St. John’s Masonic Lodge
226 W Main St, Whitewater
Fall Roast Pork Dinner
Date: Thursday, Oct 30th
Dine In or Carry Out
Time: 5-7 pm
Adults $15, Children 12 and under $5
Tickets in advance or pay at the door
Meal:
Roast Pork Loin
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Corn
Cole Slaw
Dinner roll
Dessert
UW-Whitewater was recently ranked No. 1 in student experience by The Wall Street Journal, and the university’s partnerships with local businesses enhance the programming and atmosphere behind the ranking. Underground Cutz, located in downtown Whitewater, partners with campus departments to offer free haircuts for Warhawks at select events during the academic year. Chancellor Corey King and Willie Warhawk celebrated the partnership in a visit to Underground Cutz over the summer.
Please scroll down to see the video.
Editor’s note: This announcement was provided by UW-Whitewater.
On Oct. 2, the Fort Atkinson-Eli Pierce Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution presented Recording Secretary Vicki Schicker with its 2025 Americanism Recognition. DAR chapters and state societies are encouraged to salute the patriotic and civic volunteer service of individuals or groups within their community and the Daughters of the American Revolution. This recognition is managed and distributed at the chapter and/or state levels. The works and activities of the intended recipient must be nonpolitical and meet the high standards of the DAR mission. Schicker is the first such local honoree. Each October to celebrate DAR’s anniversary and the National Day of Service, the Fort Atkinson-Eli Pierce Chapter now will honor one member with this award. The chapter feted Schicker for her work not only in DAR, but also with the Jefferson Historical Society and Museum, Rainbow Hospice Care and her church community.
Pictured here, Schicker, left, is presented a certificate by Jessica Punzel, chapter corresponding secretary and registrar and Wisconsin Society DAR Insignia Committee chair and Page Committee co-chair
Organized in 1899, the Fort Atkinson Chapter of DAR was one of the earliest and largest chapters in Wisconsin for many years. In 1992, it merged with the Eli Pierce Chapter, which was founded in Whitewater in 1941.
Today, chapter members reside in Fort Atkinson, Watertown, Lake Mills, Jefferson, Whitewater, Milton, Janesville and surrounding communities, as well as in several other states.
As was previously announced on The Whitewater Banner, the Wisconsin Public Service Commission on September 27, 2025 approved the application of Whitewater Solar, LLC to construct a very large solar project in the towns of Cold Spring, La Grange, and Whitewater. On that date, Yvette Loiselle, one of the intervenors in the case, told The Banner that she was certain that the group will redouble their year-long efforts to oppose the massive “solar farm.” Three intervenors spoke at the City of Whitewater Common Council on October 7, and Loiselle indicates that their next steps are to attend the upcoming area town board meetings, and they are hopeful that citizens will attend the meetings to express their views on the proposed project.
Town of Cold Spring, N1409 Fremont Road – October 9, 7:00 p.m. – (Loiselle indicated “The Town of Coldspring will not let us speak and has stated they will allow the Whitewater Solar to speak.”)
Town of La Grange, N7899 Cty Hwy H – October 13, 7:30 p.m.
Town of Whitewater, W8590 Willis Ray Road – October 15, 6:00 p.m.
Editor’s note: The Banner does not have a position on this matter.
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Steve Watson writes:
Milkweed seeds popping their pods.
Another fall sign gives a nod.
Songbirds are mostly gone.
The air is silent of their songs.
Sun pokes through morning haze.
Ducks break the pond’s mirror glaze.
Our thanks to Steve Watson for these beautiful autumn photos.
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The Whitewater Food Pantry received a great gift of food items on Sept. 30 with the delivery of 1,980 pounds of food collected during Whitewater High School’s Homecoming Week Food Drive organized by the Student Council. Also received, but weight unknown, was a truckload of food collected by Ketterhagen Motor Sales Inc. as part of the “Fill a Ford” program. Photos courtesy of Tom Ganser.
For the second consecutive year, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater retained the No. 1 ranking among Wisconsin public schools in student experience and social mobility according to The Wall Street Journal’s 2026 College Pulse rankings.
The national publication’s annual study was developed and executed through independent surveys of approximately 120,000 verified college students and recent graduates in the United States in collaboration with research partners College Pulse and Statista.
