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#FlashbackFriday with the Historical Society: Fire tube added to East Side School

September 19, 2024

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society.

Continuing our deep dive into the East Side School (Washington School), here is a photograph from the period 1945-1955. In this image, the school has received a new front entrance since 1907, but more interestingly, there is a large tube “fire escape” on the side wall. This fire escape was put on the school building in the summer of 1945 and was seen as a way to quickly move students out of the second floor in case of a fire. I wonder how many readers remember sliding down this tube in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Did fire drills use this tube? Did kids slide down without permission?

Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.

(3684P, Whitewater Historical Society)

Whippet Volleyball Defeats Monroe in 3 Straight Sets

September 19, 2024

Whitewater Varsity Volleyball hosted the Cheesemakers of Monroe Tuesday night, September 17, in a conference matchup. The Whippets rallied together and won the match in 3 straight sets (25-23, 27-25, 25-18) to move to 1 – 1 in conference play.

File Photo

Whitewater had a balanced offensive attack led by senior Falyn Krahn (6 kills), junior Sydney Schilt (5 kills), and seniors Ava Alvarado and Calli Grosinske (each with 4 kills). Senior Calli Grosinske tallied 15 assists on the night.

Defensively the Whippets were led by senior Ella Spear (14 digs) and senior Ava Alvarado (13 digs).

The Whippets will host another conference opponent on Thursday evening, September 19, as they take on the Eagles of Jefferson.

Article and Photo Submitted by Caitlin Dowden
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
dowca01@wwusd.org 

Cross Country Runners Race in Cottage Grove

September 18, 2024

The Whippet Cross Country Team competed in hot conditions on Tuesday, September 17 in Cottage Grove at the Dana Waddell Invitational hosted by Marshall High School.  

Earning medals on the day were:

BOYS
Varsity Boys: Xavier Zei 4th, Miles Nickelsburg 13th, Luc Pomazak 15th, and Andrew O’Toole in 16th.
JV Boys: Wyatt Esch 7th, Isaiah Mendez 10th
Team finish: The Varsity Boys placed 3rd out of 10 and the JV Boys placed 2nd.

GIRLS
Varsity Girls: Virginia Nelson 14th, Athena Soto 20th
JV Girls: Lucy Troxel 4th, Delaney Hammack 10th
Team finish: The Varsity Girls placed 5th, and the JV Girls took 2nd.

Full race results: https://my.raceresult.com/309431/

Next up for the team will be the Angel Invitational at UW-Parkside on Saturday.

Article submitted by Chad Carstens
Whitewater High School Head Cross Country Coach
ccarstens@wwusd.org

UW-W Football Preview: #3 Warhawks to Host UMHB Saturday

September 18, 2024

By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information

The No. 3 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team will be back in front of the Warhawk faithful at Perkins Stadium this Saturday. UWW will host the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor with kickoff slated for 1 p.m. The game is the team’s annual Alumni Day presented by Mercyhealth. 

Latest Rankings
The Warhawks are ranked third in the latest D3football.com and American Football Coaches Association Division III polls. UMHB is receiving votes in the pair of national polls. 

UWW’s Last Time Out
The Warhawks are coming off of a 24-14 road win over Division II’s Roosevelt University. UW-Whitewater capitalized on defense and special teams to put up 17 points in the third quarter to bolster the win. 

Quarterback Jason Ceniti found Drake Martin on a short pass for the first touchdown of the game. The Warhawk defense provided a boost on the first drive of the second half last week. On the third play of the third quarter, UWW pushed the Laker quarterback back into his own end zone where a fumble was recovered by Lucas Sadler for the defensive touchdown. Later in the quarter, Tyler Vasey hauled in a kickoff at the two-yard line and went the distance for the 98-yard kick return TD. 

UMHB’s Last Time Out
The Crusaders defeated Westgate Christian University 85-6 last week. UMHB put up 71 points in the first half alone. Kamerin Ferguson averaged 30.8 yards per carry with 185 yards on 6 rushes including a pair of touchdowns. Four Crusaders saw action at QB with Isaac Phe connecting on 7 of 9 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns. Six receivers tallied catches on the day as Mary Hardin-Baylor posted 562 yards of total offense. 

On the Air
Saturday’s game will air live on the WIAC Network courtesy of UWWTV. The contest can also be heard on 105.9 FM The Hog in the Whitewater area, or online. 

