News

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

The library is participating in “Hour of Code” on Monday, December 4 at 3:30-4:30 p.m. in celebration of Computer Science Education Week. This year, children in grades two through six (ages 7-12) are invited to learn how to program drones and a high-tech sleigh (virtually) with coding magic to capture presents and navigate down the mountain to return Christmas to Whoville in a Grinch-style educational game. Computers will be provided.  

Please register in advance as space is limited. Visit whitewaterlibrary.org and click on “Events – Registration Forms” or contact Sarah French at sfrench@whitewaterlibrary.org or 262-458-2782.  The Irvin L. Young Memorial Library is located at 431 W. Center Street in Whitewater.  

WHS Players would like to thank everyone who attended our recent production of “Mean Girls, High School Version.”  It was a fun show to produce and the cast and crew had a great time bringing it to life on stage.  

Please join us for our next production of the classic play, “Our Town,” by Thornton Wilder.  Performances will be given February 29-March 3, 2024.

We are currently looking for corporate and private partnerships to help sponsor this event.  Please contact Jim McCulloch at jmcculloch@wwusd.org for more information.

Editor’s note: Thanks to Tom Ganser for this great photo gallery.

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from Edgerton Hospital. Per a social media post by Al Hutchison, President of the UW-Whitewater Community Club, “there will be no Breakfast with Santa this year [at Esker Hall] as we have run short of help running the event. We are sorry to the Whitewater community but it takes great effort to pull this off and we just didn’t have it.” It appears that there may be a dinner with Santa at the middle school. Watch for confirmation.

(EDGERTON, WI) – Edgerton Hospital, 11101 N Sherman Rd, Edgerton, invites the community to its annual breakfast with Santa, sponsored by the Edgerton Hospital Sunshine Committee!

Saturday, December 2^nd, from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m., the entire family can enjoy a delicious breakfast, holiday activities, and a fun morning with Santa! Kids always have a great time shopping on their own in “Santa’s Secret Gift Shop!”

Edgerton Hospital welcomes you to bring your holiday cheer and enjoy:

·         A variety of breakfast items from the café – Donations accepted

·         Pictures with Santa – Donations accepted

·         Holiday Crafting Station & Cookie Decorating – $1.00 for each item

·         Santa’s Secret Gift Shop – Exclusively for children to buy gifts for their family members. All gifts are under $5 and include wrapping!

Pay the day of the event! No registration necessary! 

Please join us the morning of December 2^nd for this fun event! For more information, visit www.edgertonhospital.com.

Editor’s note: The Banner appreciates having permission to use the image on the homepage by Jo Justino from Pixabay.

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers announced today that he is seeking applicants for appointment as register of deeds in Walworth County. The appointment will fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Michele Jacobs on Dec. 10, 2023. The new register of deeds will serve for the remainder of the unexpired term that ends Jan. 5, 2025. Application materials must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Fri., Dec. 8, 2023. For more information about the position, please contact Walworth County. Those interested in applying must submit an online application with a cover letter detailing professional and academic qualifications, civic activities, and community involvement. Individuals interested in serving as register of deeds in Walworth County can apply via the Evers Administration register of deeds application here, which can also be found on the “Apply to Serve” page of Gov. Evers’ website at www.evers.wi.gov. Potential applicants with questions about the application process may contact the Gubernatorial Appointments Office at govappointments@wisconsin.gov.

An online version of this release is available here.

On Saturday, November 25, twenty-six Junior and Cadette Girl Scouts from Whitewater and surrounding cities descended on Whitewater High School with one goal – to earn their robotics badges. Members of Ferradermis, Whitewater High School’s FIRST Robotics Competition Team, hosted the event, running workshops throughout the day so the girls at each level could meet the requirements for earning their badges for Designing Robots, Programming Robots, and Showcasing Robots.

The girls started their day as a large group with an opening introduction to FIRST Robotics presented by Ferradermis Outreach Subteam Lead Maddison LaHaie. This was followed by a visit from a virtual guest speaker, Carissa Petzinger, an industrial engineer at Rondo Energy in California. Petzinger had served as head coach for Ferradermis for several years when she was employed as an engineer at Generac in Whitewater and shared information with the girls about the robots she has designed in her various workplaces. LaHaie and Meg Roselle followed the girls to their various sessions throughout the day, capturing photographs and constructing a slideshow that the girls could use to present their projects at the end of the day.

