News & Events

Qualifying taxpayers are invited to receive free tax preparation and electronic filing of their 2023 federal and state income tax returns at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Volunteer Income Tax Assistance clinic. This IRS-sponsored program is available for low and moderate-income taxpayers at no cost, and no appointments are needed.  

The UW-Whitewater VITA clinic will be located in the UW-W Community Engagement Center, 1260 W Main Street, Whitewater (next to Walmart). There is plenty of free parking in front of the UW-W Community Engagement Center for VITA participants. Clinic hours are from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesdays from January 31 through April 10. Clients will be served on a first-come, first-served basis and they should arrive at least one hour before closing.  

The VITA clinic is staffed by certified student preparers and supervised by faculty in the College of Business and Economics Department of Accounting. In addition to providing hands-on experience for graduate and undergraduate accounting students, the free VITA clinic helps residents of Whitewater and surrounding communities.  

“We have many long-time clients who return for assistance each spring,” said Robert Meyers, accounting department lecturer and VITA program co-director. “The opportunity to apply training while working with real people is an invaluable experience for our students.”  

Important information, including a location map, program limitations and required supporting documentation, can be found at https://www.uww.edu/cobe/vita. For additional information, email the VITA Site Coordinator at vita@uww.edu or leave a message at 262-472-5452. 

Congratulations to the following students for participating in the Rock Valley Conference Honors Band on Monday, January 29: Dante Baker, Payton Bunger, Myia Cobbs, Grace Coleman, Jay Downs, Haley Keltesch, Taiya Kolb, Izzy Lavertu, Kay Mikos, and Liz Ngabo.

These students were selected to be a part of this group due to their dedication, hard work, and leadership in the band classroom. They spent the day working with renowned conductor Dr. Scott Teeple from The University of Wisconsin-Madison and performed a concert that same night. 

Article and Photos Submitted by Sam Averill
Whitewater High School Band Director
saverill@wwusd.org

The Greater Whitewater Committee (GWC) will be hosting its annual meeting to celebrate its accomplishments from 2023 and upcoming goals for 2024. This year’s banquet will feature a keynote presentation from Secretary Dan Hereth from the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services.

This event will take place on Thursday, February 8th at 5:30 p.m. at 841 Brewhouse banquet hall, 841 E Milwaukee St., Whitewater. GWC would like to cordially invite the community to attend this event. Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m., and the keynote speaker will begin presenting at 6:00 p.m with the social hour to continue after his presentation. 

RSVP is required to attend. To reserve your spot, contact Lilly Munkvold or Anna Dahl at pr@knightpublicaffairs.com or operations@knightpublicaffairs.com by Wednesday, February 7th. 

Dan Hereth was appointed secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) in August 2022. Prior to that, Secretary Hereth served as the department’s assistant deputy secretary since 2019, and he served as the Deputy District Director for Congresswoman Gwen Moore since 2007.

The Council of State Governments honored Hereth with a 20 Under 40 Leadership Award in 2023, making him the Council’s first such honoree from Wisconsin.

At DSPS, Hereth has led technology upgrades and guided innovative partnerships with professional associations, employers, and other stakeholders. His work has increased licensing efficiency and bolstered Wisconsin’s professional workforce, while keeping a focus on the department’s public safety mission.

Hereth is a Watertown, WI native and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a Minor in Public Administration from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, and a Master of Arts degree in Human Resources from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

“ We are excited to hear from Secretary Dan Hereth on all of the success and progress that was made in the Department of Safety and Professional Services,  and their plans for the future,” said GWC President Jeffery Knight. 

For further details, please contact Jeffery Knight at 920.728.0662 or jpk@knightpublicaffairs.com. 

 About the GWC 

The GWC is an action-oriented group committed to working with citizens, elected officials, and policy makers to identify, craft, and implement a pro-business agenda. The agenda advances the economic, education, and social policies required to energize and secure the Whitewater area’s economic future, as well as protect Whitewater’s quality of life.

The public is invited to learn about the FIRST Robotics programs throughout the Whitewater Unified School District at an open house on Saturday, February 3. Guests may visit between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. using Door #38 at the high school. This door is located between the back of the auditorium and the overhead shop doors.

Members of the high school FIRST Robotics Competition Team #6574 Ferradermis will provide guided tours of their workspace and the school shop as other members continue to develop this year’s robot. Representatives of the FIRST Lego League Teams from Washington, Lincoln, Lakeview, and the Middle School will also be present throughout the day to show what they’ve been working on this year.

We hope to see you there!

