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- You aren't local until you have at least three generations in the cemetery.
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28 comments:
Maybe Mike Havey should organize all the GL Chamber events, too. I keep saying, Green Lake needs NEW events, not the same-old same-old stuff. The fireman's street dance is a great example of this.
Interesting too that people came out for a benefit, a good cause, and didn't have to feel that they were being manipulated into trying to make our pathetic downtown merchants a profit. The GL Chamber works hard at what they do, but are their goals to serve the community, or the merchants? Perhaps if the Chamber events were also fundraisers for non-profit organizations such as the fire department, people would feel better about attending.
Hats off to the local fire department, the volunteers do an excellent job. Way to go!
While I'm glad that the street dance was a great success, why the criticism of merchants who are just trying to make a living. Many of these merchants are really struggling to stay in business. Please give them a break.
Not a merchant, but a friend of a wonderful, hardworking Green Lake store owner.
The merchants are struggling to stay in business because they are not selling anything that anybody wants or needs. They are part of what is wrong with downtown Green Lake. The GL chamber works hard to bring shoppers here, but why even bother when the stores are just selling a bunch of crappola? Between the realtors, title companies and shops, there is nothing to do downtown unless you are hungry and go out to eat. I have lived here for years and have never once bought a single thing from any downtown merchant. I love shopping, but there simply isn't anything worth buying. You can call it a criticism if you want to, I call it an observation.
What is it that you want to buy?
Knowledge Emporium is an excellent store! For families, school staff plus teachers.
I have heard Princeton does alot FOR their merchants and Green Lake just gives them a hard time. Why should anyone want to open a store where they feel unwelcome? So many GL stores are gone it is sad.
I would like to buy a big goouie doughnut or sweet roll. Not a stale piece of crap from the gas station or a smoke filtered one at little corpussle. Why do people shop in other areas? Because they offer alot of neat things for shoppers to discover. Not in green lake.
At one time the Grocery Bag had all the delicious things anyone could want, but people shopped elsewhere, so now there is Crossroads. Unfortunately, not IN Green Lake, but at least close. I like Mill Street Junction and hope it stays in business, somehow.
Why do you put down Little Corporal? It is the best anchor store in GL? It is a popular draw for tourist plus a favorite for many. I guess some people just take it for granted.
Looking for some investors for a bakery. I know a woman that would make your mouths water each morning with her talents. (and birthdays, holidays, etc...) She's one of a kind. People know who I am speaking of, great host to all.
That sounds like a great idea!
Could you tell me specifically what Princeton does for their merchants? When people make comments like that, I want to hear facts. What does the City of Green Lake do that makes it hard for merchants? I would like to hear from some merchants so the council can discuss their concerns.
I would like to be of help!
Donna - the City (and the Chamber) does nothing for merchants, that's the whole problem.
In fact, the Chamber at times go out of their way to make it difficult. There are a string of issues, I could make a list, but it's pointless since no one listens or acts.
The problem with the chamber is they have too many chiefs and not enough indians. They have a committee for the correct time to use the bathroom. They don't let the director do her job without getting involved. If the board of a business ran that way there wouldn't be any successful businesses on earth. The director should be allowed to just run the office they way she sees fit and if they don't like it they can choose not to renew her contract when her time is up.
I thought the firemans dance was GREAT! It felt like it was something for the locals. Everyone who attended seemed to be in a great mood and having a lot of fun. I hope they continue this every year and it grows!
It is great that we can meet here at the County Inquisitor and discuss local matters openly. This Blogsite serves a very beneficial purpose, I am grateful for it. Keep up the good work, Chief.
The reason I put down the little corporal is-if that is the best example of a family/cafe/diner type restaurant that Green Lake can come up with than I give up. I don't like food mixed with cigarette smoke and I don't like developing the dry heaves from the dirty dish water smell that circulates the dwelling. A very unprofessional look to the building with the "Jethro" type painted signs.
What would you like to see the City do? Without any comments, we cannot act.
My family has enjoyed the food at the Little Corporal and never gotten ill from it.
The Little Coporal is what it is. Not sophisticated by any means but if you patronize it you certainly know why you are going there and what you are going to get. Would you rather have more Two Chez type restaurants in town? They can't even seem to figure out when to be open and are very "up and down" when they are. Give me the LC any day.
I have never been inside the Little Corporal, so I cannot speak about the quality of the food or the atmosphere. However, I must say that the tacky painting on the outside of the building does nothing for Green Lake's image! It would be the perfect wall for a beautiful mural, and Green Lake happens to have an incredible muralist in it's midst. Other cities in Wisconsin have murals painted on the buildings in their downtown area, and the effect is lovely to say the least.
