News

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by First Citizens State Bank

President Nate Parrish is proud to announce that Aurelio Callope of our First Citizens State Bank Investment Services Department has received accreditation as a Certified Retirement Counselor® (CRC®).

As an LPL Registered Financial Advisor, Aurelio’s customers have access to a variety of financial products and services including professional money management, retirement planning, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, annuities, IRAs, life insurance, long term care insurance and more. As a Certified Retirement Counselor®, he is the person to see for any retirement questions or planning a person might have.

Aurelio Callope stated, “I have been a Whitewater resident for over 30 years and graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater with a Bachelors of Business Administration Degree in Finance. Here at First Citizens Investment Services, my goal is to focus on the unique set of financial circumstances you and your family face.

Getting to know you and understand your personal needs and goals allows me to create a customized wealth management strategy aligned with your short and long term objectives. Plus, by building a lasting, personal relationship with you, I am able to help you anticipate and plan for the future.”

“Our office can help you address your needs for today and for many years to come. I look forward to working with you through all stages of your life; please call for a complimentary financial consultation at (262) 473-1408.”

The CRC^® program uniquely enhances a professional’s understanding of retirement planning concepts and principles, while demonstrating their commitment to the retirement planning profession. The CRC^® certification is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). Independent third-party program accreditation signifies that CRC^® certificants are an elite group of qualified retirement professionals among the array of retirement-related designations available today.

InFRE, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit education organization devoted to raising the retirement readiness of the American worker. Since 1997, InFRE has accomplished this mission by operating as a highly respected independent and objective educational resource for retirement planning focused professionals.

For more information about retirement services provided through First Citizens State Bank Investment Services, contact Aurelio Callope at 262-473-1408 or e-mail at aurelio.callope@lpl.com or visit our website at www.fcinvestmentservices.com.

Editor’s note: The following announcement was submitted by Jeff Weigel.

Join your fellow community members on Saturday, June 25th from 9-Noon for a Whitewater Creek workday! We will focus our efforts on cleaning up trash in and around the creek from North Street to Starin Road, but will also potentially be removing deadfalls and vegetation at the bridges. Volunteers should bring work gloves, but feel free to bring loppers, buck saws, and waders if you have them! We’ll meet and organize ourselves at Brewery Hill Park, 116 W. North Street. See you there!

Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by Artistry.

Quinn Masterson (Whitewater High School Class of 2010) is set to make his regional theatre debut as Shrek in Artistry’s Shrek The Musical (Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire with Music by Jeanine Tesori).

Quinn graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s theatre program in 2015 and has been living in the Twin Cities directing high school and community theatre, performing in productions, and completed internships with theatre companies such as The Guthrie in Minneapolis and the Old Globe in San Diego.  During his time at WHS, Quinn was active with the WHS Players from 2007-2010 under the direction of Anne & Lane Kuske and during Jim McCulloch’s first year with the program.

Based on the Oscar-winning, DreamWorks animated film, Shrek The Musical is big summer fun for the whole family! Artistry invites you on a hero’s journey with everyone’s favorite lovable green ogre! Shrek The Musical is the ultimate fairy tale mashup for the kid in all of us! We’ll take you on a side-splitting, feel-good ride about loving ourselves, accepting others, and the importance of friendship along the way.

Shrek will run July 15-August 14 at the Bloomington Center for the Arts in Bloomington, Minnesota. Tickets are available at https://artistrymn.org/shrek.

W5294 County Rd. M
Thur. (6/23) 3-6 p.m.  & Fri (6/24)  3-6 p.m. 

Kids Rummage Sale! Tons of kid clothes. Girls nb-3t, boys nb-9 months. Most items $1 or less.  All Organized! Lots of Gap, Old Navy, Gymboree, Carters. Toddler Girl Shoes, Baby Bouncer, Baby Swing, Baby Bathtub, Winter Car seat cover, crib wedge. And lots of other baby and kids stuff! 

A Banner Service: Garage Sale Ads

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 to begin a “consolidated” garage sale posting that will be published by Thursday morning for the upcoming weekend’s sales. 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. Although we may eventually make a small charge for this service, initially it will be complimentary.

Those wishing to place a notice must send the information to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com by Wednesday at 6 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.

