Letter to the Editor: To the Sister Bay Village Board

We residents of Sister Bay trust that you not only act in our best interests but also see the big picture and plan long-term for our village, especially as members of our community try to open their businesses and restart our local economy.

It’s wonderful to see so many businesses open and people back to work. However, individual businesses are placing our entire community’s welfare in jeopardy. At a time when most music and performing venues are shut down for the safety of the players and the public, the local businesses that host concerts and live music with no allowances for social distancing or mask use to contain the spread of COVID-19 are creating a situation that’s dangerous to the health of workers and guests and the economic future of our village.

Unless we’re careful, rising coronavirus numbers in the state will cause us to have to shut down this summer – a disaster to the local economy. All the steady and careful progress we have made will be lost, and the sacrifices and accommodations of the businesses that are acting prudently will be for naught.

For true economic recovery to continue, we need you to act: to temporarily ban live music, require masks in all public areas, post signs urging social distancing inside and outside and, if things continue as they are, even close down our beach.

The forward-thinking Sister Bay Advancement Association makes masks available to the community. What if we had volunteers, backed by the board or association, handing out masks in a friendly manner to visitors? My husband and I would be glad to help recruit volunteers. We want people to continue to come to Sister Bay and see it as a safe place.

Right now, it is anything but safe. I can and do stay home. The workers cannot. We cannot depend on national or state leadership. It is only with your leadership that we can keep Sister Bay a safe, productive place for the health and well-being of our community.

Nancy Akerly

Sister Bay, Wisconsin