News & Events

Danijela Gallo found the affirmation she was looking for. Montana Petersen found new perspectives on the pace of life. Billy Williams found an experience he describes as “home.”

The three University of Wisconsin-Whitewater students were part of a 12-day faculty-led travel study class for students interested in health and aging. The course, held in Atenas, Costa Rica, immerses students in Spanish while giving them an opportunity to visit one of the world’s “Blue Zones” — five regions of the planet known and studied for human longevity.

“I had the privilege of meeting a remarkable 90-year-old woman named Lourdes, who was still actively riding horses, dancing and cherishing moments with her family,” said Gallo, who is studying to become a speech language pathologist. Gallo, who comes from Greendale, said the experience affirmed her recent decision to take on Spanish as a second major.

“I recognize the potential to work with bilingual students in the future (as a speech language pathologist),” she said. “The warmth and kindness of the people in Costa Rica left a lasting impression especially because of their enthusiasm for my efforts to learn Spanish.”

A passion for hands-on experience

Jodie Parys, a professor of world languages and cultures and a certified medical interpreter and translator who teaches a course in medical Spanish for health professionals, began creating the course as a “passion project” about eight years ago.

The course is cross-listed for Spanish, social work and public health students at the university.

“I always wanted to have an experiential piece of the course where students could go to learn about health care systems elsewhere in the world,” said Parys.

During a sabbatical in 2020, Parys established a connection with ARCOS Learning Abroad and traveled to Costa Rica, where her vision became a reality. An ARCOS director onsite in Atenas works with Parys to arrange the activities she selects for her students.

Back in Whitewater, Parys also connected with colleague Jeannine Rowe, a gerontologist and professor of social work whom she knew from her work with the office of Community Based Learning. With Rowe, who was eager to join Parys, the picture became complete.

UW-Whitewater students in Costa Rica

In 2022, 18 students were ready to go for the first class when a surge in the Omicron variant of COVID-19 deferred the trip. Several of those students signed up again the following year, and the course was launched in January of 2023. Gallo, Petersen and Williams were part of another group of 15 who went to Nicoya in 2024.

Students boarded with host families and spoke only Spanish for the length of their visit. Their days were active as they learned about health as a broad concept encompassing the mental, physical and spiritual.

A highlight for the students was their visit to the Nicoya Peninsula Blue Zone. There, the students visited an organic coffee plantation, learned about other organic farming practices and cooked and ate an eight-course lunch alongside residents. They were told about native plants and efforts to preserve heirloom seeds.

Parys said many of the older Costa Ricans arrived on bicycles to meet the students. One man was a 98-year-old farmer who had a message Parys related as, “If I stop moving, I die. This (farming) brings me joy.”

Gallo asked her friend Lourdes for the recipe to longevity.

“She attributed her prolonged and joyful life to her large family of 16 children and 14 grandchildren,” said Gallo. “And her passion for horses, a diet rich in natural foods, and a deliberate avoidance of stress.”

Gallo’s classmate Montana Petersen has been president of Latinos Unidos, a Precollege Program intern, and the undergraduate coordinator in the King-Chávez Scholars Program. She is back on campus living the involved student lifestyle but with some coping skills from Costa Rica.

“Something that stood out to me was the general health and longevity of the elders in Costa Rica,” Petersen said. “Prioritizing movement and community is proven to increase the length and quality of life.

“Brianda (Salinas) and I went out dancing with our host family,” she added, referring to social work major Brianda Salinas, who also participated in the travel-study. “We were the youngest people at the venue, and it was very cool to see how the entire room was moving.”

A measurable impact

During moments when students gathered for class discussions, Parys saw the impact on the students in the experiences they shared, sometimes with tears.

“We were blessed with an amazing group of students,” she said. “They were just open-hearted students. Everyone was in tears. They said there was more of a sense of belonging than they had ever felt.”

