News

Reports in various news media indicate that Jay Rothman, President of the UW System, has been informed by the Board of Regents that he must resign or be fired. Below this paragraph are excerpts from an article dated April 2 [“Universities of Wisconsin leaders looking to oust system president who refuses to quit”] on the Associated Press [AP] website. Jay Rothman has served as President of the Universities of Wisconsin (officially known as the University of Wisconsin System) since June 2022. An attorney who previously served as chairman and CEO of a large law firm, Rothman had no previous experience in higher education administration. A related AP article dated April 3 which is titled “Fight over University of Wisconsin system president’s future draws heat from Republican leader” may be viewed here.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The president of the University of Wisconsin system said in letters obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday that he has been told to either resign or be fired but has been given no reason and won’t step aside.

Jay Rothman, president of the multicampus 165,000-student university system since 2022, said in a letter addressed to the head of the Board of Regents dated March 26 that he has been given no reason why regents want him to leave.

Rothman said he has been told that his options are to resign or retire, and that if he doesn’t then the board “was prepared to terminate my employment despite all that has been accomplished.”

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. It’s Good Friday and time to wish everyone “Easter Greetings.” This is another of our early 20th century holiday greeting post cards. It was chosen because the image shows birds building a nest and this author has been watching a cardinal build a nest out of her office window for the past few days. We hope everyone has a lovely Easter and lots of nest-building scenes this spring.

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

(Whitewater Historical Society post card collection)

The Greater Whitewater Committee is set to host the Director of The City of Whitewater Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department, Kevin Boehm, to present on the 2026 Fourth of July Parade.

The Greater Whitewater Committee (GWC) is set to host the Director of the City of Whitewater Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department, Kevin Boehm, to present on the 2026 Fourth of July Parade.

This event will take place on Thursday, April 9th at 7:00 a.m. at Jessica’s Family Restaurant: 140 W Main St, Whitewater, WI 53190

The City of Whitewater Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department is proud to lead the planning and coordination of the 2026 Fourth of July Parade, continuing a long-standing community tradition. With deep appreciation for the many years of dedication from the Whitewater Lions Club, the city is committed to maintaining the spirit, energy, and community pride that have made the parade a highlight of the summer season. 

As the nation celebrates America’s 250th Anniversary, this year’s parade—“America 250: Celebrating Freedom”—offers a special opportunity to bring the community together in a meaningful way. In recognition of this milestone, the city will honor Veterans and Active Duty Military as Grand Marshals, celebrating their service and dedication to our country. The Parks Department looks forward to welcoming participation from residents, organizations, and businesses to help create a festive, inclusive, and memorable celebration for all.

The GWC’s upcoming monthly meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday, April 9th at 7:00 a.m. at Jessica’s Family Restaurant: 140 W Main St, Whitewater, WI 53190. The public is more than welcome to attend this meeting to learn more about the 2026 Fourth of July Parade. If you are interested in attending, you must RSVP. To reserve your spot, contact Jeff Knight at jpk@knightpublicaffairs.com or 920.728.0662 by Wednesday, April 8th.

“The Fourth of July Parade has been an amazing yearly annual event in Whitewater,” said GWC President, Jeffery Knight. “We are especially excited to see the community get together to celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary.”

For further details, please contact Jeffery Knight at 920.728.0662 or jpk@knightpublicaffairs.com. 

About the GWC

The GWC is an action-oriented group committed to collaborating with citizens, elected officials, and policy makers to identify, craft, and implement a pro-business agenda. The agenda advances the economic, education, and social policies needed to energize and secure the Whitewater area’s economic future, as well as protect Whitewater’s quality of life.

The Mulberry Campus is located at 1255 W. Main Street, Whitewater.

The Whitewater Community Foundation is now accepting applications for Spring Community Action Grants.  Grants will be awarded to local non-profit organizations actively working to support the greater Whitewater community with educational, cultural, charitable and benevolent projects that will benefit and improve the community. 

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.  The deadline for submitting applications is April 30, 2026.

Virginia Coburn, WCF Board Member who chairs the Community Action Grant Selection Committee, said, “I’m inspired by the number of local organizations sponsoring programs and projects to benefit the community.  The Foundation has given grants to The Community Space, Whitewater Food Pantry, Bethel House, First United Methodist Church, St. Patrick Catholic Church, Whitewater Rescue Squad and many more. I invite you to read the pages on our website to see if one of your projects is eligible for an action grant.”