One of the biggest problems I see going on in the area is the sad fact of generational property loss. Grandparents that purchased "cottages" decades ago with new found fortunes have passed them onto their children, who did renovations brought up property vales, higher taxes-you know the what I mean. And now passing the property on to Gen X at an over-financed, no cash in Bank, only have credit to live on rate, cannot afford the once beautiful cottage. What a mess. Where was the local Government when this was happening? Oh right they were worried about turning down future thinking retailers that turned Princeton into a gold mine. And turned down a few small industrial investments that would have created a few non-seasonal jobs. Way to forward think Green Lake.......
continuing from last post... These Non Residents can only afford to come up on quick weekend stays, dine out once, fill up half tanks of marine gas and shop at a local market for things they may have left at home.
Wow, after reading all the comments I am amazed at some of the thought processes.
1. Mike Havey did a wonderful job, along with all the volunteers, including the fire dept. personnel. It was a very successful event from what I understand, but to say that he should be in charge of Chamber events is ludicrous. Why would the Chamber be involved with fundraisers for the Fire Dept??? Chamber of 'Commerce' - Get it. Commerce= the buying and selling of goods; Business (Look it up in Websters) I'm not aware of the Fire Dept. being in the business of buying or selling to the public!
2. Congratulations to the writer who has lived here for years and never bought a thing here in GL. Good for you that you can justify yourself as part of the solution when clearly, you are part of the problem... along with many others I might add. No loyalty to the community is what I hear, complaining about the products that are sold - how do you even know if you have never shopped here? Pleeeaaaase.
3. What is up with the condemnation of the Little Corporal? It's the only restaurant in town where you can go and get a good breakfast, fast and cheap. All the other restaurants are more expensive. There are generally (3) aspects to the service business: Quality, Service & Price. You can usually offer (2) of the (3) inexpensively, but to get (3) of (3) requires a larger price... get it. Not everyone around here has the dispensible income available to patronize places like Two Chez, Harbor Lights, Adams Rib or even the Gooseblind on a regular basis and the Little Corporal fills a niche... obviously, because they do a fine business and are not up for sale as many of the other businesses in town are.
4. For Jethro... you obviously wouldn't be happy with the Little Corporal if you can't even stand the sign. If you don't like it... don't go there... you obviously have so many requirements that need to be met in order to be satisfied... may I suggest you go somewhere else and quit whining! Obviously you are in the minority since their business is not suffering due to your non-patronization. Some people expect life to be perfect eh, that just isn't reality. Suck it up and quit complaining. Or won't you be happy till all the eating establishments are smoke free. The Little Corporal is the ony one left that allows smoking... You can't even give the smokers a break... sheeesh. Oh, and by the way - I've never seen anyone puke at the restaurant due to this smell you are complaining about... maybe you should start smoking and you won't have such a sensitive nose. LOL!
(4) The non-residents are becoming the majority here in Green Lake, in case some of you haven't noticed. Why do you think the stores aren't able to stay in business... there's no tourists here in the Winter... DUH! The FIB's could care a less if the downtown turns into a ghost town and dies. In fact that's what they really want. What they care about is there little slice of heaven that they own here in little Wisconsin and hardly frequent - their little (or big) get-a-ways that are far from the hustle and bustle of the city life they are trying to get away from. They don't care about the 'local's'. Until the City Government wises up and realizes that we are going to have to take care of ourselves we are SOL. Parise was on the right track trying to get some industry going around here to support the community and bring in jobs... hence, more local residents and more dispensible income available to spend the in the stores we don't have... but could. We are dying here people, wake up!!
Dear Post Toastie, I think you have been soaking too long in milk! While you make several valid points, you are quite off-base in many instances. For one, nobody was actually insinuating that Mike Havey should run the chamber and all it's events. That was a bit of sardonic humor that obviously went way over your head. There is nothing sadder than a human being without a sense of humor.
I am the writer who has lived here for years and never bought a single thing from one of our downtown merchants. I have been in every one of the stores in Green Lake did not find anything I liked or needed. I don't need a t-shirt, don't need a Chicago Cubs baseball sign, don't need a coffee mug, overpriced framed photograph, beaded necklace, art-glass perfume bottle or educational game for a tot. Items that I do need and want are not sold here in Green Lake, with the exception of groceries at the Crossroads. I AM NOT PART OF THE PROBLEM! Why would I buy things that I do not want or need? The problem is that the stores in Green Lake sell gifty crap and I do not buy gifty crap. I am perfectly happy going to Ripon to buy the things I need and want. With the exception of the Crossroads, I do not care if there is any shopping in Green Lake, they can all be empty shops for all I care. Yes, I wish there were nice shops in Green Lake that sold the things that I want and need, but there are not and I can accept that. Oh well. The chamber will keep spinning it's wheels trying to attract tourism to shops that have little mass appeal. The chamber cannot tell the shops what to sell and how much to charge. The problem is not me. The problem is not the chamber. The problem is the shop owners.
