Registration is now open for the 2018 Parade of Lights

Downtown Whitewater, Inc invites you to participate in this year’s parade. Registration is available both online and by downloadable form here.

The 2018 parade theme is “A Very Merry Christmas”. Thirty years ago this year Disney released a holiday music album by the same title and Whitewater along with many communities around the country hosted holiday parades with the same theme. Not interested in participating in the parade but would love to be part of other events leading up to and surrounding the parade let us know! We’ll also have children’s activities, a holiday market, and more!

Many hands make light work and we’d love to have you be part of the team. Email us any questions or just to let us know you’d like to be part at director@downtownwhitewater.com.

UW-Whitewater Homecoming Week Schedule

To Whitewater and Beyond:
Blastoff Date 1868

With 150 years of success, we’re here to celebrate what Whitewater has accomplished and where the future will take us as we reach for the stars.

Students, Community, Staff, and Alumni are encouraged to participate through the events as well as through celebrating being a Warhawk of the Past, Present, and especially Future.

An overview of all Alumni, Community, and Campus Homecoming Events is found at www.uww.edu/homecoming.

Homecoming Events

Homecoming consists of many unique opportunities for participation, with nine group competitions, court, and three ways in which individuals can compete (beyond attendance, which is welcome and encouraged at all events).

Tuesday, October 16th

Glow Night;  7 – 10 pm through lower level of UC

Glow Night includes both competitions and social time. Students will have a chance to come out for a fun-filled night of glow in the dark yard games, bowling, ping pong, as well as free food and giveaways. Student Organizations and Greek Organizations can compete in Ping Pong and Bowling Tournaments. For each of the competitions, points will be awarded for participants and 1st-3rd place in each division.

Wednesday, October 17th

Warhawk Spirit Day All Day, throughout Campus

Students, Faculty, and Staff will color the campus purple. Throughout the day, prizes will be given out to people caught wearing purple / Warhawk gear. Share your purple pride on Instagram, too! #UWWPurplePride

Thursday, October 18th

Talent Show; 8 pm in Young Auditorium

Individual students, Student Organizations, and Greek Organizations will share their talents with the UW-Whitewater family in this all-out competition. Top performance will walk away with a $200.00 cash prize! 2018 Court Royalty (The Ruler of the Galaxy), as well as bowling and ping pong winners will be unveiled. UW-W Student Tickets $2 in advance or $4 at the door – cash or purple points.

Friday, October 19th

Galactic Conquest; 12 pm Warhawk Drive (In case of Rain: 12 pm in Fieldhouse)

Student Organizations and Greeks will compete in one or all three of these games. Individuals will also have a chance to compete in the Star Trek (scavenger hunt). The Space Race (bed races) has teams competing for fastest time through a race that travels through parts of campus. Gravity Pull (tug of war) pits teams against one another in a friendly single elimination tournament. For each of the competitions, points will be awarded for participants and 1st-3rd place in each division.

Saturday, October 20th

Parade – The Warhawk Way; 10 am on Main Street

Parade of marching units, bands, mascots, and floats. Both campus groups and community groups can enter to share who they are, celebrating To Whitewater and Beyond while traveling through the Warhawk Way. For each of the competitions, points will be awarded for participants and 1st-3rd place in each division.

The Mowgli’s;  12 pm in Stadium Lot 24

In continuation of our sesquicentennial celebration, our Warhawk Concert Series will feature The Mowgli’s! This free performance will be held outside of Perkins Stadium. Parade winners and Championship Trophies will be announced immediately after the Mowgli’s performance in Lot 24. Football vs. UW-River Falls 2 pm at Perkins Stadium Wrap up the Homecoming Week with the Warhawk Football team as they play the Falcons. At Half-time, the 2018 Homecoming Court will be recognized, and the Connor Spirit Cup will be awarded to the most spirited organization overall.

Upcoming City and Community Meetings: Week of October 15 to October 21

Library Board Meeting – Monday, October 15, 2018, 6:30 pm, Irvin L. Young Memorial Library – Community Room.

For agenda,  


CDA Special Meeting – Tuesday, October 16, 2018, 5:30 pm, Whitewater Municipal Building – Cravath Lakefront Room.

For agenda,  


Alcohol Licensing Committee Meeting – Tuesday, October 16, 2018, 6:10 pm, Whitewater Municipal Building.

For agenda,  


Common Council Meeting – Tuesday, October 16, 2018, 6:30 pm, Whitewater Municipal Building.

For agenda,  


City of Whitewater Finance Committee Meeting – Tuesday, October 16, 2018, 7:00 pm, Whitewater Municipal Building.

