News

Bassett House Now Available for Event Rentals

Editor’s note: The following information was received from Bassett House.

We are excited to announce that Bassett House, located at 708 West Main Street in Whitewater is open for reservations.

Bassett House is a historic home that was donated to the Whitewater Federation of Women’s Clubs in the early 1900s. It has been lovingly preserved and maintained. The lower level of the home can be rented for gatherings of up to 45 people. It is ideal for any meeting or event. More information can be found on the website: bit.ly/BassettHouseRentals

Schumacher’s Thrilling Sequence Sends Warhawk Women to Elite Eight on Saturday

By Chris Lindeke, Assistant Athletic Director, Strategic Communications and Branding, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Friday, March 11, 2022

Box Score

Rebekah Schumacher’s Steal-and-Layup (Video)

The No. 12 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team erased a five-point deficit over the final minute of overtime and went ahead for good on [Whitewater native] Rebekah Schumacher’s steal-and-layup in the final seconds Friday night on its way to a thrilling 78-76 victory against No. 16 Smith (Mass.) in a third-round game of the 2022 NCAA Division III Championship at Kachel Gymnasium [with 1220 fans in attendance.]

The Warhawks (26-4 overall) host Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival UW-Oshkosh (22-6) in the Whitewater Sectional final on Saturday at 7 p.m. inside Kachel Gymnasium. The winner of the contest advances to the Final Four, which will be contested March 17 and 19 in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Tickets for Saturday’s game will go on sale starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Kachel Gymnasium entrance. Doors to the gym will open at 6 p.m. The first 150 UW-Whitewater students to attend will receive free admission courtesy of DLK Enterprises and UW-W Housing.

UW-Whitewater trailed in Friday’s game 76-71 with just over a minute to play in overtime. Maggie Trautsch was fouled on a 3-point attempt on the team’s first possession in the final minute and knocked down all three free throws to bring UW-W within two.

After a stop on the other end, Trautsch was fouled in the lane and hit two more from the free-throw line to tie the game at 76-76.

The Pioneers (25-3) advanced the ball into their half court following a timeout. With seven seconds to play, Schumacher stole the inbound pass and saved it to Aleah Grundahl, who fired a pass down the court to a wide-open Schumacher, who layed the ball in uncontested with less than one second on the clock.

Smith was unable to get a shot off before the final buzzer.

Kacie Carollo tallied a team-high 19 points, while Grundahl finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and two steals. Yssa Sto. Domingo knocked down five 3-pointers on her way to 15 points, and Trautsch hit 7-of-9 at the free-throw line on her way to 12 points.

The Warhawks converted 27-of-36 (75 percent) from the free-throw line and hit 9-of-20 (45 percent) from 3-point range. The Pioneers shot 46.9 percent from the floor.

UW-W raced out to a 6-0 lead before Smith rallied for the next 11 points for an 11-6 lead at the midway point of the first quarter. Trautsch gave the Warhawks a 19-18 advantage in the final minute of the period with a driving layup.

UW-Whitewater built its lead to six following a 3-pointer by Carollo with 6:21 on the clock. The Pioneers responded with a 9-0 run for a three-point lead just over three minutes later. Neither team led by more than one possession over the final half of the period, and UW-W held a 36-34 advantage.

The third quarter remained tightly contested until Sto. Domingo hit a 3-pointer between a pair of baskets by Grundahl for a 51-43 UW-W lead with 2:08 remaining. The Warhawk lead grew to as many as nine, but Smith trimmed its deficit to four by the end of the third.

The two teams went back and forth to start the fourth quarter before Carollo’s 3-pointer with 6:29 to play made it 61-56. She hit two free throws just over a minute later for a 63-56 score before the Pioneers rallied to tie the game at 63-63 with 2:54 on the clock.

Grundahl gave UW-Whitewater the lead with 2:25 left, and neither team scored again until the final seconds, when Smith tied the game on a layup to send it to overtime.

Sto. Domingo started the extra period with a 3-pointer, but the Pioneers held the lead for a majority of the overtime before Trautsch’s five free throws and Schumacher’s final bucket sent the Warhawks to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2014.

UW-Whitewater and UW-Oshkosh have met three times this season prior to Saturday’s matchup. The Warhawks took two of three games from the Titans, including a 67-59 win on Feb. 23 in the semifinals of the WIAC Tournament at Kachel Gymnasium. The two teams split two regular season games, with the home team taking both contests.

[Homepage photo credit: Evan Halpop, UW-W student photographer, Feb. 9, 2022 game]

Obituary: Sandra “Sandy” Kay Grosskreutz, 75

Sandra “Sandy” Kay Grosskreutz

Sandy was born in Whitewater, Wisconsin on December 21, 1946, to Leon E. Scherer and Lucille Demoe Scherer. She attended Whitewater High School. She married Edmund C. Grosskreutz on September 25, 1965 in Antigo, Wisconsin.