Series
This is the 11th matchup between these two powerhouse programs. The Warhawks own the series 8-2 and have won the last two games. Last season, UWW topped the Cru in Belton, Texas 17-14. In 2022, UW-Whitewater won 28-24 in a thriller at The Perk. From 2007-2019, the Warhawks met UMHB six times in the NCAA Division III Playoffs. UWW was 4-2 over that span of postseason matchups. 

Fairhaven Senior Services Open House: New 3rd & 4th floor Assisted Living

September 18, 2024

No. 3 UW-W Volleyball Falls to No. 5 UW-Oshkosh

September 18, 2024
Jenna Weinfurt, Hannah Proctor and Chloe Werner go up for a block at UW-Oshkosh (Steve Frommell)

By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information

Box Score | Oshkosh, Wis. — The No. 3 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s volleyball team suffered its first loss of the season in a five-setter at No. 5 UW-Oshkosh Wednesday. The Titans took the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener 25-18, 13-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-10.

The Warhawks had the opening serve and Alayna Jansky registered the first point of the contest with a kill. Her tip off the hands of the Titan blocks fell to the floor for a 1-0 UWW lead. The rest of the set belonged to UW-Oshkosh. The Titans continued to build a lead with scrappy play – extending rallies and eventually taking the set 25-18.

UW-Whitewater came out on fire in the second set. The Warhawks jumped out to an 8-2 lead bolstered by a pair of kills from Jansky and a huge block from Chloe Werner and Hannah Proctor.

After a pair of Jenna Weinfurt kills and another big block – this time from Proctor and Weinfurt – the Titans signaled for timeout, their second of the set, with UWW leading 12-4. UWO scored three straight out of the timeout until Weinfurt and Abbie Dix registered back-to-back kills to pull the momentum back to the Warhawks.

Later in the set, a pair of consecutive blocks had UW-Whitewater energized. Jansky, Dix and Krzus were a towering wall in the middle turning away an attack from a middle hitter. Dix and Krzus followed with another block on the very next play to make it 20-10. The Warhawks went on to even the match with a 25-13 set two victory capped by a Jansky ace.

The UWW offense hit their stride in the second set with a .333 attack percentage including 12 kills – 8 from Jansky. Meanwhile, the defense tallied five blocks including three from Dix.

Set three was much more like the top five matchup fans were expecting – a back-and-forth battle with the squads trading leads and momentum. With 17 ties and 7 lead changes, it was a hard cross from Jansky that just nicked the line and a block from Proctor and Werner that gave UWW set point. Werner found the deep corner on an attack for the kill and a 25-22 Warhawk win.

The Titans held the lead for the majority of set four. UW-Whitewater pulled to within one multiple times, but each time UWO had a response. Trailing 16-12, the Warhawks called timeout. Out of the break, the teams traded points with the long rallies continuing to favor the Titans.

Still, the Warhawks showcased their resilience. Trailing by five 21-16, Jansky sparked a run with back-to-back absolute smashes followed by a Werner and Proctor block to pull within two and force a UWO timeout.

A Titan attack error had the margin at one before consecutive kills pushed the lead back to three, 23-20. This time, it was UWW’s turn to call timeout.

The Warhawks went to Jansky on the other side of the break for a kill off the top of the block. A pair of UWO miscues knotted the game 23-23. A kill and UWW attack error sent the match into a decisive fifth set.

Early attack errors proved costly as the Warhawks trailed 8-5 at the side switch. UWW would pull to within one, 10-9, but the Titans went on to take the set 15-10.  

Three Warhawks registered double digit kills led by Jansky’s 21. Weinfurt added 14 while Werner was the most efficient with 11 kills in 29 attempts with just 2 errors. Krzus posted 49 assists in the match.

Jaedynn Evans was stellar in the backcourt with 26 digs. Weinfurt joined her teammate in double figures with 15.

UW-Whitewater won the battle at the net with 15.5 blocks compared to Oshkosh’s 8.0. Proctor tallied nine with a solo and eight assisted. Opposite of Proctor in the middle, Dix added six including a solo and five assisted. Werner and Krzus registered five assist blocks each.

The Warhawks will head to Washington University in St. Louis this weekend for a pair of matches against ranked teams. UWW will face No. 7 La Verne Friday and No. 15 Gustavus Adolphus Saturday.

UW-W Associate Professor of Creative Writing Book Event in Lake Mills

September 18, 2024

Daydream Believer Books and Gifts is hosting UW-Whitewater Associate Professor of Creative Writing Holly Wilson as part of their fall author series on Friday, September 20 from 6-7 p.m. Wilson published her first novel, Kittentits, with Gillian Flynn Publishing in May 2024.

