Groundbreaking for the Treyton Kilar Field of Dreams in Whitewater took place Friday afternoon. That makes August 16, 2013 a particularly good day for our city. For a fine description of the groundbreaking in detail, with pictures from the ceremony, please see The Wisconsin Happy Farm‘s post on the event. That post includes photos of…
Good Ideas
Beautiful Whitewater, City, Development, Good Ideas, Hip & Prosperous, New Whitewater, Planning
Tidying the Town
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
A new school year begins, and thousands of students on whom the economy of this city depends are returning to Whitewater. Volunteers, as they’ve done previously, will help tidy up the town. These volunteers have, I think, held similar clean-up efforts in June and July. It’s a fine idea. (I’ve not been part of those…
Beautiful Whitewater, City, Good Ideas, Local Government, Weather
Walk the City
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Spring will arrive soon. Whitewater, Wisconsin is a small town. Even more conveniently, it’s a small town with an easily-walked, accessible downtown, west-side business district, and compact neighborhoods. In a time of warmer weather, there will be fitting opportunities to explore the city on foot. Whitewater’s full-time leaders – and especially her city manager —…
Business, Film, Good Ideas
The Innovator
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
The Innovator from Cineastas on Vimeo. Mike Friton is a freelance shoemaker, weaver, paper sculptor and innovator with over 30 years of experience at Nike. His innovations are responsible for many elements of athletic footwear that people wear today. Each of his crafts informs one another and he is constantly exploring the fringes of his…
City, Good Ideas, Hip & Prosperous, Local Government
Model practices are the new exceptional
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
The signs that welcome visitors to Whitewater assure newcomers that we are an exceptional community. It’s an odd slogan for a city: exceptional needn’t mean better. One can be exceptionally talented, for example, but exceptionally narrow and stodgy, too. The slogan was meant, no doubt, to imply good qualities, but it’s a measure of our…
Animals, Beautiful Whitewater, City, Good Ideas, Hip & Prosperous, Liberty, Local Government
The Backyard Chicken Trend
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
We’re not alone among communities recently allowing urban chickens. A good and smart friend sent along news of Beloit’s urban chicken ordinance, now in effect in that city. She noted in her message that backyard chickens are a positive trend, and she’s right. (For a prior post on this topic, see Common Council Session of…
Animals, Beautiful Whitewater, City, Good Ideas, Hip & Prosperous, Laws/Regulations, Liberty, Local Government, New Whitewater
Common Council Session of 12.18.12: Backyard Chickens
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Here’s my fourth post on last night’s meeting. Approved unanimously, and waived from a second reading, Whitewater now has a backyard chicken ordinance. Not just an ordinance, but a fine, model one of which we should be proud. This is a good idea, that’s come to Whitewater through the hard work of a thoughtful resident.…
Agriculture, Animals, Beautiful Whitewater, City, Farming, Food, Good Ideas, Hip & Prosperous, Laws/Regulations, Liberty, Local Government, New Whitewater, Planning
A Model Ordinance
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
These last few months, beginning in September, Whitewater’s Planning Commission has heard, and subsequently considered, a proposal for an urban (backyard) chicken ordinance. The proposal is not mine; I have been a mere observer of this effort. One may write about a topic, but only after months of careful observation, as in this case. I…
Beautiful Whitewater, Charity, City, Good Ideas, New Whitewater, Poverty
Sunday, 10.7.12: Whitewater CROP Hunger Walk 2012
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Details: Location – Begins at Fairhaven Retirement Home (435 W. Starin Road, Whitewater) and ends at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church (46 S. Church St., Whitewater). Registration – 12:30 p.m., Walk: 1:00 p.m. See, for additional details or donation link, Whitewater CROP Hunger Walk 2012 – CROP Hunger Walk.
City, Good Ideas, Open Government
Whitewater’s Online Commitment to Budget Transparency
by JOHN ADAMS • • 3 Comments
There’s very good news for Whitewater, as the City of Whitewater’s budget information from 2000 to 2012 is now available online. Not only are the data available, but they’re easily accessible by department or particular item, interactively, and are also available for download. An initiative like this is an unalloyed good for Whitewater. First, it’s…