Versiti is the primary blood supplier for Southeastern Wisconsin hospitals, including Lakeland and Fort Memorial.

Donors with these types A-, B-, O-, O+ will receive a $20 e-gift card, which may be used at Walmart and a large number of other merchants, when they make an appointment and enter “SPLASH” in the appointment notes.

Appointments are encouraged. Please click here or contact Lynn at 262-473-2997 or lynnbinnie@yahoo.com. Walk-ins are also welcome as time allows. Please note that several appointments are still open for double red cells. Be sure to take note of the new location at the Cravath Lakefront Community Center.

A total of 8,586 students received degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison on May 10-11, including students from the Whitewater area.

There were two live ceremonies, one for undergraduates at Camp Randall and one for all graduate degree candidates at the Kohl Center. 

Keynote speaker and Badger hockey legend Meghan Duggan shared lessons learned during her ascent to Olympic gold. 

“Failure is not final unless you choose not to learn from it,” Duggan said. “Since some measure of failure is inevitable in each of the journeys you’re about to take, I hope you react by learning what you’re willing to do to find your own version of success.” 

Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin praised graduates for succeeding academically and being deeply engaged in solving problems in the world, in the proud tradition of the Wisconsin Idea. 

“You and I can’t know today what questions each of you will ask in your lives and careers,” she said. “But I can tell you this: The questions that challenge what we are certain we already know to be true are often the ones that drive extraordinary innovation.” 

Student speaker Gracie Nelson, senior class president, reminded graduates that, in the past four years, they had lived through COVID dorms, eight Taylor Swift albums, and three Badger football coaches. She emphasized that “it is not our resumes or the titles we hold that define us, but the depth of our humanity.” 

Students from this area who received degrees include:

Shawn Chan, College of Engineering, Bachelor of Science-Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

Tyler Green, School of Business, Bachelor of Business Administration, Business: Accounting, Business: Finance, Investment and Banking, Business: Real Estate and Urban Land Economics

Sophie Mayer, College of Letters and Science, Bachelor of Arts, Communication Arts, Gender and Women’s Studies

Anna Riemer, School of Pharmacy, Bachelor of Science-Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences

Lan Vo, School of Education, Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Occupational Therapy

Ferradermis took to the field at Mukwonago High School on Saturday, July 20, and Sunday, July 21, competing with and against 30 other robots from Wisconsin and Illinois for the Mukwonago Robotics Offseason Competition (MROC). With 18 Ferradermis team members in attendance, and a wide array of activities, there were plenty of opportunities for various students to try different roles on the team.

MROC is more than just your typical robotics competition. The day on Saturday began with a morning of workshops offered by various teams on topics from team logistics to programming to FIRST’s plans for new electronics in 2025. Ferradermis members Cosette Wildermuth-Breitzman, Maddison LaHaie, and Isabella Cohen joined forces with members of Mukwonago’s team to present a workshop to provide tips to other teams on the Impact Award process and making an impact in general on your community. The workshop was attended by roughly 31 people representing 12 teams.

A quick round of practice matches followed the workshops, and then the qualification matches began. Each team was allotted 10 qualification matches between Saturday and Sunday. Ferradermis took the field with a rotation of drivers under new Head Coach Mark Zimmermann on Saturday before settling into a standard drive team configuration on Sunday. Students who had the opportunity to drive in at least one match included Margaret Brown, Preston Miller, Ace Hudec, and Andrew O’Toole. Erison Dreksler and Preston Miller took turns as Operator, and Dreksler and new incoming freshman member Vivian Harris took turns as Human Player. Nina Heim and Harris took turns as Technician. Recent graduate Kay Mikos stepped into the role of Drive Coach. Ferradermis ended qualifications with a 4-6 record.

Represented by Cyrus Hudec, Andrew Zimmermann, and Chacha Binagi for alliance selections, Ferradermis gratefully accepted an invitation from Team 2506 Saber Robotics from Franklin High School as their first pick for the #6 seeded playoff alliance. The two teams then invited Team 6381 Red Raider Robotics from Sheboygan North to join the alliance.

