News
Pint Size Polkas Promises Family Fun at the Library
Are you ready to polka? The public is invited to a “Music & Magic Friendzy” with Pint Size Polkas, who will be sharing the happiest music on Earth plus magic and comedy fun for all ages to enjoy.
Mike Schneider just five years old when he heard polka music for the first time. The performer was America’s Polka King, Frankie Yankovic, and needless to say it was love at first sound. Mike and his traditional polka band have been entertaining audiences throughout Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio since 1996. Since that time, they have been nominated for 21 polka awards from five separate organizations.
The event will be held at the Irvin L Young Memorial Library’s Community Room located at 431 W. Center Street in Whitewater on Tuesday, May 30 at 6:30-7:30 p.m. There is no cost or registration to attend.
You may contact Sarah French with questions at sfrench@whitewater-wi.gov or 262-
458-2782.
This Week’s Garage Sale
3 Day Sale this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!
Garage Sale on May 26, 27, and 28, 8:00 to 4:00, at 345 S. Summit St. in Whitewater. Lots of books, cookbooks, puzzles, DVDs, CDs, and over 300 vinyl records! Most of these items are 50 cents or $1. Other items: Canon & Ricoh cameras, Malibu Pilates bench with DVDs, BOSU trainer with DVD, platform step with risers, grill, craft supplies, piano music, household, and miscellaneous. Come & check out this clean, organized sale!
WRAP Show Gives Awards for State and Honorable Mention Winners
The Wisconsin Regional Art Program (WRAP) held its reception on Friday, May 12 that announced its State and Honorable Mention award winners. Artists in the non-professional Wisconsin-only show were judged by
award-winning multi-faceted artist Larry Schultz to receive either an Honorable Mention award or a State Award. Honorable mention awards are given to artists who exemplified talents deserving of recognition while State award winners are invited to take their artwork to Madison, WI for the State Exhibition and Conference with the
Association of Wisconsin Artists (AWA). This year, state winners will display their artwork at the Pyle Center in Madison during the conference which is scheduled for September 22-23, 2023.
To learn more about the State Exhibition and Conference:
https://wiscartists.wildapricot.org/State-Conference
Artists were judged on the following criteria to earn an award: originality, expression, content, composition, design, color, and technique. Honorable Mention winners had at least one area of the aforementioned criteria that needed improvement while State award winners held excellence in all the criteria.
Whitewater WRAP Honorable Mention Award winners are:
● Silvia Cavagnero’s “Amnesia” (Madison, WI)
● Megan Forsythe’s “Blue Hair and Pronouns” (Stoughton, WI)
● Jeff Mann’s “Brandy and Tiny” (Wales, WI)
● Laura Strehlow’s “Autumn Leaves” (Cambridge, WI)
Whitewater WRAP State Award winners are:
● Mary Bughman’s “Fall Thought” (Whitewater, WI)
● Judith Buzzell’s “Wolf #5” (Delavan, WI)
● Sue Herring’s “Carver’s Rock Reflections” (Milton, WI)
● Roy Schmidt’s “Pink” (Waterford, WI)
All artwork will be on display in the gallery through May 28, Thursdays thru Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. at the Cultural Arts Center–402 W. Main St. The show is also viewable online on the Whitewater Arts Alliance (WAA) webpage:
https://www.whitewaterarts.org/wrap-2023.
Dean of the College of Arts & Communication Named
After the completion of a national search, Provost John Chenoweth is pleased to announce that Dr. Michael Dugan has been appointed to serve as the Dean of the College of Arts and Communication effective July 1, 2023.
As a distinguished teaching scholar and musician, Dr. Dugan has served the college as Associate Professor and Professor as well as Chair of the Department of Music. Dr. Dugan served the college most recently as Interim Associate Dean.
Dr. Dugan earned his Doctorate of Musical Arts and Masters of Music Degree from the University of Minnesota.
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 Dean Paul Ambrose, for their extensive work on this search.
Provost Chenoweth would also like to thank Robert Mertens, MFA, for his service in the role of Interim Dean. Mr. Mertens will resume his role as Associate Dean of the College.
Please join Provost Chenoweth in welcoming Dr. Dugan to his new position!
Editor’s note: The above announcement was posted at UW-Whitewater on May 23.
Whippets Advance to Sectionals, Boys are Regional Champs
On Tuesday, May 22, the Whippets traveled to Big Foot for the WIAA Regional, the first step in their trek towards the State Meet. The Regional consisted of 8 teams, with the Top 4 place winners in each event moving on to compete at the Sectional meet on Thursday, May 24.
The Whippet Girls’ Team was again led by the sprints crew, who cruised to a total of four first-place finishes between the open events and relays. In the opens, Maddie Buehler continued her stellar 2023 campaign by placing first in the 100-meter dash in a time of 12.70. Evie Troxel also added a 6th place finish in the event. In the 200, Kindyl Kilar placed first with a time of 26.42.
In the girls’ relays, Whitewater added a second-place in the 4×400 meter relay, earning a chance to compete on Thursday. The team of Calli Grosinske, Athena Soto, Cara Yang, and Sydney Schilt ran a season’s best time of 4:17.73. Also advancing to the Sectional meet with a pair of first place finishes were the girls’ 4×200 and 4×100 meter relays. The 4×200 team of Maddie Buehler, Schilt, Emma Weigel, and Kindyl Kilar ran a time of 1:44.78, which is the #2 all-time mark in WHS history. Additionally, the 4×100 relay team of Grosinske, Buehler, Weigel, and Kilar smashed their previous school record time of 50.08, running a new best of 49.17. Their time was good for first place, a new school record, and is currently the only sub-50 second 4×100 relay time in WHS history.
