News & Events

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

Whitewater Pack & Ship, a business that for several years had provided comprehensive shipping services with every possible carrier, closed its doors in May, 2024. Now Advance Auto Parts has discontinued offering drop off service for UPS. As far as The Whitewater Banner has been able to determine, residents now have very limited options for UPS shipments, especially if they are unable to prepay the postage and create a label, or they have an Amazon return label. For UPS, there is a drop box in the Associated Bank parking lot. Particularly if a package is too large to fit in that box, Chris Hale of Home Lumber indicates that the business is willing to take a package for UPS, as long as the shipper has the package labeled and simply needs to drop it off. The other local and area options of which we are aware are listed below.

The UPS Store in Janesville told The Whitewater Banner that for an Amazon return with a QR code, the customer is not able to drop the package off anywhere other than a UPS Store. In some cases for an Amazon return, the customer is to create an address label with a bar code, and those packages may be dropped off elsewhere. Also, the Shipping Depot in Elkhorn indicates that they are able to assist a customer with a QR for a postage-paid Amazon return to jump through the hoops for them to create their label for the package for a $1 fee.

United States Post Office, 213 W. Center Street
Only USPS shipping. Envelopes and boxes are available for sale.

Walgreens, 1041 W. Main Street
Only FedEx shipping
Drop off: Customer must bring the package labeled and prepaid. For retail returns, they prefer that the customer have the label, but with the QR code they can usually provide one. FedEx picks up parcels Mon-Fri at 3 p.m.

The Shipping Depot
58 W. Market St., Elkhorn (Next to Taste of China)
Offers packing service, sells envelopes and boxes. Will assist a customer in obtaining the necessary label for an Amazon return for $1. Ships by DHL (international), FedEx, UPS, USPS. Open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. The store also offers mailboxes and shredding.

The UPS Store
2811 Milton Ave., Janesville
Offers packing service, sells envelopes and boxes. Will provide a label for an Amazon return with QR code at no cost; depending upon what is indicated with the code, the store will accept the return with no box or, if needed, can provide and pack the box for a charge. Open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Editor’s note: Any readers having further information about mailing services is requested to email us at whitewaterbanner@gmail.com so that we may update this information.

Native Seed Restoration of Paradise Springs Made Possible by the C.D. Besadny Conservation Fund Grant

The native seed restoration of Paradise Springs is made possible by the C.D. Besadny Conservation Fund Grant awarded to the Friends of the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit by the National Resources Foundation of Wisconsin.

The Friends of the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit (KMSFSU) is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting a greater appreciation of the cultural and natural history of the KMSFSU. To preserve, restore, and support the Kettle Moraine State Forest, the friends group partners with DNR staff and volunteers to complete projects and special initiatives, sponsor recreation and education, and raise funds.

The Friends of the KMSFSU applied for the C.D. Besadny Conservation Fund Grant earlier this year. The C.D. Besadny Conservation Fund was established by the National Resources Foundation of Wisconsin to invest in grassroots conservation and education projects that benefit Wisconsin’s lands, waters, and wildlife, and that connect people to Wisconsin’s natural resources. The one-to-one matching grants range from $500 to $2,000.

Lindsey Taylor, Conservation Coordinator with the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, shares, “Restoring natural communities that are accessible for visitors to experience and enjoy is a win-win for conservation. This project at Paradise Springs forwards the mission of NRF in one of our state’s most important landscapes.”

The grant will enable the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit – Wisconsin DNR to restore native vegetation and remove invasive species to enhance the visitor experience along the Paradise Springs accessible paved path. The project entails a herbicide treatment in the summer of 2025, a controlled burn followed by native plant seed in the fall of 2025, and a follow-up herbicide spot spray in the spring of 2026.

Paradise Springs is one of the most popular attractions in the KMSFSU. The 1⁄2 mile Paradise Spring Nature Trail travels to the Fieldstone Spring House, former resort hotel, dam, and former trout holding tank. It is one of the most highly visited areas within the unit due to its beauty, the trail accessibility and length, and the historical features such as the Spring House and Spillway.

