News

This Week’s City & School Board Meetings

City of Whitewater Plan and Architectural Review Commission – Monday @ 6:00 p.m. (In Person & Virtual)
Agenda includes Public Hearing For A Conditional Use Permit To Allow For A Proposed Outdoor
Movie Theater, Located At 151 E Pearson Lane and Presentation By Greg Aprahamian Of Future Site Development For The “White Elephant” Building Located At 183 W Main Street.
City of Whitewater Community Room – 1st Floor
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://meet.goto.com/475827469
You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: 1 (872) 240-3311
Access Code: 475-827-469

City of Whitewater Common Council – Tuesday @ 6:30 p.m.
This will be an IN PERSON MEETING as well as a VIRTUAL MEETING
Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join us in person, or via computer, smart phone, or
telephone. Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods.
Agenda includes presentation on property assessment changes, update on lakes dredging project, report on Police Department Community Crisis Liaison, public hearing reporting project progress and to receive community input from local community regarding water tower (CDBG project), Resolution Awarding the sale of $5,195,000 General Obligation Corporate Purpose bonds, Approval of amendment to Development Agreement with Bower’s House LLC, for redevelopment of building at 183 W. Main Street, and Request for approval of consultant to serve as advisor through Fire Department transition/integration process.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89972133196?pwd=NE9RVVVyQjFvMGVtVUI3WEN
0SHF0QT09
Passcode: 256776
Or Telephone:
Dial 1 929 205 6099
Webinar ID: 899 7213 3196
Passcode: 256776

City of Whitewater Parks & Recreation Board – Wednesday @ 5:30 p.m.
Agenda includes WAFC budget review, lakes projects, and lake fountain replacements.
Due to Coronavirus Concerns, this will be a VIRTUAL MEETING (not in person). Citizens are
welcome (and encouraged) to join via computer, smartphone or telephone. Citizen participation is
welcome during topic discussion periods.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8543908321?pwd=NjRiUmFpNmowRHozYXQ3b25jN3lZdz09
Meeting ID: 854 390 8321
Passcode: 086209
Dial 1 312 626 6799
Meeting ID: 854 390 8321
Passcode: 086209

Whitewater Unified School District Citizens Financial Advisory Committee – Thursday @ 6:00 p.m.
Whitewater School Board
Whitewater Unified School District Central Office
419 South Elizabeth Street, Whitewater, Wisconsin
Agenda – Click on “meetings” in upper right corner.

Felicity Knabenbauer wins Excellence in Journalism Award

Editor’s note: The following was received from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater.

Felicity Knabenbauer from Whitewater, who is studying liberal arts at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, was among the winners of the Milwaukee Journalism Club 2021 Collegiate Excellence in Journalism Awards.

Knabenbauer won Best Feature Story for their work “Stepping into the past.”

UW-Whitewater’s student newspaper, the Royal Purple, won awards for gold, silver, and bronze medals to be announced at the Gridiron Awards event in The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee on May 6.

“As the saying goes, ‘journalism is literature in a hurry’ and these students do a terrific job delivering information with style,” said Keith Zukas, faculty adviser. “They’ve really filled the social distancing gap over the past year with their entertaining and informative articles, as well as engaging photography.”

The Royal Purple is a student-led weekly online newspaper publishing each Monday during the school year, with quarterly seasonal print issues out in 75 stands across the campus and community. With roots from 1901, The Royal Purple has paved the way for campus news through student reporters, writers, photographers, editors, web editors and advertising managers. Sections of the Royal Purple include: Campus News, Opinions, Arts & Rec, Lifestyle, Biz & Tech, Community News, and Sports.

For more information on the Royal Purple, visit royalpurplenews.com.

Spring Forward – Daylight Savings Time Begins Sunday @ 2 a.m.

Remember to “spring forward” this Sunday morning. Once again in the past year there have been calls for eliminating daylight savings time. Polling shows Americans widely detest the practice: 75 percent would prefer to end it, according to an October poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Some proposals would have us adopting daylight time year-round, while others would retain standard time all year. However, no proposal was considered in Congress.

