News

“UNIVERSITY FREE LUNCH” UPDATE
(TGIFLT Thank God It’s Free Lunch Tuesday)

This spring, University Free Lunch will continue to be part of FUMC’s “Whitewater Responds.”
“Lunch” will be replaced with free, homemade, microwavable, take-home dinners distributed on Tuesday evenings, 5:00-7:00 pm, starting January 25, 2022.

WHO: UWW students, community members, anyone who would like a free, homemade, take-out meal

WHAT: FREE, homemade, take-out, microwavable dinners; no-strings-attached

WHERE: First United Methodist Church, 145 South Prairie Street, Whitewater, WI. Pull in the church parking lot on Prairie Street and watch for the signs. We will be serving our no-contact meals from a window on the side of the building.

WHEN: Tuesdays, 5:00-7:00 pm, starting January 25, 2022

You are welcome to pick up a meal for yourself, a friend in need, or a family.
We hope these changes in University Free Lunch will make your experience safer and less stressful.
Our freezers are stocked, and we look forward to serving you and all your friends!

Questions? Please call 262 473-2131 for additional information.

Editor’s note: The following information was provided by Whitewater High School.

Kayla Mikos has been chosen to attend the Wisconsin Leadership Seminar at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin June 10-12, 2022! The Wisconsin Leadership Seminar is designed to encourage leadership development through emphasis on personal responsibility, service, inclusiveness, and decision-making. Congratulations Kayla!

Editor’s note: The following information is from the Wisconsin Leadership Seminars website.

Our Mission:To identify outstanding high school sophomores throughout Wisconsin for being responsible citizens in their community and/or school and provide them with the opportunity and encouragement to recognize their leadership potential.

We fulfill this mission through an annual 3-day leadership seminar that is provided at no cost to the students or schools. WILS encourages leadership development through emphasis on our four pillars:

• Responsibility – Instill self-confidence and personal responsibility in leaders by guiding them to explore their personal values and develop a sense of purpose.

• Service – Encourage leaders to volunteer their time to bring about positive change in their communities and schools.

• Inclusiveness – Provide leaders with opportunities to engage with individuals who have diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences in order to explore ideas and build skills that are essential for success in our communities and in a globally-connected world.

• Decision Making – Foster a positive, unbiased setting where leaders can practice forming opinions, making decisions, and engaging in open-minded analysis and discussion of the issues and challenges facing today’s world.

Upon completion of the three-day seminar, participants are invited to join the WILS Alumni Association. Through the Alumni Association, they are able to continue on a path that fosters the growth and development of their leadership skills, volunteerism, and community involvement to become successful, responsible contributors to society. Our alumni participate in leadership retreats throughout the year, perform volunteer service, interact with community leaders, and develop relationships with other ambitious individuals. As an organization WILS volunteers over 1,300 hours in our communities each year.

City of Whitewater Urban Forestry Commission – Monday @ 4:30 p.m.
Agenda includes “Burns at Walton Oaks or Effigy Mounds?”
Community Room – 1st Floor
312 W. Whitewater St.

Whitewater Unified School District Board – Monday @ 6:15 p.m. (Closed session) Open session @ 7:00 p.m.
Whitewater High School Library
534 South Elizabeth Street, Whitewater, Wisconsin
6:15 p.m.
———————————————–
6:15 p.m. via Zoom Online
– URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83874159599?pwd=djBKRjBVcFVuZGhBaW8vSFlMNEFEdz09
– Password: 367047
———————————————-
– Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799
– Webinar ID: 838 7415 9599
– Passcode: 367047
———————————————-
Closed Session: Agenda: “…. to discuss disciplinary data of a previous District employee.”
———————————————-
Open Session: Agenda: (Click on “meetings” in upper right corner) – Includes Multilingual/English Language Learner Program, Response to Student Needs; Second Friday of January Student Count
7:00 p.m. via Zoom Online
– URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86526305681?pwd=YkVwWnkxVW54RU1EY0kweU8yTUtoUT09
– Passcode: 106535
———————————————-
– Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799
– Webinar ID: 865 2630 5681
– Passcode: 106535

Downtown Whitewater Board of Directors Meeting – Monday @ 6:00 p.m.
Agenda
Downtown Whitewater is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82123775570?pwd=RllpV0FDVStOcTNKejczWVpYV3l
kdz09
Or dial 1 312 626 6799
Meeting ID: 821 2377 5570
Passcode: 300835

City of Whitewater Finance Committee – Tuesday @ 4:30 p.m.
Agenda includes 2022 General Obligation Bond Issuance
City of Whitewater Municipal Building
Cravath Lakefront Meeting Room- 2nd Floor
312 W. Whitewater St.
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/222773469
You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: 1 (669) 224-3412
Access Code: 222-773-469

City of Whitewater Parks & Recreation Board – Wednesday @ 5:30 p.m.
NOTE: Meeting was canceled on Jan. 26.

