News & Events

Unofficial results for the Whitewater Unified School District Referendum on November 8 indicate that it passed with approximately a 56.2% “yes” vote. The count by county is as follows:

The following statement was received from Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty, Superintendent.

WUSD Residents Approve Operational Referendum

The preliminary results of the November 8 election indicate that voters have approved the operational referendum question on the ballot for the Whitewater Unified School District. 

As a result, WUSD will be able to maintain academic and athletic opportunities, student support and mental health services, comprehensive instructional and co-curricular programs, and technology and facilities infrastructure. It will allow the district to exceed its revenue limit to cover operational expenses over the next four years.

The mill rate will not increase due to the approved referendum. In fact, the current mill rate is projected to decrease from the current $11 per every $1,000 of fair market property value, to $8.76.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support of our community and the great conversations we have had throughout this process,” said Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty, Superintendent. “Thanks to the engagement of our community, we were able to present a solution that made the most sense for our district and our residents. We look forward to continuing our efforts to provide the best-possible learning opportunities for our students across grade levels.”

The canvass to certify the results will be held on Friday, November 11, at the District Office. 

Unofficial results for the City of Whitewater EMS Referendum on November 8 indicate that it passed with approximately a 64.2% “yes” vote. The count by county is as follows:

The following statement was received from City Manager John Weidl.

City of Whitewater EMS Referendum – Thank You

First and foremost, my sincerest thanks to everyone who chose to participate in the voting process on Tuesday. November 8th. Voters in the City of Whitewater made a very clear decision to support full-time paid on-premise Emergency Medical Services (EMS), including 24/7 ambulance coverage, night and weekend fire coverage, and a fully-funded equipment replacement program for both fire and ambulance services.

Additionally, thank you to WFD Inc., City of Whitewater staff, and community members who have worked on the ground to demonstrate the importance of 24-hour a day EMS coverage. We would not be able to provide our outstanding fire and ambulance services without all the people who dedicate themselves to caring for others. The efforts of the men and women who respond in an emergency cannot be overstated.

On behalf of the City Council, City staff, residents, business owners, and everyone who is impacted by fire and ambulance protection not only in the City of Whitewater but throughout the region, our sincerest appreciation for the trust you have placed in us as we move forward with fully integrated municipal-based Emergency Medical Services. We will immediately begin implementation.

Practically speaking, that means we will be spending the remainder of the year examining the outcomes of our service delivery model over the last several months and continuing to staff on-premise ambulance coverage 24/7 and fire coverage on-premise nights and weekends. We will also be setting up the equipment replacement fund and making other targeted additions to the staffing model as presented to the community. We will also be looking at ways internally to improve services including additional medical training, cross-training between ambulance and fire services, and ways to improve the paramedic intercept program.

Longer term, the City has already started and will continue to work with the State legislature and other communities heavily impacted by the municipal services reimbursement program at a State level to ensure adequate financial support for the services the City provides to State-owned property, including University of Wisconsin – Whitewater property. We will also continue meeting with regional health care providers to enhance and locate more acute and emergent medical services closer to Whitewater in an effort to further reduce transport times and provide access to higher quality care.

Personally, it has been a very rewarding experience for me to join the community during this critical time and I am pleased to see overwhelming support for on-premise 24/7 ambulance coverage and dedicated night and weekend fire protection. For my part, I will work to ensure that the resources allocated to the City by its taxpayers are spent efficiently and effectively while also keeping the people served by fire and ambulance services at the forefront of our decision-making process. Thank you again and take care.

Best, John S. Weidl – City Manager, Whitewater, Wisconsin

Starin Park has seen a lot of activity all summer and into the fall.  From the formation of the Arboretum at Starin Park; the installation of the WE-GO-ROUND; planting (and watering) of hundreds of trees and bushes; to the most recent addition of the Arboretum Information Kiosk begun on Friday, Nov. 4.

With a generous donation from Generac Power Systems, and a large crew of volunteers from Generac, the Urban Forestry Commission and local citizens, the framework was completed even as the crew needed to work between rainstorms.  Generac provided the funds, manpower and even lunch for the crew, which was greatly appreciated.  The roof will be completed next week.  

Be sure to take a walk through Starin Park, as the weather continues to be unseasonably warm and enjoy these new additions. 

Jeanine Fassl
November 5, 2022

Our thanks to Jeanine Fassl for sharing this interesting update with photos.

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The Whippets of the Ferradermis FIRST Robotics Competition Team had a fantastic experience at Roboteer Rumble in Tremont, Illinois on November 4 and 5. The competition hosted 32 robots from 28 schools from Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, and Wisconsin.

The team felt it was important to participate in a fall competition to help the many new members get a better feel for how FIRST events work before we launch into the new season in January. Learning opportunities were plentiful over the last few weeks as Ferradermis combined the best features of their two existing robots into one machine. They were able to attach the highly successful climber from the 2022 season robot to the swerve drive base that was their summer project. The robot also featured a cargo shooter designed this summer that for the first time could aim from a distance using a special camera.

