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Today is Thursday, January 9, 2025
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The Irvin L. Young Memorial Library has unveiled a new online events calendar and room reservation software. The public can easily view upcoming library events, book a study room, and reserve Makerspace equipment, including the 3D Printer, Cricut Maker machine, and more. Visit the library’s website at whitewaterlibrary.org and click on “Events” or “Reserve a Room.”
The library is located at 431 W. Center Street in Whitewater. Call 262-473-0530 or email library@whitewater-wi.gov with questions.
On Sunday, December 8, 23 FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Challenge robotics teams from around southern Wisconsin converged on Whitewater High School. This contingent included teams from Lakeview, Lincoln, and Washington Elementary Schools as well as Whitewater Middle School. FLL Challenge is open to 4th through 8th graders and combines a LEGO Spike Prime robotics competition with a research project presentation. Each team can have up to 10 participants. Teams are scored in four areas which are waited equally – robot performance, robot design, Innovation Project, and core values. The core values of the FIRST program (discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, teamwork, and fun) are evidenced through conversations with the judges about how their team operates throughout the season as well as observations made by the referees during the robot game on the day of the competition.
Over 75 volunteers pitched in to make this wonderful event possible by taking on rolls such as referees, team escorts, emcees, and more. Almost every member of Ferradermis had a role as a volunteer. Ferradermis was grateful to the community members who volunteered as judges including Thayer Coburn, Jenessa Starling from MacLean-Fogg, Amy Waelchli, and Juk Bhattacharyya from UWW. We were also thankful for our team alumni who returned to help, and we took the opportunity to honor Bennett Miles as our Volunteer of the Year for his determination to start the FLL program in Whitewater as a senior in high school in 2018. Our team parents were vital to the success of the event with some serving as judges and others running the concession stand on behalf of the WUSD Robotics Booster Club. Another key factor in the success of the event is the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) community. Mentors and students from high school teams throughout southeast Wisconsin converge each weekend on each other’s events to provide key volunteers. Ferradermis would like to give a special shoutout to the Warriorbots from Muskego High School for bringing a crew of students to assist and to the Mukwonago Bears for all of their help in preparing for the event and training members of our team for key roles.
The 2025 event is already scheduled for Saturday, November 15, 2025.
Article Submitted by Laura Masbruch
Whitewater High School Robotics Advisor
lmasbruch@wwusd.org
Photos Courtesy of Rich Grosse
Rotary’s Annual Holiday Fruit Basket Sale is happening now! The seasonally festive baskets contain 12 pieces of premium quality apples, pears, oranges, and grapefruit. Those who ordered in advance may pick up their baskets in the lobby of the downtown office of First Citizens State Bank during normal business hours beginning on Wednesday, December 18.
Never fear if you didn’t order in advance; a limited quantity of baskets will be available beginning on Wednesday, December 18 while supplies last for $22 each.
The bank is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
All the proceeds will go to our local community projects and Whitewater High School Scholarships!
“Love the Coopers”
Wednesday, December 18, 1 pm
(Holiday/Comedy/Romance) Rated PG-13;
1 hour, 47 minutes (2015).
The hilarious intertwined stories of four generations of the Cooper Family unfolds right before their annual family reunion on Christmas Eve. A stellar cast includes Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, John Goodman, Ed Helms, Timothee’ Chalamet, Amanda Seyfried, Alan Arkin, Marisa Tomei, Olivia Wilde, and June Squib.
Seniors in the Park is located in Starin Park, 504 W. Starin Road. Although there is no charge to attend, regular participants are encouraged to join Seniors in the Park. The annual fee for residents of the Whitewater Unified School District is $10 and non-residents is $15. The funds support about half of the cost of our front desk staff person for 15 hours per week. The rest comes our of our fundraising monies. If you cannot afford the fee, we have a fund that will cover it for you. Fees are accepted at the Starin Park Community Building or online at https://schedulesplus.com/wwtr/kiosk/
Everyone is welcome with no cost for any activities.
Todos son bienvenidos sin costo para ninguna actividad.
Photos and story courtesy of Lisa Dawsey Smith.
This year’s Parade of Lights was far and away the biggest in memory. There were 30 preregistered entries. At the starting point the parade ran 25 minutes from beginning to end.
There is one annual title sponsor of the Parade of Lights. We are incredibly grateful to Generac for their continued support and sponsorship of this event. That sponsorship allows for the rehabilitation of the snowflake lights downtown, the parade and promotion of the parade, and the children’s take and make craft station.
