Timbo, I think it should have read "More people = more trash, in and on the water."
That would pretty much cover it.

martialartistmelissa>> Unfortunately, no we can't stop people from being stupid. But, that doesn't mean that we should just sit back and let it happen. Sorry, but just because you live on a river it doesn't mean you have to put up with idiots in your back yard. Just because there is a river it doesn't give people open rights to be idiots. And I don't see where any of the landowners are saying that they don't want people to be on the river--they just want them to be polite and have some respect. SAME AS ANYWHERE!!! And that IS how it should be. It IS the same as a sidewalk, a park, a road, etc. There are certain guidelines that should be followed. And if they were followed, then we wouldn't be having this discussion.
I don't live on the river, but I can sympathize with the landowners. They live there all year long and maintain their properites all year long. The live in the community and maintain it all year long, so if they don't come out on the one day you want them to I guess that's your problem to deal with. They deal with it all year long.

anonomouse>>I have lived in the stateline area my entire life. Whether you'd like to believe it or not, there always has been and still is tension between residents of both states--for whatever reason that may be. I'm not saying I agree with it or even do it, I'm just stating that it's there and hasn't just cropped up because of this incident. And yes, it goes both ways--Il residents do the same to the WI residents and vice versa. Again, not saying it's right--just pointing out that it's not just the WI residents that do this.

EDIT:
"916WI and tritranbru, I am relaxed, and I never said that others could used the river. All I said was it used a nice clean little river. Since there are more people than there were 40 years ago, of course the river is going to see more use. More people = more trash, in and on of the water."
..........
Replace "could" with "couldn't" (Does kind of change the meaning)
Remove the "on" from the last setance.
...........
I knew what I ment, just didn't type it that way.

Bullysarebest: The point I believe I was trying to make wasn't in regards to a drunk person standing out infront of your house on a sidewalk causing all kinds of problems,..but rather choosing to have a RIVER in your backyard, which I believe is totally different. For years rivers have been the source of summer fun for many...jetskis, boats, canoes, ect. are all modes of transportation. What I am trying to say is, you can't STOP people from being stupid, because no matter what, they will ALWAYS be around to break the law. Albany is a small town FULL of bars,...you wouldn't be able to stop people from going to those if that is what they find fun.
As far as what Rivermaster said; I think more what he means to say is that you live on that river and complain about the mess, but yet a man from Illinois organizes the clean up for it annually. We are confused about why you sit and complain about trash floating up in your yards, but when given the opportunity to spend a day getting to know people who CARE... you do nothing. I understand that you aren't the one making the mess in the first place, but we aren't either. The difference is we choose to do something about it. We go out there every weekend and have fun but also spend our time out there picking up trash that has been there for YEARS and telling others that they need to pick up after themselves. I know many many people who do the same...sometimes even when you aren't the reason for something, you have to try to be more of the solution if it upsets you. I don't believe complaining about it is going to get anyone anywhere because no matter what there is ALWAYS going to be people that don't care!!!

How can you have tensions in a stateline area? And in the comments is where I read about the fib comments and such I was just replying to that. Janesville is not a tourist destination, but it is on the way to tourist destinations and even if people don't want to believe it with the way the economy is Janesville residents shouldn't be so snooty about Fibs. Your taxes are cheaper and a lot of us do/did shop in your area for back to school clothes and other items and spent more than the $2 someone told me awhile back in one of the articles that we only spend. All of us don't act like butts either. You can't paint a group of people with one brush just because of their plates. I try not to do that either but when a great majority does I move on and spend my money elsewhere. I always thought Janesville was a nice area and hope it continues to thrive even without GM but it sounds like quite a few people there will cut their nose of to spite their face by not being open to making money in a bad economy because they don't like people from Illinois that they don't even know.

