According to an article in The Journal Times, Chris Bennett, the neighborhood services director for the City of Whitewater since March, 2021, is one of five finalists for the position of village administrator of Union Grove. Bennett has also served for over thirteen years as an elected trustee for the Village of Rochester, where he resides. The Union Grove administrator resigned in March after three years on the job. Union Grove is located in Racine County, and in the 2020 census was found to have a population of 5031.
The other finalists are:
Will Kolschowsky, a management analyst for the City of Urbana, Illinois.
Todd Willis, economic development coordinator for the City of Brookfield.
Theresa Loomer, village administrator for the Village of Fontana.
Kerry Bennett, interim village administrator for the Village of Union Grove. [Kerry Bennett is not related to Chris Bennett.]
Union Grove is also in the process of hiring a new village clerk.
“Moonfall” Tuesday, June 28, 1 p.m. (Action/Adventure/Science Fiction) Rated PG-13; 2 hours, 10 minutes (2022) Time for some summertime science fiction fun! Once again, It’s the End of the World, as we know it. Our world stands on the brink of annihilation when a mysterious force sends the moon hurtling from its orbit, on a collision course with Earth. A former NASA Astronaut (Halle Berry) has a solution—but, gee, there are skeptics! Directed by Roland Emmerich (“Independence Day,” “Midway”).
Editor’s note: The following information was provided by Walworth County.
Monday, 6/27/22 – USH 12 EASTBOUND FULL CLOSURE
USH 12 EB (towards Lake Geneva) will be closed for pavement repairs 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. The closure will be from the CTH-NN interchange (Elkhorn) to STH 120 interchange (Lake Geneva). As always, all operations are weather dependent, and subject to change. For more information regarding traffic impacts, transportation news and improvement project updates in Wisconsin’s Southeast region: · Follow us on Twitter: @WisDOTsoutheast · Visit the region’s 511 website: https://projects.511wi.gov/region/southeast/
Tuesday, June 28 – USH 12 WESTBOUND FULL CLOSURE
USH 12 WB (towards Elkhorn) will be closed for pavement repairs 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The closure will be from the STH 120 Interchange (Lake Geneva) to the CTH NN interchange (Elkhorn). As always, all operations are weather dependent, and subject to change. For more information regarding traffic impacts, transportation news and improvement project updates in Wisconsin’s Southeast region: · Follow us on Twitter: @WisDOTsoutheast · Visit the region’s 511 website: https://projects.511wi.gov/region/southeast/
The family of Jim Toennies cordially invites you to attend a Celebration of life on July 9th from 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. at: The 841 Brewhouse 841 East Milwaukee St. Whitewater WI.
Editor’s note: The following press release was received from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater.
Interim Chancellor John Chenoweth announced the appointment of Brenda Jones as the next vice chancellor for administrative affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. In the position, Jones will have oversight over financial planning and business operations, human resources, risk management, capital construction and renovation, as well as safety and police services.
[The other candidates were Jason Demerath, Director of Business Services for the School District of Fort Atkinson; Mark Freitag, City Manager of the City of Janesville; and Brant Wright, SVP for Administration and Finance and Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management at Piedmont University.]
“I am so pleased that Brenda Jones will be joining UW-Whitewater, effective August 22,” Chenoweth said. “During the interview process, it was evident that she believes strongly in our mission to provide a high-quality university experience that is accessible to all students. She has a track record of strong fiscal management and planning, as well as demonstrated experience implementing innovative strategies to solve problems and adapt to changing circumstances. Her wide-ranging experience in higher education, government, and public and private organizations will serve UW-Whitewater well.”
Since 2009, Jones has served as vice president for financial affairs for the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. Previously, she held controller and accounting roles, from educational institutions, to accounting firms, to city government.
“Over the years, I have had the opportunity to visit many of the UW campuses and Whitewater has, by far, always been my favorite,” Jones said. “The passion for this campus that I saw in everyone I met only served to confirm what a special place this really is. I would like to thank you all for giving me this amazing opportunity and am very excited to be joining the Warhawk family.”
