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Looking for some fun, free family entertainment? Come learn about the world of FIRST Robotics as Whitewater High School’s FIRST Robotics Competition Team #6574 Ferradermis competes with and against 13 other teams in the Laser Lights Off-Season Event at Kettle Moraine High School on Saturday, June 25. The competition will kick off at 9 a.m. and continue through late afternoon.
Off-season competitions are a chance for teams to introduce newer members to new roles and responsibilities on the team, and in the more relaxed atmosphere, you will find teams ready and willing to take the time to talk about their robots with the general public. In addition to watching matches, you can stroll through the pits and talk with students and mentors.
Ferradermis will be entering two robots in this particular competition – the fully-functional robot they competed with during the 2022 regular season, and a second bot that is simply a swerve drive base. Swerve, a drivetrain in which all four wheels are independently driven and steered, is a project the team has wanted to tackle for a long time. Entering the drive base in an off-season event will give the students a chance to learn to drive this very different system while having fun playing defense on the opposite alliance.
Can’t make it to Kettle Moraine High School on Saturday? The team will be competing in Manitowoc on Saturday, July 16, but will be back in the area for another competition at Mukwonago High School on Sunday, July 24.
Article and Photo Submitted by Laura Masbruch
Whitewater High School Robotics Advisor and Banner Volunteer
lmasbruch@wwusd.org
June 21 is the summer solstice, the longest day and shortest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The 2022 summer solstice arrives at 4:14 a.m. Central time. At this precise moment the sun appears directly over the Tropic of Cancer — as far north as it appears in the sky all year.
The image on the homepage: Image by press 👍 and ⭐ from Pixabay
The image on this page: Image by lies_rebelle from Pixabay
Editor’s note: The following information is found on history.com. The image above and on the homepage is by khema sok from Pixabay.
Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. On June 17, 2021, it officially became a federal holiday.
Confederate General Robert E. Lee had surrendered at Appomattox Court House two months earlier in Virginia, but slavery had remained relatively unaffected in Texas—until U.S. General Gordon Granger stood on Texas soil and read General Orders No. 3: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”
The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, had established that all enslaved people in Confederate states in rebellion against the Union “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.”
But in reality, the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t instantly free any enslaved people. The proclamation only applied to places under Confederate control and not to slave-holding border states or rebel areas already under Union control. However, as Northern troops advanced into the Confederate South, many enslaved people fled behind Union lines.
Juneteenth and Slavery in Texas
In Texas, slavery had continued as the state experienced no large-scale fighting or significant presence of Union troops. Many enslavers from outside the Lone Star State had moved there, as they viewed it as a safe haven for slavery.
After the war came to a close in the spring of 1865, General Granger’s arrival in Galveston that June signaled freedom for Texas’s 250,000 enslaved people. Although emancipation didn’t happen overnight for everyone—in some cases, enslavers withheld the information until after harvest season—celebrations broke out among newly freed Black people, and Juneteenth was born. That December, slavery in America was formally abolished with the adoption of the 13th Amendment.
The year following 1865, freedmen in Texas organized the first of what became the annual celebration of “Jubilee Day” on June 19. In the ensuing decades, Juneteenth commemorations featured music, barbecues, prayer services and other activities, and as Black people migrated from Texas to other parts of the country the Juneteenth tradition spread.
In 1979, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday; several others followed suit over the years. In June 2021, Congress passed a resolution establishing Juneteenth as a national holiday; President Biden signed it into law on June 17, 2021.
The Whitewater Unified School District introduced a new website this past week. The web address, www.wwusd.org, is unchanged, but the design of the site has had a major overhaul. Currently the following two images are scrolling on the homepage. A pulldown menu in the upper right corner provides for translation in Spanish.
El Distrito Escolar Unificado de Whitewater presentó un nuevo sitio web la semana pasada. La dirección web, www.wwusd.org, no ha cambiado, pero el diseño del sitio ha tenido una revisión importante. Actualmente, las siguientes dos imágenes se desplazan en la página de inicio. Un menú desplegable en la esquina superior derecha ofrece traducción al español.
Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by Irvin L. Young Memorial Library.
The Irvin L. Young Memorial Library announces its summer reading program: An Ocean of Possibilities
‘Tis the sea-son for summer readin’ at the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library. Join us between June 15th and July 31st for free events, crafts, and activities. Play Book Bingo to earn free books and visit the library every week to receive a bit of treasure or passes for more adventures.
