News

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by a nonpartisan Be Kind Committee.

            You can easily assist a coalition of organizations and community members to support a nonpartisan campaign to reinforce Whitewater’s commitment to civility and kindness. And it’s easy as can be. Just place a Be Kind sign in your yard.

            Signs are available for a $5 donation simply by contacting Sara Kuhl at 608-279-5845 or at email bekindwhitewater@gmail.com. We ask that you put the signs out  in your yard and keep them up until after Nov. 16.

A CommUnity Walk will be held on Nov. 16 to demonstrate the support Whitewater has for all its residents and our shared humanity. The event will start at 9 a.m. at the Old Armory at 146 W. North St. and participants will make their way to the Andersen Library on the UW-Whitewater campus. Refreshments will be provided. In case of inclement weather, the event will take place inside the Armory.

            These are just the beginning of kindness/civility related events that will take place throughout the community in the coming months.

Have you ever been curious about the Women’s Clubs in Whitewater?

Come join us to find out more! Emerson Club invites you to a New Member Open Meeting on Monday, October 21 from 4:15- 5:30 pm at the Bassett House, 708 W. Main Street, Whitewater. We will have homemade snacks, a brief meeting and an interesting program. We are part of the Whitewater Federation of Women’s Clubs.

If you can’t make it that Monday, you are welcome any third Monday of the month. Same time, Same place!
Any questions? Go to www.bassetthousewww.org or call 262-225-9296.

Editor’s note: This press release was received from Renae Prell-Mitchell.

The Run for Trey took place on October 6. Photos are courtesy of Tom Ganser.

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B. Pechous writes, “Ready for the 1946 “old time” VFW masquerade ball at the Armory: Clarence Treutel Sr., and wife Janet Treutel, LuLu Billett Hunt and her son Earl Hunt, standing in front of the Treutel home on S. Whiton Street, Whitewater WI. From the late Janet Dempsey Treutel collection”

Our thanks to B. Pechous for sharing this great photo and description.

— Our Readers Share: We hope that you might have something that you’d be willing to share.  Anything that’s been created by someone else should, of course, be credited, and you should ask their permission if you’re able. We cannot post copyrighted material without permission. We can’t guarantee that we’ll have space for all submissions, and contributions will be subject to editorial board approval. The one definite exclusion is anything politically oriented. We will assume that you’re willing for us to include your name as the submitter unless you indicate that you prefer to remain anonymous. Send to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com. Thanks for thinking about this!

The reservation form may be found here or tickets may be purchased online. Reservations are accepted until 5 p.m. on Friday, October 18 or until sold out. Alternatively the QR code below will access the form.

Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Amy Wyatt (above left) presents Georgia Kestol-Bauer with the 2024 Wisconsin Historical Society Board of Curators Historic Restoration Award to Georgia Kestol-Bauer for her efforts in restoring the old Heart Prairie Norwegian Methodist Episcopal Church in the Town of Richmond. Kestol-Bauer spent over 15 years on this restoration effort, completing the job last year. The presentation took place on October 6.

The old church building (above) is a fine example of a pioneer-era Greek Revival style building that served as a church from the 1850s to the 1880s. It is one of only a few buildings of its type in the area and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance. According to Whitewater Historical Society President Carol Cartwright, who submitted the application for the Board of Curators award, the restoration that Ms. Kestol-Bauer accomplished for the building is “museum quality” and has preserved an important historic landmark from Wisconsin’s pioneer era.

Editor’s note: The above announcement was provided by Carol Cartwright.

Professor Emeritus Jon Werner, a pioneer in the field of management education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, recently achieved a significant milestone by surpassing 10,000 Google Scholar citations. Google Scholar tracks the number of times a researcher’s work is referenced by other scholars. This remarkable accomplishment underscores the substantial impact and influence of his research within the academic community.

Additionally, Professor Werner ranks #8 worldwide for the search term “human resource development,” #6 worldwide for “HRD,” and #12 worldwide for “workplace learning.” These rankings reflect his leading role in the field, the broad reach of his research, and the global recognition of his work.

Throughout his distinguished career, Professor Werner not only shaped the academic landscape of the University, but also significantly influenced the broader management and HRD communities. His insightful research illuminates the complexities of human behavior and interpersonal relationships within managerial settings, resonating with scholars and practitioners alike.

Jon M. Werner’s most cited article shifts the focus from how employees perceive managerial trustworthiness to the factors that promote trustworthy behavior among managers. By integrating agency and social exchange theories, the article introduces an exchange relationship framework that explores the organizational, relational, and individual elements that influence the development of trust within teams. This research provides valuable insights into the challenges of establishing trust in the workplace (Whitener, Brodt, Korsgaard, Werner, 1998).

Since starting his publishing journey in February 1994, Professor Werner consistently pushed the boundaries of the management field through his innovative research. With over 10,000 citations to his name, his work continues to serve as a beacon of excellence, inspiring future generations of researchers and educators in management studies.

As we celebrate this extraordinary achievement, we extend our heartfelt congratulations and profound gratitude to Professor Emeritus Werner for his invaluable contributions to the advancement  of management education. His tireless efforts and enduring legacy continue to shape the future of the discipline, and we eagerly anticipate the ongoing impact of his work for years to come.

“I am thrilled to have reached this citation milestone,” Werner said. “There is, of course, a form of ‘reverse ageism’ in citation counts, which favors people like me, who have been publishing academic research now for 30 years. But I am most grateful for the opportunity that my various research projects have provided me to impact current and future academics, practitioners, and students.” 

