Phi Delta Theta, Delta Zeta, and Congregational United Church of Christ sponsored an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 2 at Starin Park. Perhaps some of the children returned for the “rescheduled” hunt the following Saturday, but as depicted in these photos by Tom Ganser a number of families braved the weather for the first hunt.
Our thanks to Tom Ganser for also braving the weather and for sharing these photos.
Editor’s note: The following information was provided by Fort Community Credit Union.
Fort Community Credit Union (FCCU) is pleased to announce Deanna Ugalde, Credit
Resolution Specialist, has earned the designation of Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor (CCUFC).
This certification requires participants to complete the Financial Counseling Certification Program (FiCEP)
offered by the Credit Union National Association (CUNA). The program involves self-study, online learning, and
rigorous testing with the aim to identify financial challenges and provide effective intervention not typically
offered by for-profit financial institutions.
Ugalde joins FCCU’s team of Financial Coaches whose goal is to help members reduce loan delinquencies, raise
their credit score to qualify for better rates, and improve their overall financial wellbeing.
“This certification will allow Deanna to provide actionable advice and create practical payment plans that suit
a member’s individual financial needs.” said Staci Schoenrock, Director of Credit Resolutions at FCCU. “I’m
proud of the hard work Deanna has put in these past few months in preparation of her final exam.”
Individuals with the CCUFC designation are required to recertify every three years to ensure their financial
counseling knowledge is current.
Steve Watson shared the following photos that were snapped on his Sunday morning walk on April 3.
Our thanks to Steve Watson for sharing these great photos.
— Our Readers Share: We hope that you might have something that you’d be willing to share. Anything that’s been created by someone else should, of course, be credited, and you should ask their permission if you’re able. We cannot post copyrighted material without permission. We can’t guarantee that we’ll have space for all submissions, and contributions will be subject to editorial board approval. The one definite exclusion is anything politically oriented. We will assume that you’re willing for us to include your name as the submitter unless you indicate that you prefer to remain anonymous. Send to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com or click on “submit a story” near the top right of our homepage. Thanks for thinking about this!
By Al Stanek
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
The Whitewater Common Council approved entering into a $26,000+ contract with the public safety consulting firm Public Consulting Group LLC on Thursday, April 7.
The contract calls for “professional skill and expertise in the realm of fire and EMS operations” as the City begins data collection in advance of a potential referendum asking taxpayers to approve additional taxing authority to maintain and expand fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Those services are currently provided by the mostly volunteer Whitewater Fire Department, Inc. (WFD, Inc.).
The action was taken just two days after voters in nearby Fort Atkinson approved a somewhat similar public safety referendum by an unofficial vote of 1293 to 1127.
The 52.39% majority vote is expected to result in an increase of $82.22 per $100,000 of assessed property value according to a quote from Fort City Manager Rebecca Houseman LeMire in the Daily Jefferson County Union. Other recently passed public safety/EMS referenda have estimated tax increases per $100,000 of assessed value as low as $43 according to a 2021 WBAY-TV article.
The Fort Atkinson plan includes adding police officer positions in addition to firefighters and paramedics. Whitewater has not indicated that any increase in police staffing would be envisioned in its anticipated referendum.
The City of Whitewater and WFD, Inc. are in the process of developing a Memorandum of Understanding that would likely result in Fire and EMS services becoming a full fledged city operation. The potential cost is expected to push the city beyond a state imposed local property tax limit which would require voters to adopt a referendum authorizing increased taxing authority.
The League of Wisconsin Municipalities (LWM) reported Wednesday that a total of eight Wisconsin municipalities conducted local public safety/EMS referendums on Tuesday. They included the Cities of Algoma, Seymour, Washburn and Fort Atkinson along with the Villages of Browntown, Butler, Melvina and Pleasant Prairie. WLM reports that seven of the eight referendums passed. The nearby City of Milton recently announced plans for a possible future public safety/EMS referendum.
