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
[From Wikipedia] Spring, also known as springtime, is one of the four temperateseasons, 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.
By Lynn Binnie Whitewater Banner volunteer staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
Warhawk Women’s basketball came within one game of their first national championship on Saturday, March 19 as they came out blazing in the first half in Pittsburgh, with the score tied at 34. The tide began to turn in the third quarter, which ended with Hope (#2) over the Warhawks (#12) by 56-49. The final score was 71-58. UW-Whitewater evidently had great fan support, as one of the CBS Sports Network commentators said that “half the town” was there.
The No. 12 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team wrapped up its fourth appearance in the Final Four Saturday afternoon with a 71-58 loss against No. 2 Hope (Mich.) in the national title game of the 2022 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, Pa.
The Warhawks conclude the 2021-22 season with a 28-5 record, good for the second-most wins in program history. UW-W won the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship with a 12-2 league record and defeated Ripon, Illinois Wesleyan, Smith (Mass.) and UW-Oshkosh on the way to its fourth appearance in the national semifinals since 2008.
With Thursday’s 55-51 win against Amherst (Mass.), UW-Whitewater punched its ticket to the national championship game for the second time in program history and first time since 2013.
Playing in her final game at UW-W, Rebekah Schumacher tallied a team-high 14 points with three rebounds and three steals. Johanna Taylor, also closing her Warhawk career, posted 12 points, nine rebounds and five blocks, adding to her program-record total of 208 career blocks. Courtney Oomens also played in her final game as a Warhawk.
Aleah Grundahl, who was named to the All-Tournament Team following the conclusion of play, registered 11 points, five assists and two steals. Kacie Carollo collected 11 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Yssa Sto. Domingo recorded eight points and three assists.
The two teams traded the lead in the first quarter before the Flying Dutch (32-1) took an 8-5 advantage just past the midway point of the period.
Taylor and Grundahl converted baskets to give UW-Whitewater the advantage, and the two teams exchanged the lead again before Grundahl’s layup just before the buzzer gave UW-W a 16-14 lead.
The Warhawks’ lead jumped to five in the opening minute of the second on a 3-pointer by Sto. Domingo. UW-W took its largest lead of the quarter at 27-21 with 6:07 on the clock following a jumper by Taylor.
Hope scored the next eight points, and the two teams exchanged buckets over the final three minutes of the half. Carollo’s 3-pointer tied the game at 34-34 heading into halftime.
The Dutch scored the first six points of the third and increased its lead to eight by the 3:33 mark. UW-Whitewater pulled to within four on two separate occasions in the final three minutes of the quarter, but Hope held a 56-49 advantage heading to the fourth.
A 3-pointer by Carollo one minute into the fourth quarter pulled the Warhawks within three before the Flying Dutch scored the next 13 points for a 69-53 advantage with 2:58 remaining. UW-W got no closer than 13 the rest of the way.
Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Five alumni who have achieved significant professional and community service success are being honored as the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater celebrates its 154th anniversary. The 2022 class of alumni award honorees include graduates with careers in education, communication, accounting, human resources and mental health — including a public servant who has served in the Wisconsin State Assembly and Senate for more than a decade.
The awards will be presented at the Founders Day Celebration, held at UW-Whitewater at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 9.
This year’s recipient of the Outstanding Recent Alumni Award is Christopher Maniece. The award recognizes the professional accomplishments of Maniece, who earned a B.A. in psychology in 2013 followed by dual master’s degrees in 2017, and his work as a school counselor with the Madison Metropolitan School District. After earning his Ed.D. from Edgewood College in 2021, he is currently pursuing his MBA from UW-Whitewater, with expected completion in 2023.
The recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement is Frederick Arndt.Arndt, who earned a B.S. in political science and English in 1970, held executive and leadership positions in human resources in Fortune 50 corporations as well as startup and early stage ventures for more than 45 years, including McKesson Corporation, SegaSoft, Capitol Records, Apple Computer, Searle Pharmaceuticals, Frito-Lay, and Baxter International.
Also receiving the Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement is Amy Herbst. Herbst, who earned a B.S. in social work in 1993, is vice president, mental and behavioral health, at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and an industry expert with more than 25 years working with children, youth and families, including leading the largest child welfare and foster care programs in the state.
Sen. Howard Markleinis this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for Community/Regional Service. After earning his BBA in accounting in 1976, Sen. Marklein pursued a successful career in public accounting as he devoted himself to public service, from community development to being elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2010. Since then, he has been elected to the Wisconsin State Senate and serves as co-chair of the Joint Committee on Finance.
