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City of Whitewater Finance Committee = Tuesday @ 5:00 p.m.
Agenda includes Discussion and Direction on the Future of the City’s Shared Ride Transportation Program.
Whitewater Municipal Building Cravath Lakefront
Conference Room, 312 West Whitewater St.,
Whitewater, WI 53190 *In Person and Virtual
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 – 5:00 PM
Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or telephone.
Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods.
Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86897950397
Editor’s note: As of 5/25 the agenda does not include a call-in number.
Whitewater Unified School District Policy Review Board – Tuesday @ 6:40 p.m.
Agenda: animals in classroom for educational purposes
Whitewater High School Library
435 South Elizabeth Street, Whitewater, Wisconsin
Whitewater Unified School District School Board – Tuesday @ 7:00 p.m.
Agenda [click on “meetings” in upper right corner] includes Resolution Establishing Parameters for the Sale of Not to Exceed $15,000,000 General Obligation Promissory Notes, B. Approval of JP Cullen as Construction Management Company for Referendum-related work C. Approval of Building Solutions as District Owner’s Representative for Referendum-related work.
D. Proposal to recruit and retain qualified multilingual educators
Whitewater High School Library
534 South Elizabeth Street
URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84293137868?
pwd=NDQvcHdVa0p1MFVqbHVuZU9OTHhQZz09
– Passcode: 978535
- Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799
- Webinar ID: 842 9313 7868
– Passcode: 978535
Closed Session to select the final candidate and possible consideration of
contractual terms of employment/contract for the new superintendent.
Open Session via Zoom Online
– Passcode: 256839
- Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799
- Webinar ID: 873 5115 2199
– Passcode: 256839
2025 WHITEWATER UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT RETIREMENT CELEBRATION – Thursday @ 4:00 p.m.
Whitewater School Board members will be attending the 2025 Whitewater Unified School District Retirement Celebration at Willow Brook Golf Course on Thursday, May 29, 2025 beginning at 4:00 pm. A quorum of the School Board may be present; however, the Board will not be conducting any business during the event.
City of Whitewater Police & Fire Commission – Thursday @ 6:00 p.m.
Agenda includes Department Updates to include: Public Safety Referendum Passage, Spring Splash
Overview, PD Evidence/Training Garage, Removal of Public Comment on Social Media and
an Update on the School Resource Officer (SRO) Agreement and CLOSED SESSION, followed by open session, to interview patrol officer candidates.
Municipal Building Community Room,
312 West Whitewater St.
Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or telephone.
Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods.
Police and Fire Commission Meeting
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://meet.goto.com/597366141
You can also dial in using your phone.
Access Code: 597-366-141
United States: +1 (224) 501-3412
Walworth County Health and Human Services will host a free film screening of an award-winning documentary about generational substance abuse and poverty.
Further information regarding the film, including a preview, may be found here.
“A Complete Unknown”
Tuesday, May 27, 1 pm
(Biography/Period Drama/Music)
Rated R (language); 2 hours, 21 minutes (2024).
19 year old Minnesota musician Bob Dylan‘s (Timothee’ Chalamet) meteoric rise as a folk singer from bars, to concert halls, to top of the charts. His mystique captures the attention of icons like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, and Johnny Cash. Nominated for eight Oscars; winner for Best Actor (Chalamet) Screen Actors Guild Award (SAG-AFTRA).
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/
Final arrangements have been made for Memorial Day activities to be held on Monday, May 26th in Whitewater and hosted by American Legion Post 173 and VFW Post 5470.
At 6:00 AM members of the American Legion and anyone who wants to help will gather at the American Legion, 292 S. Wisconsin St., Whitewater to place American Flags along Main Street.
The parade will form at the Hearthstone Memory Care at Fairhaven parking lot [426 W. North Street] at 10:00 AM and will march off promptly at 10:30 AM concluding at the Downtown Whitewater Armory.
In case of inclement weather, the parade will be canceled but the program will be held at the Armory beginning at 11:00 AM.
