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A free weekly drawing class is getting under way Thursday, Feb. 2, at Wisconsin Makers in Whitewater. Taught by Mike Alvarez of Whitewater, the class will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Wisconsin Makers, 200 E. Clay St. Interested area residents of all ages are welcome to attend.
The class is the first activity set by the newly formed Whitewater Art Club at the makerspace. “This club is for people interested in arts and crafts in general, from drawing and painting to paper art, pottery, woodcarving and pretty much anything art-related,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez is the owner of Handy Mike LLC, a handyman service. He particularly enjoys drawing, painting, woodcarving, woodworking and pottery. He eventually plans to hold classes in those subjects, as well. “I want to integrate every part of the community, from the seniors to the little kids, so everyone can come and participate,” he said. Being bilingual, Alvarez hopes to generate interest from the Latino community, as well.
Club members need not join Wisconsin Makers to participate. However, donations toward paying utilities would be greatly appreciated.
Wisconsin Makers is a makerspace that creates an affordable, collaborative and educational environment that inspires people of all ages to becoming innovators within their communities by unlocking their skills through continual training. It has members from Jefferson, Walworth, Rock and Waukesha counties and beyond, and all have access to the workshops around the clock. The facility houses machine, welding/fabrication, electronics, automotive, 3-D printing, laser engraving and woodworking shops. It also offers pottery, ceramics, metal art, quilting, fabric arts, matting/framing and more. The building is accessible and has off-street parking, WiFi, and many other amenities.
For more information about the makerspace, contact Chris Spangler at (920) 728-2960.
For more information about the drawing class, contact Alvarez at (920) 397-1022 or whitewaterartclub@gmail.com.
Editor’s Note: The following was provided the Roberta’s Art Gallery at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Experience works of art inspired by the unsung artists of the Harlem Renaissance with Jerry Jordan’s exhibit “Life in Light and Shadow” through February 16, with the reception on February 7. His artwork, which consists of oil on canvas, gives a different perspective of African Americans, outside of constant struggle and pain. Most of Jordan’s paintings are about freedom to be who you want to be, and they express how life is full of endless possibilities. Jordan is changing the representation of African Americans with his artwork in the realm of Contemporary Realism.
Jordan is an alumnus from UW-Whitewater with a bachelor’s degree in art and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in art education. While studying in college, Jordan noticed that African Americans were largely underrepresented in art, and after discovering the Harlem Renaissance, it gave Jordan the belief that he could be a successful artist. Jordan carries a sketchbook with him all the time. “I just never know when the inspiration will hit,” Jordan states, “A simple doodle could turn into an idea for a painting.”
Alongside his canvas paintings, Jordan is a muralist and children’s book illustrator. “Art is a part of who I am and it’s something that I always wanted to do all throughout my life,” Jordan states. “The paintings talk to me. I listen to them, and they tell me which way to go.” His murals are on display at the Madison College Goodman South Campus, at the American Family Insurance SPARK building, and at UW-Whitewater in the University Center. Jordan is currently working on illustrating three children’s books including, “Marching for the Vote: the Story of Ida B Wells and the Women’s March of 2013” by Dinah Johnson; “Unstoppable John,” a biography of Congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis by Madison-based author Pat Zietlow Miller; and “Johnny Tunes and the Ganndy Dancers” by Pamela M. Tuck and Joel Tuck.
Join us for the exhibit reception on Tuesday, February 7 at 6 p.m. where we will have an artist meet-and-greet and an opportunity for audience questions. Light refreshments will be provided.
Roberta’s Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the James R. Connor University Center at UW-Whitewater. The gallery collaborates with campus departments, student organizations and community artists in coordinating and sponsoring exhibits. In semester, hours are Monday – Thursday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and closed Saturday and Sunday.
Roberta’s Art Gallery prides itself in all exhibits being free and open to the public. Attending certain events can earn students class credit. To be featured in Roberta’s Art Gallery, contact us for a proposal request. Reach us at ucart@uww.edu or (262) 472-3193 or visit our website for any questions or inquiries.
