News

Editor’s Note: The following request was made by Our House Senior Living in Whitewater:

“We are so excited to announce our Valentines Day event!! Our residents would love to be YOUR Valentines We have 11 amazing residents here at Our House and we would love everyone to spread love and kindness to them all. We are located at: 945 E Chicago St, Whitewater, WI 53190.. Feel free send as much love as possible to our residents. If you would like to stop by and drop off treats or cards — anything you are comfortable sending is so appreciated. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to Angela (Director) or Brandy (Assistant Director) Please share this post We would like to say thank you for all the and support we receive from our community.”

Contact: Angela Lyman, Executive Director, Our House Senior Living, 945 E. Chicago St. ,Whitewater, WI; Phone: (262) 473-1011; Fax: (262) 473-9782; Cell:  (608) 449-4890.

The image on the homepage, “Be My Valentine, lettering” by karen horton is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Editor’s note: The following was provided by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Gage Sugden from Whitewater, WI, who is studying English at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, was selected to serve on the Segregated University Fee Allocation Committee for 2021-2. Sugden is representing Residence Hall Association.

SUFAC approves budgets to fund more than 100 activities, programs, and student organizations on campus.

“Segregated University Fee Allocation Committee is committed to ensuring the success of our student organizations and departments while maintaining the affordability of our university. Committee members are responsible for the allocation of more than $500,000 in student fees,” said Matthew Schweinert, chair of SUFAC. “When making budget recommendations on the distribution of segregated fees, members of the committee develop their skills as critical thinkers and communicators, as well as financial acumen.”

Students on the committee are selected from different university areas, including appointments from each college, Residence Hall Association, and Whitewater Student Government.

Carol McCormick writes, “Today (Wednesday) was the first scoop of silt taken out of Trippe Lake! Hope to see many more!” When asked how long she had to watch to be sure to catch the first scoop, she responded, “My husband has an eagle eye!”

Trucks were also seen leaving Cravath Lake with sediment on Wednesday. Per the City, work is expected to continue twenty-four hours a day for the remainder of this week until Saturday at 7 p.m.

Our thanks to Carol McCormick for sharing another timely photo.

— 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!

Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Young Auditorium.

The spirit of 1950’s rock-and-roll music is alive and well at Young Auditorium. Join us on Friday, February 11th at 7:30 p.m. for John Mueller’s “Winter Dance Party”®, an unparalleled live concert tribute featuring the music of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper. Tickets are $34.25.

John Mueller’s “Winter Dance Party” is the official live and authentic re-creation of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper’s final tour and the only show endorsed by the Holly, Valens and Richardson estates. Each live concert performance includes over two hours of unbridled, high voltage entertainment featuring all the hit songs of the 50’s era: That’ll Be The Day, Peggy Sue, Oh, Boy, Rave on, La Bamba, Chantilly Lace, and many, many more.

John Mueller, the critically acclaimed former star of the U.S. touring version of the London/Broadway hit musical “Buddy…the Buddy Holly Story,” performs as Buddy Holly with Linwood Sasser as the Big Bopper and Ray Anthony as Ritchie Valens. The very authentic and energetic four-piece band (guitar, drums, stand-up bass and sax) includes Grammy award winning Mike Acosta on saxophone.

Tickets for Winter Dance Party are $34.25 apiece. Purchase tickets for all Young Auditorium season performances online at http://www.youngauditorium.com … or by connecting with the UW-Whitewater Ticket Services department, located at 950 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190 inside the Greenhill Center of the Arts. They can be reached at (262) 472-2222 (Limited Hours.)

First Citizens State Bank is the sponsor.

Masks will be required for attendees of this performance. Please visit the Warhawks Are Back! website, which outlines operating practices for the UW-Whitewater campus. Modifications of these practices should be anticipated. UW-Whitewater will continue to use information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the State of Wisconsin, county health departments and the University of Wisconsin System to guide the decision-making processes across campuses. – https://www.uww.edu/warhawks-are-back

Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Office of Continuing Education and Fairhaven Senior Services announce “American Profiles” as the theme for their spring lecture series. Since 1983, UW-Whitewater faculty and staff and community and business leaders have offered free presentations on topics ranging from art and literature to history and politics.  

