The Bright Side
The Walworth County Fair, bigger and cleaner than ever before, was down on attendance.
There is no explanation for this decline, although the higher charges for attending the event, and the difficulties and expense of parking might have had something to do with it. The Liger exhibit, the one where so much protesting and opposition went on, went off without a hitch, as far as presentation was concerned. The huge 900-pound animals were simply gorgeous and bored to death. According to the handlers, no humans ever enter their cages because of the inherent danger presented by such large, fast and almost instantly fatal predators. Sad story there. The overall Walworth County Fair experience was great though.
Walworth County Fair 2017
Riviera gas tank hazard.
While the city council debates over what to do with the Riviera, perhaps they should light a match and check into the old underground gas tank on the east side of the Riviera lawn and see if the tank is still in good condition, and make sure that it is double walled and up to current state and federal codes. How long ago, and in what century was it installed, and when was it last inspected? Most gas station tanks are routinely inspected and upgraded to meet the latest standards, but does that apply to the underground tank by the Riviera, and has it been checked and certified to the same standards, or has it been ignored?
A recent upgrade to meet the new standards at one of the city’s gas stations (in which there was no leak) cost the owner $80,000. A leaking tank is always a serious issue, but with the proximity of the tank to the lake under the Riviera’s lawn there is a special concern to the whole lake area, and its mere presence represents a significantly greater threat to the environment than other underground tanks in the area. Although there is a sea wall between the tank and the lake that wall becomes a moot point with the tank being next to the lake, and near or below the lake’s water level. Any leakage could migrate and leak around, under or through any crack into the wall in a manner similar to water seeping into a basement.
Saturday, September 9th, the eighth annual Taste of Lake Geneva will take place.
This event has gotten bigger and bigger over the years. It’s three dollars at the gate, and then there is an additional sampling fee at each of the presenter’s stands. In truth, the people doing the cooking and presenting also give away a ton of food without charging anything. Sometimes they charge, but when they do you can believe it’s worth it. The purveyors go all out to make sure the public is happy with their products because most of the booths are staffed by the people who own and run the local restaurants. They want your business. Go in and sample the diverse and delicious quality food these restaurants offer, without having to pay full freight at their facilities.
