News

Do you love nature and writing? Join a small group of like-minded individuals to read and/or reconnect with, and then discuss, the best environmental literature of all time: representative excerpts from the likes of Thoreau, Burroughs, Muir, Leopold, Beston, Krutch, Eiseley, Carson, Abbey, Lopez, Kimmerer, and others. If participants have interest, we will also do a little nature writing, each of us creating a short personal narrative for group discussion.

The workshop series will be held at the Irvin L. Young Library’s Community Room every Thursday evening in February at 5:30 p.m. and will be led by Jim Nies – a retired educator, author of several children’s nature books, editor of an environmental lit anthology, and founding member of the Arboretum At Starin Park.

There is no cost, but registration is required. Visit whitewaterlibrary.org – events – registration forms or contact Sarah French to register at sfrench@whitewater-wi.gov or 262-458-2782. The Irvin L. Young Memorial Library is located at 431 W. Center Street in Whitewater.

Updated 1/30/24 @ 4:20 p.m. – Parking in the lot adjacent to the Greenhill Center for the Arts will be free for this event.

Join us for an evening of musical excellence as these talented musicians showcase their skill and dedication. Don’t miss the chance to be part of this unforgettable musical event. Tues., 1/30,  7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Light Recital Hall (Greenhill Center of the Arts)

The 132D Army Band is made up of 37 Army Musicians hailing from all across the state of Wisconsin and beyond. These Soldiers are music teachers, students, and performers, as well as all manner of professionals in various fields, but they come together one weekend a month and two weeks a year to perform both high quality concerts and military ceremonies wherever the mission takes them. Not only does the unit combine to form large ensembles such as concert, ceremonial, and jazz band, but also brass and woodwind quintet and any other small ensembles the mission dictates or the unit desires. For their 2024 Winter Tour, the 132D will be performing in their newest musical project, Concert+Rock, combining the strengths and sounds of both our amplified and acoustic instrumentation.

The Whitewater High School Forensics Team kicked off the 2024 season on Saturday at the Polar Plunge Forensics Festival Hosted by Badger High School in Lake Geneva. Five students competed and earned awards across four different categories:

Makayla Bazeley (11) – Prose Reading

Carley Boudreau (11) – Informative/Demonstration Speech

Emilia Houwers (12) – Expository Speech

Marina Linos (12) – Informative/Demonstration Speech

Lauren Rollette (12) – Solo Serious Acting

The event was a great warm-up before the team begins competition in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Speech and Dramatic Arts Association (WISDAA) State Series at their Subdistrict Tournament at Fort Atkinson High School on February 20th. Students earning a certain number of points on their performances there will qualify for the District Tournament at Stoughton High School in March and the State Tournament at UW-Madison in April. Everyone involved had a lot of fun, and is excited to build on our early success!

Article and Photos Submitted by Elizabeth Miller
Whitewater High School Co-Forensics Coach
emiller@wwusd.org

Elizabeth Stanek of Whitewater has earned Semester Honors for the Fall 2023 semester at Edgewood College. Fulltime students who achieve a 3.5 grade point average for the semester are eligible for this honor.

About Edgewood College

Located in Madison, Wis., Edgewood College is a liberal arts Catholic college in the Dominican tradition. We serve approximately 1,800 undergraduate and graduate students. The College offers more than 40 academic and professional programs, including master’s degrees in business, education, and nursing, and doctoral degrees in educational leadership, nursing practice, and business administration.

According to the National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan Weather Forecast Office, fog and freezing fog is expected to develop late this evening over south central Wisconsin. Temperatures tonight will be colder with overnight lows in the mid to upper 20s.

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee of the League of Women Voters Whitewater Area will begin its 2024 Book Club with a study of Poverty, by America, by Matthew Desmond, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City. Do you wonder why the United States, the richest country on earth, has more poverty than any other advanced democracy? Desmond draws upon history, research and original reporting to argue that poverty in America persists because the
rest of us benefit from it. Please join us to investigate new ways of imagining solutions to a morally urgent problem and engage in how to usher in an age of shared prosperity.

