Nearly seven million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s including 110,000 in Wisconsin. As an Alzheimer’s Association Volunteer advocate, it is my honor to raise my voice on their behalf. I understand firsthand the impact this disease has on Wisconsin families. My wife, Pat, of 53 years was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at Mayo Clinic in 2018. Her decline from this devastating disease has been difficult to watch. I recently attended the 2024 AIM [Alzheimer’s Impact Movement] Advocacy Forum in Washington, D.C. with my fellow Alzheimer’s Association advocates from across the country. The attendance was 1,000 strong. The purpose was to meet with our members of Congress to call for support of the NAPA Reauthorization Act, the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act, the BOLD Reauthorization Act and the AADAPT Act. Each of these bills will ensure that the nation continues to prioritize addressing Alzheimer’s and dementia as major health issues. These programs will promote early detection, implement dementia interventions, and help support the needs of caregivers. Thank you to Congressman Bryan Steil for listening to those of us impacted by Alzheimer’s. Please join me and the Alzheimer’s Association in encouraging Rep. Steil to advance the policies that will continue making progress in the fight against Alzheimer’s and all other dementia.

This issue is not Red or Blue; it is Purple
Randy Cruse
Whitewater

Editor’s note: The following press release was issued by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The photo of a measles skin rash on the homepage is from the CDC.

Following a confirmed case of measles, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), in coordination with Public Health Madison & Dane County and Rock County Public Health, are working to identify and directly notify people who may have been exposed to the measles virus.

The investigation has identified the following exposure locations in public settings for which a full list of exposed people cannot be obtained.

Individuals who were at the following locations may have been exposed to measles.

• Kwik Trip, 603 W. Madison Ave. Milton, WI, on Sunday April 21, 2024, between 2:30 and 5 p.m.
• SSM Health Dean Medical Group – Janesville, 3200 E. Racine St., Janesville, WI, on Monday, April 22, 2024, between 1 and 5 p.m., and SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – Janesville, 3400 E. Racine St., Janesville, WI, on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
• uBreakiFix, 2810 E. Washington Ave., Madison, WI on Monday, April 22, 2024 between 5 and 7:30 p.m.
• Noodles and Co., 110 Limestone Pass, Cottage Grove, WI on Monday, April 22, 2024 between 5:15 and 7:45 p.m.

People at these locations during those dates and times should check their measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination status as soon as possible. Wisconsin residents can find their immunization records using the Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR). Instructions are available in English, Spanish, and Hmong. If you are unable to access your records, please contact your doctor’s office or your local health department.

Measles is a highly contagious disease that can be spread from person to person through the air and can stay in the air for up to two hours after a sick person coughs or sneezes. After exposure to someone with measles, symptoms can take from seven to 21 days to show up.

Symptoms of measles include:

• Runny nose
• High fever (may be greater than 104°F)
• Tiredness
• Cough
• Red, watery eyes, or conjunctivitis (“pink eye”)
• A red rash with raised bumps that starts at the hairline and moves to the arms and legs three to five days after symptoms begin.

If you develop any symptoms of measles, stay home (do not go to work, school, shopping, or use public transportation) and call your doctor’s office or clinic before visiting so they can take precautions so that other patients are not exposed to the virus. For free, confidential assistance finding a doctor or community clinic near you, dial 211.

The MMR vaccine is available at area doctor’s offices or clinics, local health departments, and some local pharmacies. If you do not have health insurance, or your insurance may not cover vaccines, the Vaccines for Children and Vaccines for Adults programs may be able to help.

For more information about measles, visit the DHS measles webpage. Additional information regarding this investigation will be released as necessary.

Symphonic Wind Ensemble – Sunday @ 3 p.m., Young Auditorium, 930 W. Main St.
Experience the symphonic melodies of our renowned Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Glenn Hayes. Join us for an extraordinary afternoon of musical excellence as our talented musicians deliver a performance that will truly move you. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for age 65+ or under age 18. They may be purchased online. Tickets purchased at the door are subject to a $2 surcharge.

