News

The UW-Whitewater Sustainability Office is excited to announce the UW-Whitewater Nature Preserve as a registered Monarch Waystation, or area conversing habitats for monarch butterflies. The campus added nearly 400 milkweed plants to the large-scale prairie restoration plans. These plants were donated by Monarch Watch as part of their program, Bring Back the Monarchs. These essential nectar sources will be enjoyed by hundreds of monarchs later in the summer.

The community is encouraged to enjoy the tranquil walking paths throughout the Nature Preserve and prairie while watching for monarchs in all phases of their life cycle! For more information about this initiative, please visit: http://blogs.uww.edu/sustainability/2020/06/11/uw-whitewater-joins-monarch-watch-and-receives-free-milkweed-for-monarch-waystation/

The Walworth County Fair seems to be one of the few major events that is still scheduled for this summer, September 2-7. The Fair Board applied with the City of Elkhorn for a temporary Class “B” Beer and “Class B” Wine License, indicating that this unprecedented step was necessary due to many events at the fairgrounds having been canceled this year, as well as fair attendance being expected to be down, both due to the COVID-19 virus. The fair has prided itself on being alcohol-free for 170 years.

The Elkhorn City Council denied the permit at its meeting on June 15. However, the matter was reconsidered at a special Council meeting on June 22, with the alcohol permit application being the only item on the agenda. Per The Gazette, the permit was approved on a 4-2 vote, with the restriction that sales are limited to 4:00-9:30 p.m., and the beverages can be consumed only in the horse track and grandstand areas. Five members of the public spoke in favor of the permit, while eleven people spoke in opposition.

For the article in The Gazette, click here.

The Whitewater community is invited to watch and participate in a series of virtual discussions on race, racism, trauma and moving forward. 

These powerful and insightful programs, which air live on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. in June, include the voices and lived experiences of members of our campus community, and invited guests, as we reflect upon race and racism in America and we search for ways to move the conversation and our society forward. Warhawk participants, and invited guests, share honest, brave and heartfelt comments at a time when we are all learning and looking for constructive ways to live in a fragmented society. The events on June 22 and June 29 will be posted to the Events section of the University Facebook page.

Links to previous videos can be found below:

June 9 – “Today’s Black Students and Professionals: Living in an Environment of Social Chaos” https://uww.webex.com/recordingservice/sites/uww/recording/0fef3daa2af44ae9a3806073df56d412

June 16 – “Racism from a White Person’s Lens”https://uww.webex.com/uww/lsr.php?RCID=f5d94c87c4d24d3990a08e99440d6be7

This powerful and insightful program, which aired live on June 16, includes the voices and lived experiences of members of our campus community as we reflect upon race and racism in America and we search for ways to move the conversation and our society forward. I’d like to thank our Warhawk participants for their honesty, bravery, and heartfelt comments at a time when we are all learning and looking for constructive ways to live in a fragmented society.

Our panelists included:

• Sara Kuhl, Assistant Vice Chancellor of University Marketing and Communications
• Janelle Crowley, Chief Human Resource Officer
• Nate Maddux, Assistant Professor – College of Integrated Studies
• Adam Paddock, Associate Professor – History
• Ethan Hoeppner, Student – WSG Director of Student Affairs and Interfraternity Council President

Many questions from students, faculty and staff were also addressed during the presentation.

For easy reference, timestamps are included below so that you can quickly navigate to topics of interest to you.

0:00—Introduction.

2:25—Why is the Black Lives Matter movement so triggering to white people?

28:03—What is the role of white people in the discussion of policy reform and in changing laws?

39:09—I’m white and not in a position of power to make policy changes, what can I do besides confronting my peers and voting?

45:13—When will [the university] be including cultural competence as a category to be reviewed for performance evaluation of all faculty and staff, for hiring candidates at the university, and for professional development funding?

48:08—Intent vs. Impact and how we can help others learn without getting defensive.

56:18—What changes should we have the City of Whitewater Common Council make?

1:04:00—Discussion on white people and apologizing for slavery.  

1:08:55—How do we bridge the nation’s political divide to address these national problems?

1:19:02—Discussion on Blue Lives Matter.

1:21:39—Closing Remarks.

The Irvin L. Young Memorial Library will begin adjusting services, starting June 29. The Library Board of
Trustees strongly supports allowing the Library Director to add in-person services in the Library in
phases, following CDC guidelines, the rules of the City and State, and in coordination with the Bridges
Library System to ensure the safety of staff and patrons. The guidelines for the second phase are as
follows:

Library Patrons are ENCOURAGED to wear a mask or other face covering when visiting the library.

