Whitewater’s July 4 Parade kicked off with the Whippet City Mile run through the parade route at 9:45 am on July 4. The parade launched at 10:00 am.

Parade winners were as follows:

Youth:

1. Whitewater United FC
2. WHS POMS Team
3. Whitewater Parks and Recreation

Neighborhood & Adult:

1. UWW Athletics
2. Cold Springs Riders

Business & Commercial Floats:

1. Flora Villa
2. Staller Winery
3. Willow Brook Golf Course

Costumed Marchers:

1. Whippets Football
2. Southern Lakes
3. City of Whitewater

Horse & Pony

1. Trinity Hicks
2. Grazing Goats
3. Whitewater Area Mounted Search Team and Rescue

Best of Parade: Whippets Football

Race and Parade Photos Courtesy of Greg Stewart

WHITEWATER—July 3, 2024—The Greater Whitewater Committee (GWC) is set to host Southern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, Deputy Director Ben Mckay, at the upcoming July meeting. Ben Mckay will be presenting on housing needs in Walworth County.

Ben McKay, Deputy Director, has been with the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission since June, 2004. He has led and facilitated long-range regional, county, and community-level planning efforts undertaken by the Commission during the last 20 years. Including the Regional Housing Plan and VISION 2050, Southeastern Wisconsin’s long-range land use and transportation plan. Ben received a Master of Urban Planning degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2003.

The GWC’s upcoming monthly meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 11th at 7 a.m. at 841 Brewhouse: 841 E Milwaukee St, Whitewater, WI 53190. The public is more than welcome to attend this meeting to hear more about Walworth County housing needs. If interested in attending, you must RSVP. To reserve your spot, contact Jeff Knight at jpk@knightpublicaffairs.com or 920.728.0662 by Wednesday, July 10th.

“Tayor Zeinert, the City of Whitewater Economic Development Director, and I discussed having Ben Mckay speak at our next GWC meeting,” said GWC President, Jeffery Knight. “We are thrilled he was able to come speak about his perspective on housing issues in the region.”

For further details, please contact Jeffery Knight at 920.728.0662 or jpk@knightpublicaffairs.com.

About the GWC
The GWC is an action-oriented group committed to working with citizens, elected officials, and policymakers to identify, craft, and implement a pro-business agenda. The agenda advances the economic, education, and social policies required to energize and secure the Whitewater area’s economic future, as well as protect Whitewater’s quality of life.

For the past several years there’s been a popular fresh fruit and vegetable stand in the BP gas station parking lot on West Main Street. Apparently it hasn’t been popular enough, as Jim and Kathy Schumacher kindly passed on to the Banner the sad news that Skelly’s indicates they are not returning to Whitewater this year due to insufficient sales. Their closest stands, which open on July 5, will be in Janesville: 1) Milton Avenue at the Creston Park shopping center, near Office Max, and 2) Pontiac at the former Pontiac Convention Center.

There will still be two local options for fresh produce:
City Market at the train depot on Tuesdays from 4-7 p.m.
Farmers Market at the train depot parking lot on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon.

Our thanks to Jim and Kathy for passing on this tip.

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. In honor of the opening of the historical society’s local history museum in July, 1974, we are celebrating “50 Years at the Depot.” This photo is a view of the Whitewater Depot around the time it was converted to a museum. Note the chain link fence and gravel driveway. The City of Whitewater takes care of the area surrounding the building and there is very nice landscaping and facilities around the depot today.

In 1974, the City of Whitewater and the Whitewater Historical Society agreed to the society having a 99-year lease on the building. That lease is in effect today and the city and the historical society share the costs of building maintenance. We are halfway through the lease and so far it has worked out well!

Join us on Saturday when we are open for the car show (2-6 p.m.) happening next to the depot building and join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.

