News

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from Roberta’s Art Gallery.

IMMERSIVE ART EXHIBIT EXPLORES THE LANDSCAPE OF HUMAN MEMORY AT ROBERTA’S ART GALLERY 

Dive into the mesmerizing past and present worlds at Roberta’s Art Gallery with “Memoria,” by artist Will Timilin. This exhibit features digital imagery and projections that unfold illusions from the human memory. “Memoria” opens on Jan. 10 and will be on display until Feb. 9. 

“Memoria” is an immersive gallery experience that allows audience members to explore the vast landscape of the mysterious recollection. Through digital art and technology, Timlin encourages his audience to search these projected, enchanting spaces for stories. “The stories in the pieces are etched into the intricate folds of our minds,” says Timlin. “They include splinters of illusionistic hauntings fused with the grand, celestial, and euphoric.” 

Will Timlin is a graphic designer and digital artist based in Milwaukee, Wis. This will be Timlin’s first solo exhibition. Timlin is currently a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree with an emphasis in graphic design and a minor in marketing. “I hope my audience will leave with an emotional response and understanding through my projections, whether it’s confusion or love,” says Timlin. “I want to highlight the misinterpretations of memory.”   

The artist reception takes place on Jan. 30 with an artist talk and an audience Q&A from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., followed by an open house with refreshments from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.  

Roberta’s Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the James R. Connor University Center at 800 W. Main Street, Whitewater, Wis. The gallery collaborates with campus departments, student organizations, and community artists in coordinating and sponsoring exhibits. During the academic year, which starts on Jan. 22, gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday. Roberta’s Art Gallery is closed on Saturday and Sunday. 

At Roberta’s Art Gallery, we pride ourselves in providing free and open exhibits to the public, and attending certain events can earn students class credit. If you are interested in being featured in the gallery, please contact us for a proposal request. Reach us at ucart@uww.edu or 262-472-3193. Visit our website for any questions or inquiries, and follow our Instagram @uww_rag.  

Editor’s note: The following press release was provided by The Jefferson County Solid Waste Committee.

The Jefferson County Solid Waste Committee is hosting a free, educational presentation on Thursday, January 25 at 6 p.m. It will be held at the Extension, Jefferson County Office located at 864 Collins Road in Jefferson, WI. This event is open to any interested citizen!

Craig Czarnecki, WI DNR Air Management Outreach Coordinator and Lindsay Haas, WI DNR Air Management Communications and Outreach Specialist will present on the DNR Air Management and Wisconsin Air Quality followed by an opportunity for questions.

We hope that you will join us for this great educational opportunity!

Please contact Kim at 920-674-7430 or kimb@jeffersoncountywi.gov with any questions.

Updated on January 21 at 8 a.m.: This photo was taken at Whitewater Creek Nature Park. Picture below was taken from the bridge/walk near the entrance to Hillside Cemetery.

Photos taken by Tom Ganser on January 15. Do you wonder if these birds are wishing they were “snowbirds?”

Our thanks to Tom Ganser for sharing another beautiful nature scene.

— Our Readers Share: We hope that you might have something that you’d be willing to share.  Anything that’s been created by someone else should, of course, be credited, and you should ask their permission if you’re able. We cannot post copyrighted material without permission. We can’t guarantee that we’ll have space for all submissions, and contributions will be subject to editorial board approval. The one definite exclusion is anything politically oriented. We will assume that you’re willing for us to include your name as the submitter unless you indicate that you prefer to remain anonymous. Send to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com. Thanks for thinking about this!

The Dementia Friendly Community Initiative writes, “We received a story from one of our caregivers that makes two (at least) great points:  How dementia changes the brain and why friends and family should keep visiting.“

Mom has progressed to stage 4 out of 5 with her dementia.  Her demeanor has changed. Although she still has her obstinate moments, she is becoming happy, affectionate, and appreciative.  From what I hear, happiness is not a typical part of the progress of this disease.  Depression and aggression are more common, so how wonderful it is that mom is happy these days!  As happy as I have ever seen her.  

This is due in part to loss of short term memory and in part to her attachment to me. Without her memory, she doesn’t retain good or bad experiences, they are gone from her mind. Her brain is filled with the here and now and maybe because I have learned to share warmth, kindness, a gentle touch, her here-and-now is happiness. 

The part of the brain that processes facts and logic is the first to go, but feelings, good and bad, are there to the end. I began to give Mom a gentle pat on the thigh when I sat down beside her. She started to return the gentle touch.  After a few weeks, she began putting her head on my shoulder.  When people come to see her, she anticipates good feelings and her face lights up. 

Being appreciative seems to go back to the manners that we were taught as small children.  Unlike adult life when people use manners out of habit, mom has a strong sense of sharing gratitude.  Maybe she knows it feels good to receive kindness, so passes it on.  When my grandfather was in a nursing home at the age of 93, he had good manners to the end.

Mom has been stubborn her whole life. When she graduated from sixth grade, her mother bought the dress she liked instead of the one my Mom wanted.  Mom had a very unhappy expression in the photo.  If Mom decides she’s not going to take her pills, it is not going to happen and I have to find a different way to administer her medication. That hasn’t changed.