Library Patrons MAY:

1. Continue to get materials through curbside pickup service from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. MondayFriday. This will continue to be at the NORTH doors of the library on Center Street.
2. Pick up holds inside the library.
3. Use a computer for an hour without an appointment.
4. Select their own library materials and check out inside the library.
5. Continue to use our many digital services.
6. Make a 1-hour appointment to use the Makerspace.

Library Patrons MUST: Keep 6 ft of physical distance between themselves and other patrons and/or library staff.

Phase Two In-Person Service Restrictions: Visitors may not stay at the library for more than one hour. All extra chairs have been temporarily removed to reinforce this restriction.

The Library reserves the right to change any of these procedures at any time in response to
changing conditions.

At the May 12, 2020 Walworth County Board of Supervisors meeting, Whitewater resident Al Stanek was appointed to the Wisconsin River Rail Transit Commission (WRRTC).

Per the WRRTC website, “The mission of Wisconsin River Rail Transit Commission (WRRTC) is to preserve and protect the publicly-owned railroad corridors throughout southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.   Established by Charter in 1982, WRRTC is made of appointed representatives from Crawford, Dane, Grant, Iowa, Jefferson, Rock, Sauk, Walworth, and Waukesha Counties.  The Commission collaborates closely with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WDOT) and Wisconsin and Southern Railroad (WSOR) to see that their communities have quality and reliable access to freight rail service.  WRRTC helps communities in southern Wisconsin be economically competitive through connection to the national rail system.” The Banner asked Mr. Stanek about the responsibilities of the Commission, and his interest in serving on it, and received the following reply. “I worked in rail and other infrastructure planning for 20 years at the WI Dept. of Transportation and recognize the value of maintaining a rail option for keeping and attracting businesses.  Having a rail option keeps transportation costs competitive and is essential for some. The State of WI helps maintain this infrastructure on lightly traveled lines like here in Whitewater just as the state supports roads, airports, harbors and public transportation. The Commission establishes policies for the railroad that runs through Whitewater. Our depot, by the way, is seen as a statewide example of preservation and having a Whitewater representative enhances cooperation with the operator on things like the City Market and other uses of the park like the 4th of July celebration.“

Madison, Wis. — The 16 graduating members of Overture Center’s Jerry Ensembles, two premier musical performance groups representing the Jerry Awards, have declared their post-high school education plans. Thirteen of the seniors are pursing degrees in the performing arts.

“It’s extremely competitive to get accepted into a performing arts program,” said Gail Becker, director of the Southern Wisconsin Jerry Ensemble. “Students must go through a lengthy audition process, which is usually 8-10 months of grueling preparation, study, research, travel, polishing, material searching, training, coaching and, finally, performing.”

The accomplished singers of the Jerry Ensemble participate in the group 1-3 years each, delighting audiences with songs from musical theater classic gems, singing the National Anthem at sporting events and performing solos, duets, trios and more. According to Overture’s Programming & Community Engagement Manager Karra Beach, performing live with the ensemble helps students develop poise and confidence while building technical skills in acting, singing and dancing.

“One of my favorite things about being in Jerry Ensemble is that I’m able to do the thing I love and make great friends while doing it!” said Ethan Hanson, DC Everest Senior High School. “The biggest skill I gained from being in the Jerry Ensemble is having the self-discipline to work on things daily and improve upon myself.”

Lauren Harkness of Whitewater High School gained important life skills, too. “Getting to perform all over Madison, especially Overture Hall, has been rewarding and exciting. I learned how to be flexible and to always say yes to challenges,” she said.

In the university acceptance process, students are accepted into a university academically, and then they must be separately accepted into the theater or music program, which requires live auditions either at the school or at one of three National Unified Audition locations: Chicago, Los Angeles or New York. There are usually 30-40 schools at the Unified Auditions, which allows students to audition for numerous university programs in one location over the course of a few days.

“Keep in mind, because of the thousands of students vying for 12-20 available slots in a program, odds of acceptance are slim,” said Becker. “Students audition for 12-14 schools during an audition season. They typically prepare two musical pieces and two monologues to perform; however, many have 6-7 pieces in their audition book, ready at a moment’s notice. This takes months of practice and getting it just right, picking the perfect songs, fine tuning the best monologues, so they can stand out and show their best self. It’s all about being unique and genuine.”

Parnassus Funk of Madison West High School agrees it’s important to be genuine. She stated, “The Ensemble showed me that the best thing you can bring to the table at any audition is you. If you are kind and easy to work with, your path to success will be a lot easier!”

