In preparation for the 2023 warm weather boating season on Geneva Lake, crews from Gage Marine began pier installations on Geneva Lake at Williams Bay last week.
In preparation for the 2023 warm weather boating season on Geneva Lake, crews from Gage Marine began pier installations on Geneva Lake at Williams Bay last week.
A contested race is on the spring general election ballot in Williams Bay, where four candidates — two incumbents and two challengers — are competing for the three board seats up for election on the Tuesday, April 4 ballot.
Incumbents Jim D’Alessandro and George Vlach are competing against political newcomers Jack Jones and Steven Russell, with the top three vote-getters earning two-year terms on the Williams Bay Village Board.
Incumbent Trustee Matt Stanek chose not to run for re-election.
The Lake Geneva Regional News reached out to D’Alessandro, Vlach, Jones and Russell with candidate questionnaires in advance of election day to give voters a profile snapshot on their backgrounds, motivations for seeking office, and thoughts on what they believe to be the top pressing issues facing the community.
Their responses follow below:
Name: James P. D’Alessandro (Inc.)
D’Alessandro
Age: 60
Occupation: Owner/Operator, Harborview Motel/Cabins.
Address: 60 Johnson Terrace, Williams Bay.
Community involvement: Member of the Williams Bay Lions Club since 1994. President of the Williams Bay Business Association, co-founder since 2003. Member of the Williams Bay School Advisory Board.
Previous elected experience: Several terms as Williams Bay Village Trustee.
Why do you want to be a member of the board: I graduated from Williams Bay School in 1981, and UW-Whitewater in 1986 in Public Policy and Administration. I feel an obligation to those that served before me in Williams Bay to continue keeping our village a wonderful place to live and raise a family. I have in the past and continue to watch and learn from those dedicated community leaders who unselfishly give their time and knowledge. Whether you’ve spent your life in Williams Bay or choose to spend part of your life in The Bay, the story is always the same—gratefulness.
What are two of the biggest issues you are concerned about in the community: One of the biggest issues facing the village and other communities is Emergency Services, now and into the future. Planning is key, especially when everyone knows changes are coming and decisions need to be made now. We just can’t keep ignoring the fact that costs, budget restraints and lack of qualified personnel are going to be solved by someone else, so again we must start planning now. For instance, we started planning almost two years ago on how we are going to provide Ambulance Services with an acceptable response time. After numerous meetings and negotiations, we have partnered with Fontana to provide those services for now, until we can find a more comprehensive and permanent solution. Ultimately, it’s going to be up to us, the residents to make those final decisions, most recently in the form of passing a referendum that now funds our Emergency Medical Services. There’s still a lot of work ahead of us and decisions to be made.
Secondly, preserving our natural resources and quality-of-life remains a top issue. Making sure we’re spending your tax dollars wisely, ensuring balanced budgets, no deficits and well-maintained reserves. Protecting our Geneva Lakefront and Kishwauketoe Nature Conservancy. Future developments that preserve the character and charm of our neighborhoods, and a downtown that looks nice but not overbuilt, should always be one of our biggest issues.
Anything else you want to add: Four years ago, I became the Chair of Parks and Lakefront and inherited a “Parks Plan” with a price tag of $5.2-6.2 million, which I found completely unacceptable. So I went back at looked at Williams Bay Business Association Surveys, spoke and listened to what people really wanted for parks and recreational activities. After a couple years, we came up with a plan of what residents wanted to see that made sense, that ended up costing less than $600,000. In the meantime, we borrowed that same $6 million and put into our infrastructure replacing 60–100-year-old water lines, sewer lines and road reconstruction. While these projects are funded, there’s still a lot of work to do implementing these projects.
I ask once again for your vote, and the honor and privilege to represent you on the Williams Bay Village Board.
Name: George Vlach (Inc.)
Vlach
Age: 57
Occupation: Retired police officer/contractor
Address: Williams Bay
Community involvement: Previous Lions member. Licensed wrestling official for State of Wisconsin and USA Wrestling.