“Wisconsin is the only state in the country that funds these critical services solely by property taxes,” according to a statement attributed to LWM Executive Director Jerry Deschane in Wednesday’s statement on public safety referendums. “No other state places such an overwhelming majority of the local government and school funding burden onto the property tax,” he added.
In other Common Council news a no-cost settlement with a construction industry group was approved. A lawsuit over bidding the dredging contract for Cravath and Trippe Lakes argued that the contract should have been rebid after initial bids came in well above projected costs. The settlement requires the city to stipulate that future dredging contracts exceeding $25,000 are to follow public works construction bidding requirements.
The City’s position was that dredging was not “construction” but “maintenance” and therefore didn’t require a formal process. Outgoing City Council President Lynn Binnie stated that, “If we would have had to follow construction bidding requirements the dredging could not have been completed in the 2021-2022 winter months which would have delayed the project even further.” Common Council members were told that the refilling of the two downtown Whitewater lakes is rescheduled for completion this summer with stocking of fish on target for this year.
Binnie was honored by an unusual mid-session adjournment of Thursday’s Common Council meeting to allow council members, staff and citizens to share a cake commemorating his 14 years of service which included the past two years as Council President. Binnie, who is actively involved in other civic duties including Kiwanis and The Whitewater Banner, chose not to run for reelection.
“The Smallest Show on Earth” at Seniors in the Park – Tuesday, April 12, 1:00 p.m.
Comedy, 1 hour 20 minutes, 1957
When Matt Spenser (Bill Travers) and his wife, Jean (Virginia McKenna), inherit a small cinema, the Bijou, from a distant relative, they are shocked to find a decrepit building that comes with a group of aging employees. Matt and Jean try to sell the Bijou to Albert Hardcastle (Francis De Wolff), the owner of a large nearby cinema, but he gives them a lowball offer. Instead, they decide to open the theater, using a few clever marketing schemes to gain viewers at the expense of Hardcastle.
Editor’s note: The following request was received from Our House.
Hello to all our amazing friends and family!
We are so excited to announce our exciting Easter event happening now until April 14th. We are asking our community to “egg” our yard. Our House is located at 945 E. Chicago Street.
We are requesting your help with this fun filled event! This was a huge hit with our community last year, and we are so excited to see how many more people we can get involved in it.
Egging Our House = Fill plastic Easter eggs with candy, put up Easter signs, or any other fun treats you can think of. Thank you in advance.
On April 15th we will be bringing the Our House Family out for an egg hunt in the yard.
** When “egging” Our House please take a selfie of you and your family and tag us in it.
The image on the homepage, “Plastic Easter Eggs” by kanspice2000 is marked with CC BY 2.0.
Editor’s note: The following press release was received from the Whitewater Unified School District.
Whitney Updike, Washington Elementary Teacher, is among 100 statewide winners of the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation 2022 Teacher Fellowship Award. Whitney is the 17th WUSD teacher to receive this award since 2008.
The Kohl Teacher Fellowship program recognizes and supports teaching excellence and innovation in the state of Wisconsin. Teacher Fellowship recipients are educators who have been chosen for their superior ability to inspire a love of learning in their students, their ability to motivate others, and their leadership and service within and outside the classroom. The 100 Herb Kohl Fellowship recipients and the 100 schools of those teachers will each receive a $6,000 grant.
Congratulations Whitney!
On Friday, April 1, students from the Whitewater High School Music Masters Ensemble and Jazz Band treated the Music students at Whitewater Middle School to a delightful performance to kick off Jazz Appreciation Month. Music Masters Ensemble is under the direction of Mrs. Karen Tordera and the Jazz Band is under the direction of Mr. Sam Averill. Congratulations on a fantastic performance!
Editor’s note: The following press release was received from Rock River Community Clinic.
Rock River Community Clinic (RRCC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Olivia Nichols as CEO/Executive Director.