The recipient of the Distinguished Alumni for Service to UW-Whitewater is William Lowell. Lowell, who earned a B.A. in communication in 1982 followed by an M.S. in speech–public relations in 1983, has taught in the Department of Communication since 1985 in addition to pursuing a long career as a marketing and management consultant. He tapped into his business relationships to supervise numerous internships in the College of Arts and Communication.
“All of these accomplished alumni speak to the breadth and the depth of the impacts that our graduates can have, both professionally and in their communities,” said Interim Chancellor Jim Henderson. “As evidenced by these individuals, our academic programs have a strong track record of producing talented, versatile graduates, and I couldn’t be more proud to recognize and celebrate the achievements of these Warhawks.”
“Our alumni bring a wealth of experiences to the Warhawk family,” said Amy Oeding ’90, chief alumni relations officer. “Like so many of our alumni, they not only give back to their communities, they continue to have a rich connection to the campus and to today’s students.”
Also being honored are the 2022 UW-Whitewater Outstanding Student Award winners, one from each of the university’s five undergraduate colleges. Each student receives a $1,000 scholarship in addition to their award:
Samantha Adler, early childhood education major from Mt. Horeb, College of Education and Professional Studies
Jackie Carper, marketing and communication double major from Lake Geneva, College of Business and Economics
Abigail Lammers, English and Spanish double major from Waukesha, College of Letters and Sciences
McClane Noffke, journalism major from Holmen, College of College of Arts and Communication
Natalie Shortreed, liberal arts major from Janesville, College of Integrated Studies
The outstanding alumni and student awards will be presented at an Awards Celebration at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 9, in honor of the university’s founding on April 21, 1868.
For more information on UW-Whitewater’s Distinguished Alumni awards, visit uww.edu/alumni/awards.
By Lynn Binnie Whitewater Banner volunteer staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
As Americans watch the unspeakable loss of life and property in Ukraine, not to mention the millions of citizens who have become refugees, many people have expressed a wish that they could do something to help. For your information we are providing links below to several sources that are making recommendations for charitable contributions. The Banner, of course, is unable to make any endorsements. Readers are undoubtedly aware that thousands of Afghan refugees were recently hosted at Fort McCoy. Many people and organizations have been helping a number of those people to get settled in Wisconsin. See the second part of this article for information on these efforts.
Catholic News has a number of suggestions of Catholic related organizations.
CNN’s “Impact Your World”is suggesting contributions to 40 different organizations that are assisting with relief efforts. A contribution may be given that will be split between the 40 agencies, but the website also provides an opportunity to contribute directly to any one of the 40 organizations.
The Cut provides a very extensive list of suggested organizations to help the people of Ukraine.
Editor’s note: Thanks to Rev. Mary Beth Byrne for this information.
Resettlement Agencies, Coalitions, and Communities in Wisconsin
South Central Wisconsin – Jewish Social Services is a resettlement agency located in Madison. With the support of volunteers through Open Doors For Refugees, they are resettling families and individuals in and around Madison. Visit opendoorsforrefugees.org to learn how you and/or your congregation to volunteer. South East Wisconsin – Lutheran Social Services is resettling and supporting Afghans primarily in Milwaukee and within a 100 mile radius. International Institute of Wisconsin is also resettling Afghans in Milwaukee. LSS does cosponsorship with churches and both are in need of volunteers. Team Rubicon collects and distributes material donations and the Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition provides services and support to the refugee communities in Milwaukee.
Webinar Opportunity: After Fort McCoy: Immigration Justice Here and Now with our New Afghan Neighbors Hosted by the United Church of Christ, Wisconsin Conference Looking for inspiration in the Lenten season? Join us at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22, for a conversation about ways congregations around the state are welcoming our new Afghan neighbors. During this 90-minute Zoom workshop hosted by the UCC Wisconsin Conference’s Immigration Working Group, we’ll learn about the big picture of statewide refugee resettlement from the Rev. Peder Johanson (Volunteer Coordinator for Afghan Refugee Response with the Wisconsin Council of Churches) and Mary Flynn (Program Manager for Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin & Upper Michigan). We’ll be inspired by stories of personal experiences welcoming new Afghan neighbors, including an update from the newly-formed group, Welcoming New Neighbors-NW WI Refugee Resettlement. And we’ll have a chance to brainstorm together and share ideas of how our congregations might get involved in welcoming new refugee neighbors to our communities.
Register here for “After Fort McCoy: Immigration Justice Here and Now with our New Afghan Neighbors” on Tuesday, March 22 from 6:30-8 p.m.
