News

Editor’s note: The following information was provided by Christine Hayes, Lincoln K-5 Music Teacher.

The WUSD 5th Grade Choir Program is back and excited to perform their Winter Concert on Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 7:00 PM in the high school auditorium!  This 70 voice choir is comprised of students from all three elementary schools and promises to fill your heart with joy!  This concert is free of charge. Teachers are Christine Hayes, Lincoln; Justin Kamp, Lakeview; and Val Troxel, Washington, and accompanied by Barb Taylor.

Editor’s note: This information was provided by the College of Arts and Communication, Department of Art and Design at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

The UW-Whitewater College of Arts and Communication is pleased to announce the 43rd Ceramics Sale. This year the sale will take place in rooms 108 and 109 of the Community Engagement Center (1260 W. Main St. Whitewater, WI, 53190) on Friday, December 17 from 6:00 – 9:00 pm and Saturday, December 18, 2021 from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Proceeds from the sale go towards the artists and the student organizations that facilitate the event. Masks are required for anyone entering a campus building. 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.

The ceramics sale features handmade, functional ceramic artwork created by members of the UW-Whitewater Department of Art and Design’s Ceramics program, past and present. Sales from items purchased supports the student UW-Whitewater Ceramics Organization’s goals in bringing regionally, nationally and internationally recognized ceramic artists to UW-Whitewater for visiting artist presentations and workshops, providing funding for field trips and other extracurricular opportunities, and more.

Associate Professor and organizer, Jared Janovec states “It’s great to be back! We have moved over to the Community Engagement Center which will allow our community greater access. The faculty, staff and students who created these works are very talented in their crafts and there are some really unique pieces on display. We can’t wait to see everyone in person after living in a realm of digital media for the last two years.”

In past years, the sale has included the Jewelry and Print areas. This year, the jewelry student organization has chosen to hold their sale online. More information will be posted when available to the official Facebook event at: https://fb.me/e/153BZYi5J. 

CITY OF WHITEWATER ALCOHOL LICENSING COMMITTEE MEETING – Monday @ 12:00 p.m.
IN PERSON MEETING
Community Room – Whitewater Municipal Building
312 W. Whitewater St.
Agenda: Request for “Class B” Beer and Liquor license from Fine Food Arts, Jay
Stinson, Agent. (Sale of Black Sheep, 210 W. Whitewater Street.)

City of Whitewater Plan and Architectural Review Commission – Monday @ 6:00 p.m.
Agenda includes request for conditional use permit for change of ownership of restaurant at 210 W. Whitewater St.
This meeting is IN-PERSON and VIRTUAL
City of Whitewater Municipal Building
Community Room- First Floor
312 W. Whitewater St.
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/918934661
You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (872) 240-3212
Access Code: 918-934-661

Whitewater Unified School District School Board – Tuesday @ 9:00 a.m.
School District Central Office
William D. Kyle Board Room
419 South Elizabeth Street
Agenda – click on “meetings” in the upper right hand corner

Whitewater Fire Department, Inc Business Meeting – Tuesday @ 6:00 p.m.
Agenda: Kent donation – creation of “Hickey Fund”
This meeting will have a virtual option. Please join the meeting from your
computer, tablet or smartphone :
meet.google.com/dhb-txsi-sow
You can also dial in using your phone
United States:
Meeting ID: +1 605-865-2089
Passcode: 457 936 458#

City of Whitewater Community Development Authority Board of Directors – Thursday @ 5:30 p.m.
Agenda includes review and accept contract for demolition of interior of the residential structure
located at 206 N. Cravath Street

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82003023913
Or Telephone: `1 312 626 6799 or 888 475 4499 (Toll
Free)
Webinar ID: 820 0302 3913

“Mixed Nuts”
Tuesday, December 14, 1 pm
(Comedy/Drama/Holiday)1 hour, 37 minutes; Rated PG-13 (1994)
Unusual events occur on Christmas Eve at a crisis hotline in Venice, CA. 
Nora Ephron (“Sleepless in Seattle”) wrote and directed this Yuletide comedy starring Steve Martin, Madeline Kahn, Rob Reiner, Rita Wilson and Jon Stewart. 

