LIVING HERE
Chief Peters, the great fire chief from the City of Lake Geneva’s Fire Department, has applied for a grant to help fund the Junior Firefighter program.
This program supports local youth from the surrounding communities interested in learning about becoming a firefighter. These kids will have an opportunity to learn about local fire, rescue, and emergency medical services in a safe, organized, and controlled environment. With the support and help from Elkhorn and Delavan, Chief Peters is able to reach more youth and get information out about the program. Interest in becoming a police officer or firefighter has been declining over the past few years, especially in more recent years. This program is a way to get more kids interested in becoming firefighters while helping them extend their education.
Monies from the grant will help send 7th and 8th graders to a specialized firefighter’s camp put on by Gateway College. Then, while still in high school, the kids are able to start doing ride-a-longs while also attending classes to become EMTs. Those that finish the program could have a degree, and then get hired by a fire department right out of high school. This is a wonderful program that is growing every year and everyone looks forward to watching Chief Peters continue providing his support and applying his interest on behalf of our local communities.
The Streets of Lake Geneva (Facebook page identity).
This group is also known as the Business Improvement District (BID) is stepping up its events and adding some new ones to 2022. The BID is offering an impressive 2022 lineup and requested help in the amount of $16,000.00 from the Tourism Commission. New this year the virtual Shamrock Shuffle, set to happen over St Patrick’s Day weekend, and with sign up available now, needs $3,000.00 to cover costs. The tourism awarded that grant and funds are expected to be used for advertising, flyers, and posters. Also new this year is Streets of Lake Geneva Fashion Week planned for April 27th through the 30th and is looking for $5,000.00.
Tourism was not excited about the dates chosen as it falls on the already planned annual restaurant week. The commission requested the dates be changed and Kristi from the BID agreed and is willing to do so. The grant was postponed to next month with the new dates and a better breakdown of how the money requested would be used. Then there is the very popular annual Wine Walk. The Streets of Lake Geneva Wine Walk in previous years has been held as a one-day event on Mother’s Day, and always drew in crowds. This year the plan is to have it on May 21st and 22nd extending the opportunity as it always sells out and creating an event on an off weekend encouraging visitors to Lake Geneva. However, the BID has not applied for a grant in the past for this event and is now requesting a grant for $8,000.00 which raised an eyebrow or two at the tourism commission meeting.
The Wine Walk is a money maker but, like all events, costs money upfront, and the BID has requested $8,000.00 for the effort. With it being a two-day event creating an opportunity to put heads in beds, Kristi thought it would be a great event for tourism to support. This grant was also continued to the next meeting for a breakdown on why and what the funds are needed for. The BID applied for all three grants together with the hopes of getting package rates for advertising and media and getting more bang for the buck. The Tourism Commission was not keen on grouping the grant requests and wanted a more detailed budget for use of funds. The grant money was to be used to fund printing flyers, posters, and signage, along with radio ads, newspaper ads, marketing and promotion giveaways, Facebook boost, and websites updates.
This is all good with the tourism commission, but they would like to see the BID focus on reaching more out of towners and highlighting the entire city, not just the BID. The Tourism Commission is all about putting heads in beds and is not sure the BID has the same goals. The commission has the impression the BID only focuses on the hotels in the business improvement district. The question was asked by Hedlund why are we funding the BID events? Tourism Commission focuses on putting heads in beds for the cities tourism not putting heads in beds or creating revenue for just the businesses in that district.
