Thirsty Perch

06/11/2026

𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐮𝐩, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞 “𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐰,” 𝐬𝐨 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐲: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐲. 𝐈𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.

Last season, they did not need to deny anything.
I had no choice in the process — they had every choice in the outcome.

Chapter 125 is clear: 𝐌𝐀𝐘 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐲 is not 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐲.

A board member even told me, “I feel bad for you, but if you would just remove Steve…”
There is 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐰 that requires removing an LLC member.
We met the statute.

They also said I “didn’t work with them,” while also saying they 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 talk to me.
Those two statements don’t match.

We qualified under the law.
They chose to deny anyway.

06/10/2026

Some have asked about last night's meeting here is the recorded version.

06/10/2026

Tonight broke something in me that I didn’t expect.I walked into that meeting prepared, calm, and ready to use my two‑minute public presentation — the same two minutes every citizen is allowed — to explain why the denial of my license was based on a completely wrong reading of Chapter 125. I was doing exactly what the process allows.

But the moment I mentioned the Village Clerk posting about my business under fake Facebook accounts, everything changed. I was cut off, yelled at, and told I was “out of order.” My two minutes were taken away the second the truth became uncomfortable for them.
And then we moved into the denial discussion, where they continued insisting that every LLC member must “qualify,” even though the law clearly says only the agent must qualify. Members are disclosed, not judged. It’s right there in the statute, but they refuse to read it.I left that meeting feeling defeated, disrespected, and honestly heartbroken. I’m tired of fighting a village that should be supporting small businesses, not tearing them down. I’m tired of
I’m tired of being treated like the problem when all I’m doing is asking them to follow the law.

But I’m not giving up. I can’t. I’ve come too far, and the truth matters too much.

06/07/2026

I hate having to bring this to Facebook, but I feel I’ve been left with no other choice.

Over the past week, I’ve made multiple good-faith attempts to work cooperatively with the Village of Iola regarding my liquor license application. On June 1, I reached out respectfully asking for clear guidance on what was needed to move forward and expressed my willingness to meet any reasonable expectations.
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Email sent to Village 6-1

On June 4, I followed up again—this time formally requesting that the Village identify the specific legal reasons for their position and what, if anything, is actually preventing approval.
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Response to their lack fof response

To date, I still have not received a clear answer.

I’ve been told by my attorney that the Village is “willing to work with me,” but their actions do not reflect that. While there is a pending legal matter they cannot discuss, they can communicate about the licensing issue—and they are choosing not to.

Instead, what I’ve been told is that as long as one individual (Steve) remains part of the LLC, approval will not happen. This does not align with Wisconsin law, which clearly states that an LLC only needs one qualified agent to meet licensing requirements.
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Response to their lack fof response

There has also been an attempt to characterize past issues as alcohol-related offenses. That is simply not accurate. The records show traffic matters—not alcohol-related violations—and any prior allegations resulted in dismissal, not conviction.
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Response to their lack fof response

Even more concerning, a video that did not lead to any conviction is being used to justify their position. That raises serious concerns about fairness and due process.

I cannot understand how denying someone the ability to run a business—especially someone who is disabled and relies on this livelihood—benefits anyone: not the individual, not the Village, and not the community.

This needs to stop.

I am asking for transparency, fairness, and accountability.

👉 The Village Board meeting is Tuesday, June 9.
👉 I encourage anyone who cares about fairness, local business, and our community to attend.
👉 Whether you support me or not, the Village needs to hear from the people of Iola.

Even if you don’t live in the Village, your business and support here matter—and your voice deserves to be heard.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to listen and support. It truly means more than you know.

