Front Page
THE VILLAGE PEOPLE
“It’s fun to stay at the YMCA. It’s fun to stay at the YMCA. They have everything for young men to enjoy. You can hang out with all the boys.” The Geneva Shore Report didn’t write those lyrics to the song. No, that was the rather gender-neutral group called The Village People.
Why are we really writing about it in this front-page article has nothing at all to do with young boys hanging out or enjoying one another. This is a bunk of good old boys who want a piece of the action, and don’t go thinking there isn’t money lying around when large sums of supposedly ‘non-profit’ companies and institutions are flowing in and around and through the area. These people, who run that place, snuck up on the city leaders (although probably not all of them, and you know who we are writing about there) and submitted a letter of intent to purchase 38 of the most pristine acres of the 224-acre plot, of which only about 160 acres are truly usable. They want to buy part of Hillmoor when Hillmoor was just purchased after a year-long fight for life or death! Purchase, not lease.
Who are these clowns, anyway? They want then to have another entrance or two running out Edwards Boulevard and Sheridan Springs Road (the upper part of Edwards across from the Fairmont Hotel and Servco. That will supposedly take care of the traffic problem that exists already on Highway Fifty that would run along the very edge of the YMCA combat-style blockhouse structure, not to mention a vast parking lot for a hundred cars. Alliant Energy, with similarly ‘gifted’ leadership, wants another fifteen acres or so between where the YMCA would be and the school.
The city is being given until November 10th to respond to the letter of intent to purchase demand. Well, since that date is very special to many of us who served, fought, and bled for all of us they can ‘Tell it to the Marines,’ as a Marine is writing this story right now. Not so coincidentally, the 10th of November is the Marine Corps Birthday! The city has to tell them no, not only from a practical issue but one of ambiance and traffic safety and comfort, it has to tell them ‘hell no’ because the whole deal that brought the entire community together to make this ‘Mayor Mayor’ mayor, and to oppose the forces that wanted development of Hillmoor, and then supported that mayor’s help and assistance for the city to buy it, need to express itself.
Mayor Mayor has surrounded herself with sycophants, both elected and appointed. Is this kind of result what you wanted? What happened to the vaunted conservancy? Where in hell is that organization, headed by their vivacious and intelligent new leader? Where is Yancy when she’s needed? Conserve something Yancy because the current leadership is not likely to. What’s left for Hillmoor and the people?
The Frisbee Course is all set to pack up and depart. Mayor Mayor is trying to have the dog park moved way out on Highway H. A golf course to be added to round out the losing bitterly ugly result? A nine-hole sinkhole where older people with money go to do what? Just how many nine-hole golf courses within 50 miles of Lake Geneva make enough money on their own to continue? None. The ones that still stick around depending on weddings, parties, and restaurants, just like this one would have to. What happened to the dream of what Hillmoor could be? Well, if you don’t do something soon then that dream will end up not only being Whitewashed away, but it will also end up making the company that sold Hillmoor to the city (apparently appropriately named the White River LLC) look like it’s run by some good guys instead of what’s becoming the norm for Lake Geneva. White River might just file suit again, as well, and if this insanity continues, they may have excellent grounds.
The next election is in April, but can the city wait that long?
