News

Kiwanis “Top Dog” Contest to run September 10 to October 2 – Dogs with the Most Votes Win Prizes

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club.

The Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Top Dog fundraising contest kicks off September 10 and runs through October 2, 2022. Participants will vote for the cutest and/or coolest dog and the winner will be the dog with the most votes. Beginning September 10, dog owners can go to the contest website at wwtopdog.net (see QR code below) and donate $5 to enter a photo of their dog (showing the dog only-no humans) to enter the contest. After registration, contestants will encourage their friends and family to vote for their canine companion (votes are just $1 each). Contestants can also vote multiple times. At the end of the contest, the top eight dogs with the most votes will have the choice of some great prizes.

Many thanks to First Citizens State Bank for being the major sponsor of this event.  Thanks, also, to the following sponsors for contributing prizes:  Second Salem Brewing, the Cooper family, Katy Daixon Photography, K-9 Hair Care, Animal Medical Center of Whitewater, Studio 84, and Whitewater Veterinary Hospital.

Following is a list of the current prizes and additional sponsors:

Grand Prize

Second Salem Brewing will work with the winner to have a beer brewed that will display a photo of the dog on the can along with naming the beer. Must be 21 years of age to be eligible for this prize.

Additional Prizes and sponsors are as follows:

A weekend at the Buckhorn Resort overlooking Hovey Lake in the Hiawatha National Forest from Ben Cooper and family.

Katy Daixon Photography photo-shoot for a portrait. K-9 Hair Care gift basket of services and gifts.

Animal Medical Center of Whitewater vaccine or office visit.

Dog portrait by Studio 84 artist, Jessica Barren.

Whitewater Veterinary Hospital Office visit and vaccine gift card.

The Top Dog and owner will ride in the 4th of July Parade with the Kiwanis.

Rick Halvorson, Kiwanian and Chair of the Top Dog contest, said, “As a retired vet, I am very enthusiastic about this program that combines our love of our pets with our love of community and helping the children of Whitewater and the world.”

This fun contest will support youth activities in our Whitewater community. 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.

Whitewater Kiwanis is a group of dedicated volunteers who help both children of the Whitewater community and the world, all with 100% of funds raised going directly to youth projects and zero to administrative costs. 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.

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world

one child and one community at a time.

Annual State of City and Schools Address Hosted by League of Women Voters


The League of Women Voters-Whitewater Area is excited to again be hosting the
annual State of City and Schools Address on Thursday, September 15 at 6:30
p.m. in the Whitewater High School Auditorium located at 534 S Elizabeth Street.

The State of the City will be represented by Interim City Manager John Weidl,
Finance Director Steve Hatton, and Common Council President Lisa Dawsey
Smith. This will be a good opportunity for the public to learn about the referendum that
will be on the ballot in November.

For the first time, we are delighted to welcome UW-Whitewater Interim Chancellor
John Chenoweth to the program, who will speak on the State of the University. The
State of the Schools address will be delivered by Whitewater School Superintendent
Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty. The School District will be sharing information about their
referendum, also on the November ballot.

The event will be livestreamed on the LWV-WW Facebook page as well as recorded for future broadcast on the City
of Whitewater local access channel, Channel 990.

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 and like us on
Facebook.

Obituary: I-Ning Huang, 82, of MA (Updated with link for condolences)

Update: Condolences may be left here.

I-Ning Huang

December 11, 1939 ~ August 30, 2022

I-Ning Huang, beloved husband and father, doting grandfather, respected teacher, wise mentor, and family historian passed away peacefully at the Sawtelle Family Hospice House in Reading, MA on August 30, 2022.  

He was born on December 11, 1939 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province to Chi-Tsy and Pei-Xiang Huang, the third of four sons.  In 1949, his family fled to Taiwan, eventually settling in Taipei, as his father took a position of confidential secretary to Chiang Ching-Kuo (son of Chiang Kai-Shek), who eventually served as President of Taiwan in 1978.