Open to youth ages 4-18.
Join us for our kick-off party on Wednesday, June 15th from 3:00-5:00 p.m. We’ll have crafts, games, activities and popsicles!
Programa de lectura de verano
Del 15 de junio al 31 de julio
‘Es la época de lectura de verano’ en la Irvin L. Young Memorial Library (Biblioteca Conmemorativa Irvin L. Young). Súmense a nosotros del 15 de junio al 31 de julio para disfrutar eventos gratuitos, manualidades y actividades. Jueguen al Book Bingo para ganar libros gratuitamente y visiten la biblioteca todas las semanas para recibir pequeños tesoros o pases para otras aventuras.
Abierto a jóvenes de 4 a 18 años.
Editor’s note: The following update was posted on the city website on June 7.
The lakes project is finally coming towards the end of the drawdown and dredging project. The siphons were removed today and city staff is preparing for refilling the lakes. Field and Stream Restoration will be completing some shoreline restoration by adding erosion control and some new aquatic plants along the park shoreline areas. This will take place the tail end of this week and into next week.
The lakes will begin to refill on the morning of Monday, June 13, 2022. The lake levels will begin to climb. It is anticipated that this will take approximately a week or two. This is our best guess. Once the lakes are refilled the next step will be to plan for stocking fish. This will take place in the fall of 2022 and the fall of 2023.
On Monday, June 6, the Track and Field Team held their annual end-of-season banquet. With families in attendance, all Whippet athletes were spoken about by their coaches, who said a few words about each athlete’s progress, accomplishments, and of course the laughs! It was a night of celebration for the 2022 season.
Several athletes were recognized individually for their achievements. Four awards were given to a total of nine athletes. Those awards and winners were:
Up & Coming Athlete – Jake Kuhlow & Calli Grosinske
Most Improved – CJ Tomomitsu & Maddie Buehler
Field MVP’s – Connor Raupp & Izzy Dieter and Evie Troxel
Track MVP’s – Jack Hefty & Maddie Buehler and Kindyl Kilar
The Up & Coming Athlete Award was given to a first-year track athlete who demonstrated great potential, and who the coaching staff believes will be essential to the team’s future success. The Most Improved Award was given to those who demonstrated great improvement from the 2021 to the 2022 season. Finally, the Track and Field MVP Awards were presented to athletes who demonstrated the highest level of success on the track and in the field events, including varsity point scoring and top finishes at invitationals, Conference, and State Series Meets. Congratulations to each of our award winners!
In addition, special recognition was given to those athletes who notched a Top-10 all-time mark in Whitewater Track & Field history. The links below will take you to our updated Top-10 list. Alumni – you may find that your marks have moved down a spot after this season!
Pictured left to right, the athletes achieving performances on the Top-10 list in 2022 were:
Jack Hefty – Hefty, a freshman, first made his mark on the Top-10 list at the Sectional meet in the 3200-meter run. His State-qualifying time of 9:47.92 moved him into the #7 spot. But that wasn’t enough for Jack. At the State meet he improved his time significantly, running in a race that saw both the winner and 2nd place finisher break the now-previous State Record in the event. His time of 9:27.23 was good for 7th place at State, and moved him into the #3 spot all-time. In the last 25 years across all divisions, only four freshmen have run a faster 3200 at the State meet than Jack. The current school record is held by Ben Maas, who in 1996 ran 9:25.1. Congratulations, Jack!
Evie Troxel – Troxel, a junior, also made an impression on our Top-10 list at the Sectional meet, where she pole vaulted a new personal best of 9’ 9”. Our lone field event Top-10 entry of the season, Evie cleared 9’ 6” cleanly at the State meet to tie for 9th. Evie’s Sectional mark of 9’ 9” literally vaulted her into 8th place on the Whippet Top-10 list, where she is tied with Alison Matthews’ 2012 mark of the same height. The school record holder in the event is Kim Stonewerth, who leaped 11’ 8” in 2011. Congratulations, Evie!
