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League Book Club Discussion on American Madness Starts Sept. 18

September 13, 2025

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee of the League of Women Voters Whitewater Area will hold the first of three Book Club discussions on our fall book selection, American Madness: Fighting for Patients in a Broken Mental Health System
by Alice Feller, M.D., on Thursday evening, September 18, 6:15PM-7:45 PM, at The Book Teller, 171 W Main Street, in Whitewater.

The book explores the complex realities of mental health care in the United States. Our discussion on September 18th will cover the introduction through Chapter 4. SAVE THE DATES – additional discussions will be held on October 9 (Chapters 5 – 9) and
November 13 (Chapters 10 – Epilogue) at the same time and location.


ACQUIRE THE BOOK TODAY! A limited supply of books are available at The Book Teller (call 262-269-9109 to hold a copy to purchase) and local libraries. You can also order the book from Amazon.


The LWV Book Club was formed to help our members and friends engage in meaningful discussions of current notable books dealing with public policy issues of interest to the League. You do not need to be a member of the League to participate
and refreshments will be served. For questions or further information please contact Dwight C. Watson, dwight.watsondcw@gmail.com, or Deb Gamble, shebagam@gmail.com


The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Visit our website at https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/whitewater-area and like us on Facebook!

Seniors in the Park Presents “Beat the Devil”

September 13, 2025

“Beat the Devil”

Wednesday, September 17, 1 pm

(Action/Adventure/Comedy)

Rated PG; 1 hour, 29 minutes (1953).

Our final Wednesday art/foreign film of the season.

Written by Truman Capote, directed by John Huston, and bankrolled by Humphrey Bogart’s Santana Productions company,  this is a droll satire of the Maltese Falcon,  and was Huston’s and Bogart’s sixth and last collaboration. On their way to Africa, a group of rogues and swindlers hope to get rich by outsmarting each other in their chase  for uranium. Filmed on location in Italy, this film has become a Bogart cult classic. Starring Humphrey Bogart, Jennifer Jones, Gina Lollobrigida, Peter Lorre and Robert Morley.

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 out 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/

Volunteer Waterway Clean-Up – Saturday, Sept. 20

September 12, 2025

On Saturday, September 20th from 8 am to 10 am, the City of Whitewater, Rock River Stormwater Group, Protect Wisconsin Waterways, and University of Wisconsin Whitewater students will host a river clean-up event in conjunction with waterway clean-up efforts across the Rock River watershed. The local waterway clean-up event also coincides with the start of the second annual statewide Wisconsin Stormwater Week and National Clean Up Day. The City of Whitewater clean-up will start at Cravath Lakefront Park. Volunteers are encouraged to sign up online and meet at this location at 8 am on Saturday, September 20th. 

Community members are invited to join the clean-up efforts to pick up trash and help revitalize Cravath Lake, Trippe Lake, and Whitewater Creek in Whitewater, which feed into the Rock River. Community members or groups interested in volunteering for the clean-up event can learn more details and register online at Protect Wisconsin Waterways Clean Up.


The September 20th event will be the seventh annual clean-up organized by the Rock River Stormwater Group and marketing students at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater as part of its Protect Wisconsin Waterways campaign. Last year’s clean-up events included over 290 volunteers across multiple communities within the Rock River watershed. This year’s clean-up events will take place in similar locations spanning from Beloit to Monroe, including Beloit (two locations), Janesville, Milton, Fort Atkinson, Whitewater, Beaver Dam, Waupun, and Monroe. In the past, volunteers have removed basic trash like plastic bottles to the more exotic – rubber tires, a boot, TV, and a parks and recreation barrier from area waterways. The September 20th clean-up events will serve as a local kickoff to Wisconsin Stormwater Week, a statewide initiative focused on raising awareness about stormwater runoff and how Wisconsin residents can make a difference to reduce the environmental toll of stormwater runoff pollution.

About The Rock River Stormwater Group: The Rock River Stormwater Group includes fifteen municipalities within the Rock River Basin stretching from Waupun, WI to Beloit, WI along with the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the City of Monroe. The group launched the Protect Wisconsin Waterways campaign in January 2017 with help from Creative Marketing Unlimited, a student-run marketing consulting group affiliated with the UW-Whitewater American Marketing Association chapter. The Protect Wisconsin Waterways campaign is part of the Rock River Stormwater Group’s public outreach efforts to educate the public and improve stormwater practices in the Rock River watershed. Wisconsin’s communities are interconnected through the waterways, so what happens in Waupun on the Rock River ends up affecting each municipality down the river. Recognizing this, the Rock River Stormwater Group advocated that community members pay attention to how their day-to-day activities such as cleaning up pet waste, keeping grass clippings out of the street, and minimizing fertilizers and salt use can make a difference in our area waterways. UW-Whitewater students representing Protect Wisconsin Waterways have attended community events to raise awareness and will use the clean-up events on September 20th to kick off the school year and Wisconsin Stormwater Week while making a difference. 

