material Solutions
Provisur
Lavelle
3M and FIRST
Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club
Whitewater Generating Station (NAES)
McCullough’s LTC Pharmacy
D.L.K. Enterprises, Inc.
Generac
Coperion
Pentair
The Heim Family
I90 Enterprises
HSI Rentals – Bob & Jill Freiermuth
First Citizens State Bank
Emil and Deb Weber
J.B. Miller LLC
The Coburn Company
Weber Family
Mary Beth Byrne
Mark and Terrie Parenteau
HEXPOL
Doug Jones
Wisconsin Oven Corporation
Walmart
MSOE
Lori Heidenreich
David and Alison Viemeister
Jane Masbruch
JP Cullen
Brian Culver (Powermation)
Stephanie Pfeil
Anne & Lane Kuske
Anonymous
Naomi MacDonald
Alex Geyer
Sue Hilliger
Gates Foundation
Jim and Ellen Streib
Inger Miles
Becky Fry
Melissa Jones
Douglas Jones
Conalee Laabs
Pamela O’Neal
Kikkoman Foods
Dawn & Lyle Hunter
Dalee Water Conditioning
Cabinets & Design by Cozette
Fort Community Credit Union
Kristen Fletcher
Ketterhagen Motors
In Memory of Mary Jo Eakle
Steve Sayhun
PremierBank
Janet Muzatko
Charles & Renee Barr
Anna Vo
Suzanne Chenoweth
Mark Masbruch
Wentao Guo
Jan Berezowitz
Janet Olson
Marjorie Stoneman
Kathleen Dunham
Elizabeth Mayer
Gina Foucault
Richard & Dianne Dunham
Deidre Simon
Kristine Zaballos
Jenni Jacobs
Reynolds Heating and Cooling
Reflections of the Past
La Piazza Pizzeria
Jessica’s Family Restaurant
Jerry Thalmann
Paula Babb
Emily Roe
Sharon McCullough
Jean Bruns
Amanda Mazzaferro
Justin Duffy
Sheila Meehan Gailloreto
Virginia Coburn
American Legion Post No. 173
Rodney & Tammie Lohff
Mary Peiffer
Whitewater Family Dentistry
Jacqueline and Dean Fischer
Matt Aschenbrener
Rich & Josie Grosse
Kevin Housel
Kristin Fletcher
Denise Mount
Kate McNulty
Toppers
Rocky Rococos
The Real MacCoys
Dan Trieloff
Gary & Naomi MacDonald
Corey & Kelly Davis
Article and Photos Submitted by Laura Masbruch Whitewater High School Robotics Advisor lmasbruch@wwusd.org
Jack Hefty added another accolade to his already remarkable resume as he was named one of just four male athletes statewide to receive the prestigious WIAA Scholar-Athlete Award in Division 2. The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA), in partnership with the WE Energies Foundation and the Wisconsin Public Service Foundation, annually honors 32 seniors—16 boys and 16 girls—who exemplify excellence both in the classroom and in athletics.
This year, 806 seniors were nominated by 415 high schools across Wisconsin. From that impressive pool, four boys and four girls were selected from each of the four divisions based on a combination of athletic performance and academic achievement. WIAA Executive Director Stephanie Hauser highlighted the caliber of the honorees: “Each of these outstanding student-athletes has excelled in academics and athletics. Twenty-one of this year’s 32 Scholar-Athlete finalists have maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA.”
Jack Hefty, a senior at Whitewater High School, boasts a flawless 4.0 GPA and an exceptional track and cross country resume. He is a back-to-back state champion in the 1600-meter run, having broken the school record in each of his victories as a sophomore and junior. In his final cross country season, he capped off his high school career with an individual state title and another school record, leading the Whippets to consecutive sectional championships.
In his award essay, Jack reflected on the impact of running on his personal growth: “The dedication and perseverance I’ve developed through running have shaped who I am. The challenges, setbacks, and victories have all taught me that success comes from consistent effort and a belief in pushing past limits.”
Jack becomes just the sixth student-athlete in Whitewater High School history to earn this distinction. Previous winners include Amy Cooper (1997), Carissa Converse (1997), Amber Converse (2000), Brett Harms (2014), and Sarah Schumacher (2015).
He plans to study chemistry and continue his athletic career in cross country and track and field at the United States Naval Academy.
Jack and the other recipients will be honored during an awards ceremony on Sunday, May 4, at SentryWorld in Stevens Point.
For more information on the WIAA Scholar-Athlete program and to read biographies of the 2025 winners, visit the Scholar-Athlete homepage.
Article Submitted by Chad Carstens Whitewater High School Head Cross Country Coach ccarstens@wwusd.org
The College of Arts and Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater announces the last show of this year’s Theatre/Dance season, “NO EXIT” by Jean Paul Sartre, adapted from the French by Paul Bowles. This production, directed by Robyn Accetta will run in the Hicklin Studio Theatre from April 25 – May 3. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased online at tickets.uww.edu or by calling (262) 472-2222.
In Sartre’s existential play, Cradeau, Inez, and Estelle are sent to Hell but it is not what they expect. Instead of torture devices and punishment, they find themselves stuck together in a plain room, none of them wanting to admit their reason for damnation. You won’t want to miss this captivating adventure of three souls as they discover each other’s crimes and their eternal destiny in hell. When asked about the production, Accetta stated, “In our production of No Exit, we’ve reimagined Sartre’s existential purgatory through the lens of our modern digital culture—an always-on, never-quite-private space of curated identities and the desperate need to be seen, liked, and approved.
”Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) was a French philosopher, author, and playwright. He is best known for spearheading the existentialist movement. Sartre published a number of books and plays, as well as taking an interest in French politics. In 1967 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature, but refused it stating, “a writer should not allow himself to be turned into an institution.”
Showtimes for “NO EXIT”are April 25 and 26 at 7:30 p.m., April 27 at 2 p.m., May 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m., and May 3 at 2 p.m. Act now to take advantage of half-price tickets for Saturday, April 26. The April 26 performance will also include a special talkback session featuring an interdisciplinary panel of faculty experts. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased in advance online at tickets.uww.edu, by calling (262) 472-2222 or at the Ticket Services office, 800 W. Main Street. They are open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.. Adults are $18, those age 65+ are $16, and under age 18 are $13. There is a $2 surcharge for tickets purchased at the door at the time of the event. The Hicklin Studio Theatre is located in the Greenhill Center of the Arts at 950 W. Main St., Whitewater, WI 53190.
