News

By Lisa Seiser
lisa@lakegenevanews.net

Ever wonder where Lake Geneva’s best fish fry is? How about the area’s best burger, shopping, night life or lodging? Instead, do you have a favorite restaurant, park or golf course?

The Best of Lake Geneva 2008 peoples choice voting is under way. Local residents and visitors have the opportunity to decide on the best of Lake Geneva in more than 200 categories and results will be published in The Best of Lake Geneva magazine and the Singleton Guide to Lake Geneva, both debuting in spring.

“Lake Geneva is one of the greatest towns in the world,” said Bart Singleton, who has organized the voting and publishing the magazine and book the results will be in. “I just see it as a magical place that offers so much to the people who live here and visit here.”

Singleton, who resides part-time in Linn Township, said his company, wanted to create a magazine and book for the Geneva Lake area. Part of the content in the magazine and most of the book’s contents will focus on the results from the Best of Lake Geneva voting.

The magazine will be more of a quick reference type of publication and available on newsstands around the area. The hardcover book will be placed in every hotel room in Lake Geneva and on sale in stores.
“We wanted to have more of a wealth of information,” Singleton said of the magazine and book. “You will now know exactly where you should go in almost any situation.”

He said there currently isn’t anything like a list such as this for Lake Geneva. “We thought this area needed this,” he said. “There are so many great things and places that aren’t right in the downtown.”

Voters can choose the best attractions, night life, lodging, real estate, restaurants, cuisine, breakfast, lunch, dinner, deserts, services, shopping and spa.

There are dozens of more specific questions in each of those categories, including the best beach, golf course, live entertainment, resort, mortgage company, outdoor dining, coffee, pancakes, pizza, ribs, apple pie, car wash, chiropractor, travel agent, book store, gift shop, and health club.

Voters don’t have to fill in responses to all 200-plus questions. Actually, Singleton wants people to fill in the responses they know best. However, people can only vote for companies and locations that are within 10 miles of any part of the lake will be eligible.

“You vote on something that you have experienced in,” Singleton said. “That way, you are providing good information for people to use. People like to vote on things they love and they want other people to love those same things, too.”

Staff members will be checking the results of the voting by going to the winning choices.

“We will verify and ensure the voting,” Singleton said. “We will check it out and go to the places to make sure it is true.”

Singleton said voting, which will run until the end of the year, is going well so far.

He said postcards have been distributed at local businesses, some direct mailings have been sent out and there is an e-mail campaign going on. But it is the Web site that is getting the most play.

“There has been a lot of interest,” Singleton said. “People are finding it.”

Vote for the Best of lake Geneva
Log onto www.thebestoflakegeneva.com.
Call 888-539-7509 to request a ballot and mail it to P.O. Box 232, Lake Geneva WI 53147. Voting is going on now until Jan. 1.
Results will be published in The Best of Lake Geneva Magazine and the Singleton Guide to Lake Geneva book