On Saturday, March 12 the League of Women Voters – Whitewater Area sponsored a forum for the candidates who are running for the Whitewater Unified School District School Board in the April 5 election. Four candidates are running for two open seats. All of the candidates participated: Miguel Aranda, Jennifer Kienbaum (incumbent), Joseph Kromholz (incumbent), and Andrea Svec. Approximately twenty people were in the audience. The forum was moderated by Whitewater High School student Alex Martin under the supervision of the League and WHS American Government teacher Greg Stewart.
[From the League of Women Voters’ website] Candidates were asked questions about how to address the needs of English language learners, whether or not the school board should hold listening sessions with the students, if they would support any policy blocking what could be taught in the classroom, how a school board knows if they are achieving their goals, how to address the waiting list for free counseling at the high school, whether or not they would vote to require masks be worn at school, and much more!
The forum was filmed by Whitewater Community TV. You can watch a recording of the forum on Vimeo. The recording will be rebroadcast on Channel 990 during the weeks leading up to the April 5 Spring Election.
It’s Oscars Month and the Seniors in the Park Bijou Theatre will be showing three of the Nominated Films. The Academy Awards ceremony is Sunday evening, March 27. Movie Buff Mark will have movie-related treats at each showing!
“King Richard” Tuesday, March 22, 1 p.m. (Biography/Drama/Sports) Rated PG-13; 2 hours, 24 minutes (2021) The story of tennis Super Stars Venus and Serena Williams and their coach and Father, Richard Williams (Will Smith; Best Actor nomination). Also nominations for Best Supporting Actress (Aunjanue Ellis), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture.
It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. Happy Belated St. Patrick’s Day!!
It is fitting that this week’s post is a vintage post card showing St. Patrick Catholic Church of Whitewater. Founded in the 1840s by Irish immigrant farmers who settled in the Town of Whitewater, the church grew in the 1860s with an influx of ethnic Irish workers who were employed at the two large factories in town. The current church complex, shown here, was built in 1958 and still serves the congregation today.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
By Al Stanek Whitewater Banner volunteer staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
Whitewater citizens who were rightly confused about the costs of dredging the city’s two downtown lakes got some much needed clarification at the March 15 Whitewater Common Council meeting.
The dredging of Trippe and Cravath lakes has been completed according to City Parks and Recreation Director Eric Boettcher and the project is expected to come in under budget. There are several options for distribution of the nearly 69,000 cubic yards of dirt that have been deposited in a field just east of the Whitewater University Innovation Center.
Initial bids for the dredging portion of the project came in over budget and were rejected by the Common Council on November 16. The low bid was nearly $2.5 million which was well above the estimated entire project budget of just under $1.5 million. Dredging plans were downsized from the original plan to remove 81,000 cubic yards of material and an area that was thought to possibly be contaminated was avoided which resulted in a much lower $1.1 million cost to dredge and transport the material.
Boettcher also addressed the issue of options for what to do with the huge pile of dirt visible off of Howard Road on the city’s east side. “First of all we have to let the material de-water,” said Boettcher. “After that is complete we can either spread the dirt over the area where it is and possibly other nearby areas,” he added. The option of providing the remaining black dirt to area farmers or citizens is also under consideration.
Common Council members also heard from five area property owners who were concerned about newly distributed property assessment notices. Property owners can discuss the reasoning behind any change in property value with the company hired to do the assessments by scheduling an appointment by calling (920) 749-8098 before April 24. Occasionally this conversation may result in a change being made in the assessment. Ultimately, however, if a property owner objects to the assessment they must file a “Form of Objection” with the Whitewater City Clerk’s office at least 48 hours before a city established “Board of Review” meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 26 at 6:30 p.m.
Property tax bills mailed out by the City of Whitewater in November of each year represent the total of City, County, School District and Technical College taxes based on the assessed value of each property. The city’s portion of annual property tax bills is determined by a property’s assessed value multiplied by a “mill rate” (cost per thousand dollars of property value) which is not determined until the city formally adopts the next year’s budget. That final city budget is significantly impacted by the amount of state and other financial contributions which are not determined until late in the fall of each year.
Josh Sherman, the designated assessor for the City of Whitewater, told Common Council members that residential and rental units of less than four units generally increased by 7% to 11%. Commercial and larger residential properties are assessed under a unique state driven formula. Sherman indicated that commercial and large residential properties increased by an average of 15%, but were considerably higher in some cases.
