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ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Young Men’s Association
YMCA
Young Men’s' Christian
Association
_____ 1858 __________
01
21 Carl Schurz lecture before Young Men’s
Association WL
03
03 Young Men’s Association is city
institution; reading room
open; number of paying members
WD
09
16 Mr. S. W. Shorey’s Shakespearian readings
before Association. WD
09 16 Collection of a Library commenced;
Officers elected WD
10 07 Daniel Hall, Esq. to deliver a lecture
on subject of Astronomy
10 14 Appeal for book donations for library WD
_____ 1859 __________
01 27 Mr. E. A. Calkins lecture, “What
we are made for!” WD
02 03 Effort to procure additions to library;
the only public library in the city WD
06 02 Fourth of July celebration
plans WD
08 04 Quarterly report of Librarian WD
09 15 Debate: That a person is not bound to obey a law
which his conscience condemns WD
_____ 1860 __________
02 09 The Elements
of True Womanhood WD
04 19 Wanted—Light
on the Subject. Is the Young Men’s
Association dead, or does it only sleep?
The room is “dull as night, and dark as Erebus” [Greek god of darkness
who dwelt in the underworld]. The gas
pipes refuse their accustomed supply—the burners are no longer burners; not
even a ghost of a departed orator is to be seen or heard in the vacant
room. What is the matter? Whose fault is
it? The Gas Company, the officers of the
Association, or the members? Or is it
one of those intricate financial muddles which are beyond solution by any
mathematical rule? A. Member. WD
11 23 The
German Young Men’s Association, after paying the expenses of their ball at
Cole’s Hall last week for the benefit of the surviving sufferers by the loss of
the Lady Elgin, had just one hundred dollars, which has been forwarded to the
treasurer of that fund, in Milwaukee.
The young men who took charge of the matter and carried it through so
successfully are certainly deserving of much credit. WR
_____ 1887 __________
05 04 Y.M.C.A. FORMED
Another well attended
meeting of both old and young, interested in the formation of a Young Men’s
Christian Association for this city, was held at the Congregational church last
Sunday afternoon. The meeting was opened
with an address and prayer by Rev. F. A. Holzhausen, after which President
Bennett presided, expressing satisfaction at the favorable progress made during
the week just passed and announced with great pleasure that the Y. M. C. A. of
Watertown was a matter of fact, the initiatory step having been taken towards
its formation. Remarks were made by Rev.
Mr. Campbell, A. Baum, D. G. Whyte, W. C. Stone and C.
C. Eaton, the two last named describing their visits to the Milwaukee and
Madison associations, respectively. The
constitution as read by the president was then adopted and forty signatures for
membership were received. The meeting
closed with singing and the benediction by Rev. J. M. Campbell. Will meet again next Sunday afternoon at 3
o’clock in the M. E. church. Watertown News
_____ 1908 __________
05
02 A
mass meeting for the men of Watertown held at the Turner
opera house. WL
05 06 Turner hall meeting composed
mostly of men from Evangelical churches
WL
08 17 FORMER BETHESDA
SITE TO BECOME NEW YMCA,
EXPANDED CHILD CARE AND MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING
The Greater Watertown Community
Health Foundation (the Foundation) is proud to announce the purchase of the
former Bethesda Corporate Center and 90 adjacent acres along the Rock River on
the city's south side. The Foundation plans to transform the campus into a
thriving work-live-play neighborhood that models best practices in community
connectedness, health and wellbeing.
Over the next 10 months, the former Corporate
Center will be renovated, reopening in the summer of 2023 as The Collective. In
55,000 square feet over three floors, The Collective will house a new YMCA
Child Care and Early Education Center, a satellite Express YMCA, Jefferson
County Head Start, and nonprofit and innovation coworking spaces. In its
entirety, members of The Collective will be a vibrant community of changemakers
championing strong families and a prosperous community.
Development of The Collective and adjacent property
is an exciting next step toward the Foundation's vision of vibrant communities
where everyone enjoys health and wellbeing. The project will also catalyze
development in one of the City of Watertown's priority development areas.
"Collaboration is foundational to everything
the Foundation does, and this campus will provide many opportunities for
community partners to collaborate in improving community vibrancy and wellbeing,"
said Dr. Mike Sullivan, Foundation Board Chair.
