News

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the Whitewater Community Foundation.

The Whitewater Community Foundation is now accepting applications for Spring Community Action Grants.  Grants will be awarded to local nonprofit organizations actively working to support the greater Whitewater community. 

Qualified projects should be intended for educational, cultural, charitable or benevolent purposes that will benefit and improve the greater Whitewater community.  Consideration will also be made based on the results of the 2023 Civic Summit, when more than 30 community members, business leaders, educators, nonprofit organizers, and others determined key areas for improvement in Whitewater:

• Communicating to Whitewater’s diverse population in English and Spanish, making signage bilingual, coordinating communication to all groups, and providing opportunities for people of different backgrounds, age groups, etc. to integrate to help meet community needs;
• Housing assistance, affordability and accessibility for families and professionals seeking to purchase homes;  
• Marketing Whitewater by coordinating and cross-pollinating events, calendars and volunteer opportunities.

Projects are expected to be accomplished within a specific period of time (generally not more than one year) and should be creative, innovative and address community needs.  Interested organizations can find more information and fill out an application at: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bx6_oS4QSIAeR3BoVjNTeVJfQzg 

The deadline for submitting applications is April 30, 2024.

Kat Mawhinney, WCF Board Member who chairs the Community Action Grant Selection Committee, said, “We are pleased to be able to offer these grants to organizations helping to make the Whitewater community stronger.”

Organizations interested in pursuing a Whitewater Community Foundation Action Grant should check out the Whitewater Community Foundation web site https://whitewatercommunityfoundation.org/community-action-grants/ or contact Kat at 262-473-1403.

The Foundation continues to provide and host scholarships for Whitewater High School students and also offers fiscal sponsorship to organizations that are seeking 501(c) (3) status or require temporary pass-through funds for worthy community projects.

More information about the Whitewater Community Foundation can be found at whitewatercommunityfoundation.org and on Facebook. 

The Whitewater Community Foundation’s mission is to “enhance quality of life in the Whitewater area via educational, cultural, charitable or benevolent expenditures.”

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by Margaret Wheeler.

Updated note: The snacks are provided through a private donation.

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. This week’s image is a rare one of a passenger car purchased for the “B Line,” a short-line railway that was partially constructed between Whitewater and Lake Geneva in 1914.

The purpose of the B Line was to be a fast connection to Lake Geneva where passengers and/or freight could be transferred to lines going to Chicago. This would provide people and businesses in Whitewater faster transportation in Walworth County and, ultimately, to Chicago.

The line was partially built, but never completed due to lack of funding and the increase in prices for steel created by World War I in Europe. A portion of the roadbed for the B Line can still be seen along Highway P at Bluff Creek south of Whitewater where the road was raised to go over the highway and the creek.

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

(5547PC, Whitewater Historical Society)

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the Whitewater Unified School District Robotics Booster Club.

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library.

Local author, Mark Maas, will be at the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library on Tuesday, April 9 at 6:00 p.m. He will be talking about his book, One Team / One Family: Winning Is a Lifestyle, which reflects the belief that building character, trust, and positive chemistry among teammates is at the core of success. Whether in the realm of athletics, the corporate boardroom, on the factory floor, or in schools and offices across America, this book provides a blueprint for success. Sharing stories from a forty-year career in teaching and coaching, Maas lays out the fundamental principles for building team relationships.

Maas will be available for questions after his presentation. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing. The library has a copy of the book available for checkout as well.

The presentation will be held in the library’s Community Room located at 431 W. Center Street in Whitewater. The public is invited to attend this free program and no registration is required. For additional information, visit the library’s website at www.whitewaterlibrary.org or call 262-473-0530.

Editor’s note: With a portion of Whitewater being in Jefferson County, Whitewater residents would be expected to be welcome regardless of whether they live in Jefferson or Walworth County. Walworth County always has at least one clean sweep annually; sometimes there has been a Whitewater event, though not last year.

Editor’s note: The following announcement was posted at UW-Whitewater on April 2.

After the completion of a national search, Provost John Chenoweth is pleased to announce that Dr. Lana Collet-Klingenberg has been appointed to serve as the Dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies effective April 7, 2024.

As a distinguished teaching scholar, Dr. Collet-Klingenberg has served the college as Associate Professor and Professor as well as Chair of the Department of Special Education.  Dr. Collet-Klingenberg has also served the college as Associate Dean and most recently as Interim Dean.

Dr. Collet-Klingenberg earned her Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her Master of Science and Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

Provost Chenoweth would like to thank everyone who provided feedback during the interview process as well as the members of the Search and Screen Committee, chaired by Vice Chancellor for University Relations and UW-Whitewater Foundation President, Katie Kuznacic, for their extensive work on this search.

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from Habitat for Humanity in Walworth County.

Habitat Walworth has completed its fifteenth Walworth home, in Whitewater, – a three bedroom designed for a young family of five.

The dedication and house blessing is scheduled for Saturday, April 6, 2024 at 1 p.m.

Pastor Sean Walker, Chapel on the Hill, will be performing the ceremony as mom and dad (Che & Bo) welcome their two sons and daughter to their new home. The immediate family has put in more than five hundred hours of sweat equity since last fall in building the new home….framing, siding, painting, and whatever!

President Mark Gardner will be welcoming the hundred plus volunteers and supporters who have made the 1,200 SF home
possible. In addition, Mark says: “We thank the many volunteers and contractors who built this house. And we welcome Che & Bo to their new home, and look forward to identifying another Walworth family for our next build.”

Photos by Tom Ganser – Democracy in action, RAIN or shine

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

Turnout in the city was steady on Tuesday but not particularly strong, with 1562 people voting. Voters and election inspectors experienced the first use of the electronic Badger Books, and there were virtually no glitches. It sped up the check-in process using the digital poll books instead of the cumbersome paper books. Some other cities that have transitioned to the new technology reported concern from voters about the new system, but Whitewater poll workers reported virtually no negative comments and many positive ones.

The results shown below are unofficial until the election canvasses take place; however, most of the races were not close enough for a recount to be considered. Incumbents are designated by (I).

Whitewater Common Council: In the only competitive race in the city, former Council member Greg Majkrzak II beat Keith Staebler for an at-large seat by 786 to 532. Orin Smith won the District 2 seat unopposed with 63 votes, as did Brian Schanen with 359 votes.

Whitewater Unified School Board: The race for two seats on the Whitewater Unified School Board had three candidates on the ballot, but Larry Kachel had announced that he would be unable to serve if elected. The results were:
Jeff Tortomasi 1562
Larry Kachel (I) 919
Maryann Zimmerman (I) 1636

Walworth County Circuit Court Judge: Scholtz won the seat over Navis in the countywide vote, 14,213 to 6,283.

Walworth County Supervisor: Brian Holt (I) and Al Stanek (I) retained their seats without competition.

Town of Richmond Supervisor #3 – Alexander 301 to Wade (I) 220
Town of Richmond Supervisor #4 – Bergman 296 to Kraus (I) 231

Fort Atkinson School District Referendum passed by a squeaker, 2360 vs. 2280.

Palmyra Eagle School Board: There were three candidates for two seats.
Patrick 477
Moro 304
Williams (I) 372

Both Constitutional Amendments are projected to have passed on a statewide vote.

Children, Youth, and Family Director Position

First English Lutheran Church is hiring for a CYF Director position, working with children of all ages, planning and running events, and coordinating with schools and organizations to better serve the children and young families in our community and in our church.  The position is 15-20 hours per week and pays $20 per hour.  Find a link for applications about halfway down the home page, on the right at https://firstenglishlutheranchurch.360unite.com