The Rock River is a 284-mile river that encompasses many communities and has become a staple of Wisconsin’s waterway system. The September 20th event is an important group effort to revitalize the Rock River and will help leave a positive footprint on our environment. Protect Wisconsin Waterways will be partnering with the Wisconsin Stormwater Collaborative, a group of 200+ stormwater collaboratives, municipalities, and nonprofits from across the state, to promote the second annual Wisconsin Stormwater Week. The City of Whitewater as part of its involvement in the Rock River Stormwater Group identified the clean-up event as the perfect way to combine common interests in protecting Wisconsin’s natural resources that we value so much. 

For more information on the event, visit https://protectwiwaterways.org/ 

About Stormwater Runoff Pollution: Stormwater runoff impacts our rivers, lakes, and drinking water. With every rain event, pollutants like fertilizers, soil, pet waste, oil, leaves, and other organic material get washed into our surface waters. These pollutants cause excessive weed and algae growth in our waters, harmful algae blooms, sedimentation, and many other problems. 

For Additional Information Contact: 

Brad Marquardt
Director of Public Works 
(262) 473-0139 
Bmarquardt@whitewater-wi.gov 

Olivia Nanni 
Protect Wisconsin Waterways Account Executive Creative Marketing Unlimited UW-Whitewater Student
815-543-6062
NanniOB02@uww.edu 

Dr. Andy Dahl
Chair of Marketing Department 
Faculty Advisor, Creative Marketing Unlimited UW-Whitewater
262-472-6950
Dahlaj18@uww.edu 

Non-Partisan Constitution Day Event Planned for September 17

September 12, 2025

September 17th marks the anniversary of the signing of the US Constitution. Each year, special events are planned commemorating this significant day in our country’s history.

This year, the Whitewater Neighborhood Action Team is hosting a non-partisan Constitution 101 event at the Prairie Village Community Center, 913 Burr Oak Trail, Whitewater, 5:30pm – 8:00pm.

The event will include a constitution expert as a guest speaker, some Constitution knowledge with small group discussion and some good food to share in community.

See the brochure for more details and scan the QR code to register. Reservations are limited so be sure to register now to save your seat.

Information Provided By Sue Chandler

Local Student Named to Southern New Hampshire University President’s List

September 12, 2025


MANCHESTER, NH – Kaatje Gunnink of Whitewater has been named to Southern New Hampshire University‘s (SNHU) Summer 2025 President’s List. The summer terms run from May to August.

Full-time undergraduate students who have earned a minimum grade-point average of 3.700 and above for the reporting term are named to the President’s List. Full-time status is achieved by earning 12 credits over each 16-week term or paired 8-week terms grouped in fall, winter/spring, and summer.

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution with a 92-year history of educating traditional-aged students and working adults. Now serving more than 200,000 learners worldwide, SNHU offers approximately 200 undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, available online and on its 300-acre campus in Manchester, NH. Recognized as one of the “Most Innovative” regional universities by U.S. News & World Report and one of the fastest-growing universities in the country, SNHU is committed to expanding access to high quality, affordable pathways that meet the needs of each learner.

#FlashbackFriday with the Historical Society: Whitewater Garage road sign c.1920

September 11, 2025

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. This week’s image is a road sign for the Whitewater Garage, operated by E M. Drewry and Walter Gnatzig. Some research into this business shows that Drewry and Gnatzig formed a partnership in 1918 and operated the Whitewater Garage together until Gnatzig’s death in 1931. The Whitewater garage was a long-time Buick car dealership and garage business in 20th century Whitewater. This sign was probably erected in the 1920s, probably along Highway 12, which at that time was one of the early improved highways in the area.

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

(3776P, Whitewater Historical Society)

UW-W Hosting Public Lectures in Whitewater & Janesville

September 11, 2025


UW-Whitewater to Host Public Lectures in Whitewater and Janesville

Faculty from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will present a series of lectures this fall exploring the theme “Standing the Test of Time.”

For more than 40 years, UW-Whitewater’s Continuing Education has hosted lectures in the Fairhaven Lecture Series in Whitewater. The Cedar Crest Lecture Series in Janesville started in 2020.

Lectures focus on timely themes such as elections, international events, inclusivity, and the economy. Many residents at Fairhaven — which partners with several university departments for resident engagement — are proud alums or emeriti faculty of UW-Whitewater.

This fall, presenters will explore a wide variety of topics from the transition of power in the U.S. to learning leadership from dogs. Faculty from all five colleges from both of UWW’s campuses will present. One lecture will also include several student researchers.

