News

By Al Stanek
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

School Board

Jaclyn Tueting, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent & School Board Secretary, reported that as of Wednesday, December 22, the following three persons had filed as candidates for the School Board election on April 5:
Jennifer Kienbaum (incumbent)
Joseph Kromholz (incumbent)
Andrea Svec

Kromholz was appointed by the board on December 6 to the position formerly held by the late Jim Stewart. He was one of three applicants, and due to an extended tie vote between him and Svec, the appointment was decided by a coin toss.  Svec was also one of four successful candidates for the board in the February, 2021 primary election; however, a few weeks before the April election she indicated that she was no longer actively pursuing a seat.

The WUSD office is now closed until January 3. The filing deadline is Tuesday, January 4 at 5:00 p.m. Nomination papers are not required; filing is a very brief process.

Common Council

Michele Smith, City Clerk, reported that as of Wednesday, December 22, the following persons had filed as candidates for the Common Council election on April 5:
District 2 – Lukas Schreiber (incumbent)
District 4 – Jill Gerber
At Large – Jim Allen (incumbent)

Lynn Binnie has announced that he is not running for re-election to represent District 4.

The city offices will be closed on Friday, December 24; Monday, December 27 and Friday, December 31. Anyone interested in filing for candidacy is encouraged to contact the City Clerk’s office as soon as possible, as nomination papers are required for Common Council, and the deadline is Tuesday, January 4 at 5:00 p.m.

By Al Stanek
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

A fundraising effort to renovate and expand the City of Whitewater’s Irvin L. Young Memorial Library is scheduled to begin next year after obtaining a tentative commitment of a major future financial commitment from the Common Council.

The campaign to raise at least $1 million of private contributions to match the roughly $1 million of existing library liquid assets comes after an expression of a future potential commitment of $3 million of City of Whitewater funds to the project. Actual commitment of City dollars would require future Common Council approval after a successful private fundraising effort. Project supporters told the Common Council that an indication of City financial support is essential to successful fundraising.

Efforts to modernize and expand the structure originally built in 1991 have been considered multiple times in the past. The latest effort comes after the Comon Council debated the plan at both its August 17 and November 16 meetings. Council member Jim Allen was the sole vote against making the tentative commitment. He described the projected cost of the remodeling component of the project as “outlandish.”

Library Director Stacey Lunsford told council members that the 30-year old structure is in need of lighting and technology improvements and remodeling to meet the needs of a 21^st century public library. She emphasized a need for additional flexible meeting space, a lobby where conversation might take place separated from traditional library quiet zones, improved public computer access, a larger makerspace and facilities to draw more teenagers and families with young children to the library.

The city portion of the proposed $5 million project would require future borrowing. City Finance and Administrative Services Director Steve Hatton presented a multiyear financial projection that indicated that the closing of existing Tax Incremental Finance Districts (TIDS) will add a significant amount of additional taxable property value beginning in 2023. Hatton’s presentation indicated that the increased tax revenue could allow for additional city borrowing while still staying within the “fairly conservative” Common Council adopted goal of not exceeding 70% of the City’s state imposed borrowing limit.

Library Board Member and former Common Council member Jim Winship advised that the fundraising effort would need to be successful by the end of next year for the proposed project to stay on schedule.

The following photos were provided by Tom Ganser. Eric Boettcher, Parks & Recreation Director, reported at the Common Council meeting on December 22 that burning had been suspended that day due to high humidity, but it was hoped that the project could be completed by December 24.

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Editor’s note: The following information was provided by the UW System.

University of Wisconsin System President Tommy Thompson on December 22 announced a new
incentive for UW students with nursing skills and other health backgrounds to work on the front lines of
Wisconsin’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The new variant threatens to overwhelm our health care system,” President Thompson said. “Our students
have stepped up in the past, and this is another opportunity for them to gain valuable experience while
helping Wisconsin combat the latest coronavirus wave.”

About 1,000 students will be eligible for the $500 tuition incentive for working in hospitals and other health
care settings.Thompson announced that the Wisconsin Department of Health Services would provide
$500,000 toward the incentive. UW System is working to secure additional funding to expand the program.

A $500 tuition refund will be provided to students who meet the following criteria:
• Must be enrolled at a University of Wisconsin System campus during the Spring 2022 semester.
• Must work a minimum of 50 hours in a Wisconsin clinical or health care setting, such as a hospital,
clinic, nursing home, long-term care facility, state or local health care facility, or state veterans home,
between December 1, 2021, and February 28, 2022.
• Must meet health care licensure and certification requirements, such as a Registered Nurse (RN),
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA),
Emergency Medical Technician (CEMT), or Nurse Aid.

The program is open to students currently employed or who become employed in a Wisconsin clinical or
health care setting. To be eligible, students must present a letter from their employer verifying the type of
work and the hours worked to their campus Bursar’s Office by no later than March 31, 2022.

Students who qualify will receive a $500 tuition refund at the end of the Spring 2022 semester. Students
may receive only one $500 tuition refund regardless of number of hours worked beyond the 50-hour
minimum. Depending upon demand and available funding, lower tuition reimbursement amounts may be
necessary.

Students interested in becoming involved can connect with employers via Handshake, an online job listing
and candidate management system. The UW System will promote the use of Handshake to potential health
care employers, and UW campus career services administrators will help students identify job eligible
opportunities.

