Big Brick Park Ice Rink Update:The ice rink at Big Brick park will officially be open today! The far north end of the rink is still not frozen solid, so please take precaution and stay off that end so it can freeze properly. Things to know:- The warming house will be open during operating hours as long as there is staff available. – Skating will still be permitted during operating hours (at your own risk) even if the warming house is not open.- Masks MUST be worn inside the warming house at all times. No exceptions! A maximum of 5 people in the warming house at one time.-No parking is allowed on the side driveway at any time. Violators may be towed.- All other rules posted at the warming house apply.
Operating Hours Monday-Friday: Open Skate – 3:30-6:00 p.m. Open Hockey (All ages) – 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday Open Skate – 12:00-3:00 p.m. Open Hockey (All ages) – 3:00-8:00 p.m.
(WHITEWATER – January 10) On February 1st, 2021, the Whitewater Arts Alliance will be presenting a gallery exhibition of work created by Mark Lawrence McPhail. This exhibit will be on display through February 28th in the Cultural Arts Center located at 402 W Main St Whitewater. The gallery will be open Fridays-Sundays, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. in accordance with our COVID-19 safety precautions. Fridays the gallery is open for high-risk individuals only (those 65 years or older or with pre-existing conditions), and all are welcome on Saturdays and Sundays.
“More than a Village” is a photographic exhibition that documents the work of the Akola Project (formerly the Uganda American Partnership Organization–UAPO). During 2009, Mark served on the Board of the UAPO and traveled with the organization to Northern Uganda, where he worked with a local refugee community on several development projects. He documented the experience during his visit through explanatory photographs of the work being done, and portraits of the people served by the organization.
An artist’s statement provided by Mark Lawrence McPhail:
“This collection of images offers a commentary on the well-known Yoruba proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” In Africa, a continent underdeveloped and exploited for centuries, it takes more than a village to serve and support children displaced from their homes and families by war, conflict, and environmental disruptions. It takes people of conscience, compassion, and generosity to truly raise a child. In working with the Akola Project, an organization that seeks to serve and support the least, the lost, and the left behind, I had the opportunity to document and observe the power of people of conscience to serve as an extended family for children who had lost the families into which they were born.
The Akola Project, founded by Brittany Merrill Underwood as the Uganda American Partnership Organization (UPAO), employs hundreds of women in Dallas and Uganda to make jewelry, selling their designs at exclusive stores including Neiman Marcus. In 2009, UAPO traveled to refugee camps in Northern Uganda to assist with several development projects and work with women in their communities to build sustainable businesses. These images tell the story of the kindness, compassion, and commitment of the UAPO volunteers, and the hope, appreciation, and joy clearly captured in the eyes, expressions, and smiles of the children they served. For a short period of time, both had the opportunity to experience what it means to be part of a human family that transcends differences of geography, class, and culture.
This is a story that needs to be told in a time when division, conflict, and disease seem to have undermined our collective capacity for empathy, kindness, and generosity. At a time when cruelty and indifference seem to have crippled our politics, and threatened the wealth and health of nations, perhaps those of us who too often take for granted the privileges we enjoy might learn from children for whom such privileges are a distant dream. In Uganda, I discovered that when our privilege is tempered by compassion and motivated by a spiritually inspired commitment to serving others, we will raise children who can help us realize and appreciate the dreams of democracy, freedom, and equality to which we aspire. As these images indicate, it may take more than a village to raise a child, and yet it might well be the children who teach us the simple lessons of life that define our humanity, and remind us of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King’s recognition that ‘We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
GREEN BAY, Wis. (January 21, 2021) – The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay has made public the names of undergraduate students receiving semester honors for the fall 2020 semester. Students who earn a 4.0 grade point average, which represents all “A” grades, receive highest honors. High honors go to students earning 3.99 to 3.75 grade point averages. Honors are given to students earning 3.74 to 3.50 grade point averages. Students are listed by the county claimed as place of permanent residence. All were full-time students in the fall term, earning 12 or more credits of graded coursework. This list includes students attending all four UW-Green Bay campuses (Green Bay, Marinette, Manitowoc, Sheboygan).
