News

City of Whitewater Plan & Architectural Review Commission – Monday @ 6:00 p.m.
Agenda includes recommendation of sign ordinance rewrite to Common Council
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/253660853
You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (872) 240-3212
Access Code: 253-660-853

City of Whitewater Common Council – Tuesday @ 6:30 p.m.
Agenda includes first reading of sign ordinance rewrite, extension of COVID-19 emergency and facial coverings requirement, purchase of jetter/vacuum truck for Wastewater Treatment Dept., agreement with Strand Associates for engineering services contract,
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://zoom.us/j/94568135470?pwd=dnRkZ1dyczl4RW4vTjl1S3lBVllRZz09
Passcode: 569904
Or Telephone:
US: +1 929 205 6099
Webinar ID: 945 6813 5470
Passcode: 569904

City of Whitewater Parks & Recreation Board – Wednesday @ 5:30 p.m.
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/188005941
You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (571) 317-3122
Access Code: 188-005-941

City of Whitewater Community Development Authority – Thursday @ 5:30 p.m.
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/635977541
You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (224) 501-3412
Access Code: 635-977-541

By Al Stanek
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
December 12, 2020

A request for volunteers to assist a local woman facing homelessness has produced an overwhelming response according to the director of a local organization dedicated to providing transitional housing and case management to Whitewater families.

Kristy Weinberg, Executive Director of Bethel House, told the ‘Banner’ that she is not normally prone to tears but that the response to last week’s request changed that. “My day began with tears of joy just one day after an article appeared asking for volunteers,” said Weinberg. “The response was overwhelming.”

An area single mother of three reported purchasing a modest trailer home in spring and paying a workman to make improvements including wiring, plumbing and furnace repair. The workman abandoned the project and the family found themselves in an unheated trailer as winter weather approached. Her outreach to Bethel House resulted in responses that included a local remodeling contractor, a heating contractor, a local cabinet store, and a dozen or more offers of remodeling and/or financial assistance along with a contribution of insulation.

The working mother and her three children are being housed in one of Bethel House’s transitional housing units. The remodeling project is currently being evaluated to determine the best approach to assisting the family.

Bethel House is a Whitewater non-profit operating out of the First Congregational Church and overseen by a volunteer board representing eight area churches. It relies on financial assistance from churches as well as grants and individual and corporate contributions. As well as transitional housing, Social Worker Weinberg and interns from the UW-Whitewater Social Work program assist families with a wide range of counseling and support. The organization currently operates seven transitional housing units, all of which are currently occupied. They also provide emergency financial assistance for families at risk of homelessness.

Weinberg indicated that local transitional housing needs often exceed demand especially in the winter months. Cash and other contributions are always welcome according to Weinberg. Information is available at the Bethel House website (www.bethelhouseinc.org) or by calling 262-473-2715.

The City of Fort Atkinson announced on Friday, December 11 the names of the four finalists for their city manager position. One of the four is Cameron Clapper, who has served as Whitewater’s city manager since 2012. Prior to that he served as interim city manager for four months upon the resignation of city manager Kevin Brunner, with whom he had worked as assistant city manager for two years.

The other finalists are Richard Downey, Administrator of the Village of Kronenwetter, WI; Rebecca Houseman Lemire, Clerk/Treasurer of the Village of Darien; and Brian Wilson, Administrator of the Village of Belleville, WI.

Fort Atkinson’s prior city manager, Matt Trebatoski, resigned in November to become administrator of the City of Oconomowoc. Trebatoski joined Fort Atkinson in 2006 as clerk/treasurer and was named city manager in 2014.

Fort Atkinson’s population is 12,368, compared with Whitewater’s 15,035; however, since the latter’s population includes many university students, Fort’s longterm population is larger. Fort’s operating budget for 2021 is approximately $11,063,000; Whitewater’s is approximately $9,641,000.

Coincidentally, Fort Atkinson is being assisted in its search process by Public Administration Associates, LLC, a firm in which Kevin Brunner is a partner.

This communication was sent to Lincoln Elementary families on December 10.

Dear Lincoln Elementary Families,

This message does not impact most Lincoln students who will remain virtual until 1/15/2021. 

The District adopted a plan requiring a school to shift to virtual instruction for three days after three or more positive COVID-19 cases are confirmed within a seven-day period. Unfortunately, we have confirmed three cases at Lincoln Elementary School. The building will be closed for in-person attendance Friday, December 11. In-person instruction at Lincoln will resume on Monday, December 14 for those students who have been identified as needing to report in. 

Contact Tracing: Upon receiving the notification and confirmation, the school conducted initial contact tracing and has contacted any students or staff who were directly impacted by close contact via phone. If you did not receive a call, you were not a close contact.

Chromebooks & Supplies: Today, in order to prepare for the closure, teachers will be sending home any materials and supplies that students will need to participate in learning from home Friday, December 11.   

Online Meals: The deadline to order online meals for Friday has been extended to 8:00 pm today (Thursday). Families are able to order meals by following this link:  https://sites.google.com/wwusd.org/wusd-covid-19/food-service.  Meals ordered for pick up at Lincoln will be available for pick up outside of Lincoln (Door 7).

Online Instructional Schedule: Beginning Friday AM, students should log into their SeeSaw classroom.  Assignments will be posted and class meetings will begin at 8:00 am on Friday. These virtual meetings are important for students so please make every effort to help your child connect with their teachers during the scheduled times. 

