OUR PLACE

January blizzard surprise nighttime visit.
This past weekend’s winter storm was a little more than some expected. Initially three to six inches of snow accumulation was expected, but we received a little more than that, with almost a foot in some areas. The plow crews were out before, during, and after the storm, working around the clock to get roadways as clear and safe as possible. At the time the snow was coming down faster and thicker making roads very dangerous. Numerous cars ended up in the ditch, and accidents were numerous, some with substantial injuries, while roadways were hard to drive on, and some roads were blocked due to crashes. During snowstorms it’s important to use extra caution when driving.

The number one safety tip for yourself and others is not to drive unless it is necessary. Slow down during snowstorms and give yourself plenty of time to get to any destination. Leaving plenty of room between your vehicle and other vehicles, including plow trucks, is vital. Remember plows have to clear the entire road, including the center line, so at times they may be a little further into the oncoming line and you must make accommodations for this to keep yourself and passengers safe. Also, every community has a little different process when it comes to plowing and road conditions may vary, but all have the ultimate goal of creating safe travel.

Winter parking regulations are important during these snow events so plows can clear the entirety of roadways and such rules must be followed to allow the job to get done. This isn’t the first snowstorm for Wisconsinites and will not be the last this season, so look out for each other and be safe while we all go through this together…again.

Gambling away the blues.
When the Geneva Shore Report ran its first article about gambling in and around Lake Geneva three weeks ago, the staff had no idea that real gambling was going on. There were rumors of a bookie nick-named Care Bear, and then there was a facility named Fat Cats where such gambling was alleged to be going on.  That was it.  The initial article, quoting a line from the movie Casablanca, was intended to be a tongue-in-cheek reference to almost nothing at all.  That was all up until after the article ran.  People and businesses began to get angry, leveling death threats and even one strange bomb threat.  Only then did the GSR reporting and investigative staff come to understand that the gambling issue was real.

There really are bookies coming up from Illinois, where gambling is mostly legal, and transacting business as sports books and even loan entities in places around Geneva Lake.  The staff at the paper now has no doubt whatsoever that a whole lot of gambling is going on in these places, and Indians and Casinos have nothing to do with it.  That these illegal operations, supporting members of the Geneva Lake establishments offering such gambling options, don’t have to pay if anyone wins big is simply another risk for the ‘midnight players.’

According to Wisconsin law, legal gambling establishments and machines must pay off, but that’s not true of illegal operations.  Win small, and you’ll be okay, but in most cases, you won’t win at all.  There is nowhere to go to complain if a loan shark is after you or the bookie does not pay off.  That would be like a prostitute going to the police to complain about a ‘john’ who didn’t pay the freight.  The GSR has little to no interest in gambling and pursuing the story further doesn’t hold much in the way of editorial or investigative interest.  Regular citizens who don’t illegally gamble may have a complaint because, after all, if they get a traffic, parking or other ticket for violations they will be fined, their record added to and even have future insurance or employment problems because of such violations…all the time, up and down the street, the same authorities who go after speeders, drunks, and all other manner of violators turn a blind eye to the illegal gambling going on all around the regular law-abiding citizens.  That might not sit too well, but of course it may if the citizens don’t have a clue about what’s going on around them.

Person of the Week

Jaime from Bay Cooks in Williams Bay is as amazing as the food he serves