Throughout the day, groups of girls rotated through five other sessions. Programming Team Member Margaret Brown led the girls through an activity involving writing and debugging algorithms and then shared information about how robots are currently used and how they might be used in the future before having the girls draw a design for a robot that could solve a future problem.

Programming Team Subteam Lead Ace Hudec demonstrated two of the Ferradermis robots for the scouts and gave them each an opportunity to drive one of the robots. The girls were also able to get an up-close look at the electronics on the “big” robots. Hudec also spent some extra time with the Cadettes discussing the actual code for a Ferradermis robot and writing some pseudocode with them.

Emerson Dunham, Game Strategy Subteam Lead, walked the scouts through previous games for which the team has built a robot and allowed them to examine previous game pieces that the robots have needed to handle. Each girl or pair of girls then selected one of the old game pieces and sketched a design for a robot mechanism that could pick up the game piece. At that point, the girls headed into the shop under the supervision of Mark and Andrew Zimmermann to build a prototype for their mechanism. They also had the opportunity to learn about some of the equipment in the shop that the team uses to build their robots.

The scouts spent a large chunk of time in the computer lab learning about coding and circuits under the guidance of Programming Team Member Rae Breisath, team alum and MSOE Senior Gwynne Sahyun, and Team Advisor Laura Masbruch. Hudec and Brown were also able to support the girls in this endeavor in between their other sessions. The trio walked the girls through the basics of building and coding Arduino circuits using TinkerCAD Circuits. The girls were then challenged to modify starter code to turn on an LED when a button was pressed and to turn on an LED when a motion sensor detected movement. Next, the scouts tackled the challenge of coding Arduino shield bots to drive forward, and some were able to attach a motion sensor which would cause the bot to stop when it sensed movement in front of it. The Cadettes dove a little deeper and implemented their pseudocode for driving in certain patterns.

At the end of the day, all of the girls gathered together in a large group to celebrate their accomplishments by sharing what they learned. They were then awarded their badges, and the day ended with a door prize drawing for three small robot kits and an Arduino starter kit.

Ferradermis members had connected with Geometry Teacher Laurel Ruud who works with the local Girl Scout Service Unit when deciding to offer this opportunity. The team is grateful to Mrs. Ruud for her guidance throughout the planning process. The team would also like to thank Tori Breisath and Jane Masbruch for their support throughout the day as well as Rich Grosse for his beautiful photography.

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

City of Whitewater Urban Forestry Commission – Monday @ 4:30 p.m.
Cravath Lakefront room, 2nd floor, 312 West Whitewater Str, Whitewater, WI, 53190
Agenda includes Discussion to add a fourth Purple Martin house, Future of Territorial Oak felled timber and possible projects relating to it, Milkweed protection discussion, protection of oaks from library expansion.
*In Person and Virtual
Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or telephone.
Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods.
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://meet.goto.com/638015093
You can also dial in using your phone.
Access Code: 638-015-093
United States: 1 (646) 749-3122
Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:
https://meet.goto.com/install

Whitewater Unified School District Policy Review Committee – Monday @ 6:00 p.m.
Whitewater High School Library, 534 South Elizabeth Street, Whitewater, Wisconsin
Agenda (click on “meetings” in upper right corner)

Whitewater Unified School District School Board – Monday @ 7:00 p.m.
Whitewater High School Library, 534 S. Elizabeth Street
Agenda (click on “meetings” in upper right corner) includes WUSD Strategic Planning & Scorecard Review, Whitewater Middle School (Informational); Update on the Whitewater Middle School Literacy Intervention – FTE Addition (Possible Action Item).
– URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89890457078?pwd=ak5waHBjRTN3ckFmQUQ1Umw1SkhNUT09
– Passcode: 737386
———————————————-
– Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799
– Webinar ID: 898 9045 7078
– Passcode: 737386