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

At the June 21 Common Council meeting a “resignation agreement, waiver and release between: city of Whitewater and Aaron Raap” was unanimously ratified. Although no details of the agreement were provided prior to the vote, which occurred after a relatively brief closed session, a copy of the document was provided to the Banner. Raap agrees to resign and retire on June 30, 2022, and shall submit a binding and irrevocable resignation letter to the City’s Fire and Police Commission (PFC) by noon on that date. Per state statute, the PFC is the body with the authority to hire, discipline and terminate police personnel. In addition to being paid his accrued vacation, the city agrees to continue to pay Raap his regular wage until December 31, 2022. His pay rate will be adjusted effective January 1, 2022 by 2.25%, the same rate of increase that was provided for city employees in the 2022 budget, and he will receive a medical insurance stipend of $400 per month. Raap is to be provided with a Whitewater Police Department identification card, noting his highest achieved rank (Chief of Police) and noting his status as retired. He is also to be provided his class A uniform, cap, and accompanying shield.

Raap releases the city from any claims, damages, demands, and the like. It is stated that, “The parties’ participation in this Agreement is not to be construed as an admission of any wrongdoing or liability whatsoever by or on behalf of Employee, the City, or the Released Parties. For ACAIDAS purposes, Employee shall be classified as resigned prior to completion of an internal investigation, and for HR 218 purposes resigned in good standing as he has not been terminated.”

“Internal investigation” is presumably a reference to the outside investigation that commenced after Raap was placed on paid administrative leave on or about December 3, 2021 “based on an incident that occurred outside the city of Whitewater.” Raap was taken into custody by the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department for alleged battery-domestic abuse on November 24, 2021 from his Town of Ottawa home. The Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office announced on December 15 that it had declined to issue criminal charges “due to a lack of evidence to establish that Mr. Raap intended to inflict bodily harm on anyone.” The city has not indicated whether the internal investigation has been completed. Deputy Chief Dan Meyer has served as acting police chief since December.

Raap began employment as police chief on June 1, 2018, succeeding Lisa Otterbacher. He had left the Milwaukee Police Department in 2016 after 26 years of service, ultimately with the title of captain.

Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by Christine Hayes and the Whitewater Arts Alliance.

The Whitewater Arts Alliance presents the first concert of 2022 this Thursday, June 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. All are welcome.

At the Birge Fountain  402 W. Main Street, Whitewater

Thursday, June 23, 11:30 am-12:45 pm

The Brothers Quinn, Folk Ensemble playing Celtic, Rock, Country, Bluegrass

Food Vendor – La Preferida or pack a lunch! Bring a blanket or chair.

Editor’s note: The following announcement was provided by the United Methodist Women of First United Methodist Church.

The 1^st Annual Strawberry Stampede & Silent Auction will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22 at First United Methodist Church in Whitewater. Hosted by the United Methodist Women, this new event will feature homemade strawberry shortcake and ice cream for $5 per person. Takeout will be available.

There will also be a bounce house and other activities for the kids, as well as a silent auction. The silent auction will include a variety of items, including certificates for local businesses, gift baskets, homemade food items, and services provided by church members.

Proceeds from the Strawberry Stampede & Silent Auction will support mission projects around the world.

For more information, contact the church office at 262-473-2131. 

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

On Saturday June 18, 11 bags of garbage were picked up by (left to right) Steve Smith, Al Stanek and Steve Ryan (not pictured is Lynn Binnie).  The four Kiwanians picked up garbage on highway 12 near La Grange as part of the Adopt-A-Highway Program via the Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club. The photo was taken by Lynn Binnie.

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

At its June 21 meeting the Dodge County Board of Supervisors approved the appointment of Cameron Clapper as county administrator on a vote of 28-3. A supervisor asked whether Clapper was present, with the response being that he was attending the Common Council meeting at his present employment (Whitewater). Questions were raised regarding the proposed salary level and vacation allowance, but no concerns were expressed regarding the candidate.

Clapper has served as Whitewater’s city manager since 2012. Prior to that he served as interim city manager for four months upon the resignation of city manager Kevin Brunner, with whom he had worked as assistant city manager for two years.

Clapper told the Common Council at its June 21 meeting that as he had heard of the approval of his hiring at Dodge County, [which had occurred during the council meeting,] he would be submitting his resignation effective August 12. He expressed appreciation for his experience in Whitewater, in particular for those on city staff, council members and citizens who have supported him in learning how to be a city manager. Clapper recommended that the council engage a search firm to assist with recruiting a new city manager, and the council voted unanimously to ask him to obtain proposals for that as well as for an interim city manager if this is needed.

According to wisconsindemographics.com, Dodge County is the 19th largest county of the 72 in the state, with a population of nearly 88,000. Walworth County is listed as 15th largest, with approximately 103,000 residents, and Jefferson County is shown as 20th largest, with approximately 85,000 people. The Dodge County seat is Juneau. (There is a Juneau county, but the city of Juneau is obviously not in that county.) As of the 2020 census, Whitewater’s population was 14,889. It is evident that a large number of university students are included in that number, and it is generally estimated that the city’s long-term population is approximately 7000.