News

This Week’s City & School Board Meetings

Whitewater Unified School District Retirement Celebration – Thursday @ 4:00 p.m.
Whitewater School Board members will be attending the 2023 Whitewater Unified School District Retirement Celebration at Willow Brook Golf Course. A quorum of the School Board may be present; however, the Board will not be conducting any business during the event.

City of Whitewater Landmarks Commission – Thursday @ 6:00 p.m.
Agenda
Cravath Lakefront Room
312 Whitewater Street
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://meet.goto.com/302786637
You can also dial in using your phone.
Access Code: 302-786-637
United States: +1 (224) 501-3412

Lakeland Health Care Center Hosts Lug Nuts & Donuts Classic Car Show

Lakeland Health Care Center Hosts Lug Nuts & Donuts
Classic Car Show Benefits LHCC Residents; is Open to the Public

Lakeland Health Care Center (LHCC), a skilled nursing facility operated by Walworth County, will host its second-annual Lug Nuts & Donuts classic car show on Wednesday, June 7, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. This event is free and open to the public.

“Providing activities and bringing the outside world to our residents is vitally important to their morale and well-being,” says LHCC Administrator Denise Johnson. “For many of our residents, classic cars and other vintage rides remind them of their youth and are a profound source of joy.”

Local gearheads will show off their classic rides and sports cars, motorcycles, trucks, and other motorized vehicles in LHCC’s front driveway. Donuts are provided. There will be a first-place prize chosen by the residents. The rain date is Wednesday, June 14.

Anyone interested in entering their classic car in the show should contact Lakeland Health Care Center Recreational Leader Cyndi Borgen at (262) 741-3677.

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

Memorial Day Observance in Whitewater

Final arrangements have been made for Memorial Day activities to be held on Monday, May 29th in Whitewater and hosted by American Legion Post 173 and VFW Post 5470.

The parade will form at First Citizens State Bank parking lot in downtown Whitewater at 10:00 a.m. and will step off promptly at 10:30 a.m. concluding at the Whitewater Armory, 146 North Street. In case of inclement weather the parade will be canceled but the program will still be held at the Armory beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Leading the parade will be the combined color guard of William Graham Post 173 and VFW Post 5470. The Whitewater High School Band and the Whitewater Middle School Band will provide music for the parade. Featured in the parade will be guest speaker Whitewater City Manager and United States Air Force veteran John Weidl. Also participating will be American Legion and VFW scholarship winners, Badger Boys and Girls State attendees and the American Legion Americanism award recipient. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and other youth organizations are invited to participate.

Editor’s note: The above announcement was provided by Steve Smith, Adjutant and Memorial Day planner, Whitewater American Legion. The Banner appreciates having permission to use the photo of Arlington Cemetery by Carol Colman from Pixabay.

Celebrating Cultural Diversity – Multilingual Heritage Showcase Draws Over 250

Whitewater is home to a culturally rich and diverse population. Whitewater and the surrounding community gathered to celebrate this cultural diversity as the Whitewater Unified School District hosted the first annual Multicultural Heritage Showcase on Saturday, May 6 from 4-6:30 p.m. at Whitewater High School. Over 250 guests attended to celebrate and enjoy art, music, food, and performances that represented a variety of cultures and ethnicities of the community. Over 50 students, staff and community members shared their cultural heritages and traditions and customs from around the world with neighbors and friends through song, dance, poetry, and artwork.   

The evening began at 4 p.m. with socializing and sampling food representative of countries and cultures of Asia, Latin America, Europe, and North America. Attendees were invited to view art submitted by local community artists and students of the Whitewater Unified School District. A mural on the wall invited children and adults to “graffiti” words and drawings that represented their cultural histories, heritages, and experiences. During the social time, music was played by the local band, Helia, in their first on-stage performance as an up-and-coming rock band.

