News & Events

Living with Death: A Community Conversation

Event Dedicated to Destigmatizing Conversations About Death and End-of-Life Planning

The Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) of Walworth County, in collaboration with the East Troy Area Intergenerational Community Center and Citizens Bank of Mukwonago, is pleased to present Living with Death: A Community Conversation. This free social and educational event is designed to foster open dialogue and reduce the stigma surrounding death and end-of-life planning.

The event will take place on Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the East Troy Area Intergenerational Community Center, located at 2043 Division Street, Door #7, East Troy, Wisconsin.

Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations about death, dying, and preparation for the end of life. Keynote speaker, Dr. Janet McCord, a renowned expert in thanatology—the study of death—will lead the discussion. Additional presentations will be offered by a local death doula, the Walworth County Medical Examiner’s Office, and a spokesperson from Hazel Ridge Cemetery.

A dedicated vendor area will feature organizations that provide services related to end-of-life care, including hospice agencies, funeral homes, organ, eye, and tissue donation programs, and more.

“Death, like birth, is a life event we all experience,” says Jake Sawyers, Dementia Care Specialist at the ADRC. “While we celebrate and prepare for birth, our society often avoids conversations about death. This event is about changing that narrative—helping people prepare and feel more comfortable discussing end-of-life matters.”

To register or learn more, please call 262-741-3273 or email Jake Sawyers at jsawyers@co.walworth.wi.us.

The Whitewater High School Alumni Association invites all WHS Alumni to attend its Annual Meeting on Saturday, October 18 at 12:00 p.m. at Jessica’s Family Restaurant in Whitewater. This yearly gathering is a chance for alumni to reconnect, share updates, and learn about ongoing projects and opportunities to support WHS Alumni scholarships. The group also welcomes anyone interested in helping with future Alumni fundraisers or serving on the Scholarship Committee. Attendees are asked to RSVP by Facebook Messenger to help plan seating and lunch arrangements. For more information, visit the WHS Alumni Association’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/share/1GVCGYjVzk/

Editor’s note: The above announcement was provided by Sarah Hoots.

On Saturday, October 11, 32 members of Ferradermis traveled to Muskego High School for the third-annual TWIST FIRST Robotics Offseason Event hosted by Team 6421 WarriorBots.

TWIST (Together Women in STEM Thrive) is a unique competition meant to help girls step into roles on their robotics teams that they might not otherwise experience, and the event implements one rule to do so – the drive team must be entirely female. Male team members may participate in any other role. Ferradermis has always had a strong female presence and continues to do so in the 2025-2026 school year with 17 females on the team, many more than most teams in the state.

Gracious Professionalism and Coopertition, essentially helping every team be the best they can be, are tenets of FIRST Robotics. In that spirit, 5 Ferradermis members filled in gaps on drive teams for other teams who did not have enough female members to fulfill the all-female drive team requirement. Ferradermis has done this each year of the event, and other teams have come to know they can enter their robots by adopting Whitewater High School students onto their team for the day. Nina Heim alternated as Technician and Drive Coach for Team 8701 GRAFFITI from Greendale High School, and Charlotte Trautman served as Technician for Team 2062 CORE from Waukesha, Wisconsin. Rae Breisath and Shae Onstott served as Drive Coach and Human Player for Team 6318 FE Freedom Engineers from Freedom High School. The Freedom Engineers were a part of the eventual champion alliance, winning their first ever event in their 10-year history. Georgia Esch stepped in as Human Player for Team 1675 UPS (Ultimate Protection Squad) from a medley of Milwaukee High Schools including Bradley Tech and Rufus King. UPS was a part of the eventual finalist (runner-up) alliance. Even though Ferradermis wasn’t playing in the finals, team members had a great time cheering on Rae, Shae, and Georgia, and watching them gain valuable experience, as the event concluded.

Ferradermis finished the qualification matches ranked #2 out of the 30 competing teams from across Wisconsin and Illinois. They were tied with the #1 WarriorBots on ranking points as well as the first tie-breaker, but lost the 2nd tiebreaker of average match points. Ferradermis then became the captain of the #2 seeded playoff alliance and alliance selection representatives Erison Dreksler, Alex Nelson, and Mily Zeferino-Hernandez invited Team 93 NEW Apple Corps from Appleton and Team 1739 Chicago Knights Robotics from Chicago, Illinois to join them.

