Editor’s note: Thanks to Kathy Lynd Roelli for submitting this photo.
News
Youth Baseball Finishes Perfect Season
The Hawk Bowl 3rd & 4th Grade Baseball Team brought home the Quad County Championship Monday, July 18th, finishing a perfect 17-0 season.
Pictured L-R
Row 1: Christian Retzlaff, Roman Oldenburg, Keaton Kachel, Isaiah Cortez
Row 2: Espen Heim, Camden Kachel, Ben Mcquillen, Maddox Lippens, Cole Ehlen, Sam Brockwell, Asst. Coach Mike Kachel
Not Pictured: Eric Smith & Head Coach James Retzlaff
Editor’s note: Thanks to Mike Kachel for submitting this photo.
#FlashbackFriday with the Historical Society: Widening of West Main Street, 1997
Today’s photo comes from the George Scharfenberg collection of photographs from the 1990s and 2000’s. George liked to photograph all the events happening in Whitewater and in this photo from the summer of 1997, he shows the reconstruction of West Main Street.
Has it really been 25 years since the Main Street project? I guess so. The widening of Main Street was a major project and created much controversy in town. In the summer of 1997, it also created a construction mess that disrupted downtown Whitewater and the west side residential area for several months.
Join us next week for more from the collections of the Whitewater Historical Society.
(photo from George Scharfenberg Collection, Whitewater Historical Society)
Learn to Garden with UW Extension
Editor’s note: The following press release was received from UW-Madison Division of Extension Horticulture Program.
This fall UW-Madison Division of Extension Horticulture Program is offering the online course, Growing and
Caring for Plants in Wisconsin: Foundations in Gardening. This is a twelve week online course that runs from
September 11 through December 10, 2022.
Growing and Caring for Plants in Wisconsin: Foundations in Gardening (Foundations in Gardening) teaches
participants university research based methods to successfully grow their plants and manage common pests. The
course introduces a decision-making framework used by gardeners that focuses on understanding how plants best
grow, why pests and problems happen, and how to keep plant problems from happening.
The Foundations in Gardening course is divided into three units. The first set of topics is the basics: general
gardening, botany, soils and decision-making strategies for pest management. The next set of topics helps
participants understand how to identify and manage pests they might encounter. Finally, the last group focuses on
specific types of gardening such as vegetables, fruits, lawn and houseplants. As part of the learning experience,
Foundations in Gardening participants will have the opportunity to ask questions of UW-Madison horticulture
experts at live webinars. The webinars are scheduled so that each expert will be taking questions about the material
currently being covered. The webinars are also an opportunity to ask questions participants may have long had but
did not know whom to ask. Q & As with the Experts will be recorded for future viewing in case the live broadcasts
are inconvenient with participants’ schedules.
In addition to the Q & As with the Experts, participants receive a complete electronic (PDF) copy of the
Foundations in Gardening training manual. A bound hardcopy of the manual is available at an additional cost. This
is a valuable reference tool to have on the bookshelf. Participants will receive a certificate of completion and earn
up to four continuing education credits (CEU) for certain professional organizations. For participants wanting a
deeper dive into the learning experience, there are optional live lab webinars to reinforce the material covered in the
course. These give participants the opportunity to work in large and small groups with Extension educators to
answer more in-depth gardening scenarios.
If you are interested in becoming a Wisconsin Extension Master Gardener, this course is considered an approved
learning opportunity from the Wisconsin Extension Horticulture Program. Visit
https://mastergardener.extension.wisc.edu/get-started/ for more information.
Registration is July 18th-August 15th for this fully online, learn-at-your-own pace course. Course fee: $299, includes year-long course access and PDF version of course manual. Whether you are a beginner, avid gardener or professional, you and your plants will benefit from this course. For more information and to register for Foundations in Gardening, visit: https://bit.ly/3aBUGBe
The image on the homepage is an Image by jf-gabnor from Pixabay.
