News

NOTICE: Spring Leaf and Yard Waste Collection
The City of Whitewater – Department of Public Works will collect leaf and yard waste the:
• Week of April 4 – April 8, 2022
• Week of April 11 – April 14, 2022
*Dates may be subject to change in the event we experience accumulating snow during this time.
Yard waste is defined as leaves, grass clippings, and yard and garden debris. Yard waste must be bagged in
30 gallon or smaller biodegradable or clear/transparent bags only. Yard waste will not be collected if not
property bagged or placed in non-transparent or black bags. The City offers Bio-Bags in the fall only at the
Finance Department.

Please place your bagged yard waste on the curb no earlier than Saturday, April 2, (for collection beginning on
April 4) and April 9, (for collection beginning on April 11). All bags must be brought to the curb by 7:00 a.m., on
April 14, for collection by City staff.

Residents may also use the compost site to dispose of leaf and yard waste. The compost site will on open on
Saturdays starting April 2, from 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. and Wednesdays, starting on April 6, from 3:00 p.m. –
7:00 p.m. The City will provide a loader for loading chips and compost beginning Saturday, April 2. This
loader will be available on the first Saturday of each month until the site closes for the season.

Residents requesting brush collection should call 473-0560 to make an appointment for pick up on Tuesdays.

NOTICE: City Ordinance Chapter 12.08 – Street Obstructions, Section: 12.08.010 – Residents are prohibited
from depositing any yard waste debris on right of ways other than City of Whitewater designated
days.

Editor’s note: The following announcement was received from the City of Whitewater Department of Public Works.

NOTICE: Starting on Thursday, March 24, 2022, the intersection of Tratt Street and Walton Drive will be closed
to all traffic starting at approximately 7:00 a.m. The intersection is anticipated to remain closed until 5:00 p.m.
Friday, March 25, 2022. Northbound traffic on Tratt Street will be detoured east on Starin Road, north on
Fremont Street and west on CTH U back to CTH N/Tratt Street. Southbound traffic will use the same streets in
reverse. The intersection will be closed to allow for underground utility work. We apologize for this inconvenience.

Brad Marquardt
Director of Public Works

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by Walworth County.

Walworth County is seeking volunteers for a new Department of Health and Human Services program called Connecting Minds that begins April 7. The memory enhancement program pairs volunteers with adults who may have mild cognitive impairment, early-stage memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias, for a weekly three-hour interactive group class that provides social stimulation and enjoyable activities. The program is designed to promote and preserve brain health through fun, engaging activities that challenge cognitive abilities, help improve memory, focus, and concentration.

“Volunteers bring extra energy, ideas, and motivation to the program, as well as offering warmth and support to Connecting Minds participants,” says Volunteer Services Coordinator Colleen Lesniak. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of people with Alzheimer’s disease and related memory loss, and their families.”

Volunteers will receive training from professional staff with experience in the field of Alzheimer’s disease and therapeutic recreation. The program will be held on Thursdays, starting April 7, from 9 a.m. to noon, at Walworth County Health and Human Services, 1910 County Rd. NN, Elkhorn. 

Individuals interested in volunteering should contact Colleen Lesniak at (262) 741-4223, clesniak@co.walworth.wi.us. 

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

Walworth County’s experiment with embedding a full-time county-funded crisis worker within Whitewater’s Police Department has been so successful that the program is being expanded. The trial program which began last year in Whitewater and Delavan is now being expanded to the City of Lake Geneva and the Walworth County Sheriff’s Department.

Since last April a trained crisis worker funded by the Walworth County Health and Human Services Department has been responding along with Whitewater Police officers when a call involves alcohol abuse, drug abuse, or mental health issues including suicide attempts. Whitewater Acting Police Chief Dan Meyer reported that over 135 Whitewater police calls utilized the special skills of the county crisis worker in the first 180 days of the program.

Meyer’s report to the Whitewater Common Council on March 15 pointed out that, “Previously officers would arrive on scene, gather information and then hope to connect with crisis workers.” Crisis calls occur over all portions of the day and night and any gap in response time by the skilled crisis worker can be a problem in many cases. “On many occasions individuals refused to speak with officers but were willing to discuss issues with the Critical Crisis Liaison (CCL),” according to Meyer’s report.

Trained social worker and former Milwaukee Police Officer Amanda Akridge, who has been Whitewater PD’s CCL, will be transferring to the Lake Geneva PD. Araceli Wence, who has been active in the area of family violence, will be succeeding Akridge effective April 11. Wence brings the added benefit of being fluent in both English and Spanish.

Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library.

The Irvin L. Young Memorial Library would like to introduce “What Should I Read Next?”, a personalized reading recommendation service.  Interested parties may fill out a form on our website (whitewaterlibrary.org, under the Other Resources tab).  A librarian will review your submission and then provide you with several personalized reading recommendations.  There are forms for adults, teens, and children.

This service is free and open to the public.

Happy reading!

Irvin L. Young Memorial Library Board of Trustees – Monday @ 6:30 p.m.
Agenda includes approve recommendation of the Library Expansion and Renovation Steering
Committee for The Sweeney Group to lead the capital campaign.
Community Room
431 W. Center Street – This will be a hybrid in-person/virtual meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87126653158?pwd=c21MNGc1Z2hreENSQ3BiYTVJWVAxZz09
Meeting ID: 871 2665 3158
Passcode: xn3M4cD1
You can also dial in using your phone:
1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) – Meeting ID: 871 2665 3158
Passcode: 05966906

City of Whitewater Community Involvement & Cable TV Commission – Tuesday @ 6:00 p.m.
Agenda
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://meet.goto.com/779618325
You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: 1 (571) 317-3122
Access Code: 779-618-325
Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts: https://meet.goto.com/install

City of Whitewater Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee – Wednesday @ 5:30 p.m.
Agenda
City Hall – 2nd Floor Cravath Lakefront Room
312 W Whitewater Street

City of Whitewater Community Development Authority Board of Directors – Thursday @ 5:30 p.m.
Agenda includes proposal for new CDA meeting schedule and closed session re: Negotiation of UDAG Loan to SweetSpot.
Location: Innovation Center
1221 Innovation Drive in Room #202 or #205
THIS IS A IN‐PERSON AND VIRTUAL MEETING.
Citizens are welcome to join us in person,
or via computer, smartphone, or telephone.
Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85668724741
Webinar ID: 856 6872 4741
Or Telephone:
Dial 1 312 626 6799
Webinar ID: 856 6872 4741

Spring begins on Sunday, March 20.

[From Wikipedia] Spring, also known as springtime, is one of the four temperate seasons, succeeding winter and preceding summer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of the term varies according to local climate, cultures and customs. When it is spring in the Northern Hemisphere, it is autumn in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa. At the spring (or vernal) equinox, days and nights are approximately twelve hours long, with daytime length increasing and nighttime length decreasing as the season progresses.

Spring and “springtime” refer to the season, and also to ideas of rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, resurrection and regrowth. Subtropical and tropical areas have climates better described in terms of other seasons, e.g. dry or wet, monsoonal or cyclonic. Cultures may have local names for seasons which have little equivalence to the terms originating in Europe.

The image on the homepage, “Happy Spring” by Bonnie BonBon is marked with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.