News

The Whitewater Dementia Friendly Community Initiative (WDFCI) is excited to announce the awarding of the Purple Angel recognition to Binning & Dickens Insurance. They have been in business in Whitewater for 28 years and offer great service and pricing on home, auto, business and life insurance.

The Purple Angel is an international symbol recognized around the world, which says employees have received dementia awareness training and are sensitive to customers and care partners who are affected by dementia or Alzheimer’s. An engaged community seeks to honor, value and include all of its members. Look for the Purple Angel award wherever you go. If you don’t see it, ask “Why not?”

A Dementia Friendly Community is one that engages people with dementia, making them feel welcome and improving their quality of life while supporting their unique needs as well as those of the care partners and family members. This enables those with dementia to safely find their way around town, access local facilities that they have known, and maintain their social networks, so they continue to feel they belong. This eases the fear and isolation associated with dementia and increases access to the resources people need to live well with dementia. It is also treating persons with dementia with dignity and respect. By helping everyone in a community understand what dementia is and how it affects families, each of us can make a difference for the people touched by dementia.

The number of businesses taking the steps necessary to be designated as dementia friendly is continuing to grow. One of the principal purposes for the WDFCI is providing free training programs to those who live and work in Whitewater, as well as businesses, faith communities and organizations serving area residents.

The mission is to create a Dementia Friendly Community that features effective, ongoing programs to include and support individuals with dementia and their care partners. To-date the WDFCI has offered memory screens, published an informational brochure, started a memory café and a twice monthly respite site and provided, in partnership with Mulberry Glen, Dementia Live, a virtual dementia experience, and is working with the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library to provide distraction boxes for checkout. The Whitewater Community Foundation has given the group two grants to assist with startup costs.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the estimated number of people in Walworth county with Alzheimer’s/dementia in 2020 is 2,132 of which approximately 200 live in Whitewater. By 2040, the county estimate will have grown to 4,432. It is important to know that Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging, however aging is a risk factor. By age 85, one in three is expected to have Alzheimer’s/dementia.

For more information, to become Purple Angel recognized or to join the WDFCI, please contact Deb Weberpal at 262- 473-0535 or email dweberpal@whitewater-wi.gov or check out our Facebook page Whitewater Dementia Friendly Community Inniative. The WDFCI is assisted and supported by the Alzheimer’s Association of Southeast Wisconsin and the Dementia Friendly Community Initiative, Inc – Walworth County.

The City of Whitewater provides efficient and high quality services which support living, learning, playing and working in an exceptional community. Visit www.whitewater-wi.gov for community information and updates.

Save the Date! The 12th Annual JACK Hartmann Open will be held on Saturday, September 7th, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., at Willow Brook Golf Course.  There will be music, food, raffles, a silent auction, golf, and more – please join us and help raise money for research into Congenital Heart Defects (CHD). CHDs are the most common birth defects. An approximate 100-200 deaths are due to unrecognized heart disease in newborns each year. Nearly 40,000 infants in the U.S. are born each year with CHDs.

Local residents, age 16 years and older, seeking employment in the healthcare field are able to receive in-demand Nurse Aide training at Madison College-Fort Atkinson, 827 Banker Rd., Fort Atkinson.

Beginning in early September, a hybrid class format allowing learners to study material online will require that students only report for 12, in-person classes, exclusively on Saturdays. Students seeking more traditional class instruction can choose from fully in-person class sections, offered weekdays, either during daytime or evening hours. Madison College staff can assist residents with immunization record retrieval and the background check process required before they are able to register.

For more information or details on the Nurse Aide program, call (920) 568-7200.

Madison College serves more than 37,000 students throughout a 12-county district in south-central Wisconsin, offering more than 150 diverse career programs and certificates. Its mission is to provide open access to quality higher education that fosters lifelong learning and success in the communities it serves. Madison College is the second-largest institution in the Wisconsin Technical College System. For more information, visit www.madisoncollege.edu.

The Whitewater Community Foundation will hold their 2nd annual “Civic Summit at the Market” on Tuesday, August 20th, during regular City Market hours.

When you finish shopping, please join us to let us know how your civic group or organization is doing and celebrate your accomplishments. Let’s keep the conversation going!