Sherman explained that changes in property values are determined by actual recent sales of property which, in Whitewater like nearly everywhere else, have generally been coming in well above previous property value assessments. He pointed to the fact that there had not been many commercial and large residential property sales during the past few years which had kept previous years’ commercial assessments relatively steady. Several sales of very large Whitewater residential properties this past year are likely to be the cause of the steep increase according to Sherman.
Theoretically significant increases in both residential and commercial property values should increase the total city’s tax base which, when divided equally among property owners based on the cost per thousand mill rate, should not impact residential taxpayers and landlords owning other than four unit or larger rentals. The disparity between assessment increases for commercial versus residential property is likely to have a significant impact on commercial and large rental property owners.
Larry Kachel, a principal in DLK Enterprises, told Common Council members that an increased tax burden comes at the same time that landlords have been forced to turn to 10 month rental contracts as opposed to 12 month contracts in reaction to the change in demand caused by the reduced number of UW-Whitewater students seeking off-campus housing.
By Lynn Binnie Whitewater Banner volunteer staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
“Whitewater doesn’t need luck” read a fan’s St. Patrick’s Day sign, but the outcome of Thursday afternoon’s semifinal for the women’s basketball DIII championship was a back and forth contest nearly to the final buzzer. At halftime it was UW-W in the lead by 27-25, but the third quarter had Amherst (MA) ahead by 44-41, but the Warhawks pulled off a 55-51 win. UPDATE: In the other Final Four game that followed, Hope College (MI) defeated Trine (IN) by 57-52. It’s a UW-W vs. Hope game on Saturday at 1 p.m. for the national championship. Saturday’s title game will air live on CBS Sports Network and on WKCH radio, 106.5 FM. [Spectrum cable customers with the silver or gold package may find CBS Sports at 306.]
Game Photos (Credit: Dan Hunter, d3photography.com for UW-Whitewater Athletics):
The No. 12 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team erased a deficit through three quarters and took the lead for good midway through the fourth quarter Thursday afternoon in a 55-51 victory against No. 8 Amherst (Mass.) in the semifinals of the NCAA Division III Championship at UPMC Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, Pa.
With the win, the Warhawks (28-4 overall) advance to the national championship game, which is set for this Saturday at 1 p.m. Central Time against the winner of Thursday night’s Hope/Trine game. Saturday’s title game will air live on CBS Sports Network and on WKCH radio, 106.5 FM. [Spectrum cable customers with the silver or gold package may find CBS Sports at 306.] [As reported above, UW-W will face Hope College.]
In the fourth quarter, a pair of free throws by Aleah Grundahl with 5:42 on the clock broke a 46-46 tie and gave UW-W a two-point lead. She converted a layup on the next possession to force a timeout by the Mammoths (25-4).
UW-Whitewater’s advantage was cut to one at the 2:24 mark before Yssa Sto. Domingo knocked down a 3-pointer from the left wing to make it 53-49 with 2:03 left.
Amherst drew to within 53-51 with just under one minute to play. The two teams traded empty possessions before a foul was committed against Kacie Carollo, who stepped up to the free throw line and knocked down both shots to make it a four-point game with three seconds to play.
The Mammoths missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer, sending the Warhawks and their energetic crowd into a frenzy.
Grundahl led all scorers with 18 points, including 8-of-10 from the free-throw line, and added seven rebounds. Carollo tallied 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists, and Maggie Trautsch tallied 10 points off the bench.
UW-Whitewater held Amherst to 31.3 percent shooting from the floor, including 3-of-17 in the fourth quarter, and knocked down 14-of-16 at the free-throw line on the other end.
Neither team led by more than one possession until the 3:23 mark of the first quarter, when the Mammoths took a 13-9 advantage. The Warhawks scored six of the next eight points as Trautsch tied the game with a driving layup with 2:06 remaining. Amherst held a two-point lead heading to the second.
UW-W started the second quarter on an 8-1 run, capped by Rebekah Schumacher’s 3-pointer with 7:35 on the clock, to take a 23-18 lead. The two teams exchanged buckets before Trautsch gave UW-Whitewater a 27-25 advantage heading into halftime.
Amherst tied the game on a 3-pointer just over two minutes into the third quarter and, after a layup by Johanna Taylor, took a 34-33 lead at the midway point of the period.
The Mammoths’ lead increased to three before the Warhawks rallied with a 6-0 run capped by Carollo’s steal-and-layup with 2:53 left in the quarter. UW-W trailed by three by the end of the period.
Trautsch’s 3-pointer just over three minutes into the fourth tied the game and set up Grundahl’s go-ahead free throws.
