
Adrianne Melby of Burlington holds an anti-face mask wearing sign outside Lake Geneva City Hall, July 27, during a meeting in which aldermen discussed and voted on the issue.
Lake Geneva residents and visitors will not be required to wear face masks in public as a way of controlling the spread of coronavirus.
Despite a petition signed by 2,000 people urging the public health safeguard, the Lake Geneva City Council voted July 27 not to implement such a requirement.
The issue was decided by a razor-thin margin of 5-4, with Mayor Charlene Klein casting the deciding vote to block a face mask mandate for crowds in the summer resort town.
The issue came to a vote at City Hall as Walworth County recently surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, double the number that had been recorded one month earlier. Of those, 20 people have died from the contagious upper respiratory virus.
Voting in favor of a face mask mandate were Aldermen Cindy Flower, John Halverson, Shari Straube and Mary Jo Fesenmaier. Voting against were Aldermen Tim Dunn, Joan Yunker, Ken Howell and Richard Hedlund, along with the mayor.
Straube said she was in favor of requiring people to wear face masks because it would help control the spread of the coronavirus.
“It’s common sense,” Straube said. “It’s an actual barrier obstructing that virus from transmitting from one human being to another.”
Fesenmaier said although the city has posted signs encouraging people to wear face masks, many are not wearing masks when they are out in the community.
“This virus poses a threat to safety,” Fesenmaier said. “People are not taking individual responsibility and taking precautions on their own.”
Other council members, however, questioned how the city would enforce its ordinance.
Howell said although he hopes people will wear face masks, he was concerned how the city could enforce such a rule.
He said the police department would receive numerous phone calls about violations, which he said could prevent officers from responding to other emergencies.
“Enforcement would be a nightmare,” he said.
The city council similarly voted in May not to require face masks, shortly after a state supreme court ruling removed other public health safeguards, bringing crowds of tourists into the city.
A petition at the website change.org gathered more than 2,000 signatures, urging Lake Geneva to require face masks within a tourism community where crowds are congregating without adequate public health precautions.
Carlo Nevicosi, deputy director of Walworth County Health and Human Services Department, told aldermen that county officials believe people should be allowed to decide for themselves whether to wear face masks.
“Our approach is we’re going to educate,” Nevicosi said. “We’re going to let people make up their own minds.”
The city council agreed to send the county health department a request for the county to develop stricter public health guidelines for the coronavirus pandemic. But the request mentioned no specific measures that the city favors.
Some people turned out at City Hall to make their opinions known to aldermen.
Tom Wanda of Harvard, Illinois, said he visits Lake Geneva frequently and he does not believe people should not be required to wear face masks.
“Let people make their own choice,” Wanda said. “You shouldn’t be telling people what to do with their health.”
Matt French of Lake Geneva, however, said face masks should be mandatory during the public health crisis.
“I hope something will be done to protect the visitors and residents,” French said.
Hedlund said he agreed that the police department would receive many reports about people not wearing face masks. Hedlund, however, said enforcement would be difficult.
“The way our world is right now, people tend to be whistle-blowers,” Hedlund said. “They like to tattle on people. I can see this turning into a real nightmare.”
Picture of the Past: Walter Jonas

In this undated file photo, Walter Jonas, a driver’s education instruction at Badger High School, teaches a student how to operate a vehicle.
Picture of the Past: Industrial Week

In this file photo, from May 15, 1969, Mrs. Steven Ball won a portable color TV during a drawing to celebrate Industrial Week. Pictured are Lee Wilkins, executive manager of the Association of Commerce and Industry, Miss Lake Geneva Jacqueline Schultz, Ball and John O’Neill of the Wisconsin Southern Gas.
Picture of the Past: Charlie Button

In this photo that originally ran in the Oct. 19, 1977, edition, Lake Geneva's Charlie Button holds up a 3.5 pound turnip that he grew.
Picture of the Past: Unknown mail

This undated photo was discovered in the Lake Geneva Regional News archives. The photo lacks any information to help identify the person pictured. If you can help identify the person please reach out to General Manager Robert Ireland at RIreland@lakegenevanews.net or at 262.248.4452.
Picture of the Past: Frank Janowak

In this file photo from our Dec. 26, 1969, edition of the Lake Geneva Regional News, Frank Janowak displays a 54-inch great horned owl. Janowak, used a double trap where he caught a rabbit in one half of the trap, and the owl in the other half. The trap was placed on a farm near the Playboy Club, which is now the Grand Geneva.
Picture of the Past: Gubrud

In this file photo, that ran in May 9, 1968, edition. Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Gubrud won a $5,000 cash prize from the 6th annual Reader’s Digest Sweepstakes contest. The magazine’s sales marketing district manager, Paul Gillerlain, is handed Gubrud the check.
Picture of the Past

This photo originally appeared in the June 17, 1971, edition of the Lake Geneva Regional News. Genoa City Fire Chief Percy Francoeur discusses the department’s new pumper with Mr. and Mrs. Fred Hedberg.
Pictures of the Past cadets in parade

This picture of the past ran in the June 4, 1970, edition of the Lake Geneva Regional News. This was taken during the Memorial Day parade and the group of the cadets were from the Northwestern Military and Naval Academy.
Picture of the Past: Five generations of the York family

In this photo, which originally appeared in the June 24, 1971, edition of the Lake Geneva Regional News, five generations of the York family gathered in Springfield to celebrate the birth of Michael York. Pictured are great-great grandmother Lina Baker, great grandparents Everett Baker of Springfield, grandmother Geraldine McCulley of Lake Geneva and Michael’s mother, Susan.
Picture of the Past: Elmer Petersen