And, btw, if you read what most people commented here is pertains to the comments made by Tristan not the article. Most here have agreed that the group in the article was shown in a positive light. It wasn't until Tristan (a member of that group) started making comments here that it turned to something more negative concerning that. I think we can all agree that there are always those who seem to ruin something good for everyone else. Unfortunately, there are those who can't be mature and respectful. They are the ones this article talks about and I can see why the landowners would complain about them. I don't see any of the landowners here complaining about those who use the river in a respectful manner.

The area of the article and Janesville are completely seperate areas. I don't think Janesville is much of a tourist destination. The area of the river discussed here is different and is mostly small towns. There has always been this tense feeling between Wisconsin and Illinois--trust me it goes both ways.

My suggestion to tubers on the water, if you have to drink, don't be stupid. Take a bag with you for your trash. When you have to get out of the water, don't go on shore- you are trespassing; keep your feet in the water. There are plenty of other places to go tubing in southern Wisconsin where the landowners aren't jacka$$@$ so look around and try the Yahara, lower Fox, and the Rock- more user friendly for sure.

Disrespectful people shouldn't be put up with, but the comments here show that some have a problem with people from Illinois regardless of behavior. Wisconsin is a beautiful state to visit. All I'm saying is based on comments I read here by people who live in the Gazette area I'd move on to a prettier area where the people are nicer. I've also heard a lot of negative comments from people who've traveled to Wisconsin about the rudeness of people in the area. All I'm saying is if people in the area continue to be rude don't stop in Janesville. That's less taxes from the mall and less tips for the wait staff at restaurants.

Every state in it's own sense is a tourist state. But, that doesn't mean you have to put up with disrespectful people.

tristianbu stop trying to have an educated conversation with some of these people. There are nice people in that area you just aren't talking to any of them. My husband and I avoid that area like the plague anymore. I was sick of all the nasty comments so we shop in Madison now when we have to go to that state and we don't spend the $2 that someone said we only spent. We did a lot of our shopping when we went to visit family. We used to spend money on clothes at the mall, dinner out, etc. Madison gets it now.

What's funny is Wisconsin is a tourist state. They say they don't want your money but then in other threads they whine that GM closed and they don't have jobs. Can't have it both ways. Be nice to your visitors and create an income or be jerks and cause them to move on and be broke. I wouldn't float in that river anyhow. Since a lot of these people on the Gazette are nasty to "outsiders" and "fibs" find somewhere else in Wisconsin to go there are many prettier areas.

tristanbru>> where were you slandered or defamed? The article did nothing to slander you. People reacted to your own comments you made here, not what was in the article about you.

RIVERMASTER>> The property owners probably weren't there because they clean up the river all year round. They live on it--they clean their properties!! If you're cleaning the river to get a thank you, then you're doing it for the wrong reason.

martialartistmelissa>> Well, don't we all live with public land close to our land? Sidewalks, roads, parks, schools etc. Just because these people have public property that happens to be a river, doesn't mean they should have to put up with things others would not put up with. If I had someone standing on the sidewalk outside my home drinking, screaming and throwing garbage in my yard--I would probably complain too.
And I don't see where anyone says it's ALL of those who use the river that do this. I'm sure the reporter asked what sort of problems they've had and they told them. Just like when they report on drunk drivers--they report on the accidents but don't imply that every person who drives a car is drunk.

In law, defamation (also called calumny, libel (for written words), slander (for spoken words), and vilification) is the communication of a statement that makes a claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may give an individual, business, product, group, government or nation a negative image. It is usually, but not always,[1] a requirement that this claim be false and that the publication is communicated to someone other than the person defamed (the claimant).Related to defamation is public disclosure of private facts, which arises where one person reveals information that is not of public concern, and the release of which would offend a reasonable person. "Unlike [with] libel, truth is not a defence for invasion of privacy."[2]

Whoa.
tristanbru: You need to get a grip. The article spoke highly of you guys- you were abiding the rules and telling the opposing side of the story- how it's a fun, relaxing, unique activity that you came to do. It's a fun pic of you all, as well. No one has any idea why you are posting so offensive and defensive comments. ??? If you hadn't started commenting, things would be fine... You've opened Pandora's Box now though.

