News

The annual Parade of Lights took place on a fairly chilly night on December 5. Photos are courtesy of Tom Ganser.

Plant Diagnostics: The Step-by-Step Approach to Identifying Plant Problems is an online course offered by the UW-Madison Extension Horticulture Program. The course, which runs Feb. 1-April 30, 2026, teaches basic troubleshooting skills for plant-related problems.

Learn the step-by-step process for identifying plant problems in your yard, garden, and even indoors. This course introduces the plant diagnostic process in an easy-to-understand way. Anyone who is interested in becoming a better gardener, regardless of skill level, is invited to register. This course is open to all Wisconsin gardeners of all skill levels, as well as commercial horticulture practitioners. 

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
● Explain the steps of the diagnostic process
● Identify appropriate resources to use for diagnostics
● Know how to access UW-Madison Extension diagnostic labs and services for additional support

Plant Diagnostics: The Step-by-Step Approach to Identifying Plant Problems is completely self- paced with 13 modules that contain videos, readings, and interactive activities. Participants are also invited to attend two live webinars, “Putting the Process into Practice: Real World Diagnostics”, led by UW-Madison Extension educators, and “Meet the Labs!”, with UW- Madison diagnostic lab directors.

Registration for the general public and commercial professionals is open until Jan. 29, 2026. An Early Bird registration discount is available now through Jan. 19 at a rate of $99. The regular registration rate ($119) is in place Jan. 22-29. Wisconsin Extension Master Gardeners are eligible for a special discounted rate of $49.

Find more information about this course and register at: go.wisc.edu/ExtDiagnosticsCourse
Questions? Contact the course moderator, Amy Freidig at
gardening.class@extension.wisc.edu.

Two felting workshops will take place next month in Whitewater. They are set for 5 to 8 p.m. on Jan. 12 and 26 at Wisconsin Makers, 200 E. Clay St. Attendees — beginners to advanced felters — may work on needle or wet felting or both. They may attend one or both sessions. The fee for each class is $20, materials included, with payment that night. Register by calling instructor Leani Schoor at (608) 421- 4078 or emailing her at
leanischoor@gmail.com.

Having earned her bachelor of science degree in art education and master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Schoor taught art at Jefferson High School for 38 years. The owner of Studio 2154 in Madison, she teaches wet and needle felting, beadwork, glass fusing, cement yard art, ceramics, copper enameling, metal work and quilting.

Located at the corner of East Clay and Wisconsin streets in Whitewater, Wisconsin Makers is a makerspace or community workshop. For more information, contact Chris Spangler at (920) 728-2960.

Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 to January 1 each year.

[From Wikipedia) American Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966 during the aftermath of the Watts riots^[2] as a specifically African-American holiday.^[3][4] Karenga said his goal was to “give blacks an alternative to the existing holiday of Christmas and give blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and their history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society.”^[5] For Karenga, a major figure in the Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s, the creation of such holidays also underscored the essential premise that “you must have a cultural revolution before the violent revolution. The cultural revolution gives identity, purpose, and direction.”^[6]

According to Karenga, the name Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning “first fruits”.^[7] First fruits festivals exist in Southern Africa, celebrated in December/January with the southern solstice, and Karenga was partly inspired by an account he read of the Zulu festival Umkhosi Wokweshwama.^[8] It was decided to spell the holiday’s name with an additional “a” so that it would have a symbolic seven letters.^[9]

During the early years of Kwanzaa, Karenga said it was meant to be an alternative to Christmas. He believed Jesus was psychotic and Christianity was a “White” religion that Black people should shun.^[10] As Kwanzaa gained mainstream adherents, Karenga altered his position so practicing Christians would not be alienated, stating in the 1997 book Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community, and Culture that “Kwanzaa was not created to give people an alternative to their own religion or religious holiday.”^[11] Many African Americans who celebrate Kwanzaa do so in addition to observing Christmas.^[12]

After its initial creation in California, Kwanzaa spread outside the United States.^[13]

Kwanzaa celebrates what its founder called the seven principles of Kwanzaa, or Nguzo Saba (originally Nguzu Saba – the seven principles of African Heritage). They were developed in 1965, a year before Kwanzaa itself. These seven principles comprise Kawaida, a Swahili word meaning “common.”

Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the principles, as follows:^[14]

1. Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
2. Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves.
3. Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers’ and sisters’ problems our problems and to solve them together.
4. Ujamaa (Cooperative economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
5. Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
6. Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
7. Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is seeking citizens who are interested in exploring the world of law enforcement to take part in our Citizen’s Police Academy (CPA) class beginning February 25, 2026. The CPA classes will take place every Wednesday night from 6 pm to approximately 9 pm and will last 12 weeks. This course is free of charge, and open to citizens of Jefferson County or our border communities.

