News & Events

By Al Stanek
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

The City of Whitewater’s project to combat unsightly vegetation growth on Cravath and Trippe Lakes will be accomplished almost entirely without the use of herbicides to knockdown the green areas that nearly encompass the remaining lake beds as the result of a two-year drawdown of the two bodies of water.

The announcement came from Parks and Recreation Director Eric Boettcher at the October 19 City Common Council meeting. The existing green areas will instead be mowed using six-foot wide commercial mowing blades drawn by an all-terrain vehicle, belt-driven traction vehicle and a commercial tractor. The work will be done by the same outside contractor that had been hired to spray the herbicide and is scheduled to begin the week of October 25. It will take place where the shoreline allows and may still require some minimal spraying according to Boettcher.

The use of herbicides had generated opposition from some city residents although the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) approved chemical treatment was deemed to be safe. The change in plans will not likely add additional costs to the project according to Boettcher who explained that the change in methodology was required by the unusually dry conditions in September and early October that resulted in vegetation going to seed earlier than normal.

The Cravath and Trippe Lakes Drawdown and Dredge Project began in July of 2019. It took two years and the use of siphons in Trippe Lake to accomplish the drawdown. A controlled burn of the remaining mowed vegetation is scheduled to take place in November. The actual dredging phase of the project is scheduled to begin in January of next year. Both lakes are scheduled to be refilled in spring.

The project is similar in nature to other Wisconsin communities’ lake improvement efforts designed to improve water quality and depth, reduce aquatic vegetation, and eliminate invasive aquatic plant species. Lakes project updates are routinely posted on the City of Whitewater’s website at www.whitewater-wi.gov.

In other business the Common Council scheduled a special meeting for October 26^th to continue renegotiations with the Whitewater Fire Department regarding their contract for services with the City. The Common Council also reluctantly agreed to a settlement with Walmart related to an excessive property assessment claim. The agreement calls for the 2021 assessment to not exceed $5,300,000. The current assessment is $5,657,300 and the property owner’s opinion of value was $4,500,000. Reduction in total property tax (all jurisdictions) is $8092 with the city’s share $2347. City Attorney Wally McDonnell advised that trying to resolve the issue in court would cost much more in legal fees than the amount of tax revenue lost. This is the second time that Walmart has filed suit alleging excessive assessment.

Editor’s note: The following information was provided by Knight Public Affairs, LLC.

The Discover Whitewater Series (DWS): Half Marathon, 5K and W3 Fit Kid Shuffle held its ninth annual race banquet on Wednesday, October 20, 2021 at Willow Brook Golf Course. Gathered for a night of celebration were race sponsors, team leaders, volunteers and five local charities. “The purpose of DWS is to support Whitewater by giving back to organizations that are devoted to helping this community,” DWS Executive Director Jeffery Knight said. “It’s always great to see so many members of the Whitewater community come together for this event.” 

During the banquet, DWS presented $5,000 to each of the five charities, totaling $25,000. These five charities are: Working for Whitewater’s Wellness, Bethel House, Whitewater Unified School District, Whitewater LEADS and J-Hawk Aquatic Club. Beyond the DWS donations, there was an additional $740 directly donated from anonymous individuals to the charities of their choosing on the DWS website. Over the last nine years, the DWS has been able to raise a total of $229,500. “It really is incredible to witness the amount of work that goes into the DWS,” GWC Chairman Larry Kachel said. “The number of local sponsors, volunteers and community members who come together to help out is inspiring.”

This year’s DWS saw the return of the W3 Fit Kid Shuffle, the post-race awards ceremony, and open registration all the way up until race day. The DWS would like to thank everyone who came together to make this ninth year a success. Next year, the tenth annual DWS will take place on Sunday, September 18, 2021. Planning has already begun to make the DWS’s tenth anniversary race an extraordinary event. Keep an eye out for a special black Friday registration deal. 

“The Lost City of Z” – October 26, 1 p.m. – (Biography/Drama/Adventure) 2 hours, 21 minutes; Rated PG-13 (2016)

A true-life adventure about British explorer Major Percival Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam), who disappeared while searching for a mysterious indigenous city in the Amazon, in the 1920’s. This is a thrilling, thoughtful, hauntingly beautiful film that you will not soon forget. Also stars Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller, Franco Nero, and Tom Holland.

Rummage sale
329 E Cravath Street
Saturday/Sunday, October 23/24
9:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Lots of bargains. Household items, some clothes, furniture, and outdoor Disney Christmas items. Stop and find some bargains.

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

Join UK travel/relocation consultant and former UK resident Claire Evans for a delightful culinary tour of the UK inspired by “The Great British Baking Show” television series, aired on PBS. Learn about making a proper cup of tea, regional specialties, their origins, and the particular parts of the UK they hail from. As it’s soon the holidays, she’ll focus on festive baking in particular.  She’ll translate the trickiest parts of British recipes for Americans so you can try them in your own kitchen. Pick up useful travel tips as well, just in case you’d like to create your own tour!

Claire Evans started her love of most things British as she and her mother watched countless episodes of “Are You Being Served,” “Fawlty Towers,” and “The Vicar of Dibley” on PBS.  She went on to study abroad in London and, against the odds, she married a Brit she met in Peoria, Illinois.  They moved to England, where they lived for a number of years.  Outside of her work for a legal advice charity, Claire became a student of historical sights, pub dining, and tea shops.  Her business, Tea with Claire, grew from friends asking for travel and relocation advice.

