News

City to Hold Community Listening Session – Strategic Planning


The City of Whitewater is partnering with UW-Madison Division of Extension to facilitate a strategic planning process to help determine the direction for the City’s operations and budget for the next two years. The Extension Institute of Community Development works with communities to build the vitality that enriches the lives of the residents and enhances the quality of life in the community.

John Weidl, Whitewater City Manager, explains, “Strategic planning is about our positioning the City of Whitewater relative
to our competitors and to our opportunities. And we are competing – for potential residents and taxpayers, for qualified
and dedicated staff, for grant money to make road repairs and fund new ideas, to supply services to neighboring
communities and non-City residents, and for other resources from non-government organizations (NGOs) and the State
and Federal Government that are mission critical. Departments also compete for supplies, financing, and resources within
and without the organization with similar needs — from new vehicles and computers to improved software and marketing
efforts. The City is also positioning itself to attract other key stakeholders, such as future employers, investors, or
suppliers.”

Through the strategic planning process, the City of Whitewater will evaluate where we are, identify resources, develop a
vision for the future, and plan for challenges along the way. The goal is to create a roadmap to implement lean
government principles, prioritize key strategic issues, identify our dependencies and interconnections, and identify what
stakeholders want from the City and what the City wants from them.

To provide input in this planning process, a Community Listening Session will be facilitated by UW-Madison Division of
Extension. This session will offer people with diverse backgrounds the opportunity to express their views about key issues
of concern through an organized process. The results of this effort will help City leaders and elected officials to further
understand the community’s current needs and strengths as they complete the strategic planning process.

City of Whitewater taxpayers, residents, commercial property owners and representatives of organizations operating in
the City of Whitewater are encouraged to register to be part of the discussion.

This Community Listening Session will be held Monday, March 6, 2023 from 6:00 -7:30 p.m., at the City of Whitewater’s
Municipal Building, 312 W. Whitewater Street, Whitewater in the Council Chamber.

Registration for this session is required as space is limited to the first 50 registrants. Please follow this link to complete the
registration form: https://forms.gle/xApooi8sYsuyjMW7A

FFA Hosting Donkey Basketball “Tournament”

March Madness is right around the corner! To kick off this exciting month the Whitewater FFA is hosting a Donkey Basketball “tournament” at the Whitewater High School Main gym, on Thursday, March 9th, 2023, at 7 p.m. There will be four teams: Whitewater FFA, Whitewater School Staff, Elkhorn FFA, and Milton FFA. During intermission, kids will be able to interact and ride the donkeys with assistance from one or more FFA members. Community members of all ages will also get the chance to interact and see the donkeys in an exciting, safe environment. 

Tickets are $10 at the door or $7 if bought in advance; kids preschool age and younger get in free. Tickets can be purchased from Banco Insurance Company (inside First Citizens State Bank) in Whitewater and from local FFA members. Raffle tickets will also be sold throughout the night along with concessions located in the cafeteria.  

Please come out for some thrilling action and excitement for the whole family. Root for your favorite teams and donkeys. Bring your family and friends. BE LOUD!! 

Katie Gillette 
Whitewater FFA Reporter

Local Student Graduates from UW-La Crosse

The following area students completed degree requirements at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in December. The 58th Winter Commencement was held at the La Crosse Center Sunday, Dec. 18.

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, founded in 1909, is one of the 13 four-year institutions in the University of Wisconsin System. UWL offers 130-plus degree programs from undergraduate to doctoral levels in arts, social science and humanities; science and health; business; and education. UW-La Crosse – www.uwlax.edu – is a top-ranked national university. It is the No. 1 public university in Wisconsin with less than 25,000 students, according to U.S. News & World Report’s Best National Universities ranking. 

Students earning degrees in December include:

Whitewater, WI 

 Thomas McManaway, Master of Science, Recreation Management

UW-W Men’s & Women’s Basketball Teams Open NCAA Play Friday

By Angela Kelm
Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men’s and women’s basketball teams are both headed to NCAA Division III Basketball Regionals this week. The men’s and women’s regionals are scheduled for Friday and Saturday. 