City of Whitewater Community Development Authority Board of Directors Meeting – Thursday @ 5:30 p.m.
Agenda
Location: Innovation Center
1221 Innovation Drive in Room #202 or #205
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.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82730477436
Webinar ID: 827 3047 7436
Or Telephone: US: 1 301 715 8592 or 1 312 626 6799 or 1 929 205 6099 or 1 253 215 8782
Webinar ID: 827 3047 7436

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society.

This week we have another winter image from an Andrew Scholl glass plate negative. This image is from around 1900 and is the original wooden foot bridge constructed over the railroad tracks to the Washington School. The foot bridge was built around 1890 to make a safer crossing for students going to what was then the East Side School.

By 1920, the bridge was unsafe and in 1922 the City of Whitewater finally convinced the railroad line (Milwaukee Road) to fund half of the cost to replace it. Once again, it was replaced in 1965. It has been a well-used east side landmark for 130 years. It may have been replaced again since 1965. Does anyone know the year?

Join us next week for another Scholl winter scene.

(#2967GP Whitewater Historical Society)

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

Work Schedule for week of January 24-28

Monday & Tuesday – 10 a.m. Monday through the evening as needed

Wednesday – Friday – 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. – anticipate hauling in and out of Trippe Lake (weather dependent).
The first week of the dredging process was to prep the lakes and has been weather dependent. This week, in order to safely drive the hauling trucks and machinery on the lakes, the ground must have at least 18 inches of frost. Because of the cold weather we have been experiencing, we are very close to hitting that number and anticipate hauling trucks on the lake later this week. Crews may work later into the evening to benefit from the colder weather. If the ground has not frosted over enough to safely drive on, mats will be laid out for clearing and building additional routes. Trippe Lake is freezing quicker than Cravath allowing for crews to work on Trippe this week and plan to begin working on hauling routes on Cravath in the upcoming week.

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by UW-River Falls, UW-Eau Claire, University of Delaware, and Campbellsville University.

The following students from the Whitewater area have been named to their respective Dean’s List for the Fall 2021 semester:

Owen Kramer, UW-River Falls *
Naomi Allen, UW-Eau Claire **
Sophie Olson, University of Delaware *
Brianna Staebler, Campbellsville University *

*To be named to the Dean’s List, a full-time undergraduate must earn a grade point average of at least 3.5 on a scale of 4.0 for the semester.
** To be named to the Dean’s list, a full-time undergraduate must earn a grade point average of at least 3.7 on a scale of 4.0 for the semester.

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

Over 70 area residents joined together in downtown Whitewater Friday, January 21 to demonstrate their support for improvements to the every ten year process that redefines the geographic boundaries of area electoral districts. Similar public events were scheduled in 15 other Wisconsin communities.

Participants heard comments from Whitewater’s State Senator Janis Ringhand, Whitewater’s State Representative Don Vruwink and Walworth County District 3 Supervisor Brian Holt.

Whitewater is currently located on the extreme eastern edge of a Senate/Assembly district and could easily be grouped into a totally different Senate/Assembly district. Vruwink indicated that with an election scheduled in 10 months he has no way to know if he will be able to represent Whitewater in the future.

All three of the elected officials spoke of an increase in the number of convoluted redistricting proposals that appear to be made purely for political reasons and not for improvements in efficiency. Ringhand and Vruwink are Democrats. Holt’s County Board position is nonpartisan.

Ringhand, Vruwink and Holt all pointed to other states that require redistricting to be overseen by independent nonpartisan organizations as opposed to the political party that controls the state legislature at the time that US Census figures are released. The redistricting process is a follow-up step to the US Constitutional requirement that population figures be gathered each ten years with the goal of each vote having an equal value in future local, state and US House and Senate elections.

A group called the “WI Fair Maps Coalition” sponsored the Whitewater event along with similar gatherings around the state. The group’s stated goal is to end “gerrymandering.” The term refers to efforts to manipulate political boundaries to favor one party or group. The practice reportedly dates back to 1812 and has been subject to abuse, to one degree or another, by both modern political parties. Sophisticated computer database capabilities have today made the redistricting process increasingly more sophisticated and easier to manipulate to benefit one political party over the other.

In a related matter, the WI Supreme Court on Wednesday, January 19 heard arguments in favor of competing plans to set political boundaries for the next decade. Wisconsin’s Democratic Governor and Republican dominated State Legislature along with other organizations have provided different updated political map proposals.,

The Associated Press (AP) reports that the Wisconsin Supreme Court court is likely to issue a decision in the coming weeks but also points out that an outstanding federal lawsuit could later delay resolution of the issue. The AP also reports that the US Supreme Court last month rejected an attempt to end that lawsuit but did not indicate if it would consider that lawsuit after the WI court case decision is issued.