Lectures are free and open to the public. Free parking is available at both locations and registration is not required for either series.

The Fairhaven Lecture Series is based in Olm Fellowship Hall at Fairhaven Senior Services, 435 West Starin Road, Whitewater. They are held on Mondays at 3 p.m. and are open to all.  Visit our website for lecture descriptions

The Cedar Crest Lecture Series will take place in the Clubhouse at Cedar Crest, Inc., 1702 South River Road, Janesville, and are held on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. More information is available at our website.

Patrons needing accommodations should contact UW-Whitewater Continuing Education (at least two weeks before the date of the lecture). Requests are confidential. UW-Whitewater provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title IX and ADA.

Please contact Kari Borne at bornek@uww.edu or 262-472-1003 for further information.

Lectures scheduled for the Fairhaven Lecture Series include: 

September 15

Rooted in Tradition, Leading the Future: UW–Whitewater’s Journey in Teacher Education

Lana Collet-Klingenberg, Dean, College of Education and Professional Studies

September 22

Learning Leadership from Dogs : How Hounds, Toys, Terriers and Other Breed Help Us Become Effective Leaders

September 29

How are They Holding Up?: The Status of Great Books in a Chaotic (Western) World

Mark Zunac, Associate Professor, Literature, Writing and Film

October 6

Where the Music Comes From: The Vocal Music of Wisconsin Composer Lee Hoiby

Rachel Wood, Associate Professor, Music

October 13

Handing the Country to Your Opponents: A Look at the Transition of Power in the US Since 1788

David McKay, Senior Lecturer, History

October 20

The Enduring Fortitude of Disability Advocacy: Standing the Test of Time

Courtney Wilt, Assistant Professor, Special Education

Bella Zeit, Odin Ehrets, and Breanne Lessard, Student Researchers

October 27

World War II Balloon-Borne Propaganda

Karl Brown, Associate Professor, History

November 3

The Legacy of UW-Whitewater’s Lucy Baker

Jennifer Motszko, Head of Archives & Library Associate Director

Lectures planned for the Cedar Crest Lecture Series include: 

September 9

Rock Steady: How the Rock County Campus Adapts to Meet the Needs of Students and Community

Patricia Clasen, Assistant Vice Chancellor, UW-Whitewater at Rock County and Dean, College of Integrated Studies

September 16

Women and the American Philanthropic Tradition

Ruth Hansen, Associate Professor, Management

September 23

Learning Leadership from Dogs : How Hounds, Toys, Terriers and Other Breed Help Us Become Effective Leaders

Aditya Simha, Professor, Management

October 7

Handing the Country to Your Opponents: A Look at the Transition of Power in the US Since 1788

David McKay, Senior Lecturer, History

October 14

Where the Music Comes From: The Vocal Music of Wisconsin Composer Lee Hoiby

Rachel Wood, Associate Professor, Music

About the School of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s School of Graduate Studies Continuing Education empowers those outside the traditional undergraduate classroom through accessible and flexible educational opportunities. Since 1964, the School of Graduate Studies has added dozens of master’s degree programs and master’s certificates in a wide range of subjects as well as a Doctor of Business Administration in 2014. Camps and Conferences hosts summer camps, day clinics, and competitions, allowing 10,000+ annual participants to work with award-winning coaches and directors, use state-of-the-art facilities, and experience campus life. Through hands-on, relevant and engaging programs, Continuing Education meets the evolving personal and professional needs of adult learners by connecting our talented faculty and staff with communities in the region.

Free Citizenship Class / Clase de Ciudadania Gratuita

September 11, 2025

Obituaries

Obituary: Sally A. Schutte, 73

Sally A. Schutte, age 73, of Whitewater, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on September 21, 2026, while at Hearthstone Memory Care in Whitewater. Sally was born on November 6, 1952, to Roy and Elsie (Rohloff) Haas. Sally married William Schutte in the spring of 2003. Sally grew up on the family farm in the Town of Hebron and graduated from Jefferson High School. She dedicated nearly her entire career to Fort HealthCare, where her hard work and versatility shone through various roles. Over the years, she served in housekeeping and medical records, Center for Dermatology. Sally … Read more

Obituary: Zachariah “Zach” Schoenke, 41

Zachariah “Zach” Schoenke, 41, of Whitewater passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.  He was born April 4, 1985, to Keith W. Schoenke and Kathleen Schoenke in Fort Atkinson, WI. He grew up and graduated from Whitewater High School in 2003. Zach worked various jobs over the years but was currently working at Cracker Barrel in Janesville. He was a big Packers Fan and liked to play fantasy football. He enjoyed reading, cooking, and watching horror shows. Zach fiercely loved his son, Lincoln, his sisters, Cami and Cary, his mom and stepdad, and his aunt Robin. He will be dearly … Read more