Leading the parade will be the color guard of William Graham Post 173 American Legion.
The Whitewater High School Band and the Whitewater Middle School Band will provide music for the parade.
Featured in the parade will be guest speaker Air Force Senior Master Sergeant and American Legion Post 173 Vice-Commander Jessica Kienbaum. Also participating will be American Legion and VFW scholarship winners, Badger Boys and Girls State attendees, the American Legion Americanism award and the American Legion Outstanding Athlete award recipient. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Whitewater Youth Soccer, and other youth organizations are invited to participate.
Editor’s note: This announcement was provided by Steve Smith.
By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information
Winona, Minn. – The Warhawks’ phenomenal 2025 campaign came to a close in the NCAA Division III Super Regional hosted by Saint Mary’s University Friday. UW-Whitewater fell in the opener 4-0 and the if necessary game 7-1 to wrap up the season with a 39-8 record.
UW-Whitewater opened the season on a 15-0 run. In Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play, UWW went 12-2 to secure the program’s 16 regular season conference title. Receiving an at-large bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament, UW-Whitewater made its 25th appearance in the postseason, third trip to the Super Regionals and the Warhawks’ tallied win #800 for Head Coach Brenda Volk along the way.
Friday saw the host school take an early lead as the Cardinals utilized small ball to push a single run across. SMU would add two more in the sixth and another in the seventh. Meanwhile, the Warhawks bats just couldn’t gather momentum. UWW was making good contact, registering six hits in the contest, but Saint Mary’s always seemed to stifle the momentum quickly.
Six different Warhawks recorded hits in the game while Brooke Hock suffered the loss in the circle to move to 7-2 on the season.
Game two was a little deja vu as the Warhawks won the coin flip for home team and SMU took an early lead on a solo homerun in the top of the first. They added two in the top of the second and a few more in the top of the seventh.
The Cardinal defense held the Warhawks at bay with some fantastic defensive plays, robbing multiple shots that looked to be at least base knocks with sliding, diving and leaping catching.
True to form, UW-Whitewater did not quit as Dani Peshia blasted a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh, but SMU held on for the win.
All of the UWW hits came from different Warhawks in the game. Josie Hammen suffered the loss to move to 18-3 on the season.
In a season that featured big win streaks, thrilling comeback victories and numerous gritty team wins, Friday was the first time UW-Whitewater had fallen in back-to-back games across their 47-game 2025 campaign.
| Gov. Evers Orders Flags to Half-Staff in Honor of EMS Professionals Who Have Given Their Lives in the Line of Duty |
| MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #262 ordering the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff on Sat., May 24, 2025, as a mark of respect for the emergency medical services (EMS) professionals who have given their lives in the line of duty. Gov. Evers proclaimed National EMS Week throughout the state of Wisconsin beginning Sun., May 18, and lasting through Sat., May 24, 2025. The governor’s National EMS Week proclamation is available here. “EMS professionals play a critical role in ensuring the health and safety of Wisconsinites across our state, as well as the safety and security of our communities. No matter the emergency or the danger of the situation, we count on first responders to be there and care for us when we need them most,” said Gov. Evers. “National EMS Week is an opportunity for us to reflect on and acknowledge this difficult and even dangerous work and all of the folks and their families who make these daily sacrifices while honoring those who have lost their lives in service of the health and safety of others.” |
Updated 5/23/25 @ 10:23 p.m. to recognize photos by Tom Ganser. Apologies for the omission.
By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
Editor’s note: The school board’s announcement regarding their choice of finalists may be found below the “Meet & Greet” article.
Thirty-one community members and parents attended the “Meet & Greet” for the three finalists for superintendent of the Whitewater Unified School District at the high school auditorium on Thursday evening. Most in the audience stayed for the entire two-and-a-half-hour session. Bios for the candidates were provided in this previous Banner article. The candidates appeared in the order shown above. Each was allotted a forty-five minute period to introduce themselves and answer questions.
