News & Events

Editor’s note: The following information was provided by Walworth County.

Workdays Scheduled for October and November

Walworth County Public Works is seeking volunteers for three upcoming park workdays. Volunteers will assist the Geneva Lake Conservancy (GLC) and Kettle Moraine Land Trust (KMLT) with harvesting of native prairie seeds and the removal of invasive plant species at White River County Park in Lake Geneva, Price Park Conservancy in Elkhorn, and Natureland Park in Whitewater.

Park Workdays Schedule

• Fri., Oct.1, 9 a.m. to noon, White River County Park (6503 Sheridan Springs Rd., Lake Geneva). Volunteers will assist GLC with invasive species removal with a focus on buckthorn and seeding areas where invasive species have been removed.
• Fri., Oct. 8, 9 a.m. to noon, Price Park Conservancy (N6421 Hodunk Rd., Elkhorn). Volunteers will assist KMLT with seed collection in the Price Park prairie.
• Fri., Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to noon, Natureland Park (W8338 Territorial Rd., Whitewater). Volunteers will assist KMLT with invasive species removal with a focus on buckthorn and other brushy invasives.

Those interested in volunteering should contact Walworth County Volunteer Services Coordinator Colleen Lesniak at (262) 741-4223, clesniak@co.walworth.wi.us. 

Walkers may register at the following link. If you don’t plan to walk you may still contribute at https://events.crophungerwalk.org/2021/event/whitewaterwi – Click on “donate” at the top of the page.

Editor’s note: The following information was submitted by Washington Elementary PATT.

September 20th-23rd Washington PATT (Parents and Teachers Together) invited community members to play with students during lunch recess. It is always hard to tell if the adults or students are having more fun!

Monday was Big Rig Day; there was a chopper, a combine, a tractor and grain cart, a dump truck, a semi, a backhoe, a street sweeper, a Humvee, and a MTV. Thank you to JC Kow Farms, Reu Farms, TVL Trucking, City of Whitewater DPW, and the National Guard-Whitewater Armory for providing equipment for the Big day and answering awesome questions from our students.

Tuesday the Whitewater Fire Department and Flight for Life visited. WFD assisted Flight for Life with the landing on our school lawn. WFD also brought a fire truck and ambulance for students to see. The flight crew and fire department members provided an experience that will never be forgotten. The students cheered as the helicopter came in for landing. As the flight took off the pilot turned the helicopter toward the school to wave goodbye! Thank you Whitewater Fire Department and Flight for Life of Waukesha for the awesome experience for our students!

Wednesday was Football Day! Members of the UW-Whitewater Football team and Whitewater High School Football played with students at recess. They got in on all the fun, four square, swinging; they played football and basketball too! Each year the students love to play with the football players. Thank you to the Warhawk and Whippet Football Teams!

Thursday rounded out our Pick a Day Come and Play week with the Whitewater Police Department. This is always a great opportunity for students to have a fun experience with officers. They get to see the inside of the police vehicles and play with officers on the playground. The officers love it just as much as the students! Thank you to Whitewater Police Department for this awesome experience.

Editor’s note: The following information was provided by UW-Madison Extension Walworth County.

Have you thought about joining the 4-H program, but felt you didn’t know enough about it?
Walworth County 4-H is offering you an opportunity to get your questions answered and see if 4-H is a
good fit for your family!

Explore 4-H Night is set for Tues., October 5th , from 6-8 p.m. at the Walworth County Fairgrounds
Activity Center, Elkhorn. This fun, open house style event will offer parents and children the opportunity
to sample 4-H through a variety of hands-on activities related to a number of projects such as arts and
crafts, foods, horticulture, wildlife, and more! You’ll meet some new animal friends, including cavies,
poultry, cats, and even a horse! You can even test your aim and learn all about 4-H shooting sports
opportunities at SHOOTING SPORTS ALLEY! Along the way, you’ll meet youth and adults who are
already a part of the 4-H program. They can fill you in about 4-H fun, friends, projects, meetings, and
more!

Participation is absolutely free! Pre-registration is not required, but, the first 15 families who do
pre-register by October 4 at 5 p.m. will receive a special participation prize at the door. For more
information, or to register, call the Walworth County UW-Extension Office at 262-741-4951 or email
deborah.harris@wisc.edu. The event location is in the SE corner of the fairgrounds. A Spanish language
interpreter will be present throughout the event.

4-H is a Positive Youth Development program of UW-Madison Division of Extension.
Participation is open to all youth in grades 5K through 13. 4-H clubs meet monthly to talk business, do
activities, plan community service efforts, and enjoy member talks and demonstrations. 4-H members
work with their project leaders and families to pursue and complete their individual projects. There are
79 project areas available from which to choose. Learn more about Walworth County 4-H at
https://walworth.extension.wisc.edu/. The new 4-H program year is starting now, so this is the perfect
time to join in the fun! Enrollment is open!

An EEO Affirmative Action employer, UW-Madison Division of Extension provides equal
opportunities in employment and programming including Title VI, Title IX and the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. If you need reasonable accommodations to participate in Explore 4-
H Night or the program overall, call 262-741-4951.

Welcome back to #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society! Pictured here is a train wreck that most likely occurred on the outskirts of Whitewater on September 30, 1901. An event like this would have been the talk of the town, as evidenced by the amount of people watching the clean up process undertaken by Chicago, Milwaukee, & Saint Paul railroad crews. Interestingly enough, in the 1890s through the 1930s, train wrecks were purposely staged for public entertainment and proved to be rather popular spectacles throughout the country.

Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society collections!

(2984GP, Whitewater Historical Society)​​

The Whitewater Historical Society collects, preserves, and interprets the history of Whitewater and the surrounding area. Be sure to join us next week for more from the Society’s collections. Please “like” us on Facebook, and check out our website at whitewaterhistoricalsociety.org!

Are you in 5th through 8th grade?  Do you know someone who is and enjoys history and writing?
This year, to honor the 100th Anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Nov. 11, the American History Essay contest for grades 5-8 focuses on the dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  The essay topic is, “Imagine you had a brother who lost his life on the battlefields of France during WWI.  You and your family attended the Nov. 11, 1921, dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington, DC.  Describe what this meant to you and your family.  Why is it important to remember those who gave their lives to serve our nation? “ The length is 300-600 words for 5th grade and 600-1,000 words for grades 6-8.

For those in high school, a “Patriots of the American Revolution Essay Contest” is being offered .  The topic this year is, “ Select a figure from the American Revolution era (1773-1783).  Discuss how he or she influenced the course of the American Revolution, who he or she was and his/her contribution to the founding of a new nation. “ Your figure may be any person, whether a well-known figure or an everyday man, woman or child who supported the American Revolution in ways large or small.  The word length for this essay is 800-1200 words. 

Please contact Vicki Schicker of the Fort Atkinson-Eli Pierce DAR Chapter (Schicker@hotmail.com) for further guidelines, information or with questions about the contest.  The deadline for entering an essay this year is December 17th.  Prizes are awarded at the Chapter, State, Division and National levels. 
These contests are open to all students in public, private or parochial schools as well as those who are home schooled.