OUR PLACE
The 4th of July came and went.
Wow is about the only word that can accurately describe what happened in and around Lake Geneva. The crowds were utterly amazing in size and jostling bustle and hustle. Parking was nowhere to be found except in the middle of the night. Wrigley Drive filled up by nine a.m. and the beach was full soon after, with so many people now bringing tents. How does that work and why is it allowed? These big twelve-by twelve tents take up 144 square feet of space and then really alienate a good hundred more feet of the area nearby around them. Two hundred and fifty feet does not seem like that much space, but when you consider it is being occupied by a couple or maybe a family of four and there are fifteen or more of them up by early morning, the match becomes important. Let us say there are another eight tents by mid-day. What then? Five thousand square fee’ plus space between them and other people. That is a lot of the rather small beach’s surface area. But the people all had fun and there were no altercations. The birds flowed among and around them while the ultra-clear water of the lake at this time of year (summer has only just begun, even though it seems like it’s been here for quite a while).
Firework shows were all over the place, around Lake Geneva proper, as the city spends more money on employee or worker parties than it spends on fireworks (nothing on fireworks). Why the city does not have a display should be mulled over in future city council sessions, just like the city ought to get behind putting more sand on BigFoot Beach. The city is hauling record amounts of money in parking and beach fees. Why not spend some of it on the people’s entertainment and comfort in those ways. The Grand Geneva (purportedly in Lake Geneva, but in the Town of Lyon) has fireworks on the 4th but only for guests, unless residents go over to the Piggly Wiggly and watch from the parking lot. The Jaycees have fireworks at their Venetian Days celebration late in the summer. That is about it for locals and visitors alike.
Lake Geneva 4th of July Weekend
Black fly season is upon us in Southern Wisconsin until the end of July.
Here is what to do if you are plagued by these pesky (but non-biting) little critters. They land and walk around on all body surfaces exposed. They are not dangerous, except for the fact that flies masticate and go from one person to another, and land on exposed liquid and food surfaces. The chance of getting the virus from a fly is almost non-existent, however, according to documented scientific studies. What to do when out in public and not protected by air-conditioned screened-in quarters? Mint, spearmint, Eucalyptus oil, and moisturizer work well for keeping the flies from landing. Also, using the Napoleonic preventive, hanging around with people who do not use the oil or moisturizers, is almost certain to cause the flies that might have landed on you to land on them. For preventing mosquito bites in the field Napoleon used a soldier who was plagued by the insects. He had that soldier sleep in his tent. No mosquitos bit Napoleon. Try it.
Person of the Week
David Nord, Lake Geneva City Administrator, is a great guy and really enjoys Lake Geneva. On this day, as well as many other days he was caught cleaning up on his walk through town.