Some of the participants had done their homework, bringing prepared questions or even referencing matters that they had found in doing media research. Fiorenza, at the conclusion of her question/answer period, brought up something she thought might be an elephant in the room: why she resigned from her recent employment without landing another job. She stated that she left that district on very good terms but recently having achieved empty nest status, she was ready to take on a superintendency and knew that if she took the plunge she would land such a position.
All of the candidates had a number of positive comments to make about what they had seen and heard in their tours of the buildings earlier in the day. They remarked on the recently passed capital referendum, the increasing focus on tech ed as well as the plan to hire a Career and Technical Education Coordinator, and the 18 pathways that are being developed at the high school. They were also impressed with the ability of students to earn credits through Gateway Technical and UW-Whitewater.
This writer cannot reference who asked many of the questions, but Kelly Davis consistently stated that she has three children in the district and asked each candidate if they would live in the district. While insisting that they would be visible in the community regardless of their residency, neither of the men made a commitment. Fiorenza stated without reservation that she would be living here.
Other comments/questions referenced such subjects as:
– Concerns from students/parents that so much focus is placed on serving students with special needs that others don’t feel that they get the focus that they deserve.
– Would the candidates be open to teachers or parents bringing concerns to them?
– What would they do to stem the tide of open enrollments out of the district?
– Their role with the school board.
– How to reduce bullying, for example on social media.
– Improving teacher retention
– What learnings do they take from the COVID-19 experience? How do they feel about e-learning?
Parents and other community members who attended were given the opportunity to respond to an online survey regarding what they felt each candidate would have to offer to the district together with any questions they were left with about them. As Fiorenza left the auditorium, the representative of the search firm asked for a show of hands for each candidate to indicate if audience members felt that they were a good fit for the position. It seemed clear that Karns received the most affirmation. The representative opined that the other two candidates received a rather similar number of votes. He also expressed appreciation for the good turnout, which he said was about twice as large as the average such audience, though university towns usually do turn out better. He seemed satisfied that he could tell the board that all the candidates received more than a token number of votes. Geoff Hale, however, asked how many people didn’t vote for any of the candidates, so a new raise of hands was requested. Four hands were observed.
WUSD Board Issues Statement on Superintendent Finalists
The Whitewater Unified School District issued the following statement on May 23:
“The Board of Education has narrowed the search for the district’s next superintendent to two finalists: Kurt Schneider and Samuel Karns.
The board met Thursday evening to continue deliberations, and while no final decision was made, the board is confident in the two remaining candidates. Each candidate brings a strong background in educational leadership, and the board is carefully considering who will best serve the needs of our students and school community.
The board appreciates the engagement and input from staff, parents, and community members throughout the process.
Pending further discussion, a final decision may be made at the upcoming board meeting on Tuesday, May 27. The board remains committed to a thorough and thoughtful selection process.”
–
Updated 5/23/25 @ 6:55 p.m. to add information regarding ticket prices, parking, etc.
By Broderick Frye
Assistant Sports Information Director
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater baseball team opened up the NCAA Super Regionals with a 14-1 win over UW-Oshkosh on Prucha Field. The Warhawk bats got going early, and the momentum kept carrying through as Aaron Holland (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) and Adam Cootway (DePere, Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran) both had five RBIs on the day. The Titans had no answer to a complete game win from Cade Hansen (New Braunfels, Texas/Smithson Valley) on the mound.
Head Coach John Vodenlich reached a career milestone with his 800th win (768th at UW-Whitewater). Vodenlich is the second Warhawk coach to reach the 800 win mark in as many days, with Warhawk Softball head coach Brenda Volk reaching the milestone in their own Super Regional win yesterday. Read More…
UW-Oshkosh scored their only run of the day on a wild pitch in the first inning. The Titans rallied two singles with two outs before scoring on the WP.
UW-Whitewater answered back with their own two-out rally, this time with Eli Frank (Bayport, Wis./Bay Port) driving in a run.
