![\"Trucker-Splash-WhiteBlueRed_1024x1024\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.uww.edu\/thecapstone\/files\/2017\/02\/Trucker-Splash-WhiteBlueRed_1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/a>Spring Splash is officially \u201ccanceled,\u201d but Whitewater city officials acknowledge that the annual celebration\u00a0will occur again April 29.<\/p>\nThey aren\u2019t exactly looking forward to the party.<\/p>\n
In a sometimes acrimonious meeting Tuesday, the Whitewater Common Council debated how to prepare for and respond to the celebration, which last year resulted in vandalism, trespassing, underage drinking and public drunkenness.<\/p>\n
The chief promoters of last year\u2019s event, Kurt Patrick of Pumpers and Mitchell\u2019s Tavern and Steve Farina of Wisconsin Red, will not participate. Whitewater officials persuaded them that sponsoring the event was a bad idea, City Attorney Wallace O\u2019Donell said.<\/p>\n
Seeking to mend fences, the city issued a press release this past Saturday stating that the promoters were not responsible for the mayhem that occurred after the 2016 party.<\/p>\n
Wisconsin Red is an event-promotion company that stages parties and sells souvenir merchandise. It put on a DJ party on Saturday afternoon at last year\u2019s Spring Splash. It had no connection to the numerous parties afterward and did not encourage the public misconduct that flared Saturday night into early Sunday, some council members noted.<\/p>\n
Still, the aftermath of the 2016 event \u201cwas like the Wild West in Whitewater,\u201d O\u2019Donell said.<\/p>\n
Sponsors or not, many people are planning to celebrate again on the last Saturday in April. Word already is circulating on social media, and the Police Department expects University of Wisconsin-Whitewater students and others to stage house parties that likely will spill onto the streets.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow nobody died last year is a gift,\u201d Police Chief Lisa Otterbacher told council members. She warned them that the city would be legally responsible for injuries caused to any law-enforcement officers from other communities who respond to mutual-aid calls.<\/p>\n
City Manager Cameron Clapper said the city is not against anyone having a good time, but that officials must make sure that citizens enjoy themselves legally and safely.<\/p>\n
Last year\u2019s event seemed calculated \u201cto get as many people as possible to do a lot of crazy, dangerous things,\u201d Clapper said. \u201cWe want to discourage that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Most of the trouble was caused by out-of-town visitors, he added.<\/p>\n
Still, Council Member Stephanie Goettl complained that other members appeared to be bashing UWW students. She said the city\u2019s attitude could spark a backlash that would only increase this year\u2019s troubles.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has been the most blatantly anti-student discussion I have ever heard,\u201d said Goettl, who joined the council as a 20-year-old UWW undergraduate and now is studying for a master\u2019s degree in business.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not anti-student,\u201d shot back Council Member Christopher Grady. \u201cIt\u2019s anti-mob.\u201d<\/p>\n
Otterbacher said the Police Department has consulted other agencies, especially the Madison police, who deal with that city\u2019s annual Halloween festivities and the Mifflin Street Block Party. UW-Whitewater authorities will discourage out-of-town visitors from staying overnight that Friday and Saturday in residence halls, she said.<\/p>\n
In response to pointed questioning from citizen Larry Kachel, whose family is Whitewater\u2019s largest private landlord, she said the city would set up treatment stations for intoxicated people and distribute \u2018no trespassing\u2019 signs to help property owners keep wayward partygoers out of their yards.<\/p>\n
Police dog sold<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n Also on Tuesday, the Common Council voted to sell the city\u2019s police dog, a black Labrador named Boomer, to his handler, former Officer Joseph Matteson, for $3,500.<\/p>\n Had the dog been of retirement age, Matteson could have bought him for $1, which is standard practice in such cases. But Boomer will retire in mid-career. Matteson trained with Boomer and was his handler since May of 2014.<\/p>\n Matteson is leaving the community, and his family will own Boomer as a pet. The sale agreement specifies that Boomer cannot be used again as a police dog.<\/p>\n Otterbacher acknowledged that the sale might upset the community donors who raised money for Boomer\u2019s purchase and training. But there is no guarantee that Boomer would respond well to another handler, she told the council.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is an opportunity to start over with a new canine and a new handler,\u201d she said. Trying to retrain Boomer with a new handler might fail because \u201cdogs are very loyal,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Matteson spent 14 years with the police force and was an \u201coutstanding law enforcement officer,\u201d Otterbacher said.<\/p>\n Council members unanimously approved the sale but voiced hope that the city could reach a legal agreement \u2013 or at least an informal understanding \u2013 with any future handlers to prevent police dogs\u2019 service from being cut short.<\/p>\n Otterbacher said she would send letters to the 100-plus donors who paid for Boomer to explain the situation, because \u201cthis program would not be here without them.\u201d<\/p>\n In other action Tuesday, the council:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By JAMES KATES \/ The Capstone Spring Splash is officially \u201ccanceled,\u201d but Whitewater city officials acknowledge that the annual celebration\u00a0will occur again April 29. They aren\u2019t exactly looking forward to the party. In a sometimes acrimonious meeting Tuesday, the Whitewater … Continue reading \n