News

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society.

This week’s image in our Fairhaven series is a view of what can only be called a “mid-century modern” style lounge at Fairhaven, first built in 1962 and dedicated in September of 1963. The modern architecture of the facility was lauded at the time. Fairhaven initially cost almost $2,000,000 to build and consisted of six different types of apartments, all with kitchenettes along with lounges, dining rooms and other facilities. Also included was an “infirmary” that later was defined as a skilled nursing facility, or nursing home. But, the primary focus of Fairhaven, as it still remains today, was to provide an active, but safe, lifestyle for elderly residents.

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

(4453PC, Whitewater Historical Society)

Greetings!

My name is Mike Smith, and I humbly ask for your vote in the upcoming election for Alderman in the 1st Aldermanic District. (the east end of the city).

I grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and attended Michigan Technological University. I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1995. My career has focused on mechanical system design and plastics. I currently hold a position as Senior Mechanical Engineer at GE Healthcare in Pewaukee. I am very fortunate to love my job. I am also currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Theology from Covenant Theological Seminary.

I am the proud father of two Whitewater Middle School students, Melody & Eric. Both are active in several extracurricular activities. I am appreciative of the availability of these activities by the school district, local area clubs and the Park and Rec Department. I am honored to be involved as both a volunteer and coach in several youth sports clubs.

Whitewater has been my family’s home since 2011. I am proud to serve on the Planning and Architectural Committee for the City of Whitewater. I regularly attend City Council and School Board meetings. Outside of coaching, parenting, practicing my faith and performing my civic responsibilities, I can be found walking my dogs around our small town and its once picturesque Cravath & Trippe Lakes. Finally, I am the author of “Discerning Whitewater”, a blog about local issues affecting Whitewater.  DW has been a strong medium for my voice and the voice of others to be heard.

Ultimately, my city property taxes going up 50% over the last three years has driven me to run for Alderman.

The housing issue has gotten much attention over the last six months. The $5.1M TIF subsidy given by the city to the 128-unit apartment on the east side of town has gotten much deserved scrutiny.

TIF can be very helpful with the development of businesses. Businesses will, in return, create jobs and tax revenue rather quickly. Unfortunately, the city’s focus on apartments restricts the opportunity to use TIF money to bring in businesses and jobs. It’s like maxing out a credit card with nothing to show for it, and the taxpayers will be paying the bill for a very long time (seventeen years in the case of the 128-unit apartment).

I want to see the focus shift to making the quality of life significantly better in Whitewater. Whitewater can have a downtown area that competes with Delavan, Elkhorn, Fort Atkinson, Jefferson, and other neighboring communities.

I also want to see quality of life improve with cost-effective fixes to Cravath and Trippe Lakes.

I absolutely love this community. I very much want to be part of the leadership that improves the quality of life in such a way that every citizen sees it and feels it.

I hope to get your vote on April 1st. I will strive to be a candidate of integrity.  One that will not look for the easy answer, but the correct one. It is with great conviction that I wish to be of service to this community.

If you want to chat, whether you are on the east side of town or not, give me a call. I would love to hear from you.

Respectfully,

-Michael Smith
262.366.0467
mike@mspd-llc.net

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club.

The Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club is holding an Easter Lilies fundraiser again this year to raise funds to help children.  Each lily plant is $20 and will be available for pick up on Friday, April 11 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church at 145 South Prairie in Whitewater.  Deliveries can also be requested.  Anyone interested in ordering the plants should contact Al Stanek at (608) 320-9781 or any Kiwanian.  Orders are due by March 21.

Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club Co-President Corey Davis said, “We hope everyone will spring into action to order these beautiful lilies and help out children at the same time.  Spring is just around the corner, and these lilies will brighten your day as well as the days of the children Kiwanis helps.” 

Whitewater Kiwanis is a group of dedicated volunteers who help both children of the Whitewater community and the world. The club raised funds to make possible the installation of the city’s first piece of inclusive playground equipment, a We-Go-Round, in Starin Park.  Annual donations are also made to provide shoes and winter clothes for students, as well as support for organizations such as the Whitewater Food Pantry, Bethel House, The Community Space, and the Whitewater Youth Soccer Club.

If you have an interest in helping youth in Whitewater, you can check out Whitewater Kiwanis on Facebook and join our Club by contacting Corey Davis at coreydavis77@yahoo.com

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.

Ferradermis is headed to Houston for the FIRST Championships!

