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Weekly Report

City Manager Report 02/18/2011

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Attend Freeze Fest this Weekend in Downtown Whitewater!
Whitewater Innovation Center to Host 4th Annual Wisconsin Science and Technology Symposium this Summer
Common Council Highlights
Downtown Whitewater Donates New Bicycle Racks and Holiday Decorations to City
Home Lumber President Geoff Hale Named 2011 National Lumber/Building Material Entrepreneur of the Year
Whitewater’s Period Paper Set to Expand
De-Clutter Coach Classes to be Held at Starin Park Community Building on Saturday, March 5th
Fourth Annual Whitewater Environmental Achievement Awards Program Announced

 

CITY OF WHITEWATER
WEEKLY CITY MANAGER’S REPORT (FEBRUARY 18, 2011)

 

Attend Freeze Fest this Weekend in Downtown Whitewater!

On Saturday, February 19th, The City of Whitewater, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Special Olympics, and Downtown Whitewater Inc will host Freeze Fest in Downtown Whitewater.

Whitewater residents, students and visitors will be shaking off cabin fever as they plunge into the icy waters to raise money for Special Olympics. The Polar Plunge ceremony kicks off at noon with registration taking place from 10am-2pm in Cravath Lakefront Park located at 341 S. Freemont St. Avoid waiting in line, turn in pledges, get prime plunge times and pick up incentives EARLY on Friday, February 18th from Noon-5pm at UW-Whitewater’s University Center Concourse. All pledges raised in Whitewater remain in the region to support the nearly 1,500 Special Olympics athletes residing in southeastern Wisconsin. Money raised will fund training and competition for athletes, as well as provide support for programs like the Athlete Leadership Program and Athlete Wellness. Children and adults with cognitive disabilities who participate in Special Olympics events continually develop improved physical fitness and motor skills, greater self-confidence and an overall more positive self-image.

Not ready to plunge? Bring family and friends for activities for everyone starting at 11am! David Stokes, animal educator, will bring live creatures and animal artifacts to tell the story of “ Who’s Awake and Who’s Not in the Winter”. Cravath Lakefront Park will also be home to heated tents, chicken bowling, chili cook-off, concessions, family entertainment, and special appearances by the Klement Sausages.

New for 2011, the Freeze Fest Polar Jam is taking place at Cravath Lakefront Park from 3:30pm-7:30pm. Bundle up and watch skiers and snowboarders perform tricks on rails, boxes, pipes, and wall rides. Riders will compete for prizes while raising money for Special Olympics. For more information on the event or to register visit:   http://www.PolarJam.yolasite.com

Full Event Schedule:

6:30am– 1:00pm Pancake Breakfast @ Downtown Armory

8:00am -1:00pm Lakeview Rummage @ Whitewater Middle School

10:00am– 3:00pm Horse Drawn Wagon Ride Starting at Cravath Lakefront Park

10:00am - 3:00pm Family Open Skate @ Big Brick Park

10:00am - Noon Snow Dogs Presentation @ Irvin L. Young Memorial Library 

11:00am– Noon Family Entertainer: David Stokes @ Cravath Lakefront Building        

11:00am-2pm- Kids Crafts @ Cravath Lakefront Building

11:00am & 1:00pm- Snowshoe Demo @ Cravath Lakefront Building

11:00am - 6:00pm $1 off daily admission @ Whitewater Aquatic Center                                      

Noon- Polar Plunge Kick Off @ Cravath Lakefront Park

Noon– 3:00pm- Chili Cook Off @ Cravath Lakefront Park

3:30pm- 7:30pm- Rail Jam @ Cravath Lakefront Park

To take part in the Polar Plunge as part of a team or individually, visit www.SpecialOlympicsWisconsin.org or call (262)598-9507 to receive a packet with all of the necessary materials for signing up. To view the complete event schedule visit www.whitewater-wi.gov  and click on Special Events or contact Michelle Dujardin at 262-473-0121

Whitewater Innovation Center to Host 4th Annual Wisconsin Science and Technology Symposium this Summer

One of the benefits of our new Whitewater Innovation Center is the ability to periodically host important business and scientific conferences and meetings. The Walworth County Economic Development Alliance (WCEDA) held its monthly Business Briefs breakfast there as well as held its annual meeting at the Center earlier today.

It was announced this week that the 4th Annual Wisconsin Science and Technology Symposium (WSTS) - Today’s Research for Tomorrow’s Jobs will be held at the Whitewater Innovation Center on July 28-29 of this year.   WSTS 2011 will bring together researchers, students and industry and medical professionals from across the state for cutting-edge scientific presentations, poster sessions and ample opportunities for networking and collaboration. 

Please visit www.wisys.org  to access the WiSys Newsletter Winter Edition (Volume 7, Issue 1) for more information on this upcoming symposium.