Summarizing his experience, Tristin Thompson, Lakeland Union High School, said, “Participation in a performance-heavy group like the Jerry Ensemble strengthened my artistic résumé and gave me practical experience in learning material quickly and collaborating with other artists, all of which was very useful in my college audition process.”

Ava DeCroix of Middleton High School agrees it was a valuable experience. She noted, “As a member of the Jerry Ensemble, I’ve been introduced to some of the more professional aspects of the performance world, such as networking, behind-the-scenes technology and a fast-paced rehearsal process. I definitely feel that these experiences prepared me for success in both performance and other fields at the college level.”

Following is a list of the Jerry Ensemble seniors and where they will be attending college:

SOUTHERN WISCONSIN JERRY ENSEMBLE

• Ava DeCroix, Middleton High School – Notre Dame (Glynn Scholar), Voice Performance and Computer Science
• Emma Dias, Waunakee High School – Marquette University or DePaul University, Voice and Theatre
• Julian Engle, Middleton High School – DePaul University, Film and Television Production
• Olivia Foght, Waunakee High School – Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Musical Theatre
• Parnassus Funk, Madison West High School – Webster University, Musical Theatre (deferred until 2021)
• Lauren Harkness, Whitewater High School – UW Milwaukee, Voice and Public Relations
• Kyle Kapusta, Oregon High School – Millikin University, Musical Theatre
• Jamal Stone, Sun Prairie High School – Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Musical Theatre
• Gabriella Unitan, Stoughton High School – UW Madison, undecided

CENTRAL WISCONSIN JERRY ENSEMBLE

• Riya Bolander, Marshfield High School – State University of New York Binghamton, Psychology and Music
• Ethan Hanson, DC Everest Senior High School – North Dakota State University, Musical Theatre
• Isabella Kneeland, Antigo High School – Saint Norbert College, Biology/Pre-Med
• Maegan Mansfield, Northland Pines High School – UW-Milwaukee, Acting
• Jarreth Schaefer, Marshfield High School – UW-Stevens Point, English Education
• Somerset Seymer, Northland Pines High School – UW-Eau Claire, Theatre
• Tristin Thompson, Lakeland Union High School – Oklahoma City University, Musical Theatre

“These students have approached the college application process with positive energy, gratitude and grace,” said Becker. “I’m very proud of all my students who tackle this journey. It’s not perfect, and it’s sometimes not fun, but we, who are performing artists in our souls, know it’s the only way. It’s our passion and nothing will stop us from pursuing it.”

According to Jamal Stone of Sun Prairie High School, “Any experience is good experience and the Jerry Ensemble provides just that. Being a part of the group is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

The Jerry Awards is a high school musical awards program that encourages, recognizes and honors excellence in high school musical theater. The program began in the 2009/10 school year with 23 productions within 45 miles of Madison and has since expanded across the state through partnerships with Marcus Performing Arts Center, The Grand Theater and Viterbo University Fine Arts Center. Educators and industry professionals review productions at Wisconsin high schools and/or community theater organizations and provide valuable feedback to students. In its first decade, the Jerry Awards engaged more than 700,000 students, teachers, theater professionals and community members and has grown into a nationally recognized showcase of the brightest stars in Wisconsin high school musical theater.

Students in participating high schools can participate in the Central or Southern Jerry Ensemble, the premier performance groups representing the Jerry Awards. Students are selected through auditions each year. The Central Wisconsin Jerry Ensemble is directed by Marshall DeLonay and the Southern Wisconsin Jerry Ensemble is directed by Gail Becker.

JERRY AWARDS SHOW: Each June, Overture honors high school musical theater programs in a Jerry Awards show. The much-anticipated culminating event will occur virtually this year on Sunday, June 21 at 7 p.m. via Facebook Live. The 90-minute show, featuring video clips of musical theater performances, student and school awards and special guests. Two hundred and seventy-one 271 Jerry Awards will be presented recognizing excellence with multiple recipients in each category.  Click here to view the complete list of recipients.

Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, Wis., features seven state-of-the-art performance spaces and four galleries where national and international touring artists, 10 resident companies and hundreds of local artists engage people in nearly 700,000 educational and artistic experiences each year. Overture’s mission is to support and elevate our community’s creative culture, economy and quality of life through the arts. overture.org

By Lisa Dawsey Smith
Whitewater Banner Staff
whitewaterbanner.com

At the Common Council meeting of June 16, Council President Lynn Binnie introduced a Resolution in Support of Racial Justice, indicating that he felt it was a necessary step in responding to the nationwide protests, as well as local calls for reforms in the practices and culture of policing. While expressing gratitude that the local protests have been peaceful, Lynn indicated that a number of our citizens are raising concerns about racial injustices in our own city, and are insisting on systemic change. “Perhaps that has come rather unexpectedly to my peers, to City leadership, and to citizens who are listening. In my tenure on the Council I remember very few concerns being raised in terms of discrimination or unfair treatment. You may feel the same,” he stated. He pointed out that our city leadership, both elected and professional, is unfortunately very lacking in racial/ethnic diversity, and maintained that it is impossible for those people to fully understand the perspectives of people of color.

