News

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

A previous article in the Banner indicated that TDS Telecom (TDS), which is headquartered in Madison, had announced at the September 6 meeting of the Whitewater Common Council that the company has plans to bury a 56 mile digital fiber network that would allow it to serve 98% of the city with internet, television, and phone service. The company stated that symmetrical internet speeds for their residential service start at 300 MB x 300 MB and are offered up to 2Gig. Up to 10Gig is dedicated to business customers. Spectrum is currently the only residential high speed broadband and cable TV provider in the city. It does not have a fiber network here. According to Spectrum’s website, its current maximum internet speed is 1Gig.

No timeline for construction and introduction of service was provided by TDS in the September meeting. Connections to service would be offered on an area by area basis as the installation proceeds. TDS recently built out a fiber network in Sun Prairie, with population over 35,000, in 16 months. Installation of fiber networks is currently underway in Janesville and Fort Atkinson.

The initial commencement of the TDS network installation in Whitewater is evidenced by signs such as the one above that have recently been placed in the area of Blooming Field Drive, Foxglove Lane, and Walton Drive. The Banner is not aware that TDS has made any announcement regarding the timeline for completion of their network and availability of services. However, when an address in the area of the initial construction is entered on their website, a prospective customer is told that “Services are estimated to launch in your neighborhood in Summer 2023.”

TDS encourages individuals who know that they will be interested in their service(s) to register on this website. A $25 deposit is required, which will ultimately be applied to a customer’s first billing, or be refunded if service is never made available. According to TDS, the number of registrations in a given area may influence the timing of the installation. When registering, a potential customer is also given the opportunity to select the services that they would like to purchase. Costs are shown, and in some cases there are offers for discounts and/or fixed pricing for certain terms.

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

At the Common Council meeting on January 17, a number of fire department personnel were present as City Manager John Weidl read a proclamation honoring Michael “Mike” Higgins upon his retirement from the Whitewater Fire Department effective December 31 after more than 41 years of service. Weidl noted that Mike had served faithfully and conscientiously, making many contributions to the department. He held many ranks, including firefighter, emergency medical technician, motor pump operator, lieutenant, captain, assistant chief and chief. Further, he served on many vehicle committees, the Walworth County radio committee, the Walworth County Chiefs Association, a four year tenure as president of the Walworth County Firefighters Association, and received a number of department and area awards.

In recognition of his service, Kelly Freeman, who followed Higgins as chief, thanked him for his service and presented him with a plaque. Higgins expressed appreciation for the recognition, mentioned the many city staff, council members, and department personnel he had worked with over the years, and said, “I don’t know where the 40 years have gone!” He would enjoy his retirement, Mike remarked.

In the “Helpful Links” section of the Banner, there is a Job Announcement link where government related agencies’ open positions are listed. Currently the following employers are listed: City of Whitewater, Jefferson County, UW-Whitewater, and the Whitewater Unified School District. Since the postings are linked to those organizations, the current positions for which applications are being accepted will be shown as long as the employer is keeping their information current.

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

Dr. Richard Haven, who served as a professor of communication at UW-Whitewater from 1972-2011, was one of 137 leading scholars of American public address who in 1999 were asked to recommend 20th century speeches on the basis of social and political impact, and rhetorical artistry. In a brief interview this week with WMTV, Haven shared some of his thoughts on two famous speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Those speeches included the well remembered phrases, “I have a dream” and “I’ve been to the mountaintop.” The former speech was ranked #1 on the “Top 100 Speeches” list that was compiled from the scholars’ recommendations.

The interview may be viewed here. By the way, in the interview Professor Emeritus Haven suggests that everyone should read King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” written in 1963 in response to a public statement of concern and caution issued by eight white religious leaders of the South. The letter is reproduced here.

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

As was previously announced, twelve candidates filed to run for one of the three open seats on the school board for the Whitewater Unified School District. On January 16 Nathan Vander Pas notified the Banner that, “After careful consideration, I have decided I will be withdrawing my candidacy for the School Board. I look forward to supporting the remaining candidates through this and after the primary.”