As Daylight Savings begins, it is a perfect time to “spring ahead to safety” and tackle a few critical emergency preparedness updates for the coming spring season.

  • Smoke Detectors and Carbon Monoxide Detectors: All residences are required to have both types of detectors on every level, including the basement, but not the attic or storage areas. Now is a good time to replace the batteries in your detectors and push the test buttons to be sure they’re working properly. Replace your detectors every five years.
  • Emergency Go Bags: Be sure to have a basic emergency kit in your home with supplies, food and water to last you and your family for at least three days. Other items like a battery powered radio, flashlights, additional batteries, and first aid kit should also be included. For more information, please visit https://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit
  • Emergency NOAA Weather Radio: Spring brings the threat of tornadoes. Make sure you have an emergency weather radio. It’s like having a tornado siren in your home. When it goes off, go to a safe place. Remember, the outdoor warning sirens are only intended for people to hear outdoors.
  • National Weather Service Wireless Emergency Alerts: Wireless Emergency Alerts are emergency messages sent by authorized government alerting authorities through your mobile carrier. Government partners include local and state public safety agencies, FEMA, the FCC, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Weather Service. No signup is required. Alerts are sent automatically to WEA-capable phones during an emergency. For more information, please visit https://www.weather.gov/wrn/wea

Bassett House Now Available for Event Rentals

Editor’s note: The following information was received from Bassett House.

We are excited to announce that Bassett House, located at 708 West Main Street in Whitewater is open for reservations.

Bassett House is a historic home that was donated to the Whitewater Federation of Women’s Clubs in the early 1900s. It has been lovingly preserved and maintained. The lower level of the home can be rented for gatherings of up to 45 people. It is ideal for any meeting or event. More information can be found on the website: bit.ly/BassettHouseRentals

Schumacher’s Thrilling Sequence Sends Warhawk Women to Elite Eight on Saturday

By Chris Lindeke, Assistant Athletic Director, Strategic Communications and Branding, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Friday, March 11, 2022

Box Score

Rebekah Schumacher’s Steal-and-Layup (Video)

The No. 12 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team erased a five-point deficit over the final minute of overtime and went ahead for good on [Whitewater native] Rebekah Schumacher’s steal-and-layup in the final seconds Friday night on its way to a thrilling 78-76 victory against No. 16 Smith (Mass.) in a third-round game of the 2022 NCAA Division III Championship at Kachel Gymnasium [with 1220 fans in attendance.]

The Warhawks (26-4 overall) host Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival UW-Oshkosh (22-6) in the Whitewater Sectional final on Saturday at 7 p.m. inside Kachel Gymnasium. The winner of the contest advances to the Final Four, which will be contested March 17 and 19 in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Tickets for Saturday’s game will go on sale starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Kachel Gymnasium entrance. Doors to the gym will open at 6 p.m. The first 150 UW-Whitewater students to attend will receive free admission courtesy of DLK Enterprises and UW-W Housing.

UW-Whitewater trailed in Friday’s game 76-71 with just over a minute to play in overtime. Maggie Trautsch was fouled on a 3-point attempt on the team’s first possession in the final minute and knocked down all three free throws to bring UW-W within two.

After a stop on the other end, Trautsch was fouled in the lane and hit two more from the free-throw line to tie the game at 76-76.

The Pioneers (25-3) advanced the ball into their half court following a timeout. With seven seconds to play, Schumacher stole the inbound pass and saved it to Aleah Grundahl, who fired a pass down the court to a wide-open Schumacher, who layed the ball in uncontested with less than one second on the clock.

Smith was unable to get a shot off before the final buzzer.

Kacie Carollo tallied a team-high 19 points, while Grundahl finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and two steals. Yssa Sto. Domingo knocked down five 3-pointers on her way to 15 points, and Trautsch hit 7-of-9 at the free-throw line on her way to 12 points.

The Warhawks converted 27-of-36 (75 percent) from the free-throw line and hit 9-of-20 (45 percent) from 3-point range. The Pioneers shot 46.9 percent from the floor.

