News

Giovanni Anello IV, a talented musician from Whitewater, WI, has been awarded First Prize in the prestigious Charleston International Summer Music Competition. This online-based competition attracted musicians from around the world, with participants submitting video auditions in various categories.

Giovanni submitted his application in early August, and after an extensive preliminary round, was notified a few weeks later that he had advanced to the final round. Out of the numerous applicants, only six finalists were chosen to compete in Giovanni’s category.

On September 10th, the final results were announced on the competition’s website. Later that same day, Giovanni received the exciting news that he had secured First Prize, with the judges awarding scores on a 1-10 scale to determine the winners.

“I was thrilled when I was notified that I had won as this is the first large steppingstone to my performance career after winning both the Iowa and WI state NATS competitions and qualifying for the NATS National Student Auditions earlier this year,” said Giovanni. “Through this competition I have already been able to make musical connections with judges from around the country as I think about grad school in the next few years. None of this would have been possible without the help of my voice teachers the last two years, Professor Christine Blanner of Drake University and my current teacher Dr. Matthew Markham at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. They were the ones who sculpted my voice and performance to be what it is today.”

The Charleston International Summer Music Competition is known for celebrating musical excellence and fostering global artistic connections. Giovanni’s victory in this competition reflects not only his exceptional skill and dedication but also his growing presence on the international music scene.

From the Charleston International Music Competition website:

Giovanni David Anello IV, great-grandson of great Milwaukee director John David Anello Sr., is a fourth-generation musician and singer from Mukwonago, WI. He attended Mukwonago High School where he attained numerous awards through the Wisconsin School Music Association and Wisconsin Choral Directors Association including two Exemplary Performance nominations and a selection for the award at the state level and earned his spot three times into state honors choirs. After high school, Giovanni attended Drake University where he studied under Dr. Christine Blanner for a year as he transitioned from a music minor to a major. During that time, he competed in and won the 2023 Iowa NATS state competition. The following year Giovanni transferred back to his home state to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point to study with Dr. Matthew Markham. In the last year Giovanni has won the 2023 Wisconsin NATS state competition and the 2024 North Central NATS regional competition on his way to qualifying for the 2024 National Student Auditions preliminary round. Giovanni made his opera debut as Polyphemus in Handel’s Acis and Galatea at UWSP in April of 2024. In his studies, Giovanni is currently attaining his Bachelors in Music Education along with his BM in Music Performance with a Vocal Emphasis. A very active student in the university, Giovanni is involved in many choirs including the vocal jazz ensemble believing that the best musician and teacher is a well rounded one. He is also extremely active in the Xi Omicron chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

Anello’s competition performance may be viewed here.

A total of 156 students from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will represent the university as student teachers at schools in Wisconsin, Illinois and other neighboring states during the 2024 fall semester.

The following UW-Whitewater students from the Whitewater area will serve as student teachers this fall:

53190 Whitewater, WI: Christian Derenne, who is majoring in History and will work in Social Studies at Denmark High School in the Denmark school district.

53190 Whitewater, WI: Colton Meuret, who is majoring in Mathematics and will work in Math at Whitewater High School in the Whitewater school district.

53190 Whitewater, WI: Inger Miles, who is majoring in Special Education MSE and will work in Special Education at Whitewater Middle School in the Whitewater school district.

53190 Whitewater, WI: Raquel Ortiz, who is majoring in Elementary Education and will work in Elementary & Middle at Lincoln Elementary in the Whitewater school district.

53190 Whitewater, WI: Sydney Troy, who is majoring in Elementary Education and will work in Elementary & Middle at Parkview Elementary in the Parkview school district.

53190 Whitewater, WI: Dayna Wendelberger, who is majoring in Elementary Education and will work in Elementary & Middle at Templeton Middle School in the Hamilton school district.

Students from the university’s College of Education and Professional Studies will serve as student teachers through January 2025.

“Our students are highly sought after,” said Fred Trotter, administrative director in UW-Whitewater’s Office of Clinical Experiences. “School districts really appreciate the caliber of our graduates.”

Student teaching is the final activity before teacher candidates earn their degree and license.

UW-Whitewater will partner with 218 cooperating teachers across 148 schools in 94 districts over the course of the semester.

“We couldn’t do this without a lot of the great partnerships we have with those pre-K through 12 schools – their partnerships are very much appreciated,” Trotter said.

