News

Residents of the Whitewater Unified School District are encouraged to consider seeking a position on the School Board. The final day for filing is Tuesday, January 7, 2025, by 5:00 p.m.

Two seats will be on the spring ballot. The incumbents are Jennifer Kienbaum and Miguel Aranda. Incumbents have until Friday, December 27, by 5:00 p.m. to file their Notification of Noncandidacy. Under section 120.06(6)(b)3m of state statutes, the District Clerk will give the public prompt notice if any incumbent files their Notification of Noncandidacy on the School Board Election page of the District website. [The School Board Secretary, Christine Dodge, told The Whitewater Banner that Miguel Aranda has already filed for candidacy and Jennifer Kienbaum has neither filed for candidacy nor for noncandidacy. No other candidates have filed so far.] Update 12/16/24 @ 8:45 a.m.: Jennifer Kienbaum told the Banner that it is her intent to run for a third term.

Any person who is a United States citizen and a qualified elector of the Whitewater Unified School District is legally qualified to become a member of the School Board. In addition, Board candidates should have a genuine interest in and devotion to public education, a willingness to give time and effort to the position, a capacity to understand people, and the ability to work cooperatively with others. The School Board is the District policy-making authority and is responsible to the public for the success of all education services offered by the District. This success is dependent on many individuals, but also upon each Board member’s understanding of the workings of the District-wide operations and each member’s ability to participate meaningfully in the decision-making process that governs the District.

The candidate filing documents may be obtained and filed at the office of the School Board Secretary at the Whitewater Unified School District Central Office, 419 South Elizabeth Street, Whitewater. School Board candidates do not circulate nomination papers, but the School Board Secretary, Christine Dodge, will assist to complete necessary filing documents.

CENTRAL OFFICE HOURS

Through Friday, December 20
M-Th, 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m./ F, 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Monday, December 23 through Friday, January 3 – The Central Office is Closed
Monday, January 6
7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 7
7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. is the deadline for filing candidacy paperwork)

The Irvin L. Young Memorial Library has unveiled a new online events calendar and room reservation software. The public can easily view upcoming library events, book a study room, and reserve Makerspace equipment, including the 3D Printer, Cricut Maker machine, and more. Visit the library’s website at whitewaterlibrary.org and click on “Events” or “Reserve a Room.”
The library is located at 431 W. Center Street in Whitewater. Call 262-473-0530 or email library@whitewater-wi.gov with questions.

On Sunday, December 8, 23 FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Challenge robotics teams from around southern Wisconsin converged on Whitewater High School. This contingent included teams from Lakeview, Lincoln, and Washington Elementary Schools as well as Whitewater Middle School. FLL Challenge is open to 4th through 8th graders and combines a LEGO Spike Prime robotics competition with a research project presentation. Each team can have up to 10 participants. Teams are scored in four areas which are waited equally – robot performance, robot design, Innovation Project, and core values. The core values of the FIRST program (discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, teamwork, and fun) are evidenced through conversations with the judges about how their team operates throughout the season as well as observations made by the referees during the robot game on the day of the competition.

Over 75 volunteers pitched in to make this wonderful event possible by taking on rolls such as referees, team escorts, emcees, and more. Almost every member of Ferradermis had a role as a volunteer. Ferradermis was grateful to the community members who volunteered as judges including Thayer Coburn, Jenessa Starling from MacLean-Fogg, Amy Waelchli, and Juk Bhattacharyya from UWW. We were also thankful for our team alumni who returned to help, and we took the opportunity to honor Bennett Miles as our Volunteer of the Year for his determination to start the FLL program in Whitewater as a senior in high school in 2018. Our team parents were vital to the success of the event with some serving as judges and others running the concession stand on behalf of the WUSD Robotics Booster Club. Another key factor in the success of the event is the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) community. Mentors and students from high school teams throughout southeast Wisconsin converge each weekend on each other’s events to provide key volunteers. Ferradermis would like to give a special shoutout to the Warriorbots from Muskego High School for bringing a crew of students to assist and to the Mukwonago Bears for all of their help in preparing for the event and training members of our team for key roles.

The 2025 event is already scheduled for Saturday, November 15, 2025.

Article Submitted by Laura Masbruch
Whitewater High School Robotics Advisor
lmasbruch@wwusd.org
Photos Courtesy of Rich Grosse

Rotary’s Annual Holiday Fruit Basket Sale is happening now! The seasonally festive baskets contain 12 pieces of premium quality apples, pears, oranges, and grapefruit. Those who ordered in advance may pick up their baskets in the lobby of the downtown office of First Citizens State Bank during normal business hours beginning on Wednesday, December 18.