I-Ning attended the esteemed National Taiwan University, where he studied psychology.  This was followed by compulsory military training.  It was during this time that he fell in love with Hwai-Huey Hsu, a fellow psychology student from NTU.  In 1962, I-Ning and Hwai-Huey got engaged days before he left for graduate study in the US at New Mexico State.  After completing his master’s degree in 1964, the two were reunited when I-Ning joined Hwai-Huey as a fellow graduate student at the University of Texas-Austin.  They married before a judge in Travis county court in Austin that July.  In 1965, they welcomed their first son, Kuang-Yu. 

I-Ning received his PhD in Psychology in 1968.  Although the young family had initially planned to return to Taiwan after getting their degrees in the US, the parents from both the Hsu and Huang families strongly suggested they stay and raise their family in the United States for a better life. This led I-Ning to join the faculty of the psychology department at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he would continue to teach until his retirement in 2000.

In the following years, two more sons were born:  Kuang-Hao in 1970, and Kuang-Hung in 1973.  I-Ning excelled as a teacher and was quickly promoted to full professor.  He was awarded the W.P. Roseman Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1983.  He was also an active researcher, maintaining a lab (which led to many trips with his young sons to feed the rats) and publishing numerous articles in the area of experimental psychology.  Knowing firsthand the difficulties of being a foreign student, I-Ning helped generations of international students at the university acclimate to life in a small town in Wisconsin, regularly inviting them over for big meals and games over the holidays.  

In 1981, Hwai-Huey passed away after a long bout with cancer.  After this great loss, I-Ning poured himself into raising his three sons, while continually teaching, researching, cooking and upkeeping a household.  Despite his busy schedule, he soon rediscovered love. 

I-Ning was introduced to Joyce Leung through a mutual friend.  Because Joyce worked as a librarian at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts, the two actively corresponded through letters for two years.  In 1985, the two married, and Joyce joined I-Ning in Whitewater.  

When the sons left home, I-Ning’s life became filled with tennis and card games with friends, as well as with a long term project of compiling a family tree and translating a family history written by his father.  He and Joyce continued to host international students from the university, and with an influx of young faculty from China and Taiwan, they welcomed these new faculty and their families into their lives as well.

These years were also filled with numerous travel adventures for I-Ning and Joyce.  From the Pyramids of Egypt to sections of the Silk Road in Xinjiang Province in China where they rode camels and ate exquisite grapes, they made annual trips for the next two decades.  They were often invited to visit their extended “family” of international students, who now span the world.  Although partial to taking cruises (which limited the amount of walking required!), I-Ning enjoyed visiting places of historical significance and identifying elements of Chinese culture in non-Chinese parts of the world.

After the births of his grandchildren, I-Ning relished every opportunity to spend time with them.  Although the grandkids all lived in the Chicago area, he would eagerly drop everything and make the two-hour drive to serve as emergency babysitter.  As they got older, weekend visits to Whitewater were filled with card games, fishing, tennis, and lots of the kids’ favorite foods.  He would spoil them in ways unrecognizable to his own sons.

In 2010, I-Ning and Joyce retired to Medford, Massachusetts, where they would enjoy regular Tai Chi classes in Fellsmere Park, great Chinese food and seafood, and the offerings of Boston’s many cultural and educational institutions. And because they lived in a condo, I-Ning would never again have to shovel snow.

I-Ning is survived by his wife, Joyce; his three sons,  Kuang-Yu (Susan), Kuang-Hao (Janice) and Kuang-Hung; and three grandchildren Nicholas Yong-Nien, Maia Yong-Yi and Gabriel Yong-Hao.  

I-Ning will be remembered for his generosity, humility, humor, honesty, and integrity– as someone whose actions spoke louder than his words. 

