The Whitewater Unified School District introduced a new website this past week. The web address, www.wwusd.org, is unchanged, but the design of the site has had a major overhaul. Currently the following two images are scrolling on the homepage. A pulldown menu in the upper right corner provides for translation in Spanish.
El Distrito Escolar Unificado de Whitewater presentó un nuevo sitio web la semana pasada. La dirección web, www.wwusd.org, no ha cambiado, pero el diseño del sitio ha tenido una revisión importante. Actualmente, las siguientes dos imágenes se desplazan en la página de inicio. Un menú desplegable en la esquina superior derecha ofrece traducción al español.
Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by Irvin L. Young Memorial Library.
The Irvin L. Young Memorial Library announces its summer reading program: An Ocean of Possibilities
‘Tis the sea-son for summer readin’ at the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library. Join us between June 15th and July 31st for free events, crafts, and activities. Play Book Bingo to earn free books and visit the library every week to receive a bit of treasure or passes for more adventures. Open to youth ages 4-18. Join us for our kick-off party on Wednesday, June 15th from 3:00-5:00 p.m. We’ll have crafts, games, activities and popsicles!
Programa de lectura de verano Del 15 de junio al 31 de julio
‘Es la época de lectura de verano’ en la Irvin L. Young Memorial Library (Biblioteca Conmemorativa Irvin L. Young). Súmense a nosotros del 15 de junio al 31 de julio para disfrutar eventos gratuitos, manualidades y actividades. Jueguen al Book Bingo para ganar libros gratuitamente y visiten la biblioteca todas las semanas para recibir pequeños tesoros o pases para otras aventuras. Abierto a jóvenes de 4 a 18 años.
Editor’s note: The following announcement was made on the Whitewater Police Department’s Facebook page on June 9.
“As a Community Update, the Whitewater Police Department responded to two separate incidents that occurred on June 5th and 6th on the east side of the city. The Police Department received two separate reports of a male that was peering into a child’s bedroom window during the early morning hours of June 5th and 6th. This incident was caught on video surveillance. Additionally, this same male reportedly attended the Whitewater High School graduation ceremony on June 5th. On June 8th, 2022, Christopher Cole, from the State of Kansas, was arrested for these incidents and criminal charges of Disorderly Conduct (2 counts) and Knowingly Failing to Notify School of Sex Offender Status were referred to the Walworth County District Attorney’s Office. The Whitewater Police Departments recognizes that all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.”
Editor’s note: Per this entry in the Kansas Bureau of Investigation Public Offender Registry, it appears that Christopher Cole is age 36.
Editor’s note: The following update was posted on the city website on June 7.
The lakes project is finally coming towards the end of the drawdown and dredging project. The siphons were removed today and city staff is preparing for refilling the lakes. Field and Stream Restoration will be completing some shoreline restoration by adding erosion control and some new aquatic plants along the park shoreline areas. This will take place the tail end of this week and into next week.
The lakes will begin to refill on the morning of Monday, June 13, 2022. The lake levels will begin to climb. It is anticipated that this will take approximately a week or two. This is our best guess. Once the lakes are refilled the next step will be to plan for stocking fish. This will take place in the fall of 2022 and the fall of 2023.
On Monday, June 6, the Track and Field Team held their annual end-of-season banquet. With families in attendance, all Whippet athletes were spoken about by their coaches, who said a few words about each athlete’s progress, accomplishments, and of course the laughs! It was a night of celebration for the 2022 season.
Several athletes were recognized individually for their achievements. Four awards were given to a total of nine athletes. Those awards and winners were:
Up & Coming Athlete – Jake Kuhlow & Calli Grosinske
Most Improved – CJ Tomomitsu & Maddie Buehler
Field MVP’s – Connor Raupp & Izzy Dieter and Evie Troxel
Track MVP’s – Jack Hefty & Maddie Buehler and Kindyl Kilar
The Up & Coming Athlete Award was given to a first-year track athlete who demonstrated great potential, and who the coaching staff believes will be essential to the team’s future success. The Most Improved Award was given to those who demonstrated great improvement from the 2021 to the 2022 season. Finally, the Track and Field MVP Awards were presented to athletes who demonstrated the highest level of success on the track and in the field events, including varsity point scoring and top finishes at invitationals, Conference, and State Series Meets. Congratulations to each of our award winners!
