Living with Pain? Healthy Living with Chronic Pain Can Help!
ADRC of Rock County Offers Program to Help Alleviate and Cope with Ongoing Pain Symptoms
We all experience pain from time to time – from headaches to muscle strains. But many people live with ongoing, persistent pain – known as chronic pain – that comes from injuries or conditions like arthritis, fibromyalgia, nerve damage, and others. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 11% – 40% of the U.S. adult population has chronic pain that impacts their physical and mental health and is one of the most common reasons that people seek medical care. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that help is available for people in Rock County. [The Banner has been assured that residents of Jefferson or Walworth County are also welcome to participate as long as space is available.] Healthy Living with Chronic Pain (HLCP) is an evidence-based program for people living with on-going, persistent pain. The Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) of Rock County will be offering an online series on six Tuesday mornings, from April 2 – May 14, 2024 (no class April 23rd.) The time will be from 9:00-11:30 a.m. each week. People will need a computer or tablet with a camera, microphone and have reliable internet. Leaders are Chris Devine and Kay Searfoss.
Developed at Stanford University, the program provides information and strategies for reducing and managing pain and has been researched and proven to decrease pain, improve mental health, and increase confidence in one’s ability to manage pain down the road. Each weekly session is 2-1/2 hours long and provides a venue for mutual support and sharing among participants.
To learn more or to register for Healthy Living with Chronic Pain, please contact the Health Promotion Coordinator at the ADRC of Rock County by calling: 608-757-5309 or email: Lisa.Messer@co.rock.wi.us. Space is limited, please register as soon as possible. Suggested donation is $20 and includes a resource book and program materials. Best suited for those age 60+.
The Aging and Disability Resource Center of Rock County supports the independence of older adults, adults with disabilities, their families, and caregivers, by providing services and connecting individuals to available support, education, and programs.
Editor’s note: The above press release was received from the ADRC of Rock County. The Banner appreciates having permission to use the image on the homepage from pexels by Engin Akyurt.
By Lynn Binnie Whitewater Banner volunteer staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
There will be at least one Easter egg hunt in the city this year, but the bunny will be delayed until the Sunday after Easter, April 7. Hunter Karnitz, who was recently appointed as manager of the Whitewater Aquatic & Fitness Center (WAFC), confirmed that the event will take place after Easter due to the schedule of an intern who is planning and leading it. The information provided below is from the Parks & Recreation site, where registrations may be made.
WAFC Egg Hunt 2024!! Come join us for a fun-filled egg hunt in and around the Aquatic Center Pool! There will be three different age groups for this event: 0-5 year olds, 6-10 year olds, 10-18 year olds that will take place right after one another. Kids will have 20 minutes to find as many eggs as they can, then turn them in for prizes! Eggs will be reset and then the next group will do their searching! Afterwards the pool will be open for swimming. There is a small cost to participate which will go back to improving the Aquatic Center! All who participate will receive a FREE Day Pass as well that they can use the next time they come for Open Swim!
Editor’s Note: The following was provided by Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club.
Delicious pancakes and Jones Sausages were served on Saturday by grateful Kiwanians to our generous community. Thanks to all who volunteered, donated funds, donated products or services, and attended the breakfast. The funds raised will help Kiwanis help children.
Following are a series of photos shared by Tom Ganser:
Editor’s Note: The following was provided by Whitewater High School. Photos were taken by Greg Stewart.
On Saturday, March 9th, students from seven schools met at Whitewater High School to participate in the WSMA District Solo/Ensemble Festival. Students performed in both instrumental and vocal events throughout the day. Congratulations to all WHS students who performed! Special congratulations to the 26 WHS students who received at 1* rating in one or more events which qualifies them for the WSMA State Solo/Ensemble Festival which will be held in April on the UW-Whitewater campus. We wish you all the best!
