Editor’s note: The following announcement was posted to the city Facebook page. For your information, the city’s policy for the size/type of brush that may be picked up is as follows: Brush must be between 3/4″ and 6” in diameter. The brush must be a minimum of 3′ in length. Vines, rakings, roots, and root balls will not be accepted. Property owners can dispose of vines, rakings, roots, and root balls at the compost site. The City reserves the right to not collect brush for just cause.” The compost site is open on Wednesday from 3-7 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Post Storm Brush Clean up

Due to the recent storm, the Public Works Department will continuously pick up brush this entire week. Please be patient as the Department works to facilitate this.

Additionally, thank you to the city staff who has worked over the weekend and continues to work on keeping our community safe!

Editor’s note: The photo on the homepage was taken in Fort Atkinson on July 30 by Lynn Binnie.

Ferradermis was one of 21 robots from Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan that competed at the Mukwonago Robotics Off-Season Competition (MROC) on Friday and Saturday, July 28-29 at Mukwonago High School. The team finished the two-day event as the Captain of the Finalist (2^nd place) Alliance and the Judges’ Award Winner.

Friday’s events began with a series of morning workshops on topics of interest to students with varying roles on their FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) teams. The Ferradermis programmers focused on the topics of using vision to track AprilTags and the use of debugging tools. The electro-mechanical team members attended workshops on strategic design and effective prototyping, while the competition logistics team members learned more about scouting tools. Members who work on the administrative side of the team gathered fundraising ideas, learned about team branding, and heard ideas on how to best advocate for robotics funding. Various team leaders also attended a leadership workshop led by the Director of FIRST Wisconsin, and on Saturday morning, most of the team was able to attend a workshop on structuring team workflow.

The host team for many off-season FRC events will incorporate an aspect of community service into the event. This weekend, the host Mukwonago Bears ran a school supply donation drive, and Ferradermis families were happy to contribute three backpacks stuffed with various school supplies.

Qualification matches began after lunch on Friday, with each team scheduled for a total of 10 matches before playoff alliance selections at noon on Saturday. After 6 matches on Friday, the team compiled a record of 4-1-1 and was ranked #2. Rankings are based not only on wins but also on other tasks completed during matches.

Before heading home on Friday, team members took part in a team social which included options for indoor soccer, dodgeball, and other yard games, allowing students from various teams to get to know each other better. A large focus of FRC is “Gracious Professionalism” which encourages teams to work together to make every team and every robot the best they can be. Relationship-building with other teams is a key element.

Ferradermis (#6574) played their final 4 qualification matches on Saturday morning, going 3-1, and maintaining their #2 ranking behind host Mukwonago. Ferradermis’ final qualification match record was 7-2-1.

As the Captain of the #2 seeded playoff alliance, Ferradermis first invited Team #1714 MORE Robotics from St. Thomas More High School in Milwaukee to join their alliance. Despite being ranked #9 at MROC after receiving a red card which resulted in a match disqualification, the scout team had a lot of confidence in the MORE robot as it had won both the Lake Superior and Wisconsin Regionals during the regular season. To fill out the alliance, Ferradermis invited Team #2062 CORE, a combined team from all the Waukesha high schools that was ranked low after missing quite a few qualification matches but whose robot could successfully complement the tasks that the other two robots could complete during the period at the beginning of each match when the robots operate autonomously.

As this is a double-elimination tournament, the Ferradermis alliance faced off against the #1 seeded alliance after working their way through the rest of the upper bracket, falling 153-142 in a hard-fought match which dropped the Whitewater High School team into the lower bracket. The alliance then set the unpenalized high score for the event, scoring 172 points in the last match in the lower bracket before moving on to the finals.

In the finals, the Ferradermis-led alliance again faced the #1 seeded alliance led by host Mukwonago. Team #930 from Mukwonago High School is considered the best team in the state and is ranked #10 in the world out of 3,381 FRC teams by the Statbotics website which tracks the results of all events worldwide. Mukwonago’s first pick for their alliance was Team #3538 The RoboJackets from Rochester, Michigan, who are currently ranked #7 in the world by Statbotics. Interestingly, Dilpreet Randhawa who served as a Ferradermis coach and mentor for the last seven years is now living and working in Michigan and was at the event as a mentor for 3538. Due to a medical emergency, Dilpreet stepped back into his role as Drive Coach for Ferradermis at MROC, demonstrating 3538’s gracious professionalism. Ferradermis fell in the best-of-three finals 167-124 and 179-102, bringing home the title of Finalist Alliance Captain.