Chamber Singers & Vocal Jazz, Sunday @ 7:30 p.m., Light Recital Hall, 950 W. Main Street
Experience the vocal mastery of the Chamber Singers and Vocal Jazz groups as they come together for an exciting afternoon of music. From classical and world music to swing, jazz, and musical theatre, this concert promises to be an eclectic celebration of vocal talent. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for age 65+ or under age 18. They may be purchased online. Tickets purchased at the door are subject to a $2 surcharge.

University/Community Band, Monday @ 7:30 p.m., Young Auditorium, 930 W. Main Street
Celebrate the harmony of community and campus talent as the University/Community Band takes the stage. Join us for an inspiring evening filled with the melodic synergy of UW-Whitewater’s exceptional student musicians and our dedicated community members. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for age 65+ or under age 18. They may be purchased online. Tickets purchased at the door are subject to a $2 surcharge.

Whitewater Symphony Orchestra, Tuesday @ 7:30 p.m., Young Auditorium, 950 W. Main St.
Experience the brilliance of the esteemed Whitewater Symphony Orchestra. Immerse yourself in a captivating symphonic journey as the orchestra’s harmonious blend of woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings come together to bring classical masterworks and modern-day compositions to life. With their unrivaled talent and dedication to musical excellence, the WSO promises an unforgettable performance that will leave you awe-inspired. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for age 65+ or under age 18. They may be purchased online. Tickets purchased at the door are subject to a $2 surcharge.

“Priscilla”

Tuesday, April 30, 1 pm

(Biography/Drama) Rated R (language)

1 hour, 53 minutes (2023).

The story of Elvis Presley’s wife, Priscilla, the mother of Lisa Marie. Starring Jacob Elordi (Elvis), and Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla). Directed by Sofia Coppola. 

Seniors in the Park is located in Starin Park, 504 W. Starin Road. Although there is no charge to attend, regular participants are encouraged to join Seniors in the Park. The annual fee for residents of the Whitewater Unified School District is $10 and non-residents is $15. The funds support about half of the cost of our front desk staff person for 15 hours per week. The rest comes our of our fundraising monies. If you cannot afford the fee, we have a fund that will cover it for you. Fees are accepted at the Starin Park Community Building or online at https://schedulesplus.com/wwtr/kiosk/

Thanks in great part to the generosity of many members of the Whitewater community, twenty-one student members of Ferradermis, along with nine of their mentors, were able to travel to Houston, Texas from April 16 – 21 for the FIRST Robotics Championships. The championships, held at the George R. Brown Convention Center, featured over 600 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Teams as well as FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) and FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Teams from all over the world. Over 50,000 people attended the event.

Ferradermis had qualified for the championships by winning the Impact Award in Duluth in early March. In Houston, senior Cosette Wildermuth-Breitzman, junior Maddi LaHaie, and sophomore Belle Cohen were again able to present to a panel of judges on behalf of the team to make their case that Ferradermis has made a lasting impact on their community and state in terms of developing respect and passion for science and technology. These three also served as official ambassadors throughout the week, providing tours to VIPs. (Maddi even gave a tour to representatives of the CIA!) Team 2486, CocoNuts, from Flagstaff, Ariz., won the FIRST Impact Award at Champs.

FRC teams that qualify for Champs are somewhat randomly divided into eight fields, each named for a famous scientist. Each field determines a winning alliance, and then those eight winners face off on the Einstein field to determine the World Champion. The Drive Team of junior Andrew O’Toole, senior Kay Mikos, sophomore Erison Dreksler, and sophomore Nina Heim led the Ferradermis robot on to the Hopper field, named for computer science pioneer Grace Hopper, to compete with and against 75 teams from 28 US states and 7 other countries including Canada, Israel, the Netherlands, Mexico, Turkey, China, and Australia. The eight fields are laid out end-to-end and stretch over 1/4 mile.