Citizens taking part in the CPA will learn in a “hands-on” environment what it is like to be a Deputy Sheriff in Jefferson County, and experience some of our training. Classes included in this year’s academy include Self-defense and Handcuffing, Traffic Laws, OWI and Traffic Stops, Traffic Crash Investigation, Firearms and SWAT, Criminal Investigations, Jail and Correctional Emergency Response, K-9 Unit demonstration, Domestic Abuse Response Simulations and Active Shooter Response.

Space is extremely limited, and citizens will be selected on a first-come, first-serve basis.  In order to be accepted into the CPA class, you must not have any felony or recent misdemeanor arrests or convictions, any domestic abuse convictions or any current restraining orders against you. We reserve the right to deny entry based on any criminal history or prior law enforcement contacts. Classes will take place at the Sheriff’s Office in Jefferson, and at our training facility in Lake Mills.

Sheriff Maze is confident you will find this to be an exciting and worthwhile experience. Interested citizens should fill out the Google Drive Application as soon as possible. If you have any questions, call Deputy Thianna Bergholz at 920-675-6933 or email: tbergholz@jeffersoncountywi.gov.

FCCU Donates $909.09 to the Jefferson County Literacy Council Through Employee Charitable Contributions

Fort Community Credit Union (FCCU) is proud to announce a donation of $909.09 to the Jefferson County Literacy Council (JCLC), supporting its mission to improve adult literacy and empower lifelong learning throughout the community.

The donation was raised through FCCU’s new employee charitable giving program, which allows team members to
voluntarily contribute a portion of their paychecks to local nonprofit organizations. In its inaugural year, the program supported 11 local organizations selected for their meaningful impact on the wellbeing of the communities FCCU serves.

The Jefferson County Literacy Council was chosen as one of the program’s first-year beneficiaries due to its vital role in providing adult education services, including reading and writing support, English language instruction, digital literacy training, and preparation for citizenship and GED testing. These programs help community members build confidence, secure employment, and pursue greater opportunities for themselves and their families.

JCLC’s work strengthens the entire region by reducing educational barriers and promoting economic stability.
Through personalized instruction and volunteer-driven initiatives, the organization ensures that individuals of all
ages and backgrounds have access to the resources they need to succeed.

“We appreciate the community-based financial literacy courses and resources that FCCU provides that directly
support our mission,” said Pamela Waters, Executive Director of JCLC. “This contribution will allow JCLC to continue offering adult learning opportunities for English language instruction, citizenship and preparation for GED/HSED. We are truly grateful and honored to be the stewards of this gift!

FCCU’s employee giving program reflects the credit union’s cooperative values and its commitment to empowering
team members to make a direct impact in their own communities. By combining employee contributions with
FCCU’s support, the program amplifies the reach of local nonprofits that are addressing important community needs.

About FCCU: Established in 1940, Fort Community Credit Union (FCCU) is a member-owned financial cooperative open to anyone living or working in Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Rock, Walworth, or Waukesha counties. With branch locations in Fort Atkinson, Jefferson, Watertown, and Whitewater, FCCU holds $380 million in assets and has more than 21,000 members. For more information about FCCU and the products and services they offer, visit fortcommunity.com or call (920) 563-7305.

A new workshop series from UW-Madison Division of Extension can help farms organize their important documents and financial information to ensure the continuity and stability of the business in the face of emergencies. Having these documents in order can also help farm owners be better prepared for their estate planning meetings with service providers.

This is one of those tasks that every farm owner knows they should do; and it is easy to put off. It’s tedious and can be overwhelming.

The series will help farm families to organize and analyze important documents and asset information to organize their estate and legacy plan over a series of weeks. In the event of an untimely death or accident, a farm family will be able to return to their Shoebox to Strategy binder and spreadsheet and find important information for continuing the farm’s legacy. Participants will be guided through a series of questions, conversations, and templates to analyze their ideal farm transition plan. After organizing farm assets for their Shoebox to Strategy binder, participants will be able to run a variety of transfer scenarios to analyze and compare possible distribution plans for farm transition.

The organization of this information and analysis of possible distribution plans will prepare farm families to meet with farm transition planning professionals who can advise on legal and tax strategies to accomplish the farm’s specified transition goals. By organizing personal and financial information before consulting service professionals, farm families may be able to significantly reduce the time and costs associated with estate planning conversations.