Previous elected experience: I have had the pleasure to represent the citizens of Williams Bay for seven terms and I am asking for your vote to continue the work.
Why do you want to be a member of the board: I have had the pleasure of serving for the past 14 years. I’ve gained valuable knowledge about the village which can only be gained through experience. I do my best to represent the citizens while maintaining fiscal responsibility. The village has gone through many challenges, and with my experience I feel I am well-suited for the challenges ahead that face us.
What are two of the biggest issues you are concerned about in the community: I believe the two biggest challenges that the village faces right now are trying to promote economic development in our downtown area and maintaining our infrastructure. We as trustees should work to attract small businesses that fit our community. We must also plan and make infrastructure improvements to our community, some of them being well over 100 years old. We must also continue to provide services to our community that the citizens deserve. We must do these things while also being fiscally responsible with the taxpayers’ dollars.
Anything else you want to add: I ask for your vote.
Curtain call for the March 10-11 Williams Bay Drama Club production of "Treasure Island" at Williams Bay High School.
Name: Jack Jones
Jones
Age: 64
Occupation: Midwest Sales Manager—Chemicals
Address: 34 Elm St., Williams Bay, WI 53191
Community involvement: I have been working with different departments within the Village of Williams Bay to bring a local motel up to current standards.
Previous elected experience: None
Why do you want to be a member of the board: I really like Williams Bay and it has a lot of appeal, but there can be improvement. I’d like to be a part of it. I’d rather be part of the solution than the problem.
What are two of the biggest issues you are concerned about in the community: Williams Bay is approaching deficit spending and I’d like to help find other ways than raising taxes on us to eliminate it. I have a few tangible ideas that does not place the added burden on us taxpayers. I also feel we need to expand and firm up our borders. We do not have to necessarily develop expansion, but if we don’t expand our borders we have no say so on who or how it gets developed.
Anything else you want to add: I am also a WIAA (Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association) and IHSA (Illinois High School Association) football and wrestling official.
Name: Steven Russell
Russell
Age:
Occupation: Retired after 35 years in manufacturing management. Current position – Harbormaster for the City of Lake Geneva.
Address:
Community involvement: Coached recreation and travelling soccer. Served on school district committees. Volunteered my time to church activities.
Previous elected experience:
Why do you want to be a member of the board: What qualifies me for the position of Village Trustee? Proven track record of advancement with more responsibilities throughout my career — Service Manager, Plant Superintendent, Plant Manager, VP of Manufacturing, VP of Operations and President. Managed businesses with multiple facilities through periods of explosive growth, recessions and acquisitions. Two years (starting year three) working as a department head for the City of Lake Geneva, where I gained an understanding of how to blend private and public sector experience in order to serve the elected officials and residents more efficiently. History of teamwork and transparency.
What are two of the biggest issues you are concerned about in the community: Future growth and development that will impact public services, safety (Fire and Police) and infrastructure. Attracting sustainable businesses.
Anything else you want to add:
Mystery and swashbuckling adventure arising out of the action-packed tales of buccaneers and buried gold awaited playgoers attending the March…
A stay-at-home-dad and former elementary school teacher is challenging a 10-plus year incumbent on the Tuesday, April 4 spring general election for the Geneva Joint No. 4 School District (Woods School) Board of Education.
Political newcomer Quan Le is vying against incumbent Board of Education President Eric Chapman to fill the three-year board term expiring this April.
Woods School is governed by a three-member board that currently includes Chapman; Clerk Barbie Wolski, term expiring April 2024; and board member Frank Broz, term expiring April 2025.
The Lake Geneva Regional News reached out to Chapman and Le with candidate questionnaires in advance of election day to give voters a profile snapshot on their backgrounds, motivations for seeking office, and thoughts on what they believe to be the top pressing issues facing 153-student Grades 4K-8 Woods School, a feeder district for Grades 9-12 Badger High School.