The *other* side of the article talks about the not-so-great issues of having a popular river. It is what it is. And the article actually PROMPTED us to make group plans to go next weekend. ha. I think the PR about this may make it an even MORE popular weekend activity this summer.... Which is irony at it's best. :-)

THANK YOU HANNAH!!! Reading the artical I would have thougt - wow its a good thing that people like tristan are still around to help out when others are selfish. After redign his comments Im thinking hmm another selfish person who aparently cant read....

maybe I cannot read but here is a quote from the article
"Tristan Brubaker, Chicago, and Nicki Gaulke, Machesney Park, Ill., floated the river on the Fourth of July with about a dozen friends. They packed food, soda and beer in coolers for their float.

The group was careful not to litter, Brubaker and Gaulke said, and they carried their garbage out with them."


THEYRE NOT TALKING ABOUT YOU!!

Take it easy Tristanbru.....you are doing the exact thing you are accusing the Gazette of doing. Lumping all Wisconsinites together in a bad light due to one article that doesn't even portray you in a negative way. Lighten up. Go South next year and stay off our free highways.

Get off my lawn too!

To add what martialartistmelissa (my girlfriend) said: To all the upset land owners along the suger river, I would like to say sorry that you are unhappy with us and the rest of the tubers and canoes. I was at the suger river spring clean up this year !!! Where were you ?? That cleanup is organized by a man named Frank! He is from Illinois by the way !! Again where were you ? There were only a couple of young kids there and a couple of the regulars who go on the river cleaning it up!! Again where were you ?? We are on the river starting in April thru October. I go by the tubes and get the cans and trash from them all the time. They always say thank you. Where is my thank you for the help that I give? I am not seeing it from you with the comments you left in this article. I go down the river with a couple that owns and lives on the river in Albany. So not all the property owners have a problem with canoers and tubers only a couple!!!

This is not what I wanted to do today. I thought when the reporter was taking our names I thought he was just wrighting a story on how people were spending there 4th of july. Not on litter and loud behavor on a river, I live no where near. But then open this artical to find my group and myselp lumped right along with local underage children. Who apprently vandlize and drink on privite land. Yes there were people drinking in my group, and Yes they were 21. Yes at times they were loud. Last time I checked that was not breaking any law though. No one drove drunk. In fact there were a few in the group that did drink at all. Now have to defend my actions to you, who are you to judge me. Did I vandlize your proptery? Did I Break any law? NO. I'm very angery with the Janesville Gazett For putting me in the position. I was commenting about how nice the area was and thanking people for the great time we had. They twisted this story to make conflict And put us in the middle. Sad story, Sad reporting, and apprently sad hot headed locals. I'm sorry too. for ever talking to that reporter, or even wasting my time going tubing down that god awful river. This whole deal has soured my thoughts about your people and your state. You can ask anyone around that knows me. I'm one of the most nonthreating fun to be around guys, who would give you the shirt of my back. I treat everone one well, but you people have twisted everything I've said or done into something wrong. I'm sorry If I offened any one, but I've gotten the shaft thew this whole deal.

I read the article again to see why Tristan was getting so defensive. I honestly do not see where it shows you and your friends in a bad light. Your comments, however, do.

