News & Events

The City of Whitewater is thrilled to announce the winners of the highly anticipated Whitewater Wind Up, a business plan competition designed to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in our community. After months of hard work and dedication, the winners were selected following the final presentations in May, with the Community Development Authority (CDA) meeting on July 18th to allocate funds to the standout entries.

First Place: Barista Cat Cafe
The grand prize of $71,153.92 was awarded to Barista Cat Cafe, an innovative concept that combines a cozy coffee shop with a cat adoption center, offering patrons a unique and heartwarming experience. Please note that to receive the full award, Barista Cat Cafe must seek two additional quotes for their planned renovation, ensuring responsible and efficient use of the funds.

Runner-Up: Stellar Vintage
Stellar Vintage, a dynamic business specializing in curated vintage clothing and accessories, was awarded $33,302.83. This recognition acknowledges the business’s potential to add value to our community through sustainable fashion and unique offerings.

The Whitewater Wind Up began in early 2024, attracting a diverse range of participants with creative business ideas. The competition aimed to support entrepreneurs in developing and refining their business plans, providing them with valuable feedback from industry experts and community leaders.

Economic Development Director Taylor Zeinert expressed enthusiasm for the winners, stating, “The Whitewater Wind Up has demonstrated the incredible talent and innovation present in our community. We are proud to support Barista Cat Cafe and Stellar Vintage as they embark on their exciting ventures. These businesses not only enhance our local economy but also contribute to the unique culture and vibrancy of Whitewater.”

The CDA’s decision to allocate funds to these promising businesses underscores the commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and economic growth within the community. The support provided through this competition will enable Barista Cat Cafe and Stellar Vintage to implement their business plans and make a positive impact on Whitewater.

The Whitewater High School Class of 1984 held their 40th reunion on July 20, 2024, at the Second Salem Brewing Company in Whitewater.  

Classmates came from as far as San Jose, California, Tokyo, Japan, to New York City and all the places in between to chat and reminisce about their time at Whitewater High School.  A total of 65 WHS graduates were able to attend the reunion. 

The class would like to thank all of the faculty and staff, past and present, who created the memorable experiences they had for the four years at Whitewater High School.

Submitted by Gregory Stewart.

Madison Brass Band Performs Summer Concert in Whitewater

The Madison Brass Band is eagerly anticipating their performance as part of the City of Whitewater Summer Concerts In The Park Series on July 25th, 2024, at 7:00 PM at Cravath Lakefront Park (341 S Fremont St, Whitewater).

We invite all to join the Madison Brass Band, with Musical Director John Lynch for a festive concert featuring uplifting music from diverse compositional voices including Bernstein, Shostakovich, Gershwin, Puccini and concluding with a medley of favorite Disney tunes.

The concert will begin with a world premiere of First Suite Fanfare, a composition by Dr. Erika Svanoe, a graduate of Whitewater High School, who has dedicated the work to Dr. Don Deal, who was the Band Director at Whitewater High School from 1979 to 2012. Dr. Svanoe is a conductor and composer for wind band, known for her lyrical melodies, nods to classic literature, musical deconstruction, humor, and pastiche. Her works have been performed by “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, the United States Navy Band, and the National Concert Band of America. Her music has been featured on Wisconsin Public Radio, in Bandworld’s Top 100, and the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series. Her first major work, The Haunted Carousel, won the 2014 NBA Young Band Composition Contest. Her first album, “The Music of Erika Svanoe,” was recorded by Andrew Boysen, Jr. and the University of New Hampshire Wind Symphony, and released in 2022.

Founded in 2002, The Madison Brass Band, a group of talented amateur musicians, has earned recognition for their outstanding performances, including appearances at prestigious events like the Wisconsin State Convention of the National Band Association and the Wisconsin State Music Conference. In 2012, they ventured into competitive Brass Band events and achieved Champion of the Second Section in their first NABBA Competition. The band’s dedication is further exemplified by their collaborations with renowned clinicians like Joe Parisi, Scott Teeple, Colin Holman, Mark Taylor and Phillip Harper. Under the direction of new Musical Director John Lynch, the band continues to thrive with outstanding performances and a commitment to musical innovation.

