News

On Saturday, March 2nd, scouts from Pack 173 and Troop 173 placed door hangers on doors around the community.

On Saturday, March 9, 2019, from 10 am to 2 pm, the scouts will return to pick up the non-perishable food items and deliver to our local food pantry. 

If you have any questions feel free to contact Jennifer Kienbaum at cubscoutpack173@yahoo.com

The Whitewater Baseball Club will be having a Rocky Rococo night on Wednesday, March 13^th from 4:00-8:00 p.m.

The Whitewater Baseball Club will receive a portion of sales for the night, which will help the Whitewater High School Baseball Team and the Whitewater Summer Baseball Program.

In preparation for the Lenten season, many cultures celebrate a “last hurrah” on Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras. One such celebration, Pączki (pronounced POONCH-key) Day, originated in Polish kitchens as a way to use up the fats and eggs before Ash Wednesday.  Thanks to the strong Polish heritage in our area, Pączki Day has become a bit of a Wisconsin tradition.

Though they look similar, pączki aren’t just jelly-filled donuts. What sets them apart is their dough, which is a rich, sweet dough made with eggs, butter, and milk. Pączki is the word for more than one Pączek
(pronounces POON-check).

All around Wisconsin, bakeries have been anxiously awaiting this day, and The SweetSpot Bakehouse is no different. At the SweetSpot Bakehouse, staff arrived this morning at 2:00 AM to start the pączki process. 108 dozen pączki were filled, dipped, and sugared for the enjoyment of Whitewater pączki fans. The SweetSpot Bakehouse, located at 1185 W Main Street, will have pączki available until they are sold out.

In preparation for their upcoming tour, the UW-Whitewater Department of Music is delighted to present the Chamber Singers & Vocal Jazz Ensemble concert on Sunday, March 10 at 7:30 pm in the Light Recital Hall. This musical celebration will feature newly composed works from Whitewater composers, Christian Ellenwood and Adam Taylor; as well as pieces from J.S. Bach, Charlie Chaplin, and M. Delugg & W. Stein. Following the performance, there will be a Silent Auction in support of the choir’s upcoming International Choir Tour.

The concert begins with the Chamber Singers presenting two world premiere performances by Whitewater composers, Christian Ellenwood and Adam Taylor. In honor of UW-Whitewater’s sesquicentennial, UW-W Music Professor Christian Ellenwood has composed A Torch Blown Along the Wind for the Chamber Singers. The six-minute a cappella work features arching melodies, energetic rhythms, and stirring harmonic shifts. In the words of the composer, “The piece looks toward the future with hope, celebrating human growth.” For the lyrics of his piece Dr. Ellenwood used a poem called To the Others by Irish-American poet Lola Ridge, first published just over one hundred years ago in 1918.

The second premiere is In Flanders Fields, by UW-Whitewater music major Adam Taylor, a setting of the famous World War I poem by John McCrae. Taylor matches McCrae’s haunting imagery with music that is alternately forceful, delicate, and eerie, creating an extremely moving rendition of this powerful poem.

Additionally, on the program for the evening are selections representing Wisconsin’s rich ethnic diversity, with music by African-American composers Ysaÿe Barnwell and David Baker along with Native American Suite by Wisconsin resident and longtime friend of the Chamber Singers, Brent Michael Davids, an enrolled citizen of the Mohican Nation and one of the foremost Native American composers writing classical music today.

The Vocal Jazz Ensemble conducted by Sharri VanAlstine will be presenting three pieces during the concert on March 10. This select group of auditioned 18 singers represent numerous majors on campus. The Vocal Jazz Ensemble sings music from jazz to contemporary pop genres. Unique to this ensemble, the members spend a fair amount of time working on developing improvisational skills commonly used in jazz music. They enjoy performing at various concerts and events in the region, including local schools, vocal jazz festivals, and a variety of community events. 

The songs the Ensemble will be performing include: Fugue in C Minor from The Well-Tempered Clavier, by J. S. Bach, arranged by Ward Swingle; Smile by Charlie Chaplin, arranged by Ben Bram; Orange Colored Sky by M. Delugg & W. Stein, arranged by Darmon Meader.