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!
Bring your friends & family to a free Christmas concert featuring a cantata titled “Our Lord, Emmanuel: A Christmas Celebration.”
We would love to have you join us for this one-hour program followed by an informal reception featuring homemade Christmas cookies!

Sunday, December 12 at 6:00 p.m.

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

Editor’s Note: The League of Women Voters provided this information.

The League of Women Voters of the Whitewater Area is delighted to announce that Kristy Weinberg, Director of The Bethel House of Whitewater, was chosen as the recipient of the League’s 2021 Making Democracy Work Award for her compassionate work helping families facing homelessness in Whitewater.  For over ten years, Kristy has administered transitional housing and case management needs to at-risk Whitewater families to build a more equitable and inclusive community. These values exemplify the spirit and the mission of the League. 

A recognition ceremony for Kristy was filmed by Whitewater Community TV on Dec 3rd and is available for viewing at: https://vimeo.com/654247489. Tributes were made by Dave Gamble, Bethel House treasurer, and Jim Winship, a founding member of Bethel House and current board vice president.  

The League’s annual Making Democracy Work Award was established in 2010 for the purpose of honoring the civic work of individuals or groups that make our community a safer and fairer place in which to live.

The League of Women Voters 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.

Visit their website at https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/whitewater-area and like them on Facebook!

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

The Whitewater Common Council continues to search for options regarding attempts to complete the dredging of its two downtown area lakes. Council members were told at the December 7 meeting that as many as four area contractors have been, or will soon be, engaged in discussions regarding how the project could proceed.

Bids to dredge the two lakes which have been nearly completely drawn down came in well above the reported project budget of $1.5 million last month. One bid was just under $2.5 million and another just over $3.8 million and the council voted to reject both bids.

Both the 70 acre Cravath Lake across from Whitewater’s City Hall and the 121 acre Trippe Lake on the city’s eastside have been drawn down over the past two years with the goal of making them cleaner and deeper. Trippe Lake at one time had an active swimming beach with a high dive and Cravath up until recently featured water ski shows. Over decades they have filled in with silt and been taken over by invasive plant species that make them unusable for recreational purposes.

City Parks and Recreation Director Eric Boettcher told Common Council members that some mowing and potential spraying of the remaining lakes’ weed beds may take place next week while they evaluate other alternatives which will include a controlled burn of the remaining plant species. (Please see the memo below for an update on the burn.)

The ultimate fate of the project remains an open question. Options range from doing nothing, a partial dredging, or simply allowing the lakes to fill back in without dredging. Common Council member Greg Majkrzak II (pronounced “my shock”) asked Boettcher to do a tally of expenses so far on the project and report back to the Common Council at their December 21 meeting.

In other business the Common Council rejected a city staff recommendation to use city funds for expanding to 32 feet the only 24 foot wide required driveway for an apartment project currently under construction on Tratt Street at Walton Drive. City Director of Public Works Brad Marquardt explained that long range plans call for a roadway connection from the UW Whitewater area west and south back to connect with Main Street will require the wider street and by the city agreeing to pay the difference in cost between 24 feet and 32 feet now while the driveway is under construction makes sense and ultimately saves city money.

The recommendation was opposed by a group of rental property owners who said the advance improvement amounted to a subsidy to the current project developers. City staff cited several similar, but not identical, cases of city participation in development infrastructure costs but a majority of Common Council members voted to reject the roadway expansion recommendation although ultimately all the members voted in favor of using city funds to extend the storm sewer and public water main to the edge of the property to facilitate eventual looping of the water main in the area as well as future development.

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Banner note: The following was posted on the City website on December 9.

December 9, 2021

Dear City of Whitewater residents,

Between December 13 to December 23, Field & Stream Restorations will conduct prescribed burns on the two lake beds, Trippe and Cravath.  The purpose of the burn is to prepare for the dredging that may occur in 2022 and the subsequent lake refilling.   Prescribed burning is an excellent tool for reducing above-ground biomass (plant material).  

We will start by creating burn breaks (unburnable strips on the ground) around the burn units.  In some cases this may involve mowing and raking vegetation to create nearly bare soil conditions.  We will examine the wind direction and speed to determine the best and safest ignition pattern.  

