News

UW-W to Host NCAA Volleyball Regional Beginning Thursday

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will host a NCAA Division III Volleyball Regional beginning Thursday, November 21. 

Where: Russell Arena, Williams Center, Whitewater, WI

When: Thursday, November 21-Saturday, November 23

Regional Webpage (Click there for the bracket and other information. Single game tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for senior adults and students, $5 for children ages 3-12, children under 3 are free. All day tickets are also available.)

The Warhawks, ranked 6th nationally, are making their 35th NCAA appearance in program history and 18th under Head Coach Stacy Boudreau. Coach Boudreau was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association Region 8 Coach of the Year earlier today. 

UW-Whitewater will open play in the regional against Ohio Wesleyan Thursday. The match is slated for a 7 pm start. 

The Whitewater, Wis. Regional features two other Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference teams – UW-Eau Claire and UW-Platteville, as well as Washington University in St. Louis, Edgewood College, Saint Benedict and Northwestern-St. Paul.

Flags to Half-Staff on Anniversary of 2021 Waukesha Parade Tragedy

Gov. Evers Orders Flags to Half-Staff on Anniversary of 2021 Waukesha Christmas Parade Tragedy
 
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today ordered the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff on Thurs., Nov. 21, 2024, in recognition of the 3rd anniversary of the 2021 Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy and to honor the six individuals who were senselessly and tragically killed in the attack: Tamara Durand, 52; Wilhelm Hospel, 81; Jane Kulich, 52; Leanna Owen, 71; Virginia Sorenson, 79; and Jackson Sparks, 8.

“The Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy three years ago shook the Waukesha community and folks across our state and country. On this anniversary, we honor Tamara, Wilhelm, Jane, Leanna, Virginia, Jackson, their loved ones, the dozens of people who were injured that day, and the many whose lives were forever changed by this senseless act of violence. Kathy and I keep them in our hearts today and every day,” said Gov. Evers. “Today, we also remember and recognize the strength and the spirit of the Waukesha community, their resilience, and their generosity and compassion in the wake of an unspeakable tragedy. Waukesha and Wisconsin remain ‘Waukesha Strong.’” 

Obituary: Edward W. Hamilton, 83, of Davenport, IA

Edward W. Hamilton
April 3,1941 – October 26, 2024

Edward “Edjo” Wickman Hamilton, 83, passed away peacefully on Saturday, October 26, 2024 at home.  Ed was born in Evanston, Illinois and moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin with his family when he was eight years old.  He attended Whitewater High School and then graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater with a bachelor of science degree.  He also served two years in the army.  He moved to Davenport, Iowa in 1971 and worked at John Deere Davenport Works until he retired in 2001.  Then he followed a dream, moved back to Whitewater and bought a bar, the “Mad Boar Pub.”  He retired from the bar in 2010.  He loved to ski, golf and fish and loved his dogs.  He is survived by his wife, Roxanne, of thirty-three years, daughter Jodi (John) Cole and son Steven of San Antonio, Texas: step-daughter Krista (Mike) Ringdahl, step-sons Sean (Jennifer) Marietta of Alexandria, VA and Nicolas (Jamie) Marietta of Whitewater, Wisconsin.  He was preceded in death by his daughter Penny Jo of San Antonio, TX and his parents, Edward and Clara (Peyer) Hamilton of Whitewater.

 A celebration of life will be held April 26, 2025 at the Mad Boar Pub from 1 pm to 4 pm.

Winter Weather Advisory – Thursday 6 a.m. to noon

Per the National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan Weather Forecast Office, the Whitewater area is likely to get 1-2″ of heavy, wet, slushy snow between 6 a.m. to noon on Thursday morning.

  • A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for east central and southeast Wisconsin from 6 AM to Noon CST Thursday.
  • A burst of moderate to heavy, wet, slushy snow and west northwest wind gusts of 35 to 45 MPH are expected for the Thursday morning commute, mixing with and changing to rain by midday into early afternoon. 
  • Wet, slushy snow accumulations of 2-4 inches are forecast including on roadways with eastern Wisconsin having the greatest travel impacts. 
  • Although windy conditions will be occurring, the snow will be wet, which will greatly limit the blowing, but still contribute to lower visibility with sideways falling snow.
  • Temperatures will warm to near 40 degrees Fahrenheit for the afternoon and evening commute, with much better road conditions anticipated at that time.