The Whippets fell two points short against Fort Atkinson Thursday night, January 26.
Fort got a jump offensively early in the game up 11-2, but Danielle DePorter hit a 3 to kick start our offense. Calli Grosinske followed with 2 back to back 3’s to tie up the game at 11. From there it was a battle back and forth with the Whippets down at half 24-29.
In the second half, Fort maintained the lead until we got a spark from Calli Grosinske and Katie Gillette with back to back steals with fast break finishes. The rest of the half was a battle back and forth right up to the last seconds.
The Whippets fell just short, 51-53. We handled Fort’s press well and played aggressively on defense forcing turnovers and connecting on those possessions. A few shots didn’t land, but it was an amazing fight.
Calli Grosinske led the Whippets with 17 points, followed by Kindyl Kilar with 14, and Mayte Navejas with 12.
The Whippets take on Beloit Turner at home Friday night, January 27, which is also our annual Youth Night!
Article Submitted by Kristen Lippens
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Basketball Coach
klippens@wwusd.org
File Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka
The Whippet Swimmers competed against Jefferson/Cambridge on Tuesday, January 24th. The boys finished off conference duals with a win!
Wins and best times on the night include:
In the 200 Freestyle:
- Tyler Arnett won the event with a time of 2:05.08
- David Enns dropped 20 seconds going a 2:51.46
In the 200 IM:
- Jack Hefty won the event going a best time of 2:27.27, which is a 3 second drop from his previous time.
In the 50 Freestyle
- Andrew O’Toole continues to drop more time going 28.10
In the 100 Fly:
- Cruz Aranda won the event with a time of 1:09.77
In the 100 Freestyle:
- Xaiver Zei drops over 13 seconds going a time of 1:08.86
- Onyx Thompson drops 2 seconds going a time of 1:15.96
- David Enns drops 3 seconds going a time of 1:17.08
In the 500 Freestyle:
- Tyler Arnett won the event going a time of 5:32.02
- Myles Morse drops 18 seconds going a time of 6:32.61
In the 100 Backstroke:
- Miles Nickelsburg won the event going a time of 1:16.56
- Onyx Thompson drops 3 seconds going a time of 1:29.34
In the 100 Breaststroke:
- Jack Hefty out touched his opponent to win the event by .39 seconds and went a best time of 1:15.53.
- Xavier Zei drops over 4 seconds going a time of 1:27.40
- Andrew O’Toole drops over 3 seconds going a time of 1:36.57
In the 400 Freestyle Relay:
- Myles Morse and Cruz Aranda both in the lead off position put up new best times in the 100 Freestyle with Cruz going a time of 58.55 and Myles going a time of 1:11.36
The Whippets are entering Championship season and will compete on Saturday, February 4th at 11 a.m. in Delavan-Darien for the Conference Meet. Come out and show your support!
Article Submitted by Sarah Reynolds
Whitewater High School Co-Head Boys’ Swim Coach
sreynolds@wwusd.org
Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka
Another exciting game! The Whitewater Girls’ Basketball Team traveled to East Troy for a conference game Tuesday night, January 24. Both teams played tight defense and fought for points in the first half. We knew they were going to pack the lane, forcing us to shoot from outside. Early in the game we took good shots, but they just didn’t fall. Being aggressive and scrappy on defense and getting some put backs on offensive rebounds right before half kept us within 2, 17-19.
Early in the second half, the Trojans connected on a couple 3 pointers putting them up by 11. We fought back, started communicating better on defense, and hitting our outside shots to close the gap. The Trojans were up by 2 with around 4 minutes left in the game and began to stall. We added pressure and forced a turnover to give us possession and momentum. After a time out, Kindyl Kilar drove to score 2 and tie up the game with 1:25 left in the game, 43-43. Katie Gillette got fouled on an inside shot and hit two clutch free throws that put us up by two and won the game.