In this photo that originally appeared in our July 18, 1968, edition, Elmer Petersen poses with his bronze sculpture. The sculpture was displayed at the Citizen’s National Bank.
Picture of the Past Boys Fishing

Dean Jeffers, 10, and Ron Hill, 12, were photographed after catching this giant carp out of the White River. It took the boys more than an hour to reel in the fish, which weighed in at 35 pounds. This photo originally appeared in the Aug. 7, 1969, edition of the Lake Geneva Regional News.
Picture of the Past Andy Gump

Between the 1950s and late 1980s the Andy Gump statue in Flat Iron Mark was often the target of vandalism and theft. This photo appeared in The Jan. 5, 1989, edition of the Lake Geneva Regional News with a story about Bob Duffy, who volunteered to rebuild the statue after Gump was stolen. The photo above shows John Kuehn and Carol Kuehn replacing Gump’s head in May of 1981.
Picture of the Past Irish Woods

This file photo originally appeared in the June 10, 1976, edition of the Lake Geneva Regional News. The original descendants of those who settled in the Irish Woods, which occurred in about 1850, gathered to observe the Bicentennial Wagon Train, which changed its route to bypass the Irish Woods on May 1. (From left) Miss Catherine Watson, Miss Marie Cronin, Joseph Deignan and Patrick Howard Watson.
Picture of the Past Janowak

Frank Janowak, right, was recognized for 10 years of service on the Walworth County Extension Committees. This photo originally appeared in the July 26, 1990, edition of the Lake Geneva Regional News. The man to the left of Janowak is not identified in the original cutline that appeared in the newspaper. If you can identify that person, please contact Regional News General Manager Robert Ireland at 262-248-4452 or by emailing him at RIreland@lakegenevanews.net.
Picture of the Past Fire Truck

George F. Getz, seated, and his wife, Olive, sit in a fire truck in their driveway at 61 North Lake Shore Drive. Getz started The Hall of Flame in Lake Geneva, which later moved to Scottsdale, Arizona.
Picture of the Past Unicef

Mayor Emil Johnjack, left, and T.J. Kitze, grade schools superintendent, third from left, make a contribution to the annual UNICEF drive. The organizer of the event, Mrs. Frank Jedda, right, a member of the United Church Women of Lake Geneva, which sponsors the drive. The photo originally appeared in the Oct. 21, 1965, edition of the Lake Geneva Regional News. Johnjack declared Oct. 31, 1965, as UNICEF day in Lake Geneva.
Picture of the Past Interlaken

This photo appeared in the Aug. 19, 1976, edition of the Resorter. It showcases a pool at the former Interlaken Lodge (now The Ridge).
Picture of the Past O'Neil and Phillips

This photo was originally slated to appear in the April 10, 1975, edition, of the Lake Geneva Regional News, but it didn’t make that edition. Katie O’Neil and Pete Phillips are identified on the back of the photo. If you have more information about this photo, please contact Lake Geneva Regional News General Manager Robert Ireland at 262-248-4452 or at RIreland@lakegenevanews.net.
Pictures of the Past Gallery

This photo appeared as a picture of the past in the Feb. 28, 2002, edition of the Lake Geneva Regional News. It was supplied by Laurie Holtan, and it is of the 1955 St. Valentine’s Day party at the J-Mar Club. Partygoers included (from left) Jack Brugger and Mary McDonald; (second row) Betty Park, Dorothy Berndt, Doris Brugger, Gail Read Thoreson, unknown, Nancy Parshall, Lila Blood DeVries, Frances DeVries; (back row) Janet Koehn, Harold Park, Marian Shepstone, Donna Miller Sheppard; Bob Robers, Wilma Robers; Art Hinzpeter, Dona Hinzpeter, Bob Holtan, Laurie Crisman Holtan, Louise Robinson, Ken Robinson, Escamena, Brown, Owen Brown, Leo Menasco and Cal Berndt.
Picture of the past new teachers

In this file photo that ran in the Aug. 25, 1977, edition of the Lake Geneva Regional News, newlyweds Greg and Lisa Thiesfeldt discuss their challenges in setting up a new parochial elementary school at First Evangelical Lutheran Church on Logan Street.
Homecoming past picture second version

This photo was slated to run in the Oct. 6, 1983, edition of the Lake Geneva Regional News. Although a number of homecoming photos made that paper, this one didn’t make the cut. The newspaper does not have information to identify the woman riding in the car. If you know who is photographed, please contact Regional News general manager Robert Ireland at RIreland@lakegenevanews.net or at 262.248.4452.
Pollution picture of the past

This photo was discovered in the Lake Geneva Regional News archives, but it didn’t include any identifiable information. If you know any information about this photo, please contact Regional News general manager Robert Ireland at 262-248-4452.
Picture of the Past O'Neil and Phillips July 13

This photo appeared in last week’s edition of the Lake Geneva Regional News. Reader Katie Alder contacted us to provide a little more information about the picture that was slated to run in the April 10, 1975 edition, but never appeared. According to Alder, Pete Phillips, who is pictured, was the general manager of Interlaken Resort and Country Spa in 1975. He is pictured with Katie O’Neil.
Picture of the Past Ice Fisherman

George Curran shows off two Northern Pikes he caught in Geneva Lake in 1961, as residents of Lake Geneva find ways to enjoy themselves during one of Wisconsin’s long, cold winters.
Picture of the Past Lake Geneva

Susan Kobylski was one of two contestants in the 1965 Miss Lake Geneva contest. (File photo/Regional News)