My boyfriend and I have a perm campsite at a campground located on the sugar river. We literately canoe this river EVERY saturday and sunday from april-october. First off I would like to say that I find it disgusting the number of individuals who use this river for their enjoyment but yet do not respect it. We pick up trash the ENTIRE time we are out there, and not only our own! We have also trained our children, who are almost always with us to do the same. Also, we encourage the tubers to load all their empty cans and trash into our canoes so that it does not eventually start floating away! I think the landowners along this river sound as if they think that EVERYONE that uses this river destroys it and should just be shot. The truth is that most of us are just as upset if not MORE upset than you are! No matter what event(s) go on anywhere, there is always going to be people that will get drunk and stupid...that is America my friends. Most of the people however are only there to have good time, hang out with friends and meet new people. As far as the person that had a bike thrown into the river, that was ONE person, not EVERY person, and you should keep that in mind. As far as the noise,...until this is happening in the middle of the night or after 9pm, there is NOTHING you can do about the noise...other than MOVE! With all do respect, you landowners do chose to live with PUBLIC land in your backyards and as unfortunate as it is that some can not behave, it continues to be your choice to stay where you are. As for my friends and I, we will continue our tradition of canoeing the river and also picking up all the trash we see. We will NOT enter the backyards of any residents and throw personal belongings into the river, and we WILL as we always do remind those who aren't respecting nature that they shouldn't destroy the very thing that not only have they come to love, but as also became their source of weekend fun! Also, I don't appreciate being labeled a drunk just because I canoe down this river on the weekends with a bunch of underage idiots who can' control themselves!

tristanbru-> It's pretty bizarre that the article puts you in a positive light, but your comments make you seem to be the biggest jerk this side of the equator. As far as I can tell, you are exactily the type of FIB that should stay out of WI.

Tristanbru: Please don't think all Wisconsinites are awful or that we don't appreciate your enjoyment of our resources. The bottom line is that a few bad apples always, and will always, ruin it for the rest of the people. We can all attest to that at all of our work places and anything we enjoy doing. I think The Gazette did a respectable thing; they brought this problem to people's attention. Hopefully, those that are being irresponsible stop doing so, and those that are enjoying it responsibly continue to do so. From what I understand, you are in the latter in group.

tristanbru>>If you feel my comment was insulting, then I'm sorry. But, mature people rarely threaten to steal things, throw them in the river and then wish death/destruction upon others. I never said you had anger issues. Somewhere inside of you, you must understand how those who live along the river must feel. If your party went through quietly, didn't litter and were respectful--then the comments made weren't about you, let it slide. If you were breaking laws, etc then yes, it pertains to you. My thoughts are if I read this article, I would think Yep that Tristan went down the river and didn't litter, were respectful, etc--good for him and his friends. But, then I read your comments and it puts everything in a whole different light for me. Maybe your just angry--then be constructive and mature about it. Or else any good that may have come from your point of view has completely vanished.

Go ahead close the river see If i care I don't live there. There Are plenty of places for me to go tubing in my home state. Hey Didn't Wisconsin Rate 1# in D.U.I deaths in the country a few years back. Take a look at your selves before you comment on outhers. By the way there is not one photo of me hold a drink of any kind.

Oh I forgot, the river will flood, it always has and it always will. Ain't no big deal.

tristanbru-> If you spent more time in school rather than floating down a river, perhaps you'd make a little more sense.

916WI and tritranbru, I am relaxed, and I never said that others could used the river. All I said was it used a nice clean little river. Since there are more people than there were 40 years ago, of course the river is going to see more use. More people = more trash, in and on of the water.

So are you also a shink too, Are you going to help me with my anger issues? My maturity issues? Are you going to do anything but make yourself a target for someone with too much time on his hands? Hey why not come up with a stupid come back. I can trade insults all day people.

I did. My comment was about your statements and how they reflect on you. You want others to believe you didn't litter and were respetful. Fine, I can accept that. What others are pointing out are what others beside you do--you do understand that? My other comments were based solely on what you said--threatening to throw a child's bike in the river and wishing a flood upon us. Does not speak well of your maturity level.

Did you even read the story?

tristanbru>> A nice show of your maturity again.