(#2040P, Whitewater Historical Society)

The Whitewater Classic is an annual event at Perkins Stadium on the UW-Whitewater campus that draws a large crowd. It’s part of the annual competition of Drum Corps International and is hosted by the Madison Scouts. The competition typically lasts for three plus hours and the accomplished musical performances are accompanied by phenomenal choreography.

Whitewater has a special place in Drum Corps International’s history. The first Drum Corps International World Championship that was held at Warhawk (now Perkins) Stadium in 1972 had everything riding on it. If it failed, this young confederation of drum corps would likely go down with it. The competition was a grand success.

JULY 6 – THE WHITEWATER CLASSIC
Saturday at 7:00 p.m – UW Whitewater, Perkins Stadium
Bluecoats (Canton, OH); The Cavaliers (Rosemont, IL); Colt Cadets (Dubuque, IA); Colts (Dubuque, IA); Eclipse (Indianapolis), Green Beret Marching Band (Janesville, WI); Ill Rock Rhythm & Groove Ensemble, (Beloit, WI); Madison Scouts, (Madison, WI); Phantom Regiment, (Rockford, IL); Rogues Hollow Regiment, (Doylestown, OH) and Sound of Sun Prairie (Sun Prairie, WI).

Event Start Time: 7:00 pm CT
Gates Open: 6:00 pm CT
Box Office Day of Show Open: 5:00 pm CT

Tickets for the event range from $30 – $50
A $6.95 processing fee will be added to each ticket at checkout.
Ticket prices for this event will increase on the day of the event. 
Tickets may be purchased online here.

Parking:
Spectator Parking – Parking passes [$15] are required in order to park at UW-Whitewater. You can only purchase a parking pass by visiting University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Parking website here. [Look for “purchase UW-W Special Events Permits.] Your parking pass will appear as a confirmation email that you can present to the attendant when you arrive, either via your smartphone or printed copy. Attendants will not be taking cash. Download detailed instructions here.
If you have any issues, we suggest reaching out to University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Parking Services by calling (262) 472-1011 from 7:30am – 4:30pm CT, Monday – Friday or by emailing parking@uww.edu.

Editor’s note: Below are some highlights of an article regarding Whitewater residents Jon and Terri Kachel that appeared in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on page A11 on Monday, July 1, 2024. The print article may be seen in the Irvin L. Young Library’s copy of that WSJ, which may be obtained at the circulation desk. The online version, with more copy and photos than the print version, may be found here. The article, written by A.J. Baime, is part of his weekly series titled “My Ride.” The Banner appreciates that Mark Dorn tipped us off to the article.

A Secret to Their Happy Marriage: His and Hers 1970 Muscle Cars

“Jon [Kachel]: I was still in high school in Whitewater when I bought a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner. Terri was my girlfriend…. We lived the lives of kids with muscle cars.

Terri [Kachel]: It was like the movie “American Graffiti.” We would cruise with our friends…

Jon: The Plymouth Superbird was a special version of the Road Runner, with a wing on the back. The Superbird was only made one model year, 1970, and it didn’t sell well. But when Richard Petty started winning races in the Superbird, people noticed. Petty topped 200 miles per hour in a Superbird that year….

Terri: Jon and I got married on June 12, 1976…Over the years, we worked pretty hard. We raised three kids. In 2017, Jon decided to pursue this thing he had loved all his life..

Jon: Chrysler only built about 1,940 Plymouth Superbirds. I found one in 2017 and bought it from a car collector….I took off the glove box door and sent it to Richard Petty. He autographed it and sent it back.

Terri: This car is in gorgeous condition. But it’s almost 19 feet long. It was a lot more than I could handle. I always loved Dodge Challengers, so soon after Jon bought his Superbird, I started shopping around….I found one…..The color is Plum Crazy Purple.

Jon: In Wisconsin in the summer, you can go to a car show twice a week and not have to drive more than 40 miles….As rare as Plymouth Superbirds are, one of the only clubs in existence is based in Wisconsin. I went to one club meeting in 2022 and I remember seeing 13 Superbirds there.

