News & Events

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

Over $10,000 has been awarded to the following local organizations through the Whitewater Community Foundation’s (WCF) Community Action Grant program:  Fairhaven Senior Services, Impact Team Trinity, Irvin L. Young Memorial Library, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Children’s Center, Whitewater Makers Inc., and the Whitewater Youth Soccer Club.

“We were thrilled to distribute more than $10,000 to several organizations doing work to benefit the Whitewater community.  Making a difference in the lives of our residents is our key purpose,” said Virginia Coburn, Chair of the Community Action Grant committee for the Whitewater Community Foundation.

Following is more information about each grant:

Fairhaven Senior Services was granted $2,500 for batteries to recharge Cycling Without Age Trishaw Rides. Each summer, volunteers spend hours bicycling around town with residents of Fairhaven enjoying the ride.

Impact Team Trinity (formerly W3) was granted $368.49 to purchase youth mental health books for each school library and the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library.

Irvin L Young Memorial Library was granted $4,500 for a computer to help young library visitors and their parents with the AWE literacy and reading readiness program in English and Spanish.

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Children’s Center was granted $1,000 to purchase Born Learning Trail Signs for a city park. The Born Learning Campaign provides caregivers and children with fun, free, bi-lingual, interactive activities to promote literacy and math in an outdoor setting.

Whitewater Makers Inc. was granted $500 to purchase supplies and to repair their printer and laser cutter/engraver.

Whitewater Youth Soccer Club was granted $1,500 to purchase soccer goals for the players who are under 8 years old.

Twice a year, the WCF offers Community Action Grants for projects that the community and board of directors believe are worthwhile and beneficial to various segments of the population.  Grant proposals are due on April 30th and October 31st of each year.

“The Foundation remains committed to funding projects that foster community engagement.  We encourage more local organizations to apply for our upcoming grants and continue making a positive impact,” said Coburn.

Organizations interested in pursuing a Whitewater Community Foundation Action Grant should contact info@whitewatercommunityfoundation.org.  Details about the Community Action Grants can be found at https://whitewatercommunityfoundation.org/community-action-grants/

The next grant requests are due October 31, 2025.

The Foundation continues to provide and host scholarships for Whitewater High School students and also offers fiscal sponsorship to organizations that are seeking 501(c) (3) status or require temporary pass-through funds for worthy community projects.

More information about the Whitewater Community Foundation can be found at https://whitewatercommunityfoundation.org/ and on Facebook. 

The Whitewater Community Foundation’s mission is to “enhance quality of life in the Whitewater area via educational, cultural, charitable or benevolent expenditures.”

Revving Up Joy: Lakeland Health Care Center Hosts 4th Annual Lugnuts & Donuts Classic Car Show

 Lakeland Health Care Center (LHCC), a skilled nursing facility operated by Walworth County, will host its Fourth-Annual Lugnuts & Donuts classic car show on Wednesday, June 18, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. This event is free and open to the public.

“Providing engaging community activities is essential to our residents’ morale and well-being,” says Lakeland Health Care Center Administrator Denise Johnson. “For many, classic cars evoke fond memories of their youth and spark a deep sense of joy.” 

Local gearheads will show off their classic rides and sports cars, motorcycles, trucks, and other motorized vehicles in LHCC’s front driveway. Donuts are provided. The residents will choose a first-place prize. The rain date is Wednesday, June 25.

Anyone interested in entering their classic ride in the show should contact the Lakeland Health Care Center Recreation Department at (262) 741-3677.

Lakeland Health Care Center is located at 1922 County Road NN, Elkhorn. Learn more about Lakeland Health Care Center at www.co.walworth.wi.us/260/Lakeland-Health-Care-Center.4th Annual Lugnuts & Donuts Classic Car Show

Written by Chris Lindeke –  Photos by Craig Schreiner, Kyle Winter

Beto Patino Luna, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, was recently announced as one of 441 recipients nationwide of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, the most prestigious undergraduate scholarship in the natural sciences and engineering.