Socializing was followed by live entertainment. Masters of Ceremony, WHS students Eduard Jiron Betanco and Alex Vazquez Martinez, welcomed the audience into the auditorium through introductions in both English and Spanish. The ceremony began with the presentation of the flags by the St. John’s Northwestern Academy’s Color Guard followed by two more songs by Helia. Next, the recitation of the well-known Nicaraguan modernismo poem, “A Margarita Debayle,” written by Rubén Darío, was performed in its original language, Spanish. Whitewater Middle School dance group, Pinoleras, made up of students honoring Nicaraguan and Mexican heritages, jointly performed “Polka Cumbia,” a “baile folklórico,” with traditional dance steps and costumes. Three WHS students continued the performance in singing the multicultural and multilingual pieces by Russian, German, and English composers. The dance duo “Nicaragua Mía” then performed a traditional Nicaraguan dance to the song “La Flor de Sacuanjoche.” The Sacuanjoche flower is the national flower of Nicaragua and a symbol of strength, love, and cultural perpetuity. 

To complete the triad of traditional latin dances represented in the showcase, the WHS group Alma Pinolera, a Nicaraguan dance group of WHS students, gave a choreographed performance complete with twirling skirts and hats. The dance performed was an homage to Mayan, Mestiza, and Aztec cultures. The outfits donned by the dancers included imagery of Nicaragua, representing Nicaraguan history, legends, and battles. To follow, a group of young performers from Lincoln Elementary School took the stage next to perform a hula hoop dance routine to the song “Try Everything” by Shakira. The group shared with the audience the following message: “Try Everything means making mistakes is a good thing. We try hard things, stand up to our challenges, and don’t give up.” Next to the stage was the Studio 84 Dance Theatre with members from Studio 84 and Dancing for Diversity.  Studio 84 is a non-profit community art studio and theater program with a “Creative Focus on the Abilities through the Arts” focused on the creative development of ability-diverse individuals. The group engaged the audience with stories told through dance. The final performance of the evening was a student performance by the Washington Multilingual Singers dedicated to Kelley Marotta, a beloved Kindergarten teacher at Washington Elementary who recently passed away. The group gave a bilingual performance and ended with an enthusiastic dance and uplifting sing-along with the audience. 

Themes of cultural diversity, perseverance, and community emerged from the evening. Community members, school district families, and local organizations and leaders came together to celebrate diversity and camaraderie in this first annual event. Whitewater Unified School District’s Superintendent Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty reported of the event, “The Multicultural Heritage Showcase was the first of its kind at WUSD and drew over 250 of our family and community members to celebrate. I could not be more proud of the work that went into the celebration of diversity and inclusion for all of our students.” Organizers of the event, Jim McCulloch, WUSD Theater Director, and Terilyn Robles, WUSD Multilingual Services Coordinator, were also pleased by the audience turnout and community support for the event. “We are grateful for the school and community collaborations to make this event a success. Tonight we were able to experience cultural diversity- and celebrate it- through performance, art, food, and conversation,” said Robles. The district expressed gratitude to the performers, student volunteers, staff, and community, for their support of the event. They look forward to continuing the event and celebrating the community’s diverse heritages, cultures, and languages in next year’s showcase.

Whippet Track and Field Athletes Headed to State

On Thursday, May 25, the Whitewater Track and Field team competed at the WIAA Division 2 Sectional meet, hosted by McFarland. The Whippets competed hard, and performed well in their individual events, and as a team. Overall, the boys’ squad placed 5th with 41 points, while the girls ended up in 3rd with 44.50 points. 