Their responses follow below:
Name: Eric Chapman (Inc.)
Chapman
Age: 52
Occupation: Director, CAN/AM Hockey Schools
Address: Town of Geneva
Community involvement: Currently School Board President for Woods School.
Previous elected experience: Woods School board member 10+ years.
Why do you want to be a member of the board: I am running for re-election because I believe I have the experience and dedication to best serve the Woods School community. For over ten years, I have served the board and have worked hard to improve the quality of education, while maintaining the fiscal responsibility of our district. I am a strong advocate for parent involvement, student achievement, and teacher support.
I have deep, personal connections to Wood School. I graduated from Woods, as did my three children. I know firsthand the challenges and opportunities that our students face. I also know the strengths and needs of our teachers and staff. As a board member, I have always listened to their voices and valued their input. Woods School has unique characteristics that make it unlike most other districts in the state. By truly understanding the nature of our district, its strengths, and challenges, I believe that I am well suited to help guide Woods School into the future.
What are two of the biggest issues you are concerned about in the school district: The two issues that concern me the most in our district are school funding and a looming teacher shortage.
These issues pose the biggest challenge to the quality of education and the well-being of students and educators. Wisconsin’s mechanism for school funding creates a unique set of issues for our small district. A successful referendum has given us stability, but until and unless our leaders in Madison address these funding challenges, we will need to work diligently at the local level to protect our own interests.
Teachers are the lifeblood of our school. If we lose talented and dedicated teachers to other professions or early retirement, it would create a gap that may be hard to fill, especially in high-need areas such as special education, art, and music. We need to explore creative solutions to retain our own staff and to make sure we offer an environment that will be attractive to prospective new hires.
Anything else you want to add: I am proud of what the board members I have served with have accomplished together, but I also recognize that there is more work to be done. We cannot become complacent; we need to continue to adapt to the changing needs of our students and families as we move into a future that challenges our staff and students in new, unexpected ways. We need to ensure that every student has access to high-quality instruction, technology, and resources. We need to foster a community in our school, while challenging our students to reach their personal potential.
I would be honored to continue serving as your school board president. I ask for your vote on April 4. Thank you for your support.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jill Underly talks to students about their projects at the Badger High School fabrication lab.
Name: Quan Le
Le
Age: 40
Occupation: Stay-at home-dad. Formerly an elementary school teacher.
Address: Linn
Community involvement: My wife and I both work for the public. I was a school teacher and she’s currently a physician.
Previous elected experience:
Why do you want to be a member of the board: It’s time for a change. Eric has been on for over 10 years. He has increased spending across the board while less than half of the student body is from the area. The new gym cost $5 million (property tax increase) and recent referendum added property tax. Taxes would have went down without the recent referendum.
What are two of the biggest issues you are concerned about in the school district: I am concerned with how much the district is spending and the amount of students that are actually from this district.
Anything else you want to add: Current board members are all parents with children in Woods, which makes it hard for them to be objective. There is too much conflict of interest in the current board. I am also a parent but my kids are in Central Denison. I believe I am in a better position to make Woods work for the entire Lake Geneva area. More than half of the students are coming from neighboring Lake Geneva districts. It’s time we all work together.
The 173rd annual Walworth County Fair kicked off at the fairgrounds in county seat Elkhorn on Thursday, Sept. 1. The fair, the largest in Wisc…
An incumbent board supervisor and a former three-term board supervisor are facing off in a contested race for the the supervisor No. 2 seat on the Geneva Town Board on the Tuesday, April 4 spring general election ballot.
Incumbent Larry K. Kulik and challenger Gene L. Decker are vying for a two-year board term.
The Lake Geneva Regional News reached out to Kulik and Decker with candidate questionnaires in advance of election day to give voters a profile snapshot on their backgrounds, motivations for seeking office, and thoughts on what they believe to be the top pressing issues facing the community.
Their responses follow below:
Name: Larry K. Kulik (Inc.)
