News & Events

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from Wisconsin Makers.

Iron pour at Wisconsin Makers April 6

Wisconsin Makers will host its seventh annual iron pour on Saturday, April 6.

The public is invited to this family-friendly event at the regional makerspace, located at 200 E. Clay St. in Whitewater.

Spectators are welcome to watch the “pour team” — Teresa “Tree” Lind, a former University of Wisconsin-Whitewater lecturer of art and design — and her student alumni melt cast iron in an outdoor furnace and then fill sand scratch molds with the liquid metal.

Those wishing to make their own casting may buy a scratch mold square to personalize with their design that day, starting at 9 a.m. Each scratch mold must be completed no later than 11:15 a.m.

By noon, the outdoor forge should have reached 2,700 degrees and be ready for the pour. Lind and her team will fill buckets with molten iron and pour it into the sand scratch molds. They will present the completed castings to participants by mid-afternoon.

The per-person cost is $25. Participation is on a first-come, first-served basis.

During the iron pour, grilled brats, chips, water and soda will be available for purchase.

Scratch mold workshop set

Persons wishing to get a head start on their squares may attend a scratch mold workshop at the makerspace Friday, April 5, from 5 to 9 p.m. Pizza will be available for $1 per slice.

In addition, those wishing to design a scratch mold ahead of time at home and then bring it to the iron pour may contact Ron Binning at Binning and Dickens Insurance, 319 W. Center St. in Whitewater. His phone number is (262) 473-3930.

“Your unique design will be preserved in cast iron for ages to come,” said Wisconsin Makers President Al Jewer, adding that past years’ iron pours each have drawn more than 100 people. “This is a wonderful opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind piece of art.”

To view a short YouTube video of the 2017 iron pour, please click this link: https://youtu.be/Q5HgV94OPe4.

Wisconsin Makers is a nonprofit regional makerspace (community workshop) offering an affordable, collaborative and educational environment that inspires people of all ages to become innovators by unlocking their skills through continual experimentation and training. Work areas/equipment include: 3-D printing, laser engraving, machining, welding/fabrication, electronics, blacksmithing, woodworking, ceramics/pottery, jewelry making, arts/crafts, and quilting. For more information on the iron pour or scratch mold workshop, or to learn about the makerspace or memberships, visit Wisconsin Makers’ Facebook page at @wisconsinmakers or call Jewer at (630) 430-9498.

The WHS Portfolio Committee is seeking community members to be a part of the listening audiences on Wednesday, May 22, 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. We are hoping for at least 15 Whitewater Community members to participate. Community members willing to attend the presentations can email lmoll@wwusd.org  or call 262-472-8203 to sign up by Friday, May 3. 

Members of the Whitewater High School Class of 2024 are currently preparing for the annual Portfolio Event which will be held on Wednesday, May 22, 4:00-7:00 p.m. at the high school. 

This event for seniors allows them to showcase their academic achievements, celebrate their accomplishments, and share their postsecondary career and academic plans before graduation. To make the presentations more meaningful, students present to an audience of WHS staff members and members of the community along with family and friends who are invited to attend. 

Students present examples of their best work in core academic and elective areas, share 2 or more examples of their involvement in activities in and outside of school, or work experiences, and at least one service activity that had special significance. Students then describe their future career & educational plans and the pathway they have chosen to accomplish their career goals. Graduates end their presentation by summarizing the most important learning experiences they’ve had in high school and how they hope to use their knowledge and skills to become a productive and responsible member of society. 

We are looking forward to having our community support for this event.

Article Submitted by Kate McNulty
WHS Senior Class Advisor
kmcnulty@wwusd.org

Ferradermis spent part of their Spring Break in Chicago, enjoying some strong competition at the Midwest Regional, which featured 50 teams from 6 countries and 10 states. Teams traveled from Panama, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Canada, and Mexico, to join American teams from Hawaii, California, Florida, Arkansas, New York, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Minnesota at Credit Union 1 Arena on the campus of the University of Illinois Chicago from March 27 – 30. Among the participants were four FIRST Hall of Fame teams – Team 359 Hawaiian Kids, Team 111 Wildstang, Team 16 Bomb Squad, and Team 191 the X-Cats – as well as a member of last year’s world championship alliance, Team 4096 Ctrl-Z.

Ferradermis more than held its own in this elite field on day one of qualification matches, going 5-2 and ending the day ranked 11th. The team returned to action on Saturday morning for 3 additional qualification matches, going 1-2, with a final ranking of 18th out of 50 at the end of the morning. The robot’s performance has steadily improved at each of the team’s three regional events, scoring more and more points in each aspect of the game (autonomous, tele-op, and the endgame).

During the 15-second autonomous period at the beginning of each match, the robot runs pre-programmed code to pick up and shoot notes (orange foam rings) from various pre-determined positions on the field. The Ferradermis Programming Team, led by Ace Hudec, has been logging extra hours between and during competitions to improve the autonomous routines. The biggest challenge of autonomous is coordinating with your alliance partners to make sure your pre-programmed paths are complementary and will not interfere with each other. Bumping another robot during autonomous will force both robots off of their planned paths, and neither will be successful. Ferradermis has prepared a variety of different autonomous routines in order to coordinate with their other alliance robots.