In the distance events on the track, Athena Soto ran a season’s best time of 2:27.52 in the 800-meter run, good for third place. In the 3200-meter run, sophomore Nola Coburn used a strong kick in the final lap of the race to secure 4th place in the event, earning another opportunity to run on Thursday. In the 1600, freshman Mady Hefty narrowly missed the Top 4, placing fifth. Her time of 6:04.42 was a season’s best in the event.
Several girls also contributed in the field events. Evie Troxel placed first in the pole vault with a vault of 10’-0”, and teammate Izzy Dieter also qualified for the Sectional meet by placing third. Dieter also qualified in the Discus throw, as her toss of 109’-6 was good for second place.
As a team, the girls placed fourth with 90 points. Brodhead-Juda were the girls’ Regional team champions.
The boys used a balanced attack of sprints, distance, and field events to propel themselves to a spectacular performance that concluded with them as Regional Champions! Overall, the boys scored 123 points, ahead of second place Edgerton.
The boys had two Sectional qualifiers in open sprint events from first-place winners Traysen Thomason and Ethan Dugan in the 100- and 400-meter dashes, respectively. Akamion McHenry also added to the team total with a 6th place finish in the 200-meter dash. In the 110-meter hurdles, Avi Kalra and David Enns placed 7th and 8th, adding to the team score.
The boys distance events saw two Sectional qualifying marks in the 1600-meter run, as Jack Hefty and Nate Holden placed first and second. In the 800, Miles Nickelsburg ran a personal best time of 2:08.65 for fifth, while Holden was 6th in 2:09. Xavier Zei added another fifth-place finish in the 3200-meter run, with a personal best time of 10:48.
The boys had two Sectional qualifying relays, as the 4×400 meter relay team of Quincy Boudreau, Jack Hefty, Ethan Dugan, and Traysen Thomason placed first in a season’s best time of 3:30.70. Additionally, the 4×200 relay of Curtis Rossmiller, Nate Black, Boudreau, and Thomason placed second in the event with a time of 1:33.70.
The boys’ team continued their strong performances in the field events. In the throws, Connor Raupp earned two first place finishes in the Discus and Shot Put, with tosses of 154’-2” and 46’-10”. Jake Kuhlow was third in Discus with a 130’-10” and fifth in the Shot. In the vertical jumps, Jaylyn Ewing placed 4th in High Jump with a jump of 5’-10”, and CJ Tomomitsu equaled his personal best of 12’-6” in the Pole Vault, good for second place. In the horizontals, Nate Black placed 6th in the Long Jump with a leap of 19’-2”.
The Whippets will head to McFarland on Thursday for the Sectional competition, where again the Top 4 place-winners will advance, this time to the State Meet in La Crosse.
Article and Team Photo Submitted by Matt Green
Whitewater High School Head Track and Field Coach
mgreen2@wwusd.org
Action Photos Courtesy of Bob Mischka
Whitewater Resident Charged with Armed Robbery of BP/Raceway Food Mart
By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
Per Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, Willie Hearn III, age 68, of 370 N. Tratt St., #124, was charged on May 22 in Walworth County with a Class C Felony, Armed Robbery with Threat of Force, in connection with a robbery that occurred on May 19 at the BP/Raceway Food Mart at 1138 W. Main Street. Hearn was additionally charged with five misdemeanors: two counts of Resisting or Obstructing an Officer and one count each of Disorderly Conduct, Possession of Cocaine/Coca and Possess Drug Paraphernalia. He is being held on a $25,000 cash bond and will have an initial appearance on May 24. Upon conviction, a Class C felony is punishable by up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $100,000.00, or both (Wis. Stat. sec. 939.50(3)(c)). Unless a judgment of conviction is entered, the defendant is presumed innocent of all charges.
The Whitewater Police Department press release concerning the incident may be viewed on the Banner here.
Veterans’ Graves to Be Decorated on Thursday; Community Assistance Welcome
In recognition of Memorial Day and to honor our deceased veterans’ sacrifices to keep America free, the Whitewater American Legion Post 173, with assistance from community members, will be decorating veterans’ graves at Hillside Cemetery, 400 S. Wisconsin St., on Thursday, May 25 at 5:30 p.m. Participants will gather on the hill inside the second gate. All are welcome to participate in the event.
Brantmeier Leads UNC to First NCAA Tennis Championship
What a year it has been for 2022 Whitewater High School graduate Reese Brantmeier at the University of North Carolina!
On Saturday, May 20, the North Carolina women’s tennis team won its first NCAA championship in program history, defeating N.C. State 4-1 in Orlando, Florida.
The UNC tennis player in her first year is part of the 2023 National Championship team at UNC. During the 2023 NCAA tournament, Reese won the #1 Singles position against Old Dominion, Florida, Texas, and Georgia before falling to N.C. State in a hard-fought match at #1 Singles. Reese lost that match to a player who advanced in the 2nd round of the Australian Open a year ago.
Reese and her doubles partner Reilly Tran won a pivotal doubles match against N.C. State in the team championship match that gave the team a win, leading to their first women’s tennis championship.
Reese will be playing in this year’s NCAA singles and doubles championships that will also take place in Orlando, beginning on Monday and running through Saturday.
Reese Brantmeier is the daughter of Scott and Becky Brantmeier and has two older brothers, Justin and Zach. All three attended Whitewater High School.
Article and Photos Submitted by Greg Stewart
gstewart@wwusd.org