During regular season events, teams of judges roam the pits, interviewing students from each team to determine a variety of awards. MROC implemented this system at their event, presenting three awards. Ferradermis was the recipient of the Judges’ Award for their work promoting STEM in the Whitewater community.

Ferradermis members participating in the event included Class of 2023 alumni Daniel Portwine, Jazmin Cederberg, and Mel Prince, incoming seniors Cosette Wildermuth-Breitzman and Ghati Binagi, incoming juniors Andrew O’Toole, Maddi LaHaie, Emerson Dunham, Zoe Olson, Luc Pomazak, and Andrew Zimmermann, incoming sophomores Ace Hudec, Erison Dreksler, Rae Breisath, Chacha Binagi, Margaret Brown, and Elora Wildermuth-Breitzman, and incoming freshmen Ian Kowalkiewicz and Toby Kapfer.

Ferradermis will be taking a break from large group activities for a few weeks, allowing the 2023-2024 leadership team to make plans for onboarding additional new members in September. However, you can still catch team representatives demonstrating the robot at the Whitewater City Market on August 8 and 22 (weather permitting). There will be a parent meeting for new and veteran members on Wednesday, October 4 at 7:00 p.m. in the high school library.

Article and Photos Submitted by Laura Masbruch
Whitewater High School Robotics Advisor and Banner Volunteer
lmasbruch@wwusd.org

Editor’s note: The following announcement was provided by the City of Whitewater.

Starting July 31, 2023, Indian Mound Parkway south of Walworth Avenue [commonly nicknamed “The Bridge to Nowhere”] will be closed to all traffic for approximately three weeks. Construction is scheduled to start on the Southwest water main project connecting the dead-end water main at the water tower to a dead-end water main by the railroad tracks. Due to the amount of expected construction traffic using Indian Mound Parkway, the street will be closed to all traffic, including pedestrians.

Editor’s note: According to the city’s Capital Improvement Program, this project will install approximately 2600 feet of watermain from Well #9 and the new water tower east to an existing water main that is stubbed in under the railroad tracks from Hwy 59. Well #9 feeds water to the distribution system via one pipe along Indian Mound Parkway. If that main would need to be shut down, water could not be introduced to the system from well #9 nor from the new water tower. The city now has only one other functioning water tower, and it is important for the new tower to have dual service to the distribution system.

The image on the homepage is from the Discover Whitewater Facebook page.

Sheriff Fell is pleased to announce that the Rock County Sheriff’s Office will offer two Hunter Safety Education Courses this fall at the Edgerton Conservation Club, 900 Stoughton Road, Edgerton, WI 53534. Anyone born on or after January 1, 1973, is required to complete a Hunter Safety Education Course to legally hunt in Wisconsin. It is recommended that participants be at least 12 years of age or turn 12 shortly following completion of the class.

Hunter Safety Education Courses:

Class #1

Mandatory Registration: August 9, at 6 p.m. @ Edgerton Conservation Club
Class: August 26, from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. & August 27, from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. @ Edgerton Conservation Club

Class #2

Mandatory Registration: September 5, at 6 p.m. @ Edgerton Conservation Club
Class: September 23, from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. & September 24, from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.@ Edgerton Conservation Club

Online enrollment is now open for Class #1. Complete the online enrollment form to reserve a seat. Class size is limited to thirty (30) students. Upon submission of the online enrollment form, the submitter will see an onscreen confirmation message with information on the mandatory in- person registration meeting. Online enrollment for Class #2 will open after Class #1.

Enroll At: https://www.co.rock.wi.us/departments/sheriff-s-office/recreational-patrol/hunter-education
A class fee of $10 per student will be collected at the in-person registration meeting. The student, and a parent or legal guardian if the student is underage, must attend the mandatory registration meeting for the student to take the course. Students will receive course materials at the in-person registration meeting.

Please direct any questions to Deputy Trevor Lund at trevor.lund@co.rock.wi.us.

