News

Whitewater Historical Society “Whitewater Stories” Program to Feature the Downtown,
Schools, and Churches.

The Whitewater Historical Society will hold its spring annual meeting and program on Sunday, May 17 at 1:00 p.m. at the Cravath Lakefront Community Building, 341 S. Fremont Street, Whitewater. The program will be “Whitewater Stories” featuring the development of downtown Whitewater, Whitewater schools, and Whitewater’s historic churches. The historical society has been working to update its historic information on its website, www.whitewaterhistoricalsociety.org using historical images to go with the new information. The program will feature some of these “stories.”

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Carol Cartwright, 920-723-8858

We are starting the next swim lesson session on the week of 5/18.  For May we are running a special that if you sign up for a new membership, you will get 25% off swim lesson registrations.

Along with swim lessons we have added adult beginner swim lessons that will be offered at different time options for the week.  The cost is $36 for members and $48 for non members for a 6 week class.

Questions? Call 262-473-4900.

Editor’s note: This announcement was provided by Deb Waldo, Aquatic/Fitness Coordinator at the Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center.

Ron Binning shared these photos of the apartments that are being constructed at Moraine View Parkway and Jakes Way, south of Bluff Road on the southeast side of Whitewater. The photos were taken on April 24.

The developer, Hartland Shores, is planning a total of 128 apartments. This first phase, under construction, will have two 32-unit buildings. Ron says, “Definitely a big complex.”

Our thanks to Ron Binning for calling our attention to one of the city’s current construction projects.

— 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!

“Hamnet” 

Tuesday, May 12, 1 pm

(Historical Drama/Biography/Romance)

Rated PG-13; 2 hours, 6 minutes (2025).

The powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet. Oscar Winner, Best Actress: Jessie Buckley. 

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 $15 and non-residents is $20. The funds support about half of the cost of our front desk staff person for 15 hours per week. The rest comes out 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/ 

Due to copyright issues, Seniors in the Park will no longer be able to publicly announce the movie titles being shown beginning in June.  If you wish to find out each month’s titles that Projectionist Mark Dorn has selected, you may call Seniors in the Park at 262-473-0535  Hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

The Greater Whitewater Committee is set to host the University’s Assistant Dean for the School of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education, Morgan Anderson, to present on dual enrollment.

The Greater Whitewater Committee (GWC) is set to host the University’s  Assistant Dean for the School of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education, Morgan Anderson; she will present on dual enrollment, which is an opportunity for high school students to earn college credit through the University.

This event will take place on Thursday, May 14th at 7:00 a.m. at Jessica’s Family Restaurant: 140 W Main St.

Morgan Anderson currently serves as the Assistant Dean for the School of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. In this role, she focuses on marketing, recruitment, dual enrollment, high school relations, and adult continuing education. In her first year, dual enrollment saw an average 40% growth in participation. Prior to her current role, Anderson was the Director of Camps and Conferences and Liaison to the UW System for Youth Protection at UW-Whitewater. During her tenure, she oversaw a record-breaking summer attendance in the program’s 50-year history. Anderson is passionate about creating educational experiences that make a meaningful impact.

The GWC’s upcoming monthly meeting is scheduled to take place Thursday, May 14th at 7:00 a.m. at Jessica’s Family Restaurant: 140 W Main St, Whitewater, WI 53190. The public is more than welcome to attend this meeting to learn more about dual enrollment. If you are interested in attending, you must RSVP. To reserve your spot, contact Jeff Knight at jpk@knightpublicaffairs.com or 920.728.0662 by Wednesday, May 13th.

“Dual enrollment has been a significant collaboration effort between the University and the high school” said GWC President, Jeffery Knight. “We are looking forward to hearing more about this great student opportunity.”

For further details, please contact Jeffery Knight at 920.728.0662 or jpk@knightpublicaffairs.com. 

About the GWC

The GWC is an action-oriented group committed to collaborating with citizens, elected officials, and policy makers to identify, craft, and implement a pro-business agenda. The agenda advances the economic, education, and social policies needed to energize and secure the Whitewater area’s economic future, as well as protect Whitewater’s quality of life.

Editor’s note: Per below, Rebecca Mueller, Associate Research Administration Director, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, UW-Whitewater, has been named to serve on the Presidential Search Committee for the Universities of Wisconsin. As was reported on The Banner, former president Jay Rothman was terminated from his role in early April. The president, together with the Board of Regents, oversees the 13 Universities of Wisconsin campuses, including UW-Whitewater.

Presidential Search Committee named to lead Universities of Wisconsin presidential search

UW-Superior chancellor Renée Wachter to serve as interim president

Amy B. Bogost, President of the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents, has appointed a 25-member Presidential Search Committee to help identify the next Universities of Wisconsin president.  

Bogost also announced today that she appointed Renée Wachter, chancellor of UW-Superior, as the Interim President of the Universities of Wisconsin effective May 18.

The Presidential Search Committee will be led by Regent Ashok Rai, chair. 

“Without the Universities of Wisconsin, Wisconsin would be a very different state. It would be less competitive, less innovative, and less prepared for the future,” Bogost said. “Our 13 public universities educate the next generation, power our workforce, sustain communities, support thousands of jobs, attract research and investment, and produce discoveries that improve lives here in Wisconsin and far beyond. The next president must bring the courage, discipline, and forward-looking leadership needed to guide the Universities of Wisconsin through one of the most consequential periods in higher education.”

In appointing Wachter, Bogost said she conferred with Regent colleagues and chancellors and found strong support for Wachter – the senior-most chancellor in the Universities of Wisconsin – as the Board begins its search for a permanent president.