Another point that I would like to make is that often I have to go all the way to Fond du Lac or Oshkosh to find what I need or want, as many things are not available locally. Obviously not all cities can have a Menards, Farm and Fleet, Best Buy, Kohls, etc. There is nothing wrong with frequenting the shops that sell the things we need. Are you starting to understand how this works, Post Toastie?
Wow, thanks for the enlightenment and also letting me know which anonymous you were. I appreciate that you thought some of my points were valid - although I'm not sure which ones you were referring to... I guess I'm not ALL wet. But I do have to correct you regarding my sense of humor! That is something I am not lacking of when things are funny - sarcasm is mostly funny to the person doleing it out... (But all laughing aside. I'm enjoying this very much:-)
You now state that your reference to Mike Havey was a joke, (sardonic humor, excuse me)... a stab a humor, however upon re reading your blog, it does sound like you think the Chamber should be in charge of fundraising for non-profit organizations etc. (I really don't claim to be an authority on the Chamber - it sounds like another 'political' institution... and you know what they say about institutions.. ha, (humor!) All I know is that the more people involved in making decisons.... makes for a longer decision making process. And, from what I've read here (not necessarily from you - I really don't know since I don't know which anonymous you are, but I won't assume at this point)this may be an issue for them.
Obviously you are patronizing the Crossroads Market. I understand what you are saying about the 'things you need' not being available, I too have to leave town to get most of the day to day stuff that I need. But I also shop in town, granted not that much (hence my statement... along with many others) I never stated that I wasn't part of the problem... Whew - it was just an observation from what you said. NEVER is a very strong word - hence my strong response I suppose.
The gifty stores do have there place here, whether you agree or not, the tourists do spend money on the 'crap' as you say. This being a 'Resort' community and propped up as such almost requires this sort of business here. I think you may find some of the 'stuff' here is good for gifts...Well, maybe you wouldn't, but I do.
A small WalMart or KMart type store would be very nice, but can you imagine that happening here. OMG, the people would have a heart attack. "Oh you're turning this place into Lake Geneva" (I have not lived here all my life, and I have never been to Lake Geneva). I can't tell you how many times I have heard this statement regarding any kind of new business even thinking about opening in the area like the ones mentioned above.
Since I don't know you except as Anonymous # whatever, I wouldn't expect that you would take personal offense to what I have to say, since you have no idea who I am either. I guess that's the fun of this for me... it's just not personal... just an exchange of ideas... sort of. Although I really didn't mean to offend, and maybe you weren't, maybe you are just sardonic a lot. But if you were, I apologize and in any case am enjoying our banter and look forward to many more. I'm sure we can see eye to eye on some things and if not... well, that just makes it all the more interesting then... doesn't it!
See Anonymous whatever.... I do get it! Thanks for your response.
Oh and by the way Anonymous (the last commenter before my last comment) I loved the beginning and ending line in your comment. You may be right about soaking too long in milk! I think it may be time for something stronger so I can (no probably not possible) match your wit. Much respect from Post Toastie!
Toastie, I take no offense at what you say, am glad you like to discuss these matters in this format. I actually do agree with much of what you say. However, smoking in a public restaraunt is one issue we will never agree on.
Also want to clarify, I do not believe that the educational bookstore Knowledge Emporium is crap in any way. It is a very nice place with quality merchandise. I simply don't need those types of things, perhaps when I have grandchildren to nurture, I will shop there.
Keep up the great posts, Toastie!
The last time I looked the only retail store serving the tourist industry that still has its doors open is Mill street. She posted something in the local paper about a year ago saying she was closing down...so obviously that place ain't going too well. So when she quits GL, like the others have, there'll be no retail shopping left (Knowledge Emporium excluded, which I'd class as a more specialized business not serving the casual shopper or tourist).
So where does that leave the town? Who is going to be balsy enough to take a chance on setting up shop on a street where so many others have recently failed?
Any prospective business owner looking to relocate to GL would probably google the area and come across this blog at some point.....I'd never have opened my business in GL had I known there was so much opposition to retail stores trying to serve the tourist community and raise the profile of the town by offering, for example, art and locally made crafts and products. In other communities, when a store opens and sells locally made products, the locals actually appreciate what is going on and come out in support. Not in Green Lake. When you sell a product that has been made locally you are circulating the money in the local community and not sending it out of town. Most people are proud to buy a locally made product and give it as a gift. I'm not talking about some bullshit t-shirt with "green lake' on the front, I'm talking about arts and crafts or local produce and merchandise.
So that was tried and it failed. What next?....what are you locals going to come out and support in town? It's mostly all been tried over the years, so what's left?
Let it die a peaceful death is what I say. Shop in Ripon, save a buck at K-Mart. Green Lake can remain a small playground for the rich lake-home owners.
Take care and peace to all.
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