A certified public accountant, Jones holds CPA professional memberships at the state and national level. She received her master’s degree in business administration from UW-Milwaukee and a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from UW-Oshkosh.
An award-winning professional, Jones has been honored by the Milwaukee Business Journal as CFO of the Year – Higher Education, and was named among the Notable Women in Higher Education by BizTimes Media.
Jeff Arnold will continue to serve in the vice chancellor role until Brenda Jones joins UW-Whitewater. Chenoweth thanked him for his service.
“We’re sincerely appreciative that Jeff Arnold returned to UW-Whitewater to serve in an interim capacity. His steady and collegial leadership style — combined with his knowledge and expertise in administrative affairs and the UW System as a whole — helped move the entire university forward. I wish him well as he resumes his retirement.”
“I would also like to acknowledge the search and screen committee, under the leadership of Dr. Paul Ambrose, and thank the members for their strong work to recruit and review candidates for this position.”
Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by the Whitewater Public Library.
Baseball is the theme of the Memory Café on July 11th, at 10:30 in the morning at the Whitewater Public Library. Memory Cafés are informal social gatherings for those who are living with Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss, or mild cognitive impairment, and their care partner. It’s a time to relax, have fun, form new friendships, and stay connected with others.
By Lynn Binnie Whitewater Banner volunteer staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
Damaged concrete in westbound Main Street just west of Prince Street
According to a news release from the city, extreme heat has caused the concrete to buckle at two locations on Main Street. These locations are in the westbound lanes, one of them just west of Prince Street and the other by the Fairfield Inn. Repairs will begin at both locations on Monday, June 27, resulting in westbound traffic being directed to an eastbound lane while eastbound traffic lanes are condensed into one lane. This traffic pattern is expected to continue until July 5.
It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society.
June is Dairy Month and Wisconsin is still the “dairy state.” Yes, California produces more milk, but Wisconsin is the holder of dairy heritage and, of course, cheese traditions. Anyway, here is an image from the Henry Scholl collection of glass plate negatives from 1890 to 1910. It shows a typical dairy herd on a family farm around 1900. If it looks small compared to herds later in the 20th century, remember, the cows were milked by hand, and it was typical for family farms to have less than 20 cows. As seen here, cows were pastured in warmer weather, but it was advances in producing and storing cattle feed like hay and silage that made year around dairying profitable for Wisconsin farmers who transitioned from cash crops, like wheat, to dairying in the late 19th century.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by Knight Public Affairs, LLC.
The Discover Whitewater Series (DWS): Half Marathon, 5K, and W3 Fit Kid Shuffle is thrilled to announce that it will be offering 25% off discounted race entries to all University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UW-W) students.
The DWS 10th anniversary race is scheduled for Sunday, September 18th. With continued support from the people of Whitewater, the DWS is once again able to host this exciting community event. Thanks to a generous donation from an anonymous sponsor, the DWS team will be able to provide UW-W students with access to 25% off coupon codes.
“The University is incredibly helpful with their time and talents,” DWS Executive Officer, Jeffery Knight said. “We are more than thrilled to pay them back by providing a discount for students.”
Many of the DWS’s volunteers, participants, and donations come from within the University’s staff, students, families, and organizations. Without their help, the race would not be able to provide such generous donations to local charities. That is why the DWS team is eager to support UW-W students in any way possible, either with volunteer hours or with a discounted race entry for every student.
The DWS race is also a great opportunity for students to get involved in the community. It offers official volunteer hours, a chance to network, and an experience unlike any other. Encouraging students to be more active and engaged is what the DWS is all about. Thanks to this unique opportunity, UW-W students are given the chance to be more involved and contribute to their community! To register for the DWS, learn more about race weekend, and connect with sponsors, visit https://RunWhitewater.com/.
About the DWS The goal of the DWS is to promote the City of Whitewater and highlight its greatest features. The DWS partners with the city, business community, university, and the school district to make this a tremendous event that benefits all who participate. For more information about the race visit runwhitewater.com. For general race inquiries, email info@runwhitewater.com.
