News

The following notice was posted on the UW-Whitewater announcements page on April 19.

With the search and screen processes for two university leaders now concluded, Provost John Chenoweth is pleased to announce the naming of a new dean for the College of Letters and Sciences and a new assistant vice chancellor for Enrollment and Retention. Please join us in congratulating them!

Jason Janke has been named the dean of the College of Letters and Sciences. He is currently serving as an associate dean at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where he oversees advising as well as data and enrollment. Professor Janke served as chair of the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences for three years and has served as an administrator (associate dean and interim dean) for six years in the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.  

“Jason Janke will be a champion for student success and a strong advocate for the College of Letters and Sciences,” Chenoweth said. “His wide-ranging experience and skillset — teaching, budgeting, strategic planning, research, inclusivity efforts, and fundraising — will serve the college well. Dr. Janke deeply understands our mission to provide transformational experiences for our students and he vividly articulates the value of a high-quality liberal arts education.”

Janke officially begins as dean on July 1.

Jackie Briggs has been named assistant vice chancellor for Enrollment and Retention. Briggs has been serving as director of admissions since 2017 and was previously assistant director of admissions at UW-La Crosse. She has more than 16 years of recruitment and retention experience in higher education.

“At a time of increased competition for student recruitment and retention, we are fortunate to have an experienced professional — Jackie Briggs — to lead our efforts,” said Chenoweth. “In her time at UW-Whitewater, Jackie has increased collaborations across both the Whitewater and Rock County campuses. Data-informed decision making and the welcoming, customer-service culture she has implemented have served us well and set the tone for others to follow. I look forward to working with Jackie and colleagues across UW-Whitewater to grow the Warhawk family.” 

Briggs officially begins as assistant vice chancellor on April 21.

Chenoweth thanked the search chairs for these positions — Matt Vick, dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education, who chaired the dean search, and Paul Waelchli, library director, who chaired the assistant vice chancellor search — as well as the search and screen committees, for their able leadership and strong work in recruiting and reviewing the candidates.

American impressionist, Tom Nachreiner, is hosting a weekend en plein air workshop May 20 to May 21, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day. This is a two-day workshop taking place at the Fuzzy Pig—N8660 Clover Valley Road, Whitewater, WI 53190—with all the information needed to become a better painter. The focus is on working with outdoor scenes to recreate stunning landscapes.

The cost of this workshop is $200 that can be purchased online from the Whitewater Arts Alliance (WAA) shop, https://www.whitewaterarts.org/shop/en-plein-air-workshop-with-tom-nachreiner-2023. Or checks can be sent to the WAA: checks need to be payable to Whitewater Arts Alliance. Address is P.O. Box 311, Whitewater, WI 53190. If registrants purchase through mail, the WAA asks that registrants email or call the gallery by April 23, 2023 to confirm registration.

A supply list can be found on the WAA website—https://www.whitewaterarts.org/en-plein-air-nachreiner-2023—as well as downloadable registration forms.

Big thanks to our sponsors!

Dan Richardson & Pat Blackmer

Lynn & Cheryl Binnie

Kristen Burton

Virginia Coburn

Kay Drexler

H. Gaylon & Hannah Greenhill

Ruth, Russ, & Elisabeth Hansen

Dawn & Lyle Hunter

Carole Scharinger

Charles Taggart

Barb & Chuck Taylor

Roni & Richard Telfer

Pamela Van Doren

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from the City of Whitewater.

Starbucks has submitted plans to the City of Whitewater for a coffee shop with a drive-thru on the west side of town. The Starbucks proposed location is the current site of the Whitewater Quick Lube at 1280 W. Main Street. The existing building will be torn down and Excel Engineering, based in Fond Du Lac, will build the new building.

The next steps are to review the site plan and issue a Conditional Use Permit during the May meeting of the City of Whitewater’s Plan & Architectural Review Commission. The property is zoned B-1 and will require a Conditional Use Permit for the drive-thru. Architectural changes in B-1 zoned properties are subject to Conditional Use Permits.

