A pair of swans on a migration layover this morning. 2-27-25.”
Our thanks to Steve Watson for another beautiful wildlife photo.
— 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!
Saint Peter, Minn. — The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater finished second at the 2025 National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Championships Saturday as Paige Magel (Cary, Ill./Prairie Ridge) and Tegan Haberstock (Alberta, Canada/National Sport School) shared the individual national title on the balance beam. The Warhawk coaching staff was also recognized with a number of honors.
UW-Whitewater finished as the national runner-up behind the second-highest team total in program history, 194.025. That score was bolstered by a program record on the balance beam – 48.875 – where three Warhawks finished among the top eight including two that shared gold. Magel and Haberstock registered phenomenal routines scoring 9.85 to share gold on the beam in a six-way tie for first place. The pair are the fifth and sixth Warhawks in program history to secure an individual national title on the balance beam. Chloe Hammond (Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny) added All-America honors in the event with a seventh-place score of 9.825. Sofia Spadafora (Windsor, Ontario, Canada/Saint Thomas of Villanova) and Kelsey Kollhoff (Miamisburg, Ohio/Miamisburg) each registered 9.675s to help UWW break the program record on the apparatus.
The Warhawks’ first event of the 2025 championships saw the second-highest team total in program history recorded – a 49.025 on the floor exercise. Elaine Copeland (Arlington, Texas/University Prep) and Carleigh Moore (Oregon, Wis./Oregon) led the way with 9.825s to share sixth and claim their first career All-America honors. Zoe Jenks-Recker (Cottage Grove, Wis./Monona Grove) and Kollhoff posted 9.8s while Ariana Goodwin (Elgin, Ill./The Einstein Academy) registered a 9.775 to round out UWW’s scoring five.
On the vault, Ava Pesch (Waterford, Wis./Waterford Union) paced UW-Whitewater with a 9.675. Moore added a 9.65 followed by Alayna Fern (Gainesville, Fla./Gainesville) (9.625), Hammond (9.625) and Copeland (9.575).
Kollhoff secured her fourth career All-America honor on the uneven bars. The senior’s impressive routine scored a 9.75 to share bronze in the event. Pesch posted a 9.625 while Carley Scott (Oak Grove, Mo./Grain Valley) and Magel each registered scores of 9.55. Copeland added a 9.5 on the event.
Following competition, Head Coach Jennifer Regan was named the NCGA Coach of the Year for the third time in her tenure at UWW (2009, 2017). Coach Regan was also honored as the NCGA West Region Coach of the Year this season – the fourth time she’s been recognized with the regional award. Additionally, Chloe Edgren and Acacia Fossum were named the NCGA West Region Assistant Coaches of the Year – the seventh time the honor has been bestowed upon the Warhawk staff since 2008.
The NCGA also recognized the 2025 All-Americans in Academics that include Warhawks Carley Scott (Oak Grove, Mo./Grain Valley), Fern, Jenks-Recker and Gracie Talley (Collierville, Tenn./Briarcrest Christian).
This season marks the 13th time since 2007 the Warhawks have finished among the top three nationally as a team.
As is tradition at the national championship, after all of the scores are announced, awards handed out and honors recognized, the seniors gather in a circle on the floor – coming together one last time – as all of their teammates surround them in a larger circle while music is played. This season, that circle was missing an important piece of the Warhawk family. The 2025 team has persevered through incredible adversity this season to achieve exceptional levels of success. The team has leaned on each other, supported each other and competed for each other, but above all, they did it For Her – for Kara. So as the seniors gathered in the circle with a photo of Kara firmly planted at their side, they stood together, surrounded by their teammates and the gymnastics community, a fitting end to a remarkable season.
Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by UW-Whitewater Athletics.
The League of Women Voters – Whitewater Area School Board Candidate Forum on March 15 brought out a great turnout of citizens wishing to hear the views of the four candidates running for the Whitewater Unified School District board. Two seats are open: those of Miguel Aranda and Jennifer Kienbaum, both of whom are running for re-election. The other candidates are Nick Baldwin and Wayne Redenius.