Terri: Jon calls his passion a hobby…It’s more of an obsession….We grew up in southern Wisconsin loving muscle cars. We still live in southern Wisconsin and we still love muscle cars.”

Editor’s note: This press release was provided by the Walworth County Sheriff and the Walworth County Medical Examiner’s Office.

On July 2nd, 2024, at approximately 2:18 PM, the Walworth County Communications Center received numerous calls of a structure fire and reports of an explosion at a residence located on Kulow Road in the Town of Lafayette, Walworth County, Wisconsin. [The town of Lafayette is located a few miles southeast of Abells Corners.] Walworth County Sheriff’s Deputies and the Elkhorn Fire Department were dispatched. Upon the arrival of Sheriff’s Deputies, they reported a small fire and confirmed an explosion had occurred at the residence. Deputies immediately began to search for survivors and secured the area until the arrival of fire and rescue personnel.

The only occupant of the structure was a 68-year-old male resident, Leland R. Holden, who was located in the rubble and transported by Flight for Life to a local trauma center, where he later died. The Elkhorn Fire Department is investigating the cause of the explosion with the assistance of the State Fire Marshall and the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office.

We would like to thank the following agencies for their assistance: The Lake Geneva Police Department, the Elkhorn Area Fire Department, Flight for Life, the Lake Geneva Fire Department, the Lyons Township Fire and Rescue Department, the LaGrange Fire Department, the East Troy Fire Department, the Town of Delavan Fire Department, the City of Delavan Fire Department, the Troy Center Fire Department, the Paris Fire Department, the Kansasville Fire Department, the City of Burlington Fire Department, the South Shore Fire Department, the Somers Fire Department, the Bristol Fire Department, the Vernon Fire Department, the Racine Fire Department, the Racine Fire Bells and the Walworth County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Editor’s note: According to ABC7, Elkhorn Fire Chief Trent Eichmann said it took 30-40 minutes to get to the victim before he was taken to the hospital. Preliminary information suggests that the incident may be a result of a propane gas explosion, Eichmann said. Since the area is rural, it is not serviced by natural gas.

Editor’s note: The following press release was provided by the City of Whitewater.

Whitewater Police Seek Federal Funding

The Whitewater Police Department has been working to creatively address staffing needs within the police department to meet demand for law enforcement services. In June, the department submitted a grant application to the U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office. The grant, entitled FY24 COPS Hiring Program, is intended to advance public safety through community policing by funding additional full-time law enforcement positions to meet agencies’ community policing strategies. Whitewater Police have requested funding for three additional law enforcement positions through the grant. If granted, the funding will enable Whitewater Police to hire three additional officers, each supported by $125,000 over a three-year period. This initiative promises to strengthen community bonds and ensure a brighter, safer future for Whitewater.

Editor’s note: The following additional information was included in the Common Council agenda packet on May 7, 2024.

The CHP provides funding to law enforcement agencies to hire and/or rehire additional sworn officers in an effort to increase community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. Agency requests for officers are capped at 20% of actual sworn force, and the maximum federal share per officer position is $125,000 over the three‐year funding period. Agencies are required to cost share at least 25% and are required to pay a progressively larger share of the cost of the award with local funds over the award
period.

Staff would plan to request three officers with the following cost breakdown per officer (based on the assumption that the total annual cost per officer is approximately $105,000):
2025: Federal share: $60,000 per officer ($180,000 total)/City share: $55,000 per officer ($165,000 total)
2026: Federal share: $40,000 per officer ($120,000 total)/City share: $75,000 per officer ($225,000 total)
2027: Federal share: $20,000 per officer ($60,000 total)/City share: $95,000 per officer ($285,000 total)

The City would be responsible for the full cost of each officer after the three‐year funding period. The City
is required to retain the additional positions for a minimum of 12 months beyond the three‐year funding
period.

The Common Council at the May 7, 2024 meeting unanimously passed a motion to approve the submission of the grant application.