Obituary: Carla Winn, 82, of Kansas

Carla Winn, 82, died September 5, 2026. Funeral Service will be at 12:00 PM, Saturday, September 12, 2026, at East Heights United Methodist Church, 4407 E Douglas Ave, Wichita, KS 67218, followed by a burial at 2:00 PM at White Chapel Memorial Garden 1806 N Oliver Ave. Carla is preceded in death by her parents, Vivian Dwight and Wilma Lois Krehbiel; and sister, Jennifer Krehbiel. She is survived by husband, Stephen; daughter, Ashley (Clint) Gagel, of Overland Park; siblings, Paul (Kay) Krehbiel, of Socorro, NM, Lynn (Bill) Oetting, of Wichita, Ellen (John) Querner, of Wichita, Teresa Woodson, of Lawrence, KS, … Read more

Celebration of Life: Susan K. Miller

Susan Miller Celebration of Life There will be a gathering of friends and acquaintances at Susan’s Farm Store to celebrate Susan’s life on Saturday, September 19th from 2-5 p.m. at N6623 Lake Lorraine Rd., Delavan, Wisconsin

Obituary: JoAnn E Harrop, 95, of AL

Our loving mother, JoAnn E Harrop, age 95, passed away on September 11, 2026. Our sorrow is deep, but we are filled with gratitude for the many years we had with her. Even as her mind was failing, she remained strong and appreciative of all who cared for her. JoAnn was born on January 13, 1931, daughter to Fred Braun and Evelyn Braun {Storck).  She was raised in Whitewater, Wisconsin by her grandparents, Otto and Edith Storck. She attended Whitewater High School and helped at the Storck tavern where she met her husband Earl C. Harrop. They married on November … Read more

Obituary: Russell O. “Russ” Johnson, 88

Russell O. Johnson “Russ,” 88, passed away on September 4, 2026 in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Russell was born on July 12, 1938, in Janesville, Wisconsin. Russ grew up in Janesville, and after high school he joined the Air Force on May 1, 1958, serving as an aircraft mechanic until June 12, 1962. He then worked at Parker Pen in Janesville for a time, where he met his future wife, Avis. After marrying Avis Mason in April 1964, Russ worked for Gillman Manufacturing for a time, then began a career at Dana until its closing in 1980. In 1981, Russ started working … Read more

Obituary: Marcia Zingg, 75

Marcia Zingg, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, businesswoman, and friend, passed away peacefully on September 1, 2026, at the age of 75. Marcia will be remembered for her unwavering love, remarkable strength, generous spirit, and lifelong devotion to her family. She shared 40 wonderful years of marriage with her husband, Jeffrey Zingg, who considered her not only his wife but also his best friend, business partner, and the love of his life. Together, Marcia and Jeffrey built a successful life rooted in perseverance, hard work, laughter, and love. As entrepreneurs in Whitewater, Wisconsin, they owned and managed new car franchises and … Read more

Obituary: Amanda Jean Hunter, 49

Amanda Jean Hunter was born to Ralph and Malinda (Thomas) Hunter of Whitewater, Wisconsin, on October 6, 1976. She passed away on August 4, in Fort Worth, Texas, where she lived with her family. Amanda passed peacefully in the hospital, surrounded by her loved ones. Amanda was a kind-hearted free spirit with an unmistakable hippie warmth. Generosity, spontaneity, a quick wit, a macabre sense of humor, and an open heart were traits that she embraced. She was a tireless champion of those in need, an innate characteristic that became among the best of her qualities. She proved to be a … Read more

Obituary: Ellen Eichmiller, 82

Ellen Eichmiller, 82, of Whitewater, Wisconsin, passed away on Saturday, August 22, 2026. Ellen was born on September 10, 1943, in Monroe, Wisconsin, to Chester “Guy” and Irene (née Holmen) Steig. She married the love of her life, Paul Eichmiller, on December 7, 1963, and together they made their home in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Ellen spent much of her working life as a secretary at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, where she formed many lasting friendships and memories. Ellen cherished her family and friends and treasured the time she spent with those closest to her. She was known for her love of … Read more

Obituary: Janet Quinn, 71, Jefferson

Janet Quinn, age 71, of Jefferson passed away on Thursday, August 20th. Janet was born on December 22nd, 1954 in St. Joseph, MI to Robert Mounsey and Edith Christison Mounsey. She was a granddaughter to Herbert Bragg Mounsey, Charlotte Mounsey, and Ester Christison West. She married Michael Durden in 1979 and later married Eury Quinn Jr. (J.R.) in 1988. Janet grew up in Benton Harbor, MI, and subsequently lived in New York and Arkansas before moving to Wisconsin in 2016. She was a dedicated caregiver to her disabled Mother, and worked as a custodian for various employers over the years. … Read more