The City of Whitewater is pleased to invite developers and community members to its inaugural Developer Meet and Greet. This event aims to foster connections and provide valuable insights into development opportunities within the city.
Attendees will benefit from presentations by key team members, including the Zoning Administrator, Neighborhood Services staff, the Economic Development Director, and additional support staff. These discussions will cover essential aspects of development processes, zoning regulations, and economic initiatives in Whitewater.
Following the presentations, a guided bus tour will showcase available parcels of land, offering an in-depth look at prime development opportunities in the community.
Event Details:
Date: Friday, November 1, 2024
Time: 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Location: Innovation Center, 1221 Innovation Drive, Whitewater, WI With space limited, we ask all interested participants to RSVP by Monday, October 28th, 4:30 PM to secure their spot. RSVP Contact Information: Bonnie Miller Phone: 262-473-0148 Email: bmiller@whitewater-wi.gov
The City of Whitewater is committed to supporting development and growth, and this event represents a significant step toward engaging with developers and the community to explore future opportunities.
For more information about the city’s initiatives and updates, please visit the official website: www.whitewater-wi.gov.
Each year the Whitewater Arts Alliance is delighted to showcase the outstanding 2D and 3D visual art produced by its members. Not a member? Special mid-year rates for the remainder of 2024 and all of 2025: Student $15; Senior (Age 62+) $50; Individual $95; Family (one household) $130. Join here.
The 2024 exhibit opens Friday, November 1 with a reception Sunday, November 3 at the Cultural Arts Center, 402 West Main Street in Whitewater.
Being eligible to exhibit in the Members’ Show is is one of the benefits of WAA membership. There is no fee to enter and WAA does not deduct commission on sales made during the show.
Entry forms must be completed online and are due by by Sunday, October 27, 2024. Learn more and enter here.
In Japan, Godzilla is a revered pop culture icon and national hero. On November 3, 2024, after 40 films and over 70 years, Japan will be celebrating Godzilla Day. Don’t laugh. This film was the 2024 Oscar Winner for Best Achievement in Visual Effects, and is one of the highest/best rated films ever, by critics/audience.
(Certified Fresh Tomatoes). Personally, as a longtime Godzilla fan, I can tell you this is The. Best. Godzilla. Film. EVER. Language: Japanese; English subtitles.
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/
Early in-person voting is available today, Saturday, October 26 from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the City of Whitewater Municipal Building, 312 W. Whitewater St., 2nd Floor, Administration Window. See below for the remaining early in-person voting dates/times.
Heather Boehm, city clerk, told The Whitewater Banner that absentee and early in-person voting has been off to a strong start this week. As of the close of business on Friday, 514 ballots have been cast in person, and 713 absentee ballots have already been returned. That leaves only 228 absentee ballots outstanding. Currently a total of 5130 persons are registered to vote.
Statewide turnout has been so strong that the Wisconsin Election Commission’s database has been bogged down for much of the week, causing waits that have caused some clerks to handwrite the voter information that’s supposed to be provided on a sticker on the absentee envelope. At the end of the day they have to go back and generate the stickers.
Early voting times for next week: Monday, October 28th, 2024 – 8:00 am-4:30 pm Tuesday, October 29th, 2024 – 8:00 am-6:30 pm Wednesday, October 30th, 2024 – 8:00 am-4:30 pm Thursday, October 31st, 2024 – 8:00 am-4:30 pm Friday, November 1st, 2024 – 8:00 am-5:00 pm
DROP BOX INFORMATION Whitewater Municipal Building 312 W. Whitewater St. Last pickup on election day is 8:00 p.m. Drop box is located in the entryway on the Whitewater St. entrance. Please use the box that is labeled “Absentee ballots only.”
NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024 – GENERAL ELECTION Voting Hours – 7 am-8 pm
Polling Locations:
The Downtown Armory, 146 W. North St. WARDS: 1-7 and 11-12
UW – Whitewater The University Center 190 Hamilton Green Way Hamilton Room WARDS: 8-10 and 13
Any Absentee Ballots being returned on Election Day MUST be returned to the Municipal Building, Council Chambers, or the drop box in the Municipal Building Whitewater Street entrance. Absentee ballots may not be returned to either polling place.
Gretchen Joan Cutshall (Gentling), 93, of Rochester passed away surrounded by her family at Saint Marys Hospital on October 21, 2024. Gretchen was born in Rochester, MN on July 17, 1931, to Harold and Nellie (Larson) Gentling. She attended and graduated from Lourdes High School in Rochester. She married David Cutshall of Rochester in 1951. They had eight children together and were divorced in 1976.
Gretchen worked at Rochester School District at Central Middle School and Willow Creek Middle School as a cook for over 20 years before she retired in 1996. She then volunteered at The Ronald McDonald House in Rochester for 27 years where she still worked as a greeter. She also served at the Church of the Resurrection helping with funerals, events, counting, and being an amazing friend to everyone. In September of 2024, she was honored with the Bishop’s Medal in grateful acknowledgement for her dedicated, generous service to Resurrection Parish.
