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THE TIMES, THEY ARE A CHANGIN’

 The election results came in last Tuesday, which was too late for the Geneva Shore Report to get the results on paper and into the printer before the deadline expired.  The results in Lake Geneva, the results that created a path toward real change rushing right at the City of Lake Geneva, and all the visitors and ancillary community residents who deal with it, are:

1. The leader of the Lake Geneva City Council, Rich Hedlund (president of that body) was overwhelmingly tossed from office by Pat Esposito and the vote differential proved that at 372 to 230.  Admittedly, Pet Esposito is a class act, but nevertheless, several stands that Hedlund took were also instrumental in his defeat. He was a big proponent of the parking rate and fine increases.  He was also a bit part of the bogus budget put together by the city’s comptroller that was proven to be a piece of unnecessary flotsam when it comes to the true financial disposition of the city (there is and was a ‘budget deficit’ the city is suffering, as the budget created had almost nothing whatever to do with actual city revenues, which were significantly higher than the budgeted amount).
2.  John Halverson was defeated by Linda Frame, the former city director of piers and harbors by a vote total of 311 to 245.  Ms. Frame has come back like a “One Horseman of the Apocalypse” as she was terminated by the head of Public Works (Tom Earle) for alleged ‘insubordination,’ more or less.   Is it likely that Mayor Mayor will appoint Ms. Frame to be the chair of the Public Works committee?  Not on your life, not the new Mayor Mayor who’s chosen to dive deep into a position of cold statis ever since spearheading the move to have the city successfully purchase the Hillmoor property.

The City of Lake Geneva is truly a city that is dominated in authority by the city council.  The Mayor Mayor is only a tie-breaker  when the council splits with a four against four in favor vote.  The city’s administrator is only powerful in response to what the city council might instruct, or allow him to do, similar to the lessor power positions of the town clerk and comptroller.  With this coming change in voting behavior, the voters have created a wave of ‘sea change’ that will likely apply itself to every part of Lake Geneva administration.

Sheri Straube Retraction.
This woman is a respected, intelligent, and well-experienced alderperson in the City of Lake Geneva.  On the 29^th of March, the Geneva Shore Report mistakenly indicated that Ms. Straube voted for the new ‘draconian’ parking scheme (wherein parking rates were basically doubled and fines raised to $50 for being a minute or two late in returning to a meter).  Ms. Straube was said, as well, to be a part of the ‘cabal’ of alderpersons (including Mayor Mayor) who supported such a ridiculous increase.  That ‘cabal’ lost its chief supporter, leader and proponent of the parking increase (Richard Hedlund) in the recent election, but Ms. Straube was never a part of that GSR-designated group.

She voted no, adamantly no, and so the Geneva Shore Report got it wrong and hurt this great woman.

Retractions are not always effective and never as successfully published as the original error, so Ms. Straube also gains our apology.  A video was made of this mistake and her response to it (she wonderfully and generously accepted our abject apologies) in order to reach that part of our audience that only reads and views what the GSR produces online.  Sorry, Sheri, and we hope to be better at what we do in the future.  We cannot get better, however, unless we recognize, reflect, and then make modifications to prevent the mistakes we make in the past.

Interview with Shari Straube