For a video of this forum, visit www.youtube.com/@WWTV990. At the bottom of the page in the video section, click on LWV WUSD School Board Candidate Forum 2025. The video also plays periodically on Spectrum 990. The forum was an hour and a half long. All of the candidates also answered the questions on the League sponsored www.vote411.org website. By entering one’s address a voter may view all of the competitive races on their ballot.
Early in-person absentee voting is open at the municipal clerk’s office, 312 W Whitewater St., 2nd floor, the week of March 24: Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., and Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 1 p.m. The election is on April 1 at the Downtown Armory and the James R. Connor University Center. Hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Photos courtesy of Tom Ganser
Ellen Penwell served as moderator
Christal Gordon and Mary Beth Byrne reviewed the questions that were submitted by the audience and presented them to the moderator
Plants ready in the greenhouse for a previous year’s annual Whitewater FFA plant sale
The Whitewater Unified School District is proposing a $30 million capital referendum on the April 1st ballot to address our schools’ most pressing needs. To assist community members in learning more about these needs, a set of short videos is linked at www.whitewaterreferendum.org. Additionally, these videos will be shared out on the school district’s social media platforms. For community members who have remaining questions or feedback, please complete the brief form at the bottom of the www.whitewaterreferendum.org site.
Readers may view all fourteen of the videos from the link above, but for a few days the Banner will be featuring several videos per day with introductions to the direct links that will be provided. The earlier post regarding tech ed may be viewed here.
Allison Parsons and Paul Majors: Ag Classroom – 1:15 (one minute 15 seconds) Join Allison Parsons and Paul Majors, Agriculture Instructors at Whitewater High School, as they showcase the current Ag classroom. If the April 1 referendum passes, this space will be expanded and improved to better serve students. This video is found here.
Paul Majors: Aquaculture – :50 Explore Whitewater High School’s Aquaculture area with veteran teacher Paul Majors. Currently, this small space struggles to accommodate 20-25 students. If the April 1 referendum passes, it will be modernized and expanded to enhance learning opportunities. Click here to see this video.
Paul Majors: Greenhouse – 1:07 Veteran Ag Instructor, Paul Majors, takes you on a tour of Whitewater High School’s current greenhouse. If the April 1 referendum passes, this space will be expanded, providing students with enhanced hands-on learning opportunities. This video may be accessed here.
Allison Parsons: Small Animal Lab – :56 Agriculture Teacher, Allison Parsons, gives a tour of Whitewater High School’s Small Animal Lab, highlighting the space available to students. If the April 1 referendum passes, this area will be improved to enhance hands-on learning experiences. This video may be viewed here.
Editor’s note: The above was submitted by the Whitewater Unified School District.
This unusual transformation of an “Elephant Man” into a handsome actor earned Sebastian Stan a Golden Globe award for Best Male Performance; it was also Oscar nominated for Best Makeup/Hair. It is an unusual, harrowing film.
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 $10 and non-residents is $15. The funds support about half of the cost of our front desk staff person for 15 hours per week. The rest comes our 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/
It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society.
The third of our series of Fairhaven images is this one, probably from 1970, as a similar image of this lady appeared in the Whitewater Register in April of 1970 in a special section celebrating the completion of a major expansion at Fairhaven. The image shows the lady in the new wing of the facility that added 63 new apartments and other amenities. The new additions to Fairhaven cost an additional $2,000,000. Of course, many other improvements have been made to Fairhaven since 1970, updating the facility to reflect the current lifestyles and needs of older residents.
Join us next week for another Fairhaven image from the Whitewater Historical Society.
Dr. Pate-Hefty to Depart WUSD, Named Superintendent of Manheim Township School District in Pennsylvania
The Whitewater Unified School District School Board has announced that Superintendent Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty has been named the next superintendent of the Manheim Township School District in Pennsylvania. Dr. Pate-Hefty has served as WUSD superintendent since 2020.
“We want to thank Dr. Pate-Hefty for her outstanding work and leadership over the past five years,” said Board President Jennifer Kienbaum. “In that time, our district has managed the effects of a global pandemic and kept the focus on providing a truly exceptional educational experience to our students. We wish Dr. Pate-Hefty the very best as she takes this next step in her career in educational leadership.”