Student teachers assist cooperating teachers with lesson planning, instruction and assessment. Some student teachers are pre-selected by UWW staff and cooperating schools for internships, earning a small stipend and teaching up to 50 percent of their day as a certified teacher would.

UW-Whitewater licenses the most teachers in the state of Wisconsin. Educating teachers was the university’s original mission during its founding in 1868. To learn more about the College of Education and Professional Studies at UW-Whitewater, visit uww.edu/coeps.

Discover Whitewater Series: Sunday, September 22nd

The Discover Whitewater Series (DWS): Half Marathon, Half Marathon Team Event, 5k & Kids Koral is this Sunday, September 22nd.

This Sunday the Discover Whitewater Series is set to take off at 7:55 a.m. for the Wheelchair division, and the Half Marathon at 8:00 a.m. with the Half Marathon followed by the 5k beginning at 8:15 a.m. During this time traffic in the area may be affected. Please refer to the course map for detailed information. 

The DWS team encourages community members to line the streets and cheer on the runners. Common Council President, Patrick Singer, will be making opening remarks at 7:45 a.m. at Whitewater High School. Help cheer on participants as they run through the city. 

The DWS team is working hard to get ready for packet pickup, as many volunteers and team members are currently stuffing shirts, bibs, and goodies for all of the race participants. There is still time to register, volunteers are still needed and it is a great way to get in on the action. Students can receive volunteer hours for participating. Don’t miss out as numbers are climbing. The DWS team is currently prepping the course for another amazing year. 

Sign up today to either run or volunteer at: https://RunWhitewater.com/. To see where you can cheer on please see the course map below.

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

About the DWS

The goal of the DWS is to promote the City of Whitewater and highlight its greatest features, while keeping everyone in the community active. All the proceeds from the race are donated to local non-profit partners: Bethel House (which provides interim housing for homeless families), Whitewater LEADS, Working for Whitewater’s Wellness (W3), and the J-Hawk Aquatic Club. The DWS partners with the city, business community, and university  to make this a tremendous event that benefits all who participate. For more information about the race visit www.runwhitewater.com.

“Thirteen Lives”

Tuesday, September 24, 1 p.m.

(Docudrama/Thriller) Rated PG-13; 2 hours, 27 minutes (2022).

The true story of the June 2018 Thailand Tham Luang Cave rescue of 13 young boys and their coach, trapped in a cavern with rising water. A emotional story that riveted the world. Directed by Ron Howard; starring Colin Farrell, Viggo, Mortensen, and Joel Edgerton.

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/

After a very busy road construction season, the last major detour in the city has been lifted with the reopening of Fremont Street. Phase I of the reconstruction began on April 22, at which time it was projected that Fremont Street might reopen by September 1.

Editor’s note: The Banner appreciates having permission to use the image on the homepage by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay.

The Water Utility will begin its semi-annual water main and hydrant flushing program on Monday, September 23, through Friday, September 27, 2024.

Flushing of water mains is necessary to test the hydrants to make sure adequate flow and pressure is available. It also confirms the fire hydrants and valves are operating correctly. In addition, it enhances water quality by removing sediment from the pipes in order to maintain water clarity and quality in the distribution pipes.

Occasionally, water becomes discolored after hydrant flushing. If this happens turn on an outside spigot or a cold water tap, in the lowest level of your home, for a few minutes until the water clears. If it doesn’t clear the first time, wait a few minutes and run the
water again. You may want to wait until the crew has left the area and the water settles down before running your water tap.

Additionally, caution should be exercised in washing of white clothing. Discoloration of water, due to flushing, WILL stain white clothing. Therefore, you should avoid washing clothes until the water clears.

If the Water Utility crew experiences more repairs than expected throughout the week, flushing may continue into the following week. Thank you for your patience and understanding during water main and hydrant flushing.

Jim Bergner, Superintendent
Water Utility
jbergner@whitewater-wi.gov
(262) 473-0560

For other requests, visit https://www.whitewater-wi.gov/RequestTracker.aspx.

Editor’s note: The above press release was received from the City of Whitewater.

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

Update 9/20/24 @ 8:40 a.m. – Mark Dorn indicates that, “The ALDI flyer not in this week’s Walworth County shopper was in this week’s Whitewater Register and Palmyra Enterprise. It was a separate grand opening section with a five dollar off of $30 purchase coupon. I remain a print subscriber to both the Register and the Enterprise.”

