Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Just what is Small Business Saturday and why should you support it in the Racine area?
Big name national retailers take the spotlight on Black Friday as their deep price cuts pull in shoppers in droves. What about those mom-and-pop businesses all over the Racine-area and beyond that are the backbone of America’s economy? Just when do they get their day? That’s basically the question that was asked back in 2010 when the concept of Small Business Saturday was born. Small Business Saturday is “a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities,” the U.S. Small Business Administration explains on its website. American Express gets the credit for founding the shopping holiday, which got its official start on Nov. 27, 2010, according to the Small Business Saturday Facebook page. Celebrating its …
Sunday, November 18, 2012
This mother-daughter team specializes in cake pops—two-bite pieces of pure delicious—plus whoopie pies, cookies, cupcakes and more to satisfy any sweet tooth.
If you love cake - and really, who doesn't? - then you'll love cake pops from Dessert Heaven. A cake pop is a two-bite piece of, yes, dessert heaven, that comes in four standard flavors from the mother-daughter team of Vernetta Smith and Heaven Muse of Racine. Customers can choose from strawberry lemonade, red velvet, birthday cake or triple chocolate. "I was at a wedding show last year when I had my first cake pop," Smith said. "And, it just wasn't very good. I knew I could do better so I got started looking up how to bake them and experimenting with flavors." Smith's core business strength is as an event planner, especially dessert tables for weddings and corporate events. "I've always loved weddings, but not really for myself," she …
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Check out some of the top Racine-centric pages available on Facebook.
The following list is in no particular order. Know a really great Racine-related Facebook page missing from the list? Tell us in the comments section!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Some Racine County residents have organized their own Friday pizza event to protest an announcement from Papa John's that the chain will reduce employees' hours and raise the price of pizza to pay for the Affordable Care Act.
A group of Racine County residents is inviting, well, everyone to participate in "Local. Pizza. Friday." this Friday to send a message to Papa John's owner John Schnatter. Schnatter recently announced he will raise prices on pizza and reduce employee hours to balance out increased costs associated with the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. But a story at Forbes.com says that the $100 million company will only see a .4 to .7 percent increase in healthcare costs for employees working 30 or more hours a week as required by the ACA. To support the employees of Papa John's, and to try send the chain a message, some local residents, including Patch columnist Heather Rayne Geyer, are organizing a day to eat at locally owned pizza …
Four Case High School basketball players take their rapping from old school to new school after being on hiatus for several years.
Racine-area rap group Ball Star has come back for an encore with their song, “I’m On,” which is a sampling of the song "Return of the Mack" by Mark Morrison. Tom Tuttle, Tim Conley, Justin Christensen (JY), and Jesse Booker started rapping together when they all played basketball for Case High School in the late 1990s and early 2000s. They started making CDs in 2003 as a hobby and since then, they’ve made four CDs as a group. While producing their latest song, they realized that even though their lives had changed and the songs they were rapping had changed, their friendship hadn’t skipped a beat. “If you had four pieces of rope with knots tied at the ends and you threw it the air, each rope is going to go it’s own way, but they all start …
Monday, November 12, 2012
Creamy grilled cheese sandwiches, a signature pancake recipe and proprietors who want to know customers by name are all part of the charm of Kiss the Cook.
Kiss the Cook is not a short-order cook kind of restaurant where catching a quick bite is all you need. Instead, it's a homey, comfortable diner where each dish is prepared from scratch and to order. The restaurant opened in July at the corner of Taylor and Durand Avenues because the timing, owner and Sturtevant native Kookie Niemiec said, was right. "My dream was to open a coffee shop with four or five tables," she explained. "But one morning I was taking my grandkids to school and this building had a 'for rent' sign so I thought, 'Well, why not?' I didn't want to say 'shoulda, woulda, coulda' in a few years." Kiss the Cook is a family affair where the proprietors want every customer to feel like family. Almost every position manned at …
42.69697
-87.81772
2920 Taylor Ave, Racine, WI
/articles/great-food-from-scratch-signature-of-kiss-the-cook
/locations/8132538
Local business improvement district leaders say a thriving small business climate makes the whole community stronger, but it takes support from residents, the government and business owners to make things work.
Thriving businesses are one-third of a triumvirate of a vibrant community. “You need good schools, a quality housing stock and a solid commercial area,” said Tim Ryan, president of Shorewood’s Business Improvement District. Ryan is invested in all three. He and his family live in Shorewood, his daughter goes to school in Shorewood and he is the president and owner of Harleys: The Store for Men on Oakland Avenue in Shorewood. Small businesses line the commercial corridor that runs east and west along Capital Drive and north and south along Oakland Avenue, Ryan said. “Unlike many small communities, our business district is spread out on two thoroughfares.” Small businesses, like Harleys, are invested in a community the way national chains …
Local baseball and softball players can stay on their game at Starting 9 in Mount Pleasant.
The weather's turning frightful so baseball and softball players are looking for an indoor home where they can keep their skills sharp. In Mount Pleasant, Starting Nine Baseball Academy, 6201 Regency West Drive, is welcoming local ball players with open arms, including one in the pros. Nate Mikolas, an outfielder in the New York Yankees organization, is using Starting Nine this offseason to prepare for spring training. Mikolas, who was drafted in the third round in last year’s MLB draft out of Bradford High School, likes the atmosphere at Starting Nine and how owner Jim Broadway makes teaching fun. “I picked Starting Nine as my place to hit during the offseason because it has everything that I need to prepare myself for spring training,” …
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Veterinarian Ed Susmilch has bought the practice. He will be the fourth owner of the practice, which began in 1915.
An old veterinary practice in Franksville will have a new owner. Veterinarian John Fritsche bought the Franksville Veterinary Clinic, 10203 Northwestern Ave., in 1967; he retired in August. Now, veterinarian Ed Susmilch has bought the practice and he’ll be the fourth owner of the practice, which began in 1915. Susmilch graduated from veterinary school in 2001 at the University of Illinois, worked for a veterinary practice for a year and served in the military for three years. He bought Prairie Side Veterinary Hospital in Kenosha five years ago. He had been looking for years to buy a second practice, and he found the Franksville-based veterinary clinic. “I loved this clinic,” he said. “The people here are nice and it’s a nice practice. …
42.75821
-87.90965
Franksville Veterinary Clinic
10203 Northwestern Ave, Franksville, WI
/articles/97-year-old-vet-clinic-has-new-owner
1602997
/locations/8119733
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Friends and neighbors are invited to a spaghetti dinner to help a long-time Wells Bros. employee tackle his mounting medical bills.
Community stalwart Wells Brothers Pizza is hosting a spaghetti dinner for Larry Gaulke, a longtime employee with a growing pile of medical bills. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 25, diners can enjoy a plate of the restaurant's famous spaghetti (homemade sauce and meatballs!), salad with their signature homemade Italian dressing and their well-known bread (with butter, of course). "Larry has been a server in Racine for years, but he's been with us for over seven years," said co-owner Paula Wells Huck. She said Gaulke has had a couple of strokes and even suffered a heart attack. He is now home from the hospital recovering, Huck said his daughter reports. "He was told to lay low, but anyone who knows Larry, knows that is hard for him," she added…
C. Sanders
9:25 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
Just ordered 60 pops (4 flavors) mounted on 2 themed display stands for our family and guests to enjoy at Thanksgiving. If these pops are as tasty as the nice helpful woman that took my order ..... Ahhhhh, life is good. more ›