News & Events

(Jefferson County Parks Dept. press release)

THE JEFFERSON COUNTY SNOWMOBILE TRAILS WILL CLOSE
@ 5:00pm TODAY, SUNDAY, JANUARY 3, 2021
DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS AND ARE CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT THE
24 HOUR SNOWMOBILE HOTLINE AT: 920-699-7669

The Walworth County Snowmobile Alliance, as of Sunday at 11:50 a.m., indicates that their trails are still open.

Every week the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library offers a new take home craft activity!
Craft videos are posted Mondays at 11:00 a.m. and take-and-make kits are available during that week.
Children’s Crafts – January 4 and 19
Adult Crafts – January 11 and 25
Visit the Library’s Facebook page or YouTube channel to view live programs or watch recordings of past library programs. Visit our website for more information.
whitewaterlibrary.org

Per an article in the December 29 Wisconsin State Journal titled, “Despite half century campaign, salt continues to threaten Madison lakes, drinking water,” salt that is applied to roads, driveways and sidewalks, “…dissolves in water that finds its way into lakes, streams and even the groundwater that provides the city’s drinking water.” It’s predicted that within fifteen years the water from one of Madison’s wells will begin to taste salty.

Whitewater’s Urban Forestry Commission is concerned about the negative affects of salt on the quality of our lakes, including the wildlife. They encourage you to “Salt smarter at home!”

Residents should try to manually remove snow as soon as possible to avoid slick conditions and unnecessary salt use, especially on paths and sidewalks.

A good rule of thumb is to use 12 ounces of rock salt on 10 sidewalk squares or a 20-foot driveway. How much is 12 ounces? Use an old coffee mug as a salt scoop, and you’ve got it.

You do not have to feel “the crunch” for salt to do its job. Salt lowers the freezing temperature of water so snow and ice can be more easily removed. Putting more salt on a surface does not make snow and ice melt faster or eliminate the need for plowing or shoveling.

If the air temperature is below 15 degrees, sodium chloride won’t work! Switch to sand or a different ice melter.

The Wisconsin Salt Wise Partnership is a partnership of Dane County organizations working to reduce salt pollution. Though we aren’t in Dane County, their concerns should be ours as well. Salt Wise is urging homeowners, municipalities, and private contractors to make a commitment to reduce salt use this winter. Using excess salt harms plants and animals, pollutes our water, damages buildings and corrodes vehicles, roads and bridges. Once you put salt down, it doesn’t go away. Instead, it travels into our lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands, putting our aquatic life at risk and endangering our freshwater resources. Salt also alters the composition of soil, slows plant growth and weakens the concrete, brick and stone that make up our homes, garages, bridges, and roads.

According to a recent report from Public Health Madison Dane County, more than 38,000 tons of salt were spread on Madison and Dane Co. roads during the winter of 2016-2017, and that doesn’t include what was spread on parking lots, sidewalks and driveways. That is enough to pollute over 29 billion gallons of water. There is a way to cut down on salt use and keep our roads, parking lots and driveways safe: Use only what you need — and that’s less than you might think!

Believe it or not, just a coffee mug of salt is enough to treat an entire 20-foot driveway or 10 sidewalk squares. Scatter the scatter salt so the pattern should look like the image below.

Other strategies include:

• Shovel: Clear walkways and other areas before the snow turns to ice. The more snow you remove manually, the less salt you will have to use and the more effective it will be.
• Sweep: Sweep excess salt from walkways and parking lots after a snow event, especially before a rain event to prevent salt from washing down the storm drain to our waterways.
• Switch: When pavement temps drop below 15, salt composed of sodium chloride won’t work. Switch to sand for traction or a different ice melter that works in lower temperatures.
• Hire a Certified Contractor: If you hire a contractor to do your snow and ice removal, check to see if they are already certified through the City of Madison’s Winter Salt Certification Program. If not, encourage them to become certified and to follow locally developed application rates.
• Look for proper salt use at the stores & businesses you visit. If they’re using the right amount of salt, thank them! If not, let them know you are concerned about over salting and direct them to www.wisaltwise.com for more information.
• Love the lines: the stripes on roadways before a storm are made of anti-icing brine. Using brine can reduce overall salt use by 70%! If you see brine lines, you know that your winter maintenance crew is protecting public safety while saving time, money and caring for the environment.
• Be Salt Wise all year! The salt you put in your water softener ends up in local freshwater streams. New, efficient softeners use less than one bag per month. If you’re using more – have a professional tune yours up – or, replace it with a high-efficiency model.

Do your part to help out our community and local water resources. Be Wisconsin Salt Wise! Find out more at www.wisaltwise.com.

To register click here.

Shown below are the winners in Whitewater. First place is 190 S. Locust Lane. You may vote until January 1 for your favorite of the six first-place homes in the county here. Unfortunately the addresses of second and third place Whitewater homes don’t seem to be posted (feel free to let us know at whitewaterbanner@gmail.com)

The map for all the homes that entered throughout Jefferson County (including all of Whitewater) is available here.

