THE BRIGHT SIDE
The Lake Geneva Regional News accepts, again, ten thousand dollars, supposedly intended to fund its “Taco Fest.”
We say the word ‘supposedly’ because there seems little doubt that when a political entity, such as the City of Lake Geneva, pays off the media, for any strange purpose, like the making and selling of tacos, of all things, then the reality is in the words ‘pays off.’ How can the Regional News write tough stories about what’s going on in the city if it becomes (as it is now) dependent on these ten thousand dollars a quarter, or so, grants for doing idiotic pursuits like bringing people to Lake Geneva to eat tacos. There seems no real interest on the part of most Lake Geneva residents or voters to somehow identify or care about the Hispanic population of the surrounding region.
If there was then there’d be a real sand beach at Big Foot and they wouldn’t have gotten rid of the second bathroom at that picnic area just on the other side of South Lake Shore Drive near that beach, and they wouldn’t have cut down the shade trees used by picnic goers that were not diseased (the trees we mean, of course). Taco fest our collective butt!
Shame on the Regional New for pulling off this charade and shame on the city leaders for not only making the pay offs but lying about why they are approving them. If the Regional News is struggling to survive financially, well that’s a different story, and deserves a bit more leeway in coming to conclusions about its values or integrity. Small towns need their newspapers vitally, today more than ever, and the GSR supports the Regional News existence and needs to survive, if it is at that or comes to that.
The Three Graces fountain has been moved.
The discussion regarding the iconic statue began years ago, as concerns about its ability to endure the elements of the outdoors and unfortunate vandalism went on. The Three Graces statue and fountain currently stands at the tip of the triangle of Flat Iron Park on Wriggly Drive and Center Street. This statue has historical significance in Lake Geneva. The Three Graces represent beauty, charm, and joy, or the three sisters. The first known three graces statue was sculpted in Rome between 1814 and 1817, and many replicas have been produced since that time.
Lake Geneva’s Three Graces is not an exact replica but does share some of the elements of the original statue. The Three Graces Fountain has been a landmark in the city and loved by so many. The protection and restoration of it seems a no brainer to most. The statue was carved from limestone and is almost one hundred years old. Limestone is not the most durable material, and the fountain has had many repairs done to it over the years. Vandalism has also caused the Three Graces to need repairs. Repairs are not done with original material, as cement and resin have been used, and some parts of the statue are only replicas of the original.
Before any more damage occurs, and before all originality is gone, the beautification committee, park board, and the historic committee have urged the city council to move the Three Graces to the Geneva Lake Museum as soon as possible. The city council discussed, voted, and approved the move. The graces were removed from their pedestal early Tuesday morning and taken in out of the elements. What repairs and restoration can be done will be done before taking permanent residence at the Geneva Lake Museum. The hope of city officials is to have a replica made in the future.
Place of the Week
The Geneva Lake Museum is a wonderful stop for holiday festivities. The Parade of Trees is happening now through the end of the year.