“Renée brings the experience, judgment, and institutional understanding this moment requires,” Bogost said. “As our longest-serving chancellor, she knows our universities, our communities, and the challenges and opportunities facing public higher education in Wisconsin. She has earned the trust and respect of colleagues across the system through steady leadership and a collaborative approach. At a time when continuity, focus, and forward momentum are essential, the Board is confident she understands what must be done to support our universities during this transition.”

The Universities of Wisconsin serve more than 164,600 students and, as the state’s talent pipeline, award more than 37,000 degrees annually. With 13 universities all across Wisconsin, including two major research universities, 10 comprehensive universities, and one polytechnic university, the UWs offer value and impact to students, communities, and the public.

In addition to Rai, the members of the search committee include:

• Ian Abston, President, Forward 48 and Hoan Group, UW-Oshkosh alumnus
• Angela Adams, Regent
• Lynn Akey, Chancellor, UW-Parkside
• Tracie Banning, Academic Department Associate, Educational Studies, UW-La Crosse
• Johannes Britz, Senior Vice President, Academic and Student Affairs, Universities of Wisconsin Administration
• Kate Burns, Provost, UW-Green Bay
• Raffay Chaudhry, Speaker of the Senate, Student Government Association, UW-Green Bay
• Katherine Frank, Chancellor, UW-Stout
• Noah Fritz, Student Regent
• Thomas Gibson, Chancellor, UW-Milwaukee
• Michael Gilmer, Assistant Chancellor for Student Affairs and Strategic Enrollment and Dean of Students, UW-River Falls
• Julie Gordon, Vice President, Finance and Administration, Universities of Wisconsin Administration
• Marquell Johnson, Professor and Department Chair, Kinesiology, UW-Eau Claire
• Jim Kreuser, Regent
• Edwin Martini, incoming Chancellor, UW-Eau Claire
• Rebecca Mueller, Associate Research Administration Director, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, UW-Whitewater
• Tom Palzewicz, Regent
• Joan Prince, Regent
• Matt Richards, Member, Board of Directors, UW-Platteville Foundation and Alumni Association
• Sara Rogers, Regent
• Kristi Roth, Professor, School of Education, UW-Stevens Point
• Nicholle Schuelke, Professor of Teacher Education, Chair of Department of Education, UW-Superior
• Bill Westrate, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, American Family Insurance
• John Zumbrunnen, Provost, UW-Madison

The Presidential Search Committee is expected to convene in the coming weeks to receive its formal charge and review search procedures. A team of staff from Universities of Wisconsin Human Resources, the Office of the Board of Regents, and the executive search firm AGB Search will support the committee throughout the process. 

More details regarding the selection process will be released in the coming weeks. The successful candidate will require the approval of the full Board of Regents and is anticipated to be selected later this year. 

Probably ever since they came to town, TDS has been charging subscribers a small fee for providing Whitewater Community TV. At long last, WCTV may be found at channel 990. Sam Jurgilanis, media producer, told The Banner that “the station now signs off at roughly 11 p.m. each night. After that, informational slides with music play until 6 a.m., when original programming resumes.” Schedules for this weekend are shown below. In the near future it’s anticipated that schedules will be regularly posted on the city website.

The following announcement was posted to the city website recently:

Whitewater Community Television is back online! 🎉
We’re ready to keep you informed, connected, and up to date with all things happening in our community.

💬Reminder: WWTV990 is now available on TDS! We’re still available on Spectrum cable, but we’ve only expanded, and with more to come soon on streaming: Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV, plus mobile apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Thank you for your patience while we got everything restored. We’re excited to be back on air!

Tune in to WWTV Channel 990 for city updates, community programming, and more. 📺✨

#communitytv #stayconnected #localnews #whitewaterwi #cityofwhitewater

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. Sunday is Mother’s Day and we wish every mother a wonderful day! This lovely photograph of a mother and child is only identified as Stuart Henry Allen and appears to be from the c.1900 era. Research in the Whitewater Register and City Directories could not find a Stuart Henry Allen, but city directories show that a couple of families with the name Allen lived in Whitewater in the early 20th century. One family under the name William Allen was the depot agent for the railroad during this time. The photo could have been sent to one of the Allens in Whitewater from an out-of-town relative and it eventually ended up in our collections.

Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.

(3519STU, Whitewater Historical Society)

Whitewater Parks & Recreation invites community members of all ages to celebrate Wisconsin’s Free Fishing Weekend at the Reel Fun Fishing Day on Sunday, June 7, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Cravath Lakefront Park, 341 S. Fremont Street.

This family-friendly event offers a great opportunity for beginners and experienced anglers alike to enjoy a day outdoors while learning the basics of fishing. Participants can cast a line and try their luck of hooking that BIG ONE! 

No fishing experience is required. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own gear, but equipment will also be available on-site for those who need it.

As part of Wisconsin’s Free Fishing Weekend, Wisconsin residents can fish without a license, making it the perfect time to introduce friends and family to the sport.

In addition to fishing, guests can enjoy complimentary hot dogs while supplies last, adding to the festive, community-focused atmosphere.

Reel Fun Fishing Day is free and open to the public.

The City of Whitewater has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for its biennial budget beginning January 1, 2026.

This prestigious award is the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting and reflects the City’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and sound financial planning. According to GFOA, the award recognizes entities that meet the highest principles of governmental budgeting and demonstrate excellence in budget preparation and presentation.

To receive the award, the City’s budget document was evaluated on its effectiveness:
policy document
financial plan
operations guide
communications tool

The City of Whitewater’s Finance Department played a key role in achieving this distinction, ensuring the budget met nationally recognized guidelines and rigorous evaluation standards. The award is valid for two years and reflects a significant achievement in public financial management.

The GFOA serves more than 25,000 members across North America and promotes excellence in government finance through best practices, professional development, and research.

For more information about the City of Whitewater’s budget, visit www.whitewater-wi.gov