Calli Grosinske led the Whippets with 14 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds. Danielle DePorter followed with 10 points. Mayte Navejas added 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. Katie Gillette scored 7 and added 4 rebounds and 2 assists.
The Whippets play Fort Atkinson at home on Thursday, January 26.
Article Submitted by Kristen Lippens
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Basketball Coach
klippens@wwusd.org
Photo Courtesy of Peter and Bob Mischka
Congratulate the wrestlers on a hard-fought dual meet on Tuesday night, January 24, against Evansville. Both teams came in 7-0 in the conference, and it was a well wrestled dual. We were down 27-22 going into the last four weight classes, so it was right there for us. Things did not go our way, and we ended up dropping our first dual meet of the year 51-22. We had matches early on that could have gone our way that we let slip away. There is stuff to get cleaned up prior to the regional tournament.
Congratulations to Victor Hernandez, Nate Black, Aaron Porras, and Avi Kalra on their victories Tuesday night.
Full results: https://www.trackwrestling.com/tw/seasons/LoadBalance.jsp?pageName=DualMatches.jsp&dualId=6879417132
Article Submitted by John Schimming
Whitewater High School Head Wrestling Coach
jschimming@wwusd.org
File Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka
The gymnastics team traveled to Southwestern High School for another Invite on Saturday, January 21. There were a lot of amazing gymnasts competing and some super fun routines to watch and cheer on. It was fun to see all the teams supporting and cheering for each other despite being from different schools. Our girls had a great day and posted some awesome scores!
Our strongest rotation was on the Vault where the girls crushed it. Not only did the varsity team have their highest team score of 31.075; 3 girls had lifetime best scores. Makayla Bazeley posted a 7.95, Nola Coburn posted an 8.0, and Mady Hefty posted an 8.275. These scores were all significantly higher than their previous Vault scores.
The girls took on the Beam, and despite a few falls amongst the team, we did have one gymnast have a no fall Beam routine – Brooke Bazeley. We also had some notable improvements in scores. Nola Coburn scored a season best with a 6.6, while Brenda Aguilar knocked her old score out of the way and scored a season best of 6.8. The varsity team had their highest score of the season with a 26.8. We love seeing these numbers climb!
On the Floor, we heard a lot of teams cheering for us which always gives us a boost. The girls are really pushing themselves and it shows. Brenda competed for the first time this season on Floor and slayed the day with a lifetime best of 7.2. Nola improved her season best with a 6.9, while Stephanie Walters improved her season best with a 6.3. Makayla Bazeley added a beautiful shushunova into her routine and earned herself a 7.85.
Last rotation was on Bars where the girls continued to shine. Stephanie fought for and earned a season best of 4.3. Mady upped her score from last week with another season best score of 5.95. Makayla decided at the last minute to add in a new move on Bars to spice it up and be adventurous – she likes to keep us guessing. She added a switch kip after her double cut catch to earn a 7.05. Love watching the girls attempt and succeed in new moves.
Mady competed in All-Around for the first time this season and earned 27.525. It’s such an awesome deal when the girls compete in all 4 rotations. Stephanie earned her highest All-Around score with 20.05. Both Nola and Makayla scored lifetime bests in All-Around as well with 26 & 30.1, respectively.
We have a little break from competition through finals week and then will be back to competing on January 31st against Badger.
Article and Photos Submitted by Shawnda Peters
Whitewater High School Head Gymnastics Coach
speters@wwusd.org
On Friday night, January 20, seven boys and five girls traveled to Wausau to take part in the Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association Challenge Series Finals on Saturday.
The Challenge Series is a qualifying tournament where the top three boys from eight different regionals come together to compete. This shows some great competition for the Junior Varsity Level students across the state. Whitewater was fortunate to have seven boys qualify for this event. They included Curtis Rossmiller, Keenan Sheffield, Nate Black, Christian Minett, JJ Gonzalez, Richi Kalra and Jesus Barajas. Each of these individuals had some very competitive matches throughout the day.