Whitewater’s boys were led by a trio of State Qualifying finishes that were determined on Thursday, including two firsts and one second. Kicking off the evening, Connor Raupp’s third Discus throw in the preliminary round put him above the other 15 competitors. His throw of 169’-0” was first by over ten feet, was a new personal best, and improved his #3 All-Time mark. Raupp, a senior, is a first-time State Qualifier. Sophomore Jack Hefty charged ahead of the competition to place first in the 1600m run in a time of 4:23.92. Jack is now a two-time State Qualifier, but this will be his first time competing in the 1600 in La Crosse. Finally, Ethan Dugan defended his 2022 State qualifying status in the 400m Dash. His time of 50.38 was good for second place, a personal best, and an improvement to #5 All-Time in WHS history. In La Crosse, Ethan will compete in the 400m prelim on Friday to qualify for the final on Saturday. Jack and Connor will both compete on Saturday. On Friday morning, it was determined that Whitewater will have a fourth individual competing in La Crosse. Jaylyn Ewing, whose High Jump of 6’-0” placed him 7th at the Sectional competition, was announced as an Extra Qualifier after the results of each of the Sectionals were tabulated! Ewing, a junior, will compete at his first State Meet on Friday in the High Jump. 

Connor Raupp
Jack Hefty

To add to the team score, several other Whippets had strong days at the Sectional. Traysen Thomason placed 6th in the 100m Dash with a time of 11.38, concluding a phenomenal sophomore season for him. CJ Tomomitsu placed 6th in the Pole Vault, tying his personal best of 12’-6” in his final competition in a Whippet uniform. Connor Raupp also placed 6th in the Shot Put with a personal best throw of 48’-10”. Jake Kuhlow placed 8th in the Discus with a toss of 139’. The 4x400m relay team of Thomason, Hefty, Curtis Rossmiller, and Dugan also placed 8th in a time of 3:31.30. Additional competitors on Thursday included Nate Holden in the 1600, who placed 10th in a personal best time of 4:48.96, and the 4x200m relay team of Rossmiller, Nate Black, Quincy Boudreau, and Thomason, who placed 15th. Congratulations to all who competed at the Sectional meet on Thursday for a great competition and a fantastic season. 

The Whippet girls’ team was again led by strong performances in the sprints and relays. To start off the night, Maddie Buehler and Kindyl Kilar both qualified for the final in the 100m and 200m Dashes, respectively. In the preliminary rounds, the girls scorched the track to #2 All-Time times in their events. Maddie’s time of 12.37 was .02 off the school record of 12.35, and Kindyl’s time of 25.67 was .03 off the school record of 25.64. In the final, Maddie placed second with a time of 12.42, and will compete in the 100m Dash in La Crosse for the second year in a row. In the 200m final, Kindyl also placed second with a time of 26.01. This is also her second year in a row competing at State in the 200m Dash. 

The girls also had State Qualifiers in the 4x200m and 4x100m relays. Both teams placed first. The 4x200m team of Buehler, Sydney Schilt, Emma Weigel, and Kindyl Kilar ran a season’s best time of 1:44.23, improving upon their #2 All-Time mark from the Regional meet. Additionally, the 4x100m relay team of Calli Grosinske, Buehler, Weigel, and Kilar also placed first, crossing the finish line in 49.71, just off their school record time of 49.17 set at the Regional meet on Monday. 

Kindyl Kilar
Maddie Buehler

In the field events, Evie Troxel pole vaulted a height of 10’-0”. During the competition, she placed fifth, just off the Top-4 spot needed for qualification. However, based on performances from the other Sectional meets, Evie’s height placed her within the Top-8 of all the State-qualifying marks. This means that Evie has been named an Extra Qualifier, and will have the chance to compete at the State Meet next weekend! This is Evie’s second year in a row competing at the State Meet in Pole Vault. 

Additional competitors on Thursday included Izzy Dieter in the Discus, whose throw of 108’ was enough for 6th place. Izzy finishes her career with the #4 All-Time Discus throw in WHS history. Finally, sophomore Athena Soto capped off a fantastic season with a 7th place finish in the 800m Run. Athena’s time of 2:25.48 is the #10 mark All-Time. The girls 4x400m relay team of Grosinske, Soto, Schilt, and Nola Coburn also competed, placing 11th. Coburn also ran a season’s best in the 3200m Run to place 13th in the event. Congratulations to all WHS Sectional competitors for an incredible season!