Patino Luna, a geography (geology) and physics major from Janesville, was selected from a pool of approximately 5,000 applicants that included sophomores and juniors from universities around the United States. He is the fifth Warhawk to have earned the honor, joining Matthew Schulgit (2020), Melanie Sorman (2016), Andrew Phillips (2014) and Marie Nider (2012).

“It’s the most prestigious scholarship for undergraduates nationwide,” said Juk Bhattacharyya, a professor of geography, geology, and environmental science at UW-Whitewater and one of Patino Luna’s faculty mentors for the scholarship. “There are three people from Yale, three people from UW-Madison … and one from UW-Whitewater.

“Warhawks are the best people they can be, and Beto is a good example of that.”

One of eight students from Wisconsin to collect the scholarship, Patino Luna intends to pursue a Ph.D. in geophysics focused on rock rheology — the study of the deformation and flow of matter — and conduct research at a national laboratory, advancing numerical models to forecast volcanic hazards including eruptions and flank collapse.

Patino Luna, who is highly engaged in undergraduate research at UW-Whitewater, was encouraged to apply for the award by Bhattacharyya. He worked through the application process during the summer and submitted his application in January.

Patino Luna said completing the application helped him refine his knowledge of the research he is conducting and think more deeply about what he wants to do for his career.

“I was excited. Even just going through the application was a great joy,” he said. “Receiving that notification (of selection) was the cherry on top.”

A first-generation college student, Patino Luna worked as a welder in high school before deciding to attend college to find his passion. He visited campus in June 2022 and decided to enroll that fall.

Patino Luna was a part of the King/Chávez Scholars Program during his first year on campus. He contacted Bhattacharyya about being a part of her research when she presented to the group in the week leading up to the first day of classes and joined her lab that same week.

He immediately found success in research, presenting “Physical modeling with sand and water to simulate landslide conditions using Raspberry Pi to predict slope failure” at Undergraduate Research Day that spring. He earned the Outstanding Poster in Physical Science award for the project.

“Beto is like a sponge,” Bhattacharyya said. “When knowledge is involved, he soaks up anything people can throw at him, and he wants more.”

In 2023-24, Patino Luna continued with research in landslide detection and slope failure, presenting at the WiSys Quick Pitch competition. Later that spring, he earned the Travel Study Award scholarship from the University Honors Program, setting up his participation in an eight-day travel study course in Iceland with Bhattacharyya and Ozgur Yavuzcetin, professor of physics and also a faculty mentor for the Goldwater Scholarship.

“It’s a completely different culture, so it really broadens your perspective,” Patino Luna said. “I think that was really important, and it helped me become certain that I wanted to pursue a career in research.”

Patino Luna was one of 10 recipients nationwide of the 2024 American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) Undergraduate Scholarship. Last summer, he worked with Tushar Mittal, Raphael Affinito, and Christelle Wauthier of Penn State University’s Department of Geosciences on rock deformation, using his skills in physics and mathematics to conduct research. Mittal authored one of Patino Luna’s letters of recommendation.

In the fall, Patino Luna was part of a visit by Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers to Upham Hall’s STEM lab. He is also a McNair Scholar for his work in undergraduate research.

“Beto is a go-getter,” Yavuzcetin said. “If he wants to do something, he’ll do it. There’s nothing difficult for him.”

Patino Luna’s friendly demeanor and positive attitude match his hunger to learn.

“He’s always smiling,” Yavuzcetin said. “When he’s working or learning something, he’s always trying to talk to his professors, trying to learn something new and asking them questions. He has lots of interests … he’s like a kid in a candy store.”

This summer, Patino Luna will be working at the University of California, Santa Barbara through the U.S. National Sciences Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates, which includes numerous opportunities available to college students. He’ll work with devices consisting of stacked single atomic layers from synthetically grown materials — think small Legos stacked on top of each other — that allow for the study of quantum phenomena that can be implemented in new technologies.

He values the relationships he’s built in his coursework, through undergraduate research, and through all his opportunities at UW-Whitewater.

“I am who I am because of my mentors and my peers — both of them are really important to my development,” said Patino Luna, who is slated to graduate in May 2027. “They are really hard workers who motivate me to keep working and keep pushing.”