Local Students Graduate from UW-La Crosse & UW-Oshkosh
LA CROSSE, Wis. (July 19, 2022) – The following area students completed degree requirements at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in May. The 112th Annual Spring Commencement was held at the La Crosse Center Sunday, May 15. UW-La Crosse, founded in 1909, is one of the 13 four-year institutions in the University of Wisconsin System. UWL has more than 10,400 full and part-time students enrolled in 101 undergraduate, 28 graduate and two doctoral academic programs. UW-La Crosse – www.uwlax.edu – is the state’s top-ranked public higher education institution by U.S. News & World Reports for master’s degree institutions and has been ranked among the top Midwestern public institutions for more than a decade. Students earning degrees in May include:
Whitewater, WI
Brady Meudt, Bachelor of Science, Biology Major, Highest Honors
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OSHKOSH, Wis. (July 20, 2022) – The UW Oshkosh 148th spring commencement -with a pair of ceremonies May 14-recognized the accomplishments of students from all three of its campuses (Fond du Lac, Fox Cities, Oshkosh). Nearly 1,500 students earned bachelor’s, master’s, associate and doctoral degrees, and joined the ranks of more than 100,000 UWO alumni.
Whitewater, WI
Hannah F. Allen, College of Letters and Science, Associate of Arts and Science
Michael A. Fernandez, College of Letters and Science, Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering Technology
Eli Crogan, UW-W Men’s Basketball Coach 1970-74, Passes Away
Per an article in the July 18 Watertown Daily Times, Eli Crogan, [who coached men’s basketball at UW-W from 1970-74], and whose Hall of Fame coaching career for boys basketball included 22 seasons at Watertown High School, passed away at the age of 87 on Saturday.
Crogan suffered a stroke on Tuesday and died from complications according to his son, Craig.
His coaching career spanned 42 seasons and included several schools: Soldiers Grove (now North Crawford), Fennimore, Watertown, the men’s team at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and Wayland Academy. His teams won 562 games and lost 320. This included 15 conference championships, 13 regional championships, two sectional championships and three trips to the state tournaments.
He was inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1996.
Worker Killed in Palmyra Construction Site Accident; Update: Victim Identified
Editor’s note: The following announcement is from the Village of Palmyra Public Safety Department website.
On July 20, 2022 at 1137 Palmyra Public Safety Department was dispatched to a 911 call reporting an accident on a construction site in the 100 Block of Violet Street in the Village of Palmyra. The caller reported that a worker had fallen from a scaffold onto a metal stake. Upon arrival at 1142, Public Safety Officers found the worker stuck on the metal stake. The worker was pulseless and not breathing. The metal stake was cut and lifesaving measures were attempted. The worker was pronounced dead at the scene by the Jefferson County Medical Examiner. The area of Violet St was closed for several hours due to the incident. This incident remains under the investigation of Palmyra Public Safety Department, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and Jefferson County Medical Examiner. Palmyra Public Safety Department is not identifying the worker or the company until notification of next of kin.
Update: Per WISN, Palmyra police identified the worker on July 22 as Steven Alvarado, 64, of Fort Atkinson. He was working for Crete’s Here from Fort Atkinson.
Savory Sounds Family Concert: Ken Lonnquist & Friends – Thursday
The Whitewater Arts Alliance presents Ken Lonnquist & Friends, as part of its Savory Sounds concert series, this Thursday, July 21 from 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. The concert is at the Cultural Arts Center, Birge Fountain, 402 W. Main Street. Attendees may bring their own lunch or purchase lunch from the day’s vendor, Rocky Rococo.
Ken’s a prolific songwriter and enthusiastic performer. Much like folk legends Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, he sings for adults and children, addresses wide-ranging topics and mixes humor, sensitivity and joy in every show.
His ‘GREEN’ songs are widely known and loved. He toured across North America as The Minstrel for the Environment. His vast, varied repertoire and performance skills allow him to adapt to any audience or setting.
“Ken Lonnquist is one hell of a good songwriter and singer.”