Love is a primal feeling. It is what brings us together, like the gentle touch, smile or kind gesture. As the brain deteriorates, love stays.   If I ask Mom if she is fine, she will reply, “I am fine because you are here.” That is a phrase that I will hear in my mind for the rest of my life. As for those that stay away from people with dementia because they think they cannot love, those friends and family are missing out on a big part of life.

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This article submitted by Dementia Friendly Community Initiative, a program of Whitewater Seniors in the Park to help inform the community about dementia and to support patients and caregivers.  New members are always welcome!  Contact jfrench@whitewater-wi.gov or call Jennifer French at 262 473 0535.  More resources for caregivers:

https://www.co.walworth.wi.us/376/Aging-Disability-Resource-Center

https://www.jeffersoncountywi.gov/departments/human_services/aging_and_disability_resource_center/index.php

https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/benefit-specialists/ebs.htm

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire extends congratulations to the 2,778 students named to the fall 2023 dean’s list. Their academic performance has been outstanding, and we recognize these students with pride.

Congratulations, Blugolds!

Students from your area who were named to the Dean’s List are:

Whitewater, WI

 Emma Jordan, College of Arts and Sciences

Update Jan. 22 @ 8:55 a.m. – Per WUSD:
Confirming we will begin school following the 2 hour delay:
9:50 Elementary 
9:55 MS 
9:50 HS (see alt schedule for finals sent out by Mr. Mansky)

SPECIAL NOTICE – 5:20 am, January 22
WUSD Staff and Families: In consultation with our bus company, we are very concerned about earlier-than-expected icing on the roads that will make it dangerous for our buses and the commute to school. (County A is currently closed by the Duck Inn due to icing.) We will be initiating a 2-hour delay and reassessing if school can start safely. AM 4K will be canceled.

Due to slippery road conditions, the Whitewater Unified School District will have a two hour delay on Monday, January 22nd. As such, the high school exam schedule has been modified and can be found HERE. In the event that road conditions do not improve and school is canceled, we will bump the high school exam schedule back by one day. Day 1 of exams would start on Tuesday, January 23rd, Day 2 would be Wednesday, January 24th, and Day 3 would be found Thursday, January 25th.

According to the National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan Weather Forecast Office, the Whitewater area is projected to have nearly a 90% chance of a light layer of glaze ice between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning.

From late Sunday night to noon Monday, periods of light snow or sleet are likely. Around noon on Monday, a transition to drizzle/freezing drizzle is likely. It’s possible that the resulting ice may impact travel Monday evening and Tuesday morning.

Editor’s note: The Banner appreciates having permission to use the image on the homepage by Дмитрий Василенко from Pixabay.

Per the National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan Weather Forecast Office, there will be bitter cold wind chills again early on Sunday morning. A Wind Chill Advisory has been issued once again, from midnight tonight until 9 a.m. on Sunday.

Editor’s note: The following press release was provided by the Whitewater Unified School District.

Recently released data from the Whitewater Unified School District’s implementation of literacy instruction practices aligned with the Science of Reading (SOR) in its elementary schools is showing exciting results. 

The data comes from the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills assessment (DIBELS), a measure of children’s foundational skills including fluency and comprehension in their journey through literacy. The assessments were given to WUSD elementary students in September 2023, as part of the shift to the SOR-aligned instructional model. To monitor students’ progress and the impact of the new SOR-aligned approach, students were again assessed in January 2024, four months after the change in instruction. 

January data indicates that, district-wide, the number of students grades K-5 testing above the grade level benchmark increased by nearly 33% from fall to winter. The number of students who initially tested below the grade level benchmark decreased by nearly 17%. “We are encouraged and thrilled for our students, as they all deserve to be reading on target; they are working tremendously hard!” reported Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty, Superintendent. 

“Our teachers, Literacy Coaches, and our Elementary Principals: Mr. Adam Bretl, Mr. Brad Gefvert, and Mr. Tom Grosinske have dedicated themselves to achieve desired results. We are so thankful and proud! It is incredibly validating to see it all working,” said Pate-Hefty. “Additionally, our teachers are part of the Professional Learning Community that is giving feedback about the new curriculum adoption, led by our Director of Teaching and Learning, Ms. Terilyn Robles. We want to honor the significant contributions they are putting into this literacy movement.” 

In the fall of 2023, elementary schools in WUSD transitioned to aligning literacy instruction with SOR, a vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically-based research focused on reading and writing. SOR uses key components of instruction that prove to be effective and is gaining traction in literacy instruction across the nation. More information regarding WUSD’s literacy programming and alignment with the Science of Reading can be found at https://www.wwusd.org/page/science-of-reading.

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The following students from the area have been named to the University of Wisconsin-Stout Dean’s List for the fall 2023 semester.

The award is presented to students who have a grade point average of 3.5 or above. 

UW-Stout, Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, has 49 undergraduate majors and 23 graduate programs, including one doctoral degree. UW-Stout, established in 1891, prides itself on the success of its students in the workplace, with an employment rate above 99.4% for recent graduates. The university was awarded the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2001.

UW-Stout is Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, with a focus on applied learning, collaboration with business and industry, and career outcomes.

Whitewater, WI

 Zsuzana Gyenes, BS Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management
 Cassandra Hoxie, BS Computer and Electrical Engineering
 Bennett Miles, BS Computer and Electrical Engineering