The Goldwater Scholarship honors former U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater and was designed to identify, encourage, and financially support outstanding undergraduate students interested in pursuing research careers in the sciences, engineering, and mathematics.

Versiti is the primary blood supplier for Southeastern Wisconsin hospitals, including Aurora Lakeland Medical Center and Fort Memorial Hospital. They are also the primary provider for all of the veterans’ hospitals in the state. Donations are especially appreciated during the summer, when the blood supply is often low.

Donors will be offered four free Mt. Olympus passes while supplies last. We are seeking clarification on the details, but last time the pass was for the water park, with $6 additional for entering the theme park. Also, the passes were only good through July 1. We’ll update this announcement if further details are available.

Appointments are greatly appreciated, though walk-ins are welcome as time permits. Reserve your spot at this link or by calling Lynn at 262-473-2997.

Editor’s note: The following press release was provided by the Irvin L. Young Library.

The Library Board will consider a proposal to change the name of the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library to Whitewater Public Library in its monthly meeting on June 16.

Jim Winship, who had been a longtime Library Board member and served as Chair of the library’s successful Capital Campaign, is making this proposal. He states: “Thanks to the City of Whitewater and the generosity of a large number of Whitewater area residents, we are completing a building project which increases the library size by 4400 sq. ft. and transforms the building. When the construction and renovation is complete, the library will have an expanded early learning wing, a new teen area, a larger Makerspace, additional collaboration spaces, outdoor event space, and greater accessibility. The name Whitewater Public Library, which is the way many people now refer to the library, best suits our library.”

The Library Board will meet at 6:30 p.m. on June 16 in the Cravath Lakefront Conference Room on the 2nd floor of the City of Whitewater’s Municipal Building, located at 312 W. Whitewater Street. Individuals wishing to speak to the proposal are welcome to attend the meeting.

Editor’s note: Irvin L. Young was born in 1897 in Milwaukee. He was an alumnus of Lake Forest College of Lake Forest, IL and McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. In 1940 he started the Snow Valley plant of Young Engineering in Palmyra. In 1954 he married Fern Drummond Jones of Chicago and established a home in his farm in the Palmyra area as well as retaining the Chicago home. Per his obituary, “He dedicated his life and income to the Irvin L. Young Foundation, a charitable foundation concerned mainly with the support of medical missionary work in Africa working through the board of 15 different denominations….Untold thousands of lives have been affected by the life and work of this one man.” Fern Young died in 2002. The Irvin L. Young Foundation made donations from its remaining assets of approximately $670,000 in 2019 and it was dissolved effective November 1, 2020.

The Whitewater Banner asked Library Director Diane Jaroch if she knew whether there were any stipulations connected to the foundation’s donation specifying how long the library was required to be named after Young. Jaroch replied, “I did do research before this idea was proposed, and there is nothing in the paperwork stating that we cannot change the name of the library.  I also consulted with Stacey Lunsford, the former Director. I plan to present the board with information on the history of the naming rights in their June board packet, so they will have all of the pertinent information they need before the June 16 board meeting.”

Local historian Carol Cartwright indicated that newspaper articles from 1987 and 1989 reported that the Young foundation gave $500,000 toward the library with the stipulation that it be named after Irvin Young. She stated that nothing was said about the duration of the naming. Taking inflation into account, today’s value of that donation would be approximately $1,300,000. The library opened in 1991, so it has carried the Young name for 34 years. The Young Auditorium, which opened on the UW-Whitewater campus in 1993, was also constructed with donations that included significant assistance from the Young foundation.

The approximate $6 million addition and renovation currently underway is being funded by over $2,300,000 in donations, library reserves of $840,000 and a $3,000,000 commitment from the city.

