News

Welcome back to #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society!

Pictured here is a circa 1908 image from our glass plate negative collection of Miss Grace Averill (1883-1939) riding a bicycle. Though she was born in Chicago, Grace and her family had moved to Whitewater in 1887 after her father was hired as superintendent of the Esterly Manufacturing Company. She graduated from Whitewater High School in 1903 and went on to become a teacher. Grace taught at the state agricultural college in Manhattan, Kansas, and later on in California. She is buried in Hillside Cemetery.

Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society collections!

(3817GP, Whitewater Historical Society)

The Whitewater Historical Society collects, preserves, and interprets the history of Whitewater and the surrounding area. Be sure to join us next week for more from the Society’s collections. Please “like” us on Facebook, and check out our website at whitewaterhistoricalsociety.org! ​

Editor’s note: The following information was provided by the office of the governor.

Flags to be lowered as a tribute to the Barber Brothers, Fireman First Class Malcom J. Barber, Fireman First Class Leroy K. Barber, and Fireman Second Class Randolph H. Barber of the United States Navy

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today signed Executive Order #131 ordering the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff on Sat., Sep. 11, 2021, in honor of the Barber brothers, Navy Fireman 1st Class Malcom J. Barber, Fireman 1st Class Leroy K. Barber, and Fireman 2nd Class Randolph H. Barber of the United States Navy, who lost their lives during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Barber brothers will be laid to rest with full military honors at Most Precious Blood Cemetery in New London, Wisconsin, on Sept. 11, 2021.“The story of the Barber brothers and their family is a tragedy that has been a source of pain for the New London community, our state, and our country now for the better part of a century,” said Gov. Evers. “I am grateful for the work of many now nearly 80 years later who helped bring these brothers home.” The Barber brothers of New London, Wisconsin, lost their lives aboard the USS Oklahoma on December 7, 1941, during the attack on Pearl Harbor in World War II. The ship, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, was attacked by Japanese aircraft and sustained multiple torpedo hits that quickly capsized the boat, resulting in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including the Barber brothers. Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew between 1941 and 1944 and unidentified remains were interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. In 2015, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns for scientific analysis and possible identification, at which time, the DPAA laboratory identified the brothers. The Barber brothers’ remains were accounted for on June 11, 2021.   Executive Order #131 is in effect from sunrise to sunset on Sat., Sep. 11, 2021, and is available here. As he has done each year, the governor will likewise issue a forthcoming order requiring flags to be flown at half-staff for the anniversary of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, but he felt it was important to specifically honor the Barber brothers and their return.

By Al Stanek
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

For most businesses, churches and organizations the coming of Fall means it’s time to start developing a budget for the coming year. In the case of the City of Whitewater budget development will take on a new approach as the WW Common Council voted to try budgeting on a two-year cycle this year to provide better coordination with the WI State Biennial Budget. Some city revenues and program requirements are tied to the state process that generally adopts a two-year budget by July 1 of every odd numbered year.

The final decision to move forward on the recommendation from City Finance Director Steve Hatton was adopted unanimously but after some debate. Council member Jim Allen responded favorably by saying, “I don’t see any downside of this proposal.” Council member Brienne Diebolt-Brown countered that a process of projecting revenues and expenses two years in advance would make the process “less nimble” particularly for the second year of the cycle.

City Manager Cameron Clapper reported that a survey of his counterparts around the state found that those who had adopted the multiyear approach generally agreed that it freed up city department managers to focus on program administration and that the existing budget amendment process allowed for appropriate reactions to year-two changes. The city establishes the tax levy each November based on the projected annual budget and any budget amendments.

In another significant budget development step Common Council members were presented with a list of proposed “capital” projects and were asked to rank them in order of priority. Big ticket items like a water tower or a library expansion are not generally included in an annual operating budget as they are usually funded through long-term borrowing. Wisconsin State law allows municipalities to fund large projects with borrowing that does not exceed 5% of the total equalized value of property taxed by the city. The City of Whitewater has taken a more conservative approach by not exceeding the equalized valuation total by more than 3.5%. City policy has been to only take on new debt obligations equal to, or less than, the amount of debt paid off in the previous year. The goal is to keep the annual cost of debt service (which is part of the annual operating budget) at a predictable level.

Other actions taking place at the September 7 meeting included formal adoption of a policy on how the city acquires and sells real estate along with distribution of a proposed sexual offender residency ordinance under consideration at the request of the Whitewater Police Department.

City Attorney Wally McDonell advised council members that although the State of Wisconsin requires convicted sexual offenders to register with the state it allows individual communities to decide if they want to pass ordinances regulating where a sexual offender may live within a given community. Materials distributed for consideration by the council included several potential ordinance components designating specific “child safety zones” where sexual offenders would be prohibited from taking up residence. The City of Whitewater does not currently have such an ordinance.

McDonell pointed out the potential liability of an overly restrictive ordinance which could be challenged on US Constitutional grounds as well as the risk of remaining one of only a decreasing number of Wisconsin communities that have not established such ordinances. Deputy Police Chief Daniel Meyer pointed out that his review indicated that roughly 150 Wisconsin municipalities have sexual offender residency ordinances. The Wisconsin League of Municipalities website reports 600 individual city and village members across the state.

The Council also approved the appointment of Miguel Aranda to the Whitewater Community Development Authority (CDA). Aranda will serve out the remaining CDA term of long-time CDA Member and former city Plan and Architectural Review Commission Chair Greg Meyer

Editor’s note: Julie Martindale, Health Services Director at the University Health & Counseling Services of UW-W, provided the following information regarding the cold care kits that have been provided to students for the past five years. Martindale and Ann Dudzek, Medical Program Assistant, indicated that at this anniversary they especially wish to express appreciation to the sponsors who make the program possible.

Cold care kit idea began in 2016 when the clinic had student after student coming to clinic with complaints of cough and cold symptoms expecting an antibiotic. We would educate students about viruses and how antibiotics do not kill viruses. But then we had the idea of handing the student something – other than an antibiotic – that may help them care for their colds. Many students are on their own for the first time when they come to college and may not know how to care for themselves when they are sick but not quite sick enough to see a healthcare provider. As well, many come to college without a thermometer which is necessary especially during flu season. So UHCS started in 2016 to ask various business organizations to support a cold care kit for the students in exchange for advertising them as a sponsor on the kit. Also included in the kit was info on how the items can be used to help their cold from getting worse and when to expect an antibiotic. Kits were given to all those who came to the clinic for a visit related to cough/cold as well as to those who came for a flu shot.

We also asked students to complete a survey on what they liked about the kit, what they learned from getting the kit and any suggestions they may have. Overwhelmingly the students liked the kits and over 80% said they learned something new. And the best part is that even though some may have continued to ask for an antibiotic, we were able to hand them something else to help with their cold while we explained why it was not a good idea to take antibiotics for a cold.

Now, in 2021, the kit is larger and becomes even more critical as we deliver services through this pandemic. We appreciate all of our donors as we not only keep our campus healthy but our community as well.

Sponsors/Donors:

Culver’s in Whitewater, WI
Fort Health Care in Fort Atkinson, WI
Mercy Health System in Whitewater, WI
Ball Corporation in Fort Atkinson, WI
SSM Health in Whitewater, WI
Whitewater Family Dentistry in Whitewater, WI
PremierBank in Fort Atkinson, WI
UW-Whitewater University Center
UW-Whitewater Dining Services

Below: Julie Martindale is depicted with representatives of some of the sponsoring organizations.