A private burial and memorial will take place at Ewing Cemetery in Ewing, New Jersey, on September 10th.  In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, the family requests donations be made to UW-Whitewater Foundation and marked for the Huang-Christner Psychology Scholarship. This scholarship will assist a UW-Whitewater Psychology student. Donations can be made by check or online  www.uww.edu/give  by selecting the Huang-Christner Psychology Scholarship. Or mailed to:

UW-Whitewater Foundation, Inc.
800 W Main St
Whitewater, WI 53190

Flags to Half-staff Honoring the Death of Queen Elizabeth II

A Proclamation on the Death of Queen Elizabeth II

SEPTEMBER 08, 2022

PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS

  Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch. She defined an era.

  In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her. Queen Elizabeth II led always with grace, an unwavering commitment to duty, and the incomparable power of her example. She was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock Alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States. She helped make our relationship special. The seven decades of her history-making reign bore witness to an age of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity. Her legacy will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world. 

  As a mark of respect for the memory of Queen Elizabeth II, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, on the day of interment. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-seventh.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

#FlashbackFriday with the Historical Society: UWW Centennial Candle

It’s time once again for #flashbackfriday with the Whitewater Historical Society.

Here is another photo from the Robert Ortmann collection. Robert was a student at UWW (then Wisconsin State University-Whitewater) from 1967-1971. This view is from 1968 and features the “Centennial Candle” marking the 100th anniversary of the UWW in that year. This is the first photo of this the museum has seen–who remembers it?

Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.

(5038P, Whitewater Historical Society)

The Badger Project: “Number of Police in WI at historic lows, continues to drop”; Chief Meyer: Whitewater “in pretty good shape”

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

The Badger Project, which uses the tagline “Nonpartisan, nonprofit, investigative journalism in Wisconsin,” published an article by Peter Cameron on August 29 with the headline, “Total number of police in Wisconsin, already at historic lows, continues to drop.” Following are some excerpts from that article, below which the Banner will provide a local perspective.

“The number of law enforcement officers in the state ticked down again in 2022, setting a new record for the lowest statewide total since the Wisconsin Department of Justice started tracking the numbers in 2008.

To relieve some of the burden on law enforcement agencies, and attempt to de-escalate encounters between police and civilians, some cities and counties across the state are experimenting with sending non-police employees to answer some 911 calls.

Wisconsin has fewer than 13,400 law enforcement officers at the moment, according to the state’s Department of Justice. That’s down from 2021, when the state counted more than 13,500. The record high is nearly 14,400 in 2008. These totals exclude officers who work exclusively in correctional facilities.

Although the decreases are small, they are occurring while the state’s population is on the rise. In the last decade, Wisconsin grew to nearly 5.9 million residents from about 5.7 million, according to the U.S. Census — an increase of about 4%.

Exacerbating the law enforcement shortage is Wisconsin’s unemployment rate, which sits at a near-record low of 2.9 percent, below even the national rate of 3.5 percent, which itself matches the lowest level in 50 years.

And while some crime, including burglary and theft, is down statewide, the tumultuous pandemic years have brought a rise in violent crime such as homicide and assault, according to data from the state DOJ. Wisconsin mirrors a rise in most violent crimes across the country.

Milwaukee has taken the brunt. In 2020, the city set a record for its highest number of homicides in one year: 190. Last year, it broke that new record by reaching 197.  And with 160 homicides recorded by the end of August, the city is on pace to break that record again this year. 

The “cop crunch” has been a concern for years, as demographics and priorities of younger generations shift. But it has become more acute recently as industries across the board struggle to find workers in the post-pandemic economy.

Jim Palmer, executive director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, the largest law enforcement union in the state, said he believes that a number of factors have contributed to the crunch.

“Budgetary constraints that impede an agency’s ability to maintain staffing levels, the well-publicized, broad-brush criticisms that surround the profession in the wake of law enforcement controversies, regardless of where they occur in the country, and the changing work preferences of a younger generation that can make more money doing a job that is less dangerous, less scrutinized, and less reliant on working conditions such as shift work and forced overtime,” he said in an email.

In a report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum from June of 2020, Wisconsin finished dead last of all 50 states in the percentage of state funding for law enforcement. To balance that, the state’s municipal governments appear to devote a higher proportion of their budgets to police than the national average, the report said.