Participants will learn from UW-Madison Extension Farm Management Specialists Kevin Bernhardt, Joy Kirkpatrick, and Kelly Wilfert. They will offer guidance through emails and three virtual sessions before meeting with participants in person in March.

Schedule for the 2026 Shoebox to Strategy series:

• Friday, January 30 from 12-1:30 pm – Session 1 (virtual)
• Friday, February 13 from 12-1:30 pm – Session 2 (virtual)
• Friday, February 27 from 12-1:30 pm – Session 3 (virtual)
• Friday, March 13 , from 10:00 am- 3:00 pm – Session 4 (In-person at the Phoenix
  Center, 100 South Orange St., Richland Center, WI 53581)
• Friday, April 3, from 12-1:30 pm – Optional follow-up virtual session

Instructors and participants will meet for an in-person workshop on Friday, March 13, 2026, at the Phoenix Center, 100 South Orange St., Richland Center, WI 53581, from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm.

Early bird price is $175 per farm through December 31, 2025. Starting January 1, 2026, the cost of the workshop series is $225 per farm. This allows up to two people from each farm to participate in the program.

Registration deadline is January 16, 2026. This deadline is to ensure participants receive the materials in the mail before the first virtual session. This workshop is limited to 20 farms. You can learn more and find the registration link at go.wisc.edu/shoebox.

If you have any questions, please contact joy.kirkpatrick@wisc.edu, 608-263-3485 or kelly.wilfert@wisc.edu, 608-263-5798.

This workshop series is supported by the USDA – NIFA award 2024-70028-43552, through the North Central Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Center 2024-2025 project.

You are invited to the next League of Women Voters Whitewater Area book group, where we will discuss James Bonilla’s compelling memoir, An Eye for an I: Growing Up with Blindness, Bigotry, and Family Mental Illness! This powerful narrative offers an intersectional analysis of disability, racism, and mental illness, inviting readers to empathize, be inspired, and consider their own potential for social change.

Book: An Eye for an I by James Bonilla
Genre: Nonfiction/Memoir

About the Book
In this moving memoir, James Francisco Bonilla, a New York-born Puerto Rican writer and retired professor, shares his journey as a blind boy who navigated a harrowing childhood marked by systemic educational failures, discrimination, and a troubled family life. A medical breakthrough at age nineteen restored sight in one of his eyes, giving him a unique perspective on the struggles of marginalized communities. The book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, showcasing how personal healing can be found through advocacy, community, and spiritual encounters with the natural world.

Discussion Topics
The book offers a wealth of topics for rich discussion, including:
 The idea of “blind spots,” not just as a physical phenomenon, but as something the sighted might experience in their own lives.
 The role that nature plays in healing and self-understanding.
 The impact of racism, ableism, and intergenerational trauma on individuals and communities.
 The journey toward self-understanding and the introspection necessary for effective social justice advocacy.

Event Details
 Dates: 
o Monday, February 9: Chapters 1-15, pp. 1-70
o Monday, March 9: Chapters 16-30, pp 71-133
o Monday, April 13: Chapters 31- 42, pp 134-192
 Time: 
o 6:15 – Arrival and set up
o 6:30 – Snacks and Introductions
o 6:45 – 8:00 – Discussion

 Location: 
o Whitewater Public Library
o 431 W. Center Street, Whitewater, WI 53190
o Meeting Room 1

 RSVP:
Please RSVP to Dwight C. Watson, dwight.watsondcw@gmail.com or 920-542- 8601, or Deb Gamble, shebagam@gmail.com, so we can finalize planning.

The book is currently available at The Book Teller, 171 W. Main St., or through the Whitewater Public Library. We look forward to an insightful and inspiring conversation!

The National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan Weather Forecast Office predicts that “mild temps with rain during the day Sunday is expected to transition to snow Sunday afternoon into the evening as colder air quickly moves into southern WI.” The Whitewater area is expected to receive 1-3″ of snow.

“Quickly dropping temperatures from the 40s Sunday afternoon to the 20s Sunday evening into Sunday night. Wet, untreated, and elevated roads may be subjected to freezing/becoming icy especially with accumulating snow.”

A Wind Advisory is in effect from 6 p.m. on Sunday until 6 p.m. Monday. “Strong west to northwest winds 25 to 35 mph gusting to 50 mph may result in blowing/drifting snow Sunday night through Monday afternoon.”

City of Whitewater residents recently received their property tax bills, with nearly all of them reflecting substantial increases for both the city and school district portions. The city recently posted a brief video on its Facebook page that explains that nearly all of the increase went towards increased police and fire/EMS staffing that was approved by the April referendum. The video may be viewed here.