Barajas was the top place winner, coming in 8th place. He started out the day with his best match of the season in a close 6-5 victory. He continued to wrestle well but came up short, just getting out of positions.
Curtis Rossmiller also had a very nice day going 2-2 with two pins and one close 8-7 loss. Curtis is a first-year wrestler and is progressing nicely.
Nate Black started his day with a pin and then wrestled extremely well before getting caught after being aggressive for a takedown. He learned that he has to have a short memory in tournaments like this as he struggled to get past the upsetting loss. Although he did not do as well as he hoped, he continued to show great improvement on the mat.
Sheffield, Minett, Gonzalez, and Kalra all also wrestled well showing nice things in each match but came up short. In personal reflection on the drive home as they slept I realized we had a lot of losses on the day that we were doing extremely well in. That is tough for students to understand. They often just look at the outcome and not the process along the way. Each of the boys did very well on Saturday.
Five girls from the wrestling team also competed at Wausau on Saturday in the Wisconsin High School Girls Challenge. All but one of these ladies are first time wrestlers so this may have been quite an experience as there were eight mats, people on all sides of the gym, and brackets of 24-32 competitors in each weight class.
The girls did well, and as was the case with the boys, I felt like I had the same reflection; they wrestled well but came up short. They all seemed to have a good attitude and will learn from this experience.
Khloe Meyer and Ashly Xochipa each lost their first match to the young lady who ended up taking runner-up in their weight classes.
Xochipa came back from her loss and wrestled very well. She ended up pinning her next two opponents and then winning the 3rd by a 2-point decision to come in as Consolation Champion.
Adalynn Frye wrestled for the first time ever in competition and did well. She came out and scored a takedown and almost had her second girl turned, but lack of experience put her out of position.
Athena Soto came out strong against her first opponent scoring three takedowns and wrestled well. Again, more mat time is needed to get the experience of position for her.
Finally, Odeling Gonzales started her day off with a girl who had lots of experience based on the techniques she was showing. In her second match Odeling was aggressive, getting a couple of takedowns but came up short.
Overall, I was happy with both the boys’ and girls’ team at this event. They should be proud of their accomplishment at this large event.
Article and Photo Submitted by John Schimming
Whitewater High School Head Wrestling Coach
jschimming@wwusd.org
Obituaries
Marion Jauch Burrows (Feb. 2, 1930 – June 5, 2026) Her sparkling eyes, warm laugh, and generous ways were gifts Marion brought into this world, touching family members and friends alike over the ninety-six years of her life. She was born and raised in Lombard, IL, and in the course of her life lived with her husband and growing family in Abilene, TX, St. David’s, PA, Arkadelphia, AR, Ada, OK, and Colorado Springs, CO, before settling in Whitewater, WI, in 1965. Generosity of heart, compassion toward those in need in and beyond her community, and an unwavering commitment to fairness … Read more
Patricia “Pat” Lynn Bailey, age 70, passed away peacefully on June 1, 2026 with her daughter by her side. Pat was born February 21, 1956 in Ann Arbor, Michigan to John and Ruth (Hudock) Prentice. After a brief time in Ann Arbor, the Prentice family moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin, where Pat grew up as part of the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater community, where her father served as University Registrar. Pat attended the University School and later graduated from UW Whitewater with a degree in Elementary Education. Although she did not pursue teaching, she built a meaningful career in Human … Read more
Gemelino Paris Esperante, 83, long time resident of Whitewater, passed away on Thursday, June 4th, 2026. He was born on January 10, 1943, to his late father and mother, Evaristo and Carmen in Spain. In 1973 he moved to the United States as a sheep herder. On August 21, 1981, he was united in marriage to Cyndie Esperante in Colorado. Gemelino also worked in Mining and construction for many years. He enjoyed the outdoors, fishing, raising sheep and growing things in his garden, and flowers. He will be missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his wife … Read more
