News & Events

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

As is shown below, the “purple” level of air quality is the second worst level, with index values between 201-300. Whitewater’s level on Tuesday, June 27 at 8 p.m. was 253. This poor air quality, as a result of the forest fires in Canada, is described as being very unhealthy. Everyone is encouraged to limit outdoor physical activity, and it is recommended that members of “sensitive groups” avoid all outdoor physical activity.

Source: https://fire.airnow.gov/

The following announcement was made by Brenda Jones, UW-W Vice Chancellor for Administrative Affairs, on June 26.

“University community,

I am pleased to announce that Trisha Barber has been named assistant vice chancellor for financial services. Trisha has been serving as both interim controller since 2020 and interim budget director since 2022. During that time, she has been instrumental in developing and refining the budget process to better reflect the true activities of the university. 

As assistant vice chancellor, Trisha will continue her role as primary budget officer and will provide oversight to the controller and financial services. By merging these two areas under her guidance, we will be able to provide a more comprehensive approach to developing and monitoring financial plans as we work toward eliminating our structural deficit. This new structure will result in a better management system for campus resources, allowing reinvestment back into the strategic priorities of the university. 

Please join me in congratulating Trisha on her new position.”

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

Upon hearing the news that the City of Whitewater did not have the resources to plant or water the several planter boxes in the downtown area, a group of local residents decided to help out by purchasing, donating some flower stock and doing the actual planting to make sure those flower boxes did not go empty this year.  

With the approval of Public Works Director, Brad Marquardt and Streets Superintendent, Brian Neumeister and a generous donation of gift cards from Walmart, to date, four flats of annuals have been planted in the four large boxes at Cravath Lakefront Center as well as bulbs that will put on a beautiful show of color all summer.  On Wednesday, May 10th,  the “pop-up volunteer garden club” worked on the large planter boxes at the Lakefront park as well as adding some bulbs to the boxes across from the SweetSpot.  The “crew” also began to clean up the area around the Birge Fountain on the Whitewater Cultural Arts Center grounds, planting the urns with flowers and pruning the rose bushes there.  

The first members of this group are Sherry and Al Stanek and Rick and Jeanine Fassl.  After a couple of phone calls by them, more help was found.  The Living Word Fellowship on Main Street is sponsoring the two large flower boxes in front of their church.  Fanatico’s and the SweetSpot are sponsoring the boxes in front of their restaurants.  Common Council member Dave Stone offered to keep the four boxes planted at the Lakefront Park watered for the duration of the summer.  And Tokyo Japanese Cuisine will keep the box in front of their restaurant watered this summer.  Bonnie Miller planted and donated a big beautiful pot of flowers outside of the Municipal Building and a hanging basket has also been spotted hanging on the light pole outside of K-9 Haircare!  The group was also contacted by Dawn Hunter who has planted the concrete planter located at the Prairie Tiller Mural! 

Thank you to these residents and businesses who are volunteering to help beautify areas around Whitewater for residents as well as the many visitors who come to our city!

Update, 6/27/23 @ 4:20 p.m.: Jeanine Fassl shared that “there is an additional group helping to water the four urns by the Birge Fountain in Library Park.  The Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity across from the fountain has three members: Owen Russell, Cole McIlroy, and Kendal Thomson who’ve agreed to keep those urns watered this summer.  This has truly been a community wide effort.”

Identification of photos:
First row of photos: Rick Fassl, Sherry Stanek, Al Stanek (L-R)
Photo in second row: Jeanine Fassl

William Hofmann of Whitewater has been named to the Dean’s List at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for the spring semester of the 2022-23 academic year.

Hofmann, a sophomore majoring in advertising and public relations, was named to the Dean’s List for the College of Journalism and Mass Communications.

More than 6,400 students at Nebraska were named to the Dean’s List for the spring semester.

Qualification for the Dean’s List varies among the eight undergraduate colleges and the Explore Center. Listed below are the minimum requirements for each entity and the name of its respective dean or director. All qualifying grade-point averages are based on a four-point scale and a minimum number of graded semester hours. Students can be on the Dean’s List for more than one college.

• College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, 3.75; Dean Tiffany Heng-Moss.
• College of Architecture, 3.75; Dean Kevin G. Van Den Wymelenberg.
• College of Arts and Sciences, 3.7; Dean Mark E. Button.
• College of Business, 3.6; Dean Kathy Farrell.
• College of Education and Human Sciences, 3.75; Dean Sherri Jones.
• College of Engineering, 3.5; Dean Lance C. Perez.
• College of Journalism and Mass Communications, 3.7; Dean Shari Veil.
• Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts, 3.7; Dean Andy Belser.
• Explore Center for undeclared, pre-engineering, pre-health and pre-law students, 3.6; Senior Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Undergraduate Education Amy Goodburn.