Sandy worked at Fairhaven for 20 years in the Activity Department, and also worked in the Alzheimer unit. She really enjoyed working with the residents and made some lifelong friends with residents and staff.

She adored her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She loved her arts and crafts along with her coloring. She enjoyed camping and traveling to Disney World, Branson, and Arizona. Enjoyed taking her grandchildren on many of the trips.

She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Ed Grosskreutz, her daughters Sherry (Grosskreutz) Griep, and Rhonda (Grosskreutz) Schemm. Granddaughters, Andrea Griep and Kaylee (Michael) Kirichkow. Great Grand Children Eli Kirichkow, Dakota Lucian, Kylie Griep, Jaxson Kirichkow, Damien Lucian, and Wesley Kirichkow.

Also survived by sisters and brothers Carole Downs, Dennis (Donna) Scherer, Rodney (Sue) Scherer, Linda (Larry) Whitmore, Cheryl (Mike) Nelson, and Gary Scherer along with many nephews and nieces. She is also survived by her cousin Susan (Ken) Klockow, and friends, Edith Oldenburg and Mary Jo Helmeier. She is preceded in death by her parents, Leon and Lucille Scherer, her brother, Thomas Scherer, and grandson, Dylan Griep and many other loved ones.

A memorial service will be held later. Information will be provided later.

We want to thank the Whitewater EMS, Fort Healthcare ER Staff, and Saint Mary’s Hospital ICU Staff in Madison.

Nitardy Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Online Condolences can be made at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com

Obituary: Mary E. “Betty” Lawrence, 99

Mary E. “Betty” Lawrence, 99, of Whitewater passed away on Sunday, February 27, 2022 at Hearthstone Memory Care in Whitewater.

Betty was born October 30, 1922 in Lima Center. She was the daughter of Jack and Mary Hale. Betty was a proud descendant of Scotch-Irish Presbyterians who founded the North Lima Presbyterian Church. She made her Christian faith a cornerstone of her family’s life. When she was 13, her father, Jack, took her to England on the Queen Mary to visit his family in Melbourne. She graduated from Whitewater High School and attended business school in Madison. She married Ralph Lawrence on June 10, 1944 and worked with him on a farm in Richmond, Wisconsin.

Betty was very active in 4-H, the Live Wires, the Lima Benefit Club, several euchre clubs, bowling leagues, National Grange, other church functions and served as the Johnstown Township Clerk for 20 years. She traveled with Ralph to England, Canada, Florida, Montana, Alaska and numerous Wisconsin areas. Betty got her green thumb from her mother who both took pride in their huge vegetable and flower gardens.

She is survived by her sons, Don (Peggy) of Dousman, WI and Jim (Sandy) of Wild Rose, WI; her loving grandchildren Jenny (Mike) of Milton, Scott (Valerie) of Powder Springs, GA, Chris (Tammy) of Howard’s Grove, Kathryn (Lance) of Neenah, and Ryan of St Claire Shores, MI.; her great-grandchildren Alec and Zack Revels, Tyler, Brayden, Cameron and Mackenzie Lawrence and Owen Walker.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Ralph; brothers, Don and Pres; daughter, Margaret; and daughter-in-law, Dietlind.

Betty’s family would like to offer special thanks to the staff at Fairhaven and Rainbow Hospice Care. She brought great joy to family and friends and will be greatly missed.

In lieu of flowers contributions would be appreciated to North Lima Presbyterian Church Memorial Scholarship Fund or Salvation Army of Janesville, WI.

A memorial service will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 19, 2022 at Nitardy Funeral Home in Whitewater. A visitation will take place from 1 p.m. until the time of service. A burial of cremains will take place at a later date at Richmond Cemetery.

UW-W Women’s Basketball Beats Smith in OT, 78-76; Advances to Play in Elite 8 Vs. Oshkosh on Sat.

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

UW-W’s women’s basketball played a thriller Sweet 16 game on Friday evening in Kachel Gymnasium, with Whitewater native Rebekah Schumacher hitting a layup with essentially no time left in overtime versus Smith College of Massachusetts. The Warhawks move to the Elite 8 for the first time since 2014, to play conference rival UW-Oshkosh for the fourth time this season. UW-W won two of the previous three games, including the semifinal in the WIAC tournament, 67-59. Oshkosh advanced to the Elite 8 with a 74-63 defeat of Baldwin Wallace (OH) earlier on Friday evening. Saturday’s tip-off in Kachel Gymnasium is at 7:00 p.m.