John Weidl, Whitewater city manager, explains, “Notwithstanding the technical and legislative details of the site approval and conditional use approval process, this redevelopment opportunity represents another concrete positive step forward for this community. As a very wise elected official I once worked with said, if the local government invests in community, so will others. The City will continue to support and, where possible, invest in opportunities that create housing, jobs, and bring new businesses to the City. Starbucks is a welcome addition to that tapestry.”

The City of Whitewater’s Plan & Architectural Review Commission (PARC) will conduct a site plan review at their next meeting on May 8, 2023, and render its verdict. During site plan review members of the Plan Commission will examine the proposed building for architectural integrity and ensure that landscaping, traffic, lighting, parking, street access and other factors are in line with city ordinances. Furthermore, the PARC members will consider whether the new use will be a nuisance, all necessary improvements are being made, and that the proposed plan conforms to the zoning of the site and the City of Whitewater’s Comprehensive Plan.

If PARC approves the site plan, accepts the design, and approves the Conditional Use Permit, the owner of the land and his representatives can apply for building permits. The internal review by city staff will continue throughout the building process, with engineers and public works personnel ensuring the building and site are constructed in compliance with the city code. The Starbucks plans are available for review on the second floor of the municipal building at the Public Works/Neighborhood Services counter.

Chris Bennett, Neighborhood Services Director, shares, “One more place to grab a good cup of coffee is always good for any city. In a larger sense, what this new Starbucks represents is an individual and company willing to invest in Whitewater. Couple this with the new ALDI that is coming soon, and the redeveloped ACE Hardware, and that end of West Main Street is positioned for a bright future.”

As a result of a reader’s comment that it’s hard to find garage sales in Whitewater now that we no longer have a weekly shopper, the Banner staff agreed three years ago to begin a “consolidated” garage sale posting that is published each Thursday morning for the upcoming weekend’s sales. We will continue that service this year. This announcement will only be for garage sales (a sale of miscellaneous household goods, often held in the garage or front yard of someone’s house) in the city and school district boundaries. We will not be accepting, for example, ads for cars or other items that are not part of a scheduled garage sale. There will be a limit of three times per year for a particular property.

Those wishing to place a notice must send the information to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com by Wednesday at 8 p.m. You may include a brief description of the items that are for sale, the hours and days of the sale, and of course your address.

Affirming and Supporting Our Nicaraguan Community
IN PERSON COMMUNITY FORUM on APRIL 20

The League of Women Voters – Whitewater Area is sponsoring an in person community forum, Affirming and Supporting Our Nicaraguan Community, on Thursday, April 20, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. The event will be held at the Cravath Lakefront Community Center, 341 S Fremont St., Whitewater. Spanish interpretation services will be provided, refreshments too! Dr. Lisa Huempfner, recent school board electee, will be providing interpretation services.

Please join us to learn how you can be of help and lend your support to Nicaraguan families in our community. The forum will feature a panel of community leaders, each of whom will address what is being done in their area of professional or volunteer work, to assist in welcoming and providing language, economic, legal, housing, and employment assistance, and access to food and health services for our newest neighbors. Learn
how you can contribute to making Whitewater a more welcoming and inclusive community.

Panelists include John Weidl, Whitewater City Manager; Terilyn Robles, WUSD Multicultural Services Coordinator; Jorge Islas-Martinez, WUSD Bilingual Liaison – Asistente Bilingüe; Margaret Wheeler, UW-Whitewater International Employment & Immigration Specialist; and Kay Robers, Manager of The Community Space. A Q&A
session will follow panelist presentations. The forum will be moderated by Miguel Aranda, WUSD board member and Pre-College Programs Associate Director at UW-Whitewater. This event will not be filmed. Everyone in our community is welcome to attend.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Visit our website at https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/whitewater-area, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @lwvwhitewater.

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Afirmando y apoyando a nuestra comunidad nicaragüense
FORO EN VIVO el 20 de ABRIL

The League of Women Voters – Whitewater Area está patrocinando un foro comunitario en persona, Afirmando y apoyando a nuestra comunidad nicaragüense, el jueves, 20 de abril, de 6:30 a 7:30 de la noche. El evento tendrá lugar en el Centro Comunitario del Lago de Cravath (Cravath Lakefront Community Center), 341 S Fremont St,
Whitewater. Servicios de interpretación al español estarán disponibles. ¡Refrescos gratuitos también! Servicios de interpretación estarán ofrecidas por Dra. Lisa Huempfner, recientemente elegida a la Junta Directiva Escolar de Whitewater.