Common Council Highlights

The Common Council held its second meeting of February this week on Thursday evening due to the Spring Primary election that was held on their regular Tuesday evening meeting date. The Council took the following actions:

  • Adopted a Citizen’s Participation Plan for the North Street Bridge Replacement Project

  • Approved an Engineering Services Contract for Improvements to the Five Points Intersection

  • Postponed the Donation of Retired Fire Engine #1222 to Gateway Technical College

  • Approved Planned Changes to City Planning Process and Development Fees

The next Council meeting is scheduled for March 1st.

Downtown Whitewater Donates New Bicycle Racks and Holiday Decorations to City

Downtown Whitewater Executive Director Tami Brodnicki announced at the Common Council meeting this week that Downtown Whitewater will be donating eleven new “artistic” bike racks that will be installed throughout the City this spring. The funds for these bike racks (see the following photos) (see attached) were raised at the Jack Hanna benefit show held last August at the Whitewater High School.

Brodnicki also announced to the Council that fifty (50) new holiday “star” decorations will be donated to the City for installation along downtown streets next season.  These decorations will be fabricated by Whitewater’s Scharine Corporation.

Many thanks to Downtown Whitewater for these gifts to the Whitewater community!  

Home Lumber President Geoff Hale Named 2011 National Lumber/Building Material Entrepreneur of the Year

Congratulations go out this week to Home Lumber Company President Geoff Hale of Whitewater for being named 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year by the U.S. Lumber/Building Material Association! Geoff was cited in the January issue of the Lumber/Building Material Journal. A copy of this publication can be viewed at LBMJournal.com. 

Hale is the current President of Downtown Whitewater Inc. and has been one of the leaders in promoting the revitalization of Downtown Whitewater since its designation as a Wisconsin Main Street in 2005. In accepting this prestigious national award, Hale cited his “firm’s community involvement as the single most important thing that has impacted his business”. Hale says “as employees, we all have an obligation to make a difference in the experience of our co-worker, our customers and our communities. The value of what you have to offer can’t be measured until you step forward and offer what you can”.

Great words to live by and I’m certainly glad that Geoff Hale and Home Lumber are part of the Whitewater community!

Whitewater’s Period Paper Set to Expand

In another indicator that our local economy is starting to rebound, Whitewater’s Period Paper (www.periodpaper.com) announced plans this week that it is doubling its workforce, adding 6-8 new employees over the next several weeks. Period Paper, located at 884 S. Janesville Street, is the world leader in original antique and vintage prints with over 30,000 currently in stock.  Period Paper now has customers in over 40 countries. In addition, Period Paper specializes in high resolution digital images of antique and vintage prints.

Period Paper CEO and President Troy Ylitalo and co-founder Sarah Linn moved the company to Whitewater in 2007 after first starting the business in 2004 in Nashville, Tennessee. Ylitalo and Linn are very active in community affairs with Ylitalo currently serving on the Downtown Whitewater Board and Linn is on the Bethel House Board and Whitewater League of Women Voters.   

De-Clutter Coach Classes to be Held at Starin Park Community Building on Saturday, March 5th

Whitewater Parks and Recreation is offering three de-clutter classes with the Clutter Coach Kathi Miller on Saturday, March 5 at the Starin Park Community Building, 504 Starin Rd, Whitewater. 

10:00-11:30 am is De-Clutter Today for a Carefree Tomorrow. Gain a new perspective on your belongings.  Learn how to decide what to keep and how to get rid of the rest. Cost: $5.00

1:00 – 3:00 is Clutter Coach Course for Your Garage and Basement. Learn how to decide what to keep, discard or donate and how to organize what's left. Turn your basement and garage into useful storage. This is a good introductory class to help anyone rethink how much stuff they really need in their lives.  Cost:  $15.00.

3:30 – 5:30 is the Clutter Coach Course for Your Home Office. Learn an easy system for managing all your paperwork, whether you run a business from your home or are just trying to keep track of your mail.  Reduce stress and increase productivity. Applies to both home and workplace offices.   Cost:  $15.00.

The registration deadline is February 23.  Register online at www.activenet9.active.com/whitewater, go to the City of Whitewater Website/Departments/Parks and Recreation or call 262-473-0101.  A credit or debit card is required for online and phone registration.  Mail or drop-off the form in the Parks and Recreation brochure which is available at the Municipal Building, ILY Library, Starin Park Community Building, and the Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center. (Note: $10 late fee after February 23.)

Fourth Annual Whitewater Environmental Achievement Awards Program Announced

The Whitewater community and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater are pleased to invite nominations for the Fourth Annual Whitewater Environmental Achievement Award.  This award was created to recognize individuals, high schools and companies from Whitewater and the surrounding area who have made especially noteworthy contributions to addressing important environmental issues. Please see more detail at http://www.uww.edu/sustainability/awards/.

We are now accepting nominations, with a deadline of March 31, 2011. Award finalists will be contacted in early April and recipients will be announced during Earth Week at UW-Whitewater.

The winners of the 2010 Whitewater Environmental Achievement Award were Eric Compas and George Savage (individual category), Crave Brothers (company category), and Hillcrest High School (high school category).

Quote for the Week

“What we do for ourselves dies with us.  What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.”  - Albert Price

Kevin M. Brunner

City Manager