“This recognition speaks directly to our university’s unwavering commitment to enhancing the student experience through a focus on student success,” said Chancellor Corey A. King. “Through the dedicated efforts of our faculty and staff, we have built impactful pathways that support students holistically and promote upward social mobility. Warhawks benefit from a unique blend of academic and co-curricular high-impact practices that fosters inclusive excellence and a sense of belonging — all of which align with our mission of access, affordability, and transforming lives. I am proud of our faculty and staff who make student success an institutional priority every day.”
Wisconsin’s #1 public university for student experience
The Wall Street Journal’s measure of satisfaction with student experience included questions about campus facilities, including food, housing options, and extracurricular activities, as well as the sense of community on campus, mental health support, safety, and social scene.
“We are thrilled to be recognized by The Wall Street Journal, and feel the programming we offer at UW-Whitewater backs up the study’s results,” said Kristin Fillhouer, vice chancellor for student affairs. “When our students come here, they can expect high-quality support to ensure a smooth transition to becoming a college student and the care and services they need along their path to graduation.”
First-year students celebrate Warhawk tradition as soon as they set foot on campus each fall. During their first days on campus, they’re invited to paint Warhawk Drive purple and run out of a student tunnel onto the turf at Perkins Stadium, home of the six-time national champion UW-Whitewater football team.
The university supports nearly 200 clubs and organizations, 26 Greek organizations, a wide selection of intramural and club sports, and hundreds of special events throughout the year.
Students in UW-Whitewater’s 15 residence halls can engage in a variety of programs to support and complement their academic experience, including Learning Communities, leadership opportunities, and more. Warhawk Dining offers 15 restaurant options across six campus locations, with options available until midnight for students’ convenience.
Mental health support for students was recently boosted by a new partnership with Mantra Health, which offers free telehealth support 24 hours a day, seven days a week for all Warhawks.
Hundreds of students take advantage of the award-winning Center for Students with Disabilities. Serving students with disabilities has been a central mission of UW-Whitewater for more than 50 years. Free tutoring services are also available through Campus Tutorial Services.
UW-Whitewater graduates climb the ladder
The Wall Street Journal’s measure of social mobility rewards universities that take in the highest proportion of students coming from lower-income families while maintaining high graduation rates, having a positive impact on graduate salaries, and minimizing the costs of attending the college.
UW-Whitewater annually offers more than $2.5 million in scholarships and approximately $5 million worth of employment opportunities to students.
The university is home to nearly 4,000 first-generation college students. Nearly 35 percent of undergraduate students on the Whitewater campus and 58 percent of the student population on the Rock County campus identify as first-gen.
More than 98 percent of the university’s graduates are employed or attending graduate school one year after receiving their degree. Many of these students are already hired by employers, accepted to graduate school, promoted by their current employers, or starting their own businesses prior to walking across the commencement stage. The university has recognized thousands of these students over the last decade in its Hired Before Graduation campaign.
UW-Whitewater also earned high marks in overall ranking and best salaries among graduates, finishing second and third in the categories, respectively, among public schools in the state.
Editor’s note: This press release was received from UW-Whitewater.
Katherine Staniszewski of Whitewater, WI, has been named to the 2025 spring trimester Dean’s List at Palmer College of Chiropractic’s Main Campus in Davenport, Iowa.
Palmer College of Chiropractic, the first and largest college in the chiropractic profession, has campuses in Davenport, Iowa, and Port Orange, Florida.
White-hot levels of bird migration are forecast for Wisconsin on Tuesday night, Oct. 7, and the fledgling Lights Out Wisconsin coalition is calling for everyone to turn off nonessential outdoor lights from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. to save birds.
Most migrating birds fly at night, and glow from lights can disorient them and attract them to land in populated areas where they face greater threats, particularly windows. Birds looking for food in daylight may hit windows when they see trees and other habitat reflected in building windows or visible through glass on the other side of a building.
Nearly 19 million birds are forecast to fly over Wisconsin overnight Tuesday, Oct. 7. Purdue University’s AeroEco Lab has issued a high alert for Wisconsin except for in the northwestern corner, where there is a medium alert, says Craig Thompson of Lights Out Wisconsin and the Driftless Birds.
“Birds are on the move and we can help make their migration safer by turning out nonessential lights at nighttime,” Thompson says. “We can also take a few other steps to help, like treating our worst problem window for birds, keeping our cats indoors, filling bird baths with clean water and putting high-fat foods in feeders, like black oil sunflower seeds.”
Wisconsin bird groups and dark sky supporters are forming the Lights Out Wisconsin coalition to mobilize publicizing Lights Out Alerts and work together on other ways to help reduce light pollution and window collisions. The group’s website can be found at: lightsoutwi.org and lightsoutwisconsin.org.