Questions: If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Kilar at mkilar@wwusd.org.

Best, 

Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty

District Administrator

———–

Estimadas familias de la primaria Lincoln, 

Este mensaje no afecta a la mayoría de los estudiantes de Lincoln que permanecerán virtuales hasta el 15/1/2021.

El Distrito adoptó un plan que requiere que la escuela cambie a la instrucción virtual por tres días después de que se confirmen tres o más casos positivos de COVID-19 en un período de siete días.   Desafortunadamente, hemos confirmado tres casos en la Escuela Primaria Lincoln.  El edificio estará cerrado para la asistencia en persona el viernes 11 de diciembre. La instrucción en persona en Lincoln se reanudará el lunes 14 de diciembre para aquellos estudiantes que hayan sido identificados con la necesidad de presentarse.

Rastreo de contactos:Al recibir la notificación y confirmación, la escuela realizó el rastreo de contacto inicial y ha contactado por teléfono a los estudiantes o personal que fueron afectados directamente por el contacto cercano. Si no recibió una llamada, no fue un contacto cercano.

Chromebooks & Materiales Escolares: Hoy, con el fin de prepararse para el cierre, los maestros enviarán a casa cualquier material y útiles que los estudiantes necesitarán para participar en el aprendizaje desde casa el viernes 11 de diciembre. 

Comidas ordenadas en línea: La fecha límite para ordenar comidas en línea para el viernes se ha extendido a las 8:00 pm de hoy (jueves). Las familias pueden ordenar las comidas siguiendo este enlace: https://sites.google.com/wwusd.org/wusd-covid-19/food-service.  Las comidas que se soliciten para recoger en Lincoln estarán disponibles para recogerlas fuera de Lincoln (Puerta 7).

Horario de instrucción en línea: A partir del viernes por la mañana, los estudiantes deben ingresar a su clase de SeeSaw.  Las asignaciones serán publicadas y las reuniones de clase comenzarán a las 8:00 am el viernes. Estas reuniones virtuales son importantes para los estudiantes, así que por favor haga todo lo posible para ayudar a su hijo a conectarse con sus maestros durante los horarios programados. 

Preguntas: Si tiene alguna pregunta, por favor contacte a la Sra. Kilar al mkilar@wwusd.org.

Lo mejor, 

Dra. Caroline Pate-Hefty

Administradora de Distrito

(City of Whitewater submission) The City’s street crew will deliver sand the week of Monday, December 14, – Friday,
December 18, 2020, according to Streets Superintendent, Kelly Freeman. Residents who wish to receive a quantity of sand for placement on public sidewalks during the winter months are asked to have sturdy containers at the curbside by 7:00 a.m. on that Monday. City officials stress that cardboard boxes are not considered sturdy containers. If there is a snowstorm or some other unpredictable occurrence that prevents delivery that
week, the sand will be delivered as soon as weather permits.

(UW-Whitewater College of Arts and Communication, Department of Art and Design submission) The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is pleased to recognize an outstanding alumnus from the Department of Art and Design as the recipient of the 2020 Beginning Educator Award through the Wisconsin Art Educators Association. This award was presented to alumnus Brad Miller, who teaches at Mount Horeb Middle School, for his exemplary skills in the classroom. The Wisconsin Art Educators Association’s mission is to develop a professional community with a passion for inspiring creativity, innovation, advocacy and excellence in art education.

Miller wanted to pursue teaching art since his senior year in high school. “I vividly remember talking with my high school ceramics teacher during class one day and he asked me what I was going to do after high school. I said there was a good chance I would be a teacher like him. We talked a lot about that over the rest of my senior year, about other options, or other careers, but it always came back to teaching.  He is someone that I still look up to today, and I luckily have had many chances to work with him personally making art. He gave me many chances to expand my knowledge, and I hope to do the same to my students one day.”

An artist himself, Miller has a studio in Stoughton, Wisconsin where he creates what he deems as “functional art” (bowls, vases, etc.) with clay. “I think that saying you are an artist is a really important part of the art teaching world.  If I were to tell my students that I was just their teacher, and not an artist myself, I think it wouldn’t show them what opportunities are out there for artists.”

“My favorite artists are my students. Some will say that’s cheesy, and I’m okay with that. Every day that I get to see something that a student creates out of their own imagination gives me so much love for the world. It is hard to find many artists today that are excited to try things even if they may fail, but my students always are willing to share their own ideas even if they are unsure of what the outcome may be.”

Miller’s experience at UW-Whitewater was anything but ordinary. “Coming into UW-Whitewater, knowing that I wanted to teach, I knew that I needed to learn not only what my professors were teaching, but how they were teaching.  From my English, to Astronomy, to Art, I made sure to look at how they were sharing the information just as much as what information they shared.  I have been able to choose for myself, and my students what methods are going to work in that time to teach what needs to be taught. My experience at UW-Whitewater was one I will always remember, and apart from my classes there is one thing that stood out: the people. I have always been grateful for the people I met along the way at UW-Whitewater. They all taught me that there are people from all over the country who have different backgrounds that we may know nothing about, and sometimes all we need to do is listen to them. If I were to talk to someone who is thinking about coming to UW-Whitewater for Art Education or any other field I would have to say: There are many opportunities to pursue in today’s world, yet there are not many that give you a feeling of community with every group you choose to be a part of. UW-Whitewater served that need for community from the Professors to my social group; they pushed me and kept me on track throughout my education.”