To view Professor Werner’s scholarly work please click here.

Editor’s note: The above press release was received from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater College of Business & Economics.

The city Parks & Recreation Department once again sponsored a concert series at the Cravath Lakefront Park. Four out of five scheduled concerts were held; Ladies Must Swing was canceled on August 15 due to weather. Photos are courtesy of Tom Ganser.

Madison Brass Band – July 25

Bonzo Squad – August 1

Palmyra-Eagle Community Band directed by Jim Neist – August 8

Piper Road Spring Band – August 22

Editor’s Note:  The following was written by Marjorie Stoneman about Studio 84’s Dance Program.
Update: Photos from the Studio 84’s performance at the Multicultural Heritage Showcase are added to the bottom of the article.

Joy and laughter dances at Studio 84.  Many know Studio 84 as a place for people of all abilities to come to paint, draw, and work with clay and ceramics.  A new program offered is dance. 

And what a wonderful dance it is.  An incredibly talented dancer herself, Margaret Wheeler donates her time each week to bring joy, laughter and dance to Whitewater’s Studio 84 at 121 West Center Street. Stuart Nagy and Steven Paprocki benefit from her talents each week.  They are regular dancers and artists at Studio 84.  Each Tuesday they travel from Hales Corners to spend the day creating art and dancing.

Margaret Wheeler brings an enthusiasm that brightens the studio and makes everyone happy, including visitors.

Dancers Stuart and Steven are definitely joyful as they dance choreographed pieces that are meaningful and fun.  One of the recent performances was danced to “Invisible” by Hunter Hayes.  The anti-bullying theme was powerfully put into dance and featured each dancer’s personal experiences.  Margaret asked each of the dancers to take what could be considered a negative and turn it into a positive.  They danced and used posters to share their messages.  For Stuart, “Hiding” was converted to “Being Seen.”  For Steven, “Shy” was converted to “Quiet Confidence.”  One of the other students created “Autism is Amazing.” 

People with all abilities are invited on Tuesdays from 1-2 p.m. to join the dance class.  Each dancer pays $15 per hour to participate and all proceeds are donated by Margaret to Studio 84.  More information and sign-up information can be found at:  www.studio84inc.org.

“We pick songs that feature fun, positive, non-bullying, and even awe-inspiring themes,” said Margaret.

The class begins with warm-up stretches and then they proceed to choreographed dance segments.

Margaret said, “I love the people, the atmosphere, to be there with all of the art.  The people I meet are so creative…and dance adds to that.”

Margaret Wheeler earned a Master’s Degree in Dance from Mills College, Oakland, CA and has taught and choreographed since the 1980’s.  She has a Certificate of Adaptive Dance from the Boston Ballet and from the American Dance Festival. Previously, she was Director of the Dance Program at Fisk University, Nashville, TN and she created the Parabolic Dance Company in Helena, MT in which all proceeds from concerts were donated to nonprofit organizations.

When she isn’t donating her time dancing, she spends her time as an International Employment and Immigration Specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Her dance class has performed at the Multicultural Event through the Whitewater Unified School District and is available for other venues.   Anyone interested in having a performance at their location or event should contact Studio 84 at info@studio84inc.org.

Margaret said, “Being in this space makes me happy – but mostly the people.  People can do anything.”

Dance is just one of the arts featured at Studio 84.  Stuart can often be found at the Whitewater City Market selling his pottery to help raise funds for Studio 84.  He has been involved in Studio 84 for about seven years and said, “I just love doing the arts.” And of dance he said, “It’s fun.  And it gets me energized.”

Benjamin Kelly, a director at Studio 84, said, “I would like to see the studio continue and expand – reaching more people.”  Studio 84 services much of Southern Wisconsin.

Volunteers like Margaret are crucial to the group to sit with artists as they create, help with administration, and assist with other tasks.  Donations also keep the doors open, help with supplies, and more.  Funds are welcome and so are art supplies. 

Their website says, “Studio 84 is a nonprofit art studio, gallery and store.  We specialize in the creative and vocational development of people with disabilities including those with Autism, Down Syndrome, physical disabilities, cognition delays and mental illness.  We believe in creating an environment of inclusion. Open to all ages and all abilities.”

Margaret is also working with the City of Whitewater Parks and Recreation Department to offer evening classes at the Whitewater Armory. More information about Studio 84 and the dance programs can be found at www.studio84inc.org or by calling 262-473-9845.

Studio 84 will be exhibiting art at the Whitewater Arts Alliance Gallery in downtown Whitewater through October 27.  There will be an opening reception on Saturday, October 12, Noon to 4 p.m. with a brief gallery program introducing the exhibit at 1 p.m.  The exhibit can be viewed during the following open gallery hours as well: Thursday-Sundays, Noon to 4 p.m. at the Cultural Arts Center, 402 W Main St. Whitewater. 

Update: Photos below from Studio 84’s performance at the Multilingual Heritage Showcase on May 11 are courtesy of Tom Ganser.

Whitewater High School Alumni Association Annual Meeting
Date: Saturday, October 19 @ 12:00 pm
Location: Jessica’s Restaurant, 140 W. Main St., Whitewater, WI 53190

The primary purpose of the Alumni Association is to raise funds for the distribution of scholarships to Whitewater High School graduating seniors.

All Whitewater High School Alumni and guests are welcome to attend.
Jessica’s standard menu will be available for purchase by attendees.

RSVP Sonja Jacobson by October 15 at 920-253-8831 (please leave a detailed message)

Editor’s note: This announcement was provided by Sonja Jacobson.