Since 2017, the Foundation has facilitated Every
Child Thrives, a partnership of 50+ agencies across Dodge and Jefferson Counties
working to ensure all children thrive in health, learning and life. The
Collective campus investment is designed to accelerate transformative impact
toward Every Child Thrives' strong families and prosperous community goals. The
community benefits of this project include:
·
Creation of a new, high-quality early care and education center
with capacity to serve 126 children.
·
Nonprofit service colocation so families can access wrap-around
supports in one, convenient location.
·
Sharing of office space, resources and services to
provide efficiencies for nonprofit service providers, allowing agencies to
focus time and attention on those they serve.
·
Shared professional development to advance community impact.
·
Wellness programming to support healthy lifestyle and strengthen
community.
·
80+ acres of housing development. A needs assessment is being
completed now and a community master planning process will launch in late 2022
to identify how the neighborhood can address the housing shortage affecting all
demographic groups in our region.
"The Collective is more than just a work
space," says Tina Crave, Foundation President & CEO. "It's a catalyst
for our mission, which is to inspire collaboration, mobilize resources and
encourage innovation that measurably contributes to the wellbeing of our community."
The Collective will serve as an innovation center,
piloting best practices for childcare business sustainability. Outreach from
The Collective to early care and education providers across Dodge and Jefferson
Counties will connect providers with resources to improve quality of care and
operational effectiveness.
The Watertown Area YMCA also announced plans
for The Collective to be the future home of the new, full-size YMCA. The YMCA
would be developed in two phases based on the support of community donors. Phase
one would relocate current operations from the old Watertown High School with
amenities including a Gymnasium, Wellness & Free Weight Center, aerobic
activity studios and Youth Center. The second phase would center on the addition
of a state-of-the-art aquatic facility for instruction, recreation and water
safety. The YMCA will release details of future plans as they become funded.
A shared investment in community
"The Collective is a dream we've explored
behind the scenes for many years," says Crave. "After exploring
several options, from building new to repurposing space, we are excited to
bring these dreams to life at this location."
Total capital costs to purchase the 90 acres,
renovate and finish the 55,000 square foot Collective are budgeted at $16
million. Jefferson County and Dodge County have each allocated $200,000 and the
City of Watertown has allocated $400,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding
to support The Collective's goals of increasing access to quality child care
across the region.
"One of the goals our city council set
was to use our ARPA funds in a manner that the impact of the funds lasted well beyond
the funding itself," Mayor Emily McFarland said. "There is no doubt
about it that our community needs more child care slots; I've seen the data and
I've heard it during nearly every business visit I've done. I'm thankful to the
Foundation for leading this effort, to the YMCA for being an incredible
community partner, and to the city council for allocating this level of
involvement. It will make an incredible impact on workforce availability, on the
families in our community, and on the children in care. In government, you don't
always get the opportunity to be a proactive and strategic leader of change;
I'm thrilled we get to be a part of that with this project."
In addition to serving as the new headquarters
for the Foundation, The Collective will serve as home for the following
agencies:
Watertown Area YMCA
A cornerstone partner in this
project, the YMCA will open a new Child Care and Early Education Center and a
satellite Express YMCA in 2023.
·
The Child Care and Early Education Center will provide high
quality, 5-star accredited care with space for 126 children, including twice as
many infant and toddler positions as a typical Center would hold. The Center
will offer better than industry average wages for staff and the Y intends to
develop collaborative relationships with area businesses related to childcare
fees for their employees. These strategies aim to further support and stabilize
the child care industry as a whole.
·
The Express YMCA will offer 24 hour access to health and
wellness opportunities for all levels, including cardio equipment, weight
machines, and group exercise spaces for traditional classes, small group
training, and virtual/on-demand classes. The space will have amenities that
cater to those who are new or returning to exercise. An EGYM circuit will offer
personalized workouts that are effective and fun with technology that tailors
the experience for each specific individual. "We like to say it's the last
new space of the old YMCA and the first space of the new YMCA (to be
added)" said Jon Lange, YMCA Chief Executive Officer.
·
Future plans include the relocation of existing YMCA
operations to The Collective with a new, full facility YMCA.
Jefferson County Head Start - A federal- and
state-funded preschool program focusing on school readiness for 3-5 year old
children, at no cost to eligible families.
AbleLight (formerly
Bethesda) - Provides life-changing
services that empower people with developmental disabilities to achieve their
full potential.
Community Action Coalition
- A nonprofit working
to end poverty and help people live better lives.
Safe Families for Children
- A professionally
supported volunteer movement dedicated to providing "extended family-like
supports" to local families facing a crisis.