Wednesday, November 3 at 6:00 p.m. This is a Zoom event so registration is required to obtain the Zoom link an hour before the program begins.  Please register on our website at: whitewaterlibrary.org.

Editor’s note: The following information was provided by the UW-W College of Arts and Communication, Department of Music

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Department of Music is excited to announce the final concert of the Music Mosaics series this fall with “Jazz Originals by Michael Hackett & Guests”. All proceeds from the Music Mosaic series go directly towards scholarships for Department of Music students. This performance will take place on Tuesday, November 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Light Recital Hall. Ticket prices are $14 for general public, $12 for over 65, $7 for individuals under 18 and free for all UW-Whitewater students. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased online at tickets.uww.edu or by calling (262) 472-2222. Masks are required for anyone entering a campus building and each performance in the Light Recital Hall will have a social distance seating option. Do not come to campus if you are ill. For the most up to date campus safety information, visit the Warhawks are Back webpage at the link below. uww.edu/warhawks-are-back.

Jazz up your November with original jazz compositions by Dr. Michael Hackett and special guest artists. Selections also include original compositions by Kenny Dorham, Sam Rivers, and Wayne Shorter. Artists featured in this concert are Michael Hackett, trumpet and flugelhorn, Matthew Sintchak, saxophone, Chris Rottmayer, piano, Bradley Townsend, bass and Devin Drobka, drums.

Michael Hackett is a performer and teacher with a wide variety of credits. Dr. Hackett has performed in some of the most important musical venues in the world, ranging from Lincoln Center, Birdland, and The Apollo Theater in New York City, to the Kennedy Center and Blues Alley in Washington, DC. His playing is featured in numerous commercially available recordings and his own recordings are released on the Summit Records label. Hackett received his Doctorate of Music from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and is currently serving as Assistant Professor of Jazz and Commercial Music at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

An avid supporter of contemporary music, saxophonist Matthew Sintchak has commissioned and premiered over 100 new works for the instrument. Sintchak enjoys challenging traditional notions of music performance by pushing boundaries of genre, instrumentation, medium, and style. In the genre-stretching, multi-media Visions of America project, Sintchak worked with trombonist Mark Hetzler and photographer Katrin Talbot to combine the live performance of saxophone, trombone, piano, bass and percussion, in an amalgamation of jazz, classical, and contemporary styles with original video and photographic material created and edited by Hetzler and Talbot. More recently, Sintchak formed the Fuse Trio (www.fusetrio.com), a chamber group for saxophone, clarinet, and piano with the goal of commissioning and performing “crossover” jazz/classical works. They have already commissioned/premiered new works by Phil Woods, Paquito D’Rivera, and UW-Whitewater’s own Christian Ellenwood. Sintchak formed the Sonict Duo (www.sonictensemble.com), an experimental group that combines saxophone, video, and live electronics with the noted electronic audio-visual performer and composer Jeff Herriott. Drawing on a combination of commissions, existing works, and newly created works by the duo themselves, Sonict creates an entirely new aural and visual space that defies easy categorization. Sintchak has also been a member of other new music groups including Present Music (Milwaukee) and the Intergalactic Contemporary Ensemble (formerly the Minnesota Contemporary Ensemble), which performed at Queen Elizabeth Hall for the London Jazz Festival.

Chris Rottmayer is a jazz pianist, composer, and jazz vibraphonist living in Madison, Wisconsin. Chris has been a freelance jazz pianist since 1990, was a pianist for Walt Disney World from 1999 to 2020, and has released three albums as a leader: Reactive Synthesis (2013), Sunday at Pilars (2019), and So In Love (2020). Chris is currently the Instructor of Jazz Piano at the University of South Florida, where he has taught since 2007, and is pursuing a DMA in Piano Performance at the University of Wisconsin- Madison where he holds a Teaching Assistantship in the Theory department.

Bradley Townsend holds a Master of Music in Improvisation from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Music in Performance from the University of Iowa, where he studied with Diana Gannett. Brad teaches string bass, conducts jazz ensemble II, and the Improvisors Orchestra at the University of Wisconsin- Whitewater. In addition to playing with many notable artists, Brad performs with area ensembles such as the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Arp of the Covenant, the Madison Jazz Jam, Night of the Improvisor, Anders Svonoe Double Trio and Executive Tea Set. His recordings have been reviewed in All About Jazz and the All Music Guide.

Devin Drobka, drummer, composer and educator has been playing drums for the past 20 years. Devin is currently one of the most in-demand Performers and Educators in the Midwest. Devin decided to further his education and applied to the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Devin received his BMA in Jazz Drumming Performance from Berklee College of Music in 09’ where he had the chance to study with Terri Lynn Carrington, Bob Tamigni, Skip Hadden, Jamey Haddad, Kenwood Dennard, Jon Hazilla, Ralph Peterson Jr, Ian Froman, and the master drummer Bob Moses. While at Berklee Devin performed with legends of the Jazz world such as Joe Lovano, Jerry Bergonzi, Greg Osby, Cecil McBee, Dave Santoro, Ed Tomassi, and Phil Grenadier.