Never fear if you didn’t order in advance; a limited quantity of baskets will be available beginning on Wednesday, December 18 while supplies last for $22 each.

The bank is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

All the proceeds will go to our local community projects and Whitewater High School Scholarships!

“Love the Coopers”

Wednesday, December 18, 1 pm 

(Holiday/Comedy/Romance) Rated PG-13;

1 hour, 47 minutes (2015).

The hilarious intertwined stories of four generations of the Cooper Family unfolds right before their annual family reunion on Christmas Eve. A stellar cast includes Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, John Goodman, Ed Helms, Timothee’ Chalamet, Amanda Seyfried, Alan Arkin, Marisa Tomei, Olivia Wilde, and June Squib. 

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/

Everyone is welcome with no cost for any activities.

Todos son bienvenidos sin costo para ninguna actividad.

Photos and story courtesy of Lisa Dawsey Smith.

This year’s Parade of Lights was far and away the biggest in memory. There were 30 preregistered entries. At the starting point the parade ran 25 minutes from beginning to end.

There is one annual title sponsor of the Parade of Lights. We are incredibly grateful to Generac for their continued support and sponsorship of this event. That sponsorship allows for the rehabilitation of the snowflake lights downtown, the parade and promotion of the parade, and the children’s take and make craft station.

 

Online voting for winners of parade prize categories is open until today, Friday, December 13 at 6:00 p.m. (one week after step off of the parade). The community will choose this year’s winners, and as of Thursday evening there have been over 200 in-person and online votes. Descriptions of the categories and the ballot may be accessed through the link below:

https://forms.gle/ujot15Q2MRVH9XbD7

Event attendees are also encouraged to use the link below to provide feedback on the parade, the market, the lighting ceremony, and other elements of the evening. Your comments will enable organizers to improve future events.

https://forms.gle/KBAqZhiVMrt4eApu7

Celebrate the Magic of Christmas at Cravath

The City of Whitewater is thrilled to celebrate the success of this year’s Christmas at Cravath lighting event, which brought holiday cheer to the community through an enchanting display of lights and decorations at Cravath Lakefront Park.

The Christmas at Cravath lighting ceremony took place around 7:00 p.m. on December 6th, immediately following the festive downtown Christmas parade. Attendees gathered at Cravath Lakefront Park to witness the stunning lights come to life, marking the start of a magical holiday season in Whitewater. [The lighting ceremony may be viewed here, and a video walk-through of the lights may be seen here.]

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors, whose generous contributions made this event possible.

Presented by sponsor: TDS Fiber

Santa’s Helpers level sponsors: Pro Landscape Supply, Burtness Chevrolet, Generac, UW Whitewater (SAI)

Candy Cane level sponsors: Tundra Tobacco, PremierBank, First Citizens State Bank, Kienbaum Iron & Metal, JLH Trucking

Gift Level Sponsors: Ketterhagen Ford, Fort HealthCare

Holiday Cheer level sponsors: Steve O’s Flip Flops and Tank Tops, Fort Community Credit Union

The lights and displays will remain available for public viewing nightly from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM through January 6, 2025. Families, children, and visitors are encouraged to visit Cravath Lakefront Park to experience the magic of the season and enjoy everything Whitewater has to offer during this special time of year.

Join us Saturday, December 14th for Family Fun Activities with Santa from 5-8 pm. Enjoy cookies and milk sponsored by Katzman Family Farms, cookie decorating and other family friendly activities.

Friday, December 20th from 6-8pm, we will be hosting a Chili Cook Off and viewing National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation out on the big screen in the park. Dress warm!

Looking ahead, we’re excited to announce that Christmas at Cravath will become an annual tradition in Whitewater, further solidifying our community’s commitment to bringing joy and togetherness to the holiday season.

Additionally, stay tuned for a special treat! Media Services is creating a video walking tour of the Christmas at Cravath display, which will soon be available on our social media platforms, YouTube channel, and Channel 990.

For more information, visit https://www.whitewater-wi.gov/1 or follow us on social media for updates and content from this year’s event.

Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by the City of Whitewater.

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE HOLDS COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY IN DECEMBER

The following individual from our area is among the 1,340 prospective candidates for degree attending University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee commencement exercises Sunday, December 15, 2024 in Milwaukee.

UWM is the second largest university in the State of Wisconsin, with over 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

Whitewater, WI

Dorothy Kent, School of Nursing, Doctor of Philosophy

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. This week’s image is one donated by the Leffingwell family. This donation was of photos from Halverson’s and Leffingwell’s men’s store. It shows a mid-20th century holiday float. Clearly it celebrates Santa and his reindeer, perhaps pulling a special hut where kids could visit Santa, but also wishes people a happy new year.

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

(4332P, Whitewater Historical Society)