UW-W raced out to a 6-0 lead before Smith rallied for the next 11 points for an 11-6 lead at the midway point of the first quarter. Trautsch gave the Warhawks a 19-18 advantage in the final minute of the period with a driving layup.

UW-Whitewater built its lead to six following a 3-pointer by Carollo with 6:21 on the clock. The Pioneers responded with a 9-0 run for a three-point lead just over three minutes later. Neither team led by more than one possession over the final half of the period, and UW-W held a 36-34 advantage.

The third quarter remained tightly contested until Sto. Domingo hit a 3-pointer between a pair of baskets by Grundahl for a 51-43 UW-W lead with 2:08 remaining. The Warhawk lead grew to as many as nine, but Smith trimmed its deficit to four by the end of the third.

The two teams went back and forth to start the fourth quarter before Carollo’s 3-pointer with 6:29 to play made it 61-56. She hit two free throws just over a minute later for a 63-56 score before the Pioneers rallied to tie the game at 63-63 with 2:54 on the clock.

Grundahl gave UW-Whitewater the lead with 2:25 left, and neither team scored again until the final seconds, when Smith tied the game on a layup to send it to overtime.

Sto. Domingo started the extra period with a 3-pointer, but the Pioneers held the lead for a majority of the overtime before Trautsch’s five free throws and Schumacher’s final bucket sent the Warhawks to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2014.

UW-Whitewater and UW-Oshkosh have met three times this season prior to Saturday’s matchup. The Warhawks took two of three games from the Titans, including a 67-59 win on Feb. 23 in the semifinals of the WIAC Tournament at Kachel Gymnasium. The two teams split two regular season games, with the home team taking both contests.

[Homepage photo credit: Evan Halpop, UW-W student photographer, Feb. 9, 2022 game]

Obituary: Sandra “Sandy” Kay Grosskreutz, 75

Sandra “Sandy” Kay Grosskreutz

Sandy was born in Whitewater, Wisconsin on December 21, 1946, to Leon E. Scherer and Lucille Demoe Scherer. She attended Whitewater High School. She married Edmund C. Grosskreutz on September 25, 1965 in Antigo, Wisconsin.

Sandy worked at Fairhaven for 20 years in the Activity Department, and also worked in the Alzheimer unit. She really enjoyed working with the residents and made some lifelong friends with residents and staff.

She adored her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She loved her arts and crafts along with her coloring. She enjoyed camping and traveling to Disney World, Branson, and Arizona. Enjoyed taking her grandchildren on many of the trips.

She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Ed Grosskreutz, her daughters Sherry (Grosskreutz) Griep, and Rhonda (Grosskreutz) Schemm. Granddaughters, Andrea Griep and Kaylee (Michael) Kirichkow. Great Grand Children Eli Kirichkow, Dakota Lucian, Kylie Griep, Jaxson Kirichkow, Damien Lucian, and Wesley Kirichkow.

Also survived by sisters and brothers Carole Downs, Dennis (Donna) Scherer, Rodney (Sue) Scherer, Linda (Larry) Whitmore, Cheryl (Mike) Nelson, and Gary Scherer along with many nephews and nieces. She is also survived by her cousin Susan (Ken) Klockow, and friends, Edith Oldenburg and Mary Jo Helmeier. She is preceded in death by her parents, Leon and Lucille Scherer, her brother, Thomas Scherer, and grandson, Dylan Griep and many other loved ones.

A memorial service will be held later. Information will be provided later.

We want to thank the Whitewater EMS, Fort Healthcare ER Staff, and Saint Mary’s Hospital ICU Staff in Madison.

Nitardy Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Online Condolences can be made at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com

Obituary: Mary E. “Betty” Lawrence, 99

Mary E. “Betty” Lawrence, 99, of Whitewater passed away on Sunday, February 27, 2022 at Hearthstone Memory Care in Whitewater.