The playoff matches were rough for Ferradermis, with multiple alliance robots breaking down or getting temporarily “beached” on top of the large green playground balls that serve as algae in this year’s ocean-themed game. After the first playoff loss, the alliance needed to replace the Appleton robot and were joined by Team 9669 Regina Riveters from Wilmette, Illinois. A second loss quickly knocked the Ferradermis alliance out of the double-elimination playoffs.

TWIST offers many other opportunities for students including a college fair and the chance to run workshops. Ferradermis members Nina Heim and Cooper Housel offered a workshop entitled “Circuit Playground” where they used SNAP Circuits to allow exploration of electricity. Tyler Olds, CEO of FIRST Updates Now (FUN) Robotics Network, was at the event filming selected teams for his Behind the Bumpers series, and Ferradermis member Margaret Brown was asked to do an interview. Ferradermis collected donations of new LEGO Kits prior to the event for a donation for Children’s Hospital. The teams that brought in the most donations were able to have one of their mentors don an inflatable unicorn costume for a human match, and Ferradermis Head Coach Mark Zimmermann was a good sport for the second year in a row. In the FIRST Robotics Competition, a unicorn match occurs when all available ranking points are earned by both alliances, and TWIST has adopted that theme for its charity matches.

FIRST Robotics Competition events are run entirely by volunteers, and Ferradermis provided several for the event. Mentor Tori Breisath worked the pit administration table, parent Sarah Downs worked on the field reset crew, and Team Advisor Laura Masbruch served as a judge.

Throughout the day, judges roamed the pits interviewing teams for a variety of awards. Ferradermis members were pleased to get multiple visits from teams of judges interested in hearing about their robot. Programming Subteam Lead Ace Hudec enjoyed explaining the team’s new button board to the judges. The button board, a summer team project first tested at the MROC offseason event in July, allows the drive team to execute autonomous alignment routines during matches by making use of a vision system utilizing April Tags (similar to QR codes) on the field.

Additional Ferradermis members rotated through other roles throughout the day including pit crew, scouting, safety, and media. Chacha Binagi, Emilie Bruns, Asher Downs, Alex Fletcher, Mason Genung, Eli Gonsior, Jayden Kehrer, Colby Long, Wyatt Meyers, Carson Miller, Preston Miller, Alex Perez-Aguilar, Sam Raupp, Julian Rennells, Johan Servin, Owen Taylor, Elora Wildermuth-Breitzman, Talon Wildermuth-Breitzman, and Paxton Wilson all contributed to the team’s success at TWIST.

Ferradermis will take part in a training day at Waukesha County Technical College in Pewaukee next Saturday, where they will also offer two presentations for other teams. The following weekend, they will travel to Tremont, Illinois for Roboteer Rumble, an event that will feature 36 teams from across the Midwest.

On Saturday, November 15th, Ferradermis looks forward to hosting the second annual Whitewater FIRST LEGO League Challenge Regional, and on Sunday, December 7^th, they’ll host the first annual Whitewater FIRST Tech Challenge Qualifier. Look for robotics teams from the Whitewater elementary schools and Whitewater Middle School to compete at these events which are free and open to the public.

Article Submitted by Laura Masbruch
Whitewater High School Robotics Advisor
lmasbruch@wwusd.org
Photos Courtesy of Sam Raupp, Tori Breisath, Kat Dunham, and Laura Masbruch

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

The Sweet Spot Bakehouse, 1185 W. Main Street, closed in August 2025, and immediately online there were rumors that the building had been purchased for use as a Dunkin’ shop. That plan has been officially confirmed on the October 13 agenda of the city’s Plan and Architectural Review Commission [PARC]. Per the application for a conditional use permit [CUP], the business plans to be open from 5 a.m.- 7 p.m. The CUP is required for a drive-thru, additional signage beyond that which is automatically allowed by ordinance, [existing] outdoor seating and site plan review.

According to the city planner’s review of the CUP application, “the overall site layout is not changing, the size of the building is not changing, and the drive-through layout is not changing from the existing configuration. However, the building will receive new facade, and the interior will be [significantly] renovated to match current design standards for the franchise.” The planner recommends approval of the CUP.