Whitewater, WI
Justin Brantmeier, Semester High Honors Mai Cheng, Semester Highest Honors Steffi Farrey, Semester High Honors David Nehlsen, Semester Highest Honors
(Per packers.com) Ted Thompson, the former #Packers general manager who drafted a Hall of Fame quarterback, built the Super Bowl XLV championship team, & shepherded one of the most successful stretches in team history, has passed away at age 68. Click here for the article on packers.com
Image of the Starin Park Water Tower from a Whitewater Spirit Tour
By Al Stanek Whitewater Banner volunteer staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com January 20, 2021
The Whitewater Common Council took several steps to fast-track replacement of the 131 year old Starin Park Water Tower at their January 19 regular meeting. A recent city water systems study identified the replacement as a high priority. Replacement is expected to cost just under $3 million and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2022.
The 1889 built structure, often referred to as “Witches’ Tower” by nearby UW-Whitewater students, was designated as a local landmark in 2016 by the Whitewater Landmarks Commission. A ‘Wisconsin Historical Markers’ article refers to it as the second oldest operating municipal water tower in the state. Its 180,000 gallons of water is part of the city’s reserve and helps maintain adequate water system pressure for city businesses and residents. It is expected to be replaced by at least a 500,000 gallon structure on the city’s southwest side.
The project has been fast-tracked primarily because of the availability of roughly $800,000 of City Community Development Authority (CDA) funding which is being used to soften the cost of city borrowing for the project. The CDA funds have become available because of the close out of a federal Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) program. The project must begin construction by the end of this year and be completed by the end of 2022 to qualify for use of RLF close-out funds. City Public Works officials and an outside engineering consultant indicated that the timeline is reasonable but aggressive. It will require acquisition of a minimum one-acre parcel of privately owned land.
The City Public Works Committee considered as many as five high ground potential sites on the southwest side in the general vicinity of the Walworth Avenue area west of the High School. A southwest side location is expected to better balance city water pressure on the west side of town. The Public Works Committee serving as the project’s Citizens’ Participation Plan Committee solicited comments from area residents and held a public input session on January 12. Over 20 residents commented on the potential location with the consensus that it should not be too close to existing residential areas.
An engineering study was conducted which considered the pros and cons of several locations. The Common Council decided to move forward on a site in the general area of the City’s Well #9 which is just south of the STH 12 bypass. The area is accessible by a currently blockaded road that leads to a bridge over STH 12 often referred to as “the bridge to nowhere.”
Other Common Council actions taken on January 19th included the adoption of a revised City Sign Ordinance that is intended to be more user friendly to businesses and non-profit organizations and to bring the City’s Sign Ordinance up to modern practices standards required by a US Supreme Court Ruling. Council also had an initial review of the City Manager’s 2020 Annual Report, 2021 Management Plan, and the City Manager’s Annual Performance Evaluation, approved a liquor license for Taqueria La Estrella (formerly Las Chicas), amended sewer cross connection ordinances, approved the first reading of amendments to city committee member term limit ordinances and approved a 2021 Memorandum of Understanding with Downtown Whitewater, Inc.
(Provided by Marcia James) The Wisconsin Marketing Education Association lifetime achievement award recognizes individuals who demonstrate the dedication and commitment to the profession. In addition, compassion and humanity is at the core of this award with recognizing the hard work that this profession demands while also understanding and focusing on the whole person and not just the teacher is paramount. The students that are influenced by this nominee are held to high standards, while also being cared for and mutually respected.
WMEA developed the lifetime achievement award in honor and recognition of Carol Mooney with the plans of recognizing dedicated leaders within the profession each year. Dr. James’s former students and current members of WMEA have been invited to witness this virtual event on Wednesday, January 20, at 7 p.m.
James began his teaching career after serving in the Air Force in Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. He was hired by the Shawnee Mission School District in Kansas City, Kansas, in 1971, to serve as the Marketing Education Coordinator. In 1974 Kansas honored him with the Outstanding Young Educator’s Award. After receiving his master’s degree, he enrolled in Northern Illinois University’s doctoral program where he met his wife Marcia and won the Lyle Maxwell Award. They moved to Whitewater in 1978 and both taught for the College of Business & Economics. That same year, they won the American Vocational Association’s award for best instructional material for their publication, MICROCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESS.
While at UW-Whitewater, James was recognized with several service awards for his work on the prairie restoration and for Mini Business World, where he brought local business professionals, business students, and business teachers together for a two-day competitive event. He also received a service award from the Marketing Education Association for his mini-competition efforts and in 2002 won Wisconsin’s Outstanding Postsecondary Teaching Award. His Mini Business World project was recognized nationally in 1998 when he won the Leavy Award sponsored by the Freedoms Foundation.