As part of the Chamber Singers’ fundraising efforts in preparation for their upcoming International Choir Tour in May, the concert on March 10 will feature a silent auction, including stunning art works created by choir members, donations from local businesses, and delicious, home-made baked goods. 

For more information on the tour go to the International Choir Tour website: https://www.uww.edu/cac/music/international-choir-tour; and to donate online: http://www.uww.edu/foundation/choir-tour

Tickets for this event can be purchased by calling 262-472-2222, going online to tickets.uww.edu, by visiting the Greenhill Center of the Arts Box Office, or the Information Services Desk in the University Center.

Article and Photos by Tom Ganser

Fed up with cold, snow, and ice? And still more cold, snow and ice? Taking in a performance of the Whitewater High School Players production of “Clue On Stage” is just what the doctor is likely to order to boost your spirits.

Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble in Boddy Manor on a dark and stormy night for a very unusual dinner party.

The butler offers the oddball guests — known as Miss Scarlet, Professor Plum, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock, and Colonel Mustard — a variety of weapons, and the host is, well . . . dead.

Who’s guilty of the crime? Was it Mrs. Peacock in the Study with the Knife? Or, perhaps Colonel Mustard in the Library with the Wrench?

Performances at the Whitewater High School auditorium are scheduled for Mar. 7, 8, and 9 at 7:30 p.m., along with a matinee performance on Mar. 10 at 2:00 p.m.

Reserved seat tickets are $9 for adults and $5 for students, and can be reserved by calling 262-472-8178. Tickets are also available one hour before the performances at the WHS Box Office.

The talented cast under the direction of Jim McCulloch include Jul Boss, Maddie Elworthy, Jillian Harkness, Lauren Harkness, Maggie Jay, Ky Kehrer, Weston Lema, Audrey Mayer, Sophie Mayer, Angie McKelvey, Aldo Rodriguez, Nicole Sedmak, Madison Strickler, Emma Van Daele, and Carter Waelchli.

Providing the technical and backstage magic for the show are Gracia Boley, Henry “Hank” Bresser, Olive Coburn, Kat Dunham, Jake Hintz, Josie Hintz, Dakota Isbell, Cally Julson, Jordyn Korf, Hailey Long, Chris Porcaro, and Slate Spear.

“Clue On Stage” is based on the 1985 cult classic Paramount Pictures film and the popular Hasbro board game, Clue.

It is a madcap whodunit comedy that will keep both cult-fans and newcomers “dying” of laughter until the very end

Audience goers are encouraged to attend the WHS Players performance dressed as one of the quirky dinner party guests – perhaps pulling out of the closet the outfit once worn at a Clue party.

The public is invited to the Tuesday, March 5 meeting of the Walworth County Genealogical Society (WCGS) at 1:30 PM in the Community Room of the Matheson Memorial Library, 101 N. Wisconsin Street, Elkhorn, WI.

Guest speaker David Desimone from Black Point Estate and Gardens Speakers Bureau presents “The Great War: Anti-German Hysteria and Conflict on the Home Front.” Given Wisconsin’s large German-American population, anti-German hysteria had a significant impact on our State. In commemoration of the 100^th anniversary of the end of the war to end all wars,  this program will look at the national, regional, local and personal responses to the outbreak of war in 1914 and subsequent U.S. involvement in 1917.

Desimone is director of Black Point Estate, the Wisconsin Historical Society’s historic house museum in Lake Geneva. He is a year-round resident of Walworth County and is active in local history, the arts, and historic preservation groups

The afternoon begins with a brief business meeting at 1:30 PM followed by the program. WCGS meetings are free and open to the public. Guests are invited to join WCGS by paying annual dues: Individual $15, Family $18, Student $7.50.

The WCGS library is staffed every Tuesday by members of the genealogical society, and available at other times with permission of the Matheson staff. Hours are Tuesdays from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM; extended hours to 7:00 PM on the third Tuesday; and third Saturday 10:00 – 2:00 PM.

Visit the WCGS website www.walworthcgs.com for more information.