Books have been reserved at the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library for the group’s use during the study. Please ask at the front desk for a copy. Book Club discussions will be held at the library on the following Thursday evenings, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

February 22, Chapters 1 – 3
March 21, Chapters 4 – 6
April 18, Chapters 7 – 9

The LWV Book Club was formed to help our members and friends engage in meaningful discussions of current notable books dealing with public policy issues of interest to the League. You do not need to be a member of the League to participate. Please contact Deb Gamble (262-583-1946 or shebagam@gmail.com) for questions or further information.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Visit our website at https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/whitewater-area and like us on Facebook!

Fort Community Credit Union (FCCU) is pleased to announce Kendra Lozano, Member Service Representative, and Theresa Huser, Consumer Loan Officer, have earned their designation of Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor (CCUFC).

This certification requires participants to complete the Financial Counseling Certification Program (FiCEP) offered by the Credit Union National Association (CUNA). The program involves self-study, webinars, and rigorous testing with the aim to identify financial challenges and provide effective intervention not typically offered by for-profit financial institutions.

Lozano and Huser join FCCU’s team of Financial Coaches whose mission is to help members identify goals, raise their credit score to qualify for better rates, reduce loan delinquencies, and improve their overall financial wellbeing. Lozano is bilingual and will utilize her Spanish communication skills to assist and advocate for those in the Hispanic community.

“Kendra and Theresa were the perfect candidates for the FiCEP program and are committed to helping members gain control of their financial future,” said Whitney Townsend, Director of Business and Community Development at FCCU. “Our entire financial coaching team is dedicated to helping members transform their lives and ensure financial well-being for all.”

Individuals with the CCUFC designation are required to recertify every three years to ensure their financial counseling knowledge is current. Members interested in receiving free financial coaching can request an appointment by emailing financialcoaches@fortcommunity.com

About FCCU: Established in 1940, Fort Community Credit Union (FCCU) is a member-owned financial cooperative open to anyone living or working in Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Rock, Walworth, or Waukesha counties. With branch locations in Fort Atkinson, Jefferson, Watertown, and Whitewater, FCCU holds $339 million in assets and has more than 21,000 members. For more information about FCCU and the products and services they offer, visit fortcommunity.com or call (920) 563-7305.

Updated 1/28/24 @ 8:00 p.m. to provide details of the CDA meeting.

City of Whitewater Community Development Authority Special Meeting – Wednesday @ 5:30 p.m.
Agenda: Closed session, to be followed by open session – discussion regarding the resignation of the Economic Development Director
Whitewater Municipal Building Council Chambers,
312 West Whitewater St.
*In Person and Virtual
Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or telephone.
Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83688246954?pwd=LVBI54kl-TrsjidK2Pe4l-Mi5V7AYg.S7kDQ-G5qX-5iPsM
Passcode: 264268
Or Telephone:
Dial: 1 312 626 6799 US
Webinar ID: 836 8824 6954
Passcode: 264268

City of Whitewater Ethics Committee – Thursday @ 5:00 p.m.
Agenda: Closed session Items to be discussed: Consider complaints against elected officials; May re-enter open session at the same place thereafter to act on such matters discussed therein as it deems appropriate.
Whitewater Municipal Building Community Room,
312 West Whitewater St.
*In Person and Virtual
Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or telephone.
Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83773150974?pwd=XQN0MAk3BjZ01oMA9ldLdLvXMFjn8g.zHzIaEt32XxXnXSl
Passcode: 195569
Or Telephone: 1 312 626 6799
Webinar ID: 837 7315 0974
Passcode: 195569

Back to calendar

University of Wisconsin Oshkosh officials have released the names of students who qualified for the Dean’s List and Honor Roll in fall 2023 across its three campuses (Fond du Lac, Fox Cities and Oshkosh).

The term grade-point average (GPA) requirement for University Honor Roll is 3.3; the term GPA requirement for Dean’s List is 3.75 out of a possible 4.0.

To qualify, a student must have been enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits. There can be no individual grades below a “C” and no incomplete or non-reported grades at the time the process is run.

Whitewater, WI

 Dalia Velazquez, Dean’s list
 Julia Feit, Honor Roll
 Fabian Gonzalez, Honor Roll
 Martin Gonzalez, Honor Roll
 Lizbeth Rodriguez, Dean’s list
 Allison Martens, Honor Roll
 Anderson Waelchli, Honor Roll