Whitewater HS State Qualifiers & State Meet Competition Days/Times (if available)

Friday June 2nd, Morning Session

  • Evie Troxel, Pole Vault (9:45am)
  • Jaylyn Ewing, High Jump (9:30am)
  • Maddie Buehler, 100m Dash (Prelim)
  • 4x200m Relay (Buehler, Schilt, Weigel, Kilar, Grosinske, Soto) (Prelim)
  • Ethan Dugan, 400m Dash (Prelim)
  • 4x100m Relay (Grosinske, Buehler, Weigel, Kilar, Ross, Schilt) (Prelim)
  • Kindyl Kilar, 200m Dash (Prelim)

Saturday June 3rd, 9:30 Start time

  • Maddie Buehler, 100m Dash (Final)
  • Jack Hefty, 1600m Run
  • 4x200m Relay (Buehler, Schilt, Weigel, Kilar, Grosinske, Soto) (Final)
  • Ethan Dugan, 400m Dash (Final)
  • 4x100m Relay (Grosinske, Buehler, Weigel, Kilar, Ross, Schilt) (Final)
  • Kindyl Kilar, 200m Dash (Final)
  • Connor Raupp, Discus (~11:00am)

Official Results

Article Submitted by Matt Green
Whitewater High School Head Track and Field Coach
mgreen2@wwusd.org
Photos Courtesy of Bob Mischka

Gearbox Labs Presents Coding Workshops at the Library

GEARBOX LABS PRESENTS CODING WORKSHOPS AT THE LIBRARY

Gearbox Labs is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “produce cutting-edge and rigorous STEAM education resources and programs for schools, homeschools, out-of-school programs, and self-motivated learners.” With over 45 years of education experience in the classroom, education publishing, and children and adult learning as well as numerous awards for their work, the founders created Gearbox Labs to address an international shortage of STEM professionals.

The public is invited to attend a free workshop at the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library located at 431 W. Center Street in Whitewater. The workshop will offer an introduction to engineering, electronics, and coding using Arduino, which is an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software. Arduino boards are able to read inputs – light on a sensor or a finger on a button, for example – and turn it into an output – activating a motor, turning on an LED, publishing something online. You can tell your board what to do by sending a set of instructions to the microcontroller on the board.

There will be a workshop for youth in grades 5 through 12 as well as a separate workshop for educators. The youth workshop is on Friday, June 2 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. The educator workshop is for teachers, librarians, teacher aides, homeschool educators, instructors, informal educators, and group leaders, and will take place on Saturday, June 3 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided, and participants will go home with a free book and kit. There is no cost but registration is required as space is limited. Visit whitewaterlibrary.org and click on “Events—Registration Forms” to sign up, or contact Sarah French at sfrench@whitewater-wi.gov or 262-458-2782.

Flags to Half-Staff in Honor of Seaman Who Lost His Life in Attack on Pearl Harbor

Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #202 ordering the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff on Sat., May 27, 2023, in honor of Navy Seaman Second Class David Joseph Riley, who lost his life in the attack on Pearl Harbor and whose remains have been identified and returned to Wisconsin for burial.

“The attack on Pearl Harbor changed the trajectory of World War II and our state and country, taking the lives of more than 50 Wisconsinites, including Navy Seaman Second Class Riley,” said Gov. Evers. “We are grateful for the effort to ensure that Navy Seaman Second Class Riley’s remains were returned so he can be laid to rest in Wisconsin. On behalf of his home state, we honor him for his service and sacrifice to this nation and the values we hold dear.”

On Dec. 7, 1941, Navy Seaman Second Class David Joseph Riley of Juda, assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, was killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor. The remains of the deceased crew from the USS Oklahoma were first interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries and, after attempts at identification in 1947, were reinterred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. In 2015, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency began exhuming remains from the USS Oklahoma for analysis and identification, and in 2021, Seaman Second Class Riley’s remains were positively identified. Seaman Second Class Riley was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart, the American Campaign Medal, and the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal. 