Many law enforcement agencies do have the budget authorization to hire, but simply cannot land enough qualified recruits……Law enforcement openings used to attract many applicants. Not anymore. “When I broke into this business in 1983, there were well over 100 applicants” for openings, [Marinette County Sheriff Jerry] Sauve said. Now, “we’re getting 6, 8” applicants.

….Some cities and law enforcement agencies in the state are using civilian employees to ease the burden on police.

The city of Madison, home to what experts call one of the more progressive police departments in the state and country, launched an initiative in September 2021 that dispatches an EMT and a crisis counselor to some 911 calls that don’t require a police presence.

As of August 2022, the Community Alternative Response Emergency Services (CARES) program has answered more than 800 calls that police normally would have, said Madison Fire Department Assistant Chief Che Stedman, who oversees the program.”

Whitewater’s Department staffing is in “pretty good shape”

Dan Meyer, who assumed the role of police chief last month after serving as interim chief since December, 2021, when asked about the department’s current staffing situation, responded as follows: “Currently we are actually in pretty good shape:

Sworn officers: 23/24 – We are down 1 of our 24 sworn officer position with the vacancy of Aaron Raap’s position. That is being filled through the cascading of internal promotional processes currently, and I anticipate it will end with posting a patrol officer position at some point this fall. Our two most recent hires are currently at the law enforcement academy and won’t be on the road until spring 2023.

CSO: 2/2 – Just last week we hired our second CSO [Community Service Officer] so we are now fully staffed. (Both are part-time positions.)

Clerical: 2.5/2.5

Dispatch: 6/7 – We are down one dispatcher of our seven slotted positions.”

Whitewater Police Department is also augmenting its response capabilities with a crisis counselor

As was noted above, some cities, including Madison, are seeking to ease the burden on police by utilizing civilian employees. Last year, as was reported in this Banner article, Walworth County began placing a fulltime Community Crisis Liaison (CCL) in the Whitewater Police Department as part of a pilot program to support the police with behavioral health related calls. Although, as opposed to Madison’s program, this social worker does not respond without an officer to initial calls, they make follow-up contacts in a number of situations. Chief Meyer stated, “the CCL position has improved our communication with Walworth County Health and Human Services, which has significantly increased the provision of mental health and crisis resources in our community.”

Editor’s note: The Banner appreciates being granted permission to quote from the article from The Badger Project.

WFD Pancake Breakfast – Sunday, Sept. 11

Editor’s note: As was indicated in a previous Banner article, beginning July 30, fire and emergency medical services (EMS) are being provided by a city of Whitewater department. The pancake breakfast is sponsored by WFD, Inc. (WFD), the new name for the nonprofit organization that capably responded to the city and surrounding townships’ fire and EMS calls for 150 years. WFD continues to exist as a separate not-for-profit entity focusing primarily on fundraising and fellowship activities.

This Weekend’s Rummage Sales – Including one free event

Free Rummage Event
Tools, fishing/hunting items, household goods.
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
Sept. 8, 9, and 10th.  From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – No early giveaways
652 Foxglove Lane  in Whitewater

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Multi-Family Yard Sale      N 252 Cold Spring Road, Whitewater
Friday, Sept 9th, and Saturday Sept 10th
10:00 – 5:00.       
Cancelled if it rains

Household items, small appliances, bedding, small tables, metal filing cabinet,
high chairs, pack ‘n play, games, puzzles, jewelry, clothing mainly ladies small and medium, scarves, snow blower, and many more items to numerous to mention.

TDS Plans to Give Spectrum Competition

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

A representative from TDS Telecom (TDS) announced at the September 6 meeting of the Whitewater Common Council that the company has plans to bury a 56 mile digital fiber network that would allow it to serve 98% of the city with internet, television, and phone service. TDS, headquartered in Madison, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems Inc, and is the seventh-largest local exchange carrier in the U.S., serving approximately 1100 cities. US Cellular is another of the subsidiaries. The majority of the company, which was founded in 1969, is still owned by the Carlson family.

