Early City Motto "The Banner Inland City of the Midwest"
The Banner has been serving Whitewater, Wisconsin since August 1, 2006
Today is Friday, November 29, 2024
News & Events
To add an event, click here to go to the Community Calendar. Then, click on Submit Event.
Helpful Links
Search our Archives
To search our archives, enter a search term in the search box, then press enter to search.
The UW-W Department of Music invites the community to join faculty members and guest artist Anna Hersey for an evening of Scandinavian music on Saturday, February 4 at 7:30 p.m. This program features repertoire for voice and piano by Scandinavian composers including Elfrida Andrée, Edvard Grieg, Agathe Backer Grøndahl, Ture Rangström, and Sigurd von Koch. Performers include Karen Boe, piano; guest artist Anna Hersey, soprano; Brian Leeper, baritone; and Rachel Wood, mezzo-soprano. All proceeds from this and other concerts in the Music Mosaics series go directly towards scholarships for Department of Music students.
The venue for this event is the Light Recital Hall in the Greenhill Center of the Arts, located at 950 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190. Tickets are available in advance and can be purchased online at tickets.uww.edu or by calling (262) 472-2222. Admission is $14 for adults, $12 for those age 65+, and $8 for under age 18. There is a $2 surcharge if purchased at the door at the time of the event.
A free weekly drawing class is getting under way Thursday, Feb. 2, at Wisconsin Makers in Whitewater. Taught by Mike Alvarez of Whitewater, the class will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Wisconsin Makers, 200 E. Clay St. Interested area residents of all ages are welcome to attend.
The class is the first activity set by the newly formed Whitewater Art Club at the makerspace. “This club is for people interested in arts and crafts in general, from drawing and painting to paper art, pottery, woodcarving and pretty much anything art-related,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez is the owner of Handy Mike LLC, a handyman service. He particularly enjoys drawing, painting, woodcarving, woodworking and pottery. He eventually plans to hold classes in those subjects, as well. “I want to integrate every part of the community, from the seniors to the little kids, so everyone can come and participate,” he said. Being bilingual, Alvarez hopes to generate interest from the Latino community, as well.
Club members need not join Wisconsin Makers to participate. However, donations toward paying utilities would be greatly appreciated.
Wisconsin Makers is a makerspace that creates an affordable, collaborative and educational environment that inspires people of all ages to becoming innovators within their communities by unlocking their skills through continual training. It has members from Jefferson, Walworth, Rock and Waukesha counties and beyond, and all have access to the workshops around the clock. The facility houses machine, welding/fabrication, electronics, automotive, 3-D printing, laser engraving and woodworking shops. It also offers pottery, ceramics, metal art, quilting, fabric arts, matting/framing and more. The building is accessible and has off-street parking, WiFi, and many other amenities.
For more information about the makerspace, contact Chris Spangler at (920) 728-2960.
For more information about the drawing class, contact Alvarez at (920) 397-1022 or whitewaterartclub@gmail.com.
Editor’s Note: The following was provided the Roberta’s Art Gallery at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Experience works of art inspired by the unsung artists of the Harlem Renaissance with Jerry Jordan’s exhibit “Life in Light and Shadow” through February 16, with the reception on February 7. His artwork, which consists of oil on canvas, gives a different perspective of African Americans, outside of constant struggle and pain. Most of Jordan’s paintings are about freedom to be who you want to be, and they express how life is full of endless possibilities. Jordan is changing the representation of African Americans with his artwork in the realm of Contemporary Realism.
Jordan is an alumnus from UW-Whitewater with a bachelor’s degree in art and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in art education. While studying in college, Jordan noticed that African Americans were largely underrepresented in art, and after discovering the Harlem Renaissance, it gave Jordan the belief that he could be a successful artist. Jordan carries a sketchbook with him all the time. “I just never know when the inspiration will hit,” Jordan states, “A simple doodle could turn into an idea for a painting.”
Alongside his canvas paintings, Jordan is a muralist and children’s book illustrator. “Art is a part of who I am and it’s something that I always wanted to do all throughout my life,” Jordan states. “The paintings talk to me. I listen to them, and they tell me which way to go.” His murals are on display at the Madison College Goodman South Campus, at the American Family Insurance SPARK building, and at UW-Whitewater in the University Center. Jordan is currently working on illustrating three children’s books including, “Marching for the Vote: the Story of Ida B Wells and the Women’s March of 2013” by Dinah Johnson; “Unstoppable John,” a biography of Congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis by Madison-based author Pat Zietlow Miller; and “Johnny Tunes and the Ganndy Dancers” by Pamela M. Tuck and Joel Tuck.