City of Whitewater Finance Committee – Tuesday @ 5:00 p.m.
Agenda includes salary resolution proposal and employee bonuses.
Whitewater Municipal Building Community Room,
312 West Whitewater St., Whitewater, WI 53190
*In Person and Virtual
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://meet.goto.com/973175085
You can also dial in using your phone.
Access Code: 973-175-085
United States: +1 (224) 501-3412
Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:
https://meet.goto.com/install

Walworth County to Hold Informational Workshop for Interested Residents and Potential County Board Supervisor Candidates

(ELKHORN, WI): County Administrator Mark Luberda will hold an informational meeting for
interested residents and potential County Board Supervisor candidates who would like to learn more
about the duties and responsibilities of County Board Supervisors. The meeting will take place:

• Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 6 p.m.
  County Board Room 114, Walworth County Government Center
  100 W. Walworth Street, Elkhorn, Wisconsin
  The workshop will provide an overview of Walworth County government and the responsibilities and
  time commitment generally required of County Board Supervisors. The 90-minute class will provide an
  overview of what an individual could expect to experience while serving on the Board. This will include
  outlining the wide range of services provided by County government, summarizing the County’s budget,
  highlighting some of the legal rules under which Supervisors must operate, addressing the relationship
  between the County Board and other elected and appointed officials, and reviewing the committee
  structure. If anyone is interested in taking out papers to run for County Board Supervisor, County Clerk
  Susi Pike will be in attendance with packets and can help you complete them.
  For more information or to register, please contact County Administration at (262) 741-4357 or email
  countyadministration@co.walworth.wi.us.

UW Whitewater Career Services is hosting a thoughtful initiative to support professional development and foster a sense of community through a business clothing drive from November 27th to 30th. The university is inviting you to contribute to this philanthropic effort by donating gently used business attire, including suits, dress shirts, ties, dresses, shoes and more. The goal is to collect a diverse array of professional clothing to assist Warhawks in their pursuit of career success. This clothing drive not only aims to provide individuals with the attire needed for job interviews, internships, and professional events but also cultivates a culture of support and collaboration within the UW Whitewater community! By participating in this drive, the larger community has the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of students and contribute to a positive and inclusive campus environment. We are providing a conveniently located drop box for your use. Thank you for taking a look at your closets and considering a donation. Go Warhawks! 

• Location
  • The location for the community will be in lot 12 on campus, accessed from Prairie Street. 
  • Between the James R. Connor University Center & McGraw Hall
• Times
  • Nov 27- Nov 30 
  • Monday – Thursday (9 a.m.-8 p.m.) 

**This box may not be out if it is snowing/raining or there are conditions that could affect the clothes. Alternatively there will also be donation boxes in both the front and back entrances in Hyland Hall on Starin Road (Timothy J. Hyland on the map). If you have a question about the location please call (262)-745-2207.**

If you have any questions about the Success Closet, please contact Career@uww.edu

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from Walworth County.

In partnership with Aurora Lakeland Medical Center, Walworth County Public Health has launched the Hello Baby program to support families in our communities. This program, designed in coordination with Racine County Public Health and UW-Milwaukee’s Institute of Child and Family Well-Being, offers a Public Health nurse home visit to all caregivers of newborn babies in Walworth County.

As a new parent, caregiver, or family, caring for a newborn can be overwhelming. Hello Baby nurses are equipped to help caregivers tackle their most common challenges, connect them with local resources, and provide support. Nurses provide assessments focused on infant and mother well-being and home safety. The goal of the program is to help caregivers manage the stressors of newborn care while helping them build confidence in asking for support.

“We are incredibly excited to begin offering this program in Walworth County,” says Public Health Nurse Supervisor Holli Wilke. “Welcoming home a new baby is a stressful time. Our nurses are excited to have the opportunity to support families and help them build the healthiest starts for their children.”

Participation is voluntary, free of charge, and open to all Walworth County families who have recently welcomed a newborn. The program is available for both English- and Spanish-speaking participants. Families that deliver at Aurora Lakeland Medical Center will receive program information at the hospital while those who deliver at other healthcare facilities can sign up using the referral form provided at www.co.walworth.wi.us/1145/Home-Visiting-Services

Editor’s note: The image on the homepage is in the public domain, per Pixabay.