The Wahawks expanded their lead with an RBI-single from Holland, followed by a three-run homer from Adam Cootway (DePere, Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran). Cootway’s 18th homer of the season leads the Warhawks and ranks second on the Warhawk Single Season Record list.
The Titans grabbed two singles again in the top of the third, but both were stranded after two consecutive strike-outs from Hansen. The first and third were the only two multi-hit innings for UWO against Hansen.
In the bottom of the 4th, the Warhawks expanded on their lead with a walk and three singles. Holland, Cootway, and Andy Thies (Tallahassee, Fla./Lawton Chiles) all drove in a run during the fourth, with Frank hitting a sacrifice fly to put the Warhawks up 8-1 after four complete.
The batting didn’t slow down from there, with Sam Paden (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) hitting a lead-off double to start another 3-run inning in the 5th. Paden’s double and Cootway’s homer from the 2nd were the only extra-base hits of the Warhawks’ 19 total hits. Holland and Cootway both drove in more runs during the frame to put the lead at double-digits, 11-1.
Holland, Matt Scolan (Downers Grove, Ill./South), and Thies completed the third consecutive three-run inning for the Warhawks in the sixth.
With the 13-run lead, the Warhawks defense closed out the game with 9 straight outs. Oshkosh only recorded one hit in the final three frames, but the runner was put out on a double play.
Cade Hansen (New Braunfels, Texas/Smithson Valley) threw his third complete game of the season, but first 9.0-inning one. Hansen allowed only five hits, with one earned run, while fanning seven Titan batters.
The Warhawks and Titans will return to Prucha Field Saturday, May 24 at 11 am for the second game of the best of three Super Regional. If a third game is necessary, the start time will be 45-minutes after game two.
_______________________________________________________________________________
This Whitewater Banner article provides the story of how UW-W baseball won the right to compete in the Super Regional, which will be held on their home field.
2025 NCAA Division III Baseball Super Regional
Hosted by UW-Whitewater | May 23-24, 2025
Prucha Field at Jim Miller Stadium
910 W. Schwager Dr.
*NO PETS allowed at Prucha Field per NCAA Policy*
Tickets – Cash only
$10 – Adults
$8 – Seniors / Students
Parking
Lots 22 (nearest Prucha Field) and 24 (next to Perkins Stadium)
NO PARKING IN LOT 11 (by the Williams Center)
More information regarding the teams’ records, rosters and stats may be found here.
Obituaries
Marion Jauch Burrows (Feb. 2, 1930 – June 5, 2026) Her sparkling eyes, warm laugh, and generous ways were gifts Marion brought into this world, touching family members and friends alike over the ninety-six years of her life. She was born and raised in Lombard, IL, and in the course of her life lived with her husband and growing family in Abilene, TX, St. David’s, PA, Arkadelphia, AR, Ada, OK, and Colorado Springs, CO, before settling in Whitewater, WI, in 1965. Generosity of heart, compassion toward those in need in and beyond her community, and an unwavering commitment to fairness … Read more
Patricia “Pat” Lynn Bailey, age 70, passed away peacefully on June 1, 2026 with her daughter by her side. Pat was born February 21, 1956 in Ann Arbor, Michigan to John and Ruth (Hudock) Prentice. After a brief time in Ann Arbor, the Prentice family moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin, where Pat grew up as part of the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater community, where her father served as University Registrar. Pat attended the University School and later graduated from UW Whitewater with a degree in Elementary Education. Although she did not pursue teaching, she built a meaningful career in Human … Read more
Gemelino Paris Esperante, 83, long time resident of Whitewater, passed away on Thursday, June 4th, 2026. He was born on January 10, 1943, to his late father and mother, Evaristo and Carmen in Spain. In 1973 he moved to the United States as a sheep herder. On August 21, 1981, he was united in marriage to Cyndie Esperante in Colorado. Gemelino also worked in Mining and construction for many years. He enjoyed the outdoors, fishing, raising sheep and growing things in his garden, and flowers. He will be missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his wife … Read more