Binnie concluded, “That’s why I felt it was imperative for us to consider a resolution on racial justice tonight. But that’s not enough. That’s why it’s time for us to be deliberate about listening. And that’s why it’s time for us to be committed to change. A resolution is only a starting point. That’s why after we discuss the resolution we will be talking about action steps.” He expressed appreciation for assistance in drafting the resolution to Council member Brienne Brown and to Dr. Kenny Yarbrough, Chief Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Officer at UW-W. The resolution that is copied below was adopted unanimously by the Common Council.

After the meeting The Banner asked Binnie how he felt about the 3+ hour meeting. He responded, “I was very pleased by the affirmative response of my peers, and of the numerous citizens who spoke, to the resolution. The comments by City Manager Cameron Clapper and Police Chief Aaron Raap demonstrated that, although many of our policies already address many of the concerns that are being raised nationally, they recognize the importance of intentionally listening to the community and committing to changes wherever they are needed. Recently I heard the adage, ‘culture trumps policy every time,’ and we have to be open to culture change in addition to policy change. Finally, I was extremely disturbed to hear the abhorrent things that some of our own citizens have done towards people of color in the course of daily life as well as during the current protests. It falls far short of what we desire for Whitewater, and I hope that all of us will take a good look in the mirror and consider how we treat our fellow citizens.”

Resolution in Support of Racial Justice

WHEREAS, the Declaration of Independence provides in part that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”; and,

WHEREAS, the 14^th Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees that no person within the jurisdiction of the United States shall be denied the equal protection of the laws of the United States; and,

WHEREAS, the City of Whitewater recognizes that these rights were originally intended for a selected category of the United States population but have evolved to include all citizens of the United States; and,

WHEREAS, it is the goal of the City of Whitewater to be a welcoming, affirming, and inclusive community; and,

WHEREAS, the City of Whitewater intends to provide efficient and high-quality services which support living, learning, playing, and working in an exceptional community; and,

WHEREAS, the City of Whitewater is strengthened by and thrives upon the rich diversity of its residents’ identities which include: racial, ethnic, cultural, gender, gender expression, persons who are differently-abled, and various sexual identities, all of which contribute to the vibrant character of our City; and,

WHEREAS, it is the intent of the City that no person be denied the equal protection of the laws; nor shall any person be denied the enjoyment of his, her, or their civil rights or be discriminated against because of their actual or perceived characteristics of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, or any other identity; and,

WHEREAS, the City has demonstrated this intent by establishing an Equal Opportunities Commission, and by various actions of the Police Department, including: voluntary compliance with the extensive standards of the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Accreditation Group, being one of the first law enforcement agencies in the state to provide body cameras for officers, providing recent cultural sensitivity training sessions for officers, and participating in recent community forums with representatives from the Latinx community as well as the UW-W Black Student Union; and,

WHEREAS, our nation’s history is replete with shameful acts of injustices and discrimination towards people of color, beginning with slavery and continuing in various ways to today; and,

WHEREAS, over that history our nation’s various communities of color and their allies have directed our attention to these failures, calling for equal justice and fair treatment; and,

WHEREAS, in recent days millions of our citizens nationally and hundreds of our own City’s citizens have responded to recent tragic events of injustice, including loss of life, by protesting and calling for change; and,

WHEREAS, we recognize that in spite of our best intentions, we may be unaware of ways or instances in which our City’s services fail to reflect our core values; and,

NOW, THEREFORE, WE, the Whitewater Common Council, do hereby resolve that the City of Whitewater, Wisconsin:

1. Reaffirms its commitment to equal and fair treatment and justice for all citizens and visitors, and states its strong opposition to systemic racism affecting people of color in this and every other community in the United States of America.

2. Encourages any individuals who believe that they have been mistreated or discriminated against in the course of any City services to file a complaint with the appropriate Department Director, the City Manager, a Common Council member, or the Equal Opportunities Commission.

3. Requires that any complaints be fully investigated with any appropriate corrective action being taken and, to the extent allowed by our Human Resource policies, the results being communicated to the complainant.

