Laurel Walker of JS  reports on pending Waukesha budget.

The proposed closure of  White Rock Elementary has some parents questioning the possible break up of what they perceive as a productive and encouraging environment for the education of  bilingual Waukesha Hispanics.

Three parents of Hispanic heritage are publicly praising White Rock’s English as a Second Language program, a service they say has helped their kids academically and socially.

They are baffled why the district would close a school that largely serves the Hispanic community. One parent said the closing would be as senseless as  breaking up the New York Yankees baseball team after it won the World Series.

District administrators are holding forums  on the issue at 9:30 a.m. Monday and 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at La Casa de Esperanza.

Jim Haessly, an assistant superintendent, said flat enrollment numbers and the decline of state aid has forced district staff to consider school closings as a way to cut costs.

Haessly was quick to point out that other Waukesha elementary school have ELS programs.

“The kids feel comfortable at other bilingual schools,” Haessly said.

Pleasant Hill and Saratoga are also being considered for closings. Those schools along with White Rock are three of the lowest attendance schools, he said.

Where White Rock pupils would be relocated after the school is closed, possibly at the end of the spring semester, has not been determined, but Banting and Blair are two possibilities, Haessly said.

The White Rock building might be converted into new district administration offices, now located at the aging Lindholm Building.

Adela M. Cuadra has a 7-year-old in second grade  at White Rock. She said her child now reads and writes in English and Spanish.

“Just to see how the children project self-esteem,” Cuadra said. “I feel so proud of the school teachers.

“It’s more than a building. It’s people teaching kids.”

Diamantina Gutierrez has an 11-year-old in 5th grade at white Rock. She is secretary of the school’s PTO.

“They have the best team and they all work together for our children’s future,” she said.

Mario Navarro has two children at White Rock, one in kindergarten, the other in 3rd.

Navarro brought up an award the school recently received for academic excellence.

“If you give a reward to a school and close it down the next week, that doesn’t seem to make sense,” he said.

Martin A. Pitzer, a Carroll University student, submitted these pictures of events yesterday at Veteran Park on W. Main St.

Flags of honor

Memorial wreath

salute

honor guard

This in from police Capt. Mark Stigler:

On 11/07/09 at 2057, Waukesha Police responded to Farm and Fleet on Kossow Road in Waukesha for an armed robbery.  After closing the store, the manager was approached by a masked male in the parking lot who displayed a handgun .  The manager was robbed of the store deposits and his vehicle.  The stolen vehicle has not been recovered.  It is a gray, 2005 Chevrolet Equinox, with Wisconsin plate 738-NWX.

Anyone with information should contact the Waukesha Police at 262-524-3831 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-441-5505.

Small and quaint isn’t cutting it for at least two downtown Waukesha businesses that are busting out of the confines of their little buildings.

If all goes according to plan, two downtown bars will soon double in size. Another is reopening.

The Nice Ash cigar bar, 327 W. Main St., is expanding into the former Celtic Gypsy. An impressive bar was built in the new site. The adjoining wall between the old Ash and the new Ash should come down soon, making it one big cigar bar, Jeff Barta, an owner, said this afternoon.

The second planned expansion involves Magellan’s. Owner Dan Italiano bought the adjacent Fish Store, 374 W. Main St., earlier this month. He plans to knock down the adjoining wall. The new space will be mostly used as restaurant space, he said.

Italiano said he also would have shuffle board and pool tables in the new space. Italiano has ambitions of opening the new site by Thanksgiving.

The other bit of news is the old Ray’s on South is reopening as Redstone, 225 South St. It’s owned by Andy Berling, who has remodeled to decrease the interior echo and installed beer tappers.

Berling’s chef,- Rick, said  there may be a soft opening Monday.

Owners of  People’s Park a while ago purchased an adjacent building, the old driving school, but expansion plans are still in the works.