Having been certified by the school district as a candidate, however, Nathan Vander Pas will still appear on the primary ballot on February 21. The six candidates with the highest votes will progress to the general election on April 4. What would happen if Vander Pas is one of those six candidates? Riley Willman, elections specialist with the Wisconsin Elections Commission, told the Banner that his name would still appear on the general election ballot, and if Nathan is then one of the three candidates with the highest votes, he would have the choice of being seated or resigning. Should he resign, it would be up to the school board to decide whether to hold a special election or to appoint someone to the vacant seat for an interim term.

As was previously announced on the Banner, the League of Women Voters – Whitewater Area is hosting a school board candidate forum on January 28. In addition, the Banner has given the candidates the opportunity to answer several questions. The responses will be published within the next week.

According to an announcement from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater:

Paul Ambrose has been named the dean of the College of Business and Economics. Since 2005, Ambrose has been part of the UW-Whitewater community, serving in multiple roles, from faculty member to department chair to associate dean, and most recently as interim dean.

“Dr. Ambrose brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the position with ideas about how to meet the needs of a broader group of students,” said Robin Fox, interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “He has already begun work on multiple articulation agreements with the technical colleges and has been a leader in discussions about retaining students from underrepresented groups. Under his leadership, I believe the college — Wisconsin’s largest accredited school of business — will not only continue its high-quality programs, but there will be an expansion in the students served in our region and online.”

Ambrose officially begins as dean on Jan. 20

Connie Putland has been named chief human resource officer in the Department of Human Resources and Diversity. Putland has been serving in the interim role since July 2022, and was previously deputy chief human resource officer. She has more than 20 years of HR experience in the UW System, including more than 10 years of service at UW-Whitewater.

“Connie’s in-depth knowledge of UW System and regulatory policies, and her demonstrated ability to manage the difficult challenges that the HR department faces on a daily basis will prove to be an invaluable asset to the Whitewater and Rock County campuses,” said Brenda Jones, vice chancellor for administrative affairs. “Connie stepped into the role of interim chief HR officer at a time of significant departmental transition. Since then, she has begun rebuilding partnerships and collaborative efforts within and between departments. I know that with her leadership and support, the HR department will continue to build upon those efforts, bringing back a customer service focus to our employees.”

Putland officially began as chief human resource officer on Jan. 1.

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from the office of Bryan Steil, who represents the Walworth County portion of the city of Whitewater.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) announced he will be holding five listening sessions in Wisconsin on Friday, January 20, 2023.

The listening sessions are free and open to the people of Wisconsin’s First Congressional District. Residents are encouraged to attend to discuss issues pending in Congress or to request assistance dealing with federal agencies. Individuals needing additional assistance or special accommodations should contact the Office of Congressman Steil at 608-752-4050 in advance.

“My top priority is to be available and accessible to Wisconsin families. I’m looking forward to hearing directly from you about the issues facing our community, our state, and our country,” said Steil.

9:00 a.m. Rock County Listening Session:
               Beloit City Hall, 100 State Street, Beloit, WI 53511      

                *The meeting will be held in the Forum, the common council chambers on the 1^st floor

10:45 a.m. Walworth County Listening Session

                Delavan Municipal Building, 123 S. 2nd Street, Delavan, WI 53115               

                *The meeting will be held in the Council Chambers

“An experience I’ll remember the rest of my life!” That was a comment heard from several Lincoln Elementary 5th Grade Choir students who were chosen to perform in the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association All-State Children’s Choir. Eight Lincoln students performed in Appleton, WI at Lawrence University on Saturday, Jan. 15, as part of a select 50 voice choir of 5^th and 6^th grade singers from across the state. The students rehearsed their challenging music for six weeks prior to the concert, then joined with the other WI students for an all-day rehearsal prior to their concert with nationally renowned guest conductor, Diane Skrobis. The participating students were Nels Brown, Paige Callahan, Espen Heim, Amelia Lafaive, Karlee Luna, Saul Mendoza, Nixon Posada and Karis Schemenauer. Lincoln music teacher, Christine Hayes, was thrilled with the musicianship of the choir’s performance and the diligent work of each Lincoln participant. “They have grown tremendously in their musical skills and knowledge, and will bring it back to their choirmates in the Lincoln Choir. We are indebted to the Whitewater Music Parents for their generous scholarships towards each student’s registration fees.”

Submitted by Christine Hayes
Lincoln K-5 Music Teacher

UW-Whitewater’s Office of Continuing Education and Fairhaven Senior Services announce “New Voices, Fresh Perspectives” as the theme for their spring lecture series. Since 1983, UW-Whitewater faculty and staff and community and business leaders have offered free presentations on topics ranging from art and literature to history and politics.  

