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Editor’s note: The following information is found on history.com. The image above and on the homepage is by khema sok from Pixabay.
Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. On June 17, 2021, it officially became a federal holiday.
Confederate General Robert E. Lee had surrendered at Appomattox Court House two months earlier in Virginia, but slavery had remained relatively unaffected in Texas—until U.S. General Gordon Granger stood on Texas soil and read General Orders No. 3: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”
The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, had established that all enslaved people in Confederate states in rebellion against the Union “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.”
But in reality, the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t instantly free any enslaved people. The proclamation only applied to places under Confederate control and not to slave-holding border states or rebel areas already under Union control. However, as Northern troops advanced into the Confederate South, many enslaved people fled behind Union lines.
Juneteenth and Slavery in Texas
In Texas, slavery had continued as the state experienced no large-scale fighting or significant presence of Union troops. Many enslavers from outside the Lone Star State had moved there, as they viewed it as a safe haven for slavery.
After the war came to a close in the spring of 1865, General Granger’s arrival in Galveston that June signaled freedom for Texas’s 250,000 enslaved people. Although emancipation didn’t happen overnight for everyone—in some cases, enslavers withheld the information until after harvest season—celebrations broke out among newly freed Black people, and Juneteenth was born. That December, slavery in America was formally abolished with the adoption of the 13th Amendment.
The year following 1865, freedmen in Texas organized the first of what became the annual celebration of “Jubilee Day” on June 19. In the ensuing decades, Juneteenth commemorations featured music, barbecues, prayer services and other activities, and as Black people migrated from Texas to other parts of the country the Juneteenth tradition spread.
In 1979, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday; several others followed suit over the years. In June 2021, Congress passed a resolution establishing Juneteenth as a national holiday; President Biden signed it into law on June 17, 2021.
The Whitewater Unified School District introduced a new website this past week. The web address, www.wwusd.org, is unchanged, but the design of the site has had a major overhaul. Currently the following two images are scrolling on the homepage. A pulldown menu in the upper right corner provides for translation in Spanish.
El Distrito Escolar Unificado de Whitewater presentó un nuevo sitio web la semana pasada. La dirección web, www.wwusd.org, no ha cambiado, pero el diseño del sitio ha tenido una revisión importante. Actualmente, las siguientes dos imágenes se desplazan en la página de inicio. Un menú desplegable en la esquina superior derecha ofrece traducción al español.
Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by Irvin L. Young Memorial Library.
The Irvin L. Young Memorial Library announces its summer reading program: An Ocean of Possibilities
‘Tis the sea-son for summer readin’ at the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library. Join us between June 15th and July 31st for free events, crafts, and activities. Play Book Bingo to earn free books and visit the library every week to receive a bit of treasure or passes for more adventures.
Open to youth ages 4-18.
Join us for our kick-off party on Wednesday, June 15th from 3:00-5:00 p.m. We’ll have crafts, games, activities and popsicles!
Programa de lectura de verano
Del 15 de junio al 31 de julio
‘Es la época de lectura de verano’ en la Irvin L. Young Memorial Library (Biblioteca Conmemorativa Irvin L. Young). Súmense a nosotros del 15 de junio al 31 de julio para disfrutar eventos gratuitos, manualidades y actividades. Jueguen al Book Bingo para ganar libros gratuitamente y visiten la biblioteca todas las semanas para recibir pequeños tesoros o pases para otras aventuras.
Abierto a jóvenes de 4 a 18 años.
Editor’s note: The following update was posted on the city website on June 7.
The lakes project is finally coming towards the end of the drawdown and dredging project. The siphons were removed today and city staff is preparing for refilling the lakes. Field and Stream Restoration will be completing some shoreline restoration by adding erosion control and some new aquatic plants along the park shoreline areas. This will take place the tail end of this week and into next week.
The lakes will begin to refill on the morning of Monday, June 13, 2022. The lake levels will begin to climb. It is anticipated that this will take approximately a week or two. This is our best guess. Once the lakes are refilled the next step will be to plan for stocking fish. This will take place in the fall of 2022 and the fall of 2023.
On Monday, June 6, the Track and Field Team held their annual end-of-season banquet. With families in attendance, all Whippet athletes were spoken about by their coaches, who said a few words about each athlete’s progress, accomplishments, and of course the laughs! It was a night of celebration for the 2022 season.