Pictured from L-R: Jake Kuhlow, Connor Raupp, Jack Hefty, Izzy Dieter, Evie Troxel, Kindyl Kilar, Calli Grosinske, Maddie Buehler
In addition, special recognition was given to those athletes who notched a Top-10 all-time mark in Whitewater Track & Field history. The links below will take you to our updated Top-10 list. Alumni – you may find that your marks have moved down a spot after this season!
Pictured left to right, the athletes achieving performances on the Top-10 list in 2022 were:
Jack Hefty – Hefty, a freshman, first made his mark on the Top-10 list at the Sectional meet in the 3200-meter run. His State-qualifying time of 9:47.92 moved him into the #7 spot. But that wasn’t enough for Jack. At the State meet he improved his time significantly, running in a race that saw both the winner and 2nd place finisher break the now-previous State Record in the event. His time of 9:27.23 was good for 7th place at State, and moved him into the #3 spot all-time. In the last 25 years across all divisions, only four freshmen have run a faster 3200 at the State meet than Jack. The current school record is held by Ben Maas, who in 1996 ran 9:25.1. Congratulations, Jack!
Evie Troxel – Troxel, a junior, also made an impression on our Top-10 list at the Sectional meet, where she pole vaulted a new personal best of 9’ 9”. Our lone field event Top-10 entry of the season, Evie cleared 9’ 6” cleanly at the State meet to tie for 9th. Evie’s Sectional mark of 9’ 9” literally vaulted her into 8th place on the Whippet Top-10 list, where she is tied with Alison Matthews’ 2012 mark of the same height. The school record holder in the event is Kim Stonewerth, who leaped 11’ 8” in 2011. Congratulations, Evie!
Kindyl Kilar – Kilar, a junior, is not-so-quietly becoming one of the most common names on our Top-10 list. A three-event State Qualifier in 2022, Kilar etched her name onto the Top-10 list in FOUR events in 2022. At the Conference Meet, Kindyl surged to #5 all-time in the 400-meter dash, as her time of 1:00.72 was 2nd by only two hundredths of a second in her first and only open 400 of the season. The school record in the event is held by Lisa Lauritzen, who in 1976 ran 58.64c. Kindyl also solidified herself as #3 all-time in the 200-meter dash, as her Sectional time of 26.13 has only been bested by two other Whippet athletes – 100m dash school record holder Kailey Reynolds, and the 200m record holder, Jenny Paynter, who in 1991 ran a time of 25.64c. As you could expect, Kindyl also helped propel our Whippet relay teams to several Top-10 marks. In the 4x100m relay, the team’s time of 50.78 is #7 all-time, and in the 4x200m relay, their time of 1:46.74 is 6th all-time. Congratulations, Kindyl!
Maddie Buehler – Buehler, a junior, was also a three-event State Qualifier in 2022. Maddie added her name to the Whitewater Track Top-10 list in that same number of events in 2022. She was a member of both the 4x100m and 4x200m relay teams that are now ranked 7th and 6th, respectively, on the all-time lists. Individually, Maddie blazed the track at Sectionals against some fierce competition, and in the 100-meter dash she recorded an astounding time of 12.41. The time moved her into the #2 spot on the all-time list, our highest Top-10 mark of the season. She was also a State Finalist in the event. The school record holder in the 100-meter dash is Kailey Reynolds, who ran a time of 12.35 in 2015. Congratulations, Maddie!
Olive Coburn – Coburn, the only senior in this group of Top-10 athletes, made her mark on the record books in the 4x100m and 4x200m relays, joining Kilar and Buehler. The 4x100m relay’s time of 50.78 placed them #7 on the all-time list, tied with a quartet of Keri McLean, Rachel Travis, Emily Haberman, and Ellen Nosek, who in 1999 ran the same time. The school record is held by Courtney Payne, Kateley Haberman, Courtney Nelson, and Zia Okocha, who in 2004 ran a time of 50.30. Congratulations, Olive!