Betty was born October 30, 1922 in Lima Center. She was the daughter of Jack and Mary Hale. Betty was a proud descendant of Scotch-Irish Presbyterians who founded the North Lima Presbyterian Church. She made her Christian faith a cornerstone of her family’s life. When she was 13, her father, Jack, took her to England on the Queen Mary to visit his family in Melbourne. She graduated from Whitewater High School and attended business school in Madison. She married Ralph Lawrence on June 10, 1944 and worked with him on a farm in Richmond, Wisconsin.

Betty was very active in 4-H, the Live Wires, the Lima Benefit Club, several euchre clubs, bowling leagues, National Grange, other church functions and served as the Johnstown Township Clerk for 20 years. She traveled with Ralph to England, Canada, Florida, Montana, Alaska and numerous Wisconsin areas. Betty got her green thumb from her mother who both took pride in their huge vegetable and flower gardens.

She is survived by her sons, Don (Peggy) of Dousman, WI and Jim (Sandy) of Wild Rose, WI; her loving grandchildren Jenny (Mike) of Milton, Scott (Valerie) of Powder Springs, GA, Chris (Tammy) of Howard’s Grove, Kathryn (Lance) of Neenah, and Ryan of St Claire Shores, MI.; her great-grandchildren Alec and Zack Revels, Tyler, Brayden, Cameron and Mackenzie Lawrence and Owen Walker.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Ralph; brothers, Don and Pres; daughter, Margaret; and daughter-in-law, Dietlind.

Betty’s family would like to offer special thanks to the staff at Fairhaven and Rainbow Hospice Care. She brought great joy to family and friends and will be greatly missed.

In lieu of flowers contributions would be appreciated to North Lima Presbyterian Church Memorial Scholarship Fund or Salvation Army of Janesville, WI.

A memorial service will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 19, 2022 at Nitardy Funeral Home in Whitewater. A visitation will take place from 1 p.m. until the time of service. A burial of cremains will take place at a later date at Richmond Cemetery.

UW-W Women’s Basketball Beats Smith in OT, 78-76; Advances to Play in Elite 8 Vs. Oshkosh on Sat.

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

UW-W’s women’s basketball played a thriller Sweet 16 game on Friday evening in Kachel Gymnasium, with Whitewater native Rebekah Schumacher hitting a layup with essentially no time left in overtime versus Smith College of Massachusetts. The Warhawks move to the Elite 8 for the first time since 2014, to play conference rival UW-Oshkosh for the fourth time this season. UW-W won two of the previous three games, including the semifinal in the WIAC tournament, 67-59. Oshkosh advanced to the Elite 8 with a 74-63 defeat of Baldwin Wallace (OH) earlier on Friday evening. Saturday’s tip-off in Kachel Gymnasium is at 7:00 p.m.

Further details on Friday’s game will be posted upon receipt from UW-W.

Reminder: Candidate Forums for Common Council & School Board on Sat. Sponsored by LWV

The League of Women Voters of the Whitewater Area is pleased to announce that it will host an in-person WUSD School Board candidate forum on Saturday, March 12, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., in the City of Whitewater Council Chambers, 312 W Whitewater Street.

There are four candidates running for two open seats on the school board. They have all confirmed their participation: Miguel Aranda, Jennifer Kienbaum (incumbent), Joseph Kromholz (incumbent), and Andrea Svec. The League will be assisted in running the forum by Whitewater High School students under the supervision of the League and WHS American Government teacher Greg Stewart. The forum will be co-moderated by WHS students, Junior Alex Martin and Senior Aldo Rodriguez. The League is delighted to provide an opportunity for these students to engage in the democratic process alongside us.

Candidate questions prepared by the LWV Whitewater Area board and WHS students 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 our website, https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/whitewater-area, during the weeks leading up to the April 5 Spring Election.

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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 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., in the City of Whitewater Council Chambers, 312 W Whitewater Street.

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 are: Jill Gerber (AD4, Wards 6/7/8) and Jim Allen (Member at Large – Incumbent) and Chuck Mills (Member At Large – Challenger). [Lukas Schreiber (AD2) is uncontested and is not participating.] The forum will be moderated by League member and UW-Whitewater Professor of History Dr. Karl Brown.

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. 
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