News

Representatives of the UW-Whitewater Branch of the UW Credit Union were unhand to receive a Regents Business Partnership Award from Universities of Wisconsin President Jay O. Rothman and Regent Timothy Nixon, along with UW-Whitewater Chancellor Corey A. King. (UW-Whitewater Photos/Craig Schreiner)

UW Credit Union, a longtime partner of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and an enthusiastic contributor to the success of thousands of students, has earned the 2024 Universities of Wisconsin Regents Business Partnership Award.

“The partnership between UW Credit Union and UW-Whitewater encapsulates what the Regents Business Partnership Award is all about — these two entities are dedicated to student success and improving the lives of those in the community,” said Rothman. “From financial literacy training to participating in greater service projects, UW Credit Union and UW-Whitewater make our state a better place.”

UW-Whitewater and UW Credit Union have teamed together for more than 40 years to provide resources and information for students and to educate students about the importance of financial literacy.

“We are thrilled to accept this award from the Universities of Wisconsin,” said UW Credit Union President and CEO Paul Kundert. “We’d like to thank the Board of Regents and President Rothman for the recognition, along with Chancellor King and his team of Warhawks for being such wonderful partners. The ‘people-first’ philosophy is at the core of the credit union movement, and we’re proud to bring that experience to the UW-Whitewater campus.”

UW Credit Union has been an in-house partner to UW-Whitewater since opening a branch on campus in 1982. In addition to having the branch location inside the University Center, the credit union also provides ATMs on both the Whitewater and Rock County campuses for the convenience of Warhawk students, faculty, staff and visitors.

“UW-Whitewater welcomes students from all journeys. Financial literacy is at its heart equipping students with the knowledge, best practices and tools to successfully reach their financial goals,” said Chancellor Corey King. “UW Credit Union through our partnership provides space for our students to learn the importance of integrating financial tools toward their overall success. We deeply appreciate this collaboration. It’s a prime example of our commitment to inspire, engage and transform lives.”

UW-Whitewater and UW Credit Union have collaborated on a number of efforts during their partnership.

• In 2023, UWCU partnered with the university’s Financial Literacy Center (FLC) and the College of Business and Economics to offer more than 20 financial education sessions serving more than 600 student attendees.
• Last April, the credit union helped celebrate Financial Literacy Month by encouraging students to visit the Whitewater branch and win prizes for answering financial literacy questions. It also partnered with UW-Whitewater’s Andersen Library and the FLC on a virtual scavenger hunt during Money Smart Week.

• UW Credit Union actively supports UW-Whitewater’s student success initiatives, including the university’s annual Warhawk Welcome. The organization participates annually in 14 Student Orientation, Advising and Registration (SOAR) sessions as well as the Campus Resource Fair, HawkFest, and the Fall Prep Rally, engaging more than 2,000 students.
• Bank employees volunteered at the 2023 and 2024 Special Olympics Wisconsin Summer Games, joining UW-Whitewater colleagues by welcoming more than 1,400 athletes and fans to campus each year. UWCU has also supported other university initiatives, including Homecoming, final exam week, the Employee Benefits Fair, and the Wellness Fair.
• UW-Whitewater athletics, a perennial NCAA Division III powerhouse, also benefits from the support of UW Credit Union. The organization, an “Official Partner of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Athletics,” has sponsored multiple athletics storytelling projects and community initiatives during the relationship.
• The Warhawk women’s basketball team supports Play4Kay, a national initiative aimed at raising funds for cancer awareness research named after Kay Yow, a former college women’s basketball coach who passed away from breast cancer. UW Credit Union has provided a donation match with the team for several seasons at the annual game, which is typically in February.

UW Credit Union awarded $115,000 in scholarships to students at the Universities of Wisconsin during the 2022-23 academic year and provided more than 200 financial education sessions to nearly 20,500 individuals on state campuses.

The credit union has also worked with multiple UW schools to co-brand debit cards as a fun way to engage students, faculty, staff and alums and drive school spirit throughout the state.

The Universities of Wisconsin Regents Business Partnership Award recognizes innovative collaborations between universities and businesses, as well as the impact these relationships have on campus, in the community and around the state.

About UW Credit Union

UW Credit Union is a growing, federally insured financial institution and a leading provider of a full range of financial services to University of Wisconsin communities. UW Credit Union’s more than 900 employees serve the financial needs of over 360,000 members through world-class technology systems and a convenient network of 35 branch locations and more than 100 ATMs. With $5 billion in assets, UW Credit Union is ranked nationally among the leading credit unions. Founded more than 90 years ago by members of the University of Wisconsin faculty and staff, UW Credit Union continues to operate as a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative with locations in the Madison, Milwaukee, Stevens Point, Green Bay, Oshkosh, Whitewater and La Crosse areas.

Dive into stories of resilience and the determination of UW-Whitewater’s first-generation college students at the pop-up exhibition “First-Gen College CELEBRATION.” This exhibit is hosted by the UW-Whitewater First-Generation Team in commemoration of the accomplishments of first-generation Warhawks. This exhibit begins on Nov. 4 and will be on display outside Roberta’s Art Gallery until Nov. 8.

