THE BRIGHT SIDE
Cashless beach fare helps Lake Geneva keep its nose in the air.
The practice of going cash only has one real upside…nothing is lost as cash does not disappear because there isn’t any. The current beach management and the committee that oversees it feel like they want to eliminate this needless exposure to loss, although potential loss due to pilfering isn’t ever mentioned. Instead, the need is touted to be for more efficiency and fewer employees handling the money.
Okay, whatever.
The cashless idea was not placed on the city council agenda because Monday night was supposed to only be a Meeting of the Whole, where no business is voted upon or really discussed much, at least by the council members themselves. The agenda item will probably be listed on the coming Monday agenda due to determine the course of discussion and decisions on the night of the eighth of November. The Geneva Shore Report will be attending that meeting and speaking out against the city going cashless in any way. The poor people who use the beach with their kids need representation and the decision to head into cashless territory can only be seen as a move to, once again, keep the lake attended and used by a monied minority.
Halloween is over and a lot of people, right along with most of the retail industry, moving right on to getting ready for Christmas.
What about Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is a big deal, as it is a great time to show gratitude, give back, eat a great meal, and hopefully spend great family time. Family and friends will be planning for the grand gathering around the table now, sharing warmth and appreciation for one another. Not everyone has the means to make this holiday really happen, however, and some do not have people to share the day with. Complimentary Community Thanksgiving meals are being planned to ensure no one is hungry or left completely alone.
The 14th Annual Walworth County Community Thanksgiving Dinner will be on Thanksgiving, November 25th. The dinner will be prepared, picked up, or delivered from Hawk’s View Golf Club. To get on the list to receive a meal or to help with the preparation and delivery of a meal call 262-749-4621. Several different Walworth County churches will also be hosting Thanksgiving meals for those in need. It’s not too early to plan your holiday and help plan for those who don’t have much to plan for without you.
Foxconn is running for office in Wisconsin.
Oh, not the con-artist company itself. No, corporations can’t run for office, and in fact, the people who run corporations, feckless ones like Foxconn, their operators, CEO’s or whomever, never run for office either. They have puppets that do that for them. The supposed leaders in Wisconsin who have given Foxconn millions and allowed them to destroy huge tracts of Wisconsin land are running for two different offices this coming election season.
The former lieutenant governor under Scott Walker, Rebecca Kleefisch, and Ron Johnson are going to have a go at doing more damage to the state since most people are unable to figure out what happened with Foxconn. Foxconn took the public for a ride. Maybe those two candidates went along quite willingly, it doesn’t matter. Anybody who votes for these two has to be either clueless or drinking loads of water from their lead piped residence.
Last week’s public works meeting was full of great updates and reminders that winter is coming.
Snow removal was a big topic of discussion. Winter parking regulations are effective November 15th, through March 31st. Vehicles can’t park on any city street between the hours of 2 a.m. through 6 a.m. Also, during snow events, vehicles can’t park on the street until the snow has been plowed to the curb line. This is a reminder that vehicles can’t park downtown from 3 a.m. through 6 a.m. during any time of the year. There was also discussion on snow and ice removal from the city bike/multi-purpose paths. The street department isn’t always able to clear them in a timely manner and feels that some adjacent property owners should be responsible for helping to clear the paths. Acting on such thoughts and comments would be to treat the busiest and most used areas the same as those covered by the sidewalk ordinance. This would put the responsibility on the business owners to keep the path clear and relieve the city staff to focus on the areas that are most urgent, which is fine in concept but sometimes impossible in implementation.
This was referred to the city attorney to write up an ordinance for the city council to read and discuss if that’s the route it would like to go in. It is also the hope of city staff that more snow emergencies will be called this year since snow removal and clean-up ran effortlessly when one was called last year. Everyone was happier with the way things were done and the results because the snow emergency was called. Even the tourists enjoying Winterfest had a better experience, as the downtown was clean and visitors were able to enjoy the wonderful open downtown businesses, and the locals had clean streets to park on.
Hopefully, this winter season will go as smoothly as last year.
Lake Geneva has many hidden gems.
And many wonderful amenities that are sometimes taken for granted by those in the local communities. Lake Geneva is fortunate to have one of the country’s best Speakeasies, as voted on by USA Today. A Speakeasy is a wonderful bar hidden and tucked away from everything else and the chaos of life. It’s the kind of spot that requires a password just to get in. This speakeasy is in the basement of the historic Maxwell Mansion. It takes its guests back in time when gangsters controlled the streets and alcohol was prohibited making the basements nooks and crannies perfect for secret conversations. When the speakeasy is open the password is posted on the Maxwell Mansion Facebook and Instagram pages. The mansion itself dates to 1856 and has some dark history to it making it a great setting for anything spooky or a speakeasy. Stop by and check out this hidden gem on South Wells Street in Lake Geneva.