Join us for the exhibit reception on Tuesday, February 7 at 6 p.m. where we will have an artist meet-and-greet and an opportunity for audience questions. Light refreshments will be provided.
Roberta’s Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the James R. Connor University Center at UW-Whitewater. The gallery collaborates with campus departments, student organizations and community artists in coordinating and sponsoring exhibits. In semester, hours are Monday – Thursday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and closed Saturday and Sunday.
Roberta’s Art Gallery prides itself in all exhibits being free and open to the public. Attending certain events can earn students class credit. To be featured in Roberta’s Art Gallery, contact us for a proposal request. Reach us at ucart@uww.edu or (262) 472-3193 or visit our website for any questions or inquiries.
The Whippets fell two points short against Fort Atkinson Thursday night, January 26.
Fort got a jump offensively early in the game up 11-2, but Danielle DePorter hit a 3 to kick start our offense. Calli Grosinske followed with 2 back to back 3’s to tie up the game at 11. From there it was a battle back and forth with the Whippets down at half 24-29.
In the second half, Fort maintained the lead until we got a spark from Calli Grosinske and Katie Gillette with back to back steals with fast break finishes. The rest of the half was a battle back and forth right up to the last seconds.
The Whippets fell just short, 51-53. We handled Fort’s press well and played aggressively on defense forcing turnovers and connecting on those possessions. A few shots didn’t land, but it was an amazing fight.
Calli Grosinske led the Whippets with 17 points, followed by Kindyl Kilar with 14, and Mayte Navejas with 12.
The Whippets take on Beloit Turner at home Friday night, January 27, which is also our annual Youth Night!
Article Submitted by Kristen Lippens
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Basketball Coach
klippens@wwusd.org
File Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka
The Whippet Swimmers competed against Jefferson/Cambridge on Tuesday, January 24th. The boys finished off conference duals with a win!
Wins and best times on the night include:
In the 200 Freestyle:
- Tyler Arnett won the event with a time of 2:05.08
- David Enns dropped 20 seconds going a 2:51.46
In the 200 IM:
- Jack Hefty won the event going a best time of 2:27.27, which is a 3 second drop from his previous time.
In the 50 Freestyle
- Andrew O’Toole continues to drop more time going 28.10
In the 100 Fly:
- Cruz Aranda won the event with a time of 1:09.77
In the 100 Freestyle:
- Xaiver Zei drops over 13 seconds going a time of 1:08.86
- Onyx Thompson drops 2 seconds going a time of 1:15.96
- David Enns drops 3 seconds going a time of 1:17.08
In the 500 Freestyle:
- Tyler Arnett won the event going a time of 5:32.02
- Myles Morse drops 18 seconds going a time of 6:32.61
In the 100 Backstroke:
- Miles Nickelsburg won the event going a time of 1:16.56
- Onyx Thompson drops 3 seconds going a time of 1:29.34
In the 100 Breaststroke:
- Jack Hefty out touched his opponent to win the event by .39 seconds and went a best time of 1:15.53.
- Xavier Zei drops over 4 seconds going a time of 1:27.40
- Andrew O’Toole drops over 3 seconds going a time of 1:36.57
In the 400 Freestyle Relay:
- Myles Morse and Cruz Aranda both in the lead off position put up new best times in the 100 Freestyle with Cruz going a time of 58.55 and Myles going a time of 1:11.36
The Whippets are entering Championship season and will compete on Saturday, February 4th at 11 a.m. in Delavan-Darien for the Conference Meet. Come out and show your support!
Article Submitted by Sarah Reynolds
Whitewater High School Co-Head Boys’ Swim Coach
sreynolds@wwusd.org
Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka
Another exciting game! The Whitewater Girls’ Basketball Team traveled to East Troy for a conference game Tuesday night, January 24. Both teams played tight defense and fought for points in the first half. We knew they were going to pack the lane, forcing us to shoot from outside. Early in the game we took good shots, but they just didn’t fall. Being aggressive and scrappy on defense and getting some put backs on offensive rebounds right before half kept us within 2, 17-19.
Early in the second half, the Trojans connected on a couple 3 pointers putting them up by 11. We fought back, started communicating better on defense, and hitting our outside shots to close the gap. The Trojans were up by 2 with around 4 minutes left in the game and began to stall. We added pressure and forced a turnover to give us possession and momentum. After a time out, Kindyl Kilar drove to score 2 and tie up the game with 1:25 left in the game, 43-43. Katie Gillette got fouled on an inside shot and hit two clutch free throws that put us up by two and won the game.
Calli Grosinske led the Whippets with 14 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds. Danielle DePorter followed with 10 points. Mayte Navejas added 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. Katie Gillette scored 7 and added 4 rebounds and 2 assists.