Dante Baker – Marimba Solo
Isabella Cohen, Jay Downs, Taiya Kolb, and Kay Mikos – Saxophone Quartet
Jay Downs – Alto Saxophone Solo
Taiya Kolb – Alto Saxophone Solo
Isabelle Lavertu – Trumpet Solo
Lucy Troxel – Clarinet Solo
Sami Van Daele – Marimba Solo
Meridyth Cashion-Soprano Solo
Ayden Clark-Soprano Solo
Charlotte Hajewski-Soprano Solo
Alex Sullivan-Soprano Solo
Brooke Mason-Alto Solo
Marina Linos-Alto Solo
A’lani Ross-Alto Solo
Ava Van Daele-Alto Solo
Alex Sullivan and A’lani Ross – Soprano/Alto Duet
Alex Clarksen-Tenor Solo
Samuel Nickelsburg-Tenor Solo
Payton Bunger-Bass Solo
David Enns-Bass Solo
Payton Bunger, Alex Clarksen, David Enns, and Samuel Nickelsburg- Tenor/Bass Quartet
Alex Clarksen-Musical Theater Solo
Charlotte Hajewski- Musical Theater Solo
Brooke Mason-Musical Theater Solo
Ava Van Daele-Musical Theater Solo
Aliciana Lopez and David Enns-Soprano/Bass Duet
Isabella Cohen and Samuel Nickelsburg-Soprano/Tenor Duet
Isabella Cohen, Lucy Davis, Erison Dreksler, Georgia Esch, Jazmin Falcon, Charlotte Hajewski, Nina Heim, Aliciana Lopez-Vocal Jazz Ensemble
Payton Bunger, Meridyth Cashion, Ayden Clark, Alex Clarksen, David Enns, Marina Linos, Brooke Mason, Samuel Nickelsburg, Lauren Rollette, A’lani Ross, Alex Sullivan-Madrigal Ensemble
Payton Bunger, Meridyth Cashion, Ayden Clark, Alex Clarksen, David Enns, Marina Linos, Brooke Mason, Samuel Nickelsburg, Lauren Rollette, A’lani Ross, Alex Sullivan-Vocal Jazz Ensemble
UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena played host to fifty-four high school FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Teams from Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota from March 14 – 17, 2024. Wisconsin currently has sixty-six active FRC teams, and forty-four of them were playing in this tournament. Whitewater High School’s team, Ferradermis, is the only FRC team in the Rock Valley Conference.
The Ferradermis robot, Chief Lee the Tangerine, performed very well, going 7-3 in its ten qualification matches under Driver Andrew O’Toole, Operator Kay Mikos, Human Player Erison Dreksler, and Technician Nina Heim. The robot had undergone a major change in its shooting mechanism in the ten days between the Northern Lights Regional in Duluth and the team’s trip to Milwaukee, greatly improving the accuracy of the mechanism and making the robot a force to contend with on the field.
Waiting to Weigh the RobotTalking with an InspectorSharing Safety Giveaways with other TeamsWelcoming MacLean-FoggBreakfast at the Hotel
During qualification matches, the randomly assigned alliances of three robots are awarded ranking points – two for a win, one for a tie, one for scoring a minimum number of notes (orange rings), and one for achieving enough points in the end game, which is based on climbing on the stage (a structure with 3 chains). The #1 ranked robot, Team 6223 Arsenal of Engineering from Menomonee Falls High School earned a total of 28 ranking points during qualifications. Ferradermis earned a total of 19, placing them 16th in the overall rankings.
Emerson Dunham, the Game Strategy Subteam Lead for Ferradermis gratefully accepted a gracious invitation from Team 9535 The Knack from Lake Country School to join the #6 seeded playoff alliance along with Team 2194 Fondy Fire from Fond du Lac High School. The alliance played extremely well together, going 3-2 in the double-elimination tournament. Before losing to the alliance led by Team 1714 MORE Robotics from St Thomas More High School (the team that had been the #1 seed at the Northern Lights Regional in Duluth), the Ferradermis alliance managed to knock out the #1 seeded alliance along with the #5 seed and the #7 seed.
Working together throughout the weekend to support the team were Safety Captain Elora Wildermuth-Breitzman, Head Scouts Andrew Zimmermann, Zoe Olson, and Cyrus Hudec, Head Programmer Ace Hudec, pit crew member Luc Pomazak, videographer Margaret Brown, Ambassadors Cosette Wildermuth-Breitzman and Maddi LaHaie, and Scouts Belle Cohen, Rae Breisath, Chacha Binagi, Georgia Esch, Preston Miller, Carson Miller, and Toby Kapfer. Ferradermis worked with an eight-team scouting alliance at this event including teams from Mukwonago, Muskego, Sheboygan, MSOE, New Berlin, Waukesha, and St. Thomas More. This was the largest scouting alliance we have ever formed, and it allowed us to use two sets of data gathering tablets for the first time, providing redundant data to help minimize the impact of any errors in data collection.
Television InterviewProgramming in the PitHosting the Impact ExchangeTeam SpiritTeam ChoirPre-Match IntroductionsTalking with the JudgesAlliance Selections
In addition to the work with the robot, students had many other opportunities to engage with others at the event. On the way into Milwaukee, the team stopped at Tailored Label Products in Menomonee Falls for a tour. This is where the team’s Head Coach Jacob Lee works as an engineer, and it was great for the students to gain a better understanding of his career path. Two of our students chose to sing in the team choir and performed the national anthem at opening ceremonies. Since our team had won the Impact Award in Duluth, Ferradermis was not allowed to compete for that award again in Milwaukee. However, our Impact Presentation Team organized an “Impact Exchange” where teams could come together to share ideas and help each other with their presentations. Ferradermis was honored to be one of two teams selected to do a live interview with WISN Channel 12 News in Milwaukee, so five of our team members put on a show with the robot in the pit and shared information about the Impact Award. Also at this event, the team got to see two more of its alumni, Reilly Aschenbrener and Daniel (Peter) Portwine giving back to the program by volunteering as robot inspectors.
