Ktown Connects

If you recall our episode with Alvin Owens (ep.82, May 2022), you will remember the national field trips Owens organized for Bullen students to learn more about their own heritage and the history of our nation. Well, one of those kids Owens mentored at a young age has branched out to become a mentor of his own! 

DeShaun Foster, a lifelong Kenosha native, was thinking about ways to get involved in the community and got the idea of opening a coffee shop from his young daughter. After a warm up stint doing a pop-up at the Owens’ Regimen Barber Shop Collective, DeShaun opened up his very own coffee shop – Blak Coffee – in Downtown Kenosha earlier this year. 

Blak Coffee, 5615 Seventh Ave., is open 7am – 3pm Tuesdays – Saturdays, click here to visit their Facebook page to see what’s new! 

This episode was recorded on October 23, 2023, at Luigi’s Pizza Kitchen, 7531 39th Avenue 

Ktown Connects is brought to you by: 

Shannyn Franklin – ReMax Newport Elite
Franks Diner, 508 58th St
Aason Hunzinger of AHDidIt
Union Park Tavern, 4520 Eighth Ave.
ROAR – Be heard
Lucci’s Grandview 6929 39th Ave
Wink Beauty Boutique, 10909 Sheridan Rd
Hydn Cheese
Public Craft Brewing Company 628 58th St

Get your Ktown Connects merchandise at The Lettering Machine, 725 50th St. 

Drop us an email at [email protected] 

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and at ktownconnects.com 

Theme song performed by Dropping Daisies, written by James “Red” McLeod. 

Your hosts are Donny Stancato and Jason Hedman 

Get additional episodes early and ad-free, along with bonus material with this week’s guest and more great exclusive material by becoming a patreon supporter! Click here for more! 

While growing up in Kenosha, twin sisters Brenda and Becky talked about owning a business together someday. After visiting a paint-your-own pottery studio in Michigan, Brenda brought the idea back home and her sister was on board 100%.  

Their own paint-your-own pottery studio, Alpaca Art, which has continued to grow, and is now located at 4326 Seventh Ave. Alpaca Art is a great spot for people of all ages to paint your own beautiful master-piece! 

For more info, click here to visit their website, alpacapottery.com 

This episode was recorded on October 9, 2023 at Luigi’s Pizza Kitchen, 7531 39th Avenue 

Ktown Connects is brought to you by:
Lucci’s Grandview 6929 39th Ave
Shannyn Franklin – ReMax Newport Elite
Franks Diner, 508 58th St
Aason Hunzinger of AHDidIt
Union Park Tavern, 4520 Eighth Ave.
ROAR – Be heard
Wink Beauty Boutique, 10909 Sheridan Rd
Hydn Cheese
Public Craft Brewing Company 628 58th St

Get your Ktown Connects merchandise at The Lettering Machine, 725 50th St. 

Drop us an email at [email protected] 

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and at ktownconnects.com 

Theme song performed by Dropping Daisies, written by James “Red” McLeod. 

Your hosts are Donny Stancato and Jason Hedman 

Get additional episodes early and ad-free, along with bonus material with this week’s guest and more great exclusive material by becoming a patreon supporter! Click here for more! 

Since he was a kid trying to stay awake listening to the radio for 24 hours straight, Pete Serzant had a dream of becoming a radio personality. Straight out of high school, he began taking steps to achieve his dream and now has the morning drive segment at AM1050 WLIP - Kenosha's premier local radio station.
We chat it up with Pete about growing up in Kenosha, working his way up the ladder at WLIP, and try to get some dirt out of him regarding past and present co-workers!