“First-Gen College CELEBRATION” presents personal stories, quotes, and experiences from current first-gen students, as well as faculty, staff, and alumni. Also on display will be individual portrait photographs taken by Craig Schreiner, UW-Whitewater photographer. Included in the exhibit are Xitlaly Antonio, biology major; Isabelle Clowes, pre-nursing major; Brian Flores-Cordova, double major in marketing and finance; Glenn Hayes, director of bands; Terri Jones, King/Chávez Program coordinator; Jenny Krzyszkowski, director of First Year Experience; Corey A. King, chancellor; Joshua Reed, Career Services director; and Holly Wayne, marketing alumnus.

This exhibit recognizes the efforts made at the National First-Generation College Celebration (FGCC) which officially takes place on Nov. 8 to raise awareness and visibility for first-gen students. According to FGCC, there is a 54% national rate of first-gen undergraduate students. At UW-Whitewater, 36% of students are first-gen, and at UW-Rock County campus, 54% are first-gen. 

The exhibit reception will take place on Monday, Nov. 4, from noon to 2 p.m. to kick off the week of the celebration and recognition of first-generation students. Chancellor King and others will share brief remarks beginning at noon, and light refreshments will be served. For more about first-generation students at Whitewater, view the website.

Roberta’s Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the James R. Connor University Center at 190 Hamilton Green Way, Whitewater, Wis. The gallery collaborates with campus departments, student organizations, and community artists in coordinating and sponsoring exhibits. Roberta’s Art Gallery’s hours are Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The gallery is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. 

At Roberta’s Art Gallery, we pride ourselves in providing free and open exhibits to the public, and attending certain events can earn students class credit. If you are interested in being featured in the gallery, please contact us for a proposal request. Reach us at ucart@uww.edu or 262-472-3193. Visit our website for any questions or inquiries, and follow our Instagram @uww_rag. 

Daylight Savings Time ends this Sunday, November 3rd at 2:00 a.m. In 2022 the U.S. Senate approved a bill known as the Sunshine Protection Act to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide. But the legislation stalled in the House, as there was debate about whether to make standard or daylight time permanent. The bipartisan bill continues to be promoted, but it still hasn’t been passed.

The Rock County Sheriff’s Office offers the following safety reminders to help you prepare for an emergency.

 Check household safety items
o Smoke detectors
o Carbon monoxide detectors
o Furnaces
o Wood burning stoves
o Fire extinguishers

Create or update emergency kits for home
and vehicle(s)
o Swap summer items for winter items
o Restock and check expiration dates
• Batteries
• Food
• First aid supplies

For more emergency preparedness tips, visit https://readywisconsin.wi.gov. You can also
follow Ready Wisconsin on Facebook and Twitter.

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

Whitewater Pack & Ship, a business that for several years had provided comprehensive shipping services with every possible carrier, closed its doors in May, 2024. Now Advance Auto Parts has discontinued offering drop off service for UPS. As far as The Whitewater Banner has been able to determine, residents now have very limited options for UPS shipments, especially if they are unable to prepay the postage and create a label, or they have an Amazon return label. For UPS, there is a drop box in the Associated Bank parking lot. Particularly if a package is too large to fit in that box, Chris Hale of Home Lumber indicates that the business is willing to take a package for UPS, as long as the shipper has the package labeled and simply needs to drop it off. The other local and area options of which we are aware are listed below.

The UPS Store in Janesville told The Whitewater Banner that for an Amazon return with a QR code, the customer is not able to drop the package off anywhere other than a UPS Store. In some cases for an Amazon return, the customer is to create an address label with a bar code, and those packages may be dropped off elsewhere. Also, the Shipping Depot in Elkhorn indicates that they are able to assist a customer with a QR for a postage-paid Amazon return to jump through the hoops for them to create their label for the package for a $1 fee.

United States Post Office, 213 W. Center Street
Only USPS shipping. Envelopes and boxes are available for sale.

Walgreens, 1041 W. Main Street
Only FedEx shipping
Drop off: Customer must bring the package labeled and prepaid. For retail returns, they prefer that the customer have the label, but with the QR code they can usually provide one. FedEx picks up parcels Mon-Fri at 3 p.m.

The Shipping Depot
58 W. Market St., Elkhorn (Next to Taste of China)
Offers packing service, sells envelopes and boxes. Will assist a customer in obtaining the necessary label for an Amazon return for $1. Ships by DHL (international), FedEx, UPS, USPS. Open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. The store also offers mailboxes and shredding.

The UPS Store
2811 Milton Ave., Janesville
Offers packing service, sells envelopes and boxes. Will provide a label for an Amazon return with QR code at no cost; depending upon what is indicated with the code, the store will accept the return with no box or, if needed, can provide and pack the box for a charge. Open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Editor’s note: Any readers having further information about mailing services is requested to email us at whitewaterbanner@gmail.com so that we may update this information.

