News & Events

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

Brad Marquardt, city Public Works Director, told the Banner that the new water tower was brought online the week of October 17. All three towers are currently running while the staff checks the systems out. “So far everything does appear to be running smoothly,” Marquardt reported. “Yesterday [October 31] we took the Starin Park Tower offline while LSP was pumping to check for any issues and all appeared to be good.” LSP Whitewater, located at 111 Co Rd U, is a cogeneration plant which uses substantial quantities of water.

Though the Starin Park tower will be taken offline sometime in December, the fate of the tower itself is unknown, as a structural analysis is currently being performed. That tower, which has provided water for city residents since 1889, will be taken offline sometime in December. Concern about the tower’s physical condition arose from a report by Cornerstone Restoration, to the Common Council on August 2. Cornerstone reported the tower’s limestone and mortar have failed substantially, and in their opinion, would require an estimated one million dollars of masonry restoration to keep the tower standing. Approximately $200,000 would be needed to take down the tower and remove it, per the company. The tower is designated as a local landmark, and the city Landmarks Commission was directed by the Common Council to research restoration costs and potential funding sources to rehabilitate the tower. In response, the Commission asked the Council to first secure a professional structural analysis to determine if the water tower can be saved. Per Marquardt, a draft report is due by December 1, with a final report by the end of the year.

The city water system is also served by a ground reservoir located adjacent to the water works building at Starin and Fremont. That reservoir, having been deemed in need of major rehabilitation, will also be taken out of service, although Marquardt indicated that it “will remain online longer as that is a bit more complicated to take offline.”

Editor’s note: The following announcement was submitted by Chelsea Luebke.

Current Whitewater High School Junior, Leo Ortiz-Rivera, was in a terrible car accident in April of this year. He has undergone many surgeries and is still currently receiving care at a medical facility. His parents have been by his side this entire time which means they not only have lots of medical bills, but their regular everyday bills have begun to pile up. A GoFundMe  was started to give our amazing community an opportunity to provide donations to the Ortiz-Rivera family. Any donations for this family would be greatly appreciated!

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

Anyone who visits The Community Space can’t help but marvel at the generosity of the greater Whitewater community’s residents for their donations of food, clothing, and so much more — not to mention the cheerful helpfulness of the volunteers who make it such a welcoming place. Everything is free! Who’s ever seen such a place, anywhere?

It’s said that everyone has a breaking point, and according to Kay Robers, manager of the organization, that point was reached on October 31. As a result she is regretfully announcing that The Community Space (TCS) is closed until further notice.

What’s wrong?

The Little Free Pantry in the vestibule includes a refrigerator and provides 24/7 access for people who have an immediate need for groceries. It’s an appreciated service, but recently, especially on weekends, there have been times when it’s virtually impossible to access the free pantry due to the huge amount of donations that have been crammed into the small space. Besides, visitors ransack the donations, and when the volunteer staff returns it takes hours of work before they can even free up the inside door.

Granted, a donation bin has been provided to allow people to drop off clothing or houseware items when it is convenient for them. However, TCS has requested that big items like furniture or large quantity donations be dropped off at the back of the building during their open hours.

Before TCS can reopen the staff needs to determine what changes need to be made in order to more effectively serve the community. Meanwhile they are sharing the following letters that have been received recently from two guests who’ve appreciated what they’ve encountered at The Community Space.

Editor’s note: The following announcement was received from the city of Whitewater.

CITY OF WHITEWATER, UW-WHITEWATER, AND WI SALT WISE HOST SMART SALTING WORKSHOP
Best Practices in Winter Maintenance

The City of Whitewater and UW-Whitewater invite area municipalities,
school district staff, local contractors, and all others involved in winter maintenance to join them
in learning the latest in smart salt practices. Staff at the City and UW-Whitewater campus have
made significant improvements to their winter maintenance program by calibrating their
equipment and incorporating salt brine in their winter maintenance toolbelt. In collaboration with
Wisconsin Salt Wise, the City and University hope to share what they have learned and facilitate
conversations around best practices in winter maintenance.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2022
8:30-10:30 a.m.
1260 W MAIN ST, WHITEWATER (UW-W Community Engagement Center)

Wisconsin Salt Wise, event co-sponsor, is a coalition of organizations from across
Wisconsin working together to reduce salt pollution in our lakes, streams, and drinking water.
Our primary goals are to: educate residents, leaders and winter maintenance professionals on
salt pollution and solutions, provide training, and promote best practices and recognize
contractors committed to using the right amount of salt for conditions.
Wisconsin Salt Wise’s Allison Madison stated, “All the salt that we put down on our sidewalks,
driveways and roads ends up in our lakes, streams, and drinking water. We need all winter
maintenance professionals using best practices to protect our freshwater resources.” Visit
www.wisaltwise.com to learn more.

Join UW-Whitewater faculty, staff and students for a talk on a timely topic. We’ll share information, then have a conversation with each other. All Warhawk Talks are followed by refreshments and open to the public.  RSVPs requested.

Warhawk Talks are held at the Community Engagement Center, 1260 West Main Street, Whitewater. Entrance and free parking are in the rear of the building. Click here for more details.

Third Parties in American Politics: Why They Usually Don’t Succeed, and Why This Time May be Different

In the summer of 2022, dozens of former Republican and Democratic officials announced their commitment to a new national party: the Forward Party. Backers hope this new organization will provide a viable alternative to the two major parties in the United States, which continue to win nearly every major election despite the fact that more Americans identify as Independents than as Republicans or Democrats, and most Americans believe a third party is needed in this country. Join us to discuss why third parties struggle to gain traction in American politics, and why leaders of the Forward Party think they have the winning formula this time around. Do they? Let’s discuss!

Presented by Eric Loepp, Professor, Politics, Government, and Law
Thursday, November 3, 2022, 6 p.m.

If you have a disability and require accommodations, please advise us as soon as possible. Requests are confidential. UW-Whitewater provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title IX and ADA.  Please contact Kari Borne at bornek@uww.edu or 262-472-1003 for further information.

Reservations requested; please RSVP here.

Editor’s note: The Banner appreciates having permission to use the map, “Electoral College Ratings” by nordique, which is licensed under CC BY 2.0.