Ferradermis could not do what it does without the many sponsorships it receives from businesses, individuals, and service organizations in and around Whitewater. The team was excited to be able to host two representatives from one of our Platinum-Iron Sponsors, MacLean Fogg Component Solutions, at this event.
The next stop for the team is the Midwest Regional at Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago, which will take place over Spring Break. Plans are also coming along nicely for the team’s trip to the FIRST Championships in Houston from April 16-21. Thank you to the many individuals, businesses, and service organizations (56 at last count) who have come together to help the team fund this incredible experience! There are still many opportunities to help the team with their fundraising:
Attend the Ferradermis Bionic Bingo Night at The Real MacCoys on March 26 at 6 p.m. This event is hosted by the United Way of Jefferson and N Walworth Counties.
Benedict, a 16-year-old Indigenous person who used both he/him and they/them pronouns according to friends and family, had been targeted by bullies at their Oklahoma high school because of their gender identity, according to Sue Benedict, who has been identified in various media reports as either Nex Benedict’s mother or their grandmother and guardian.”
Salem, Va. – University of Wisconsin-Whitewater senior forward Aleah Grundahl has been selected as the 2024 recipient of the Jostens Trophy – awarded to the top player in Division III.
The Jostens Trophy This marks the 26th edition of the Jostens Trophy, presented annually by the Rotary Club of Salem, Virginia. The Jostens Trophy is designed to recognize the most outstanding men’s and women’s Division III basketball players of the year. The awards focus on three major criteria: basketball ability, academic prowess, and service to one’s surrounding communities. The Jostens Trophy models the Rotary International motto of “Service Above Self” by recognizing those who truly fit the ideal of a well-rounded Division III student-athlete.
In addition to the Trophy, the Woolridge Scholarship, a $1,000 donation, will be presented in the names of the winners to their institutions. The scholarship is named after Dan Woolridge, a Salem Rotarian and the retired commissioner that founded the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, for his long-time dedication to Division III athletics.
The winners were chosen by a 29-person national selection committee composed of current and former athletic administrators and head coaches, past Jostens Trophy recipients, and select members of the Division III media.
Aleah Grundahl Grundahl, a native of DeForest, Wisconsin and product of DeForest High School, is the most-decorated basketball player in UW-Whitewater history. She has been a force since she first stepped foot onto the floor in a Warhawk uniform – starting in every game she was available for during her five-year career. Grundahl’s list of accolades and the heights she has led the UWW program to is nothing short of extraordinary.
“Aleah does it all – it’s not just basketball – she is the total package,” said Head Coach Keri Carollo. “Aleah is not only a phenomenal player, she is a great teammate, a fantastic leader and an amazing person.”
Grundahl, a two-time captain for UWW, has focused on team success throughout her career. She led the Warhawks to three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles (2020, 2022, 2023), a league tournament title (2023) and five NCAA Division III Basketball Tournament appearances (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024). Those five appearances include runs to the national title game (2022), the Elite 8 (2024) and the Sweet 16 (2023).
Individually, Grundahl has accomplished a number of “firsts” and broken several records along the way. She is the first to be named the WIAC Player of the Year three times (2022-24) in league history, the first UWW basketball player to garner six All-America honors, and the first in UW-W history to receive the Jostens Trophy. Grundahl became the all-time leading scorer for UW-Whitewater and the WIAC during the 2023-24 campaign with a career total of 1,952 points. In addition to scoring records, Grundahl holds numerous top 20 marks in the program and WIAC record books.
The list of individual accolades continued to grow throughout her career despite her humble personality and team-centric mindset. Grundahl was selected as the league’s Newcomer of the Year in 2020 and has been selected to the All-WIAC squads all five seasons. She has earned Region 9 Player of the Year honors twice from D3hoops.com, was the 2022-23 UW-Whitewater Student-Athlete of the Year and was honored as the Athlete of the Year by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. On the national stage, Grundahl is a six-time All-American earning honors from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and D3hoops.com three times each. A two-time WBCA All-Star, Grundahl’s jersey has been hung at the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Ring of Honor for the last year.
Equally as impressive is Grundahl’s list of academic accomplishments. She was named the WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete of the Year for women’s basketball – an award that also focuses on athletics, academics and community service. Grundahl is a five-time Chancellor’s Scholar, five-year honoree on the WIAC’s Scholastic Honor Roll and has been recognized on the Dean’s List her entire collegiate career.