TDS intends to install a network that it considers to be “future proof.” It is claimed that fiber is virtually immune to interference and doesn’t falter under extreme weather conditions. Symmetrical internet speeds for residential start at 300 MB x 300 MB and are offered up to ultra-fast 2Gig. Up to 10Gig is dedicated to business customers. Ultimately the fiber will potentially be capable of providing 20 to 100Gig as electronic components above ground are upgraded. Spectrum is currently the only residential high speed broadband and cable TV provider in the city. It does not have a fiber network here. According to Spectrum’s website, its current maximum internet speed is 1Gig.

No timeline for construction and introduction of service was provided by TDS. Next steps include requests for proposals, signing of a franchise agreement with the city, and architectural design. It was acknowledged that inconveniences will be resulting from the construction, but the representative indicated that the company is committed to safety and to prompt resolution of complaints. Connections to service would be offered on an area by area basis as the installation proceeds. TDS recently built out a fiber network in Sun Prairie, with population over 35,000, in 16 months. Installation of a fiber network is currently underway in Janesville.

No information was given regarding the pricing for the services. It was claimed that within a matter of weeks residents and businesses will be able to enter their address into a website in order to get an estimate for when service is expected to be available, and may even be able to sign on to a waiting list.

New Owner for 152-year Whitewater Institution – Winchester True Value

Steve Johnson looking forward to retirement “with a huge measure of gratitude and some sadness”

Winchester True Value Hardware is the oldest operating business in Whitewater, WI, serving the community and surrounding area for over 152 years. Forty-six years ago, Steve Johnson began working at Winchester True Value Hardware, while attending the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater. Three years after graduating Steve purchased the store and began his dream of running his own hardware store.

Steve’s heritage is rooted in the hardware business, growing up and working in his parents’ family business, the Village True Value Hardware in Western Springs, IL. Combining the business acumen learned at UWW and skills and knowledge acquired at his family business, Steve applied it to Winchester True Value Hardware, expanding the business into the successful enterprise it is today.

Under Steve’s leadership and direction, the business outgrew the downtown location and moved in 1995 to its current location, 1415 W. Main Street. The store expanded in every product category, and added a rewards program, full rental program, and a greenhouse. To the delight of the customer base, the store began selling chicks every spring.

As Steve and the business grew, his team grew with him with many working side-by-side for decades. Steve and his team offer product knowledge, repair insights, and hands-on assistance. As a pillar in the community, Steve and his team have made lifelong friends among the large customer base, counting these customer relationships built as the true measure of success. As an active participant in the community, Winchester True Value provides many philanthropic services to the community to support fundraisers and community events, as well as the University, local high schools and numerous other organizations including the Lions Club, churches, farmers market, and boy and girl scouts.

After serving as its owner/manager for 42 years, Steve is pleased to report that Winchester True Value Hardware has been purchased by Niemann Foods, Inc. (NFI), and will continue as a hardware and rental location. NRI is an associate-owned company whose retail establishments include several Ace hardware stores in the greater Madison area. Though it is not known whether the Whitewater store will continue to bear the Winchester name, it will change to the Ace brand.

“I sincerely thank all of our customers and employees for their business and their loyalty,” stated Steve. “As I contemplated retirement, I wanted to be sure that the Winchester True Value’s legacy that has been built over the last 152 years continues with an organization that values community and its people. I look forward to retirement knowing that the Winchester True Value is in good hands.”

Steve Johnson told the Banner that the last day of operation under his ownership is this Friday, September 9. Meanwhile all “private label” merchandise is being offered at 50% off. These are items that indicate they are distributed by the True Value company, which may be shown in fine print. The store will be closed on Saturday, and is expected to reopen under the Ace name on Sunday. Steve indicates that he’s looking forward to having more time for bicycling in the city and surrounding areas.

Editor’s note: We appreciate that Steve Johnson provided most of this article for The Banner.