4. Commits to opportunities for dialogue and discussion between all interested parties with Common Council members and City leadership regarding concerns and suggestions pertaining to equal justice and fair treatment in any policies and practices of the City. Although it is recognized that racial justice issues may arise primarily in the Police Department and the Municipal Court, we do not wish to exclude discussion of issues related to any City services.

5. Commits to thorough evaluation of concerns, suggestions, and recommendations received, with timely action steps that may include adoption or revision of policies and procedures, personnel education, evaluation of outcomes, and transparency in these actions.

6. Commits to reforms and culture change.

**********************************************************************************************************************

Following the adoption of the resolution, before he discussed next steps, City Manager Cameron Clapper shared some personal comments, indicating that there had been some recent inadvertent missteps in communication from the city staff as they have addressed racial justice. Specifically Mr. Clapper mentioned that at the June 7 March for Racial Unity he had been emotional in noting the strong turnout, and in struggling to get words out followed “Black Lives Matter” with “All Lives Matter.” Cameron referenced a comment that someone made to him since that march: “Until Black Lives Matter we can’t say that all lives matter.” He then stated that he wholeheartedly retracted the “all lives matter” statement, indicating that he was titling his remarks “commiting to racial justice,” because he sees it as a process.

Mr. Clapper also expressed that he was very disappointed to hear of some of the very offensive things that have happened to individuals who are peacefully expressing their right to free speech in Whitewater.

The examples of “radical transformative change” that have been communicated as needed in the Police Department by some of the local protesters are consistent with those found at https://8cantwait.org. The City Manager enumerated each of the eight goals that have been expressed, together with an explanation of Whitewater’s current policies.

1. The duty to intervene-Require officers to intervene and stop excessive force used by other officers and report these incidents immediately to a supervisor. Response: This is Whitewater policy.

2. Ban shooting at moving vehicles- this practice has been shown to be ineffective and jeopardizes the safety of citizens Response: Our policy only permits shooting at moving vehicles in very limited circumstances. An officer must exhaust all other options, and would only be permitted to shoot at a moving vehicle if necessary for the safety of surrounding individuals or the officer.

3. Require a use of force continuum- develop a force continuum that limits the types of force and/or weapons that can be used to respond to specific types of resistance. Response: Our policy and training are modeled after the use of force continuum from the Training and Standards Bureau of the WI Department of Justice.

4. Require comprehensive reporting- Require officers to report each time they use force or threaten to use force against civilians. Response: This is our policy, and such instances are reviewed by four officers in the chain of command, up to and including the Deputy Chief or Chief. City Manager Clapper indicated that he anticipates discussion about requiring review outside the department when there is an accusation of excessive force or racially motivated actions.

5. Exhaust all other means before shooting- require officers to exhaust all other reasonable means before resorting to deadly force. Response: This is our policy. Before use of any type of force an officer must attempt to use verbal commands and nonverbal cues.

6. Require a warning before shooting-require officers to give a verbal warning, when possible, before shooting at a civilian. Response: Officers are trained to clearly and loudly communicate with the subject before using deadly force whenever possible.

7. Require de-escalation-require officers to de-escalate situations, when, possible by communicating with civilians, maintaining distance and otherwise eliminating the need to use force. Response: Our policy is designed to eliminate the need for force, and when force is required to gain control, the level of force must be reduced once control is gained.

8. Ban chokeholds and strangleholds-Allowing officers to choke or strangle civilians, in many cases when less lethal force could be used instead results in the unnecessary death or serious injuring of civilians. Response: Chokeholds are not authorized, nor are they part of our training. They would only be appropriate if an officer’s life was threatened.

Although Clapper summarized that most of our policies are in accordance with what is being described as best practice, he recognized a need for more open dialogue, for explanations, and for corrective action. A citizen told him this week, “Resolutions and proclamations are fine and good, but people watch action.”

Clapper indicated the following plans for action:

• Regular town hall meetings
• City Manager reports will provide updates on related initiatives.
• The quarterly Police Department report format will be reviewed for greater transparency.
• The Equal Opportunity Commission will change from a reactive to a proactive, standing committee charged with ensuring that the city’s policies and practices are free of systemic racism. People of color will be well represented on the commission.
• Diversity training will be provided more regularly.
• Our personnel recruitment will be focused on increasing diversity.
• Increased investigation of complaints, to include City Manager review of any allegations of excessive force or racial injustice.
• Any citizen who feels that they have been unfairly treated by any city employees is encouraged to file a complaint with the City Manager, the Police Chief, the Equal Opportunity Commission, or a Common Council member.