Anne Korman, President of the Friends of the KMSFSU, shares, “Securing funding through grants such as the C.D. Besadny Conservation Fund allows the Friends of the KMSFSU to continue the important work we have supported at the Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit since the formation of the Friends Group. Restoration of native prairies and historical sites within the forest boundary has been a top priority for our group, and this grant funding is going to allow us to make improvements to one of the most popular locations within the forest.”

The Friends of the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting a greater appreciation of the cultural and natural history of the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit. For more information, visit https://www.kmsufriends.org/

Editor’s note: This press release was received from Friends of the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit.

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. This view is one of George Scharfenberg’s photographs from the 1990s showing an election banner. If you substitute November for April on the banner, you will have the date of the election next Tuesday. The Whitewater Historical Society hopes that all qualified voters will cast their ballots on Tuesday. 

Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.

(George Scharfenberg Collection, Whitewater Historical Society)

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the Whitewater Community Foundation.

The Whitewater Community Foundation has extended the Fall Community Action Grant deadline to Monday, November 4.  Grants will be awarded to local non-profit organizations actively working to support the greater Whitewater community. 

Information and forms are here: https://whitewatercommunityfoundation.org/community…

Local Whitewater groups – do you have a project that is beneficial to our community? Are you looking for funding?

Consider applying for a Whitewater Community Foundation Action Grant here: https://whitewatercommunityfoundation.org/community…

Celebrate the souls of departed loved ones through a cultural display at the “Ofrenda de Día de Muertos” exhibit at Roberta’s Art Gallery. This display is carefully curated by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Spanish Club and Latinos Unidos student organizations. It will be on display from Oct. 28 to Saturday, Nov. 2.

“Ofrenda de Día de Muertos” is an exhibit honoring Día de Muertos, or “Day of the Dead,” in English. This exhibit will feature an interactive altar, or “ofrenda,” where the Whitewater campus and community can write the name of a past loved one and leave behind significant items to welcome and honor their departed family members and friends. Throughout Mexico, families create elaborate celebrations of life involving small offerings and objects of remembrance to warmly invite the souls of the dead back to life’s celebrations.

UW-Whitewater’s Spanish Club is a student organization that emphasizes the importance of the Spanish language and promotes a deeper understanding of Hispanic culture. Latinos Unidos is a student organization whose primary goal is to unite, support, and promote the educational purposes and appreciation of the Latinx culture on campus.

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 to coordinate and sponsor exhibits. During the academic year, the gallery is open from 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. The gallery will be open Saturday, Nov. 2, for extended hours in honor of the Day of the Dead holiday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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 at uww_rag. 

The National Weather Service also reports that gusty rain showers may be expected in our area from approximately 10 a.m. to noon.

Delta Kappa Gamma, a professional women’s educator organization, had a presentation from Jorge Islas Martinez at their October meeting.  Jorge together with Sandra Heyer founded The Whitewater Community ESL (English as a Second Language) Program 25 years ago and were recently honored at a gala with 300 people in attendance.  The ESL program began with lessons being held once a week outside at Starin Park. Today, it has grown to four different levels of instruction taught five days a week. Jorge currently teaches the first level and has 67 students in his class. In addition to learning English, students are taught practical skills such as shopping at local stores, opening a bank account, scheduling medical and dental appointments etc. and are helped in securing resources that will allow them to better integrate into the community. Jorge would like to expand the program to 5 or 6 levels of instruction and offer computer/technology classes as well as citizenship classes. Funding comes from the Whitewater Unified School District, the United Way, the Mexican Consulate and local churches. Since the need for ESL classes is HUGE, they are looking for more ways to raise funds.  Jorge also discussed the impact that negative comments have on immigrants.

In addition to this program, Jorge is a supporting director for the Community Space and Voces de la Frontera, member of the Board of Directors for the Waunakee County Hispanic Coalition, Founder of Immigration Support Coalition of Whitewater and many other organizations. He is also writing a book titled “Know Me First” that he is hoping to publish soon. Jorge is one of the hardest working people in Whitewater and very passionate about making the lives of ESL families better. He is truly an outstanding member of the Whitewater community who is passionate about his work and a blessing to know.

Editor’s note: This article was submitted by Lori Heidenreich.