Wednesday morning, as part of FIRST’s new qualification protocols for Champs, the Whitewater High School FIRST Robotics Competition Team Ferradermis received an invitation to compete in Houston based on their rankings in the regional pool! Ferradermis performed very well on and off the field at the Lake Superior Regional two weeks ago, winning the event and the Team Sustainability Award, and was ranked #78 in the world out of the 754 teams that had competed in the first two weeks of global regional events. Some of those 754 teams received automatic bids at their event or were pre-qualified from last year, but all teams were ranked based on points earned at their event(s). Points were based on a team’s ranking after qualification rounds, their position in the alliance selections, their alliance’s performance in the playoffs, and team awards won. As of Wednesday, Ferradermis was the 25th highest ranked team in the world in the pool without an automatic bid, and Wednesday morning, FIRST extended invitations to 26 teams from that pool.

108 FRC teams from around the world have now secured a spot at FIRST Championships. With four more weeks of competitions, that number will eventually grow to 600 (out of 3,715 teams competing globally this year), and Ferradermis can’t wait to be part of that excitement!

Ferradermis will compete in two additional regional events before the trip to Houston. The public is invited to attend the Phantom Lakes Regional at Mukwonago High School on March 28 or 29 or the Wisconsin Regional at State Fair Park in West Allis on April 5 or 6. Both events are free and open to the public, and they make great fun family entertainment!

Ferradermis will now go into fundraising mode for the Houston trip, with a need to raise an additional $30,000 to take 30+ people to Houston for 6 days. If you would like to show your financial support to the team, donations can be made online at https://www.ferradermis.org/, or checks made out to WHS can be mailed in care of Laura Masbruch to Whitewater High School, 534 South Elizabeth Street, Whitewater, WI 53190.

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

On Saturday, March 8th, students from Whitewater High School participated in the Wisconsin School Music Association [WSMA] District Solo/Ensemble Festival at Jefferson High School. Students performed in both instrumental and vocal events throughout the day. Congratulations to all WHS students who performed! Special congratulations to the WHS students who received at 1* rating in one or more events which qualifies them for the WSMA State Solo/Ensemble Festival which will be held on April 26 on the UW-Whitewater campus. We wish you all the best!

Dante Baker – Marimba Solo
Isabella Cohen, Jay Downs, Taiya Kolb, and Xavier Ortiz – Saxophone Quartet
Ben Crone – Marimba Solo
Esteban Diaz-Gallegos – Alto Saxophone Solo
Lucy Troxel – Clarinet Solo
Sami Van Daele – Marimba Solo
Willow Vogelzang – Flute Solo

A’lani Ross – Musical Theater & Alto Solo
Charlotte Hajewski – Musical Theater & Soprano Solo
Samuel Nickelsburg – Musical Theater & Tenor Solo
Ava Van Daele – Musical Theater & Alto Solo
Alexander Clarksen – Musical Theater & Tenor Solo
Willow Vogelzang – Musical Theater & Soprano Solo
Ian Agen – Musical Theater & Tenor Solo
Chacha Binagi – Baritone Solo
Ameera Lin – Alto Solo
Payton Bunger – Baritone Solo
Alex Clarksen & Alex Sullivan – Tenor/Soprano Duet
Vivian Harris – Alto Solo
Ava Van Daele & A’lani Ross – Soprano/Alto Duet
Alex Sullivan – Soprano Solo
Ava Van Daele – Alto Solo

Chord of the Rings members Ian Agen, Chacha Binagi, Alex Clarksen, Esteban Diaz-Gallegos, David Enns, Samuel Nickelsburg, Josh Nygren (Cruz Aranda)- Contemporary A Cappella

Music Masters Ensemble members Chacha Binagi, Payton Bunger, Ayden Clark, Alex Clarksen, Isabella Cohen, David Enns, Charlotte Hajewski, Samuel Nickelsburg Harry Ritchie, A’lani Ross, Alex Sullivan, Ava Van Daele, Willow Vogelzang (Hayleigh Pond) – Madrigal Ensemble

Music Masters Ensemble members Chacha Binagi, Payton Bunger, Ayden Clark, Alex Clarksen, Isabella Cohen, David Enns, Charlotte Hajewski, Samuel Nickelsburg Harry Ritchie, A’lani Ross, Alex Sullivan, Ava Van Daele, Willow Vogelzang (Hayleigh Pond) – Vocal Jazz Ensemble

Article and Photos Submitted by Sam Averill
Whitewater High School Band Director
saverill@wwusd.org

