The Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center (WAFC) is now offering 24/7 access for fitness members 18 years and older. The 24/7 access applies to the strength training equipment (i.e., weightlifting, deadlift platforms, benches, free weights, and power racks) and cardiovascular training equipment (i.e., ellipticals, bikes, treadmills, etc.) in the fitness center.
The WAFC provides individuals, families, students, seniors, and commuters in Whitewater and beyond with an affordable, convenient recreational fitness environment with a variety of amenities including fitness center, aquatic center, group classes, locker rooms, and concessions.
Previously, the fitness center was open Monday-Friday 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Saturday 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sundays 12:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ever since COVID-19, the WAFC team has been focused on rebuilding membership and creating new ways to access the fitness center.
“It is great to finally be able to offer our members 24-hour access to the fitness center. This allows members the option to work out during the time that best fits their needs. Numerous members have expressed interest in the addition and it’s nice to be able to accommodate them,” says Eric Boettcher, Parks & Recreation Director.
24/7 fitness access enables members 18 years and older to work out at their convenience. With the WAFC being operated by the City of Whitewater Parks and Recreation Board, one of their goals was to make the fitness center more accessible to Police, Fire, EMS, and other city employees regardless of their shifts.
For safety reasons, 24/7 access applies to the fitness center only. The fitness studio with the spin bikes and fitness classes will be closed along with the locker rooms and aquatic center. Restrooms on the fitness side will be open. The facility is under 24-hour video surveillance, but in the event of an emergency patrons need to contact 911. The facility (LED) lights will remain on 24 hours a day.
John Weidl, Whitewater City Manager shares, “This is a perfect example of how Eric and his team continue to provide efficient and high-quality services for our increasingly diverse community and their increasingly diverse ways of living, working, and playing in our community. I can assure you this is just the start of the WAFC’s renaissance!”
Current members who wish to have after-hours access to the fitness center should stop at the desk for setup. For more information, call the Whitewater Aquatic & Fitness Center at 262-473-4900.
We Energies confirmed to the Banner that some local natural gas customers may receive an automated call indicating that a contractor will service their gas meter in the near future. Caller ID may identify this as a spam call. The utility has contracted with Southern Cross to change out a module on certain gas meters in the area. This work will take only a few minutes and will not require entry into a residence unless the gas meter is inside. Gas service will not be interrupted. Personnel will be driving company identified vehicles.
Editor’s note: The following announcement was provided by Suzanne Popke.
Spring Baha’is and Friends Artist Gathering
Saturday, April 1, 1 p.m. thru 5 p.m.
Nelson Salisbury House
Historic Landmark Nelson Salisbury House, 404 W. North St., Whitewater
Open to all Whitewater Artists and Musicians and Crafters and Writers. Everyone will be asked to share and discuss their art and talent. Invite your friends and family. Let the host, Suzanne Popke know what special set up or arrangements you may need. There is limited parking on the street next to the house, and in the public parking lot right across the street from the house next to the Whitewater Cultural Arts Center. Snacks and beverages will be available. Come join the fun and community-building.
Baha’i philosopher `Abdu’l-Bahá said…: “All Art is a gift… When this Light shines through the mind of a musician, it manifests Itself in beautiful harmonies. Again, shining through the mind of a poet, it is seen in fine poetry and poetic prose. When the Light of the Sun of Truth inspires the mind of a painter, they produce marvelous pictures. These gifts are fulfilling their highest purpose…”
Michael Garcia won two awards for the “Rising Star” project, which may be viewed in the video above.
Michael Garcia wins at Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Awards
Michael Garcia from Whitewater, WI, who is studying Journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, was among the honorees at the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association 2023 Student Awards for Excellence. The event was held Feb. 23 at the Madison Marriott West in Middleton.
Garcia won Third Place in TV Writing for the project “Rising Star,” and Third Place in TV Photojournalism for the project “Rising Star.”
The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association (WBA) is a state broadcasters membership group that was established in 1951. Its main purpose is to promote the development of the arts of aural and visual broadcasting in all its forms, working closely with statewide educators and broadcast managers/directors to encourage and promote customs and practices that will strengthen and maintain the broadcast industry to best serve the public.
The WBA also recognizes state broadcasters, professionals, and student/amateur broadcasters with annual seminars and recognitions. Students in the media studies program at UW-Whitewater have the opportunity each spring to attend a number of networking break-out sessions during the annual Student Seminar, typically held in late February/early March.
“Attending the annual Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Student Seminar provides the opportunity to learn from those currently in the field who attend and donate their time to educate our UW-Whitewater communication students about all forms of the media business,” said Jim Mead, director of UWW-TV and lecturer. “It’s great to see relationships form between professionals and our students. The seminar is a true networking experience.”
Editor’s note: The above press release was received from UW-Whitewater.
Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Updated 3/22/23 @ 8:50 a.m. to add the method to RSVP for the events.
Join UW-Whitewater faculty, staff and students for a talk on a timely topic. We’ll share information, then have a conversation with each other. All Warhawk Talks are followed by refreshments and open to the public. RSVPs requested. Update: To RSVP, click on the link below, and then click on the image for the program you wish to attend. There you will find further information about the event and have the opportunity to RSVP.
An Evening with Wisconsin’s Poet Laureate Tuesday, April 4 at 6:00 p.m. Nicholas Gulig, Associate Professor, Languages & Literatures
From Daniel Webster to William Jennings Bryan: An Analysis of some of the Greatest American Speeches of the 19th Century Tuesday, April 11 at 6:00 p.m. Richard Haven, Professor Emeritus, Communication
Poet Lorine Niedecker (1903-1970) lived in the Fort Atkinson area nearly all of her life, and some of her poems adorn walls of buildings in downtown Fort. From the Friends of Lorine Niedecker website: “During her lifetime, Lorine saw only four books of poetry published: New Goose, My Friend Tree, North Central and T&G, though she was published frequently in literary magazines, most significantly in Cid Corman’s Origin. Between the years 1963 and her death from a cerebral hemorrhage in 1970, she expanded as a poet, writing longer poems like “Wintergreen Ridge” and the haunting, autobiographical “Paean to Place.” Admired by her poetic peers, Lorine Niedecker’s reputation as a major twentieth-century poet has expanded since her death with the publication of her collected works and two editions of correspondence.”
Friends of Lorine Niedecker (FoLN) presents the first in a biannual series of North Central virtual readings on Sunday, March 26, 2023 at 5 p.m. CDT. Our inaugural readers will be Shannon Tharp (Denver, CO) and Noah Zanella (Chicago, IL).
Shannon Tharp is the author of The Cost of Walking (Skysill Press, 2011) and Vertigo in Spring (The Cultural Society, 2013). She’s also co-editor with Sommer Browning of Poet-Librarians in the Library of Babel: Innovative Meditations on Librarianship (Library Juice Press, 2018). Her poems and essays have appeared in Blazing Stadium, The Brooklyn Rail, Coldfront Magazine, The RS 500, SALT,Typo, and The Volta, among others. She lives in Denver, where she’s a librarian at the University of Denver.
Noah Zanella is a Chicago based writer and musician. He works as a professor at Carthage College, an editor at MASKS literary magazine, and a teaching artist at Hugo House. He’s also a cofounder of Gourd magazine, which will be releasing its first issue in the fall. He credits Lorine Niedecker‘s writing with teaching him how to write poems, and he reads her collected work every summer.
Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the Whitewater Unified School District.
The spring session of the Citizenship Class, sponsored by the Whitewater Unified School District, begins Thursday April 6, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at the Whitewater High School. The 8-week session will end on May 25. The class is free and open to all.
The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program at UW-Whitewater provides free tax preparation and free electronic filing of 2022 federal and state income tax returns for low and moderate-income taxpayers.
The VITA clinic is staffed by certified student preparers and supervised by faculty in the College of Business and Economics Department of Accounting. In addition to providing hands-on experience for graduate and undergraduate accounting students, the free VITA clinic helps residents of Whitewater and surrounding communities.“We have many long-time clients who return for assistance each spring,” said Robert Meyers, accounting department lecturer and VITA program co-director. “The opportunity to apply training while working with real people is an invaluable experience for our students.”The UW-Whitewater VITA program will be open the following remaining Wednesdays from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.: March 22 and 29, April 5 and 12. Clients will be served on a first-come, first-served basis and should arrive at least one hour before closing. No appointments are needed.Tax preparation help will be located at the UW-Whitewater Community Engagement Center, 1260 W. Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190 (next to Walmart). There is free parking in front of the UW-W Community Engagement Center for VITA participants.Important information, including a location map, program limitations and required supporting documentation, can be found at https://tinyurl.com/yn7rpjzp. For additional information, email the VITA Site Coordinator at vita@uww.edu.
Editor’s Note: The following was provided by Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club.
The Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club recently donated $1,400 to the Family Partnership program at the Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center. The Family Partnership offers reduced membership rates for low-income families and individuals.
Lorelei Brown of the Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center; Eric Boettcher, City of Whitewater; Patrick Taylor, President of Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club; and Nicolle LaHaie, of both Kiwanis and the Fitness Center.
Patrick Taylor, President of the Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club, said, “Kiwanis is very happy to contribute to help ensure that low-income families have access to the center. Wellness is so important, and a membership at the Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center will help people achieve their personal wellness goals.”