For agenda,  


Parks & Recreation Board Meeting – Wednesday, October 17, 2018, 5:30 pm, Whitewater Municipal Building.

For agenda,  

 

Whitewater Turkey Dinner – Thursday, October 18 at the Whitewater Masonic Lodge

A delicious hot turkey dinner will be available at the Whitewater Masonic Lodge on Thursday, October 18 from 5 – 7 pm.

Tickets will be available at the door for only $10 for adults and $5 for kids under 12 years old.

The dinner will be held at the Lodge at 226 W. Main St. Whitewater and carry outs will be available.

Proceeds will be used for local scholarships as well as other community support programs.

 

Whitewater Grocery Co. Hosting Second Annual Ownership Meeting

The fastest growing cooperatively-owned grocery store startup in the country, Whitewater Grocery Co. (WWGROCO), is up to almost 500 owners after a little over a year since incorporation. Things are moving fast, and the local community-owned grocery store initiative is inviting its owners to a second Annual Owners’ Meeting to review the next stages of the process and discuss potential sites for a full-service grocery store. Whitewater, with a population of more than 14,000, has been without a full-service grocery since 2015 when Sentry grocery store closed its doors.

The event, which will be both a celebration of progress and an update on what is needed next, will take place at the UW-Whitewater University Center Hamilton Room from 4 pm to 7 pm on Sunday, October 14.

”The commitment and dedication from our community is what has gotten us this far and made us the fastest growing community-owned grocery initiative in the nation,” said WWGROCO Board President Lacey Reichwald. Reichwald, who has been asked to speak to other groups around the Midwest about Whitewater’s success, has often described the motivation as “simple.” “Just have your only grocery store go out of business,” she says. “With over 14,000 people having to rely only on the partial grocery options of a Walmart, people get mobilized quickly.”

Since then, the WWGROCO has defied all predictions and grown to nearly 500 owners. The WWGROCO is well on its way to reaching the next milestone in the planning process which includes fine-tuning a business plan and “pro-forma” outlining the milestones required for the venture to be profitable. The group is ready to pursue a second and more comprehensive market study. In addition, the second Annual Meeting will focus on the work that has been done toward selecting a potential site, vote on open Board of Director positions, and vote on a potential expansion of the Board.

The meeting will be open to WWGROCO members and their household members. New owners can RSVP by calling the WWGROCO office at 262-472-1218. Regular business hours are Mondays 11-2, Wednesdays 2-6, and 11-2 on Fridays.

Initial plans are pointing toward a full-service grocery roughly the size of mid-range stores such as Aldi or Trader Joe’s. Owners, community members, and several city officials have indicated a sense of urgency in getting a full-service grocery, and the Whitewater Grocery Co. is answering that call. The total time it will take to open a store depends upon many factors, and owners will hear a discussion about the next phases of the process and the required milestones.

Whitewater Grocery Co. officially incorporated in March of 2017. In October of 2017 at the first Annual Meeting members helped shape a mission and vision and formally elected a Board of Directors. The organization has established an office in the UW-Whitewater Innovation Center and has been actively seeking new members, learning how other community-owned grocery stores have been successful, raising funds, hiring consultants, and taking an initial look at potential locations.

New owners can sign up at the Annual Meeting or online at www.whitewatergrocery.co. The WWGROCO thanks the University of Wisconsin Whitewater for providing the space for our owners to meet and helping spread the word among students and faculty that they will soon have a full-service grocery store in Whitewater that will be able to meet the community’s grocery needs.

Candidate Forum Scheduled for State Assembly District 43 Race

On Saturday, October 13, 10 am – 11: 30 am, the League of Women Voters of the Whitewater Area will sponsor a forum for candidates running in the State Assembly District 43 race. The forum will be held in the City of Whitewater Council Chambers, located in the Whitewater Municipal Building (City Hall), 312 W. Whitewater Street, Whitewater.

Candidates Don Vruwink (incumbent Democrat) and Gabriel Szerlong (challenging Republican) have both agreed to participate. The League applauds their interest and willingness to share their views on public policy issues of importance to the District 43 electorate. At League forums, citizens in attendance ask questions of the candidates by writing them on cards, which are forwarded to the forum moderator after being checked for redundancy by a panel of League question checkers.

Your voice matters! – so please attend, bring your friends and neighbors and come with questions that you want the candidates to address. The forum will be filmed by Whitewater Community TV and broadcast live with ample time for rebroadcasting prior to the November 6 General Election.

To learn more about the Whitewater Area League, visit www.lwvwhitewater.org.