Online voting for winners of parade prize categories is open until today, Friday, December 13 at 6:00 p.m. (one week after step off of the parade). The community will choose this year’s winners, and as of Thursday evening there have been over 200 in-person and online votes. Descriptions of the categories and the ballot may be accessed through the link below:
https://forms.gle/ujot15Q2MRVH9XbD7
Event attendees are also encouraged to use the link below to provide feedback on the parade, the market, the lighting ceremony, and other elements of the evening. Your comments will enable organizers to improve future events.
Celebrate the Magic of Christmas at Cravath
The City of Whitewater is thrilled to celebrate the success of this year’s Christmas at Cravath lighting event, which brought holiday cheer to the community through an enchanting display of lights and decorations at Cravath Lakefront Park.
The Christmas at Cravath lighting ceremony took place around 7:00 p.m. on December 6th, immediately following the festive downtown Christmas parade. Attendees gathered at Cravath Lakefront Park to witness the stunning lights come to life, marking the start of a magical holiday season in Whitewater. [The lighting ceremony may be viewed here, and a video walk-through of the lights may be seen here.]
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors, whose generous contributions made this event possible.
Presented by sponsor: TDS Fiber
Santa’s Helpers level sponsors: Pro Landscape Supply, Burtness Chevrolet, Generac, UW Whitewater (SAI)
Candy Cane level sponsors: Tundra Tobacco, PremierBank, First Citizens State Bank, Kienbaum Iron & Metal, JLH Trucking
Gift Level Sponsors: Ketterhagen Ford, Fort HealthCare
Holiday Cheer level sponsors: Steve O’s Flip Flops and Tank Tops, Fort Community Credit Union
The lights and displays will remain available for public viewing nightly from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM through January 6, 2025. Families, children, and visitors are encouraged to visit Cravath Lakefront Park to experience the magic of the season and enjoy everything Whitewater has to offer during this special time of year.
Join us Saturday, December 14th for Family Fun Activities with Santa from 5-8 pm. Enjoy cookies and milk sponsored by Katzman Family Farms, cookie decorating and other family friendly activities.
Friday, December 20th from 6-8pm, we will be hosting a Chili Cook Off and viewing National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation out on the big screen in the park. Dress warm!
Looking ahead, we’re excited to announce that Christmas at Cravath will become an annual tradition in Whitewater, further solidifying our community’s commitment to bringing joy and togetherness to the holiday season.
Additionally, stay tuned for a special treat! Media Services is creating a video walking tour of the Christmas at Cravath display, which will soon be available on our social media platforms, YouTube channel, and Channel 990.
For more information, visit https://www.whitewater-wi.gov/1 or follow us on social media for updates and content from this year’s event.
Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by the City of Whitewater.
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE HOLDS COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY IN DECEMBER
The following individual from our area is among the 1,340 prospective candidates for degree attending University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee commencement exercises Sunday, December 15, 2024 in Milwaukee.
UWM is the second largest university in the State of Wisconsin, with over 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
Whitewater, WI
Dorothy Kent, School of Nursing, Doctor of Philosophy
Obituaries
William J. “Bill” West, 75, of Whitewater passed away on Tuesday, December 24, 2024 at Fort Memorial Hospital in Fort Atkinson. Bill was born on September 8, 1949 to John and Bessie (Sutherland) West in Fort Atkinson. He worked at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater for twelve years. Bill enjoyed watching the Packers and NASCAR. He is survived by his girlfriend, Sandy Hahn; and many friends and family. A memorial visitation will take place on Thursday, January 16, 2025 from 11 AM until 1 PM at Nitardy Funeral Home, 550 N. Newcomb St., Whitewater, WI 53190. Inurnment will take … Read more
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David Harold Baker Jr., beloved husband, father, stepfather, son, and brother, passed away on December 16, 2024, in Portland, Oregon, at the age of 61. Born on August 10, 1963, in Beaufort, South Carolina, David was the firstborn child of David Baker Sr. and the late Betty Jean Baker (née Wickham) while his father served in the United States Marine Corps. David spent his early years in Wyoming, where the family lived until his parents divorced. In 1976, David moved to Oregon with his father, and he graduated from high school in 1982. Shortly after, he moved to Wisconsin to … Read more