Kindyl Kilar – Kilar, a junior, is not-so-quietly becoming one of the most common names on our Top-10 list. A three-event State Qualifier in 2022, Kilar etched her name onto the Top-10 list in FOUR events in 2022. At the Conference Meet, Kindyl surged to #5 all-time in the 400-meter dash, as her time of 1:00.72 was 2nd by only two hundredths of a second in her first and only open 400 of the season. The school record in the event is held by Lisa Lauritzen, who in 1976 ran 58.64c. Kindyl also solidified herself as #3 all-time in the 200-meter dash, as her Sectional time of 26.13 has only been bested by two other Whippet athletes – 100m dash school record holder Kailey Reynolds, and the 200m record holder, Jenny Paynter, who in 1991 ran a time of 25.64c. As you could expect, Kindyl also helped propel our Whippet relay teams to several Top-10 marks. In the 4x100m relay, the team’s time of 50.78 is #7 all-time, and in the 4x200m relay, their time of 1:46.74 is 6th all-time. Congratulations, Kindyl!
Maddie Buehler – Buehler, a junior, was also a three-event State Qualifier in 2022. Maddie added her name to the Whitewater Track Top-10 list in that same number of events in 2022. She was a member of both the 4x100m and 4x200m relay teams that are now ranked 7th and 6th, respectively, on the all-time lists. Individually, Maddie blazed the track at Sectionals against some fierce competition, and in the 100-meter dash she recorded an astounding time of 12.41. The time moved her into the #2 spot on the all-time list, our highest Top-10 mark of the season. She was also a State Finalist in the event. The school record holder in the 100-meter dash is Kailey Reynolds, who ran a time of 12.35 in 2015. Congratulations, Maddie!
Olive Coburn – Coburn, the only senior in this group of Top-10 athletes, made her mark on the record books in the 4x100m and 4x200m relays, joining Kilar and Buehler. The 4x100m relay’s time of 50.78 placed them #7 on the all-time list, tied with a quartet of Keri McLean, Rachel Travis, Emily Haberman, and Ellen Nosek, who in 1999 ran the same time. The school record is held by Courtney Payne, Kateley Haberman, Courtney Nelson, and Zia Okocha, who in 2004 ran a time of 50.30. Congratulations, Olive!
Emma Weigel – Weigel, a junior, was the final Top-10 member of the tremendous 2022 short sprints crew. Weigel joined Kilar, Buehler, and Coburn as the fourth member of both the 4x100m and 4x200m relay teams that made their mark on the all-time lists in spots #7 and #6. The 4x200m relay team’s time of 1:46.74, ran at the State meet’s preliminary round, was the 6th fastest time in Whitewater’s history. Serendipitously, the 4x200m relay team placed 6th in the State Finals the next day, capturing the final spot on the podium. The school record in the 4x200m relay was set in 1986 by Tina Partoll, Janet Partoll, Julie Paynter, and Samantha Reeb. Those names are perhaps the most recognizable across the WHS Girl’s Top-10 list, populating a total of 15 Top-10 spots between them in sprints, relays, hurdles, and jumps. The 1986 Whippets’ school record time of 1:43.93 stood as the Division 2 State Record for 24 years until 2010. Congratulations, Emma!
Congratulations again to our award winners, Top-10 listers, and all Track & Field athletes on a phenomenal 2022 season! I (Coach Green) would like to especially thank our seniors for their hard work for four years, all parents and community members for their support of the program, and the coaching staff for their dedication to excellence and their assistance in building both the athletic success and character of each of our athletes. See you in 2023!
Obituaries
SHIRLEY A. KNUTESON, age 85, of Whitewater, died Thursday, June 27, 2024 at Glenwood at Mulberry Campus in Whitewater. She was born to Hugo and Helen (Wilson) Ferge of Elkhorn, WI. She attended school in Walworth High School, graduating in 1956. Shirley worked at Sterlingworth in Elkhorn and then Fairhaven Nursing Home prior to retirement. As a young woman, she loved roller skating, had a love for animals, especially her dogs and horses on the farm. She was a loyal Brewer and Packer fan. Her diverse family was her pride and joy. Shirley is survived by her six children Jerry … Read more
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A celebration of life for Dave Triebold will be held July 27 at Triebold Farms, with festivities beginning around 11:30 am. A rememberance service will take place at 12:30 pm. A pig roast will follow, and the pool will be open. The family encourages you to stay through the evening for a bonfire as well. Contact Kris (262)949-5474 or Kath (414)412-4385 with questions.