The alliance worked together to develop some great match strategies and won their first playoff match against the #3 seeded alliance 64-39. They were then defeated by the #2 seed (and eventual champion alliance led by the Hilltoppers from Marquette University High School) 111-53 in a match where the Ferradermis robot became disabled early when a power cable was knocked loose. This dropped the Ferradermis alliance into the lower half of the double-elimination playoff bracket. In their next match, the alliance played against the #1 seed, and won 80-66. The playoff run came to an end in the fourth-place match when the alliance lost to the #7 seed in a tight match decided by a last second penalty. The final score of that match was 72-67.

FIRST Wisconsin is contemplating a switch from a Regional competition model to a District competition model. In the district model, all regular season competitions would occur in-state and end with a Wisconsin State Championship from which teams would still advance to the World Championships in Houston. Team 930 from Mukwonago set out to show what a district competition could look like with their MROC event this past weekend, adding features such as on-field video between matches and alumni and student commentators after each match. Both Isabella Cohen and Margaret Brown were able to take a turn at the commentator desk this weekend.

It takes a huge group of volunteers to operate a FIRST Robotics competition, including refs, judges, queuers, field resetters, pit administrators, and many more roles. The volunteer pool is made up of many FIRST alumni and student, mentor, and parent representatives from other teams. Ferradermis member Cyrus Hudec volunteered to do field reset all weekend, and Rae Breisath spent some time at the Welcome Table along with team parent Tori Breisath. Ferradermis advisor Laura Masbruch volunteered to queue up teams for matches.

Chacha Binagi continued to collect 3D printer waste from other teams as part of the Ferradermis Project Preserve initiative, and many team members contributed to the school supply drive with items to be donated to the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. Mentors Mark Zimmermann, Matt Doherty, and Laura Masbruch played in the mentor match, coached by Erison Dreksler and supported by Kay Mikos as human player. Zoe Olson, Carson Miller, and Georgia Esch were part of the scouting crew in the stands, and Esch took the field to represent Ferradermis in the humorous Human Player match where students played the game that the robots normally play. Ferradermis members also stayed for the Saturday evening team social during which yard games and some intense dodgeball took place.

Ferradermis is next in action on Saturday, July 27, at the Rockford Robotics Offseason Competition (R2OC) at Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois. Matches begin at 8:45 am. The event is free and open to the public.

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

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by Whitewater Unites Lives (WUL).

Whitewater Arts Alliance (WAA) Board of Directors and Docents have been nominated by Kim Adams as WUL Hometown Heroes, “For their dedicated service, supportive and hands-on work with many special projects and programs, assistance with daily operations of the Cultural Arts Center, and their boundless creativity in celebrating the arts and creating community.”

Gallery Director Kim Adams said, “I have had the privilege of serving the organization as the Gallery Director since mid-December 2023.  In my time with the WAA, I have been impressed with our small but dedicated board of directors, our president and 10-year Arts Alliance veteran Jeff McDonald, our student gallery assistants and interns, and our supportive and hands-on docents who help with all sorts of special projects and programs, in addition to our daily operations.  Our members are our lifeblood, and we are grateful to each of our members, as well as our many sponsors and donors.”

Adams adds that the WAA is committed to designing ways to help the arts thrive in our community—much like its founding members.  “It is our aim to be a place for folks of all ages and backgrounds to be involved, to exhibit and present work, to share talents, to explore and to be curious, and to celebrate the arts—in all forms,” she said.Recent activities in the gallery in the last six months have included re-organizing the space, completing some deep cleaning and giving the gallery space a fresh coat of paint, lining up a weekly cleaning service, and planting additional flowers by the main entrance of the Cultural Arts Center (CAC).  