06/05/2026

🎣✨ 𝐅𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐅𝐑𝐘 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐘 = 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄!✨🎣

Oh snap… it’s that night again at Thirsty Perch! 😎

🐟 Dive into our 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐫-𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐤
🍔 Bite into a juicy 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝-𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐝, 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐫
🍕 Grab a slice (or three) of our 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐳𝐳𝐚

And let’s be real… the 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 is ready to keep the good vibes flowing all night long! 🍻💃

Bring your crew, your appetite, and your Friday mood—because we’ve got everything you need to kick off the weekend right! 🎉

👉 Don’t miss it… we’ll be waiting!

05/30/2026

05/28/2026

❤️ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 — 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗨𝗽

I’ve had so many people asking what happened at the working board meeting last night, so here it is — the truth, the frustration, and the reality of what we’re fighting for.They went into closed session… and honestly, I still don’t know why, because we could hear half of what they were saying anyway. From what we did hear, it felt like they were digging for any reason they could find to deny me — and The Thirsty Perch.

Let me be clear 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐍𝐎 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞
The village clerk sad it hasn't been a year yet. It will be middle the of Jume. They forced me to apply as a “new business,” even though The Perch has been here for years and the lawsuit is not settled. The Village clerk stated I checked the records and can't see where you were issued a license last year,

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡
A church that moved in after this building had already been a bar for over 50 years.
A church that already received an exemption last year

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘂𝗽 “𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.”
One was pled down with the Village attorney — I paid the fine, and he told me it would NOT count against our liquor license.
So that leaves one:
A bartender left a gate open on a Sunday.A gate that doesn’t keep minors out.
A gate that doesn’t “protect” anything.
A gate that is basically symbolic — yet somehow they’re treating it like a like a felony.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸
Because I didn’t know whether to mark “new” or “reapplying,” and nobody would help.
Because they don’t give you last year’s paperwork anymore like previous clerks did.
Because I’m human, and I’m doing this alone.Mistakes on a form do NOT make me unfit to run a business.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲:
Other businesses in town got letters and emails telling them to reapply.
Mark Mc Coy and I got NOTHING.
We only found out because another bar owner showed us their letter.That’s not fairness.
That’s not transparency.
That’s not how a village government should treat its people.

𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐤 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 —
Good.
Because legally, I’ve done nothing wrong.
There is no ordinance preventing me from applying.
There is no violation that disqualifies me.
There is no reason — other than personal feelings — to deny us.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 “𝗻𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲.
But here’s what I do know:

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗲
This is about our livelihood.
Our employees’ livelihood.
Our community.
Our music.
Our gathering place.
Our history.
Our future.Even our Village President said, “Let’s hit the reset button.”
Well — this is the moment to actually do that.If we want to heal this village, if we want to stop the division, if we want to move forward together, then we need to start by supporting the places that bring us together.And like it or not, The Thirsty Perch is one of those places

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗵, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄
Call your trustees.
Email them.
Talk to them.
Tell them what YOU want for your village.They are elected to represent you, not personal grudges, not selective enforcement, not behind closed doors opinions.We’re not asking for special treatment.
We’re asking for fairness.
We’re asking for consistency.
We’re asking for the chance to work, to serve, to rebuild, and to be part of this community again

❤️ 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻 — 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿.
Let’s stop the double standards.
Let’s stop the silence.
Let’s bring back the music, the laughter, the community, and the heart of this village.The majority of Iola wants The Thirsty Perch open.
The majority wants the music back.
The majority wants healing — not more division.It’s time to speak up.
It’s time to stand together.
It’s time to bring The Perch home

President Jennifer Schustek
Phone: 920-636-5119
E-mail: [email protected]

Jim Rasmussen
Phone: 715-445-8280
E-mail: [email protected]

Aaron Messier
E-mail: [email protected]

Alan Bauer
Phone: 715-570-1894
E-mail: [email protected]

David Harper
Phone:715-445-3769
E-mail: [email protected]

Pamela Parks
Phone: 715-445-4234
E-mail: [email protected]

Mike Richberg
815-821-1810
E-mail: [email protected]

They will vote at the June Meeting 6/9/26