Driver Jazmin Cederberg, Operator Andrew O’Toole, and Technician Zoe Olson led the team onto the field for each match with human player duties rotating through some of the new members. Dayna Carlson, Chacha Binagi, Rae Breisath, Margaret Brown, Belle Cohen, and Erison Dreksler all had a chance to take this role in matches and get a feel for how the drive team operates. Senior Peter Portwine took on the duties of pit crew chief, while Arson Webster-Barczak and Elora Wildermuth-Breitzman worked on electrical duties in the pit. Andrew Zimmermann, with an assist from Mel Prince, headed up the scouting crew and represented the team for alliance selections, while Maddi LaHaie and Cosette Wildermuth-Breitzman started work on building a greater social media presence for the team. Team members also rotated through the pit and took turns collecting scouting data in conjunction with the Warrriorbots from Muskego.

Friday evening and Saturday morning, teams had the ability to freely enter practice matches before playing five qualification matches over the course of the day on Saturday. Following qualifications, Ferradermis was invited to join the number six seeded alliance for the playoffs by the Warriorbots from Muskego High School and the HexHounds from Cedarburg High School, forming an all-Wisconsin alliance. The alliance fell in the quarter-finals.

Team members always take advantage of the chance to learn how other teams operate when we travel. The Roboteers, hosts of the event, are currently constructing a new robotics center adjacent to the high school. Several of our students had the opportunity to tour the construction site and were truly excited by the possibilities this new center will offer for the Roboteers robotics program.

Ferradermis is excited for what the new season will bring and thanks our many sponsors for their continued support! If additional students are still interested in joining before the start of the 2023 season, they should reach out to Laura Masbruch at lmasbruch@wwusd.org.

Article and Photos Submitted by Laura Masbruch
Whitewater High School Robotics Advisor
lmasbruch@wwusd.org

Editor’s note: The following news release was received from Fort HealthCare.

For 38 years, the response from individuals, organizations, clubs and businesses have made the Fort HealthCare Partners Love Lights Tree project a successful annual event, exemplifying the spirit of giving.

The Love Lights Tree project began in 1985. it is a heartfelt way to acknowledge loved ones and those who have passed away. By charging $2 per light, the Love Light Tree has been raising money to purchase new equipment, educations, and services for the surrounding communities of FortHealthCare.
 
A Love Light is the perfect way to tell someone they are special while helping members of your community. A donation of $2 of more will add a light to one of the trees outside the Fort Memorial Hospital throughout the holiday season. The light will be displayed either as a gift to honor someone (colored light), or as a memorial (white light) for a loved one that has passed away. Special cards are available, upon request, to notify the person or family of someone being remembered that a Love Light has been purchased in their honor.  

Love Lights can be ordered by mail; order forms can be found online at FortHealthCare.com/LoveLights. Online donations are also available on the website. A $5 minimum is required for online donations. honor cards can be emailed to families for online purchases to show that you’ve made a gift in their honor. Donations of $25 or more are recognized as Love Light Tree sponsors. To ensure you are properly recognized in this year’s sponsor and donor listings published in late December, Fort HealthCare Partners must receive your donations by December 12.

Every year Love Lights raises money in ways that will enhance the well-bring of our community. Funds raised during the 2022 Love Lights campaign will be used to help subsidize the cost of the CareLine service for those who cannot afford it. CareLine is a medical personal emergency response service that allows subscribers to get emergency help 24/7 at the press of a button. Fund will also be used to support several healthcare scholarships for students and professionals in the community.

Kari Behling, Fort HealthCare Volunteer Services Manager, states, “We would like to raise funds for our CareLine Program, because there are people in our community who have chronic health conditions who cannot afford this life-saving equipment and service. The funds will allow the Partners CareLine Program to provide FREE or reduced rates to qualifying clients. CareLine also allows individuals to remain in their homes and avoid losing their independence.”

Behling adds, “We also believe that providing scholarships to students and professionals seeking further education in healthcare is important because they are our future. Studies suggest that retiring baby boomers are causing a rise in the demand for jobs, including healthcare. We want to ensure that the people entering the healthcare field have resources available to pay for their education. Your contributions to these worthwhile projects will be greatly appreciated by the partners and the many local people who will benefit.”  

Love Lights Tree Lighting Ceremony

The Love Lights Tree lighting ceremony will take place on Tuesday, December 6, at 6:30 p.m. on the Sherman Avenue lawn in front of Fort Memorial Hospital in Fort Atkinson.
 
As members of the Fort HealthCare Partners organization, Fort Memorial Hospital volunteers are an invaluable resource to the community. Important roles filled by volunteers add a tremendous amount of value to Fort HealthCare’s services. Call 920-568-5276 or toll-free at 1-800-421-4677 ext. 5276 or visit FortHealthcare.com/volunteer to learn more. More information
 
As members of the Fort HealthCare Partners organization, Fort Memorial Hospital volunteers
are an invaluable resource to the community. Important roles filled by volunteers add a tremendous amount of value to Fort HealthCare’s services. Call 920-568-5276 or toll-free at 1-800-421-4677 ext. 5276 or visit
FortHealthcare.com/volunteer to learn more.

Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by University of Wisconsin – Whitewater.

The Autumn Art Nights will take place at the Community Engagement Center every Tuesday in November from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. This event is a free workshop that welcomes all ages, but it was designed with middle schoolers in mind. Also, these weekly sessions have an open studio format, but it is preferred for students to come for the whole session.