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James Paul Fisher, 86, known by friends as JP or Jay, passed away on Sunday, June 9, 2024, at UW Hospital, Madison, with his immediate family by his side. His body finally surrendered to a heart attack after battling heart and kidney ailments for many years. Born in Fond du lac, Wisconsin, on October 25, 1937, to Lorraine and James Fisher, JP was a resident of Elkhorn and then Whitewater, Wisconsin. At age 2 JP was diagnosed with polio. Through daily therapy administered by his mother and grandmother, he overcame this life threatening virus, and with a prognosis of limited … Read more
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Shirley M. Messier, 86, of Whitewater, Wisconsin, passed away on July 8, 2024. Shirley was born to Erwin and Leona Reese on May 20, 1938, in Farmington, Wisconsin. Shirley (“Shirttail”) attended the local country school, then set out on her own, taking a job doing factory work. On August 24, 1957, she married Blaine Messier in Jefferson, Wisconsin. They had three daughters, Michele (Shelly), Terry, and Karen. Shirley spent many years being a working wife and mother, finally retiring from Polymer Technologies / MacLean Fogg in Whitewater. Shirley loved country music and spent her retirement years going to George Jones … Read more
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Patricia Ann ParrBorn 7/20/42Departed to Heaven 5/10/23 About herself, Patricia often said “I love life, I love God, He always has taken care of me, and He always will”. Patricia died peacefully at Angels Grace Hospice in Oconomowoc, after a long and courageously fought season of declining health. Patricia was born in Beaver Dam, to a lovely family, which included her older brother Dennis and not too long after, her lifetime best friend and little sister Mary. They grew up on an idyllic “Gentlemen’s Farm” outside of Jefferson, with horses and many animals. Her parents, Floyd and Kathryn owned the … Read more
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Marjorie Alice “GG” Roloff, 89, passed away Tuesday, July 2, 2024, at Golden Years in Lake Geneva, WI. She was born July 31, 1934, to Fred and Martha (Arndt) Papcke, in Whitewater, WI, the fifth of eleven children. GG attended South Heart Prairie School, across the road from the family’s home farm. She is a Whitewater High School graduate. On April 19, 1953, she married her high school sweetheart, Eric. She worked a variety of jobs over the years. Her most memorable of those being the local canning factory and as a crossing guard. After retiring, she and Eric would … Read more
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Marilyn Mae Fuerstenberg, 81 of Whitewater, WI., passed away on June 27, 2024, at Agrace Hospice in Janesville, WI. Marilyn was born May 27, 1943, in Geneva Township, to Raymond and Doris Kilpin. Marilyn was preceded in death by her parents, her two younger brothers, Mike and Donny Kilpin. Marilyn married William (Bill) Fuerstenberg on September 21, 1963. Bill and Marilyn lived in Whitewater. Together they raised three children, taking the family on yearly vacations and camping trips throughout the years. Marilyn worked for Walworth County Health and Social Services as a Child Protection Social Worker. She dedicated 25 years … Read more
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Jerome Francis Burke, age 76, of Whitewater, WI, passed away unexpectedly following a brief illness on June 27, 2024. Jerry was born in Evanston, IL on May 13, 1948 to Stephen and Catherine Burke. He grew up in Glenview, IL, where he graduated from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Grade School and then Loyola Academy (Wilmette). Those early days spawned treasured, lifelong friendships. He went on to graduate from St. Joseph’s College (IN) with a BA in Economics, and it was there thathe met his beloved wife, Eileen. They married shortly after graduation and were blessed to share their lives … Read more
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Angelica E. Vicente Santa Cruz passed away Sunday, June 30th in home beside family and friends in Milford, Delaware from a long battle with cancer. Angelica E. Vicente Santa Cruz was born on February 24, 1965. She was the daughter of Doña Carmen Santa Cruz Valdez and Don Luis Vicente León, who allowed her to share a life of family union with her four brothers: Braulio, Carmen Rosa, Edgar and Juan. She was born in Lima-Peru and grew up in the Ventanilla district of the constitutional province of Callao of Peru. She completed her primary studies at the La Merced … Read more
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Lowell V. Youngs, 87, of Whitewater passed away on Monday, June 24, 2024 in Madison. Lowell was born on September 4, 1936 in Wyoming to Isaac and Violet (Doble) Youngs. He grew up in the very small town of Veteran, Wyoming, where he was one of nine students in his graduating class. After graduating, Lowell attended the University of Colorado, where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education in 1958. Lowell was drafted into the US Army in 1960 and selected to be in the Army Band, where he gladly carried a clarinet instead of a gun. He was … Read more
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