Jefferson County Human
Services - Enhancing the
quality of life for individuals and families living in Jefferson County by addressing
their needs in a respectful manner and enabling citizens receiving services to
function as independently as possible, while acknowledging their cultural
differences.
Innovation coworking
space - This coworking
space invites community changemakers from all backgrounds and sectors into The
Collective. A selective leasing process will prioritize civic-minded entrepreneurs
and businesses who are looking to share space with a network of community
changemakers.
Leases will include private workspace with wraparound
amenities that foster connection and provide efficiencies, including:
·
Shared, technology equipped conference rooms
·
"The Atrium" a networking and event space with a
grand view
·
Private Zoom rooms
·
Quarterly networking and collaboration events
·
Shared professional development and networking
·
Onsite early care and fitness facilities
·
Shared café space
·
Shared utilities and services (wifi, printing, lawn care,
waste removal)
Benefits for all
The Collective is a shared investment in community
prosperity, ultimately lifting families, agencies, volunteers and businesses.
·
Families will benefit from the addition of badly-needed early
care and education slots, along with convenient access to a variety of support
services.
·
Children will enjoy a five-star learning environment, preparing
them for success at school.
·
Volunteers will enjoy a coordinated approach that connects
them with meaningful, timely tasks that benefit a variety of agencies.
·
Agencies can strengthen their reach and effectiveness with:
o
Reduced operating costs (economies of scale, stable and affordable
office space, shared services), and
o
Broadened capacity, impact and sustainability (resources,
professional development, collaboration and operational support).
·
The community will enjoy vibrant new civic spaces.
·
Civic-minded entrepreneurs and businesses can find a home
that is much more than just office space, joining a forward-thinking community of
changemakers.
Renovation plans and Timeline
·
August, 2022 Purchase property Begin remodeling The Collective
·
Fall, 2022 YMCA will kick off capital fundraising campaign
to raise funds for a full new YMCA Community members will be invited to
participate in a Master Planning process for future neighborhood development
·
Spring, 2023 The Collective opens
To date, the foundation has
invested more than $14 million in its five strategic, child-focused priorities:
·
strong families
·
kindergarten readiness
·
school success
·
social and emotional wellbeing
·
healthy eating/active living
10 04 TRANSFORMING FORMER
BETHESDA HEADQUARTERS INTO THE COLLECTIVE
Transformation of former Bethesda Corporate
Headquarters Building into The Collective facility of the Greater Watertown
Community Health Foundation
The Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation will
transform the campus into a thriving work-live-play neighborhood that models
best practices in community connectedness, health and wellbeing.
Over the next 10 months, the former Corporate Center
will be renovated, reopening in the summer of 2023 as The Collective. In 55,000 square feet over three floors, The
Collective will house a new YMCA Child Care and Early Education Center, a
satellite Express YMCA, Jefferson County Head Start, and nonprofit and
innovation coworking spaces.
_____ 2022 __________
10 15 STAFFING
CHANGES AT THE LOCAL “Y”
Kay Nord, the current
Watertown YMCA branch executive director, has announced she is retiring in
March of 2023 after 43 years. Kim Schooley, the YMCA’s current youth
development branch executive director, has been named her replacement. Nord and
Schooley will work side by side for the next six months to ensure a smooth
transition.
Nord began her Y career
in 1980 at the YMCA in Oconomowoc and throughout her early years held positions
in many areas, from member services to aquatics to youth sports, and eventually
as program operations director. Her focus shifted to
the Watertown community in the fall of 2008 when the YMCA began interim
management of the Health & Wellness Center of Watertown and Kay was called
upon to serve as interim director. In December 2009, the Watertown Area YMCA
was officially established and Kay’s position as branch executive director was
solidified, a role she has poured her heart into for the last 13 years. She has
built very strong relationships in the community, with Y members, and among the
staff team. Link
to announcement
_____ 2024 __________
01 10 YOUTH CRISIS
STABILIZATION FACILITY OPENS
Jefferson County
officials celebrated the grand opening of a new Youth Crisis Stabilization
Facility. The Matz Center, formerly part
of Bethesda’s Camp Matz, is an eight-bedroom facility with the ability to house
“four boys and four girls while providing short-term crisis stabilization in a
community-based setting.”
The goal of the new
center is to prevent, deescalate and treat mental health crises to avoid
admission to a more restrictive setting.
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