The Ferradermis robot, Chief Lee the Tangerine, came out strong, winning its first three matches, before experiencing some interesting issues. In one match, the 3D printed wheels on the shooting mechanism literally exploded on the field after a collision with the wall. In another match, a hard collision with a group of other robots resulted in a loose electrical connection that left Chief chugging across the field for the rest of the match. Ferradermis concluded the qualification matches with a record of 4-6, and did not make it into the elimination round. Overall on the season, Ferradermis played 50 matches, going 23-27. Statistically, Ferradermis ends the year ranked in the top 26% of teams in the world.

The World Championship Winning Alliance consisted of Team 1690, Orbit, from Binyamina, Israel, Team 4522, Team SCREAM, from Sedalia, Mo., Team 9432, Team 8-Bit, from Phoenix, Ariz., and Team 321, RoboLancers, from Philadelphia, Pa.

Wisconsin was represented in Texas by 9 FRC teams – Ferradermis, the Mukwonago Bears, MORE Robotics from St. Thomas More High School, the Hilltoppers from Marquette University High School, Round Table Robotics from Oak Creek, Nicolet FEAR, The Knack from Lake Country School in Hartland, Wave from Oshkosh, and TC Robotics, a community team from Arcadia. None of the Wisconsin teams made it onto Einstein. Ferradermis is thankful for the camaraderie and gracious professionalism of all of these teams for their support before, during, and after Champs. The team would like to give a special shout-out to Mukwonago for allowing us to make multiple trips to their full practice field this season and to Round Table and their sponsor Aim Transport for coordinating transportation of our robot and pit materials to Houston and back. We are also thankful to the programming team from the Muskego WarriorBots for spending a day with our programmers in our workspace before we left for Houston.

Ferradermis was also able to connect with several of our old mentors at the event. We were excited to be playing on the same field as BREAD, a highly successful team from Redwood City, California, now mentored by former Whitewater Generac engineer and Ferradermis Head Coach Carissa Petzinger. Former Ferradermis Head Coach Dilpreet Randhawa was in attendance with the RoboJackets, his new team from Auburn Hills, Michigan. Former Ferradermis Mentor Payton Jackson was there as well with his new team the Robonauts; the Robonauts are supported by NASA, which is where Payton is working in Houston. Ferradermis members were enthralled by the Robonauts’ workspace, which they were able to visit as part of an open house.

In between matches, students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of workshops as well as visit the Innovation Fair and Scholarship Row. In addition to working hard at the event for four straight days, Ferradermis members found time to visit Space Center Houston on the day they arrived and the Gulf of Mexico in Galveston on the day they headed home.

Ferradermis will be open to new members beginning this summer. If you’ve ever wanted to see the robot in action, you can catch it at several off-season events this summer in Mukwonago, Kettle Moraine, Rockford, and potentially Eau Claire. You can also see demonstrations of the robot this Saturday at the International Children’s Day event, next Saturday at the Whitewater Storytelling Festival, and May 18 at the STEAM Faire at Whitewater High School.

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

Editor’s note: The following press release was provided by Scott Johnson. The image on the homepage is from Johnson’s Assembly website.

Statement from Scott Johnson, Candidate for the 43rd State Assembly District
Janesville WI

Representative Scott Johnson, Republican, announced he is running for the 43rd Wisconsin State Assembly District. This is an open district resulting from the 2024 redistricting that was recently signed into law by Governor Evers. Scott is currently the State Representative of the 33rd district which includes the north and east side of Janesville, the cities of Milton, Fort Atkinson and Jefferson. The new 43rd district includes the Milton area that Scott currently represents and now includes Edgerton, Whitewater, and a larger portion of the north and east side of Janesville.

