Our Place
Roger came to town. Actually, he was engaged quite a while ago by the City of Lake Geneva and the Visit Lake Geneva operation (formerly, the Chamber of Commerce). His consulting outfit was hired to figure out how to best utilize what Lake Geneva already has, and also provide advice on how to make it better. What are some of the preliminary results?
- There needs to be more activity among merchants with respect to decorating the front portions of their stores. Ordinances preventing displays being placed in front of shops must be amended (although those ordinances were created and enforced because of abuses in the past by some unscrupulous owners).
- The entire area around the bottom of Flat Iron Park, and up through all of Wrigley Park and beyond Popeye’s Restaurant, needs to have the streets permanently closed and made into one vast park area. “Blade” signs need to be made so everyone can look up and down a street in the downtown area and see what shops there are without having to walk directly by them. Many more lights are needed to be put up for night shopping.
- More shrubs and beautification needs to be done immediately, and then along the way as time goes by.
Roger Brooks
Getzen Company. On Veterans Day, 2018, after performing at a Veterans Day Ceremony, Matt Miller – a member of the 484th Army Reserves had his trumpet stolen out of his vehicle. Matt’s parents had given him that trumpet when Matt was in seventh grade, and Matt has cherished it ever since. He played it all through his school years, including college, and even took it with him when he was on deployment in Iraq.
Brett Getzen is one of the owners of the family-owned business, the Getzen Company, which manufactures brass instruments. When Matt’s trumpet was stolen a search began to get it back, and the Getzen Company played a large role in the search. When the trumpet wasn’t found, Brett decided a new trumpet was the answer. Brett knew the sentimental link to the horn could not be replaced, but he felt a new instrument would help Matt to heal, as well as allow Matt to continue to play. Brett’s company decided to offer a new special edition trumpet to the veteran. Matt graciously accepted the trumpet and feels very special to be the first musician to own this new top of the line horn. Brett Getzen, incidentally, is head of his company, out there on 530 South Highway H in Elkhorn.
A local company, and wonderfully so.