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

David Stavlo, noted firearm historian, gunsmith, and author will present a program on antique American firearms on Sunday, February 4 at 1:00 p.m. in Whitewater. The presentation is being sponsored by the Whitewater Historical Society and will be held at the Cravath Lakefront Community Building, off Whitewater Street [341 S. Fremont Street.) The presentation is free and open to the public.

Stavlo has been working in the antique firearm industry for more than 15 years. He is the owner of Lodgewood MFG, a full service antique firearms shop that specializes in the repair, restoration, and sale of antique firearms dating from c.1445-1945. Stavlo’s work has been showcased in many publications, including Guns of the Old West, and American Rifleman magazines and on television and film productions. Stavlo has shared his knowledge of antique firearms through many presentations at institutions and organizations around the Midwest, from the Kenosha Civil War Museum to the Ohio Gun Collectors Association.

Stavlo’s presentation for the Whitewater Historical Society event is “An Introduction to Antique American Firearms, From Colonization to the Civil War,” and will outline the changes in American firearm development over a roughly 250 year span, from the first English settlements on the east coast to the Civil War era. Stavlo will show several original firearms from his personal collection of antique firearms.

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by The Community Space.

Whitewater has long been a place that comes together to solve issues. When it became apparent that additional resources were needed to support the southeastern Wisconsin community, a group gathered, led by co-founders Kay Robers, Marjorie Stoneman and Kristine Zaballos. They brainstormed ideas, they found a building and, within a few short weeks, opened the doors of the Community Space amid the 2019 polar vortex.

In just five years, the Community Space has become a vital resource for people in Whitewater and neighboring communities. It is a food pantry, a clothing and household goods shop and resource center all rolled into one volunteer-run organization that serves more than 500 people every week. The Community Space is open to all, with no residency or income requirement, making it easy for anyone to walk in and select food, furniture and other items. Everything is free.

“It’s not a model we’ve seen anywhere else,” said Zaballos, who serves as executive director of the nonprofit. “So it sometimes takes newcomers a minute to understand they are welcome to take what they need and to share what they don’t need with others.”

“It’s really about sharing resources and keeping things out of the landfill,” said Zaballos. “If we can share what we have, it makes the community stronger and more resilient.”

The Community Space grew out of the Community Clothes Closet, a multi-decades effort started by Art Hughes to give out warm coats that operated out first out of the trunk of his car and later out of a local church. Kay Robers took over from Hughes and managed for years before moving the operations to the Community Space, where she serves as site manager.

“We have so much more space to accept donations or sort through them now, and the facility is much more accessible to older people or people with mobility issues,” said Robers. “It’s amazing to see how it’s grown and how many people it serves.”

During the pandemic, the Community Space pivoted to stay open while protecting its mostly older volunteers and its visitors and added refrigerators and freezers to accommodate the pounds of free milk, cheese, meat, produce and other perishable food funneled through the organization.

“We went from giving out 30,000 pounds of food in 2019 to giving out 300,000 pounds in 2020,” said Robers. “It was quite an operation, and nothing we could have done without all of the volunteers who stepped up.”

At 4:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024, the Community Space will celebrate its fifth birthday with a potluck open house. Participants are welcome to bring a picnic-inspired dish to share. A short program will take place at 5:30 p.m., and tours of the facility will be available during the event. The food pantry will be open as well.

The Community Space is located at 834 E. Milwaukee St. on the east side of Whitewater. It offers evening and weekend hours to accommodate working families and also hosts ESL classes, bilingual health advocacy and other resources. Donations fund 100% of TCS’s expenses, which are largely utilities. There is no paid staff, and most of the food is provided by Feeding America of Southeastern Wisconsin at no charge. Donations to fund our operations are gratefully accepted at P.O. Box 213, Whitewater WI 53190.

For more information about The Community Space contact Kristine Zaballos at 206-972-9936 or thecommunityspaceww@gmail.com.

Fast Facts

• The Community Space opened Jan. 29, 2019, during the polar vortex, serving as a temporary 24/7 emergency shelter for the first few days through a collaboration with the Whitewater Police Department and the City of Whitewater.
• All items free of charge to all, without income, residency, or other limitations.
• The Community Space distributed 30,000 pounds of food in 2019 and more than 300,000 pounds in 2020 as it responded to the COVID pandemic.
• In 2023, there were about 25,000 visits, more than 16,000 volunteer hours were recorded, and more than 211,000 pounds of food, 144,000 items of clothing, and countless furniture, housewares, books, bedding and other items shared.
• The Community Space achieved 501(c)(3) status in 2023.
• It is 100% volunteer-driven, with no paid staff positions, and 100% donation-funded. No local, state or federal public funding supports the mission.