ALDI promised that the first 100 customers for their grand opening on September 19 would receive a Golden Ticket that could be worth up to $100, plus a free eco-friendly bag stuffed with ALDI products. That promotion helped to bring out a line of at least 212 people, as counted by a store employee, before the ribbon cutting at 8:50 a.m. that celebrated the long-awaited opening of the doors of the first free-standing grocery store in Whitewater since 2015. The parking lot was completely full, and as a consequence the western portion of the Walmart parking lot looked like it must be Black Friday.

Larry Kachel indicated that the prior property owner [DLK related] had been in discussion with ALDI beginning in 2017, but the company had concluded that the traffic counts and population did not meet their minimum criteria. Kachel hastened to add that the late Jim Allen’s persistent efforts over many years to attract a store should also be recognized. Tom Howard, ALDI’s regional real estate developer, told the Banner that the city became a viable possibility for a store as a result of the success that the company has recently enjoyed with other stores in rural areas. Jon Kachel indicated that discussions have taken place with a variety of prospects regarding the property located between ALDI and Culver’s, but nothing has come together yet.

Those at the very front of the line, four UW-W students, indicated that they had arrived at 4:45 a.m. They said that they were excited about having a second option for groceries. Hailing from the Madison area, they’d already had the opportunity to shop at an ALDI store.

The one hundredth person in line was Katrina Stark, a university student who was proud to say that she’s from Wisconsin’s first capitol, Belmont. Her just-in-time arrival had been at 7:20 a.m, still rather early for a 9:00 opening. The woman immediately behind Stark described herself as being one of the “disgruntled,” stating that she would have been among the chosen if there hadn’t been a few line crashers. She and others felt that the numbers should have been passed out earlier. The woman was among those who had successfully dissuaded the store employee from giving a number to one of the interlopers.

A previous Whitewater Banner post provides many details about the store. Here we need to correct a couple of previous misstatements and offer some new discoveries:

Correction regarding WIC (a supplemental nutrition program for Women, Infants and Children): The Banner erroneously stated that ALDI accepts WIC EBT cards. This is not true. ALDI does not accept WIC as a payment. We regret this error. ALDI does accept the Quest EBT card from the Wisconsin FoodShare program. [This program has also been known as food stamps or SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.)]

Correction regarding curbside pickup orders: We previously indicated that the store would not offer pickup of online orders. It turns out that this service will be offered beginning on October 3. Orders may be placed through the website [aldi.us] or app. There are three parking spaces in front of the store that are designated for customers with pickups. Delivery service is expected to soon be offered by Instacart, which already provides service from the Janesville ALDI.

Tobacco/Alcohol: The store doesn’t sell any tobacco products. It does sell beer and wine; however, the beer section primarily features ale. There are no national brands of beer, but New Glarus is featured.

Pricing: As with many chain stores, the prices may vary from one location to another. Additionally, the Banner was told that a number of prices may change every Thursday based on market conditions. On Thursday, gallons of 1% and 2% milk were priced at $1.99; whole milk cost $3.05. A dozen eggs sold for $1.06. A pound of butter was $1.99, with a limit of four. In Janesville on the same day all of the milk was priced at $2.66 and eggs were $2.99. Though it was not indicated, Whitewater’s low prices may have been grand opening specials.

European products: A longtime ALDI shopper states that she enjoys trying the various European products that are offered. Currently, a representative stated, there are more German products in stock than usual in celebration of Oktoberfest, and German products are especially featured once a quarter.

Checkouts: The self-service registers only accept credit/debit cards (perhaps also FoodShare EBT.) It was indicated that there will also always be an attended cash register. A regional manager stated that virtually all staff are cross-trained, and in a given shift an employee might run a register, stock some shelves and do some cleaning.

Electric carts: Though there is not yet an electric cart for shopper use, when the Banner told the district manager that one of our readers had expressed that he needs to use one, the manager stated that he would request that at least one be provided.

Restrooms are located at the front of the store.

What happened to the Walworth County Smart Shop flyer? For years this “shopper” that comes in the U.S. Mail has included an ALDI flyer. Strangely, at least some local residents did not receive the flyer in this week’s mail. The district manager is looking into this.

A card with three coupons for $5 off a $30 purchase was being distributed. The first coupon is good from September 25 to October 1; the other two, in the succeeding weeks.