Por favor, júntese a nosotros para aprender cómo puede Ud. ayudar y apoyar a familias nicaragüenses en nuestra comunidad. El foro contará con un panel de líderes de la comunidad, y cada uno explicará lo que se está haciendo en su campo de trabajo profesional o voluntario para ayudar en dar la bienvenida y proveer asistencia lingüística, económica, legal y de empleo y vivienda, además de acceso a comida y servicios de salud para nuestros vecinos nuevos. Aprenda cómo Ud. puede contribuir a hacer de Whitewater una comunidad más acogedora e inclusiva.

Los panelistas incluyen John Weidl, el Gerente de la Ciudad de Whitewater, Terilyn Robles, la Coordinador de Servicios Multiculturales de WUSD, Jorge Islas-Martínez, el Asistente Bilingüe de WUSD, Margaret Wheeler, una especialista de Empleo e Inmigración Internacional de la Universidad de Whitewater, y Kay Robers, Gerente de
The Community Space. Una sesión de preguntas y respuestas seguirá a las presentaciones de los panelistas. Miguel Aranda, miembro de la Junta Directiva Escolar de WUSD y Director Asociado de Programas Pre-Universidad en
UW-Whitewater será el moderador del foro. Este evento no será grabado. Cualquier persona de nuestra comunidad puede asistir.

La Liga de Votantes Femeninos es una organización política independiente que anima la participación informada y activa en el gobierno, trabaja para aumentar la comprensión de grandes temas de política pública e influye en la política pública a través de la educación y promoción. Visite nuestro sitio del Internet en
https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/whitewater-area, ponernos ¨me gusta¨ en Facebook y síganos en Instagram @lwvwhitewater.

 
The Irvin L. Young Memorial Library is partnering with UW-Whitewater student organization, Latinos Unidos, for a Fiesta de Primavera (Spring Party) family night to celebrate Latin culture and Spring. The public is invited to this free event on Thursday, April 27 at 5:30 p.m. All ages are welcome to attend.

Several craft activities will be offered, including making alebrijes, papel picado, paper stars, papel marigolds, and flower headbands. Snacks will be provided.

Acompáñennos para celebrar la cultura Latina y la primavera haciendo papel picado,alebrijes de barro, diademas de flores y más. ¡Tendríamos botanas! Este evento divertido es gratis y para toda la familia. Muchas gracias a Latinos Unidos de la Universidad de Wisconsin, Whitewater.

The event will be held in the Irvin L Young Memorial Library’s Community Room located at 431 W. Center Street in Whitewater. There is no cost or registration.

Contact Sarah French with questions at sfrench@whitewater-wi.gov or 262-458-2782.

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

The Instructional, Communication, and Information Technology (ICIT) Technology Surplus Sale will be held at the Community Engagement Center (CEC) on April 18 and 19. Take advantage of great pricing on used equipment like Macs and PCs, monitors, projectors, cameras, hard drives, and more for your home or personal use.  For details, including examples of pricing, please go to our Technology Surplus information page.

Sale Location:
Community Engagement Center (CEC)
1260 W. Main Street (Next to Walmart)
Room 108/109

Hours:
April 18

• 8:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. Early Access*
• 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. General public

April 19

• 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. General public

Shop early because ICIT cannot reserve items, and everything is sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Payment forms accepted: credit, debit, Purple Points, cash, or check. Receipts will be provided for all purchases.

These devices are for personal use only and will not be supported by UW-Whitewater. All devices are sold as-is and may not be returned or used at UW-Whitewater for any reason. Individuals with tax-exempt status should bring in a physical copy of their signed tax exemption form to process tax-exempt purchases.

*Early Access passes distributed to current UW-W students and employees are valid from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 18. The pass admits one individual to the sale during the early access window. All sale rules apply to early access purchases. Current UW-Whitewater students and employees: be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok @uwwicit for details on winning an early access pass!