The Irvin L. Young Memorial Library is a member of the Bridges Library system of Jefferson and Waukesha Counties. The other libraries in the system are named as follows:

• Waukesha Public Library  
• Mukwonago Community Library  
• Brookfield Public Library  
• Menomonee Falls Public Library  
• New Berlin Public Library  
• Dwight Foster Public Library (Fort Atkinson)  
• Hartland Public Library  
• Muskego Public Library  
• Oconomowoc Public Library  
• Pauline Haass Library (Sussex)  
• Pewaukee Public Library  
• Delafield Public Library  
• Town Hall Library  
• Watertown Public Library  
• L.D. Fargo Public Library (Lake Mills)  
• Elm Grove Public Library  
• Jefferson Public Library  
• Alice Baker Public Library (Eagle) 
• Butler Public Library  
• Powers Memorial Library (Palmyra)  
• Big Bend Village Library  
• Karl Junginger Memorial Library (Waterloo)  
• Johnson Creek Public Library  

Discover, taste and support Wisconsin’s signature industry at the 48th Annual Walworth County Farm Bureau Dairy Breakfast on Saturday, June 14 from 7 to 11 am at JC-Kow Farms in Whitewater. JC-Kow Farms – owned and operated by the Kollwelter family – is located at W7522 Bluff Road, Whitewater. Whether you’re a lifelong dairy lover or new to farm-fresh experiences, the Kollwelter family invites you to come learn more about the people, products and passion that fuel the state’s $52.8 billion dairy industry.  

Breakfast will include scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage, cheese, milk and ice cream. The Walworth County Dairy Promotion Committee will also be selling charcuterie cups featuring local cheese, meat and strawberries. There will be farm tours, animal displays, a scavenger hunt and other activities for families to enjoy. Tickets can be purchased at the event – $10 for adults, $5 for children, under 5 eat for free. Parking will be located east of the farm with shuttles running to and from the farm. Parking for those with disabilities will be available on the farm. The event will be held rain or shine.

TROY, AL– Abby Grosinske of Whitewater, WI, graduated from Troy University during the Spring Semester/Term 4 of the 2024-2025 academic year.

Grosinske graduated with a Bachelor of Science – Exercise Science – Pre-Health Prof.

About Troy University

Troy University is a public, historic, international university with 22,500 students and 154,000 alumni. Students choose TROY for its quality academic programs, reasonable costs and availability of financial aid, outstanding faculty, and flexible in-class and online class offerings. Students on the Troy, Ala. campus enjoy a traditional college experience, while adult students are the centers of attention at campuses in Dothan, Montgomery and Phenix City, Ala., as well as at locations around the world and online.

The Greater Whitewater Committee is set to host Walworth County Historical Society board of directors’ member and Whitewater Landmarks Commission Chairman, Pat Blackmer, as a guest speaker at the upcoming June GWC meeting.

The Greater Whitewater Committee (GWC) is set to host Walworth County Historical Society board of directors’ member and Whitewater Landmarks Commission Chairman, Pat Blackmer, at the upcoming June meeting. Pat Blackmer will be presenting on the Historic Water Tower in Starin Park.

This event will take place on Thursday, June 12th at 7:00 a.m. at the Community Engagement Center, 1260 W Main St, Room 128, Whitewater, WI 53190.

Pat Blackmer is a fifth-generation resident of Walworth County who was born in the city of Whitewater. She completed college with a degree in education from UW-Whitewater and an M.S. degree from Illinois State University. Her teaching career included UW-Whitewater and the Wisconsin School for the Deaf.

Blackmer is active in several lineal and historical societies and is a weekly volunteer at the Walworth County Historical Society and a member of the board of directors. She has been an active preservationist all of her life with memberships in the National Historic Preservation Trust, Wisconsin Association of Historic Preservation, and the Whitewater Landmarks Commission of which she is the current chairman. She was honored in 2024 when she received the first City of Whitewater Historic Preservation Award.

The GWC’s upcoming monthly meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 12th at 7 a.m. at the Community Engagement Center, 1260 W Main St, Room 128, The public is more than welcome to attend this meeting to learn more about the Walworth County Historical Society. If you are interested in attending, you must RSVP. To reserve your spot, contact Jeff Knight at jpk@knightpublicaffairs.com or 920.728.0662 by Wednesday, June 11th.

“We are very thrilled to have Pat Blackmer present at this upcoming meeting,” said GWC President, Jeffery Knight. “We look forward to hearing updates about the Historic Water Tower in Starin Park.”