SURPRISING STUFF
The wonder of Gage Marine.
There is never a real hope of avoiding controversy, some of it current, some of it ancient, some of it real and much of it unreal, when discussing this Geneva Lake-based organization. The Gage family business is really not a single business at all. It’s a group of businesses all having a single central core feature. Geneva Lake. There are shops, tours, excursions, sightseeing and dinner cruises. There’s food service, aboard the fleet of commercial boats, as well as at the Pier 290 restaurant located at the water’s edge at the headquarters of the operation in Williams Bay.
This year’s Winterfest celebration is very likely one of the biggest and best yet.
This was the first big event where the City of Lake Geneva’s Police and Fire Departments utilized the new mobile command unit (MCU), and it proved to be extremely helpful and valuable. With an estimated crowd of over 60,000 visitors, and not enough parking spaces for all of them, things got very busy and heated. Cars were stopped in the middle of intersections and did not allow emergency vehicles through. Crowds overtook downtown, with many crosswalks filled to the brim and not allowing cars through the intersections. With the police department being understaffed, the mobile command unit was a perfect partial solution. The cameras towering above the rig were able to view most of the downtown area, and therefore not as many officers were needed for patrolling the streets. With almost 300 calls of service coming in during Winterfest the police needed the assistance of the mobile command unit so officers out on staff could be utilized to respond to the incoming calls. With that many visitors and limited parking, there were 95 calls about parking alone, and 93 tickets with respect to them written. The police department did a fantastic job, which contributed greatly to the success of Winterfest 2022
The Virtual Shamrock Shuffle.
For the first time ever, the Streets of Lake Geneva (the BID) will be hosting a Shamrock Shuffle. In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, a virtual 5k run or walk will take place on Friday, March 11th, through Saturday, March 19th. This event has been strategically scheduled to coincide with other events that local drinking establishments are hosting in celebration of St Patrick’s day, mainly Topsy Turvey Brewery. The goal is to build on this event every year and make it a must for everyone to put on their ‘to do’ list in Lake Geneva.
Go, have fun, get some exercise, and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with so many other St, Patty Day revelers in the community. Registration can be had by clicking the link on the Streets of Lake Geneva Facebook page. Once you are registered, which costs $32.00, you will receive your T-shirt and safety bib. You are then set to race. This is a virtual event, so you choose when, where, and with who you are going to race. Timing your walk or run is up to you, and everyone is encouraged to submit times on the website no later than noon on Saturday, March 19th. The event will be followed by an awards ceremony and celebration at Topsy Turvy Brewery, located on Geneva and Broad Street at the northeast corner.
Business Of the Week
Clear Waters Salon Spa on Main Street in Lake Geneva is the place for locals and visitors to get upscale treatments affordably.