Public Health Emergency COVID-19 Alert

Very High COVID-19 Activity Levels – Celebrate Upcoming Holidays Safely

(Press release – Dec. 17) Issued by the following Local Health Departments: Adams, Columbia, Crawford, Dodge, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Juneau, Lafayette, Madison/Dane, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Vernon, Watertown

The impact of COVID-19 continues to affect our lives every day. As we head into the Holiday season, the Southern Region Public Health Officers are issuing a Public Health Emergency COVID-19 Alert to urge residents to follow good public health practices this holiday season. Public Health Officers stress that it is safest to celebrate upcoming holidays with the people in your immediate household and not risk gathering with others. Traveling, hosting guests indoors, and sharing food, utensils and plates all pose significant risks, they warn.

“Now is the time to be persistent with following public health recommendations. Every act of prevention matters and will continue to be important this Holiday season,” explained Debbie Siegenthaler, Chair of the Southern Region’s WI Association of Local Health Departments and Boards (WALHDAB).

“There’s still a large amount of community transmission in every area of the region and state. Keep gatherings small and wear a mask anytime you’re in an indoor environment with someone that you don’t live with. Our health care and public health workers continue to need the help of the community in slowing spread so that hospitals can continue to meet patient needs,” Siegenthaler urged.

All public health jurisdictions, except one, in the Southern Region of Wisconsin are in the “Very High” category for Activity Level, with case burdens between 350 and 1,000 cases per 100,000 people. One of the counties in the Southern Region is in the “critically high” category with a case burden over 1000. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) tracks disease burden and activity level through the Disease Activity Dashboard to give Wisconsinites a better idea of how COVID-19 is impacting the state.

Health Departments in southern Wisconsin issue this alert with hopes we can avoid having critically high levels of COVID-19 as experienced in mid-November which resulted in increased COVID-19 related hospitalizations and deaths.

An important focus is on individuals at a high risk whom we recommend remain home as much as possible. Factors that place you at higher risk include having an underlying health condition, including asthma, obesity, compromised immune system due to conditions like cancer, HIV or AIDS, and serious chronic illnesses like kidney, heart, lung or liver disease. In addition, older adults, over the age of 60, are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. If you are unsure if you are high risk, please reach out to your health care provider. See also https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/risks.htm

Further strategies from (DHS) for reducing the risk of spreading COVID-19 during the upcoming holiday season can be found here. Additionally, Governor Evers signed Executive Order #94, which advises Wisconsinites to stay home, urging them to take precautions to stay safe if they must leave their home, and encouraging businesses to take more steps to protect their customers, employees, and the community.

Everyday Practices to Stop the Spread

• Physically distance at least 6 feet from people with whom you do not live.

• Wear a cloth face mask, unless unable to wear one for medical reasons.

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

• Indoors: do not gather with people outside of your household.

• Outdoors: limit gatherings to 10 people or fewer, physically distance and wear face coverings.

• If symptomatic, call your health care provider, get a test, and stay home while awaiting results.

• Cooperate with public health officials if you have tested positive or are a close contact.

“It can be difficult suggesting changes to holiday traditions, which we understand,” said Siegenthaler. “Remember that safer celebrations offer protection for the most vulnerable members of your family so you can all gather for years to come.”

For more information on cases in your area and COVID-19 recommendations, visit your local health department’s website.

Whitewater Unified School District School Board – Monday
Closed session @ 6:15 p.m. via Zoom online
Agenda (click on agenda in upper right corner) includes review evaluations of administrators, consider contract extensions of administrators and coordinator, and prepare for Whitewater Education Association negotiations
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84673935695?pwd=VloxN1JFQkJvRlBTcWxMREdiUWxoUT09
Password: 551575
Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799
Webinar ID: 846 7393 5695
Password: 551575
Open session @ 7:00 p.m. via Zoom online
Agenda (click on meetings in upper right corner) includes changes to close contacts quarantine guidance; building/program goals; Approval of Administrator Contract Extensions and Letters of Intent for 2022-23; Approval of Athletic Director Contract and Letter of Intent for 2021-22; High school boiler repair; Quantity of School Board meetings
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82678269916?pwd=c0Zrbmg0dWlwK3RVM0hhVHVMUC9CUT09
Passcode: 138504
Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799
Webinar ID: 826 7826 9916
Passcode: 138504

Irvin L. Young Library Board of Trustees – Monday @ 6:30 p.m.
Agenda includes Sustainable Shelves Program Through Baker & Taylor, Closed session for performance evaluation of Library Director
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/573707085
You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (646) 749-3112
Access Code: 573-707-085

(UWM press release) – The following individuals from your area are among the 2,050 prospective candidates for degree attending University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee virtual commencement exercises Sunday, December 20, 2020 in Milwaukee.

UWM is the second largest university in the State of Wisconsin, with over 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

Whitewater, WI

 Sophie Dern, College of General Studies, Associate of Arts and Sciences
 Abigail King, College of Nursing, Bachelor of Science