The School Board will immediately begin its search for the next superintendent of WUSD. This will start with soliciting proposals for a search firm. The chosen firm will assist with recruiting, screening, and the interview process.
“As a board, our focus will now shift to ensuring we have a highly effective new leader in place as we prepare for the 2025-26 school year,” Kienbaum said. “We look forward to engaging our community as we embark on this important process.”
Editor’s note:The above press release was provided by the Whitewater Unified School District. An announcement that was made by the Manheim Township School District may be found here. It mentions that Pate-Hefty “will be relocating to Manheim Township with her husband and two daughters and looks forward to being closer to her oldest [sic] son, who will be attending the U.S. Naval Academy in the fall of 2025.” The website indicates that “The Manheim Township is a single municipality government in Lancaster County. We are approximately 23 square miles, with +16,000 residential dwellings and approximately 44,000 residents. We have a public school population of +5,000 students in kindergarten through twelfth grades. There are six elementary schools (K-4), an intermediate school (grades 5 & 6), one middle school (grades 7 & 8), and one high school (grades 9-12). Both residential and commercial growth has been consistent in Manheim Township…” The district indicated that there was strong interest in their position, as evidenced by 35 applications from 10 states. Per lancasteronline.com, “Former Manheim Township Superintendent Robin Felty stepped down to start as chief operating officer to the Lancaster-based Barley Snyder law firm in December 2024.” Dr. Felty retired after over eight years as the superintendent.
The WUSD School Board has scheduled a special meeting on March 31 to act on Dr. Pate-Hefty’s resignation and consider search firms to assist with the search for a new superintendent.
The Whitewater Unified School District is proposing a $30 million capital referendum on the April 1st ballot to address our schools’ most pressing needs. To assist community members in learning more about these needs, a set of short videos is linked at www.whitewaterreferendum.org. Additionally, these videos will be shared out on the school district’s social media platforms. For community members who have remaining questions or feedback, please complete the brief form at the bottom of the www.whitewaterreferendum.org site.
Readers may view all fourteen of the videos from the link above, but for the next few days the Banner will be featuring several videos per day with introductions to the direct links that will be provided.
Mike Fellin: By the Numbers – 1:13 (one minute, thirteen seconds) Award-winning Tech Ed Instructor, Mike Fellin, discusses the growing enrollment in Tech Ed classes at Whitewater High School. The April 1 referendum will provide the resources needed to modernize and expand Tech Ed spaces to meet increasing student demand. Click here to view this video.
Mike Fellin: Tech Ed Space Needs – 1:52 Tech Ed Teacher, Mike Fellin, explains the limitations of the current Career Tech Ed (CTE) spaces at Whitewater High School. The April 1 referendum would fund improvements to better support students preparing for careers in skilled trades. Click here to view this video.
Justin Buntrock:- Auto Shop – 1:58 Take a tour of the Whitewater High School auto shop with Justin Buntrock, Automotive and Metal Instructor. He highlights the equipment and space challenges students face. Passing the April 1 referendum will ensure students pursuing careers in skilled trades have access to updated and properly equipped facilities. Click here to view this video.
Mike Fellin:Woods/Construction Area – :56 Tech Ed Teacher, Mike Fellin, provides a tour of the current Woods/Construction learning area at Whitewater High School. If the April 1 referendum passes, this space will be expanded and upgraded to better support students in hands-on learning environments. This video is viewed here.
Editor’s note: The above was submitted by the Whitewater Unified School District.
As a result of a reader’s comment that it’s hard to find garage sales in Whitewater now that we no longer have a weekly shopper, the Banner staff agreed to begin a complimentary “consolidated” garage sale posting that will be published by Thursday morning for the upcoming weekend’s sales. This announcement will only be for garage sales (a sale of miscellaneous household goods, often held in the garage or front yard of someone’s house) in the city and school district boundaries. We will not be accepting, for example, ads for cars or other items that are not part of a scheduled garage sale. There will be a limit of three times per year for a particular property.
Those wishing to place a notice must send the information to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com by Wednesday at 6 p.m. You may include a brief description of the items that are for sale, the hours and days of the sale, and of course your address. A few photos may also be included if desired; we prefer jpg format if possible.