“No Time to Die”
Tuesday, January 25, 2022, 1 p.m.
(Action/Adventure/Thriller), Rated PG-13; 2 hours, 43 minutes (2021)

Seniors in the Park projectionist Mark Dorn reports that they have obtained a new projector, “with an incredibly bigger and brighter image.”

Nobody does it better than Bond. James Bond. In his fifth and final outing as 007 (and the 25th film in the series), Daniel Craig plays a retired and world weary Bond who returns to MI6 only to find: he’s been replaced. Nevertheless, he must persevere to thwart a new supervillain (Rami Malek) armed with dangerous new nanotechnology. Also starring Ralph Fiennes (as M), Ben Whishaw (as Q), and Christoph Walz as Ernst Blofeld.

Editor’s note: The following information was provided by the University of Wisconsin System.

Jay O. Rothman will take office as the next University of Wisconsin System President after a unanimous Board of Regents vote on January 21 to offer him the position.

Rothman, 62, is chairman and CEO of the law firm Foley & Lardner LLP in Milwaukee. His appointment begins June 1 and he will earn $550,000 annually. He was recommended to the full Board of Regents by a Special Regent Committee following interviews this week with the committee, chancellors, shared governance representatives, and UW System executive leadership.

“I am humbled by the opportunity to lead the UW System and approach this role with profound respect for the unparalleled role public higher education plays in the lives of our students, alumni, and communities,” Rothman said. “I intend to lead by listening first, so that the experience I have gained over my lifetime in Wisconsin can help us build a great UW System together. This is not an original sentiment, but I want to say it because I believe it: the UW System is our state’s crown jewel, and a vibrant UW System builds a strong Wisconsin.”

“The regents appreciate Jay’s willingness to serve the UW System and the people of Wisconsin,” said Regent President Edmund Manydeeds III, chair of the Special Regent Committee. “I am confident that in partnership with our chancellors, faculty, and staff he will strengthen the UW System for the students and people of Wisconsin we serve.”

“Jay is a servant leader who has chosen to dedicate the remainder of his outstanding career to our students, our faculty and staff, and our taxpayers,” said Karen Walsh, regent vice president and chair of the Search and Screen Committee. “He has the leadership and executive management skills our university system needs. He understands organizations. He builds consensus. He believes in the profound value of higher education.”

Rothman will be UW System’s eighth president, succeeding current interim President Tommy Thompson, who has been in that role since July 1, 2020. Thompson has announced that he will step down on March 18.

Rothman has been chairman and CEO of Foley & Lardner since 2011 and has been a member of the firm’s Management Committee since February 2002. He joined Foley in 1986 and has been a partner since 1994. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Marquette University and a law degree from Harvard Law School.

Rothman was raised on a small operating farm outside of Wausau where his family raised beef cattle and horses. His parents attended UW-Stevens Point, with his mother receiving her bachelor’s and master’s degrees there. His mother is a retired schoolteacher, and his father was a dentist. He has two adult children. His daughter is a graduate of UW-Madison.

For additional biographical information on Rothman and statements from those who know him, go to: wisconsin.edu/presidential-search-2021/

Manydeeds has asked Mike Falbo, a former regent president, to serve as interim president from March 18 until Rothman takes office June 1. Falbo is a UW-Parkside graduate who served 11 years on the Board of Regents, including two terms as president. He also attended UW-Whitewater before being drafted to serve during the Vietnam War as a combat medic.

A 1971 state law unified two public university systems under a single Board of Regents. The UW System educates approximately 165,000 students at 13 universities across 26 campuses, serves more than 1 million Wisconsin residents through statewide outreach programs, and employs about 39,000 faculty and staff statewide. The total estimated annual economic impact of the UW System exceeds $24 billion.

Statement from UW-Whitewater Interim Chancellor Jim Henderson on announcement of Jay O. Rothman as UW System President

“On behalf of UW-Whitewater, I’d like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to Jay O. Rothman on his appointment as the next president of the University of Wisconsin System,” said Jim Henderson, interim chancellor. “During the interview process, I was extremely impressed by Mr. Rothman’s vision for public higher education in our state – one that is grounded in excellence in every aspect of our respective university missions. As a native of Wisconsin with strong ties to the state, he deeply understands the unique nature of the UW System as an academic, economic and cultural driver of Wisconsin and of our future. At a critical time for higher education, Mr. Rothman is the right person with the right leadership skills to move the UW System forward, to strengthen relationships with all of our constituents, and to build upon our important work on behalf of the people of our state. We look forward to him visiting UW-Whitewater in the future and sharing with him the outstanding story of the Warhawk family.”