God I pray for a flood for your Area!

tristanbru>>well, isn't it lovely that you threaten that you'd come back and throw a child's bike back into the river? That about tells us your level of maturity. I doubt the shops and stores will miss your money or your attitude. I can see why the landowners complain~they shouldn't have to put up with drunks littering their property. I don't think they'd complain if people used the river and were respectful. You were there for fun for a short time, this is where they live ALL the time. All they want is people to clean up after themselves and be mature. Not too much to ask. We all live in this world together, if we'd all learn to give a little more respect we'd all be happier.

I do feel bad for kids, who are getting less and less space where they can blow off steam. I know they're obnoxious, but they're going to have a lifetime of having to exercise control. Can't we come up with some middle ground here?

Thank you janesvill Gazette For dragging me into this. Please delete my comments from your story, along with all photos of my tubing friends. If I had known that talking to you would have caused me so much greif I would have told you to buzz off. As for your land owners I was respectiful of your rights and this is how you treat visters. Untill now had nothing bad to say about your area. Now I can honeslty say your shops and stores will never see anouther dollar from me. As for all the vandislim, I it wasn't a four hour drive I'd come steal your son's bike and throw it in the river myself. You reap what you sow gentalmen, you spread hate thats what you'll get back ten fold.

Homeowners buy a pellet rifle shoot a couple of holes in each tube let the tubers swim a couple of miles .

It appears to me the whole issue (complaint) began because of inappropriate behavior. It's true, so many people especially younger ones, are simply wild and refuse to show maturity. Just reading this article, I side with those who are upset. But I would hope that the river activities can continue. People need to behave themselves, if they don't want complaints.

I bet that 99% of all trash in the river is beer cans or bottles from the canoes tipping over. Its not that people try to litter it just one of those things that happen. These land owners complain but what about the gas stations and other local stores that are bringing in extra money from the tubers and canoer's in their town. Times are tuff right now and atleast people are still spending what extra money they can. The city of Albany and Broadhead should be happy. Now the one thing I don't aggree with is the people that are vandalizing land owners stuff. Thats just plain un-called for. These people should be arrested and fined. Now the other problem is how are the gonna be caught? Maybe some type of survailance should be put in along the river or by the land owners area.

wish our "welcome to wisconsin " sign had a toll booth for all the illinois flatlanders that come to wisconsin.

"I've lived on the river now for more than 40 years," O.I.C. your the poor sap you see on the news wineing and complaing about how the flooded river runed your home, and how some we should feel sorry for you. But thats where you chose to live, "on the river" Why, because you like the view. And dam anyone else that might want to enjoy it. "It's my river" makes me wish for high water. I have no pitty for you. If you don't like people move to the desert. You won't find to many people out there to bouther you.

Timbo...you just need to relax and count to 10. More and more people are going to canoe/tube down the river every year. Everytime my group has gone, we might get a little loud, but it's all in good fun and we always take our cans out with us. Sure, there's always a very small percentage of the tubers/canoers that might cross the line, but don't condemn 95% of the people based on the actions of that 5%. The river is public property and has always been open to these types of activities. You're either going to have to learn to live with it or move......

It may be legal to consume alcohol, but is not legal to be under the influance. You can be cited for drunk driving in a boat or innertube, a bicycle, or even on a horse; the reason being you are not in control of the vehicle, form of conveyance, or the animal.

partarican - because tubes, canoes, and kayaks are non-motorized, it is legal to drink while navigating them.

Trust me, we ain't gonna miss your "extra" money.

" Your last sentence probably just brought smiles to all of those residents' faces. They want fewer people tubing." Then they also won't miss all extra money my friends and I spent in your local shops and gas stations. Welcome to Wisconsin, have fun, spend money. Just not in our backyards.

Sounds like a destination vacation for lower income fibs who can't afford the dells or something...

It would seem this would target only those who chose to drink and do drugs, not all tubers, canoers and kayakers. Drinking on the water is as illegal as drinking on the road. If people had more respect for the fact that alcohol is a powerful drug, we would have less problems like this and many others. Maybe Doyle should enact an alcohol tax, like the cigarette tax, to make it more expensive and more difficult to purchase.