The Warhawk men (21-7) will be on the road for a regional hosted by Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. UWW will meet Wabash (21-7) for first round action Friday at 2:50 p.m. Central. Both squads won their respective league tournament titles with the Warhawks taking down UW-Oshkosh 92-79 for the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Title and the Little Giants topping Wooster 81-80 for the North Coast Athletic Conference crown. 

The other first round game features Arcadia University (15-11), winners of the MAC Freedom Conference Tournament, and the host CWRU (21-3), the University Athletic Association champions. The winners of the first two first round games will meet Saturday at 5:20 p.m. Central. 

The UWW women will host a regional for the third consecutive national tournament. The Warhawks (21-6), winners of the 2023 WIAC regular season and tournament titles, will open against Webster College (24-3), the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament champions in an 87-84 win over Westminster. UW-Whitewater and Webster will faceoff in the second game Friday, slated for a 7:45 p.m. tipoff. Tickets – available at the door 60 minutes prior to tip-off:

  • $10 for adults
  • $7 for students with a valid college ID, seniors and youth
  • Free for children 3 years old and under

The first game of the regional in Kachel Gymnasium will feature Ohio Wesleyan (18-10), winners of the North Coast Athletic Conference and Gustavus Adolphus College(25-2), the 2023 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament champions. The winners will meet Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff. 

The Warhawk men’s and women’s basketball teams have a combined 43 national appearances as the men make their 22nd trip to the tournament and the women advance to the postseason for the 21st time in program history. 

NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Regional – Whitewater Webpage

UW-W Women’s Basketball Punches Ticket to 7th Consecutive NCAA Tournament

UW-Whitewater Women’s Basketball Tops UW-Eau Claire for Third WIAC Tournament Title to Punch Ticket to NCAA Tournament

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater defeated UW-Eau Claire 71-62 Sunday to claim the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament title for the third time in program history and secure the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. The Warhawks swept the league titles this season for the second time in program history (2018) after claiming a share of the regular season title. 

The 2022 national runner-up will return to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the 21st time in program history and seventh consecutive season. The complete tournament field including host sites will be announced during the 2023 NCAA Selection show scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday, February 27 on NCAA.com. 

Sunday’s championship in Kachel Gym was an afternoon thriller. With 7:46 on the clock in the first quarter, Kacie Carollo (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater) knocked a three-pointer to give UWW a 5-2 lead. The Warhawks never trailed the rest of the way. A minute later Yssa Sto. Domingo (Streamwood, Ill./St. Edward) hit from deep. Maggie Trautsch (Sun Prairie, Wis./DeForest) continued to the barrage from long range to make it 11-6 five minutes in. Trautsch hit the final bucket of the first, knocking down another from beyond the arc to send UWW into the second quarter with an 18-13 lead. 

The teams were even through the second, each registering 13 points, to maintain the three-point gap at the break. 

A huge third quarter gave the Warhawks a cushion as UWW outscored the Blugolds 20-9 in the period. With 3:20 left, Carollo sparked a massive run powering up for a layup and knocking it down despite being fouled on the play. After adding the free throw, Carollo turned defense into offense swiping a steal and going the distance for a layin. 

Abi Baumgartner (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) drained a jumper off to keep the run going. Following a UWEC free throw, Sto. Domingo hit another triple with 47 seconds left in the third. UWW drew another charge call on the defensive end, their fourth of the game to give the Warhawks a final possession in the period.  As the third came to a close, Baumgartner hauled in an offensive board and found Trautsch for a baseline jumper to cap a 12-1 UWW run that opened up a 51-37 lead heading into the final 10 minutes of play. 

Back-to-back buckets for the Warhawks, a jumper from Carollo and another three-pointer by Sto. Domingo gave UWW its largest lead of the game, 17, with 4:48 to play. The Blugolds responded with a run that cut the gap to single digits, 66-57, with 1:31 remaining but the cushion held for the Warhawk win. 

Carollo led all scorers with 24, including 16 in the second half. The sophomore guard drew 10 Blugold fouls in the game knocking down 9-12 from the free throw line. She added 12 rebounds for the double-double. Trautsch dropped in 14 with a pair of assists.