The UW System is considering additional spring semester incentives for health care work, including clinical
support for vaccinations.

Editor’s note: The following information was provided by Kettle Moraine Baptist Church.

We want you to celebrate Christmas with us! The members of Kettle Moraine Baptist Church invite you to come and experience the joy of the Christmas season!

Do you know the story of Jesus’ birth? Do you love singing traditional Christmas carols? We’d love for you to join us as we sing familiar Christmas carols and read the Christmas story from the Bible.

Friday, December 24 at 7:00 p.m.

Kettle Moraine Baptist Church
Pastor Steve Kindstedt
505 S Wisconsin St.
Whitewater, WI 53190
262-473-2224
www.kmbcwi.org
FB: @KettleMoraineBaptistChurch

Gov. Evers Orders Flags to Half-Staff in Honor of Chad P. Christiansen of the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #149 ordering the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff tomorrow, Thurs., Dec. 23, 2021, in honor of Chad P. Christiansen, of Baraboo, a Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs security officer at Volk Field Air National Guard Base who lost his life due to complications from contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.  “Chad was a valued member of our Department of Military Affairs team and his loss is felt not only by his colleagues at Volk Field, but throughout the agency and state,” said Gov. Evers. “Kathy and I are sending our thoughts and prayers to Chad’s family, the folks at Volk Field and the Department of Military Affairs, and all those who knew and loved him.” A memorial service will be held for Chad P. Christiansen on Thurs., Dec. 23, 2021, in Clinton, Iowa.  Executive Order #149 will be in effect from sunrise to sunset on Thurs., Dec. 23, 2021, and is available here.

Editor’s note: The following information was provided by the office of the governor.

Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #149 ordering the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff tomorrow, Thurs., Dec. 23, 2021, in honor of Chad P. Christiansen, of Baraboo, a Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs security officer at Volk Field Air National Guard Base who lost his life due to complications from contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.  “Chad was a valued member of our Department of Military Affairs team and his loss is felt not only by his colleagues at Volk Field, but throughout the agency and state,” said Gov. Evers. “Kathy and I are sending our thoughts and prayers to Chad’s family, the folks at Volk Field and the Department of Military Affairs, and all those who knew and loved him.” A memorial service will be held for Chad P. Christiansen on Thurs., Dec. 23, 2021, in Clinton, Iowa.  Executive Order #149 will be in effect from sunrise to sunset on Thurs., Dec. 23, 2021, and is available here.

Editor’s Note: The following photo was provided by Tom Ganser.

The Whitewater Elementary School Choir Concert took place on December 14. In the below photo, the choir is directed by Val Troxel, the choir teacher at Washington Elementary School. The concert took place at the Whitewater High School Auditorium.

Editor’s note: The following statement was provided by Jill Gerber.

Whitewater community member Jill Gerber is running for the 4th district council seat being vacated by council member Lynn Binnie. Gerber believes in hard work, transparency, and getting results.

Gerber has been a part of the Whitewater community for many years. She graduated from
UW-Whitewater with a Business Law Degree and worked as the execuve assistant to the Whitewater
city manager from 2015 – 2019. During her time working for the city, she was able to learn the ins and
outs of Whitewater. Gerber now works for UW-Whitewater in the Office of Field Experience within the
College of Education and Professional Studies.

While already an involved community member, Gerber hopes to continue to serve the City of
Whitewater and its residents as a common council member. She is a strong supporter in upholding the
city’s transparency provisions adopted by the city council. A firm believer in informed decision making,
Jill Gerber maintains that providing council members and the public with information at least 72 hours
prior to discussion allows enough time to understand the views of community members and advocate
for them.

“I have always prided myself in digging in, researching subjects and creating real resolutions,” said
Common Council Candidate Jill Gerber. “I would be humbled if my neighbors elected me as their
representative. I am ready to work alongside the other council members on important city issues as they
arise.”

Gerber believes in diversifying Whitewater’s existing housing stock and supports the construction of
additional single-family residential homes. She plans to advocate for additional housing in Whitewater,
as well as work to increase efforts to land a grocery store in the city. Her core values and strong work
ethic make her a great candidate to represent the City of Whitewater.

About Jill Gerber
Jill works for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the College of Education and Professional Studies
as a data and special programs assistant. Previously she worked for the City of Whitewater as the
executive assistant to the city manager. She has been married to Dave Gerber (Walworth County Sheriff’s
Office) for 21 years and has two sons, Ben and Griffin who are sophomores at UW-Whitewater. For
further details on Gerber’s common council candidacy, please contact Jill Gerber at
jgerber1026@gmail.com.

Editor’s note: The image on the homepage, “Ballot” by OldOnliner is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate zones. It occurs between autumn and spring each year. Winter is caused by the axis of the Earth in that hemisphere being oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures define different dates as the start of winter, and some use a definition based on weather.

When it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere, and vice versa. In many regions, winter is associated with snow and freezing temperatures. The moment of winter solstice is when the Sun’s elevation with respect to the North or South Pole is at its most negative value. That is, the Sun is at its farthest below the horizon as measured from the pole. The day on which this occurs has the shortest day and the longest night, with day length increasing and night length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice. (Source: Wikipedia)

The image on the homepage, “happy winter” by suzy_yes is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.