Whitewater Kiwanis is a group of dedicated volunteers who help both children of the Whitewater community and the world. Over the past five years the club raised funds to make possible the recent installation of the city’s first piece of inclusive playground equipment, a We-Go-Round, in Starin Park. Annual donations are also made to provide shoes and winter clothes for students, as well as support for organizations such as the Whitewater Food Pantry, Bethel House, The Community Space, and the Whitewater Youth Soccer Club.
If you have an interest in helping youth in Whitewater, you can check out Whitewater Kiwanis on Facebook and join our Club by contacting Patrick Taylor at Petaylor.law@gmail.com.
Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improvingthe world one child and one community at a time.
Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Seven business students from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater traveled more than 7,000 miles to New Delhi, India in February 2023; deepening their organization’s commitment to a project impacting 400,000+ lives. A video of their experience will premier, along with a student discussion panel, on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. The event begins at 5 p.m. and is open to the public: Hyland Hall, room 2307, on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus in Whitewater WI.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College of Business and Economics students take a moment to pause for a group photo on a bus ride en route to Saharanpur, India.
Shown left to right: Alan Braatz, Grayden Gruchow, Emma Agricola, Dakota Fiebranz (Dakotagraph), Kate Richmond, Lydia Coatney, Hayley Anne Potter, Arnish Gupta and Margaret Wolfgram (Combat Blindness International).
The student group is from the College of Business and Economics chapter of Enactus. Enactus is devoted to creating socially conscious CEOs. There are more than 1,700 chapters in thirty-six countries using the positive power of business to improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need. The UW-Whitewater Enactus chapter earned a National Championship for their program called Project Aadya in 2021.
Project Aadya focuses on training young women in the poorest communities of northern India to perform free, in-home vision screenings in an area with one of the highest rates of preventable blindness and visual impairment in the world. The women are trained by Dr. Shroffs Charity Eye Hospital in Delhi. The project is funded by Combat Blindness International, Madison. And the strategy and process are refined by the UW-Whitewater student team.
Dr. Choton Basu, a professor at UW-Whitewater’s College of Business and Economics and the faculty advisor for the Enactus group, said, “Project Aadya is important because it provides free and low-cost eye care to hundreds of thousands of people. More, the program provides a living wage to impoverished young women whose future prospects would have otherwise been very limited. The women become vision screeners as well as leaders in their villages. It provides them with job skills and a clear career pathway, but it also changes their communities. When you educate and empower a woman, she is able to financially support her family, demonstrate the power of education, recruit more women, and have compounded direct impact on her village. These are areas where the average income for women hovers around $2 a day. Project Aadya helps to change that—and provides the health benefit.”
“It is not only the Indian screeners who are impacted,” continues Basu. “The Whitewater Enactus students were also affected. They had the opportunity to travel to Delhi, India’s capital. But they also visited rural villages witnessing first-hand how plans made on Whitewater’s campus are literally changing lives. They learn that their college education, their career choices, can change lives around the world. At UWW we take pride in having our students apply their learning. It is about “doing” and having an impact on the world.”
High-impact practices are stressed at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Dean Paul Ambrose says, “A business degree is a milestone and is certainly something to celebrate. But an enhanced college experience elevates the power of owning and applying knowledge. Students who participate in co-curricular activities outside the classroom while at the College of Business and Economics (CoBE) or in internships or travel study programs graduate with a different outlook. They demonstrate a superior mastery of knowledge and skills and are more valuable to their future employers. That is why all classes at CoBE are taught by our faculty and staff—not teaching assistants or other cost-saving resources.” Ambrose continues, “We are Wisconsin’s largest business school for a reason. We have specialized faculty and staff with real-world experience to make classes engaging, dozens of championship-winning student organizations, and ample opportunity to foster relationships between students and our business partners. At CoBE, we offer more than a degree. We offer students the opportunity to have experiences that permanently impact their lives.”
About:
Combat Blindness International is a non-profit organization in Madison, Wisconsin. Their mission is to eliminate preventable blindness worldwide by providing sustainable, equitable solutions for sight through partnerships and innovation. Learn more at combatblindness.org.
Dr. Shroff Charity Eye Hospital was established in 1914 and is one of the oldest and largest eye care institutions in India. Learn more at www.sceh.net/
Enactus is a network of leaders committed to using business as a catalyst for positive social and environmental impact. They educate, inspire, and support young people to use innovation and entrepreneurship to solve the world’s biggest problems. Learn more at enactus.org
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College of Business and Economics (CoBE) is Wisconsin’s largest business college. It is home to the top-ranked, single-school, online Masters of Business Administration (MBA) program in the state, graduate and undergraduate business programs, and business programs for military and veterans. It is also the only college in Wisconsin that offers an AACSB-accredited Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) degree program. CoBE is in the top 2% of the world’s business schools having earned both AACSB and AACSB Accounting Accreditation. For more information on the College of Business and Economics, visit uww.edu/cobe or email cobe@uww.edu.