WHS Players Present White Christmas (Correction: Sunday’s time)

Photos from dress rehearsal on November 18 and story courtesy of Tom Ganser

CORRECTION: Sunday’s performance is at 1 p.m. (Previously it was shown as 2 p.m.)

Kick-start your holiday season by taking in a performance of the Whitewater High School Players sparkling production of Irving Berlin’s classic “White Christmas” Nov. 21-23 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 24 at 1 p.m. in the James M. Stewart Auditorium at Whitewater High School.

Better yet … treat someone to seeing a performance as an early holiday gift.

General tickets ($7 for students and $10 for adults) are available at the box office one hour before the performance.

The WHS Players production showcases the talents of a cast of 30, a crew of 18, and a live band of 11.

Before the curtain opening, Tom Ganser’s photos of the WHS Players productions of “Footloose” (2021), “Beauty and the Beast” (2022), and “Mean Girls” (2023) will be shown.

Veterans Bob Wallace and Phil Davis have a successful song-and-dance act after World War II. With romance in mind, the two follow a duo of beautiful singing sisters en route to their Christmas show at a Vermont lodge, which just happens to be owned by Bob and Phil’s former army commander.

With a dazzling score featuring well-known standards including “Blue Skies,” “I Love A Piano,” “How Deep Is the Ocean” and the perennial title song, “White Christmas” is an uplifting, wholesome musical that will delight audiences of all ages.

Paramount Pictures released the movie musical “White Christmas” in 1954. The film starred Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen, and featured 17 songs by Irving Berlin. The top moneymaker of 1954, White Christmas set a new record as Hollywood’s all-time highest-grossing musical.

Obituary: Verne Paul Schrank, 94

Verne Paul Schrank was born on March 9, 1930 at home on the family farm in Lima Township, Rock County, to Arthur and Marie (Witte) Schrank.  He attended the Sturtevant one room school which closed when he graduated in 1944. He attended Whitewater High School and graduated in 1948.

Verne farmed with his parents until 1967 when he moved to Whitewater and worked for the Whitewater Unified School District as a custodian – courier for 27 years. Verne served on various boards at St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church, as well as playing on the dartball team for many years. Verne also enjoyed bowling in many different leagues over the years.

Verne was preceded in death by his parents, his brother and sister-in-law Harold and Jeannine Schrank, great-niece Amy Schrank and his nephew Bill’s wife Loretta Schrank. He is survived by nephews Bill Schrank and Bob (Sharon) Schrank. Great-nephews Ben (Emily) Schrank and TJ (Danielle) Schrank and Great-Step nephews Ben (Leah) Smejkal and Andy Smejkal as well as two Great-Great-nieces and a Great-Great nephew, eight Great-Great-Step nieces and nephews, five Great-Great-Great-Step nieces and nephews, five cousins and many friends.

Services will be at 11:00 AM Monday, November 25, 2024 at St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church 910 E High Street, Milton, WI.  Burial will follow at Lakeview Cemetery, Fort Atkinson.  Visitation will be from 9:30 AM until the time of the service. Memorials may be made to St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church. Albrecht Funeral Homes, Milton are assisting the family with arrangements.  www.albrechtfuneralhomes.com

Obituary: Janine Marie (Dickerson) Weiss, 94

After a long full life, Janine Marie (Dickerson) Weiss was called home to the Lord. Janine was born on April Fool’s Day, 1930 in Milwaukee. She grew up enjoying Trolleys, dancing and school with her sisters, Donna Domagalski, Marcyl Howel, Karen Moczynski and her parents, Glenn and Lucille Dickerson. In 1950, she married Frederic Weiss in a little church in Three Lakes WI. Shortly after, the first of 5 kids was born with the next 2 shortly after.

Denice Lucille (Edward DeGroot), David Arthur, and Dana Lynn (Stephen Lind). After a breather Debra Beth (Alyn Jones) and Donna Raye (Dale Wendorf) arrived and the gang was complete.  Sunday dinners are the tradition she started, and we will strive to continue. Her table was always full; she managed to find a plate for anyone else who was there.  All the kids who were in and out of her home called her grandma and she always had cookies to feed them. Her generosity and love for everyone is what made her special.  Many meals involved laughter, and many car trips involved singing. They will always be some of our favorite memories.  Janine spent many years as a cook for the University of Whitewater and then a Cook for Whitewater High School. She often made monster cookies which were a hit with the kids and her cookie recipes continue to be popular with her grandkids.

