Hope everything is fine with you and your family. I haven’t seen you or your mom in a long time because of the Pandemic and its aftermath, so I’m anxious to get caught up.  I also wanted you to know that we’re still trying to repeal the DNR’s approval of the permit for the Lazzaroni/Boat House to build their pier out to 130’.  As you know, the consequences of this permit will have a disastrous effect on Buttons Bay. Furthermore, the impact of this poorly decided DNR pier permit will have adverse repercussions extending over the entire Geneva Lake area.

The Chairman of the Linn Township Board Jim Weiss advised me that the Board of Town Supervisors felt coerced into approving the Lazzaroni Pier Permit because the Town’s attorney, James Duquette, advised them that the Town had no choice or control over the permitting of piers. It was his contention that the DNR had sole control over pier permits and the municipalities around the lake had no other choice but to approve a permit that the DNR had already decided to authorize. To be honest, the DNR does hold a Public Hearing to allow the public to express their opinion, negative, or positive, on how the decision will impact the community and them personally the matter before announcing their decision, but the Public Hearing is held at the convenience of the DNR during the day when most of the interested parties are at work. In an attempt to overcome this inequity, the public has a few days to submit letters to the DNR. T

he Lazzaroni/Boat House Public Hearing was held over the internet requiring our computers to have microphones to speak. My computer doesn’t have a microphone, so I was unable to speak. The other opponents to the permit were either working or had old computers like mine that didn’t have microphone capability. A Public Hearing with the kind of limitations imposed by the DNR on such an important matter is a sham and poor excuse for a Public Hearing. After all, it’s the public that owns the lake. The DNR are the unelected, appointed caretakers working for the Public to care for Geneva Lake. Unfortunately, I feel the Wisconsin DNR has been overstepping their authority with the presumption that they own the lake, and the public is simply a nuisance they can easily ignore. Attorney Duquette’s instructions to the Linn Town Board that they must approve decisions of the DNR appears to support this mistaken belief that the DNR has ownership rights over Geneva Lake. Somehow, we need to challenge this dangerous belief and find persuasive legal arguments for the Linn Board to reverse their decision approving the 130’pier permit for the Boat Club.

Susan, I know you wrote a letter in opposition to the pier so Tom Muenster and I were hoping you might have ideas on ways of getting Linn to reverse their decision on the 130’ pier permit and challenge the DNR’s conviction that Linn’s ordinance limiting piers to 100’ has no legitimacy and cannot be enforced. Thanks, Susan, for standing up to oppose Mike Lazzaroni and the Boat House, and could you send me a copy of your letter. Thank you so much.”

Dick Malmin, Resident of Town of Linn

Governor Tony Evers has accomplished so much more in his brief time as governor than can be addressed in one letter. One of his biggest successes has been his support for small businesses that suffered losses due to the pandemic. Starting in the summer of 2020, his “We’re All In” grant program invested in Wisconsin small businesses to help them get back on their feet by rehiring or retaining workers, keeping the lights on, or stocking their shelves. He also took steps to help the restaurant and lodging industry recover stronger than before. These investments alone directed over 125,000 grants to Wisconsin small businesses. Gov. Evers has supported more than 100,000 small businesses, and thanks to his Main Street Bounceback program, more than 4,500 small businesses have opened up new storefronts on main streets across our state. Thanks to Gov. Evers, unemployment is at historic lows today and we have the fewest number of unemployed people in our state’s history. We also have a record-breaking projected surplus of $3.8 billion and our state’s “rainy day” fund is five times larger than when Evers took office, making it the largest in Wisconsin history. Let’s keep Wisconsin’s economy strong by keeping Tony Evers in office.

Emily VanLaeys, Delavan Resident

Gov. Evers has supported more than 100,000 small businesses, and thanks to his Main Street Bounceback program, more than 4,500 small businesses have opened up new storefronts on main streets across our state. Thanks to Gov. Evers, unemployment is at historic lows today and we have the fewest number of unemployed people in our state’s history. We also have a record-breaking projected surplus of $3.8 billion and our state’s “rainy day” fund is five times larger than when Evers took office, making it the largest in Wisconsin history.

Let’s keep Wisconsin’s economy strong by keeping Tony Evers in office.

Emily VanLaeys, Delavan Resident