The students also were shown Costa Rica’s national health care system, which includes comprehensive care funded through payroll deductions, much like Social Security in the U.S., and a privatized system in place for specialized care.

“I was fascinated by this dual system and thought it would be a great case study,” said Parys.

Billy Williams, a psychology student working on a pre-medical certificate, knew Parys from taking her classes. A junior, Williams was feeling his opportunities were running out to be able to go on a travel-study. So he jumped at the chance to take the course.

“The medical aspect of the travel-study was very interesting to me,” Williams said. “There are so many different ways they approach health care. Not all communities there approach it in the same way. We saw an indigenous community who does more traditional medicine and spiritual practices, and that was very interesting. We learned a lot about how their health insurance works and how it differs from ours.

“We struggle to fully support a lot of communities,” he said. “It was really, really fascinating to see that almost everyone there has that kind of support and access. And figuring out how that’s made possible was really cool.”

Williams’ hosts were Flory, a homemaker and “sobadora” who knows therapeutic massage and Gilbert, a carpenter. Their son Andre lives in the home, and their grown daughter Noelia came by every morning on visits Williams will not forget.

“Noelia would stop by every morning on her way to work to see her mom, give her a kiss and wish her a great day,” said Williams. “Their sense of family is one of their cultural traits that I really love. You can feel it as well as see it.”

Williams one day hopes to serve a Spanish-speaking community as a physician.

“It really helped me connect with that side of me and feel that this is where I belong,” he said. “This was truly life-changing for me because it made me feel a way I had never felt before.”

---

Written by Craig Schreiner | Photos submitted

The votes have been tallied, and the Whitewater community has spoken! With nearly 1,000 votes cast, and after careful consideration of the votes, we are thrilled to announce the finalists who will be advancing to the finale on May 18th. These outstanding businesses have captured the hearts of our community with their innovation, dedication, and exceptional service:

• Whitewater Grocery Cooperative
• The Book Teller
• Uptown Revive
• Stellar Vintage
• The Wellnest Shop
• The Poppy Seed Company
• BaristaCats Café’
• BH Events LLC- Bowers House

To our esteemed finalists: Congratulations! In the coming days, the Media Services staff at City Hall will be in touch to
schedule a time to meet with you and film additional content highlighting your business. We encourage you to showcase
what makes your venture unique and share your journey with the wider community.

Do you and your young kids love to sing, dance, and play musical instruments? Do you wish you had new parenting strategies to handle stress, meltdowns, and challenging behaviors?

Children ages zero to six and their caregivers are invited to “Sing, Dance, Thrive,” a free class at the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library on Saturday, May 11 at 9:45-11:00 a.m. Participants will engage in imaginative music and movement adventures, playfully dance with colorful ribbons and parachutes, and nurture relationships by deepening emotional awareness and learning coping strategies for home and school.

The class is taught by Noelle Larson, a Board-Certified Music Therapist, graduate of Whitewater High School and Berklee College of Music, and the owner of Circle of Song Music Therapy, LLC. Noelle has a passion for helping clients and participants to “Connect, Thrive, and Come Alive Through Music,” strengthen family relationships, learn adaptive coping strategies, and experience wonder and joy through the delight of participating in live music making.

There is no cost or registration required to attend. Contact Sarah French with any questions at sfrench@whitewater-wi.gov or 262-473-0530.

The next Wright House Concert is scheduled for Saturday, May 11, featuring local storyteller, Sarah Beth Nelson.

Subversive Librarian: Stories Lived and Told by an American Librarian in Norwich England

In the fall of 2008, Sarah Beth married John Nelson and they immediately moved to Norwich, UK, where John had a scholarship to study abroad. In order to stay busy (and sane) Sarah Beth volunteered as a librarian and storyteller. Jack, Boudica, the Foolish Frog, and the many people she met along the way made her feel like a heroine, but her return to the US in the spring of 2009 was less than heroic…

Guest MC: Karen McCulloch

Karen owns Whitewater’s local book store, The Book Teller. She hosts events for writers and readers at The Book Teller and has hosted outdoor open mics on 1st Street.