Several athletes were recognized individually for their achievements. Four awards were given to a total of nine athletes. Those awards and winners were:
Up & Coming Athlete – Jake Kuhlow & Calli Grosinske
Most Improved – CJ Tomomitsu & Maddie Buehler
Field MVP’s – Connor Raupp & Izzy Dieter and Evie Troxel
Track MVP’s – Jack Hefty & Maddie Buehler and Kindyl Kilar
The Up & Coming Athlete Award was given to a first-year track athlete who demonstrated great potential, and who the coaching staff believes will be essential to the team’s future success. The Most Improved Award was given to those who demonstrated great improvement from the 2021 to the 2022 season. Finally, the Track and Field MVP Awards were presented to athletes who demonstrated the highest level of success on the track and in the field events, including varsity point scoring and top finishes at invitationals, Conference, and State Series Meets. Congratulations to each of our award winners!
In addition, special recognition was given to those athletes who notched a Top-10 all-time mark in Whitewater Track & Field history. The links below will take you to our updated Top-10 list. Alumni – you may find that your marks have moved down a spot after this season!
Pictured left to right, the athletes achieving performances on the Top-10 list in 2022 were:
Jack Hefty – Hefty, a freshman, first made his mark on the Top-10 list at the Sectional meet in the 3200-meter run. His State-qualifying time of 9:47.92 moved him into the #7 spot. But that wasn’t enough for Jack. At the State meet he improved his time significantly, running in a race that saw both the winner and 2nd place finisher break the now-previous State Record in the event. His time of 9:27.23 was good for 7th place at State, and moved him into the #3 spot all-time. In the last 25 years across all divisions, only four freshmen have run a faster 3200 at the State meet than Jack. The current school record is held by Ben Maas, who in 1996 ran 9:25.1. Congratulations, Jack!
Evie Troxel – Troxel, a junior, also made an impression on our Top-10 list at the Sectional meet, where she pole vaulted a new personal best of 9’ 9”. Our lone field event Top-10 entry of the season, Evie cleared 9’ 6” cleanly at the State meet to tie for 9th. Evie’s Sectional mark of 9’ 9” literally vaulted her into 8th place on the Whippet Top-10 list, where she is tied with Alison Matthews’ 2012 mark of the same height. The school record holder in the event is Kim Stonewerth, who leaped 11’ 8” in 2011. Congratulations, Evie!
Kindyl Kilar – Kilar, a junior, is not-so-quietly becoming one of the most common names on our Top-10 list. A three-event State Qualifier in 2022, Kilar etched her name onto the Top-10 list in FOUR events in 2022. At the Conference Meet, Kindyl surged to #5 all-time in the 400-meter dash, as her time of 1:00.72 was 2nd by only two hundredths of a second in her first and only open 400 of the season. The school record in the event is held by Lisa Lauritzen, who in 1976 ran 58.64c. Kindyl also solidified herself as #3 all-time in the 200-meter dash, as her Sectional time of 26.13 has only been bested by two other Whippet athletes – 100m dash school record holder Kailey Reynolds, and the 200m record holder, Jenny Paynter, who in 1991 ran a time of 25.64c. As you could expect, Kindyl also helped propel our Whippet relay teams to several Top-10 marks. In the 4x100m relay, the team’s time of 50.78 is #7 all-time, and in the 4x200m relay, their time of 1:46.74 is 6th all-time. Congratulations, Kindyl!
Maddie Buehler – Buehler, a junior, was also a three-event State Qualifier in 2022. Maddie added her name to the Whitewater Track Top-10 list in that same number of events in 2022. She was a member of both the 4x100m and 4x200m relay teams that are now ranked 7th and 6th, respectively, on the all-time lists. Individually, Maddie blazed the track at Sectionals against some fierce competition, and in the 100-meter dash she recorded an astounding time of 12.41. The time moved her into the #2 spot on the all-time list, our highest Top-10 mark of the season. She was also a State Finalist in the event. The school record holder in the 100-meter dash is Kailey Reynolds, who ran a time of 12.35 in 2015. Congratulations, Maddie!
Olive Coburn – Coburn, the only senior in this group of Top-10 athletes, made her mark on the record books in the 4x100m and 4x200m relays, joining Kilar and Buehler. The 4x100m relay’s time of 50.78 placed them #7 on the all-time list, tied with a quartet of Keri McLean, Rachel Travis, Emily Haberman, and Ellen Nosek, who in 1999 ran the same time. The school record is held by Courtney Payne, Kateley Haberman, Courtney Nelson, and Zia Okocha, who in 2004 ran a time of 50.30. Congratulations, Olive!
Emma Weigel – Weigel, a junior, was the final Top-10 member of the tremendous 2022 short sprints crew. Weigel joined Kilar, Buehler, and Coburn as the fourth member of both the 4x100m and 4x200m relay teams that made their mark on the all-time lists in spots #7 and #6. The 4x200m relay team’s time of 1:46.74, ran at the State meet’s preliminary round, was the 6th fastest time in Whitewater’s history. Serendipitously, the 4x200m relay team placed 6th in the State Finals the next day, capturing the final spot on the podium. The school record in the 4x200m relay was set in 1986 by Tina Partoll, Janet Partoll, Julie Paynter, and Samantha Reeb. Those names are perhaps the most recognizable across the WHS Girl’s Top-10 list, populating a total of 15 Top-10 spots between them in sprints, relays, hurdles, and jumps. The 1986 Whippets’ school record time of 1:43.93 stood as the Division 2 State Record for 24 years until 2010. Congratulations, Emma!
