TMJ4 reported on March 4 that, “The Walworth County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Friday [March 4] that a deputy has been placed on administrative leave after he was charged with 19 counts including sexual assault. The sheriff’s office said in a statement that Deputy Gerardo Baca, 36, was arrested on March 3 and is facing numerous charges in Waukesha County, including multiple counts of second and third-degree sexual assault. The sheriff’s office said the charges stem from incidents that happened when he was off duty over a year ago…According to the criminal complaint, Baca sexually assaulted six different women between 2011 and 2021. Some of the victims he met at work and one was an intern.”
“Now, Waukesha County is asking to speak with anyone who could be a victim. They are asking anyone who has been involved with Baca to call Waukesha County Sheriff Detective Aaron Hoppe at 262-896-8143 or Waukesha County Sheriff Detective Jack Kopatich at 262-896-8140.”
Additional information is provided in the TMJ4 article.
By Al Stanek Whitewater Banner volunteer staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
The massive mound of dirt from the dredging of the lakes, taken from Howard Road. Photo courtesy of Al Stanek, who states, “It’s really hard to capture just how much dirt is in that pile.”
Nearly 69,000 cubic yards of wet soil have been moved to a temporary site in the Whitewater Industrial Park off of Howard Road as crews wrap up the dredging portion of the project to revitalize Whitewater’s two downtown lakes. The 69,000 cubic yards is the equivalent of nine times the cubic capacity of the Goodyear Blimp according to the website “The Measure of Things.”
Whitewater Common Council members were given an update on the project at their March 1 meeting which also included the first official reference to the potential for a referendum on absorbing fire and emergency medical services (EMS) as a full-fledged city department. Plans include a reduced reliance on paid on-call volunteers due to a shortage of local volunteers with an increase in paid full-time employees.
Whitewater apparently will join neighboring communities like Fort Atkinson and Milton in asking citizens to vote on exceeding state imposed spending limits to absorb fire and/or EMS services in reaction to a statewide shortage of volunteer firefighters and highly trained Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). Fort’s citizens will vote on their referendum on April 5. Whitewater’s referendum issue is expected to be a subject of discussion at the upcoming March 15 Common Council meeting and could be placed on the ballot as early as this fall.
The dredging of Cravath Lake across from City Hall and Trippe Lake on the City’s near eastside has been a multiyear project that began with a two year long drawdown of the lakes, a controlled burn of invasive vegetation, and a massive effort at dredging which had hoped to be able to remove as much as 81,000 cubic yards of lake bed soils before warmer temperatures caused a halt in operations. Several owners of lakefront property are expected to still be able to do additional dredging from shore to contribute an estimated 4,000 more cubic yards of material.
Whitewater Parks and Recreation Director Eric Boettcher told Common Council members that the main channel on Trippe Lake had been lowered by as much as 5.5 feet and 3.5 feet on the Cravath Lake main channel. The overall maximum depth of both lakes is expected to be significantly greater when refilling of the lakes takes place in June with plans for a nearly complete refill by the 4th of July event at Cravath Lake. The project’s costs are expected not to exceed the $1.47 million budget.
In other action the Common Council approved a 2.25% wage increase for City Manager Cameron Clapper which is equivalent to increases granted to other city employees and got an update from representatives of the company that last August began stationing electric scooters at various places around town to provide a transportation option for citizens and students.
Bird Scooters Inc. representatives were asked to address citizen complaints about scooters blocking sidewalks and lying tipped over in residential yards. They agreed to step up oversight by their local contractor charged with that responsibility and could face termination of the program for non-compliance. The company reported over 11,000 trips purchased online in Whitewater between August of last year and the beginning of the snow season. They claimed to have over 300 “regular Whitewater commuters” last year.
The Council was also advised that residents with abandoned vehicles in their yards will be receiving “notice of enforcement” actions per a “Junk Vehicle Ordinance” passed in October. The ordinance includes fines ranging from $50 to up to $500 for non-compliance. Residents in the process of making repairs to a vehicle can obtain a permit forgoing the assessment of fines if the owner stipulates that the vehicle will be returned to an operable condition within a year.
Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the League of Women Voters of the Whitewater Area.
The League of Women Voters of the Whitewater Area is pleased to announce that it will host an in-person Whitewater Common Council candidate forum on Saturday, March 12, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM, in the City of Whitewater Council Chambers, 312 W Whitewater Street. The City of Whitewater asks members of the public to wear face masks in City-owned facilities, regardless of vaccination status.
There are four candidates running for three open seats on the Common Council and one contested race for the Member at Large seat. Participating candidates include: Jill Gerber (AD4, Wards 6/7/8) and Jim Allen (Member at Large – Incumbent) and Chuck Mills (Member At Large – Challenger). The forum will be moderated by League member and UW-Whitewater Professor of History Dr. Karl Brown.
If you have questions for the candidates but are unable to attend the in person forum, please submit your questions electronically via the following Google Form by Wednesday, March 9.
Submit questions for Common Council candidates at City Council Candidate Forum Question Submission Form. Candidate questions prepared by the LWV Whitewater Area board will be used if there are not enough questions provided by the public. The League does not accept questions targeted to specific candidates.
The forum will be filmed by Whitewater Community TV and live streamed to their Vimeo website. A recording will be rebroadcast on Channel 990 and made available on the League’s website, https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/whitewater-area, during the weeks leading up to the April 5 Spring Election.
The League is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by the College of Arts and Communication, Department of Theatre/Dance at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
The College of Arts and Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater announces the annual dance concert “DanceScapes ‘22.” Performances will take place on March 12 – 13 at 2:00 p.m. and March 14 – 15 at 7:30 p.m. in Barnett Theatre. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased online at tickets.uww.edu or by calling (262) 472-2222. On Sunday, March 13, a fundraising raffle will be held in conjunction with the concert performance. The Barnett Theatre is located in the Greenhill Center of the Arts at 950 W. Main St. Do not come to campus if you are ill. For the most up to date campus safety information, visit the Warhawks are Back webpage at the link below. uww.edu/warhawks-are-back.
Students perform UW-Whitewater senior Anna D’Alessandro’s choreography, titled “;.” DanceScapes ’18 will be performed March 17 and 18 at 2 p.m. and March 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m. in Barnett Theatre at Greenhill Center of the Arts on the UW-Whitewater campus. UW-Whitewater dance lecturer Amy Slater is artistic director.(UW-Whitewater photo/Craig Schreiner)
An annual audience favorite, this concert features works from UW-Whitewater faculty members, award-winning guest artist Li Chiao Ping, student choreographers Kayley Stoner and Teresa Krogmann, and for the very first time, a piece choreographed and performed by all alums. A showcase of unique talent nurtured in our studios, we hope you’ll join us as we celebrate the shared experience of live performance.
The following local students are part of “DanceScapes ’22.”
Carter Waelchli who is studying Theatre Education, serves as a crew member
Emma Hendricks who is studying General Business, serves as a dancer
Barbara Grubel, Professor of Dance and Artistic Director of “DanceScapes ‘22” says, “I am so excited to have DanceScapes ‘22 return to live audiences – there’s something so organic about the relationships built between the audience and the dancers while they’re performing onstage – the energy is palpable in the room. This year’s concert has some exciting additions with the return of guest artist Li Chiao Ping, our student choreographers Kayley Stoner and Teressa Krogmann, and for the first time, the addition of a piece choreographed by Elizabeth Szymczak ‘07 and performed by all alumni. Symczak states, “It was the perfect time to come back to UW-Whitewater and work in the studio. As an alumna, I’m extremely grateful to have the opportunity to once again work with Barb; she is truly an asset to the entire institution. Working with other alums on this piece has been an engaging and collaborative experience – I’m excited to have audiences take in the work and hear about their viewing experience.”