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

According to the WE Energies website as of Saturday, July 29 at 11:00 p.m., percentage wise, the city of Whitewater is faring much better than many municipalities in getting its power restored from Friday night’s vicious storm. Early on Saturday morning it was reported that 1995 customers were without power in Whitewater. As of this writing only 246 customers are reported to be without power. This, of course, does not diminish the discomfort and loss of perishable food that these residents may be enduring. By contrast, Fort Atkinson started the day with 5252 customers in the dark. That number actually climbed at some points during the day and remains at 4505.

Shown below are the reported outages in a number of nearby communities. WE indicates that they anticipate that 95% of their customers will have power restored by Sunday night. They state, “All available We Energies crews, including specialized forestry workers and extra contract crews, will continue to work around the clock to make repairs and restore power to customers affected by these severe storms.”

City of Whitewater Common Council – Tuesday @ 6:30 p.m.
Agenda includes update on businesses operating without a Conditional Use Permit, campaign planning study for Aquatic & Fitness Center, discussion re: library expansion, discussion regarding city manager evaluation policy, discussion re: water credits practices, discussion and possible action on lakes dredging bid, closed session (followed by possible discussion in open session) re: MOU/MSP with UWW and Aldi development agreement.
City of Whitewater Municipal Building – Community Room
312 West Whitewater St.
This will be an IN PERSON and a VIRTUAL MEETING
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83198282604?pwd=cDdLWjUvTTRqRUQ4UVcwQWcrcW1BUT09
Or dial
1 312 626 6799
Webinar ID: 831 9828 2604
Passcode: 137945

City of Whitewater Landmarks Commission – Thursday @ 6:00 p.m.
Agenda includes Effigy Mounds Preserve recent progress and next steps.
In Person and Virtual
Cravath Lake Front Room
312 Whitewater Street, Whitewater, WI 53190
Join Virtually at:
https://meet.goto.com/986513669

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from Walworth County.

The Walworth County Public Works Department has recently received full accreditation from the American Public Works Association (APWA). This prestigious accreditation formally verifies and recognizes that the agency is in full compliance with the recommended management practices set forth in APWA’s Public Works Management Practices Manual. Walworth County Public Works Department is only the second agency and the first county to be accredited in the State of Wisconsin. The other accredited agency in Wisconsin is the City of Janesville.

Open to all governmental agencies with responsibilities for public works functions, initial accreditation from APWA is for a four-year period, during which time semi-annual updates will be required to demonstrate continuing compliance. After that time, there is a re-accreditation process that builds on the original accreditation, encouraging continuous improvement and compliance with newly identified practices.

The purpose of accreditation is to promote excellence in the operation and management of a public works agency, its programs, and its employees. Accreditation is designed to assist the agency in the continuous improvement of operations and management, and in providing a valid and objective evaluation of agency programs as a service to the public and the profession.

“The Department of Public Works has dedicated itself to continuous improvement, excellence, fiscal and personal accountability,” says Richard Hough, Director of Walworth County Public Works. “The credit for this accomplishment belongs to the staff whose mission is to provide services and programs that contribute to making Walworth County a great place to live and work.”

APWA’s accreditation process includes five major steps:
 Self-Assessment: Using the Public Works Management Practices Manual, an internal review of an agency’s practices combined with a comparison of the recommended practices contained in the manual;
 Application: Once the decision has been made to commit to the Accreditation Program, the agency submits a formal application;
 Improvement: After the agency has completed the self-assessment and identified areas needing improvement, the agency will work to bring all practices into an acceptable level of compliance with the recommended practices;
 Evaluation: Following the completion of the improvement phase, the agency will request a site visit. The site visit will consist of a review and evaluation of the agency to determine the level of compliance with all applicable practices;
 Accreditation: The Accreditation Council will review the site visit results and recommendations from the team, voting to award or deny accreditation.

About APWA
The American Public Works Association (www.apwa.net) is a not-for-profit, international organization with more than 33,000 members involved in the field of public works. APWA serves its members by promoting professional excellence and public awareness through education, advocacy, and the exchange of knowledge. APWA is headquartered in Kansas City, MO, has an office in Washington, DC, and 63 chapters in North America.