The Ferradermis robot, Chief Lee the Tangerine, has become an expert at scoring notes in the amp (a shorter field element) during the tele-op period when the robot is controlled by Driver Andrew O’Toole and Operator Kay Mikos. When one note has been placed in the amp for each alliance, there is an opportunity for the human players for the two alliances to push a button and activate a “coopertition bonus” which lowers the threshold that both alliances need to meet to earn a ranking point for note scoring. During the Chicago event, only two teams – Ferradermis and Mukwonago – had a perfect 1.0 Coopertition score. This score is also used as a tie-breaker in the rankings if multiple teams have the same average number of rank points.

In addition to managing the coopertition bonus, Human Player Erison Dreksler also controls amplification. Notes scored in the larger field element (the speaker) count as 2 points each during tele-op, unless the speaker is amplified, and then they count as 5 points. The speaker can be amplified for 10 seconds at a time each time two new notes have been placed in the amp, and the human player has pressed the amplification button. Timing is everything in this operation, as you want all 3 alliance robots prepared to shoot notes into the speaker within that 10-second timeframe after the button is pushed, potentially also having other notes on the ground nearby to try and get off additional shots.

During the endgame (the final 20 seconds of a match), robots try and climb onto chains on the stage (a third field element). Chief Lee the Tangerine is an excellent climber, and can be counted on by its alliance partners to climb when needed as part of match strategy.

Only 24 teams make the playoffs (not necessarily the top 24 ranked teams), and by midday Saturday, the team anxiously awaited alliance selections. During alliance selections, the top 8 ranked teams get to choose their alliance partners for the playoffs. Decisions are based on scouting data gathered during the event as well as sometimes, prior relationships. Teams attempt to build well-rounded alliances with 3 robots that will complement each other in all aspects of the game on the field. Ferradermis Game Strategy Subteam Lead Emerson Dunham graciously accepted an invitation from Team #5847 Ironclad from Bradley, Illinois, who was ranked #5 in qualifications, and Team #930 from Mukwonago, who was ranked #30 in qualifications, to join the #4 seeded playoff alliance. Ferradermis then agreed to mount a shield onto Chief Lee for the playoffs that would help them play defense on behalf of their alliance, and this added an interesting twist to the remaining matches. The alliance was eliminated after only two playoff matches, when both Chief Lee and the Ironclad robot experienced mechanism failures.

Throughout the week, the team was supported by students serving in many additional roles including Technician Nina Heim, Safety Captain Elora Wildermuth-Breitzman, Head Scouts Andrew Zimmermann and Cyrus Hudec, Videographer Margaret Brown, Judging Spokespeople Maddison LaHaie and Cosette Wildermuth-Breitzman, Scouts Chacha Binagi, Zoe Olson, Toby Kapfer, and Belle Cohen, and Pit Crew Member Luc Pomazak.

Ferradermis had never participated in the Midwest Regional before, and it was a fantastic experience. The team spent time at the WNDR (wonder) Museum upon arrival in Chicago on day one, and enjoyed several meals together as well. The competition itself was a really great warm-up for what the team will see in Houston at the FIRST World Championships in two weeks, both in the high level of competition and in the global nature of the teams in attendance. For the 2023 Championships, Houston hosted around 50,000 people representing 974 student robotics teams from 59 countries across the FLL, FTC, and FRC levels. The FRC competition this year (the level in which Ferradermis competes) expects to host 600 teams from approximately 30 countries divided into 8 fields/divisions. Each division will crown a champion alliance, and then the division champions will play off against each other for the title of world champion.

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

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from UW Madison Extension. There is a Zoom webinar on Wednesday, April 3, and an in-person presentation on Saturday, April 6 at the UW-W Community Engagement Center. In June, 2022 the City of Whitewater Common Council considered adoption of the No Mow May program. After considerable discussion the members voted 4-3 not to adopt the program. Among the concerns that were expressed were that long grass would not present a favorable impression of the city on visitors, and an understanding that most of the vegetation to which pollinators are attracted actually does not exceed the 7″ height that is allowed before grass must be mowed per the city ordinance. It was also suggested that residents could plant bushes that might be equally effective in providing for pollinators.

“No Mow May” has become a catchy phrase in Wisconsin, encouraging homeowners to allow their lawns to grow during May. But does this practice actually support pollinators? Join Julie Hill, Horticulture Educator for Walworth, Rock and Jefferson counties to learn about how an unmowed lawn impacts (or may impact) pollinators and how you can support pollinators all year long.