Audiences may remember guest choreographer Li Chiao Ping from her work in “DanceScapes ‘21” – a dance for camera work in the virtual concert. This year’s piece is an adaptation of last year’s piece, working with UW-Whitewater students to transform her dance for camera work into one for the stage. Chiao Ping, who was named by Dance Magazine as one of “25 to watch,” makes work for the stage, screen, and other sites for individuals and organizations around the country. She has choreographed for musical theater, opera, and ballet, in addition to concert dance, dance theater, and screen dance. Artistic Director of Li Chiao-Ping Dance and Co-Director of the SF-based Dziga Vertov Performance Group with Douglas Rosenberg from 1992-94, Li was the Director of the Dance Program at Hollins College and on faculty at Mills College.
On Sunday, March 13, 2022 a fundraising raffle will be held in conjunction with the performance. Beginning at 1:00 p.m., raffle items include a variety of gift certificates, products and more from area businesses. You do not have to attend the concert to participate in the raffle. Proceeds will go directly towards sending UW-Whitewater students to the American College Dance Association Conference each year. During their attendance students are able to learn from other instructors throughout the region, perform selected works for attendees and view works from other choreographers in the region.
Editor’s Note: The following was provided by Jefferson County Parks.
The Jefferson County Parks Department needs you, and anyone you know who may be interested in participating in a two-part discussion (March 8 and 22) to explore interest and support in creating a Friends of Jefferson County Parks group. Follow the link to register:https://forms.gle/XLQS9j7PtkV1sJir5
The overarching goal of the meetings will be to assess unmet needs in our park system, and interest in our community to create a working group committed to addressing those needs.
Jefferson County, in collaboration with the UW-Extension will be hosting two working group meetings to assess how we can build consensus to get this initiative off the ground.
The sessions will be blended with in-person and virtual options available and held on:
Session 1: Tuesday March 8th, 2022 (5:00 to 6:30 PM) UW-Extension Building Rm 12 864 Collins Rd. Jefferson, WI 53549
Session 2: Tuesday March 22, 2022 (5:00 to 6:30 PM) UW-Extension Building Rm 12 864 Collins Rd. Jefferson, WI 53549
The following information was provided by The Chapel.
The Chapel (formerly known as CrossPointe Community Church) is offering a workshop entitled Overcoming Anxiety on Sunday, March 6 at 1:00 p.m. at 445 Warner Rd., Whitewater. The workshop is free to the community, but registration is required. Registration can be found at https://chapel.org/events/overcoming-anxiety-workshop-at-the-chapel-libertyville-2/
By Lynn Binnie Whitewater Banner volunteer staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
Speaking to a rather modest sized in-person audience for the State of the University address in the Young Auditorium on February 28, Interim UW-Whitewater Chancellor Dr. Jim Henderson indicated that the finances for the school year are expected to be “about even.” This, he stated, was good news, in that the institution does not anticipate having to use the $4.5 million that had been set aside to cover an anticipated deficit for the year. Instead it will be added to the $11 million that had been placed in reserve for deficits in future years. Additionally, $8 million is in a tuition reserve in case enrollment doesn’t meet projections in the future. The current year’s better-than-expected performance is thanks to the receipt of COVID related federal money, restrained expenditures due partly to a number of vacant positions, and the biggest incoming class in four years. It is anticipated that next year’s incoming class will be even larger. Henderson believes that this financial stability, together with a number of other factors, including the development of a new strategic plan, has the university on a path to hire a “first rate chancellor who will stay for an extended period.” Recruitment will begin immediately in the fall, and according to a newly adopted Board of Regents’ policy, the process will be more inclusive, including representatives from all four shared governance groups.
Four Initiatives Have Been Adopted
With the strong encouragement of all four shared governance bodies, Learning Communities will be reinstated beginning in fall of 2023. A popular concept at many universities in recent decades, learning communities are still an option offered to incoming students at UW-Madison. According to UW’s website, “Embedded within various residence halls, our learning communities are residential spaces that bring together faculty, staff, and students around a specific focus. Exclusive seminars and class sections, events, and connections with instructors and staff help make a large university feel smaller and more intimate.”
Mental health support for students and staff will be enhanced, as needs are identified by an upcoming survey.
Recruitment and retention of Black students: In 2012, African American students represented 4.8% of the enrollment; that has dropped to 4%. A particular focus will be directed to prospective students from the Milwaukee, Madison, Beloit, Racine and Kenosha areas.