Questions? Contact info@whitewatercommunityfoundation.org.

Dr. Martin Okun, board certified dermatologist with Fort HealthCare Dermatology, will be offering free skin cancer screenings for new patients on Monday, August 26 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. and Tuesday, August 27 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the Fort HealthCare Dermatology Clinic located on the third floor of Fort Memorial Hospital, 611 Sherman Avenue East in Fort Atkinson. New patients interested in the free screening should please call ahead of time to reserve a time at 920-568-1000.

Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. The two most common types of skin cancer—basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas—are highly curable, but can be disfiguring and costly to treat. Melanoma, the third most common skin cancer, is more dangerous and causes the most deaths. Prevention is key, having an annual skin cancer screening can help find any changes that might be suspicious.

A change in your skin is the most common sign of skin cancer. This could be a new growth, a sore that does not heal, or a change in a mole. Not all skin cancers look the same.

A simple way to remember the signs of melanoma is to remember these A-B-C-D-Es:

• “A” stands for asymmetrical. Does the mole or spot have an irregular shape with two parts that look very different?
• “B” stands for border. Is the border irregular or jagged?
• “C” is for color. Is the color uneven?
• “D” is for diameter. Is the mole or spot larger than the size of a pea?
• “E” is for evolving. Has the mole or spot changed during the past few weeks or months?

A total body examination by a doctor is a good way to find skin cancers early, especially for people who have a history of skin cancer and have any suspicious moles or other spots.

Fort HealthCare is committed to improving the health and well-being of our communities, with a vision to be the healthiest community in Wisconsin. As the leading healthcare provider in the region, it is our goal to reach as many members of the community as possible with health and wellness messages, providing tools and resources to help individuals improve their health and quality of life, while collaborating with several partners to positively improve the population’s health overall on a long term basis. For more information, visit FortHealthCare.com.

Discover Whitewater, Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce, The SweetSpot Bakehouse, and the Wisconsin Department of Tourism are offering a free customer service training for anyone who works with the public and wants to make a lasting impression with visitors on Monday, August 19, at 5pm. Register online at www.whitewaterchamber.com/events.

Remember the professor or teacher who made you think and wonder, and inspired you..? In 1980’s England, an unruly class of gifted and charming young men are taught by two eccentric and innovative teachers, as their Headmaster pushes them to get accepted into Oxford or Cambridge. Based on the Tony Award winning Best Play, this film stars Richard Griffiths, James Corden (now host of CBS “Late Late Show”), Russell Tovey (ABC’s “Quantico”) and Dominic Cooper (“Mamma Mia” films). Filmed on location at Cambridge and Oxford Universities. This film was requested anonymously by the spouse of a departed UW-Whitewater History professor. 

When: Wednesday, August 21, 12:30 p.m.

Where: Seniors in the Park

Movie Information: Rated R (Language, sexual content) (2006)

It’s picture day for your dog! Hops & Hounds is on Saturday, August 17th, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. This is a day for the dogs, and together with Second Salem Brewing Company, Shadow Dog Photography will be taking photos of your furry best friend. Come to Cravath Lakefront Community Center, and get ready to have some fun.

Visit the Shadow Dog booth, sign up, donate $20 CASH, get a photo taken that day, and you’ll receive a beautiful digital image of your pup.

And because fun events make us thirsty, Second Salem Brewing Company will be there with beer! Get ready to have a pint, get a great photo of your pup, and meet some pretty fabulous people. Albert’s Dog Lounge will also have some sweet adoptable dogs there, too.

100% of the proceeds will go to Albert’s Dog Lounge, a foster-based Whitewater not-for-profit rescue focused on providing homes to senior, special needs, and hospice dogs. Click here to see their website for further information: https://www.albertsdoglounge.org. Hosted by Shadow Dog Photography and Second Salem Brewing Company. See you there!

Ferradermis, Whitewater High School’s FIRST Robotics Team #6574, wrapped up a busy summer by hosting their second annual Boot Camp for new members from August 3 through August 10, 2019. Twelve veteran team members and nine of their adult mentors led fifteen new members through the basics of FIRST Robotics and guided them through designing, prototyping, manufacturing, wiring, and programming a fuel (whiffle ball) shooter capable of playing the official game from the 2017 season. The 2017 Steamworks season was Ferradermis’ rookie year in the competition, but their first robot was not complex enough to play that portion of the game, so this was a new challenge for both the veterans and the rookies. New members included not only incoming freshmen, but also sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have made the commitment to join. Entering their fourth year this year, Ferradermis will be 43 members strong. Additional students are welcome to join the team this fall.

The team began each day of Boot Camp with a team-building activity. Over the course of the week, students completed the reverse cup stacking challenge, the marshmallow challenge, the nail stacking challenge, the balloon launch, and the blind object challenge. Students and mentors also maintained a memory wall to share their best memories of past robotics events and the current week. All of the challenges were designed to promote communication within and between sub-teams and alliances as well as the importance of understanding and interpreting rules.

New members were introduced to FIRST Robotics with a game of Ferradermis Bingo. In order to bingo they had to learn and be able to share information such as the number of teams on an alliance, the colors of the alliance, the Ferradermis team number, the definition of Gracious Professionalism, and the role of a mentor. On day one, new members also rotated through short sessions that served as an introduction to the various sub-teams within Ferradermis: CAD/Mechanical, Electrical/Programming, Competition Logistics, and Business. They were then presented with their challenge for the week.

Throughout the week, veteran and new members worked side by side to complete their challenge, and by the end of the day on the 10^th, they were able to successfully test their robot by shooting fuel into a makeshift goal. Although their aim wasn’t perfect, they did achieve their goal of building a functional robot. Boot Camp is meant to model the first week of the six-week build season so that new members have an understanding of how the team will operate once the new season’s challenge is introduced.

The Business team used this week as an opportunity to launch their 2019-2020 fundraising campaign by preparing a mailing for our current and prospective sponsors, developing a campaign at DonorsChoose.org, submitting multiple grant applications, and writing thank you notes. The team operates on a budget of approximately $60,000 per year and is funded through the school district, grants, donations from businesses, individuals, and service organizations, student fundraising, and family contributions. This budget allows the team to build two robots, travel to two regional competitions, compete at the World Championships in Detroit when they’ve qualified, travel to trainings and events hosted by other teams, and compete in multiple off-season events. If you are interested in supporting Ferradermis financially, donations can be made through a link on our web site at http://ferradermis.org/support.php or by contacting Laura Masbruch at lmasbruch@wwusd.org.

Ferradermis will have a busy fall as they are planning to participate in two off-season competitions with their 2019 robot in September. The first will be at the Milwaukee Maker Faire on Saturday, September 14. This event is open to the public. On the weekend of September 28, the team has been invited to travel with Round Table Robotics from Oak Creek High School to IndyRAGE in Indianapolis, a competition where the drive team and the pit crew are to be all female. People attending the Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast at the high school on Sunday, September 22, will have the opportunity to discuss the team with our members volunteering at the breakfast. Runners in the Discover Whitewater race will also see team members cheering them on from one of the water stations. The team has multiple presentations scheduled in the coming months including one for school district staff, one for Delta Kappa Gamma, and one at the AAUW Tech Savvy Conference at UW-Whitewater for girls in grades 6-9. If you would like to have the team do a presentation for your business or organization, please email ferradermis@gmail.com or contact Laura Masbruch at the high school. The team is also working to help start and mentor FIRST LEGO League Teams involving students from all three elementary schools in Whitewater as well as help another area high school launch an FRC Team.

Ferradermis thanks their current mentors who operated the boot camp including Co-Head Coaches Carissa Petzinger, an engineer from Generac, and Dilpreet Randhawa, a member of Wisconsin Robotics at UW-Madison, Allison Conrad and Nick Ackerman, both a part of Wisconsin Robotics, Rob Prager from Wisconsin Ovens, Komboocho entrepreneur Doug Grall, and WHS alumni Andrew Cipriano and Leif Sahyun. Ferradermis is always looking for additional adult mentors. If you have a particular talent such as electronics, programming, engineering, or business that you would be willing to share, or if you are just willing to learn, we’d love to hear from you. Go, Ferradermis!