Kittentits is a coming of age story. It’s 1992, and ten-year-old Molly is tired of living in the fire-rotted, nun-haunted House of Friends: a Semi-Cooperative Living Community of Peace Faith(s) in Action with her formerly blind dad and their grieving housemate Evelyn. But when twenty-three-year-old Jeanie, a dirt bike–riding ex-con with a shady past, moves in, she quickly becomes the object of Molly’s adoration. She might treat Molly terribly, but they both have dead moms and potty mouths, so naturally Molly is the moth to Jeanie’s scuzzy flame.

When Jeanie fakes her own death in a hot-air balloon accident, Molly runs away to Chicago with just a stolen credit card and a sweet pair of LA Gear Heatwaves to meet her pen pal Demarcus and hunt down Jeanie. What follows is a race to New Year’s Eve, as Molly and Demarcus plan a séance to reunite with their lost moms in front of a live audience at the World’s Fair.

A surrealist and bold take on the American coming-of-age novel, Holly Wilson’s debut is about the interstices of loss, grief, and friendship.

Holly Wilson’s work has appeared in Narrative, Redivider, Northwest Review, Short Story, New Stories from the South, and elsewhere. Daydream Believer Books and Gifts is an independent bookshop located in downtown historic Lake Mills. The shop offers a wide selection of books in many genres and for all ages. Gifts include reading accessories, picks for the book lovers and curated and unique goods. The shop offers a selection of hot and cold beverages, including coffee and lattes, and bakery.

Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by Daydream Believer Books and Gifts.

Wright House Concert: Perspective and Perseverance

September 18, 2024

Beginning at 7 pm on September 20, 2024, Aria Wagner and Elizabeth Matson will be performing “Perspective and Perseverance: A Night of Revisioned Tales” at The Wright House in Whitewater. They will share classic tales of adventure, magic and perseverance from a new perspective.

Register on Eventbrite: https://perspectiveandperseverance.eventbrite.com

Aria Wagner began her storytelling career more than 7 years ago when she joined Elizabeth Matson’s Storytelling Troupe at Hedberg Public Library. Since then, she has enjoyed telling stories in several venues such as The Whitewater Storytelling Festival, WISTGET (Wisconsin Storytellers’ Get-Together) and various venues in Janesville. Aria’s favorite part of storytelling is to put her own spin on classic fables, and to be able to share new cultures and folktales with others through the art of traditional storytelling.

Elizabeth works at the Hedberg Public Library as the Head of Youth Services. She has started a Teen Storytelling Troupe at her library and a peer storytelling coaching group with other Wisconsin storytellers in her area.

Contact host, Sarah Beth Nelson, with questions. voxfabularum@gmail.com

Obituaries

Obituary: Edward W. Hamilton, 83, of Davenport, IA

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

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Obituary: Verne Paul Schrank, 94

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

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Obituary: Janine Marie (Dickerson) Weiss, 94

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

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Obituary: Raymond Miles, 96

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

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Obituary: Connie Jean Sukowski

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

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Nancy Lou Hallock Cooper, 88

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

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Obituary: James Robert Trier (Jimbo), 89

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

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Memorial Celebration: Martin Jack Martinelli, 64

Editor’s note: Martin Martinelli’s obituary may be found here.

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Obituary: Juan Manuel “Manny” Rodriguez, 56

Juan Manuel “Manny” Rodriguez, 56, of Whitewater, WI, passed away on Oct 31, 2024. He was born in Fort Atkinson, WI, on November 14, 1967 to Ponciano and Blanca Rodriguez. He graduated from Whitewater High School and continued his education at Gateway, earning a degree in marketing. He had a love for helping people and worked in healthcare for over 30 years as a CNA.  He enjoyed shooting darts with his lifelong friends: Robert Bramley, Brian Quass, and Todd Piper.  To know Manny, you knew he had a love for his Washington Redskins, now known as the Commanders.  He loved to play … Read more

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Death Notice: James Trier

James Trier, Whitewater, passed away on Sunday, November 10, 2024 at Edgerton Hospital.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be on held on Saturday, November 16, 2024 at 2:00 pm at St. Patrick Catholic Church, Whitewater.  Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Whitewater. Friends may call at the church on Saturday from 1:00 pm until the time of the service.   A full obituary will follow.  Nitardy Funeral Home, Whitewater is assisting the family.

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