Field & Stream Restorations is insured and has burned hundreds of acres safely, and will do so at this site.  We employ nationally trained firefighters.  We will be equipped with several types of mobile water sources for fire suppression, including water backpacks , UTV’s, and ATV’s with mounted sprayers.   At no time should you ever feel that your residence is at risk.  We have examined the site and have determined that the necessary fire breaks can be created to burn safely.

For those who live near the lake, on the day of the burn we ask that you do the following for us:

1. Close your windows and doors when not at home and the day of the burn so that smoke does not enter your home.
2. Allow us to do our work uninterrupted; distractions to fire spotters create unnecessary risks.
3. Approach us before you call the fire department.

For more information, call, text, or email Steve Banovetz, Senior Scientist, Field & Stream Restorations, 608-320-2338 or steveb@fs-restorations.com Please also visit the Field and Stream Restorations website. For additional questions, contact Parks and Recreation Director, Eric Boettcher 262-473-0122 or eboettcher@whitewater-wi.gov

Editor’s Note: This information was provided by Christine Hayes of the Whitewater Unified School District.

The Whitewater Unified School District string program is back and they’re excited to present a concert Thursday, Dec. 9, at 6:30 p.m. in the Whitewater High School Auditorium.  Students in grades 4-12 will be featured.  The concert is directed by Ms. Patricia Nielsen and the concert is free of charge. Pictured below are students in the Middle school and beginning orchestras.

Editor’s note: The following information was provided by Walworth County Public Health.

Walworth County Health Officials: Hospital Bed Availability at Critical Levels

An emergency operations work group comprised of officials from Walworth County Public Health, the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office, Mercyhealth, and Advocate Aurora Health is asking the public to take appropriate COVID-19 safety precautions as local hospitals report a surge in emergency department (ED) patients and critically low ICU bed availability.

Mercyhealth Vice President Jeni Hallatt issued the following statement:

“Our hospitals are experiencing a high volume of inpatients, limiting hospital beds and putting a strain on resources. Due to these high volumes, overall bed availability is at critical levels.

When feeling ill, patients should contact their primary care provider. The public is also encouraged to utilize telehealth options. Patients who need to visit the ED should be prepared to face extended wait times due to our critical capacity.

To help control this critical situation, we are asking the public to help with COVID-19 safety measures, which include getting vaccinated, wearing a mask and socially distancing when appropriate.”

According to Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) data, Walworth County saw a 20-percent increase in hospital bed occupancy between November and December.

“Our hospitals have been at peak census for hospital status, medical-surgical, and ICU status for most of the past month,” says Walworth County Public Health Epidemiologist Rebecca Kraetz.

“A large contributing factor to this low bed availability is a critical staffing shortage in our hospitals, particularly in nurses and other critical healthcare personnel. In a recent DHS COVID update, it was discussed that there are not enough critical care personnel to account for the surge of patients we are seeing statewide. A certain number of staff are needed per bed, and there is not sufficient human resources available to add more beds.”

In addition to staffing challenges, a recent uptick in COVID hospitalizations is further complicating the situation. Currently, about one-third of emergency department visits are COVID-related. As of Dec. 5, COVID patients occupy 58 percent of the county’s ICU beds and 42 percent of inpatient beds.

“Like other health care providers in Wisconsin and Illinois, we’re seeing COVID-19 hospitalizations rise steadily,” says Chief Medical Officer Tedmond O’Reilly, MD, FAAFP, CPE, Advocate Aurora Burlington-Walworth Patient Service Area. “Over the past month, our COVID-19 inpatient census has more than doubled. The best way to prevent COVID-19 is to get vaccinated, and if it’s been long enough since your first shot(s), to get boosted. The vaccines are the most effective tool we have to prevent serious illness, hospitalization and deaths.”

Public Health is also seeing an increase in reports of non-COVID respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses. “This time of year we tend to see more seasonal viruses, such as influenza and viral gastroenteritis,” says Public Health Officer Erica Bergstrom. “So while COVID cases are going up, these other illnesses will also begin placing a higher burden on our health care system. That’s why it is so important to get vaccinated for COVID and flu, wash your hands, and stay home when you are sick.” 

For COVID-19 testing and vaccine information, please contact Walworth County Public Health at (262) 741-3200, email walcoph@co.walworth.wi.us, follow us on Facebook or visit us online at www.co.walworth.wi.us.