Baumgartner posted 12 points and nine rebounds in more than 35 minutes of action. Defensively, Baumgartner drew two of the teams four charges called against UWEC. Sto. Domingo was a perfect 3-3 from three-point range for nine points adding pair of assists and two steals. 

Purple reigned on Championship Sunday as the Warhawk men’s basketball team defeated UW-Oshkosh on the road to claim their fifth tournament title and earn their spot in the NCAA Tournament for the 22nd time in program history. 

Photo courtesy of Olivia Zinanni

Angela Kelm Assistant
Athletic Director for Sports Information

“DanceScapes ‘23” to be performed at UW-Whitewater’s Barnett Theatre

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the College of Arts and Communication, Department of Theatre/Dance at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

The College of Arts and Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater announces the next show of the Theatre/Dance season, “DanceScapes ‘23” with Artistic Director Barbara Grubel. This production will run in the Barnett Theatre from March 4-5 at 2 p.m. and March 7-8 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale for the performances and can be purchased online at tickets.uww.edu or by calling (262) 472-2222. The Barnett Theatre is located in the Greenhill Center of the Arts at 950 W. Main St., Whitewater, WI 53190. 

Dancers perform “Noche Desmadroza” by choreographer and sound editor Alfonso Cervera.
DanceScapes ’20 is rehearsed in Barnett Theatre on the UW-Whitewater campus on Thursday, Mar.12, 2020, two days before it was set to open. The performances were cancelled along with all campus events due to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic and precautions against large crowds. (UW-Whitewater photo/Craig Schreiner)

“DanceScapes ’23” features works from UW-Whitewater student choreographers, faculty members and international dance artist Dr. Jin-Wen Yu who has created, performed, directed and produced over 100 works internationally and nationally. A showcase of unique talent crafted in our studios, we hope you’ll join us as we celebrate the shared experience of live performance.

Dancers perform “Noche Desmadroza” by choreographer and sound editor Alfonso Cervera, an inclusive excellence fellow at UW-Whitewater. DanceScapes ’20 was rehearsed in Barnett Theatre on the UW-Whitewater campus on Thursday, March 12, 2020, two days before it was set to open. The performances were cancelled, along with all campus events, due to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic and precautions against gathering in large crowds. (UW-Whitewater photo/Craig Schreiner)

Barbara Grubel, Professor of Dance and Artistic Director of “DanceScapes ‘23” says, “We are so grateful to be back on the stage after the pandemic. For those new to our show, Dancescapes is a platform where both students, faculty and guest artists have the opportunity to play and experiment with the possibilities of what dance can be. We are extremely proud of our students, alumni, faculty and guest artist Jin-Wen Yu, who are sharing their work with you.”

Dr. Jin-Wen Yu, EdD & MFA, Patrick M. Virginia Horne Henry-Bascom Professor of Dance, and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor in the UW-Madison Dance Department. He has created, performed, directed, and produced more than 100 works in the Americas and Asia. Before his study in the USA, he was a soloist for the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, one of the most prestigious dance companies in the world. Dr. Yu is a six-time gala concert winner of the American College Dance Association Conference. As the Past President of World Dance Alliance-Americas (WDA-A), he has directed international dance festivals in Madison, New York City, and Vancouver.

In 1999, Yu founded the Madison-based Jin-Wen Yu Dance and has been presenting its annual concert at Madison since. The company has performed nationally and internationally. Dr. Yu has received numerous grants, honors, commissions, and awards, such as the NEA grant, the Outstanding Dance Artist Award from Taiwan, the Wisconsin Arts Board Choreographer Award, the first Madison CitiARTS Commission Signature Grant, the Dane County Arts Grant, among others. In 2017 and 2018, his works were presented at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. Some of his most notable works as a choreographer are: “Refresh” (2019), “1-2-1” (2017) “Paged” (2017), “Paging into the Realm of Imagination” (2017), “Fine Without You/Me?” (2016), “Late Winter” (2016), “Water” (2016), “Dis/connect I” (2015), and “Time to Cut Space (2015), “It is You, You, and You…. (2014)”. These works have been performed in cities around the world such as Madison, New York City, Chicago, Guatemala City, Tokyo and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. 