Mary Ann Warner died peacefully on Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at Crestridge Assisted Living in Dodgeville. Her physical heart failed, but her actual, loving heart never did. Ann was born June 28, 1939 to Mary and Charles Kearns in Iowa. She moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin and graduated with many dear friends in the class of 1957. Ann married John Warner on September 19, 1959. They lived in Whitewater, Sturgis Michigan, and finally settled in Janesville where they built a beautiful life and raised their family. Together, they ran a business, traveled, played cards, and enjoyed their lives. When they became … Read more
Patricia Ann Jacobson (Bureau), age 81, of Whitewater, WI, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, WI. Born on September 2, 1944, in Marquette, MI, to the late Donald and Margaret Bureau, Pat grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She graduated from Graveraet High School, attended Michigan State University, and later earned her bachelor’s degree from Northern Michigan University. Pat dedicated her professional life to shaping young minds, working as an elementary and junior high school teacher in both Flint, MI, and Whitewater, WI. At the heart of Pat’s life was a beautiful, … Read more
In loving memory of Lois Lauritzen, age 92, who passed away on June 1, 2026 at Lakewood Memory Care in Brookfield. Lois led an active life full of devotion to family and friends. Born July 14th, 1933 in Silvis, IL, daughter of Harry and Elsie Wilson, she grew up in the Quad Cities with older brother Harry Wilson Jr. Lois graduated from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL with a degree in physical education. She met her husband Paul Lauritzen on the college tennis team. Their marriage on June 12th, 1955 lasted 59 years until Paul’s death on September 26th, … Read more
Donald Walter Triebold passed on to his eternal home on May 21, 2026. Don was born on April 23, 1935, in Evanston, IL, to the late Frederick W. and Mildred (nee Stecher) Triebold. Through his teen years, Don lived and worked on the family’s dairy farm, where he developed a life-long work ethic. His first eight years of education were in a one-room country schoolhouse, in which all eight grades were taught by one teacher. He graduated from Whitewater City High School in 1953 and then graduated from UW Whitewater in 1958 with a degree in Business Education. He continued his education, and earned a Master’s … Read more
William Kincaid Davis, age 84, passed away on Tuesday, May 19 at Agrace Hospice Center in Fitchburg. He was born on November 1, 1941, in Madison, Indiana, the second son of Salvation Army Officers Agnes (Dixon) and William C. Davis. He attended several schools in Indiana and Illinois, including University of Illinois Experimental High School (Champaign), and graduated from Galesburg High School in 1958. He earned his bachelor’s degree from UW-Eau Claire in 1964 and his master’s degree from UW-Whitewater in 1972. He had an expansive career in education, beginning as an English teacher in Whitehall, Thornton Township (IL) and … Read more
Magdalene “Maggie” Stetter (nee Fritz), 79, of Whitewater, Wisconsin passed from this life onto the next on Monday, May 4, 2026. She was born on January 16, 1947, to the late John and Mary (Presser) Fritz in St. Stefan, Austria. Maggie immigrated from Austria with her parents and brother, became a US citizen, and grew up and attended school in West Allis, WI and then graduated with a teaching degree from University of Wisconsin – Whitewater. Maggie served as a substitute, English, and German language teacher in the Whitewater, Elkhorn, Delavan, and Palmyra schools and at Divine Word Seminary. Maggie … Read more
Lawrence “Larry” C. Hartung, a proud Marine Veteran of the Vietnam War, and longtime resident of Fort Atkinson, WI, passed away peacefully at his home on May 1, 2026. Larry was born June 7th, 1949, to Levon and Charles Hartung in Chicago, IL. Larry enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 1968 and served 3 consecutive tours in the Vietnam War. During this time, he became pen pals with his future wife, Candy, via a connection through his father. In 1970, he came home on leave to marry Candy. They celebrated 55 years of marriage on October 31st, 2025. During … Read more
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