Though the stores were originally called Dunkin’ Donuts, per Wikipedia, “In September 2018, the company announced that it would shorten its name to Dunkin’…The company acknowledged that “Dunkin'” was already a common shorthand name for the chain among customers and in its marketing (including the slogan “America Runs on Dunkin'”), and that the rebranding would reflect the chain’s continuing shift towards being a “beverage-led” brand at a time when consumers have shown a preference for healthier trends and options as they consume fewer doughnuts.”

Columbus Day is a U.S. holiday that commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492, and Columbus Day 2025 occurs on Monday, October 13. It was unofficially celebrated in a number of cities and states as early as the 18th century, but did not become a federal holiday until 1937. For many, the holiday is a way of both honoring Columbus’ achievements and celebrating Italian-American heritage. But throughout its history, Columbus Day and the man who inspired it have generated controversy, and many alternatives to the holiday have been proposed since the 1970s including Indigenous People’s Day, now celebrated in many U.S. states and cities.

Editor’s note: The above article is from history.com. The Banner appreciates having permission to use the image on the homepage by Brigitte Werner from Pixabay.

Photos courtesy of Tom Ganser

City of Whitewater Plan & Architectural Review Commission – Monday @ 6:00 p.m.
Agenda includes Discussion and possible approval of a Conditional Use Permit for Drive-Thru, Drive-Thru
Service Order Board, 2nd Building Wall Sign and Site Plan Review for Dunkin Donuts
located at 1185 W Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190. Parcel #: /L00011; Discussion and possible approval of a Conditional Use Permit for First Floor Residential located at 319 W James Street, Whitewater, WI 53190. Parcel #: /TR 00025; Discussion and possible recommendation to Common Council for change to the Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map for Tax Parcel #A444200001 from General Manufacturing District (M-1) to Multi-Family Residence District (R-3); Consideration to Approve and Recommend to Common Council a change in District Zoning Map to Rezone Parcel #A444200001 vacant land at end of E Main Street from M-1 (Manufacturing) to R-3 (Multi-Family Residence District.
Whitewater Municipal Building Community Room,
312 West Whitewater St.,
*In Person and Virtual
Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or
telephone. Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods.
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
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City of Whitewater Public Works Committee – Tuesday @ 5:15 p.m.
Agenda includes Discussion and Possible Action regarding the selection of a consulting firm to provide City
Engineering Services; Discussion and Possible Action regarding the acquisition of right-of-way at the southeast
corner of E. Main Street and Franklin Street.
Cravath Lakefront Room, 2nd Floor
312 W. Whitewater St.
*In Person and Virtual
Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or telephone.
Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
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Webinar ID: 835 5153 7463
Passcode:
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City of Whitewater Finance Committee Meeting – Tuesday @ 6:30 p.m.
Agenda includes budget review session two of three
Whitewater Municipal Building Community Room,
312 West Whitewater St., Whitewater, WI 53190
*In Person and Virtual
Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or telephone.
Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods.
Please click the link below to join the webinar: You are invited to a Zoom webinar!
When: Oct 14, 2025 06:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Finance Committee
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City of Whitewater Finance Committee – Wednesday @ 5:00 p.m.
Agenda includes budget review three of three sessions
Whitewater Municipal Building City Manager’s
Conference Room, 312 West Whitewater St.,
Whitewater, WI 53190 *In Person and Virtual
Wednesday, October 15, 2025 – 5:00 PM
Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or telephone.
Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods.
Please click the link below to join the webinar: You are invited to a Zoom webinar!
When: Oct 15, 2025 05:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Finance Committee
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City of Whitewater Parks and Recreation Board Meeting – Wednesday @ 5:30 p.m.
Agenda includes Update on the future of the Ice Rink at Big Brick Park; Update on the use of the Armory Gym for adult open gym basketball; Discussion and possible action to recommend to the Common Council approval of an
application to the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) Grants for Local
Projects program for the creation of a splash pad at Starin Park.
Cravath Lakefront room 2nd floor 312 WestWhitewater St
In Person and Virtual
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City of Whitewater Community Development Authority Board of Directors – Thursday @ 5:30 p.m.
Agenda includes Review and discussion presentation on single family housing program proposal; Update on Letter of Intent for Lot 7 B in the business Park.
Whitewater Municipal Building Community Room,
312 West Whitewater St.
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