Her 8 children, 18 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren were her pride and joy. The love for her family was unconditional and absolute.
Gretchen loved life and had the most incredible smile and laugh. Her true passion was always taking care of others, often through her amazing cooking and baking. She enjoyed hardanger stitchery, loved playing cards, watching the Vikings and Twins, dancing, making snow angels, going on walks and adventures, being with family, and sitting down and talking to everyone she met while they became instant and life-long friends with her.
She is survived by her children Daniel (Cheryl), Cathy (Bruce), Robert (Shirley), Thomas (Mary Ellen), Bradley (Susanne), William (Tawny), Gregory (Kathleen), her 18 grandchildren, and her 14 great-grandchildren and sisters Mary and Margaret. She was preceded in death by her daughter Pamela, her parents, brothers Richard, Armand, and John.
A celebration of her life will be held at 12:00 p.m. Friday, November 8th, 2024, at the Church of the Resurrection. A visitation will be held two hours prior to the service on Friday at the church followed by a reception.
The family would like to extend their appreciation for the care and support she received from the Mayo Clinic Hospital St Marys staff.
As usual with construction, the mid-October target for reopening wasn’t achieved, but hope is in sight.
Diane Jaroch, library director, announced on October 24, “No trick, just a treat! The Irvin L. Young Memorial Library will reopen on Thursday, October 31st at 9:00 a.m.! Please use the new front entrance on Center Street, as there is no longer a back entrance. Our parking lot is now a construction zone, so please use street parking. Library items are not due until October 31st. There currently is no outside book drop, as the front entrance area is still a work in progress. Once the concrete sets and we are open to the public, we will be installing an outdoor book drop near the entrance to the library. [Patrons who can’t wait to return their books may do so at any of the other system libraries, including Fort Atkinson, Jefferson, or Palmyra.] We are very excited to have everyone back in the library to see the changes that were made while we were closed.”
As shown in the photo above, it seemed that ground had already been broken before the groundbreaking ceremony, as the entire west section of the building had been removed, but it was a celebrative occasion anyway.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion and renovation of the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library drew a good sized group of library supporters on a beautiful October 2nd late afternoon. Jennifer Motszko, President of the Library Board of Trustees, welcomed everyone and thanked them for their attendance. The board’s vision for expanding the library extended back over two decades, she stated, and it was very rewarding to see that vision being fulfilled. Library Director Diane Jaroch emphasized that this project is designed not only to serve the current users but many future generations as well.
Kelly Davis spoke on behalf of Capital Campaign Committee Chair Jim Winship and Anne Hartwick, the Vice-Chair. Kelly shared, “We are all here because we either love libraries or cake or, most likely, both! We want to thank you all for being here on this momentous day for Whitewater AND for loving libraries.
Jim and Anne both regret not being here to celebrate with all of us. Jim is in Stevens Point, where he will deliver the keynote address for the Hunger Relief Federation Annual Summit tomorrow, a commitment he made in the spring of this year. Anne, who works for the American Cancer Society, is this evening taking over some of the responsibilities of her colleagues who have been impacted by Hurricane Helene, and are still without power.
On behalf of the committee, we are thrilled that we’ve reached this incredible milestone in our library’s history. If you can believe it, we’ve been working towards this expansion and renovation project since 2003. Today, we break ground on a new chapter for our cherished community institution – a place where people can come to read, learn, connect, create, and feel welcome.”
Davis concluded, “This achievement is the result of overwhelming support from our community and the City of Whitewater. The additional 4400 square feet and redesigned existing space will enhance children and youth engagement, foster literacy, increase accessibility, promote cultural connections, nurture creativity, and provide a friendly space for all. The design is based on input from the community, census data, state standards, and considerations for sustainability, resiliency, and technological needs. This expansion ensures our library will continue to be an equal-access institution, leveling the playing field so everyone may benefit from knowledge and education. As we put these shovels in the ground, we’re not just expanding a building; we’re expanding opportunities for learning, growth, and connection for generations to come. Thank you all — our donors, our city, and every community member — for supporting this vital project that will serve our community’s needs for decades to come.”
Photo gallery courtesy of Tom Ganser
Jennifer Motszko, Library Board of Trustees PresidentKelly Davis, Capital Campaign Committee member Diane Jaroch, Library Director Library Board of Trustees John Weidl, City Manager, with daughter Library staffCapital Campaign Committee 100 Extraordinary Women
A very creative and delicious cake topped off the occasion. [Binnie photo]
It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society.