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

This public service announcement serves as a reminder that blowing or depositing grass clippings into any City street is
prohibited. Reasons this is not permitted include: 1) Grass clippings, leaves, and other lawn debris can clog storm drains,
resulting in street and private property flooding. 2) Storm drains flow directly to local lakes untreated. Grass clippings add
unnecessary nutrients, which help feed harmful algae blooms. 3) Clippings can make the street slippery and hazardous
for bicyclists and motorcyclists.

Using a mulching mower puts clippings back into the turf and keeps the nutrients where they belong. Should you choose
to use a discharging mower, please be sure to point the blower toward your property (away from the street) to prevent
clippings from leaving your lawn. Mowers may also choose to bag clippings, but they may not be disposed of in the
garbage totes. City residents are encouraged to compost clippings on their property or take them to the City’s compost
site.

When finished mowing, be sure to use a blower, broom, or rake to clean up any grass clippings or debris that have
inadvertently made their way into the street, sidewalk, or storm drain.

City Code – Chapter 12.08 – STREET OBSTRUCTIONS
Sections:
12.08.010 – Prohibited.
(a) No person, except as provided in Section 12.08.020, shall place, deposit, keep, or cause to be placed, deposited or
kept in or upon any street, alley, gutter, sidewalk or public ground within the limits of this city any stone, brick, timber,
lumber, iron, wood or other material for building, or any wood, snow, rubbish, earth, grass clippings or lawn debris, or
anything or substance whatever; nor shall any person burn or cause to be burned any such substance in any public street
or alley; nor shall any person leave any automobile, truck, trailer, equipment or other vehicle standing or parked in or upon
any street, alley, sidewalk, or public ground so as to encumber the same, or so as to obstruct, impede, or hinder travel
thereon; nor shall any person leave, or cause to suffer any box, barrel, crate, cask, bale, package, merchandise, or other
thing to stand, be or remain upon any street, alley, sidewalk, gutter, or public ground longer than may be actually
necessary for the act of delivering or receiving the same.
(b) Any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall forfeit and pay a penalty of not less than twenty-five
dollars not more than two hundred fifty dollars, together with the costs of prosecution.
(Ord. 983 §51, 1982; prior code §6.01(1))
(Ord. No. 1759A, § 1, 2-16-2010)

Brad Marquardt
Director of Public Works
bmarquardt@whitewater-wi.gov

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

It can be confusing! There are two outdoor markets that occur in Whitewater from May through October. They occur at essentially the same place, but on different days.

Whitewater City Market – Tuesdays, 4-7 p.m. – The market, built to celebrate local foods, products, and community, opens for its ninth season on May 7. It sets up around the Historic Train Depot, 301 W Whitewater Street, with a few of the vendors, including ready-to-eat foods, being located in the parking lot adjacent to the depot. The City Market is located at the Irvin L. Young Library on Saturdays from November through April. For further details please see this May 4 post.

Whitewater Farmers Market – Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. – This is a smaller, producer only market featuring produce, baked goods, and the like. It is located in the parking lot next to the Historic Train Depot, 301 W. Whitewater St. The market opened for the season on May 4. Though in its 33rd year, this market wasn’t always at this location. Sometimes a farmer will sell directly from the bed of their pickup truck.

Hey college students!

We know many of you are moving out soon, and before you put any of your furniture out to the curb or put any of your housewares/textile items in the garbage, consider donating them to Bethel House!

Our organization houses up to seven families at a time in our Transitional Housing Program, and we make every effort to fully furnish each home every time a new family moves in—from couches and beds to curtains and rugs to cookie sheets and silverware.

So rather than tossing your items (in good condition, of course!), let them find a new home and support a local family at the same time. Contact our Director of Case Management to coordinate donation details.