Over the past few years, new experts have joined the faculty and staff at UW-Whitewater, in all of its colleges and departments. Historians, sociologists, writers, and more, UW-Whitewater is comprised of dedicated educators who are as eager to share their research interests to the community as they are to teaching our next generation of teachers, accountants, entrepreneurs, coaches and citizens. Join us this spring to hear from some of the new voices at the University and share with them what they have to look forward to as new members of the greater Whitewater community.

The titles and presenters of the lectures for the spring series are:

January 23
Too Much of a Good Thing is Wonderful: Liberace’s Wisconsin Roots and Flamboyant Visibility from Milwaukee to Las Vegas
Presented by Anna Hajdik, Lecturer, Languages and Literatures

January 30
Feminism, Race, and White Privilege
Presented by Olivia McLaughlin, Assistant Professor, Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology

February 6
Exploring Special Education and Adult Outcomes of Students with Disabilities through an Intersectional Lens
Presented by Courtney Wilt, Assistant Professor, Special Education

February 13
Bilingual Education and School Privatization in Milwaukee
Presented by Andrew Hurie, Assistant Professor, Curriculum & Instruction

February 20
Trophies of War: Ottoman Tents Won in the Siege of Vienna in 1683
Presented by Ashley Dimmig, Director, Crossman Gallery

February 27
Talking to Doctors: Health Communication Tips to Improve Your Healthcare Experience
Presented by Jonathan Dellinger, Assistant Professor, Communication

March 6
The Challenge of Ethical Technical Communication: Revisiting the Organizational and Communication Failures of the Challenger Explosion
Presented by Jessica Lauer, Assistant Professor, Languages & Literatures

March 13
History Underwater: An Introduction to Maritime Archaeology
Presented by Michelle Damian, Assistant Professor, History

March 20
Disability Representation in Children’s and Young Adult Literature
Presented by Lauren Zepp, Assistant Professor, Special Education

Lectures in the Spring Fairhaven Lecture Series, “New Voices, Fresh Perspectives” are free and open to the public. They are held on Mondays at 3:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall at Fairhaven Senior Services, 435 West Starin Road, Whitewater. Some lectures may be live-streamed via Facebook at www.facebook.com/UWWFairhavenLecture/  and all will be recorded and posted to our website and YouTube channel. Videos of lectures from this and previous series can be accessed for free any time after they are posted.

Please visit www.uww.edu/ce/fairhaven and www.facebook.com/UWWFairhavenLecture/ for videos, descriptions of each lecture, and updates on the status of each lecture.  Contact Kari Borne at bornek@uww.edu or 262-472-1003 for further information or to request accommodations.   

About UW-Whitewater

At the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater we inspire, engage and transform lives. Our higher education mission began more than 150 years ago — and we now serve more than 11,000 students at our Whitewater and Rock County campuses, 90% of whom stay in the region after earning their degree.  Offering more than 170 undergraduate and graduate majors and minors as well as an education specialist and a doctoral degree. The Warhawk family — led by caring faculty and staff — is devoted to student success within a broad range of academic programs. One of only four Public Colleges of Distinction in the state, the university boasts small class sizes (20:1 ratio), is ranked one of the top 10 public colleges by the U.S. New & World Report, and is the top-ranked college in the state for serving students with disabilities.

MANCHESTER, NH (01/13/2023)– Holly Schwaller of Whitewater has been named to Southern New Hampshire University‘s Fall 2022 President’s List. The fall terms run from September to December.

Full-time undergraduate students who have earned a minimum grade-point average of 3.700 and above for the reporting term are named to the President’s List. Full-time status is achieved by earning 12 credits over each 16-week term or paired 8-week terms grouped in fall, winter/spring, and summer.

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a private, nonprofit institution with a 90-year history of educating traditional-aged students and working adults. Now serving more than 170,000 learners worldwide, SNHU offers approximately 200 accredited undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs, available online and on its 300-acre campus in Manchester, NH. Recognized as one of the “Most Innovative” regional universities by U.S. News & World Report and one of the fastest-growing universities in the country, SNHU is committed to expanding access to high quality, affordable pathways that meet the needs of each learner. Learn more at www.snhu.edu.