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Allen C. Hicks, 85 of Whitewater passed away on Saturday, January 4th, 2025 at Huntington Memory Care in Janesville. Al, the oldest of seven boys, was born on July 5th, 1939, in Belvidere, Illinois to Walt and Laura (Keller) Hicks. A few years later, the family bought a dairy farm in Whitewater and became very active in the Whitewater community. There was always work to be done or something to be repaired on the farm which led to Al’s lifelong love of tinkering. He was very active in high school sports which continued on into his adult years playing in … Read more
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Jeanette Ila Hansen, 91, Whitewater passed away on December 24, 2024 at Rainbow Hospice Inpatient Center in Johnson Creek, WI, having lived independently almost all her later life. Jeanette was born on May 12, 1933 in Whitewater, WI to Alvin and Maybell (Maasz) Cox. She married Norman Hansen on November 2, 1950 and they were married for 59 years. Jeanette enjoyed fishing, reading, indoor gardening, collecting dolls, and cooking; and she made many beautiful items with crocheting, knitting, and sewing. She was generous and seemed to have a good word to say about almost everyone she met. She especially loved … Read more
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Isaac Richard Unger left the field on Christmas Day, and is now at peace. He was born in Whitewater, WI on April 1st, 1993 to Paul and Mary Jo (née Peiffer) Unger. Isaac was born ten days late on a silly holiday, and lived his life as such–never rushed, and with a lighthearted sense of humor. Isaac graduated from Madison East High School in 2011, and then attended UW-River Falls from 2011-2016, where he studied English and philosophy. Isaac was a sports lover, not only as a spectator, but as a participant. Isaac grew up playing soccer, basketball (Badger Sporting … Read more
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John George Mack passed away into eternal glory on December 24th, 2024. John was born December 1, 1963, in Fort Atkinson, WI to Ronald and Mary Alice (Hanson) Mack of Whitewater. John was a 1982 Whitewater High School graduate. In 1983 just out of high school John started his first wood company selling wholesale through all the major gift markets including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York. At the time his clients included 8 out of the 10 retail chains and several thousand independent stores nationwide. John had so many wonderful customers and associates. As the wholesale gift market shifted to cheaper overseas … Read more
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Clifford Maynard Witte, age 103, of Whitewater, WI completed his earthly journey on December 24, 2024 in his home surrounded by his loving family. Clifford was born on September 13, 1921 on a farm in Mount Horeb, WI, and was the third child of Ella and Eli Witte. Clifford served his country by joining the Navy in 1942 during WWII, and served alongside his two brothers. Later he used the GI bill to attend Palmer Chiropractic College in Davenport, IA. There he met the love of his life, Beulah (Billie) Ohrberg, and they married on Nov 7, 1946. Shortly after … Read more
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Mary Ann Burkhardt, 79, passed away December 24, 2024, at Edgerton Hospital, surrounded by loved ones following a brief illness. Mary was born on September 14, 1945, in Chicago, IL, to Raymond and Helen (Pasternak) Burkhardt. She attended elementary school in Chicago and Good Counsel Catholic Girls High School, before her family moved to Whitewater where she graduated from WHS in 1963. She worked at Gus’s Pizza Palace, Whitewater Products, and finally, Jones Dairy Farm until her retirement 33 years later. She enjoyed bowling, snowmobiling, boating, golf, riding her motorcycle, and playing softball for the Long Branch Saloon. She was … Read more
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Jean Lucile Zuill, 98, of Whitewater passed away on Thursday, December 19, 2024 at Hearthstone Memory Care. Jean was born on April 20, 1926 in the Town of Lima to Howard and Florence (VanDuser) Hunt. Along with her brother Van, she grew up on their family farm in Lima. She graduated from Whitewater High School in 1944. For a short time, Jean worked at the Parker Pen Company in Janesville. She married David “Dave” Zuill on August 9, 1947 in Whitewater. Upon marriage and having their two daughters, Janet and Mary, Jean undertook the meaningful job of mother and homemaker. … Read more
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Helen Ruth Delaney, 94, of Whitewater, WI, passed away peacefully into the arms of her Heavenly Father on Friday, December 20, 2024. She was born in Bellwood, West Virginia on August 8, 1930, daughter of Henderson C. and Bertha J. (Skaggs) Hamby. She attended Leedwood High School in West Virginia. She attended Cornell University in New York studying economics and business. On April 8, 1978, Helen married Laurence W. Delaney in Rockton, IL. Helen retired as the Manager of a Hallmark gift shop in Greenville SC and previously managed the Stop ‘N Go in Whitewater, WI. Helen was a member … Read more
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