Admission is free. It is suggested to bring chairs or a blanket, as well as food and drink; very limited seating is available at tables adjacent to the parking lot.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madisonbrassband/

On the web: madisonbrass.com

Nigerian Reggae Dub-Fusion Rock Trio Jimmy Sugarcane Closes Savory Sounds Concerts This Thursday!

This Thursday, July 25, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., the Savory Sounds Summer Concerts ends with Jimmy Sugarcane.  Jimmy Sugarcane’s Nigerian heritage and formerly London-based operation has yielded an interesting perspective and a distinctive blend of sounds and styles. Jimmy Sugarcane, as reggae/dub-fusion artists, is an active dancehall force in Madison and highlighted by Wisconsin Public Radio’s 30 Minute Music Hour. 

To further the Nigerian cultural experience, Holisac’s Taste of Africa, a restaurant and catering service in Madison, will be offering unique and tasty Nigerian food items.  Be sure to come hungry to this unique cultural experience!

This week’s band is sponsored by Olm and Associates.

• Location: Flat Iron Park (next to the Birge Fountain), 402 W Main St, Whitewater.
• Rain or Shine: Normally held outdoors on the lawn, in the event of rain, the concerts are moved indoors to the Cultural Arts Center.
• Seating: Bring your lawn chairs and/or blankets but if the concert gets moved indoors you won’t need them.
• Food & Refreshments: Food and other refreshments will be available from the food vendor or bring your own lunch.
• Parking: CAC lot and city street parking is available with additional parking is available at First English Lutheran Church.

Our sponsors for the summer series are:  

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from the City of Whitewater.

Elizabeth Street will be closed between Melrose Street and Laurel Street.

NOTICE: On Thursday, July 25, 2024, at 6:00 a.m., Elizabeth Street will be closed between Melrose Street and Laurel Street for a street repair. Detour will include using Laurel Street, Pleasant Street, and Melrose Street. Paving is scheduled to be completed early in the week of July 29, weather dependent, and the street opened to traffic as soon as the asphalt cools.

Brad Marquardt
Director of Public Works

For other requests, visit https://www.whitewater-wi.gov/RequestTracker.aspx.

Versiti is the primary blood supplier for Southeastern Wisconsin hospitals, including Lakeland and Fort Memorial.

Donors with these types A-, B-, O-, O+ will receive a $20 e-gift card, which may be used at Walmart and a large number of other merchants, when they make an appointment and enter “SPLASH” in the appointment notes.

Appointments are encouraged. Please click here or contact Lynn at 262-473-2997 or lynnbinnie@yahoo.com. Walk-ins are also welcome as time allows. Please note that several appointments are still open for double red cells. Be sure to take note of the new location at the Cravath Lakefront Community Center.

A total of 8,586 students received degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison on May 10-11, including students from the Whitewater area.

There were two live ceremonies, one for undergraduates at Camp Randall and one for all graduate degree candidates at the Kohl Center. 

Keynote speaker and Badger hockey legend Meghan Duggan shared lessons learned during her ascent to Olympic gold. 

“Failure is not final unless you choose not to learn from it,” Duggan said. “Since some measure of failure is inevitable in each of the journeys you’re about to take, I hope you react by learning what you’re willing to do to find your own version of success.” 

Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin praised graduates for succeeding academically and being deeply engaged in solving problems in the world, in the proud tradition of the Wisconsin Idea. 

“You and I can’t know today what questions each of you will ask in your lives and careers,” she said. “But I can tell you this: The questions that challenge what we are certain we already know to be true are often the ones that drive extraordinary innovation.” 

Student speaker Gracie Nelson, senior class president, reminded graduates that, in the past four years, they had lived through COVID dorms, eight Taylor Swift albums, and three Badger football coaches. She emphasized that “it is not our resumes or the titles we hold that define us, but the depth of our humanity.” 

Students from this area who received degrees include:

Shawn Chan, College of Engineering, Bachelor of Science-Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

Tyler Green, School of Business, Bachelor of Business Administration, Business: Accounting, Business: Finance, Investment and Banking, Business: Real Estate and Urban Land Economics

Sophie Mayer, College of Letters and Science, Bachelor of Arts, Communication Arts, Gender and Women’s Studies

Anna Riemer, School of Pharmacy, Bachelor of Science-Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences

Lan Vo, School of Education, Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Occupational Therapy

Ferradermis took to the field at Mukwonago High School on Saturday, July 20, and Sunday, July 21, competing with and against 30 other robots from Wisconsin and Illinois for the Mukwonago Robotics Offseason Competition (MROC). With 18 Ferradermis team members in attendance, and a wide array of activities, there were plenty of opportunities for various students to try different roles on the team.