James (pictured with Marcia in 1986) continues to communicate with his former students and often says that UW-Whitewater was a great place to work! (Photo courtesy of Marcia James)
This week’s #FlashbackFriday image with the Whitewater Historical Society depicts one of Whitewater’s most iconic landmarks: the Territorial Oak!
Shown here with a fresh blanket of snow, this bur oak tree is located at the northwest corner of Main and Franklin Streets. When the area was surveyed in 1836, the surveyors used two bur oak trees as natural reference points for their plat maps. Though one of these trees was cut down in 1923, the remaining tree still stands today and has grown to 11 feet in circumference (compared to 16 inches in the 1830s).
The local fire department donated a small marker for placement next to the tree in 1962. In 1981, the city council nominated the tree as a Historic State of Wisconsin Tree and in 2019, the Whitewater Landmarks Commission designated the Territorial Oak as the 25th Local Landmark to be recognized by the City.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society collections! (3212P, Whitewater Historical Society)
Banner note: Our apologies for the delay in posting last week’s Flashback Friday. Watch for another post on Saturday.
Iowa State University announces fall 2020 Dean’s List
AMES, Iowa (January 20, 2021) – More than 11,000 Iowa State University students have been recognized for outstanding academic achievement by being named to the fall semester 2020 Dean’s List. Students named to the Dean’s List must have earned a grade point average of at least 3.50 on a 4.00 scale while carrying a minimum of 12 credit hours of graded course work.
By Lynn Binnie Whitewater Banner volunteer staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com January 19, 2021
In December the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, for the first time, started providing COVID-19 data for each municipality and school district in the state. This is particularly helpful for Whitewater, as the previous information that was enumerated by census tract did not isolate the portion of the city that is located in Jefferson County. The new local cases for the seven days ending January 19 reflect a return to the progress that had been made for several weeks prior to an increase last week. Eleven new cases were diagnosed, compared with twenty-five in the previous week.
The city’s rate per 100,000 population is still the lowest among the cities/counties shown on the chart below; however, it must be noted that with many of the UW-W students just returning for the spring semester, Whitewater’s current population was overstated for this purpose. No new cases were reported on the campus during the period.
Thirty-one deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported in the city, an increase of three from last week; thirty-four have been reported in the school district. It is believed that the majority of the deaths that have been reported in the city have taken place in senior residences.
Rapid testing that has been offered to the community at UW-W is scheduled to end on Friday, January 22.
New daily confirmed cases reported as an average over the last 7 days and rate per 100,000 population:
City of Whitewater
Average new daily cases
Rate per 100,000 population
12/5
7.14
48.4
12/12
10.57
71.6
12/21
4.29
29.1
12/28
3.00
20.3
1/4
1.57
10.6
1/11
3.57
24.2
1/19
1.57
10.6
Whitewater Unified School District
12/5
9.29
46.1
12/12
13.14
65.2
12/21
5.00
23.4
12/28
4.57
22.7
1/4
3.00
14.9
1/11
5.00
24.8
1/19
1.86
9.2
Rates per 100,000 population for selected municipalities based on past 7 days as of 1/4
12/12
12/21
12/28
1/4
1/11
1/19
Madison
35.1
25.8
24.3
27.9
38.9
23.1
Jefferson
39.4
43.1
46.6
55.6
53.9
26.9
Palmyra
49.5
40.9
24.8
57.6
24.8
16.7
Fort Atkinson
50.6
52.9
25.3
50.6
50.6
39.1
Jefferson County
53
42.2
33.4
45.4
52.0
33.6
Entire state of WI
65
61.4*
51.3**
40.1***
38.5 ****
44.4 @
Milton
66.5
17.9
20.4
89.7
69.2
38.4
Walworth County
67.5
49.4
31.9
34.4
50.3
21.2
Milwaukee
67.8
53.4
30.1
34.5
43.7
31.6
Rock County
67.8
50.1
33.5
40.4
45.9
31.8
Whitewater
71.6
29.1
20.3
10.6
24.2
10.6
Elkhorn
73.6
56.2
33.2
27.4
46.1
18.8
Janesville
78
60.4
34.8
35.0
41.9
29.8
Cambridge
80
45.6
0
45.6
56.8
11.2
*The statewide rate is for the past 14 days. ** Statewide rate for the 14 days ending 12/22 ***14 days ending 12/29 **** 14 days ending 1/5/21 @ 14 days ending 1/12/21