Navy Seaman Second Class David Joseph Riley will be buried with full military honors in Juda on Sat., May 27, 2023.

Executive Order #202 will be in effect from sunrise to sunset on Sat., May 27, 2023, and is available here.
 

#FlashbackFriday with the Historical Society: War Bond Drive Parade

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. Here is a great patriotic photo for the Memorial Day weekend. It is from a war bond drive parade held in Whitewater for World War I in 1918. The Whitewater Historical Society wishes everyone a wonderful holiday.

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

(3445P Whitewater Historical Society)

UW-W Announces Dean’s List

The following students were named to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Dean’s List for the 2023 spring semester.

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Lucas Ackman

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Asobo Afah

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Salaar Akbar

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Jake Antonneau

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Mariana Aranda

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Marijke Arreola

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Elbee-Fae Ascherl

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Jocelin Beecroft

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Joshua Bezzo

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Gracia Boley

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Damien Brandt

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Kenna Breckon

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Alondra Buboltz

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Kacie Carollo

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Teaghan Carter

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Ariana Christianson

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Ivan Cortez

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Kianna Doerr

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Gia Donofrio

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Holland Engele

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Devin Fitzer

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Jaciel Flores

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Griffin Gerber

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Seth Gildemeister

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Reagan Godek

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Christopher Gomez

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Brock Grosinske

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Margaret Helbig

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Jake Hintz

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Cameron Huntley

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Marc Jones

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Emma Jordan

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Cally Julson

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Sarah Keller

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Ben Kloskey

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Felicity Knabenbauer

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Callie Knoll

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Jackie Lin

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Joey Maffiola

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Meg McGinley

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Brent Meier

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Rachel Mickelson

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Katlyn Miller

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Morgan Miller

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Isabella Miscevich

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Aiden Murray

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Mary Myers

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Miriam Navejas

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Ben Nelson

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Raquel Ortiz

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Yasmin Palomec-Garcia

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Maci Parrish

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Miguel Penaloza

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Montana Petersen

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Jordan Peterson

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Kyle Puchalski

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Hayden Radloff

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Charlie Reddemann

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Kaylie Rickgauer

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Alyssa Riley

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Connor Rohde

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Miranda Rubenzer

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Jacob Sadler

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Evan Schepp

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Savannah Schmieder

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Evan Shaw

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Zelin Shen

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Caleb Slater

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Shelby Starrett

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Lili Templeman

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Brooks Tiedeman

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Ryan Vedner

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Jon Villarreal

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Ashley Vorndran

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Carter Waelchli

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Zach Wagner

– Whitewater, WI 53190: LuAnnabelle Wieseman

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Catherine Yang

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Conner Young

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Marissa Zaehringer

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Jon Zheng

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Mark Zimmermann

– Whitewater, WI 53190: Elizabeth Zinda

These students have demonstrated their academic abilities by receiving a grade point average of 3.4 or above in a single semester.

“Dean’s List honorees have shown an outstanding dedication to their academic pursuits – from their work in the classroom to notable projects in our research laboratories and out in the field,” said John Chenoweth, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “These hardworking students can take pride in the fact that they are living the Warhawk values of learning and academic excellence. They are deserving of our congratulations.”

The Registrar’s Office reports 3,148 students were selected for the Dean’s List for the spring semester. About 11,000 students are currently enrolled at the university’s Whitewater and Rock County campuses.

Editor’s note: The above list was provided by UW-Whitewater.

Police Seeking Identification of Suspects in Felony Retail Theft

The Whitewater Police Department is investigating a felony retail theft incident that occurred on Friday, May 12, 2023 at approximately 10:30 p.m. We are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the male and female individuals in the above photos. If you recognize either of these individuals, please contact the Whitewater Police Department at (262)473-0555 #4 or share an anonymous tip at www.P3Tips.com and reference case no. 23-004725. Thank you in advance!

Editor’s note: The above announcement appears on the Whitewater Police Department Facebook page.