The Whippets play Fort Atkinson at home on Thursday, January 26.
Article Submitted by Kristen Lippens
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Basketball Coach
klippens@wwusd.org
Photo Courtesy of Peter and Bob Mischka
Congratulate the wrestlers on a hard-fought dual meet on Tuesday night, January 24, against Evansville. Both teams came in 7-0 in the conference, and it was a well wrestled dual. We were down 27-22 going into the last four weight classes, so it was right there for us. Things did not go our way, and we ended up dropping our first dual meet of the year 51-22. We had matches early on that could have gone our way that we let slip away. There is stuff to get cleaned up prior to the regional tournament.
Congratulations to Victor Hernandez, Nate Black, Aaron Porras, and Avi Kalra on their victories Tuesday night.
Full results: https://www.trackwrestling.com/tw/seasons/LoadBalance.jsp?pageName=DualMatches.jsp&dualId=6879417132
Article Submitted by John Schimming
Whitewater High School Head Wrestling Coach
jschimming@wwusd.org
File Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka
The gymnastics team traveled to Southwestern High School for another Invite on Saturday, January 21. There were a lot of amazing gymnasts competing and some super fun routines to watch and cheer on. It was fun to see all the teams supporting and cheering for each other despite being from different schools. Our girls had a great day and posted some awesome scores!
Our strongest rotation was on the Vault where the girls crushed it. Not only did the varsity team have their highest team score of 31.075; 3 girls had lifetime best scores. Makayla Bazeley posted a 7.95, Nola Coburn posted an 8.0, and Mady Hefty posted an 8.275. These scores were all significantly higher than their previous Vault scores.
The girls took on the Beam, and despite a few falls amongst the team, we did have one gymnast have a no fall Beam routine – Brooke Bazeley. We also had some notable improvements in scores. Nola Coburn scored a season best with a 6.6, while Brenda Aguilar knocked her old score out of the way and scored a season best of 6.8. The varsity team had their highest score of the season with a 26.8. We love seeing these numbers climb!
On the Floor, we heard a lot of teams cheering for us which always gives us a boost. The girls are really pushing themselves and it shows. Brenda competed for the first time this season on Floor and slayed the day with a lifetime best of 7.2. Nola improved her season best with a 6.9, while Stephanie Walters improved her season best with a 6.3. Makayla Bazeley added a beautiful shushunova into her routine and earned herself a 7.85.
Last rotation was on Bars where the girls continued to shine. Stephanie fought for and earned a season best of 4.3. Mady upped her score from last week with another season best score of 5.95. Makayla decided at the last minute to add in a new move on Bars to spice it up and be adventurous – she likes to keep us guessing. She added a switch kip after her double cut catch to earn a 7.05. Love watching the girls attempt and succeed in new moves.
Mady competed in All-Around for the first time this season and earned 27.525. It’s such an awesome deal when the girls compete in all 4 rotations. Stephanie earned her highest All-Around score with 20.05. Both Nola and Makayla scored lifetime bests in All-Around as well with 26 & 30.1, respectively.
We have a little break from competition through finals week and then will be back to competing on January 31st against Badger.
Article and Photos Submitted by Shawnda Peters
Whitewater High School Head Gymnastics Coach
speters@wwusd.org
Obituaries
Becca Piper, 65, of Sedona, AZ died on November 21, 2024 as a result of complications of antibiotic toxicity. She was preceded in death by her beloved son Michael and her parents Reg and Maydean Nash. She is survived by her dear husband of almost 40 years, Ken Piper, along with her children Joe, ^^Michael^^, Selena and Larry, granddaughter Maelyn and Becca’s siblings David and Janet (Nash) Schenck. She is also survived by extraordinary friends, extended family and much loved colleagues. Being a mother was especially important to Becca. She and Ken adopted all of their 4 children. Becca’s life … Read more
Read More
In Loving Memory of Will Daniel Ensslin Whitewater, WI – Will Daniel Ensslin, 77, passed away peacefully on 11-26-2024, surrounded by his loving family, after a brave and long battle with cancer. He was born on February 5, 1947 in West Allis, WI to Willy and Ellen Ensslin. Will was a devoted husband, proud and loving father, cherished brother, uncle, cousin and loyal friend to many. He was also a proud Vietnam veteran, serving his country with courage and honor as a Huey helicopter mechanic from 1966 – 1967 — a dedication to service that remained a cornerstone of his life. He married the love of his life and best friend, Susan Bilkovich, in 1971 in Milwaukee, WI. Shortly after their wedding, … Read more
Read More