The National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan Weather Forecast Office anticipates the following as of their Thursday afternoon update:

• A strong low pressure system will move through the Midwest Friday-Saturday, bringing gusty non-thunderstorm winds & chances for severe thunderstorms
• Peak potential for showers, thunderstorms, and possible severe weather is between 8 PM Friday – 12 AM Saturday. Greatest potential is over far south-central and southwestern Wisconsin, with lower confidence further northeast
• Primary hazard in any Friday evening severe storms is damaging wind gusts in excess of 60 MPH. While far secondary to the damaging wind threat, a brief, isolated tornado can’t be entirely ruled out
• The strongest non-thunderstorm wind gusts are expected Saturday afternoon, when Wind Advisories are possible over parts of the area

As shown on the map below, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation will soon be closing US Highway 12 from County P to WIS 20/WIS 67 for road construction. The County P intersection is at the easternmost stoplight on our bypass. Access to local residences and businesses will be maintained. Brad Bowe, the project manager with JT Engineering, told The Banner that, “The current plan would be to close US 12 on Friday, March 28^th to local traffic only. This would allow for some equipment to mobilize in and start work on the culverts under US 12 on Monday the 31st.”

Last summer a long segment of US Highway 12 approaching Elkhorn was closed for road construction for a number of months, causing many drivers to use a detour that included County Hwy H out of LaGrange. That will not be an option this time. Drivers heading to Elkhorn will likely find that the new detour won’t add too much time to their trip.

Whitewater’s Coolest Annual Event Returns in 2025

Special Olympics Wisconsin debuts 2025 Polar Plunge campaign February through March

Special Olympics Wisconsin (SOWI) supporters from across southern Wisconsin will be Leapin’ for a Reason in Whitewater Saturday, March 15, for the 2025 Polar Plunge® for Special Olympics Wisconsin, presented by Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Wisconsin and US Venture.

The Whitewater Polar Plunge® kicks off at the Whitewater Aquatic Center (580 S. Elizabeth St., Whitewater) with an Opening Ceremony at noon followed by nonstop plunging into the Aquatic Center’s pool. The day will include live music, photo moments with Chilly Bear, an open swimming event, cardboard boat races, and plenty of fun memories while raising funds for Special Olympics Wisconsin athletes. Unique to Whitewater, the zero-entry pool also provides an inclusive opportunity for people with accessibility concerns to still participate.

This year’s Polar Plunge® features two great ways to get involved:

1. Polar Plunger: The traditional way to plunge—jump into icy waters and bask in your generous glory! Those opting out of an in-person event can make their own adventure via Alternative Plunge.
2. Polar Pledger: Less daring individuals can still get involved without getting wet.

Plungers who raise the minimum $100 will receive the official Polar Plunge® long-sleeve shirt with unique design for 2025. Those raising more can earn additional incentives.

Whitewater is one of eight Polar Plunge® locations spanning seven Saturdays across the state. Other events this winter include Wisconsin Rapids, Oshkosh, Madison, Green Bay, La Crosse, Milwaukee, and Chippewa Falls.

More information, including registration and an updated schedule of events, can be found at PlungeWI.org. Pre-registrations are highly encouraged, but on-site day-of registration will also be available.

The Polar Plunge® is Special Olympics Wisconsin’s largest annual grassroots fundraiser—all funds raised for this unique winter tradition go directly to Special Olympics Wisconsin, helping thousands of statewide SOWI athletes train and compete at the state, national, and international level. The event also supports year-round health and wellness programs, leadership development, and Unified Champion School initiatives that enrich the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID).

The Whitewater Polar Plunge® is sponsored by US Venture, Generac, Fort Community Credit Union, Hexpol, and the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Wisconsin.

For more information about the Special Olympics Wisconsin movement, visit SpecialOlympicsWisconsin.org.

Congratulations to the WHS Forensics Team for advancing to the state competition for public speaking. All 8 team members qualified in their individual categories at the District 11 competition in Evansville, Monday night. 

Members include Makayla Bazeley and Carley Boudreau for expository speaking, Grace Coleman in solo monologue, humorous, Lucy Davis and Skyler Hogan in poetry, Maya Davis for oratory, Emily Schmidt in special occasion presentation, and Atreya Wilson for impromptu speech. The state tournament will take place in Madison on April 12. Congratulations to all!

Article and Top Photo Courtesy of Jim McCulloch
Whitewater High School Forensics Coach
jMcCulloch@wwusd.org
Additional Photo Courtesy of Tom Ganser