This episode was recorded on October 9, 2023 at Luigi’s Pizza Kitchen, 7531 39th Avenue 

Ktown Connects is brought to you by:
ROAR – Be heard
Lucci’s Grandview 6929 39th Ave
Shannyn Franklin – ReMax Newport Elite
Franks Diner, 508 58th St
Aason Hunzinger of AHDidIt 
Union Park Tavern, 4520 Eighth Ave.
Wink Beauty Boutique, 10909 Sheridan Rd
Hydn Cheese
Public Craft Brewing Company 628 58th St 

Get your Ktown Connects merchandise at The Lettering Machine, 725 50th St. 

Drop us an email at [email protected]
Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and at ktownconnects.com
Theme song performed by Dropping Daisies, written by James “Red” McLeod.
Your hosts are Donny Stancato and Jason Hedman 

Get additional episodes early and ad-free, along with bonus material with this week’s guest and more great exclusive material by becoming a patreon supporter! Click here for more! 

This audio is the full-length version of the YouTube video interview Donny conducted with Union Park Tavern owners Ben DeSmidt & Angie Cook.

Come out to Union Park Tavern this Saturday for a day of Oktoberfest fun!

Bar opens at 9am! Serving brunch
1pm MGV Harmonia serving their authentic German food
3pm ceremonial keg tap kick-off!
4pm The Hungry 5 Brass Band
4:30 Dachshund races
6pm Stein-hoisting contest
7pm Ms Oktoberfest contest
8pm Pieptone (music inside)

Sunday 
9am Traditional German Brunch served!

Bryce O’Boyle and friends sat in Pennoyer Park on a beautiful day a few years ago and started daydreaming about hosting a music festival at our fantastic band shell. Many others have surely sat there and thought similar things, but Bryce and his crew came through on their vision by launching the Love Your Community non-profit organization and their first Beach Front Arts Fest in the summer of 2021. The third annual event will be this Saturday, July 22nd from noon – 11pm at Pennoyer Park and will feature a day full of live music, awesome art vendors, delicious food trucks, and even a beer tent. Admission is free, so come out this weekend for a glorious day on Kenosha’s lakefront! 

This episode was recorded on July 17th at Luigi’s Pizza Kitchen, 7531 39th Avenue 

We’ll will be taking a little time off to enjoy our summer – Ktown Connects will return with all new episodes in September! Thank you for listening! 

Ktown Connects is brought to you by: 

Union Park Tavern, 4520 Eighth Ave. 

ROAR – Be heard 

Lucci’s Grandview 6929 39th Ave 

Shannyn Franklin – ReMax Newport Elite 

Franks Diner, 508 58th St 

Aason Hunzinger of AHDidIt 

Wink Beauty Boutique, 10909 Sheridan Rd 

Hydn Cheese 

Public Craft Brewing Company 628 58th St 

Get your Ktown Connects merchandise at The Lettering Machine, 725 50th St. 

Drop us an email at [email protected] 

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and at ktownconnects.com 

Theme song performed by Dropping Daisies, written by James “Red” McLeod. 

Your hosts are Donny Stancato and Jason Hedman 

Get additional episodes early and ad-free, along with bonus material with this week’s guest and more great exclusive material by becoming a patreon supporter! Click here for more! 

One of the newest Downtown Kenosha businesses is Millie Bo Peep, 5720 Sixth Ave. It’s your one-stop shop for all things for babies, toddlers, and kids up to size 10. 
We sit down with Tina and James Warner and talk about their younger years growing up in Kenosha, how their love blossomed over years of friendship, and how they turned their dreams of owning a business in Downtown Kenosha into a reality!  

Millie Bo Peep is open Wednesdays through Sundays and you can see their fine products at their website by clicking here!  

This episode was recorded on June 19th at Luigi’s Pizza Kitchen, 7531 39th Avenue 

We’ll will be taking a few weeks off to enjoy the summer! Ktown Connects will be back with all-new episodes on July 21st! 

Ktown Connects is brought to you by: 

Aason Hunzinger of AHDidIt 

Union Park Tavern, 4520 Eighth Ave. 