MROC is more than just your typical robotics competition. The day on Saturday began with a morning of workshops offered by various teams on topics from team logistics to programming to FIRST’s plans for new electronics in 2025. Ferradermis members Cosette Wildermuth-Breitzman, Maddison LaHaie, and Isabella Cohen joined forces with members of Mukwonago’s team to present a workshop to provide tips to other teams on the Impact Award process and making an impact in general on your community. The workshop was attended by roughly 31 people representing 12 teams.

A quick round of practice matches followed the workshops, and then the qualification matches began. Each team was allotted 10 qualification matches between Saturday and Sunday. Ferradermis took the field with a rotation of drivers under new Head Coach Mark Zimmermann on Saturday before settling into a standard drive team configuration on Sunday. Students who had the opportunity to drive in at least one match included Margaret Brown, Preston Miller, Ace Hudec, and Andrew O’Toole. Erison Dreksler and Preston Miller took turns as Operator, and Dreksler and new incoming freshman member Vivian Harris took turns as Human Player. Nina Heim and Harris took turns as Technician. Recent graduate Kay Mikos stepped into the role of Drive Coach. Ferradermis ended qualifications with a 4-6 record.

Represented by Cyrus Hudec, Andrew Zimmermann, and Chacha Binagi for alliance selections, Ferradermis gratefully accepted an invitation from Team 2506 Saber Robotics from Franklin High School as their first pick for the #6 seeded playoff alliance. The two teams then invited Team 6381 Red Raider Robotics from Sheboygan North to join the alliance.

The alliance worked together to develop some great match strategies and won their first playoff match against the #3 seeded alliance 64-39. They were then defeated by the #2 seed (and eventual champion alliance led by the Hilltoppers from Marquette University High School) 111-53 in a match where the Ferradermis robot became disabled early when a power cable was knocked loose. This dropped the Ferradermis alliance into the lower half of the double-elimination playoff bracket. In their next match, the alliance played against the #1 seed, and won 80-66. The playoff run came to an end in the fourth-place match when the alliance lost to the #7 seed in a tight match decided by a last second penalty. The final score of that match was 72-67.

FIRST Wisconsin is contemplating a switch from a Regional competition model to a District competition model. In the district model, all regular season competitions would occur in-state and end with a Wisconsin State Championship from which teams would still advance to the World Championships in Houston. Team 930 from Mukwonago set out to show what a district competition could look like with their MROC event this past weekend, adding features such as on-field video between matches and alumni and student commentators after each match. Both Isabella Cohen and Margaret Brown were able to take a turn at the commentator desk this weekend.

It takes a huge group of volunteers to operate a FIRST Robotics competition, including refs, judges, queuers, field resetters, pit administrators, and many more roles. The volunteer pool is made up of many FIRST alumni and student, mentor, and parent representatives from other teams. Ferradermis member Cyrus Hudec volunteered to do field reset all weekend, and Rae Breisath spent some time at the Welcome Table along with team parent Tori Breisath. Ferradermis advisor Laura Masbruch volunteered to queue up teams for matches.

Chacha Binagi continued to collect 3D printer waste from other teams as part of the Ferradermis Project Preserve initiative, and many team members contributed to the school supply drive with items to be donated to the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. Mentors Mark Zimmermann, Matt Doherty, and Laura Masbruch played in the mentor match, coached by Erison Dreksler and supported by Kay Mikos as human player. Zoe Olson, Carson Miller, and Georgia Esch were part of the scouting crew in the stands, and Esch took the field to represent Ferradermis in the humorous Human Player match where students played the game that the robots normally play. Ferradermis members also stayed for the Saturday evening team social during which yard games and some intense dodgeball took place.

Ferradermis is next in action on Saturday, July 27, at the Rockford Robotics Offseason Competition (R2OC) at Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois. Matches begin at 8:45 am. The event is free and open to the public.

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