For Scott this is a homecoming as he graduated from Milton High School and grew up on the family farm just a few miles east of Janesville in the new 43rd. As a lifelong farmer, Scott approaches his legislative role with practicality, logic, and common sense. Scott also served for 15 years on the Fort Atkinson School Board. While on the board, Scott led the community to adopt renewable geo-thermal and solar electric investments to reduce costs to heat and cool the school buildings.

The new 43rd will represent communities for Scott that resemble the past 33rd , representing a rural culture with strong community values. The match of the needs and desires of the citizens of the 43rd will make it a natural transition for Scott. He looks forward to continuing to fight for the people of the 43rd on issues that are important to them.

In his first term, Scott was, and will continue to, focus on issues related to education, roads, rural and agricultural economies, veterans, wetlands, human trafficking and a special interest in school bus safety.

“I am excited to meet you and learn more about your concerns, representing the 43rd district on those issues and more in Madison,” Johnson said.

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. This week’s photo shows the stone stable, currently located next to the historical society’s depot museum on Whitewater Street. This photo was taken of the building in a former location. It ended up behind the First English Lutheran Church and was moved in 2007 to its current location in celebration of Whitewater’s Homecoming festival.

The building was constructed around 1845 and while originally thought to be a pioneer era wagon shop, it was most likely the first location of George Dann’s cooperage (barrel-making shop). Dann moved to a more expansive building after a couple of years and ran a successful barrel factory in the later nineteenth century. The stone stable gets its name from its use as a horse barn during much of its life in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

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

(5457P, Whitewater Historical Society)

Embark on a journey of individual, unfiltered beauty and consent at Roberta’s Art Gallery with “The Garden of 1000 Faces: Behind the Garden Wall,” by Madison-based viral art influencer GG, otherwise known as Green Goodies. This exhibit, showcasing the importance of acceptance and inclusivity, focuses on the significance of consent and learning. GG’s work will be on display beginning April 3 and will exhibit through May 7. 

“The Garden of 1000 Faces: Behind the Garden Wall” is an interactive celebration of self-love and individual uniqueness. “This exhibit highlights the importance of conversations regarding consent and recognizing yourself in others through an original, unedited point of view,” says GG. This exhibit will feature just over one hundred acrylic portraits of those who allowed GG to paint them. In addition to the paintings, the exhibit will also feature a two-hour digital live stream projection in the gallery, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, of GG sketching Warhawk students, faculty, and staff who submit an unfiltered, raw photo of themselves. This live stream will spotlight independent music written and submitted by talented Warhawks to accompany GG’s drawing. “The Garden of 1000 Faces unlocks a deeper awareness of our role in shaping a sustainable, interconnected world — a harmonious symphony of positive change resonating through our actions, creating a lasting impact on the planet and each other,” says GG. 

GG, also recognized by her business name, Green Goodies, is a self-taught artist who became a professionally trained educator upon receiving a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. GG is based in Madison, Wis., where she live streams sketching and painting sessions for her social media followers. The Wisconsin Art Board recognized GG as one of the 50 Artists for 50 Years. This great achievement highlights 50 prominent artists in the state of Wisconsin and displays their work for website viewers. This will be GG’s first solo exhibition.  

Roberta’s Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the James R. Connor University Center at 190 Hamilton Green Way, Whitewater, Wis. The gallery collaborates with campus departments, student organizations, and community artists in coordinating and sponsoring exhibits. Roberta’s Art Gallery is open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday. Roberta’s Art Gallery is closed on Saturday and Sunday.

At Roberta’s Art Gallery, we pride ourselves in providing free and open exhibits to the public, and attending certain events can earn students class credit. If you are interested in being featured in the gallery, please contact us for a proposal request. Reach us at ucart@uww.edu or 262-472-3193. Visit our website for any questions or inquiries, and follow our Instagram @uww_rag. For anyone interested in learning more about GG and her artwork, her Instagram account handle is @GreenGoodiesGives, and her website is greengoodies.art.

Editor’s note: This press release was received from Roberta’s Art Gallery. Our apologies for the delay in posting it.