Politicians, activists, musicians, and every day citizens.  Systems, inventions, and tragedies. This spring, we will spend an hour each week, putting the spotlight on changemakers that have made history.  From local stories to those that made a global impact, join us as we take a closer look at some fascinating American profiles.

The titles and presenters of the lectures for the spring series are:

Monday, February 7 at 3:00 pm

Who are the Supremes? A Discussion of the Lives of Supreme Court Justices

Presented by Monica Lineberger, Assistant Professor, Political Science

Monday, February 14 at 3:00 pm

Educational Innovators:  Profiles from the American Past

Presented by Anne Durst, Associate Professor, Educational Foundations

Monday, February 21 at 3:00 pm

An Opportunity and a Burden: The Lives of Loyalist Women in Revolutionary Philadelphia

Presented by Kimberly Nath, Associate Professor, History

Monday, February 28 at 3:00 pm

Life at the Intersections: The Labor, Activism, and Legacy of Pauli Murray

Presented by Ashley Barnes-Gilbert, Lecturer, Women’s and Gender Studies

Monday, March 7 at 3:00 pm

Forgetting and Remembering the “Spanish” Flu Pandemic

Presented by Karl Brown, Associate Professor, History

Monday, March 14 at 3:00 pm

Flaco Jiménez and the Accordion: Global Intersections

Presented by Erin Bauer, Assistant Professor, Music

Monday, March 21 at 3:00 pm

Profile of Wisconsin Mass Media History

Presented by Brian Schanen, Lecturer, Communication

Monday, March 28 at 3:00 pm

The Poison Widow of Whitewater: Mystery, Mayhem, and Murder

Presented by Jennifer Motszko, Digital Scholarship & Preservation Archivist

Monday, April 11 at 3:00 pm

Wendell Willkie and the We Want Willke Campaign

Presented by Dick Haven, Professor Emeritus, Communication

Lectures in the Spring Fairhaven Lecture Series, “American Profiles” are currently open to residents of Fairhaven but may be open to the public later in the semester.  They will live-streamed via Facebook at www.facebook.com/UWWFairhavenLecture/  and will be recorded and posted to our website and YouTube channel. Videos of lectures from this and previous series can be accessed for free any time after they are posted online.

Please visit www.uww.edu/ce/fairhaven and www.facebook.com/UWWFairhavenLecture/ for videos, descriptions of each lecture, and updates on the status of each lecture.  Contact Kari Borne at bornek@uww.edu or 262-472-1003 for further information or to request accommodations.   

Editor’s note: The following information was provided by the Office of the Governor, State of Wisconsin

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #154 ordering the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff on Wed., Feb. 2, 2022, in honor of firefighter Robert “Bob” A. Stevens of the Fremont-Wolf River Fire Department, who passed away on Jan. 27, 2022, at the age of 66, due to complications from contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty. 

“Whether defending health and safety, being there for folks in times of need, or helping others enjoy the great outdoors, Bob dedicated more than half of his life to serving the people of his community and he will be forever remembered for his dedication,” said Gov. Evers. “Our thoughts are with the Stevens’ family, everyone at the Fremont-Wolf River Fire Department, and all of his colleagues, friends, and fellow community members in Fremont as they mourn this loss.”

Services for firefighter Robert A. Stevens will be held on Wed., Feb. 2, 2022, in Fremont. 

Executive Order #154 will be in effect from sunrise to sunset on Wed., Feb. 2, 2022, and is available here.

Editor’s note: The following information was provided by the City of Whitewater.

Week of January 31, 2022
Work Schedule for week of January 31-February 5

No work scheduled for Monday or Tuesday due to warm temperatures and snow.
Wednesday – Saturday – 24 hours
Saturday work to finish by 7 pm
*All work is dependent on weather and the worksite conditions.