According to the Lake Geneva Regional News, “Antonio Jermaine Statam, 36, of 300 block N Tratt St., Whitewater, has been charged with felony bail jumping and misdemeanor bail jumping. Whitewater police conducted a traffic stop on May 31 of the defendant, Statam, who at the time was on a probationary license and was required to have an ignition interlock device in his vehicle that he did not have in the car. His license was revoked due to a previous OWI charge.”

Statam’s initial appearance in Walworth County Circuit Court is scheduled for Wednesday, June 28, 2023.

This case has not been concluded. Unless a judgment of conviction is entered, the defendant is presumed innocent of all charges.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has issued an Air Quality Advisory for PM2.5 which will remain in effect until noon Thursday, June 29th. This advisory affects all of southern and south central Wisconsin.

Smoke originating from Canadian wildfires will spread from north-to-south on Monday, June 26, impacting PM2.5 concentrations at the surface. We expect this situation to remain highly dynamic over the coming days and will adjust messaging as needed.

For Monday, June 26th, we expect the heaviest smoke impacts across the eastern half of the state, where the Air Quality Index (AQI) is expected to be within the UNHEALTHY category but could reach the VERY UNHEALTHY category. People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion and consider avoiding all 
physical outdoor activities; everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion and consider avoiding prolonged or heavy exertion.

At this time, we anticipate the eastern half of the state to see the heaviest surface smoke through the episode, with noon Tuesday through noon Wednesday currently appearing to be the timing of heaviest impact. The AQI will likely range from the UNHEALTHY to VERY UNHEALTHY categories, but we cannot rule out the possibility of the AQI reaching the HAZARDOUS category.

For more information on current air quality, please see: https://airquality.wi.gov

Griffin James, who graduated from Whitewater High School in 1999, has taken his music to new limits. When he studied piano with Esther Haight and Chris Johansen, or played euphonium with Christine Hayes and Don Deal–all reported to Griffin’s parents–Richard and Marcia James–that he had a gift. So he went on to meet his future father-in-law (his UW-Madison low-brass professor) and later get his master’s degree at Illinois State University. After directing bands in Bakersfield, California, and for Milwaukee’s Whitnall High School, Griffin and his wife Katie (also a music major) have found their home in Baraboo.

This weekend is Baraboo’s Big Top Parade. Tonight Griffin will be playing in the Circus Band on the Courthouse Square. Tomorrow night, he will put on his Lederhosen and lead his Polka Band–Big Griffy Jim’s Polka Dots–at the Al. Ringling Brewery. On Saturday, he will lead his high school band down main street with two elephants serving as the grand marshals.

Also, when Griffin was in high school, he auditioned for the Wisconsin Music Ambassadors–a group of select band students who traveled to Europe and gave concerts in several countries. Only July 6, Griffin and wife Katie–the choir director for the Wisconsin Dells Middle and High Schools–will join several other band leaders and conduct a mini camp at UW-Whitewater. They will be preparing The Wisconsin Music All Stars–80 select orchestra students–for performances in three of the six European countries that they will travel to July 9-28.

Griffin, who is president of Baraboo’s Theatre Guild, has also learned that he has been selected as the incoming Community Band Director. This is an appointment through UW-Sauk County. Griffin also recently joined the Madison Brass Band where he plays alto horn alongside his former high school band director–Don Deal.

The music continues as Griffin and Katie’s two sons play piano, saxophone, percussion, or euphonium–their parents’ main instrument. Canon and Reed will be accompanied by their Grandma–Marcia James, formerly of Whitewater–as they watch the Wisconsin All-Stars perform in Europe.

Editor’s note: Our thanks to Marcia James for submitting this article.

About half of the members of Ferradermis, including two brand new members who have joined this summer, were able to travel to Dousman on Saturday, June 24, for the Laser Lights Off-Season Event sponsored by FRC Team #2077 Laser Robotics from Kettle Moraine High School.

The team had a very successful day and was the first pick in alliance selections when we were asked to join the #1 ranked team, FRC Team #930 the Mukwonago Bears from Mukwonago High School for the playoffs. Mukwonago and Ferradermis later added the host team from Laser as the third member of their alliance. The alliance made a great run through the playoffs before being knocked out by the eventual champion, the second-seeded alliance led by FRC Team #6421 the Warriorbots from Muskego High School, in the semi-finals. Ferradermis officially finished as part of the 3rd place alliance.

In addition to competing, Ferradermis also operated the concession stand for the event as a team fundraiser.

Watch for the team (weather permitting) in the Whitewater Fourth of July Parade and at the Whitewater City Market on July 11 if you’d like to learn more. The team will next be in competition in Rockford, Illinois on Saturday, July 22 before wrapping up the summer off-season at Mukwonago on July 28 and 29.

The team, which is open to any Whitewater High School student, will continue to accept new members this summer and throughout the fall. If interested in joining, please reach out to Laura Masbruch at lmasbruch@wwusd.org.

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