In service to the university and surrounding community, Grundahl is a four-year member of the UW-Whitewater Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, a volunteer at Fairhaven Senior Services and has been student and substitute teaching this academic year.
Grundahl will graduate with a degree in Elementary Education with a certification in Adaptive Education in May.
“Aleah is the epitome of a Division III student-athlete,” noted Athletic Director Ryan Callahan. “Her career accomplishments in basketball – especially while student and substitute teaching this season – along with her success in the classroom, strong leadership qualities and community involvement put her in a class of her own.”
The Warhawks punctuated a perfect 3-0 record through the tournament with a 74-67 victory against top-seeded Arizona in the final game to pick up the program’s first national championship since 2016.
“We have all worked so hard over the past two years for this moment – the staff and the players,” coach Jake Williams said. “When you reach your goal and actually achieve it, that feels like the most satisfying part.
“We knew the whole Warhawk family was behind us – some of them were actually waiting for us at our practice facility when we got back. It was amazing to have that welcome home.”
Evan Oberst and Thomas Oberst, general business majors from Hartland, combined for 52 points in the championship game. Evan scored 23 points and added five rebounds and five assists, while Thomas finished with 29 points and team highs of 16 rebounds and nine assists.
Thomas Oberst receives the championship game Most Valuable player award from NWBA leadership.
Thomas Oberst was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
UW-Whitewater started its run March 14 with an 81-59 win against Southwest Minnesota State and punched its ticket to the title contest March 15 with a 74-58 triumph against Alabama in the semifinals.
“We really played our best basketball toward the end of the season, which is exactly what we wanted – we peaked at the right time,” Williams said. “We also knew we had great support from our alumni. We know winning means a lot to them, so that helps drive us to give everything.”
AJ Fitzpatrick and his UW-Whitewater teammates celebrate following the Warhawks’ win against Arizona in the NWBA national championship game on March 16, 2024.
The team’s regular season journey – which began with a home tournament on Dec. 1-2, 2023, at Kachel Fieldhouse in Whitewater – helped prepare the team for the tournament.
“We made some big improvements over this past season,” Williams said. “I noticed how well we grew together as a team, formed strong bonds, and learned to play for each other. We also developed mental toughness, which helps in the big games like the ones this past weekend.”
Five Warhawks competed along with Williams for the gold medal-winning Team USA last summer at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile. AJ Fitzpatrick, a human performance major from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Talen Jourdan, a general business major from Deerfield, and Warhawk alums John Boie and Jeromie Meyer were part of that team.
All five hope to be selected for the Paris 2024 roster, which will be announced in early April.
Whitewater Chamber of Commerce Seeks 2023 Chamber Awards Nominations & Announces 2024 Annual Awards Dinner: A Celebration of Collaboration and Community Building
The Whitewater Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce its much-anticipated Annual Awards Dinner, scheduled for April 19, 2024. Held at Chamber partner, Country Inn & Suites in Fort Atkinson, WI, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., this event promises an evening of celebration, camaraderie, and recognition of outstanding contributions to the local business community.
To embrace the spirit of collaboration and community building, the Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce seeks nominations from the Whitewater community for our annual Chamber Awards. Your input is invaluable! We want to honor the many individuals, businesses, and organizations that help Whitewater thrive. This year’s awards are: Good Neighbor, Service Excellence, Lifetime Impact, Discover Whitewater Tourism, and Community Spirit. Nominate your favorites HERE. Please fill out the form by Thursday, March 28th. If you have any questions, contact the Chamber at (262) 473-4005.
“We are thrilled to host the Annual Awards Dinner once again, celebrating the resilience, innovation, and dedication of our local business community,” said Lisa Dawsey Smith, Board President of the Whitewater Chamber of Commerce. “This event is not only a celebration of the individuals, businesses, and organizations that make Whitewater unique, but also serves as an opportunity to connect and inspire collaboration for the continued growth and prosperity of Whitewater.”
The Whitewater Chamber of Commerce extends a warm invitation to all members, partners, and community stakeholders to join the 2024 Annual Awards Dinner. The evening promises fun, connection, and celebration.
Click here for more information and to reserve your seat.
About Whitewater Chamber of Commerce:
The Whitewater Chamber of Commerce serves the area’s local businesses through business education, referrals, advocacy, and networking opportunities. The Chamber also strives to bring business owners and the community together through events and promotions. Our membership of businesses and individuals is dedicated to showcasing Whitewater as the perfect place to live, learn, work, play, and dream.
For questions about the Annual Dinner, contact: Karin Silvius, Director of Membership & Operations at info@whitewaterchamber.com
For questions about the Chamber Awards, contact: Katy Wimer, Director of Content & Communications at tourism@discoverwhitewater.org262-473-4005