As long as people aren't making noise at night, I see no problem with people being loud and having fun on the river as long as they clean up after themselves. Folks should give the Kickapoo River a shot, it runs through most uninhabited land with hundreds or canoeists and kayakers on any given weekend - most being loud and rowdy and having a great time!

Do you remember being young and having fun? Oh you must of been the perfect one that never got loud or had any fun. That makes for a crabby old person.

If done responsibly this is a fun summer past time for many adults of drinking age. I 100% agree with the concerns of litering and tresspassing (even chuckled about the teen getting zapped on the electric fence) but comeone, Wisconsin is dull enough this is a great escape and alot of fun on these hot summer weekends. Also the couples we have randomally met along the river have always been respectful and good natured. Its a shame a few bad apples brought negative plublicity to this summer pasttime.

clean the up the mess? (photo captions)

I've lived on the river now for more than 40 years, grew up fishing, canoing and swimming in the Sugar. The river did change when the campgrounds and the tube rental site opened. It got dirtier, noisier and allot more crowded and in the last ten years it has grown a whole lot worse. Gotten so I really only use it in spring and the fall anymore, when the water is cooler and fewer idiots are on it. Too bad it used to be such a pretty little river.

How noisy should you be? Tubing and having conversations shouldn't bother anyone. If you're being rowdy on the river, then you don't belong.

tristanbru: LOL! Your last sentence probably just brought smiles to all of those residents' faces. They want fewer people tubing.

In this artical pictures of our floating group was used, and I was even quoted in this story. I feel like our group was singled out. All of our group was of drinking age, most married with children. We stayed on the river and near the banks, At no point did our group go on to private land. We also trucked out all garbage we collected. I think it sad that a small group of land owners can't not tolrate the noise for two months out of the year. And site the small groups of loud youths as a source of pollution, to try to close the river for outside users. After reading the negtive spin that was placed on our group, I will think twice before tubeing here again.

I live in Brodhead area and the river has always been used to tube and canoe down. Yes, its also known to be a good place to drink while floating down. Most do pick up the trash and watch their language. With the campgrounds and all the out of towners now here, it has turned into a tourist destination and most from Illinois have no respect. Dont get me wrong..not just Illinois, but it seems to be the majority of the people with no respect.

pat~ have you seen any town in wi, it's all taverns!?!?

Don't liter you lazy jerks. How lame do you have to be to litter into a river?
As for the drinking and partying, it is just as legal as supporting your local tavern. Dangerous, yeah maybe, but not as dangerous as the thousands of sixteen year old drivers on the roads.

Hard telling how many of age drinkers give to the under age also, not hard to do once out on the river. I'm sure the parents would love to see the pictures put up on the supermarket board and seeing their kids in a picture with a beer in hand, but a good idea.

Have you ever been to Albany??? That's all they have is bars..

SarahB1........ Excellent point. I never would have thought of that. Seriously. I should have, but I didn't. Not sure how many taverns sit along the shores of the Sugar River, but for some certain idiots, my guess would be one too many.

If these fools want to drink and drown themselves, then have at it. I feel for the residents in the area, but I have an additional concern: How many of these floating drunks climb out of the river and into their cars to continue their drunken voyage down our roads?

Homeowners along the Sugar River should start taking pictures of unruly/drunk/loud/obnoxious and/or trespassing river floaters, and S & B Tubing in downtown Albany should allow said pictures to be posted in some conspicuous area of their business, so that trashy people that might behave like idiots and throw garbage in the water or steal from or vandalize a homeowners property know they will be noticed. It could be called "The Wall of Shame"
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We dealt with people like this when we lived over near Alpine Valley Music Theatre, and it just grows so, so tiresome.
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People have to start showing some respect if they want any in return. And be aware that I am not condemning ALL river tubers. Just the ones that get all boozed up and act like total morons.