The AeroEco Lab and collaborators use weather radar and other tools to forecast and issue alerts when the relative intensity of migration in a local area, and thus the risk to birds, is high.
Studies show window collisions kill billions of birds a year in the United States and are one major reason why 30% of North American birds, or nearly 3 billion, have vanished since 1970, according to a landmark 2019 study.
Bird-window collisions can happen any time of the year but particularly during fall migration. More birds are making the journey, including inexperienced birds hatched during the summer making their first flight. Fall migration is typically regarded as the period between Aug. 1 and Nov. 15.
Treating windows that birds fly into is a key step to making migration safer for birds. Research shows that nearly half of bird-window collisions occur at home, and there are many solutions ranging from do-it-yourself fixes, such as using a dry bar of soap to draw lines or patterns on the outside of problem windows to applying commercial products.
Switching exterior lighting to LED bulbs with a Kelvin rating of 2200 (amber light) for outdoor fixtures will eliminate the glare from blue light for people, make the skies safe for birds, and are more energy-efficient and will save you money, says Carol Wesley of Lights Out Wisconsin and Kickapoo Valley Dark Sky Initiative.
In addition to the Driftless Birds and Kickapoo Valley Dark Sky Initiative, initial coalition members include the DarkSky Wisconsin chapter, Lake Michigan Bird Observatory, SOS Save Our Songbirds, Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance, Wisconsin Bird Conservation Partnership and Wisconsin Society for Ornithology. The group will be seeking other partners in coming months.
Diana Robinson CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
| Exhibition: October 2 – November 2, 2025 Gallery Hours: Thursdays-Sundays, 12pm-4pm Please Note: The gallery is closed outside of Gallery Exhibit Hours except for special events and is also closed when no show is currently running. Reception: Saturday, October 11, 2025, 1pm – 4pm Cultural Arts Center Sun Prairie artists Nancy Mather and Kristin Quackenbush join forces in a vibrant exhibition that celebrates their shared passion for abstraction, color, and texture. Through Nancy’s richly layered mixed media collages and Kristin’s radiant fused glass creations, this collaborative showcase highlights the unique ways each artist transforms everyday materials into expressive works of art. Nancy Mather is a celebrated mixed media artist whose work brings texture, color, and found objects into captivating abstract compositions. Based in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, Mather is known for her innovative use of paper, plaster, and everyday materials to create richly layered collages that invite viewers to explore hidden details and tactile depth. Her artistic philosophy centers on transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. By incorporating household textures and unexpected embellishments, Mather’s pieces evoke curiosity and emotional resonance. She is an active member of the Madison Art Guild and 14 South Artists, two organizations that showcase the vibrant creative community of southern Wisconsin. Nancy’s work has been featured in regional exhibitions and art fairs, where her unique approach to mixed media continues to inspire and engage audiences. Whether through bold color palettes or subtle intricacies, her art reflects a deep commitment to exploration and personal expression. Kristin Quackenbush is a fused glass artist whose vibrant, nature-inspired creations bring light and color into homes and gardens. Based in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, Quackenbush transforms cold glass into radiant works of art through a meticulous kiln-fusing process. Her pieces often feature trees, flowers, and landscapes, reflecting her deep connection to the natural world. With a background in art education and a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Kristin has taught art to students from kindergarten through eighth grade for over 15 years. Today, she continues to inspire young artists while dedicating her free time to her home studio, where she assembles intricate “glass sandwiches” layered with frit and sheet glass, then fires them in her garage kiln. Kristin’s work is known for its playful transparency, bold color, and one-of-a-kind designs. Each piece is a unique expression—no two are ever exactly alike. Her art has been featured in local exhibitions and is available through her studio, Kristin Q Glass Art. Everyone is warmly invited to attend the reception for “Abstractions, Color and Texture—Oh MY!” on Saturday, October 11, from 1pm-4pm at the Cultural Arts Center, 402 W. Main St, Whitewater. Come enjoy the artwork, meet the artists Nancy Mather and Kristin Quackenbush, and celebrate their vibrant exhibition. Light refreshments will be served. |
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Contact: For more information, Contact: Kim Adams, Gallery Director, Whitewater Arts Alliance Phone: 608-201-2151 Email: wwartsalliance@gmail.com Website: whitewaterarts.org “20 Years Of Celebrating The Arts And Creating Community!” |
