Washington Elementary “Warm Feet for Warriors”

Washington Elementary Student Council is hosting a SOCK DRIVE in association with the organization Warm Feet for Warriors! The public is invited to help in our efforts to collect NEW ADULT socks for active servicemen and women. Socks can be donated at Washington Elementary between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. 


United Methodist Women of Whitewater and LaGrange Hosting 44th Annual Spring Salad Luncheon and Silent Auction to support missions

The United Methodist Women of the Methodist churches of Whitewater and LaGrange are hosting their 44th Annual Spring Salad Luncheon and Silent Auction on Wednesday, May 1 from 11 am – 1 pm.  Proceeds support a variety of mission projects.

The event is at First United Methodist Church, 145 S. Prairie Street.  Come for the food and stay for the bidding. 

A take out option is available.  Tickets are $8. 

Upcoming City & Community Meetings: Week of April 22 – April 28

Whitewater School Board – Regular Meeting – Monday, April 22, 2019, at 6:00 pm at the Whitewater Unified School District Central Office

Agenda


Finance Committee Meeting – Tuesday, April 23, 2019, at 7:00 am at the Whitewater Municipal Building –
City Manager’s Conference Room

More Info incl. Agenda


Whitewater Board of Review – Tuesday, April 23, 2019, at 6:30 pm at the Whitewater Municipal Building –
Community Room

More Info incl. Agenda


CDA Board Meeting – Thursday, April 25, 2019, at 5:30 pm at the Innovation Center, Room 105

More Info incl. Agenda

Happy Easter from the Banner!

Photo by Jim Stewart

Walmart Easter Bunny Hopkins with assistant Tonya Allen welcoming 2 year old Eliza Johnson with Dad and Mother, Matt and Katie.

Whitewater City Council Approves Increased Fines for Damage to Local Landmarks

Effective May 1, 2019, the City of Whitewater has made changes to an ordinance regarding property damage to further protect Local Landmarks. The amendment will increase fines to those who damage properties listed as a Whitewater Local Landmark.

  • Section 7.36.030 (b) (1) Damage to a Landmark or Landmark Site as defined in 17.04.020 shall, upon conviction thereof, be subjected to a fine of $700 to $1,000.
  • Section 7.36.030 (b) (2) Any person causing damage to a Landmark or Landmark Site as defined in 17.04.020 for a second time within a one-year period shall, upon conviction thereof, be subjected to a fine of $900 to $1,100.
  • Section 7.46.030 Theft or petty theft of property that is part of a Landmark or Landmark Site as defined in 17.04.020 shall, upon conviction thereof, be subjected to a fine of not less than $300 nor more than $600 for a first offense, not less than $350 nor more than $700 for a second offense, and not less than $400 nor more than $800 for a third offense, together with costs of prosecution, and, in default of payment of such fine and cost of prosecution, shall be imprisoned in the county jail for a period not to exceed six months.

Information about Whitewater Landmarks and a full listing of city ordinances can be found on the city website, www.whitewater-wi.gov. To view an interactive map of Landmarks in the City of Whitewater, visit https://whitewater.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapTour/index.html?appid=d18ae8941eb847b5b92f896ebb84214f

Questions relating to the ordinance changes can be directed to Neighborhood Services Director, Chris Munz-Pritchard at 262-473-0143 or CMunz-Pritchard@whitewater-wi.gov.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? -Tuesday, April 23 at 12:30 PM, Seniors in the Park

When biographer/profiler Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy) no longer finds her work publishable or profitable, she turns her art form to deception, abetted by her loyal friend Jack (Richard E. Grant). Oscar nominations for both actors (Actress/Supporting Actor).

When: Tuesday, April 23 at 12:30 PM

Where: Seniors in the Park

Movie Information: Rated R (Language); 1 hour, 46 min. (2018)

Whitewater LEADS makes strides in Whitewater community

Whitewater LEADS sponsors Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) in the Whitewater community. As of March 1, 2019, 45 percent of children under five years of age in the Whitewater area were registered for DPIL.

“When this program was brought to Whitewater by Whitewater LEADS after we moved here, we were really excited,” DPIL parent Lisa Dawsey said. “My now four-year old gets so excited when her book arrives each month. Books enrich children’s lives in so many ways beyond tangible test scores.”

According the projections from the DPIL staff, Whitewater would not be expected to meet the 45 percent target until the three or four-year mark. Whitewater reached 45 percent in less than two years, since starting in the fall of 2017.

“Thanks to the partnership with the school district, Irvin L. Young Memorial Library and the work of our volunteers, we are ahead of schedule in getting these books in the hands of young children and their parents,” Whitewater LEADS President Jim Winship said.

Winship also mentioned the research conducted that when children receive the book they are more “excited” about reading and the parents spend more time reading with their children.


Son and father of the DPIL program reading together, provided by Photographer Tom Ganser and Whitewater LEADS. 

The DPIL is a book/reading program where children age five and younger receive a free, age-appropriate book mailed to their home. It is meant to engage children early on in the world of reading and prepare them for schooling.

The Dollywood Foundation started the DPIL, founded by country music legend Dolly Parton, who grew up in a poor and rural family. The program started as a charity in Sevier County, Tennessee.

Parton started the program so every preschool child in her home county could have books in their home. The program currently distributes over one million high quality books monthly to children around the world.

Whitewater LEADS is a nonprofit organization established in 2015 to support literacy in the greater Whitewater area.

Its board is composed of representatives from the business community, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, the Whitewater Unified School District and the Whitewater community.

“The total cost for our literacy efforts is about $10,000 a year, with the bulk of it going to the Imagination Library,” Whitewater LEADS board member and Greater Whitewater Committee, Inc. Chairman Larry Kachel said. “We will have a fundraising event in the fall of this year to recognize our donors and sponsors, while raising money for the following year.”

Parents in the Whitewater Unified School District with children under the age of five can register their children to receive free books by going to imaginationlibrary.com.

For more information or to volunteer with Whitewater LEADS, email whitewaterleads@gmail.com. Whitewater LEADS is especially looking for volunteers to help with their social media efforts.