Further details on Friday’s game will be posted upon receipt from UW-W.

Reminder: Candidate Forums for Common Council & School Board on Sat. Sponsored by LWV

The League of Women Voters of the Whitewater Area is pleased to announce that it will host an in-person WUSD School Board candidate forum on Saturday, March 12, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., in the City of Whitewater Council Chambers, 312 W Whitewater Street.

There are four candidates running for two open seats on the school board. They have all confirmed their participation: Miguel Aranda, Jennifer Kienbaum (incumbent), Joseph Kromholz (incumbent), and Andrea Svec. The League will be assisted in running the forum by Whitewater High School students under the supervision of the League and WHS American Government teacher Greg Stewart. The forum will be co-moderated by WHS students, Junior Alex Martin and Senior Aldo Rodriguez. The League is delighted to provide an opportunity for these students to engage in the democratic process alongside us.

Candidate questions prepared by the LWV Whitewater Area board and WHS students will be used if there are not enough questions provided by the public. The League does not accept questions targeted to specific candidates.

The forum will be filmed by Whitewater Community TV and live streamed to their Vimeo website. A recording will be rebroadcast on channel 990 and made available on our website, https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/whitewater-area, during the weeks leading up to the April 5 Spring Election.

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The League of Women Voters of the Whitewater Area is pleased to announce that it will host an in-person Whitewater Common Council candidate forum on Saturday, March 12, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., in the City of Whitewater Council Chambers, 312 W Whitewater Street.

There are four candidates running for three open seats on the Common Council and one contested race for the Member at Large seat.  Participating candidates are: Jill Gerber (AD4, Wards 6/7/8) and Jim Allen (Member at Large – Incumbent) and Chuck Mills (Member At Large – Challenger). [Lukas Schreiber (AD2) is uncontested and is not participating.] The forum will be moderated by League member and UW-Whitewater Professor of History Dr. Karl Brown.

The forum will be filmed by Whitewater Community TV and live streamed to their Vimeo website. A recording will be rebroadcast on Channel 990 and made available on the League’s website, https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/whitewater-area, during the weeks leading up to the April 5 Spring Election.  

The League 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. 
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#FlashbackFriday with the Historical Society: 1897 and 1911 Additions to Old Main

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. This image is the third in the series showing the growth of Old Main on the UW-Whitewater campus that burned on February 7, 1970.

This image shows two important additions to Old Main, the 1897 front addition and the 1911 west wing addition. Shown in the background is the 1868 and 1876 versions of Old Main. The new front added the familiar classical front and tower that most people who remember Old Main are familiar with. This addition was designed by well-known Milwaukee architect H. C. Koch and the interior of the addition added classrooms, a library, music room, and large assembly room.

In 1911, the large west wing joined the new front with the old sections of the building in the rear to create much of the building’s facade in the 20th century.

Join us again next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.

(1810PC, Whitewater Historical Society)

State Senator Janis Ringhand Announces Retirement; State Rep. Don Vruwink Plans to Run Again

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

According to a press release on March 9 from her office, State Senator Janis Ringhand (D-Evansville) will not seek re-election. “It has been a great honor to serve the people of the 15th Senate district. While I will miss working with colleagues on important issues, I think that this is the right time to step aside, relax and retire,” Ringhand said.

Ringhand, whose district includes Whitewater, was elected to the State Assembly in 2010 and the State Senate in 2014. She is currently the Assistant Minority leader for the Senate Democrats. She has advocated for expanding paid Family and Medical Leave, reigning in the Dark Store tax loophole, local control, and promoting economic and workforce development.

She also produces Ringhand Beer Mustard, which is sold throughout southern Wisconsin. “I look forward to having more time to make and distribute…” the mustard, she stated. “I will always be grateful for the support people have shown throughout the years. I will miss the back and forth exchanges with my colleagues at the Capitol and helping folks back home. The time is right for me to move on.”

Until at least last week, Whitewater’s representative in the State Assembly, Don Vruwink (D-Milton), was uncertain as to whether he would be running for re-election this year, as he had indicated that most of the proposed redistricting plans would move the boundaries of the 43rd Assembly District such that his residence would no longer be included. However, on March 3 the Wisconsin Supreme Court selected the redistricting plan that had been submitted by Gov. Evers. Vruwink’s office told the Banner that the adopted plan leaves Vruwink’s district intact while slightly enlarging it. In response to the Banner’s inquiry, Vruwink’s staff asked him whether he now plans to run for re-election, which he confirmed. It must be noted, however, that on March 5 the Republican-controlled Legislature asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Wisconsin court’s redistricting decision. Depending on the outcome of that appeal, Vruwink might have to reconsider his decision.