'Lack Of Concern', Letter Says Of Mask Violations In Waukesha

WAUKESHA, WI— The mask debate rages on for residents of Wisconsin. A Milwaukee woman took pen to paper to write a letter expressing her frustration over people not wearing a mask.

Kelly Hoglund spoke out on "a terrible lack of adherence" to pandemic rules and regulations in the City of Waukesha after a weekend visit.

Hoglund addressed a letter to Gov. Tony Evers, City of Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly, Waukesha County Sheriff Eric Severson.

"On Saturday, October 17, we attended the "Shredded Cheddar Productions 2020 N PC Badger State" competition held at the Waukesha County Expo Center. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and Wisconsin becoming a "hot spot" for the virus in the country, both the organizers of the event and the Expo Center employees did very little to reduce or limit the spread of COVID-19 and my husband and I felt terribly at risk," Hoglund's letter said.

Hoglund attended a body-building and fitness competition called NPC Badger State, presented by Shredded Cheddar and Str8 Shredded.

Waukesha-based Shredded Cheddar Productions and NPC Badger State didn't return Patch's request for comment as of Tuesday afternoon.

Hoglund said there were a variety of signs at the Expo Center stating rules and requirements to limit the spread of the coronavirus. However, said the rules weren't followed by the center's employees, event organizers, 10 event judges, and attendees.

In Hoglund's letter, she pointed out the worst of the violations came from people not wearing face masks. Hoglund said at one point the emcee announced a person called the Waukesha County Sheriff's Office and reminded people to wear a mask if they have one. She said it was not her who called authorities.

"I can confirm that the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office did receive a complaint at the Waukesha County Expo On Oct. 17. As previously stated, Sheriff Severson, along with the majority of police chiefs within Waukesha County, will not be dedicating their finite resources to this issue," Lt. Nicholas Ollinger, Public Information Officer, with the Waukesha County Sheriff's Office said.

Hoglund said she was shocked and angered by a lack of basic decency and thoughtfulness during a global pandemic.

"This was a show celebrating those of us who can attain the heights of physical fitness, yet most people present (contestants, judges, and spectators alike) could not take basic care for their health or the health of others by taking the simple precaution of wearing a mask," the letter said.

Hoglund and others went out for dinner and drinks in downtown Waukesha and found people not wearing masks at two businesses. At one bar, Hoglund said two bartenders were not wearing masks nor patrons packed around the bar.

Waukesha Expo Center responds

Teri Adlam, Manager at the Waukesha County Exposition Center, told Patch there are several inaccuracies with Hoglund's letter. Adlam said the arena building has a 250 max capacity it is currently running at.

"We are well below the 10%. We have been running very conservatively with our attendance. I've had to turn down about 75% of our business this year," Adlam said.

Adlam said her staff wears masks all the time indoors even not during events. Employees set out less than 250 chairs for events and are properly spaced. Sometimes people move chairs if they are in a group, which can't be stopped.

"We followed all the guidelines and held the attendance down," she said.

Adlam said staff is "not really allowed" to tell someone to wear a mask due to health record privacy laws. She told Patch, they can't ask why someone is not wearing a mask but can encourage it. Adlam added sometimes when the lights go out during an event, people will take off their masks.

"She (Hoglund) was correct there were people not wearing a mask, however they were socially distanced," Adlam said.

Adlam told Patch her staff is super cautious as they don't want to get sick.

"We know if one of us goes down, we could end up shutting down the facility and staff won't get paid," she said.

Adlam knows three people personally who have died from the coronavirus and safety is very important to her.

"I take it very seriously and so does my staff," Adlam said.

Mask mandate debate

Hoglund and her husband, who live in Milwaukee, support many businesses that follow the masks and prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

"Never in this pandemic have we felt so vulnerable and exposed as we did this past Saturday. I can only deduce that this lack of concern and care felt by the larger Waukesha community is coming from the top down," the letter said.

Evers also declared a public health emergency in September and extended a statewide mask mandate until Nov. 21. The order, which was in effect since August, was set to expire in September.

Under the original mask order, Wisconsin residents age 5 and older are required to wear a face mask when they are indoors or in an enclosed space, other than at a private residence, with anyone outside their family or living unit.

State officials said face masks also are strongly recommended if a person is outdoors where maintaining physical distancing is not possible.

The order also spells out exceptions to the requirement, listing activities such as when someone is eating, drinking, or swimming. People with health conditions or disabilities that would preclude the wearing of a face mask safely are also exempt from the requirement.

Hoglund addressed Severson in the letter.

"I wonder, if one of the attendees, organizers or competitors falls ill and, God forbid, dies from COVID-19, will you feel responsible?" the letter said.

In July, Sheriff Severson made a statement on the mask mandate.

"The Waukesha County Sheriff's office will not be investigating, nor responding to, reports of violations of individuals not wearing masks pursuant to the recent order from the Governor," Severson said. "As Sheriff, I must prioritize the use of law enforcement resources, and I am not inclined to use our finite resources on what is essentially a public health responsibility. This decision is also consistent with the great majority of police agencies in Waukesha County."

Hoglund also personally addressed Reilly in her letter.

"Mayor Reilly, this lack of care for COVID-19 precautions runs rampant in the Waukesha community. If Waukesha becomes the newest hotbed of the spread of COVID-19 (I truly hope it does not), will you feel responsible?"

'We will continue to have surges'

Mayor Reilly spoke to Patch on Tuesday and said the city doesn't have an ordinance that adopts Evers' mask mandate.

"Trying to have something that will stand up legally is very difficult because we don't have a health department. The county has a health department," Reilly said.

He added the way Evers' order was written, was for health departments. Without having one, enforcing the order becomes difficult.

On a personal level, Reilly believes everyone should be wearing masks in retail, restaurants, and any indoor place. He added the mandate allows people to remove their face coverings while they are seated and have begun eating and drinking.

Reilly also told Patch he doesn't go out that often Reilly just got married on Monday over Zoom.

He has a daughter who is immune-compromised and concerned about her.

"I don't want to go out and create what could be a major health problem for her," Reilly said.

He has had friends visit from around the United States who felt shocked at the lack of people wearing masks around southeast Wisconsin.

"We are going to continue to have surges of the coronavirus, unless people decide to wear their masks," he said.

As of Tuesday, Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported a record 5,262 positive cases, bringing the total to 206,311. It is the first time more than 5,000 cases have been reported on a single day.

Reilly said wearing a mask during big events such as the one Hoglund attended over the weekend helps decrease the spread.

He added there has to be a balance between closing down businesses and people taking personal responsibility.

"Unfortunately it has become political (mask mandate). People say if they get sick they don't care. It's not you getting sick, it's you getting everyone else around you sick," Reilly told Patch.