Native Seed Restoration of Paradise Springs Made Possible by the C.D. Besadny Conservation Fund Grant

The native seed restoration of Paradise Springs is made possible by the C.D. Besadny Conservation Fund Grant awarded to the Friends of the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit by the National Resources Foundation of Wisconsin.

The Friends of the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit (KMSFSU) is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting a greater appreciation of the cultural and natural history of the KMSFSU. To preserve, restore, and support the Kettle Moraine State Forest, the friends group partners with DNR staff and volunteers to complete projects and special initiatives, sponsor recreation and education, and raise funds.

The Friends of the KMSFSU applied for the C.D. Besadny Conservation Fund Grant earlier this year. The C.D. Besadny Conservation Fund was established by the National Resources Foundation of Wisconsin to invest in grassroots conservation and education projects that benefit Wisconsin’s lands, waters, and wildlife, and that connect people to Wisconsin’s natural resources. The one-to-one matching grants range from $500 to $2,000.

Lindsey Taylor, Conservation Coordinator with the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, shares, “Restoring natural communities that are accessible for visitors to experience and enjoy is a win-win for conservation. This project at Paradise Springs forwards the mission of NRF in one of our state’s most important landscapes.”

The grant will enable the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit – Wisconsin DNR to restore native vegetation and remove invasive species to enhance the visitor experience along the Paradise Springs accessible paved path. The project entails a herbicide treatment in the summer of 2025, a controlled burn followed by native plant seed in the fall of 2025, and a follow-up herbicide spot spray in the spring of 2026.

Paradise Springs is one of the most popular attractions in the KMSFSU. The 1⁄2 mile Paradise Spring Nature Trail travels to the Fieldstone Spring House, former resort hotel, dam, and former trout holding tank. It is one of the most highly visited areas within the unit due to its beauty, the trail accessibility and length, and the historical features such as the Spring House and Spillway.

Anne Korman, President of the Friends of the KMSFSU, shares, “Securing funding through grants such as the C.D. Besadny Conservation Fund allows the Friends of the KMSFSU to continue the important work we have supported at the Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit since the formation of the Friends Group. Restoration of native prairies and historical sites within the forest boundary has been a top priority for our group, and this grant funding is going to allow us to make improvements to one of the most popular locations within the forest.”

The Friends of the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting a greater appreciation of the cultural and natural history of the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit. For more information, visit https://www.kmsufriends.org/

Editor’s note: This press release was received from Friends of the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit.

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. This view is one of George Scharfenberg’s photographs from the 1990s showing an election banner. If you substitute November for April on the banner, you will have the date of the election next Tuesday. The Whitewater Historical Society hopes that all qualified voters will cast their ballots on Tuesday. 

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

(George Scharfenberg Collection, Whitewater Historical Society)

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the Whitewater Community Foundation.

The Whitewater Community Foundation has extended the Fall Community Action Grant deadline to Monday, November 4.  Grants will be awarded to local non-profit organizations actively working to support the greater Whitewater community. 

Information and forms are here: https://whitewatercommunityfoundation.org/community…

Local Whitewater groups – do you have a project that is beneficial to our community? Are you looking for funding?

Consider applying for a Whitewater Community Foundation Action Grant here: https://whitewatercommunityfoundation.org/community…

Celebrate the souls of departed loved ones through a cultural display at the “Ofrenda de Día de Muertos” exhibit at Roberta’s Art Gallery. This display is carefully curated by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Spanish Club and Latinos Unidos student organizations. It will be on display from Oct. 28 to Saturday, Nov. 2.

“Ofrenda de Día de Muertos” is an exhibit honoring Día de Muertos, or “Day of the Dead,” in English. This exhibit will feature an interactive altar, or “ofrenda,” where the Whitewater campus and community can write the name of a past loved one and leave behind significant items to welcome and honor their departed family members and friends. Throughout Mexico, families create elaborate celebrations of life involving small offerings and objects of remembrance to warmly invite the souls of the dead back to life’s celebrations.

UW-Whitewater’s Spanish Club is a student organization that emphasizes the importance of the Spanish language and promotes a deeper understanding of Hispanic culture. Latinos Unidos is a student organization whose primary goal is to unite, support, and promote the educational purposes and appreciation of the Latinx culture on campus.

Roberta’s Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the James R. Connor University Center at 800 W. Main Street, Whitewater, Wis. The gallery collaborates with campus departments, student organizations, and community artists to coordinate and sponsor exhibits. During the academic year, the gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday. Roberta’s Art Gallery is closed on Saturday and Sunday. The gallery will be open Saturday, Nov. 2, for extended hours in honor of the Day of the Dead holiday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

At Roberta’s Art Gallery, we pride ourselves in providing free and open exhibits to the public, and attending certain events can earn students class credit. If you are interested in being featured in the gallery, please contact us for a proposal request. Reach us at ucart@uww.edu or 262-472-3193. Visit our website for any questions or inquiries, and follow our Instagram at uww_rag. 

The National Weather Service also reports that gusty rain showers may be expected in our area from approximately 10 a.m. to noon.