Organizations interested in pursuing a Whitewater Community Foundation Action Grant should check out the Foundation web site at https://whitewatercommunityfoundation.org/?s=Action+Grants or contact Ginny Coburn at virginiacoburn@coburn.com for more information.

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 https://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 above was provided by the Whitewater Community Foundation.

[From myjewishlearning.com] In 2026, Passover begins on the evening of Wednesday, April 1 and concludes at nightfall on Thursday, April 9. The first Passover seder is on the evening of April 1, and the second Passover seder takes place on the evening of April 2.

(From Wikipedia) Passover, also called Pesach or Pesakh (/ˈpɛsɑːx, ˈpeɪ-/;^[2] Hebrew: פֶּסַח‎ Pesaḥ) is a ritual meal, the Pesach seder, that occurs the night of the paschal full moon after the 14th of Nisan, eve of the 15th, telling the story of the exodus, and remembering how the angel of death “passed over” the houses of the Israelites during the tenth plague on Egypt. It begins Feast of Unleavened Bread that continues through the 22nd of Nisan, and is one of three pilgrimage festivals in which all Jewish males living in the land of Israel are obliged. On the 16th of Nisan, jews begin the counting of the omer, the memorial offering of the firstfruits of the barley harvest. The counting continues for seven weeks until the Feast of Shavuot, also known as Pentecost.

When the Temple in Jerusalem stood, the paschal lamb was offered and eaten on Passover eve, while the wave offering of barley was offered on the second day of the festival. Nowadays, in addition to the biblical prohibition of owning leavened foods for the duration of the holiday, the Passover seder is one of the most widely observed rituals in Judaism. In the Diaspora the unleavened bread is celebrated for 8 days, based on the concept of yom tov sheni shel galuyot.

Besides having fun, what else can you do to prepare for the aging experience?  It is going to happen to all of us and the more prepared we are, the more likely we will age gracefully.  A number of doctors and experts were asked to come up with a mantra – a short slogan that encapsulates a core truth about physical and mental health.  In part one, we heard: 

Aging is a good thing. 

The way to health is through the gut. 

Sleep is important but not important enough to lose sleep over.  Here are a few more mantras.

Movement is life.

If you want to maintain your physical and mental health, you have to be physically active.  It keeps your brain, heart, lungs, bones and joints healthy; in fact, every cell in your body benefits from pumping blood throughout. It lowers your risk of depression, dementia, cancer, stroke, heart attack – all the things that are likely to shorten your life.

Food is medicine.  Food is love.  Enjoy it as both.

What you eat connects you to your culture and people you care about.  So, eat your favorite foods when you’re celebrating.  The rest of the time, choose foods that nourish your body.

Life is finite.  Live with it.

Once you acknowledge the limitations of being human, you can plunge your energy into what matters to you.  Procrastination, distraction, impatience, addiction and all the rest happen from trying to avoid reality.

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For more advice for living a long happy life https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2016/06/can-you-lengthen-your-life

This article is submitted by Dementia Friendly Community Initiative, a program of Whitewater Seniors in the Park to help educate the community about dementia and to support patients and their care partners.  New committee members are very welcome!  Call Jennifer to volunteer   262 473 0535     jjackson@whitewater-wi.gov

https://www.whitewater-wi.gov/273/Seniors-In-the-Park

County Residents Report Zoning Permit Scam
Be aware if you receive unsolicited invoices or suspicious messages

County officials were recently notified of a fraudulent invoice scam involving current zoning requests before the Jefferson County Planning and Development Department. Residents have received fake emails that appear to be official correspondence from Planning and Development directing them to pay an invoice in order to finalize a permit. These scam messages often look professional and may even use the names and titles of Jefferson County employees and details regarding a pending request to appear legitimate.

Red flags that could indicate a scam include:

• Suspicious contact information not affiliated with a legitimate email address. All emails from Jefferson County end with @jeffersoncountywi.gov
• Pressure to pay promptly and through a method such as wire transfer. As standard practice, our Planning and Development Department does not send invoices. Residents pay at the time of their application or permit.

Please be aware that scammers can impersonate any County department or private business to try to steal your money. If you receive a message or request that you suspect to be fraudulent, the best practice is to contact the entity making the request via a phone number or email address you know is legitimate. Instead of using the email or phone number in the suspicious message, look up the correct contact information personally and use it to report the message.

If you receive a suspicious message claiming to be from the Jefferson County Planning and Development Department, please call (920) 674-7130.

For more about Jefferson County, including contact information for all departments:
https://cms4.revize.com/revize/jeffersoncountywi25/