Congratulations again to our award winners, Top-10 listers, and all Track & Field athletes on a phenomenal 2022 season! I (Coach Green) would like to especially thank our seniors for their hard work for four years, all parents and community members for their support of the program, and the coaching staff for their dedication to excellence and their assistance in building both the athletic success and character of each of our athletes. See you in 2023!
Editor’s note: The following announcement was provided by the Overture Center for the Arts.
The 2021/22 Jerry Awards program will culminate in a show honoring student and school achievements, including performances by the Outstanding Award recipients, in Overture Hall on Sunday, June 12, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. Two outstanding performers will be selected to represent the program at The National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (Jimmy Awards®) competition in New York City.
The following Whitewater High School students will be honored:
– Alex Sullivan (Urleen) – Outstanding Supporting Performer, Footloose
– Brooke Mason (Wendy Jo) – Outstanding Supporting Performer, Footloose
– Madison Strickler – Spirit Award alternate, Footloose (Kayla Mikos, Spirit winner for Footloose, is unable to participate in the ceremony)
Participation statistics for the 2021/22 season:
- 85 productions
- 79 schools/community theater organizations
- 48 schools are represented in the 81 Outstanding Lead Performance Award recipients
- 23 counties
- 40 reviewers (three reviewers attended each production)
- 450+ students performing in annual awards shows in Overture Hall
- 8,500 people involved in the Jerry Awards through engagement with their local high school musical
The complete list of recipients may be found here.
The Jerry Awards is a high school musical awards program that encourages, recognizes and honors excellence in high school musical theater. The program began in the 2009/10 school year with 23 productions within 45 miles of Madison and has since expanded across the state through partnerships with Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, The Grand Theater and Viterbo Fine Arts Center. Educators and industry professionals review productions at Wisconsin high schools and/or community theater organizations and provide valuable feedback to students. In its first decade, the Jerry Awards engaged more than 700,000 students, teachers, theater professionals and community members.
To be eligible for the Jerry Awards, high schools apply in the fall or spring to have their musical reviewed by the program. Three adjudicators (industry professionals and educators) are assigned to see the show and write a critique evaluating it in various categories such as performance, design and direction. Critiques are compiled and sent to each school with nominations. In addition to the critique and being recognized at the awards show, participating students are eligible to audition for the Jerry Ensemble, become a student critic and receive special ticket offers to performances at Overture Center, Marcus Performing Arts Center, The Grand Theater and Viterbo University Fine Arts Center.
Overture’s Jerry Awards are sponsored by Old National Bank with additional funding provided by American Girl’s Fund for Children, Katie Dowling-Marcus and Ben Marcus and contributions to Overture Center.
The Jimmy Awards®/The National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (NHSMTA®) program impacts more than 140,000 students who participate in 46 regional high school musical theatre competitions sponsored by presenters of touring Broadway productions throughout the United States. Named for Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander, the program has been the catalyst for more than $5,000,000 in educational scholarships. Presented by The Broadway League Foundation, the NHSMTA invites one Best Actress and one Best Actor nominee from each local regional ceremony to New York City for a week-long theatre intensive that includes coaching, training, and rehearsing led by some of Broadway’s most accomplished professionals. Nominees will spend one week in New York City from Monday, June 20, 2022, through Tuesday, June 28, 2022, and their combined efforts throughout the week will lead to one extraordinary talent showcase performed live in front of an audience on a Broadway stage. The thirteenth annual Jimmy Awards will take place on Monday, June 27, 2022, at the Minskoff Theatre. For more information, please visit www.JimmyAwards.com.
On Saturday, June 4, the Whippets competed in Day 2 of the WIAA State Track and Field Championships in La Crosse, WI. The team had several competitors who had qualified for Saturday’s events during the preliminary rounds on Friday, as well as other athletes competing in distance and field events.
Day two proved to be a day to remember for the Whippets, despite the weather changing significantly from day one, which was full of sun and temps in the 70’s, to overcast skies, cooler temps, headwinds on the home stretch, and rain falling intermittently throughout the day.
Maddie Buehler was up first for the Whippets as she coiled into her blocks for the last time in the 100-Meter Dash Final. She got off to a great start and looked strong throughout in the toughest field she has faced in her career yet. She finished in 10th overall in a time of 12.94 seconds with a gritty effort. It was a great season for Maddie in this individual event, as she got to rub elbows with state finalists for the first time during the State Final. Her Sectional time of 12.41 pulled her to within .06 of the school record, good for #2 all-time in Whitewater history. Maddie’s accomplishments in the individual sprint events during the 2022 season are a lot to be proud of!