Mary Ann Warner died peacefully on Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at Crestridge Assisted Living in Dodgeville. Her physical heart failed, but her actual, loving heart never did. Ann was born June 28, 1939 to Mary and Charles Kearns in Iowa. She moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin and graduated with many dear friends in the class of 1957. Ann married John Warner on September 19, 1959. They lived in Whitewater, Sturgis Michigan, and finally settled in Janesville where they built a beautiful life and raised their family. Together, they ran a business, traveled, played cards, and enjoyed their lives. When they became … Read more
Patricia Ann Jacobson (Bureau), age 81, of Whitewater, WI, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, WI. Born on September 2, 1944, in Marquette, MI, to the late Donald and Margaret Bureau, Pat grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She graduated from Graveraet High School, attended Michigan State University, and later earned her bachelor’s degree from Northern Michigan University. Pat dedicated her professional life to shaping young minds, working as an elementary and junior high school teacher in both Flint, MI, and Whitewater, WI. At the heart of Pat’s life was a beautiful, … Read more
In loving memory of Lois Lauritzen, age 92, who passed away on June 1, 2026 at Lakewood Memory Care in Brookfield. Lois led an active life full of devotion to family and friends. Born July 14th, 1933 in Silvis, IL, daughter of Harry and Elsie Wilson, she grew up in the Quad Cities with older brother Harry Wilson Jr. Lois graduated from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL with a degree in physical education. She met her husband Paul Lauritzen on the college tennis team. Their marriage on June 12th, 1955 lasted 59 years until Paul’s death on September 26th, … Read more
Donald Walter Triebold passed on to his eternal home on May 21, 2026. Don was born on April 23, 1935, in Evanston, IL, to the late Frederick W. and Mildred (nee Stecher) Triebold. Through his teen years, Don lived and worked on the family’s dairy farm, where he developed a life-long work ethic. His first eight years of education were in a one-room country schoolhouse, in which all eight grades were taught by one teacher. He graduated from Whitewater City High School in 1953 and then graduated from UW Whitewater in 1958 with a degree in Business Education. He continued his education, and earned a Master’s … Read more
William Kincaid Davis, age 84, passed away on Tuesday, May 19 at Agrace Hospice Center in Fitchburg. He was born on November 1, 1941, in Madison, Indiana, the second son of Salvation Army Officers Agnes (Dixon) and William C. Davis. He attended several schools in Indiana and Illinois, including University of Illinois Experimental High School (Champaign), and graduated from Galesburg High School in 1958. He earned his bachelor’s degree from UW-Eau Claire in 1964 and his master’s degree from UW-Whitewater in 1972. He had an expansive career in education, beginning as an English teacher in Whitehall, Thornton Township (IL) and … Read more
Magdalene “Maggie” Stetter (nee Fritz), 79, of Whitewater, Wisconsin passed from this life onto the next on Monday, May 4, 2026. She was born on January 16, 1947, to the late John and Mary (Presser) Fritz in St. Stefan, Austria. Maggie immigrated from Austria with her parents and brother, became a US citizen, and grew up and attended school in West Allis, WI and then graduated with a teaching degree from University of Wisconsin – Whitewater. Maggie served as a substitute, English, and German language teacher in the Whitewater, Elkhorn, Delavan, and Palmyra schools and at Divine Word Seminary. Maggie … Read more
Lawrence “Larry” C. Hartung, a proud Marine Veteran of the Vietnam War, and longtime resident of Fort Atkinson, WI, passed away peacefully at his home on May 1, 2026. Larry was born June 7th, 1949, to Levon and Charles Hartung in Chicago, IL. Larry enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 1968 and served 3 consecutive tours in the Vietnam War. During this time, he became pen pals with his future wife, Candy, via a connection through his father. In 1970, he came home on leave to marry Candy. They celebrated 55 years of marriage on October 31st, 2025. During … Read more
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