ROAR – Be heard 

Lucci’s Grandview 6929 39th Ave 

Shannyn Franklin – ReMax Newport Elite 

Franks Diner, 508 58th St 

Wink Beauty Boutique, 10909 Sheridan Rd 

Hydn Cheese 

Public Craft Brewing Company 628 58th St 

Get your Ktown Connects merchandise at The Lettering Machine, 725 50th St. 

Drop us an email at [email protected] 

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and at ktownconnects.com 

Theme song performed by Dropping Daisies, written by James “Red” McLeod. 

Your hosts are Donny Stancato and Jason Hedman 

Get additional episodes early and ad-free, along with bonus material with this week’s guest and more great exclusive material by becoming a patreon supporter! Click here for more! 

If you get out and experience local music in Kenosha over the past few years, chances are good that you have already caught The Jill Plaisted Band live in action. Jill may be a talented musician and songwriter, but she also has many other attributes that contribute to her being one of our favorite people in Kenosha.  

The Jill Plaisted Band have been delivering their storyteller Americana style all over our area and have a few dates set for this summer: 

July 19th - Lakeside Lounge at Kemper Center 

July 27th - Taste of Wisconsin - HarborPark 

Sept 9 - Union Park Tavern 

Oct 14 Hill's Hot Rod Hideout 

Oct 15 Kenosha Art Market 

We chat it up with the sweet and lovely Jill Plaisted today and fail miserably at getting her to say something bad about anyone or anything! 

“Lights of Vegas” written by Jill Plaisted and performed live in the Ktown Connects studio.  

This episode was recorded on June 19th at Luigi’s Pizza Kitchen, 7531 39th Avenue 

Ktown Connects is brought to you by: 

Franks Diner, 508 58th St 

Aason Hunzinger of AHDidIt 

Union Park Tavern, 4520 Eighth Ave. 

ROAR – Be heard 

Lucci’s Grandview 6929 39th Ave 

Shannyn Franklin – ReMax Newport Elite 

Wink Beauty Boutique, 10909 Sheridan Rd 

Hydn Cheese 

Public Craft Brewing Company 628 58th St 

Get your Ktown Connects merchandise at The Lettering Machine, 725 50th St. 

Drop us an email at [email protected] 

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and at ktownconnects.com 

Theme song performed by Dropping Daisies, written by James “Red” McLeod. 

Your hosts are Donny Stancato and Jason Hedman 

Get additional episodes early and ad-free, along with bonus material with this week’s guest and more great exclusive material by becoming a patreon supporter! Click here for more! 

One of the hottest new spots in Downtown Kenosha is Tavern on Sixth – located at 5712 Sixth Avenue. They offer a full food menu and the best cocktails around which you can enjoy inside their classic establishment, or outside on the curbside or alley terrace. For all you golf fans, check out their golf simulators on the second floor – a great place for private parties and events! Listen in today as we welcome owner Kyle Kavalauskas and general manager Andy Bilski to the show!  For more about Tavern on Sixth, visit their website here and be sure to follow them on Facebook for all the latest updates! 

This episode was recorded on June 6th at Luigi’s Pizza Kitchen, 7531 39th Avenue 

Ktown Connects is brought to you by: 

Shannyn Franklin – ReMax Newport Elite 

Franks Diner, 508 58th St 

Aason Hunzinger of AHDidIt 

Union Park Tavern, 4520 Eighth Ave. 

ROAR – Be heard 

Lucci’s Grandview 6929 39th Ave 

Wink Beauty Boutique, 10909 Sheridan Rd 

Hydn Cheese 

Public Craft Brewing Company 628 58th St 

Get your Ktown Connects merchandise at The Lettering Machine, 725 50th St. 

Drop us an email at [email protected] 

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and at ktownconnects.com 

Theme song performed by Dropping Daisies, written by James “Red” McLeod. 

Your hosts are Donny Stancato and Jason Hedman 

Get additional episodes early and ad-free, along with bonus material with this week’s guest and more great exclusive material by becoming a patreon supporter! Click here for more! 