Recruitment and retention of Hispanic students. While the number of white students graduating from high school in the area has been falling, there has been an increase in Hispanics.
Henderson particularly stressed the importance of retaining students. “If a first generation college student drops out, that means we’ve lost several more generations of students from that family,” Henderson lamented. Much of the loss of enrollment during the pandemic has been the result of sophomores and juniors not returning to school.
Henderson acknowledged that media coverage of the university in recent years has been especially focused on the turnover of leadership. With the appointment of Ann Stadler to the new position of Chief Marketing Officer, the word will be getting out about all the good news, for example:
The university graduates more teachers than any other school in the state.
The MBA program is ranked #1 in the state.
The football team drew the highest attendance in Division III this past season.
The event included recognition of employees who have reached employment anniversaries, as high as 35 years. Those employees who reached 25 years of service are entitled to choose a captain’s chair or rocking chair compliments of the UW-W Foundation.
Carter Friend entered his senior year with a goal of improving on his 2021 state placement finish by finishing in the top 3 at his weight class in the state of Wisconsin. Saturday afternoon, mission accomplished. Friend ended a stellar high school wrestling career by going 3-1 in the WIAA state wrestling tournament, putting him in 3rd place at the 160-pound weight class.
Carter Friend
Carter Friend
Carter wrestled an outstanding tournament having extremely tough matches as to be expected at that level. He started off Friday morning with a very well wrestled match, winning 5-2 to put him into the state semi-finals. On Friday evening, Carter had a tough hill to climb as he was competing against a young man who is the two-time defending champion and is ranked number 4 in the country. Carter did not back down, and although he lost, he gave the young man a full match, which has not happened often to him the last two years, and he scored a takedown on the young man, a feat that only one other wrestler can claim they did this year. It is disappointing to lose in the state semi-finals, but Carter came back strong against two more very strong opponents on Saturday morning. He won his first match in a very tight match in overtime 4-2 to put himself into the 3rd place match. Again, Carter had a tough, hard-fought match as it was knotted up the entire match. Carter was able to hit an outstanding counter shot with 15 seconds left to secure a takedown and the 5-2 win, thus reaching his goal coming into the season by placing 3rd in the tournament. Carter ended his season with a 42-6 record, with three of his losses coming against state champions! Carter ended his high school career with an impressive 124 wins, placing him second all-time in Whitewater History.
Mason DePorter also had the opportunity to compete at the state tournament this weekend. Mason came out very strong in his first match, securing a takedown to his Lodi opponent’s back. Unfortunately, things did not continue to go Mason’s way in that match, and he came up short. This opponent went on to win his next couple of matches to finish as a state runner-up. Mason had a great senior campaign with 36 wins, 29 of which were by pin, breaking a school record that has held since 2010.
Mason DePorter
Congratulations to both of these young men on not only an outstanding season but an outstanding career.
Article Submitted by John Schimming Whitewater High School Head Wrestling Coach jschimming@wwusd.org Action Photos Courtesy of Bob Mischka
The Congregational UCC, 133 S. Franklin Street, Whitewater, continues to host the free Monday night carry-out spaghetti meals through December 19th, 2022, excluding the Monday holidays—Memorial Day – May 30th, Independence Day – July 4th, Labor Day – September 5th, and Christmas – December 26th. For more information, contact Patty Harmon at the First English Lutheran Church office, (262) 473-5076 or Margie Hammerl at the Congregational UCC, (262) 473-4101.
La congregación UCC ubicada en 133 S. Calle Franklin, en Whitewater continuará ofreciendo cenas de espagueti para llevar todos los lunes hasta el 19 de Diciembre del 2022, con excepto el lunes feriado, (Conmemorativo) Memorial Day – 30 de Mayo, (Independencia) 4 de Julio – 4 de Julio, (dia del Trabajo) Labor Day – 5 de Septiembre y (Navidad) Christmas – 26 de Diciembre. Para más información contacte a Patty Harmon en la oficina de la Iglesia Luterana (262) 473-5076 ó a Margie Hammerl en la Congregación UCC (262) 473-4101.