April 3, 12:00 p.m. *via Zoom Webinar

• Registration required: https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/free-online-programs/?utm_source=Flyer&utm_medium=Flyer&utm_campaign=Mini+Webinars

April 3, 3:00 p.m.
Jefferson Public Library
321 S. Main Street, Jefferson

April 6, 10:00 a.m.
UW-Whitewater Community Engagement Center
1260 West Main Street, Whitewater

April 6, 12:30 p.m.
Community Room, Dwight Foster Public Library
209 Merchants Avenue, Fort Atkinson

April 11, 12:30 p.m.
Matheson Memorial Library
101 N. Wisconsin Street, Elkhorn

April 16, 6:00 p.m.
Hedberg Public Library
316 South Main Street, Janesville

For more information or questions, please contact Julie Hill, Email: julie.hill@wisc.edu ,
Office: 262-741-4958 or Cell/Text: 262-374-4191. Events can also be found at UW-Madison Extension Event Calendar: extension.wisc.edu/events/

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

As often seems to be the case, this year the Democratic and Republican Presidential nominees have been all but officially decided before Wisconsin voters get a chance to weigh in. There are still some important contested elections, however, on the county and local level, not to mention two constitutional amendments.

In the city there’s only one contested race, for the at-large seat on the Common Council. The two district council positions have only one candidate. There will be three names on the ballot for two seats on the School Board; however, Larry Kachel has indicated he that would be unable to serve.

There will be only one polling place for the city in this election, the Downtown Armory at 146 W. North Street. As always, the polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters will notice two significant changes from all the previous elections. Instead of there being the usual four check-in tables, there will be only two divisions, one for Jefferson County residents and the other for Walworth County. Once a voter arrives at their county section, they may approach any poll worker (officially called an election inspector) who is sitting at a Badger Book. These electronic devices are replacing the paper poll books. The voter is still required by law to state their name and address and provide their driver license or other photo ID. Rather than signing in ink, the signature will be provided on the electronic screen. This may be done either by using the provided stylus or with a finger. The signature must be written entirely within a box on the screen. Never fear, the signature need not bear great resemblance to one’s usual signature. From there, the process will be essentially the same as before, except that the voter will be provided a receipt that indicates the style of paper ballot which they are to be issued at the next table. The ballots will be marked by the voter in the same fashion as previously.

Here is a link to a brief video from the City of De Pere which provides an excellent introduction to the Badger Books. As is shown in the video, the Badger Books will also be used to register new voters or to enter changes of address. Our voters will, however, be directed to a separate station for this purpose. After the voter is registered or their address is changed, the same poll worker will provide the receipt that they need in order to obtain their ballot.

By entering your address at this site you may see what will be on your ballot.

The League of Women Voters Whitewater Area has published its local online Voter Guide on the VOTE411.org platform. The League sent a questionnaire to a total of 119 local candidates running in 45 contested races in many villages, towns and cities in Walworth and Jefferson counties. Questions were provided in English and Spanish and candidates were encouraged to reply in both languages. Communities with contested races included in the Voter Guide are: in JEFFERSON CO. cities of Fort Atkinson, Jefferson, Waterloo, Watertown, Town of Ixonia, Villages of Johnson Creek and Palmyra; and, in WALWORTH CO. cities of Delavan, Elkhorn, Lake Geneva, Whitewater, Towns of Richmond and East Troy, and Villages of Fontana, Mukwonago and Sharon. Ten local municipal and school board referendums will also appear in the Voter Guide.

The League’s Voter Guide on VOTE411.org is a source of nonpartisan candidate information where voters can go to read candidates’ responses to the League’s questionnaires. By visiting the site (click on “Find What’s On Your Ballot”), you will be able to compare their answers, which are posted verbatim. The League encourages voters to start their candidate research before they cast their ballot so they are informed voters on Election Day.

The Whitewater Federation of Women’s Clubs (WFWC) is pleased to announce that it has initiated a new cultural event for the Whitewater community: the Bassett House Spring Concert Series. The concerts will be held on Sunday, April 7 and Sunday, May 26, both at 1:00 p.m., at the Bassett House, 708 W. Main Street, Whitewater. This series promises to become a wonderful new spring tradition that you won’t want to miss.

Performing at the April 7 concert will be UW-Whitewater student vocalists from the voice studio of faculty member Rachel Wood. The concert will consist of a delightful blend of pop songs, Broadway hits, and classical pieces. On May 26, Robert Gehrenbeck and Sarah Read Gehrenbeck will perform a Memorial Day-themed concert of popular and art songs.

Ticket prices for adults are $30 per concert or $50 for the complete series. Student tickets are $15 per concert, and child tickets are $10 per concert. Make checks out to the WFWC and mail them to Linda Robinson at 957 W. Highland Street/Whitewater, WI 53190. Alternatively, you may pay via Venmo: Whitewater Federation. In either case, please indicate the concerts you will be attending and the number of adults, students, or children attending. Space is limited, so buy your tickets soon.

All proceeds will go to the Bassett House Preservation Fund, which the WFWC will use to ensure the preservation of the Bassett House, one of Whitewater’s oldest historic homes. The Bassett House is located at 708 W. Main Street in Whitewater.

For more information, contact Linda Robinson at linrob73@gmail.com