A few years back, Anna Pitts and her sister were enjoying a drink at Harborside Common Grounds, a Downtown Kenosha hub of caffeine overloads and social activity for 22 years. Like many of us do, they had a little dream of what they would do if they ever owned their own coffee shop. Little did they know at the time, when Common Grounds closed last fall, Anna and her family jumped at the opportunity to carry on the tradition of delicious drinks, delectable pastries, and scrumptious sandwiches along our beautiful Kenosha harbor with the opening of Anna’s on the Lake, 5159 Sixth Ave! But wait, there’s more! At Anna’s, you can enjoy an alcoholic beverage of your choice on the triple tiered deck and grab a brat or hot dog from their grill!  

We sit down with Anna and talk about how her life led her to this career and much more! 

Follow them on Facebook here to stay up to date with all their upcoming plans and summer hours! 

Do you enjoy Kenosha history, check out this story written about the history of their building written by Ktown Connects’ own Jason Hedman! 

This episode was recorded on June 6th at Luigi’s Pizza Kitchen, 7531 39th Avenue 

Ktown Connects is brought to you by: 

Lucci’s Grandview 6929 39th Ave 

Shannyn Franklin – ReMax Newport Elite 

Franks Diner, 508 58th St 

Aason Hunzinger of AHDidIt 

Union Park Tavern, 4520 Eighth Ave. 

ROAR – Be heard 

Wink Beauty Boutique, 10909 Sheridan Rd 

Hydn Cheese 

Public Craft Brewing Company 628 58th St 

Get your Ktown Connects merchandise at The Lettering Machine, 725 50th St. 

Drop us an email at [email protected] 

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and at ktownconnects.com 

Theme song performed by Dropping Daisies, written by James “Red” McLeod. 

Your hosts are Donny Stancato and Jason Hedman 

Get additional episodes early and ad-free, along with bonus material with this week’s guest and more great exclusive material by becoming a patreon supporter! Click here for more! 

For decades, he has been the master of Kenosha public access – beginning back with Jones Intercable, then to Warner cable, and Time Warner. Today he holds the title of Media Coordinator with Kenosha Community Media – a group which has kept our television sets (and now our website) LOCAL - with amazing programing like Dr. Destruction's Crimson Theater and live events like the upcoming parade on July 3rd. 

Kenosha Community Media operates out of the Kenosha Public Library Southwest Branch, 7979 39th Ave and still broadcasts over cable – now on Spectrum. Non-Spectrum users can watch the KCM channel on your ROKU device by downloading the free Kenosha Community Media channel, or just visit their website here to see what’s playing! If it’s at 5pm on Sundays or 11am on Wednesdays, you’ll hear the Ktown Connects Podcast, and you could hear Jason Rimkus’ episode – how weird would that be? 

We had a great time talking to Jason about growing up in Kenosha and how he found his way into the media world. The full conversation with Jason was over 2 hours long and has been edited for your listening enjoyment – to hear the full episode unedited, become a patreon supporter at www.ktownconnects.com.  

This episode was recorded on May 8th at Luigi’s Pizza Kitchen, 7531 39th Avenue 

Ktown Connects is brought to you by: 

ROAR – Be heard 

Lucci’s Grandview 6929 39th Ave 

Shannyn Franklin – ReMax Newport Elite 

Franks Diner, 508 58th St 

Aason Hunzinger of AHDidIt 

Union Park Tavern, 4520 Eighth Ave. 

Wink Beauty Boutique, 10909 Sheridan Rd 

Hydn Cheese 

Public Craft Brewing Company 628 58th St 

Get your Ktown Connects merchandise at The Lettering Machine, 725 50th St. 

Drop us an email at [email protected] 

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and at ktownconnects.com 

Theme song performed by Dropping Daisies, written by James “Red” McLeod. 

Your hosts are Donny Stancato and Jason Hedman