~ Pete Seeger
”You are a treasure in the realm of music for children. Kids love your songs – they are fresh, relevant, musically sound, imaginative. Your work runs circles around the likes of children’s music gurus such as Raffi.”
~ Twila Bergeron, Music Teacher,
Fox Point, WI
“The highlight of Environment Week Canada! Enough energy to jump-start all of Ontario!”
~ Pat Potter, Toronto Environment Festival
Celebrating nature, delighting kids, touching hearts and spirits… you’ll love Ken Lonnquist.
Whitewater Arts Alliance Board Member and Chair of Savory Sounds, Christine Hayes, says:
“Welcome to a phenomenal free lunch concert series filled with music for all! Sit by the beautiful Birge Fountain as you listen. Buy or bag your lunch and bring a chair or blanket. Come rain or shine. These are musical opportunities you won’t want to miss, supported by our local financial institutions and businesses. There is parking available across the street at First Lutheran Church or on side streets.”
After enjoying the music and lunch, attendees are also invited to explore the exhibits inside the Cultural Arts Center. July features photography by the community to honor the late Fran Achen with the 13th Annual Fran Achen Photography Competition.
Warhawks Football Moving to 105.9 FM “The Hog”
Editor’s note: The following press release was provided by Big Radio.
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Department of Intercollegiate Athletics signed a two-year agreement with Big Radio to air Warhawks football games on 105.9 FM The Hog in Janesville beginning with the 2022 season.
“We are thrilled to partner with Big Radio and 105.9 The Hog to bring Warhawk fans audio coverage of all football games for the next two years,” UW-W Director of Athletics Ryan Callahan said. “UW-Whitewater football is a staple of our campus community, and we believe this collaboration will enhance the profile of the university and bring fans high-quality coverage of this nationally-renowned program.”
All home and away games during the 2022 and 2023 seasons will air live on 105.9 The Hog, which airs in Southern Wisconsin with coverage as far north as Madison and as far south as Rockford, Ill.
Game broadcasts will also be available online at 1059thehog.com and on the Big Radio App, which is available for download on Apple and Google Play devices.
“At Big Radio our commitment to local sports in our communities is unmatched,” Big Radio CEO Ben Thompson said. “We are thrilled to be the new home of UW-Whitewater football and further expand our commitment to sports.”
Big Radio Sports Director Josh Golberg, a UW-Whitewater graduate, will handle play-by-play duties and will be joined on the broadcast by color analyst Bill O’Leary, a linebacker for the Warhawks from 1970-71. O’Leary served as head football coach at both Janesville Craig and Milton.
“Getting the opportunity to broadcast games for one of the top Division III programs in the country as an alumnus is thrilling on both a professional and personal level,” Golberg said. “Bill and I will try to bring as much energy, knowledge and entertainment as we can in support of the Warhawks.”
UW-Whitewater, a six-time NCAA Division III national champion, begins the 2022 season Sept. 3 at St. John’s (Minn.). The team’s home opener is scheduled for Sept. 10 against Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) for a rematch of last season’s national semifinal.
Interim Economic Development Director Named Beaver Dam City Administrator
By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
According to a July 19 article in Daily Dodge, Nathan Thiel, who was introduced as city of Whitewater interim Economic Development Director on June 8, was approved on July 18 by the Beaver Dam common council to be hired as its city administrator. Other finalists included Walworth County Director of Public Works Richard Hough. The council approved the creation of the City Administrator position in September, while expecting to phase out the Director of Administration position and reducing the mayor from full-time to part-time.
Thiel was hired for the interim Whitewater position following the departure of Economic Development Director Cathy Anderson. He had most recently served as village administrator in Pleasant Prairie.
In other city staff news, Neighborhood Services Director Chris Bennett was not selected for the Village Administrator position for which he had applied in Union Grove. According to a June 28 article in The Journal Times, the village selected Kerry Bennett, who has been serving as village treasurer for the past three years, as well as interim village administrator for the past few months. Kerry Bennett is not related to Chris Bennett.