Kulik
Age: 67
Occupation: Fire Inspector Lake Geneva Fire Department 20 hours a week.
Address: W3768 S. Shore Dr., South Shore Lake Como.
Community involvement: Lake Como Lake Committee since 1996; Town of Geneva Lake Committee since 2008 (recording secretary); Lake Geneva Fire Department, 2000-2012 and 2021-now; Currently serving as Supervisor #2 on the town board since December 2020.
Previous elected experience: Elected and served 2 years on the Town of Geneva board 2010-2012.
Why do you want to be a member of the board: I want to represent my neighborhood on the board. Currently the board is comprised of two supervisors who reside in the Como Subdivision, one who lives in the Geneva National Subdivision, I live on the south side of town, and our Chairman who lives in the northern sector of the town. All areas of the town are properly being served on the board. It’s the best mix I’ve seen since Steve Kukla served on the board six years ago.
What are two of the biggest issues you are concerned about in the community: A) Lake Como itself is my priority. When dredging will eventually be performed in parts of the lake, how will that project be paid? I would like to see a Lake District come back to take care of that. Only parcels that are in the actual watershed of Lake Como would fund the district.
B) Zoning/building inspection. I believe the town needs Village Powers. Our town is under county jurisdiction for zoning purposes, and they only have so many people to cover a huge county. I believe our taxpayers would be better served by having our own people. We currently contract our building inspector; it’s costing us more than having our own employee. It may be time to reconsider this.
Anything else you want to add: When I moved here in 1984 there were no more than 25 piers on the LCBPOA lakefront property (the north shore of beautiful Lake Como). Today there are 142. There are 30 municipalities in Walworth County. The Town of Geneva is ranked number 5 in assessed value behind 1) Town of Linn 2) City of Lake Geneva 3) Village of Fontana and 4) Town of Delavan. It’s time for us and all the municipalities to considered shared services. To consider combining governments at the local level. I believe this has stopped being a sleepy little town and we need to have our local government act like it. I retired from AT&T after 30 years in 2009, went back in 2012 and left for good in 2020.
The 2023 Downtown Ice Sculpture Walk will be held through Feb. 5 in Downtown Lake Geneva as part of Winterfest.
Name: Gene L. Decker
Decker
Age: 76
Occupation: Retired since 2004 from Morton Salt — VP of Operations and Engineering.
Address: W4159 Hemlock Dr., Lake Geneva, WI 53147
Community involvement: Chair of Finance Committee, chair of Lakefront Committee, member of Pier Committee, Lake Como Beach Property Owners Association. Treasurer, Executive Committee member, Tree House Child and Family Center in Elkhorn. Food buyer/transporter for Lake Geneva Food Pantry.
Previous elected experience: Served three terms as supervisor, Town of Geneva, ending in 2017.
Why do you want to be a member of the board: I have been off the board for six years but I keep up to date through meeting attendance. I have a list of six issues on subjects that never seem to get addressed, and I would like to redirect the board’s attention toward addressing a few of those issues.
What are two of the biggest issues you are concerned about in the community: One issue is the town’s assessor. The newest assessor has been in place eight years and is not an improvement. Houses/businesses/structures have not been assessed for at least 12 years. Every re-assessment simply revalues the cost of land and ignores the house and any newer improvements! Recent sales information takes forever to be reflected in assessed values. I could go on and on! It’s time to interview potential assessors and select someone who is capable of a logical assessment.
The second issue would address replacing the Rosen Spillway with a structure that alleviates spring flooding, while retaining the water levels of Lake Como during the dry late summer months. This does not require massive funding!
Anything else you want to add: I believe that I would bring some much needed financial expertise to the current board. The current board nearly passed a 2023 budget that would have resulted in expenditures exceeding revenue by $800,000 (20% of the entire budget) if an error in our appraised value had not been identified and corrected.
Views of historic Black Point Estate and Gardens on Geneva Lake in Lake Geneva (Town of Linn), owned and managed by the Wisconsin Historical Society.