Her grandchildren are Eric DeGroot (Noel), April Lind (Troy Pichelman), Katherine Farley (Jay Vance), Raymond Farley (Miranda Alexander), James Farley (Trina Besch), William Lind (Sarah Lind), Stephanie Lind, Olivia Beyers (Addison), and Emilee Wendorf; bonus grandkids, Phillip Jones (Kim) and Brooke Jones (Brandon Harris); great-grandkids Kyle, Jace, Alice, Conner, Jaxson, Ava and Frank. There are also 5 great-great-grandkids. Meeting her at the Pearly Gate will be her daughter Denice, her sister Donna, her parents and many aunts, uncles and cousins.

No service is planned at Janine’s request. She wanted the family to have a big dinner and enjoy the time spent together.  Nitardy Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.  Online condolences can be made at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com

Obituary: Raymond Miles, 96

Raymond Miles, 96, Whitewater, passed away on Thursday, November 14, 2024, at Our House Senior Living in Whitewater.

Raymond was born on February 10, 1928, in Elkhorn, WI to Rueben and Norma Miles. He served in the US Army. On June 18, 1955, Raymond married Waverly Sutherland in Whitewater, WI. He enjoyed a long and successful career as a Livestock Dealer. In retirement, he cherished time spent with his family and remained informed on the farming community.

He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Waverly of Whitewater, sons Eddie of Madison and Todd (Barbara) Miles of Sarasota FL, grandchildren Alexandra and Morgan Miles, Madison, brothers David (Joann) Miles, Waunakee, James (Donna) Miles, Fort Atkinson, and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers William, Harold and Robert Miles, sister Margaret Aarstad and daughter-in-law Rae Miles.

Funeral Services will be held at the Nitardy Funeral Home in Whitewater, on Sunday, November 24th, at 2 p.m. Friends may call at the funeral home on Sunday from 1 p.m. until the time of the service.

Raymond’s family would like to express a special thank you to the Our House Senior Living-Whitewater staff for their excellent care for Raymond.

Memorials can be made to the Whitewater Community Food Pantry.

www.nitardyfuneralhome.com

56% of Voters: “Don’t Spend Tax Dollars on Water Tower” – What’s next?

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

City of Whitewater voters were asked on the November 5 ballot whether they felt that the city should use tax dollars to repair and maintain the Starin Park Water Tower, a Local Landmark which is no longer in use. 56% of those responding to the non-binding referendum expressed the view that tax dollars should not be used for this purpose. The vote was 2209 in favor and 2836 opposed. If the votes cast at the university polling place, where nearly all the voters were students, are not counted, the negative percentage reaches 57.7%.

The Common Council at its regular meeting on November 19 will begin discussing the results of the referendum and the path forward. City Manager John Weidl, in a memo to the Council, indicates that the water tower is not quickly deteriorating, and consequently there is no immediate need to act. He recommends, “eventually referring the referendum results to the Landmarks Commission with a directive to develop, by June of 2025, a range of options that fall between full demolition and permanent restoration, including the possibility of repurposing the tower on-site.” Among the possibilities that the commission might consider could be “relocation efforts, such as lowering or showcasing parts of the tower in a museum.” Weidl also suggests that the Council ask the commission to propose fundraising efforts that could offset a significant part of any restoration or preservation expenses.

The Whitewater Banner provided background regarding the historical significance and structural assessment of the tower in the following articles: https://whitewaterbanner.com/starin-park-water-tower-non-binding-referendum-on-nov-5-ballot/ and https://whitewaterbanner.com/the-whitewater-water-tower/

The text of the non-binding referendum was as follows: “The City of Whitewater Water Utility has decommissioned the Starin Park Water Tower, meaning it is no longer part of the water system. The Water Utility can spend up to $600,000 (the cost of demolition) to maintain it as a City-owned Historical Landmark. The remaining costs, approximately $1,000,000 for repairs and $250,000 every 10 years for maintenance would need to come from City tax dollars or donations. Should the City of Whitewater use tax dollars to repair and maintain the Starin Park Water Tower?”

Editor’s note: The sunrise photo on the homepage was taken in 2023 by UW-W Police Officer Ryan Dewing using a drone.