The WAA currently features a different exhibition each month, accompanied by a reception and artist talk.  Annual exhibitions include the Members’ Show, Whitewater Unified School District (WUSD) Show, Wisconsin Regional Artists’ Program (WRAP) Exhibition, and the Fran Achen Juried Photography Exhibition.  The 15^th Annual Fran Achen Juried Photography Exhibition will open on July 5.  Additionally, several workshops are hosted in the gallery space on a regular basis.  Other events are also sponsored to help highlight art in the community, including the Public Art Project—displayed every summer throughout the downtown area (check out this year’s Retrospective Display of Public Art), the Whitewater Storytelling Festival—a collaborative project with Discover Whitewater, and the annual Savory Sounds concert series occurring in June and July (and supported by many different community businesses).

The group is gearing up for the 20^th Anniversary of the Whitewater Arts Alliance in 2025.  An Anniversary Celebration Committee is being formed to plan and implement a series of special events during its 20^th season. 

Adams says, “We are looking for many volunteers to help with planning, promoting, and carrying out the events.  We also invite folks to learn and help promote our new slogan of “celebrating the arts and creating community,” and we want all to know that they are welcome!”

More comprehensive information about the WAA can be found at www.whitewaterarts.org, as well as on Facebook.

WUL (Whitewater Unites Lives) is a locally-focused civil and human rights group that works to connect the people in our community and to create opportunities for all people to learn and support each other in our common humanity.   

Anyone who would like to nominate a local hero of any age should send their nomination, with a short description, to whitewaterunites@gmail.com.

Saturday, August 10th, 2024
12:00pm to 8:00pm

At the Lauderdale Landing
W5625 West Shore Drive

$22.00 Steak Dinner
$13.00 Burger with Fixings

Proceeds to be used for Equipment Replacement

City of Whitewater Urban Forestry Commission – Monday, July 22, 2024 @ 4:30pm
Agenda includes election of officers, discussion and possible approval of landscape plan for a development located at the corner of Jakes Way and Moraine View Parkway, tree sale, upkeep of arboretum, and additional Purple Martin houses.
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84890054976?pwd=daNYKIz94vTggMdPJVlhSu8Z8GlqI6.1
Meeting ID: 848 9005 4976
Passcode: 122137
Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

City of Whitewater Finance Committee Meeting – Tuesday, July 23, 2024 @ 5:00pm
Agenda includes procurement policy, room tax update, budget amendment policy, part-time salary comparison review, an MOU for a UW parking lot, discussion on public comments in open meetings, the water tower referendum question, ordinance policy, and paid parental leave policy.
Webinar Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85436310174?pwd=p41dAFkJ4PdJXaBBkjIctAAollO5OJ.1
Or Telephone: Dial: +1 312 626 6799 US
Webinar ID: 854 3631 0174
Passcode: 947290

School District Meetings

Whitewater School Board – Regular Meeting – Monday, July 22, 2024 @ 7:00 pm
Agenda includes middle school scorecard review, Bray facilities planning, update on Language Live and Third Quest interventions, resignations including high school associate principal, employment of several new staff, and business office updates.
Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83700860313?pwd=SHNDQ0lLbGh1YjNudnAwUGN5Y3pCUT09
Dial-in: 1-312-626-6799
Webinar ID: 837 0086 0313
Passcode: 338261

“The Boys in the Boat”

Tuesday, July 23, 1 p.m.

(Drama/Sports/History)

Rated PG-13; 2 hours, 3 minutes (2023).

The triumphant underdog story of the University of Washington men’s rowing team, who stunned the world by competing at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Directed by George Clooney. 

Jesse Adams of Adams Electric in Elkhorn presented State Senator Steve Nass (Whitewater) with the Building Wisconsin award from Associated Builders and Contractors. Nass received the award because of his hard work last legislative session to get more people into the skilled construction trades. 

The presentation took place at Adams Electric signing day event last week, where a dozen individuals participated in a career signing day as they officially sign up to be an electrical apprentice and begin their professional journey into a lifelong well-paying career in the construction trades. 

John Schulze
Director of Legal and Government Affairs
Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin