News

Whitewater High School Class of 1961 Partners with Whitewater Arts Alliance to Launch Fundraiser for 2025 Paint Wisconsin-Marilyn Fuerstenberg Legacy during annual 2024 Members’ Exhibition

Whitewater Arts Alliance (WAA), in partnership with the Whitewater Senior High Class of 1961 is proud to announce the launch of the Paint Wisconsin-Marilyn Fuerstenberg Legacy Campaign. This special fundraiser will help sustain and support Paint Wisconsin, a new annual art exhibition beginning in August 2025. Paint Wisconsin will showcase the creativity and beauty of Wisconsin through works of art that capture the state’s unique aesthetics, landscapes, and life.

The goal of the Paint Wisconsin – Marilyn Fuerstenberg Legacy Campaign is to ensure the longevity of the annual Paint Wisconsin exhibition while also supporting the Whitewater Arts Alliance’s educational and children’s art programs. Friends and community members are invited to support this initiative.  

Anyone who contributes to the Paint Wisconsin – Marilyn Fuerstenberg Legacy Campaign between November 3 and December 20, during the Annual Members Show, will be entered into a drawing for one of two Marilyn Fuerstenberg’s original watercolor paintings. Additionally, attendees of the Annual Members Show who purchase a raffle ticket, will have a chance to win one of three original paintings by Tom Jewell, a recognized regional artist, Class of 1961 alum, and close friend of Marilyn. There will be separate winners for each drawing. The winners will be announced following the 2024 WAA Members’ Show, which runs from November 1 to December 20, 2024.

Marilyn Fuerstenberg, a founding member of the WAA and proud Class of 1961 alumna, was known for her passion for the arts and her dedication to fostering creativity and community spirit. By supporting WAA and the Paint Wisconsin exhibit, donors honor Marilyn’s legacy, helping to inspire art and creativity in Whitewater and beyond.

How to Get Involved

Donations are essential for this campaign’s success, and contributions of all sizes are welcomed. Donations can be made via check or online through the Whitewater Arts Alliance website.

• Gifts by Check: Make payable to Whitewater Arts Alliance and mail to PO Box 311, Whitewater, WI 53190, or drop off in person at the Cultural Arts Center Gallery, 402 W. Main Street, Whitewater, WI, during posted gallery hours. Please note “Marilyn Fuerstenberg Legacy Campaign” on the check.
• Online Donations: Gifts by credit card, debit card, or PayPal can be made on the WAA website at: whitewaterarts.org/marilyn-fuerstenberg-legacy

With the community’s support, the Whitewater Arts Alliance can bring Marilyn Fuerstenberg’s vision to life, celebrating the arts and creating a lasting legacy in our community.

For more information, please visit whitewaterarts.org or contact:
Kim Adams, Gallery Director, Whitewater Arts Alliance
Phone: 608-201-2151
Email:wwartsalliance@gmail.com

Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by Whitewater Arts Alliance. Artwork by Marilyn Fuerstenberg is from the Wisconsin Watercolor Society website.

Show your support for kindness and civility in Whitewater at a nonpartisan CommUnity Walk on Saturday, Nov. 16.

This free, family-friendly event will start at 9 a.m. at the Whitewater Armory, 146 W. North St. There will be refreshments, materials for making kindness and civility signs will be available and time to connect with friends and neighbors. There will be a number of community-based organizations offering information regarding their commitment to kindness and civility. Any organization interested in participating should email bekindwhitewater@gmail.com

The itinerary for the morning is as follows:

9 a.m.: Armory opens for gathering and conversations. 

9:15 a.m.: Welcoming statement and remarks by John Weidl, Whitewater city manager.

9:30 a.m.: Walk to the Andersen Library begins. The route will include Main Street through part of downtown and then to the UW-Whitewater campus library.

10 a.m.: Arrive at Andersen Library for more interactions, refreshments, and campus organization tabling. Dr. Dwight C. Watson, former UW-Whitewater Chancellor and current faculty member, will offer remarks.

10:30 a.m.: Leave Andersen Library and return to the Armory where the event will conclude.

A non-perishable food drive to benefit The Community Space will be held. Items current needed include: breakfast cereal, canned tuna, canned vegetables, canned fruit and peanut butter. Be Kind yard signs will be available for a $5 donation at the Armory.

“I love the community. Whitewater is a wonderful place to live,” Watson said. “This is an opportunity to be unified around a common cause, which is to be kind and supportive of all people.”

In case of inclement weather, the event will be held inside the Armory. For updates about this event and other kindness-related events visit the Be Kind Whitewater page on Facebook or search by #BeKindWhitewater.

Editor’s note: The above announcement was provided by the Be Kind Committee.

Steve Watson writes,
10-13-24. Skate park. 
Came upon a heron sound asleep.
I was quiet, didn’t make a peep.
A human passed with a couple dogs.
The heron slept like a log.
Finally woke up and looked around.
Walked into the leaves, and it was gone.

Our thanks to Steve Watson for sharing yet another great wildlife photo .

— Our Readers Share: We hope that you might have something that you’d be willing to share.  Anything that’s been created by someone else should, of course, be credited, and you should ask their permission if you’re able. We cannot post copyrighted material without permission. We can’t guarantee that we’ll have space for all submissions, and contributions will be subject to editorial board approval. The one definite exclusion is anything politically oriented. We will assume that you’re willing for us to include your name as the submitter unless you indicate that you prefer to remain anonymous. Send to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com. Thanks for thinking about this!

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The Whitewater City Market has normally moved into the library for the colder months, but due to the construction project at the library, the market has moved to the Cravath Lakefront Community Building, 341 S. Fremont Street. The market will be held there every Saturday through April from 9 a.m. to noon. The only day off will be December 28.

The market typically includes produce, handmade crafts, baked goods, jellies, and many other items. The Facebook page routinely features a listing of the vendors that will be present for each week.

There’s also a craft and conversation corner for kids to have a bit of fun especially around holidays and for lingering over conversation with neighbors/friends. 

Ferradermis members have been busy doing STEM outreach this fall as they train new members and wait for the launch of the new season in January.

On Thursday, November 7, team members Erison Dreksler, Margaret Brown, and Preston Miller spent the morning with the sixth-grade language arts classes at Whitewater Middle School. The sixth graders had just finished reading the book Wild Robot, and the trio of Ferradermis members was invited by teacher Alyssa Orlowski to demonstrate their robot and share stories that paralleled the themes of the book. Throughout the morning, the students focused mainly on the theme of change – how the game changes each year, how the robot changes throughout the season, how the team has evolved, and how their involvement with the team has changed them and even their future plans.

On Saturday, November 9, a small group of team members traveled to the FIRST Robotics Competition Training Day held at Waukesha County Technical College. Students were able to soak up a lot of great information from presentations by other teams, and they also contributed two presentations of their own. Ferradermis Electrical Subteam Lead Erison Dreksler offered a session on how to use AutoCAD to document a robot’s electrical system. Ferradermis Business Subteam Lead Andrew Zimmermann conducted a session called Securing Your Team’s Financial Future. During the presentation, Zimmermann had other teams conduct a SWOT analysis for their team and then shared a Ferradermis SWOT analysis. He also shared information about the team’s endowment fund at the Whitewater Community Foundation, the recent creation of the WUSD Robotics Booster Club supporting robotics in grades 4-12, and the strong bond between our team and the school district, which treats the team like a sport. Also attending workshops were Ferradermis Technical Team Captain Andrew O’Toole and team member Vivian Harris.

Sunday, November 10, brought 31 Daisy and Brownie Girl Scouts to Whitewater High School for a Robotics Badge Workshop. Eleven members of Ferradermis rotated the girls through six different sessions throughout the afternoon, depending on their age level. Brownies were able to learn about simple machines and see how they could be used to design a robot for a FIRST Lego League robot mission, while Daisies created binary bracelets and learned about buggy code by giving directions to move a Ferradermis student through a physical maze. Both groups got to experience SNAP Circuits to learn about electricity and used an app called Tynker Junior to learn about coding. Both groups also spent some time with the Ferradermis robot, learning how it uses sensors and playing catch with it. The brownies learned to code small Sphero robots, and the Daisies worked with line following robots called Ozobots. As a result, the Daisies were able to earn their, “How Robots Move,” badge, and the Brownies earned two badges, “Showcasing Robots” and “Programming Robots.”

This weekend ten members of the team will be volunteering at the Mukwonago FIRST Lego League (FLL) Regional in order to learn what will be required when Ferradermis hosts the Whitewater FLL Regional on Sunday, December 8. Whitewater will be hosting 24 FLL teams from around the state for a full day of competition and judging that day. That event will be free and open to the public, and we invite the community to join us to see the FLL teams from Lincoln, Lakeview, Washington, and the Middle School in action as well as demonstrations from the Whitewater Middle School Iron Dragons FIRST Tech Challenge team and the Ferradermis FIRST Robotics Competition Team.

Article and Photos Submitted by Laura Masbruch
Whitewater High School Robotics Advisor
lmasbruch@wwusd.org

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. A few weeks ago, we posted several views of the old East Side School, now Washington School. Giving equal time, this week’s photo is a post card of what was probably the newly built west side school, now Lincoln School. Completed in 1953, the school building met the needs of the burgeoning school-age population in westside Whitewater. It was designed by noted Madison architects Law, Law, Potter & Nystrom and has stood the test of time. The core building has been remodeled and expanded several times, but still serves the west side today.

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

(2117PC, Whitewater Historical Society)

The compost site will be closing for the season on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. The compost site is open this Saturday from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. and on next Wednesday from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.

*Residents requesting brush collection should call (262) 473-0560 to make an appointment for
pick up on Tuesdays. Appointments must be made by 12:00 p.m. on Monday in order to be on
Tuesday’s collection list. Brush is collected year-round.

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.

For additional questions or concerns, contact the Streets Department at (262) 473-0560. For
other requests, visit https://www.whitewater-wi.gov/RequestTracker.aspx.
Brad Marquardt
Director of Public Works
bmarquardt@whitewater-wi.gov

Sheriff Fell is pleased to announce that the Rock County Sheriff’s Office will offer our final
2024 Snowmobile Safety Education Course on December 3, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00
p.m., and December 7, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., at the Rock County Sheriff’s Office, 200 East U.S. Highway 14, Janesville, WI 53545. Students must attend both sessions to graduate.

Anyone born on or after January 1, 1985, is required to complete a Snowmobile Safety Education Course to legally operate a snowmobile in areas open to the public within
Wisconsin. Students should be at least 12 years of age or turn 12 shortly after the class.

Snowmobile Safety Education Course

Session 1: December 3, from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. @ Rock County Sheriff’s Office
Session 2: December 7, from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. @ Rock County Sheriff’s Office
Registration is now open. Complete the online enrollment form to reserve a seat.
https://www.co.rock.wi.us/departments/sheriff-s-office/recreational-patrol/snowmobile-education

Class size is limited to thirty students. Upon submission of the registration form, the
submitter will see an onscreen confirmation message with course information. The course fee of $10 per student will be collected at the first session. If the student is under 18 years old, a parent/guardian will need to attend the first session with the student. Students will receive course materials at the first session. Please direct any questions to Deputy Trevor Lund at trevor.lund@co.rock.wi.us.

Editor’s note: The Rock County Sheriff’s Department has previously indicated to The Whitewater Banner that residents of other counties are welcome to attend.

The Whitewater Unified School District invites all middle school families to the next Middle School Matters engagement session, which will take place Monday, November 18, from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m.

Part of an ongoing family engagement initiative, the event will provide parents and caregivers with valuable information, tools, and resources to help navigate the middle school years. Topics in the upcoming session include tutorials on Infinite Campus and the Rooms App, information on middle school grading, and how families can expect to receive school and district communications.

“We are building this program to include the entire school—not just those new to us,” said Chris Fountain, WMS Principal. “Through these sessions, we equip families with knowledge and support while building strong partnerships between home and school to foster positive student experiences and maximize their learning and potential. We are committed to making these sessions interactive to ensure our parents and caregivers have opportunities for questions and discussion.”

Families are encouraged to bring their own mobile devices to access the digital resources reviewed during the session. District staff will be on hand to provide answers to questions and discuss various topics relevant to the middle school experience.

Families with questions on the Middle School Matters program are asked to contact Stacey
Joseph, Music Teacher at sJoseph@wwusd.org.