When you write newspaper columns each week, you hope people are reading them, or at least giving you the courtesy of a quick glance before heading off in search of todays Ask Amy letters.

And when people take the time to call or email in response to a column, thats even better. (Yes, even the people who tell me I hate you and everything you write! Luckily, that was only one woman; most of the comments are positive and thoughtful, even when they totally disagree with me.)

It wasnt a huge surprise that my June 15 column, about our local beaches, drew passionate responses.

If theres one thing people in Kenosha care about (besides where to find the best pizza), its Lake Michigan.

Every summer when I tour the beaches, the saddest sight is the beach house at Simmons Island beach, which is mostly boarded up and crumbling. Its a National Historic Landmark, built in 1934, and is in desperate need of saving.

The city does have a master plan for Simmons island that includes the beach house, which the plan (on the citys website, kenosha.org) calls the central core of the park, deserving the highest level of priority.

Amen to that.

The proposed improvements to the beach house include a concession area, a rental area for sports equipment and ADA accessible boardwalks stretching out into the sand. The overall plan, which will cost about $8 million, also includes the creation of an outdoor amphitheater.

In June of 2014, the first step of the Simmons Island overhaul the boardwalk that stretches past the water treatment plant was completed, along with the planting of native plants to help keep sand in place and help the water quality near the beach. At that time, the Kenosha News reported, A quarter of that $8 million will be spent on the Simmons Island beach house, but that work isnt slated to begin for at least a year.

Three years later, were still waiting. And hoping.

Anna Moldenhauer of Kenosha tried for three years, starting in 2007, to open a restaurant at the beach house.

She operated concessions there one summer, but the restaurant idea was ultimately thwarted by Department of Natural Resource restrictions. She would still love to see the beach house come back to life.

When the city has such a beautiful piece of lakefront property, it needs to be used, she said.

In addition to the many people who support the beach house project, we also heard from Greg Yance about my comment that the sand at Pennoyer Park Beach, 3601 Seventh Ave., could use a good grooming.

He works for the Parks Department and is the person responsible for the grooming of the beaches. I am on the beaches at 5 a.m. seven days a week. In this recent hot spell, it has been a real challenge to keep up with the people and the mess they leave behind.

He points out that I am referring to the rocks and small gravel on the beach, but beach grooming cannot help with that. Instead, the equipment is meant to aerate the sand and to pick up bottles, cans, sticks and other garbage that is left behind or washed up on shore.

Thanks for the clarification, Greg, and I do apologize if I sounded critical of our Parks Department workers. We truly appreciate all you do. (He adds that he is also a huge fan of restoring the beach houses. I grew up using them both as a youth, and hate to see the condition they have fallen into.)

Have a comment? Email Liz at esnyder@kenoshanews.com or call her at 262-656-6271.

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Beaches followup: Still waiting for Simmons Island restoration - Kenosha News