Cravath Lake

Construction crews will continue to lay down matting on the lake bed to prep for dredging. Due to a few wet areas, mats have been put in a variety of places along the dredging area on Cravath. Dredging will start as soon as enough frost builds up in the ground along the dredging area to allow for work to commence. Once dredging starts, the hope is to work around the clock including some potential weekends in the near future. Dredged material will be removed through Cravath Lakefront Park boat launch area.

Trippe Lake

Mats have been put into place and dredging should start on Wednesday, February 2. Construction crews plan to work around the clock to start dredging. Dredged material will be hauled through the Southeast directly to HWY 12 over by the new Kwik Trip. The images below were taken of Trippe Lake on January 28, 2022 to show the dredging area.

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

The Walworth County Health & Human Services Department stated in its January 27 weekly report that the county remains in the CDC’s high COVID-19 transmission level, along with all other WI counties. The county’s transmission level this week declined to 1104 cases per 100,000 vs. last week’s 2226. Three weeks ago, however, the level was “only” 686.”

Walworth County statistics as of January 27 may be viewed here. Although it has been indicated that, on average, the Omicron variant of the virus which is now dominating the state is less serious than Delta was, only an average of 3.5% of ICU beds in the county are available.

The county states, “Current models predict that we may have passed our most recent surge peak. However, case levels will remain high for the next few weeks as we move back down the curve. In addition flu activity continues in the area. Please remember to stay home if you are sick, wash your hands regularly, and cover your cough/sneeze.”

Information on testing sites, including at UW-Whitewater, may be found here. As was previously announced on the Banner, the federal government is now mailing four at-home COVID-19 test kits to any residence upon request. At-home tests may also be available at local retailers. Private insurance companies are now required to pay for or reimburse, subject to a limit, for the purchase of at-home tests; however, Medicare is not providing this coverage.

The first wave of 400 million free high-filtration “N95” masks provided by the federal government have shipped to participating pharmacies and community health centers. Although many people find these masks to be uncomfortable, they have been found to offer the best protection against COVID-19, far better than cloth masks without filters. Some masks are now available, with a limit of four per family. More will be arriving in coming days, and the program will be fully running by early February, according to White House officials. It was recently reported that a supply of masks was available at the Walmart courtesy desk, but the Banner has not confirmed whether there is current availability there or at Walgreens. If readers have current information, we would be happy to receive a report.

Recently we have experienced some technical issues with our Community Calendar. We’re working to resolve these, but in the meantime if you have events you’d like to submit to our calendar please send them via email to us at whitewaterbanner@gmail.com. We’d ask that you’d help us sort through article submissions versus calendar submissions by kindly including “Calendar Submission” in the subject line of your email. We’d then ask that you provide us some basic information for your event on the timing and venue as well as provide an image we can include. Thank you on behalf of our Whitewater Banner volunteers for your help and patience!

Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by Whitewater Grocery Co.

Whitewater Grocery Co. recently raised over $8000 in our Beds for ‘Lil Buds fundraiser over the holidays and into the new year. This far exceeded our original goal of $6000. We partnered with Leon Furniture in downtown Whitewater. Whitewater Grocery Co. purchased the beds, and Juan, owner of Leon Furniture, generously donated all of the metal frames for them. He and his team delivered most of the beds before Christmas and the balance before the New Year. We were able to donate over 30 beds.

With the additional monetary funds, we purchased pillows, sheets, and blankets to make the beds complete for the children and families that arrived in Whitewater over the summer. A special shout out to Kay Robers of the Community Space for putting us in touch with Sandra Ramirez, ELL teacher at Washington Elementary School. Sandra was instrumental in connecting Whitewater Grocery Co. with the ‘Lil Buds in our community. She worked with Juan and the Leon Furniture crew to get the beds to the families. Sandra also delivered all of the pillows, sheets, and blankets. This amazing community effort supported approximately 45 families.

Several community members donated gently used sheets and blankets. We also received a baby crib that went to a family with a 7-month-old newborn.

Special thanks to the students and teachers from Lincoln Elementary School and Lakeview Elementary School for their contributions to the fundraiser.

Whitewater Grocery Co. was thrilled to work with community members and local businesses and looks forward to future collaborations and fundraisers in the future.