Next up was the Girls’ 4×200 Meter Relay Final, running out of lane three on the ten-lane track. The team qualified for the final by running within the top 10 teams on Friday. Maddie Buehler returned for her second race of the day, getting into the blocks to lead off the relay. She shot out of the blocks and ran a strong leadoff leg and made a clean exchange to fellow Whippet Emma Weigel. Emma came screaming down the home stretch in front of the roaring crowd of a full grandstand and got the baton to Olive Coburn early in the zone. This quick exchange saw Olive press on the gas, and she gave it her all during her last race in a Whippet uniform. Olive finished her leg of the relay strong and passed the stick to a patiently waiting Kindyl Kilar. Another smooth exchange from Olive to our anchor, and Kindyl was off like a rocket with one goal in mind: bringing home a medal. With the entire fanbase of Wisconsin Track & Field cheering the relays on down the home stretch, Kindyl brought it home and crossed the finish line in 6th place, claiming the final podium position! Their time of 1:47.00 was a hair off their best time of the season from the prelims, but at this point, it didn’t matter as their smiles on the podium said it all!
With the rainy weather conditions unsafe for vaulting outdoors, the Girls’ Division 2 Pole Vault was moved inside Mitchell Hall where Evie Troxel competed in her first ever State meet. Surrounded by her family members, teammates, and coaches, Evie used her home crowd advantage of the cheering fans to sail cleanly through the opening height of 9’ 0”. The next height of 9’ 6” was her previous goal entering the 2022 season, but as she crushed that height at sectionals, she proved that 9’ 6” is no longer a challenge for her! At State she showed that same demeanor and cleared 9’ 6” on her first attempt. With several other competitors remaining in the competition, the bar was raised 6 more inches to 10’, a height that Evie had several attempts at last week at the Sectional meet. Of her three attempts at that height, Evie had two that were very close to clearing and setting a new personal best on the biggest stage. With her ability to stay clean through the first two heights, she finished tied for 9th place and a smile a mile wide that is trademark Evie!
The final event for the Whippets was freshman Jack Hefty in the 3200-meter run. Jack had been waiting nearly two full days of competition for his event as the gun went off at 4:15 p.m. on Saturday. In what were the best conditions for a distance event in years, Jack ran the most thrilling race one could imagine. The race strung out early as both the winner and runner-up would eventually break the state record in this event. He started out in 15th place at 400 meters as he knew the pace would be brisk. He stayed true to himself, controlling what he could control and made his way to 13th in two laps, 11th in three laps and 9th coming through the 1600 in 4:47.12. Jack stayed locked in on his pacing as the pack he was with chased down other runners in front of them. On the penultimate lap he pressed on the accelerator and ran a 70 second lap, and from there it was all guts as he went into overdrive and passed four runners on this final lap to come screaming home in 7th place overall and closed in 63.1 seconds! Jack cut just over 20 seconds off his previous personal best from Sectionals, nearly breaking the school record held by Ben Maas from 1996. Jack’s time catapulted him into the #3 spot all-time in the Whitewater Track and Field record books in the two-mile. His 7th place finish was one place away from the podium and scored the Whippets two points for the weekend. It was a stunning effort, and an incredible end to a stupendous freshman season for Hefty!
This concludes the 2022 Track and Field Season! It was the first “normal” season for nearly the entire program, as the team was able to resume a typical schedule full of invitationals and a two-day state meet for the first time in three years. The coaches would like to thank all the athletes, parents, fans, staff, and the Whitewater community that have supported the team through this season. We will celebrate all the athletes on Monday during our end-of-season banquet as we close the chapter on a fine season!
Girls D2 Results: https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Results/Track/2022/D2girlsstateresults.pdf
Boys D2 Results: https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Results/Track/2022/D2boysstateresults.pdf
Article and Photos Submitted by Matt Green and Chad Carstens
Whitewater High School Track and Field Coaches
mgreen@wwusd.org
ccarstens@wwusd.org
Obituaries
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
Leo E. Wurzer, 65, of Eagle, Wisconsin passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at his home. Leo was born on April 15, 1961 in Kenosha, Wisconsin to Cyril and Shirley (McNeil) Wurzer. He grew up between Pleasant Prairie and Antigo, spending his childhood summers on his uncle’s farm where he discovered his love for all things tractors. Although he never had a farm of his own, he was able to partially fulfill his dream by working as a driver for Robin’s Trucking in Whitewater, WI in his last days and collecting miniature Tonka toys. He began his career … Read more
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