“DanceScapes ‘23” will run in the Barnett Theatre from March 4-5 at 2 p.m. and March 7-8 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale for the performances and can be purchased in advance online at tickets.uww.edu or by calling (262) 472-2222. Adults are $16, age 65+ $14, and under 18, $11. There is a $2 surcharge for tickets purchased at the door at the time of the event. The Barnett Theatre is located in the Greenhill Center of the Arts at 950 W. Main St., Whitewater, WI 53190. 

The College of Arts and Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater offers rigorous programs in music, theatre, dance, and the visual arts; internships; pre-professional opportunities in journalism, advertising, and applied communication; and innovative interdisciplinary studies. For more information visit uww.edu/coac. 

Flags to Half-Staff in Honor of Lake Mills Fire Chief Todd Yandre

 
Gov. Tony Evers on February 24 ordered the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff on Sun., Feb. 26, 2023, in honor of Fire Chief Todd J. Yandre of the Lake Mills Fire Department, who passed away in the line of duty on Feb. 15, 2023.  

“Chief Yandre was by all accounts a caring and loyal friend, mentor, coach, husband, father, and grandfather who was dedicated to serving his community. Chief Yandre served the Lake Mills Fire Department for more than four decades, first as a volunteer firefighter and eventually becoming chief of the department,” said Gov. Evers. “Kathy and I share our deepest condolences with the Yandre family, his wife, Monica, his children, Jordan and Catherine, his grandchildren, and all of his friends and family at the Lake Mills Fire Department. He will not be forgotten.”

Chief Yandre graduated from Lake Mills High School and later earned his degree in emergency management with an emphasis in fire safety from Lakeshore Technical College. He joined the Lake Mills Fire Department in 1981, becoming a full-time firefighter in 1995 and chief of the department in 2019. 

Services for Chief Yandre will be held on Sun., Feb. 26, 2023, in Lake Mills. 

Executive Order #188 is available here and will be in effect from sunrise to sunset on Sun., Feb. 26, 2023. This order is in effect concurrently with Executive Order #187 and flags should remain at half-staff through Fri., March 3, 2023, in accordance with Executive Order #187, available here. 

Whitewater Native, David Meske, to be Inducted into the Tenn. Athletic Assoc. Hall of Fame

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the Webb School of Knoxville.

Longtime Webb School of Knoxville football coach and athletic director, David Meske, a native of Whitewater, Wisconsin, and a Class of 1978 Whitewater High School graduate, will be inducted into the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Hall of Fame for 2023. He is one of nine inductees who will be honored at the annual TSSAA luncheon in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, April 15, 2023.

David Meske

Dave Meske served as the head football coach at Webb School of Knoxville for nearly 40 years, compiling an overall record of 291-146. His teams won six TSSAA Division II-AA state championships (2006, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014) and one Division I 2A state championship (1996), and were state runners-up three times (1997, 2005, 2015). Meske also served as the school’s athletic director for 28 years, the Upper School Dean of Students for seven years, and has been a member of the TSSAA Board of Control since 2015. He was inducted into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame and TN Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and the stadium at Webb was named “David Meske Stadium” in his honor in 2015. Meske has also received numerous coach of the year honors, served in the military for 20 years, and is set to retire after the 2022-2023 school year.

Editor’s note: According to Wikipedia, “Webb School of Knoxville is a private coeducational day school in Knoxville, Tennessee, enrolling students from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade.” Its enrollment is approximately 1000 students.

Seniors in the Park Presents Armageddon Time

Tuesday, February 28, 1 p.m.

(Drama) Rated R (language); 1 hour, 54 minutes (2022)

A deeply personal coming-of-age story about the strength of family and the generational pursuit of The American Dream. Starring Anne Hathaway, Anthony Hopkins, Jeremy Strong and Banks Repeta. 2023 AARP Movies  for Grownups Best Intergenerational Film Nominee.