Emma Weigel – Weigel, a junior, was the final Top-10 member of the tremendous 2022 short sprints crew. Weigel joined Kilar, Buehler, and Coburn as the fourth member of both the 4x100m and 4x200m relay teams that made their mark on the all-time lists in spots #7 and #6. The 4x200m relay team’s time of 1:46.74, ran at the State meet’s preliminary round, was the 6th fastest time in Whitewater’s history. Serendipitously, the 4x200m relay team placed 6th in the State Finals the next day, capturing the final spot on the podium. The school record in the 4x200m relay was set in 1986 by Tina Partoll, Janet Partoll, Julie Paynter, and Samantha Reeb. Those names are perhaps the most recognizable across the WHS Girl’s Top-10 list, populating a total of 15 Top-10 spots between them in sprints, relays, hurdles, and jumps. The 1986 Whippets’ school record time of 1:43.93 stood as the Division 2 State Record for 24 years until 2010. Congratulations, Emma!
Congratulations again to our award winners, Top-10 listers, and all Track & Field athletes on a phenomenal 2022 season! I (Coach Green) would like to especially thank our seniors for their hard work for four years, all parents and community members for their support of the program, and the coaching staff for their dedication to excellence and their assistance in building both the athletic success and character of each of our athletes. See you in 2023!
Editor’s Note: The following press release was provided by Whitewater Art Alliance.
The City of Whitewater and the Whitewater Arts Alliance will present two free workshops in tandem with the concert series Savory Sounds at the Cultural Arts Center, 402 West Main Street from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on June 23 and July 21. Led by music therapist Noelle Larson, young children, parents, and caregivers can learn adaptive coping strategies for home and school by using music, movement, and art.
Participants must register for the events to attend, and can do so through the City webpage www.wwparks.org. Registration deadlines are June 21 and July 19.
After the workshop, participants are invited to stay for the Savory Sounds musical performances and lunches. On June 23, The Brothers Quinn will be playing celtic, rock, country, and bluegrass with food vendor La Preferida on location. On July 21, Ken Lonnquist and Friends will be playing family friendly music with food vendor Rocky Rococo on location.
After enjoying the music and lunch, participants are also invited to explore the exhibits at the Cultural Arts Center. For June’s exhibit, “Explorations: Photographs by Jeff McDonald” and “Around and Around” by Mary Nevicosi will be coming to a close. July features photography by the community to honor the late Fran Achen with the 13th Annual Fran Achen Photography Competition.
The Cultural Arts Center is located on 402 West Main Street in the historic White building near the Birge Fountain. Parking is behind the building. An elevator is available for access from the parking lot entrance.
Big thanks to our sponsors!
And to all sponsors who wish to remain anonymous!
The mission of the Whitewater Arts Alliance is to promote the visual and performing arts through an alliance of artists, individuals, educational resources, and organizations to promote creativity and diversity that will serve to educate and enrich the lives of the residents of the Whitewater community and surrounding areas.
Steve Watson writes, “On my Saturday (June 4) morning walk, I watched this young bald eagle watching a family of ducks swimming by on Cravath Lake. No ducks were harmed during this photo event.”
Our thanks to Steve Watson for sharing another observation made with his “eagle eye.”You may be interested in the information on this link that describes the progression of a bald eagle’s coloring, with its head and neck gradually turning to pure white over a period as long as eight years.
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Editor’s note: The following announcement was provided by March for Our Lives.
In light of the tragedy at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, TX, supermarket mass shooting in Buffalo, NY, and so many others, March For Our Lives is demanding action by returning to our roots — it’s time for another March For Our Lives. Since we last marched for gun violence prevention in 2018, we passed lifesaving legislation in states across the country. It’s time to hit the streets once again.
We are calling for a March For Our Lives on Saturday, June 11, demanding that President Biden and lawmakers take action immediately to stop the gun violence epidemic. Organizers from across the nation will be putting on local marches and the national organization will produce a high-impact, high-volume March in DC.
The local march with speakers will be held on Saturday, June 11, 2:00 p.m. at the Elkhorn Town Square on sidewalks around the war memorials. This local rally is one of more than 300 taking place simultaneously across the United States, organized by the March For Our Lives and Everytown organizations.