Richard Allen Splitter, age 80, of Blue Eye, Missouri, passed away November 12, 2024. He entered this life on June 16, 1944, the son of Edward and Berniece (Craig) Splitter in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Richard proudly served our country in the United States Navy for two terms. During his time in the service, he was able to get his master’s degree in engineering from California State University of Long Beach. During his working years, Richard was an engineer for different aerospace companies. He retired to Blue Eye, Missouri, and thoroughly enjoyed lake life. Richard appreciated the outdoors and loved hiking, fishing, … Read more
Read More
Edward W. HamiltonApril 3,1941 – October 26, 2024 Edward “Edjo” Wickman Hamilton, 83, passed away peacefully on Saturday, October 26, 2024 at home. Ed was born in Evanston, Illinois and moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin with his family when he was eight years old. He attended Whitewater High School and then graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater with a bachelor of science degree. He also served two years in the army. He moved to Davenport, Iowa in 1971 and worked at John Deere Davenport Works until he retired in 2001. Then he followed a dream, moved back to Whitewater and … Read more
Read More
Verne Paul Schrank was born on March 9, 1930 at home on the family farm in Lima Township, Rock County, to Arthur and Marie (Witte) Schrank. He attended the Sturtevant one room school which closed when he graduated in 1944. He attended Whitewater High School and graduated in 1948. Verne farmed with his parents until 1967 when he moved to Whitewater and worked for the Whitewater Unified School District as a custodian – courier for 27 years. Verne served on various boards at St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church, as well as playing on the dartball team for many years. Verne … Read more
Read More
After a long full life, Janine Marie (Dickerson) Weiss was called home to the Lord. Janine was born on April Fool’s Day, 1930 in Milwaukee. She grew up enjoying Trolleys, dancing and school with her sisters, Donna Domagalski, Marcyl Howel, Karen Moczynski and her parents, Glenn and Lucille Dickerson. In 1950, she married Frederic Weiss in a little church in Three Lakes WI. Shortly after, the first of 5 kids was born with the next 2 shortly after. Denice Lucille (Edward DeGroot), David Arthur, and Dana Lynn (Stephen Lind). After a breather Debra Beth (Alyn Jones) and Donna Raye (Dale … Read more
Read More
Raymond Miles, 96, Whitewater, passed away on Thursday, November 14, 2024, at Our House Senior Living in Whitewater. Raymond was born on February 10, 1928, in Elkhorn, WI to Rueben and Norma Miles. He served in the US Army. On June 18, 1955, Raymond married Waverly Sutherland in Whitewater, WI. He enjoyed a long and successful career as a Livestock Dealer. In retirement, he cherished time spent with his family and remained informed on the farming community. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Waverly of Whitewater, sons Eddie of Madison and Todd (Barbara) Miles of Sarasota FL, … Read more
Read More
Connie Jean Sukowski embarked on her next big adventure on the evening of Friday, November 8, 2024. Connie enjoyed decades of adventures with friends and family. She spent 36 years teaching 2nd and 3rd grade students in the Palmyra Eagle School District, working alongside many cherished colleagues and friends. Connie and her husband, Patrick Theodore Sukowski, shared 55 and a half years of marriage. Together they raised four children: Peter, Allan, Ann and Kevin Sukowski. She took great joy in watching her five grandchildren grow into amazing adults: Sonora Sukowski, Brianne Hebbe, Jared Gundrum-Sukowski, Nolan Causey, and Lore Lai Schimmel. … Read more
Read More
Nancy Lou Hallock Cooper passed away November 8, 2024 due to complications of lungcancer. Nancy was born on April 20, 1936 in Springfield, MA to Howard and Barbara (Corliss) Hallock. As a child, Nancy spent every summer in her beloved Piermont, NH where she and her brothers “helped” the local farmer with his chores, including riding in the truck with the milk cans every morning. She enjoyed swimming in the local brooks, picking berries, going to the nearby library, visiting with cousins, and playing croquet every evening. As she grew older, she spent time as a camper and then a camp … Read more
Read More
James Robert Trier (Jimbo), passed away on November 10, 2024, at the age of 89. Born on December 22, 1934, in New Holstein, WI, to George and Frances Trier. He spent his later years residing in Whitewater, WI. Jim began his teaching career as a high school mathematics teacher and then dedicated 55 years of his life to education as a mathematics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He was the chairman of the faculty senate as well. He had a passion for math and an engaging teaching style, which made him a student favorite. He was known for telling … Read more
Read MoreOther Recent Posts
Click on the title to view the post. To open the post in a new tab, press Ctrl (Cmd on a Mac) while clicking on the title.