A Fort Atkinson Graduate (2010), Nichols (Hartwick) returns to Wisconsin after 8 years in Alabama where she received her Master of Science and is currently finishing her Doctorate in Human Development and Family Studies at Auburn University. Her research and teaching centers around identifying early contexts of support that improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities.
She has presented her research at academic conferences throughout the US and published numerous articles in academic journals including Sleep Medicine, Social Development, American Journal of Epidemiology, Cultural and Attachment & Human Development.
Before attending Auburn University, Nichols received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a minor in At-Risk Child Youth Care from UW-La Crosse.
According to Carol Quest, Rock River Community Clinic Board Chair, “Olivia stood out because of her training and interest in the social determinants of health, which is part of the clinic’s mission. She also has a passion for health equity and making sure all of our residents have access to the health care they need.” Quest said that the hiring committee was focused on finding someone who could successfully establish RRCC as a Federally Qualified Health Center, a move that would create long-term stability for the clinic and provide more services for the clinic’s patients. “We agreed that Olivia has the skills and commitment to bring our staff, our stakeholders and our patients together toward that end,” said Quest.
Nichols said she is excited to be back in Wisconsin and using her education to bring new federal resources to the community. “As we work to become a Federally Qualified Health Center, I am eager to improve the quality of our care and increase community access to our care through expanded services that bring us closer to health equity as a community. I greatly look forward to working with our leadership team, our community partners, and the families we serve to remove barriers to health and become a healthier, more equitable community.”
About Rock River Community Clinic
RRCC was formed in January 2020, merging the former Community Dental Clinic, the Rock River Free Medical Clinic, the Watertown Area Cares Clinic and including a new medical clinic site in Whitewater. RRCC provides quality health care services, including medical, dental, and behavioral, to those who have decreased access to care due to financial limitations. In addition, RRCC assists patients in finding community resources that reduce barriers to care and helps them navigate the local health care system.
About Federally Qualified Health Centers
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) are community-based health centers that receive funds from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Health Center Program to provide primary care services in underserved areas. They must meet a stringent set of requirements, including providing care on a sliding fee scale based on ability to pay and operating under a governing board that includes patient representation. By becoming an FQHC, RRCC will receive federal funding, allowing the clinic to provide more services and increase access to health care in the community.
Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by Whitewater Unites Lives.
Jerry Grant is at WUL Hometown Hero. He was nominated “For serving more than 20 years on the Walworth County Board in many leadership positions, and for the countless hours he spends helping children by donating his time and talent to Kiwanis Whitewater Breakfast Club.”
Jerry was recently recognized for his years of service to Walworth County with a resolution that includes the following:
“…Supervisor Grant has held a variety of leadership positions, including four terms as County Board Vice Chair…as well as numerous chairmanships…Supervisor Grant has provided leadership on many important issues, including construction of the Judicial Center, and replacement of Lakeland Health Care Center and Lakeland School…spent countless hours researching important issues facing the county over the years…the Walworth county Board of Supervisors hereby recognizes and commends Jerry A. Grant for his years of dedicated service to the citizens of Walworth County.”
Jerry shared that he was raised on a farm in the Whitewater area until age 18. Then he became a resident of the City of Whitewater. He worked in a factory for a year, then at a service station for six years, then was a police officer for 33 years. In 1983 he was elected to the Whitewater Unified School District Board until 1998.”
Jerry has been a member of several organizations and held offices to help children. He was involved in the P.T.O., Music Parents, Whippet Boosters, and more. In 1996 Jerry became a member of the Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club and has served there in an active leadership role ever since.
Jerry and his loving wife Shirley live in an apartment at Fairhaven.
WUL (Whitewater Unites Lives) is a locally-focused civil and human rights group that works to connect the people in our community and to create opportunities for all people to learn and support each other in our common humanity.
Anyone who would like to nominate a local hero of any age should send their nomination, with a short description, to whitewaterunites@gmail.com