The last of our mid-20th century photos of UW-Whitewater buildings is this image of Heide Hall from shortly after it was built as the Humanities Building in 1966. In 1968, it was named for John “Jack” Heide, who had been the chair of the English Department (now the Department of Literature, Writing, and Film) since 1948. He is credited as revamping the English Department during a time of massively increased enrollments. After his unexpected death in the Spring of 1968, the university named the new Humanities Building after him.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
Patzka Breaks School Record to Win Augustana Interregional; UWW Places 3rd overall
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men’s cross country teams competed in the Augustana Interregional alongside multiple regionally-ranked teams. The Warhawks finished 3rd overall in the men’s “Gold” race, led by Christian Patzka (Black Earth, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) and Gunner Schlender (Brillion, Wis./).
Patzka completed the 8k with a personal best of 23:52.7 to finish first overall. Patzka’s PR also breaks a 56-year old school record. In 1968, Tom Hoffman recorded a 23:55 in Salina, Kansas. Patzka joins Hoffman and David Fassbender (23:57 in 2021) to run under 24-minutes.
Gunner Schlender (Brillion, Wis./) joined Patzka in the top-5, with a 24:14 to place fourth overall.
Chris Allen (Downers Grove, Ill./North) also recorded a personal best, running a 24:53.5 to finish 38th overall.
Wrapping up the scorers in the Gold Race, Tucker Johnson (Poynette, Wis./), 25:30 and Alex Metko (Brillion, Wis./), 25:34.
Brandon Gang (Waukesha, Wis./West) and Keegan Bratt (Waukesha, Wis./West) also recorded personal bests in the Men’s “Gold” Gang finished in 25:46.9 and Bratt with 25:46.9.
Other Warhawks in the men’s gold race include Dan Anderson (Eau Claire, Wis./McDonell) (25:48), Tommy Conklin (West Bend, Wis./East) (25:49), Conner Murphy (26:03), Jonah Block (Whitefish Bay, Wis./) (26:37) and Brandon Massman (Belvidere, Ill./North) (26:45).
In the Men’s “Blue” race, the Warhawks finished 5th overall with 160 team points.
Featured in the “Blue” race, Matt Andreano, Andrew Beyer (Algonquin, Ill./Jacobs) and Aiden Johnson all competed personal bests. Andreano (26:10), Beyer (26:42), and Johnson (26:51) all finished in the top 55 runners. Joining them was Bryce Faith (Oconomowoc, Wis./) with a 26:45 for 49th overall.
Nick Wendl (Milwaukee, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) (26:55), Landen Bratt (Waukesha, Wis./West) (26:56), Ryan Van Dam (Glen Ellen, Ill./Glenbard East) (27:08), Jordan Loferski (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Hamilton) (28:02), Adrian Ahuatl (St. Charles, Ill./East) (28:08), Will MacCudden (Slinger, Wis./) (28:23), James Belus (Oconomowoc, Wis./) (28:26) also competed in the “Blue” race.
The Warhawks return to their home course for the Warhawk Open next Friday, October 25. The men’s race is set to begin at 12:45 on the UWW Campus Course.
SSM Health at Home is excited to announce its new membership to the Wisconsin Hospice & Palliative Care Collaborative (WHPCC), comprised of Wisconsin’s leading nonprofit hospice and palliative care organizations.
WHPCC is a strategic partnership focused on enabling its members to enhance access to quality care for chronically and seriously ill patients and reduce the overall cost of care in an era marked by rapidly changing reimbursement factors.
Denise Gloede, president of SSM Health Continuum of Care, said WHPCC’s mission aligns with SSM Health’s core values of compassion, respect and community, and the vision to provide peace, hope and health for every person.
“The SSM Health at Home team is dedicated to helping people live life to the fullest wherever they call home,” Gloede said. “Our care teams focus on improving quality of life, providing not only physical care but also emotional and spiritual support. We look forward to partnering closely with other mission- driven organizations in Wisconsin to provide exceptional patient care through shared knowledge and best practices.”
SSM Health at Home offers home health, hospice and home medical equipment services across south central Wisconsin.
About WHPCC The Wisconsin Hospice and Palliative Care Collaborative is a partnership of six of the state’s leading nonprofit hospice and palliative care organizations: Adoray Home Health & Hospice, Hospice Alliance, Rainbow Community Care, Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice, SSM Health At Home, and Unity Hospice. The goal of this partnership is to improve the patient experience and quality of care while demonstrating value to the market by achieving improved clinical outcomes and cost savings.
Editor’s notes: The Greenhill Center of the Arts is located at 950 W. Main Street. Bear in mind that there is a charge for parking, which is either paid online or by going to the Visitor’s Center on Starin Road. Further information regarding parking may be found here. There are two free parking spaces that are reserved for very short-term parking while visiting the center.
Alexis Gunderson, who is among the students who are organizing this event, told The Whitewater Banner that the market is “absolutely open to the public.” Update: Alexis told The Whitewater Banner that the market is carried over to Friday from 1-5 p.m., and she doesn’t expect that they’ll run out of items before then.
