Ktown Connects

On this episode we connect with Ben DeSmidt, co-owner of Union Park Tavern as well as serving as our 65th District Assemblyman and Art Debaere, owner of Champions Sports Bar, 17th District Alderperson, president of the Kenosha Tavern League and a representative for the Wisconsin Tavern League. Although these two may differ poltically, they are both local tavern owners who are involved in politics and on this special “Kenosha Conversation” episode, we dig deep into the local issues which our commuity faces every day. 

This episode was recorded on April 10, 2025 at the Better Call Parise Recording Studio in Downtown Kenosha – call on the Law Offices of Frank J. Parise when your bad day gets even worse! 

The Ktown Connects hotline is open! Visit us at ktownconnects.com, click on the phone and leave us a message telling us about the last great meal you had in Kenosha! 

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

Your hosts are Donny Stancato and Jason Hedman 

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

Drop us an email at [email protected] 

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! 

Ktown Connects is brought to you by: 

About Time Moving Systems 

Casey Family Options Funerals & Cremations, 3016 75th St 

Dickow Czak Tile Carpet One, 6403 75th St 

Shannyn Franklin – ReMax Elite 

Public Brewing Company 628 58th St 

Carbox, 1750 22nd Ave 

Franks Diner, 508 58th St 

Aason Hunzinger of AHDidIt 

Union Park Tavern, 4520 Eighth Ave. 

A+ Mobility, 2324 18th St 

The Port of Kenosha Beverage House, 705 50th St 

Faded Barbershop for Men, 2227 63rd St 

Lucci’s Grandview 6929 39th Ave 

Lakeshore Pedal Tours, 5001 Simmons Island Dr 

Alpaca Art, 4326 Seventh Ave 

White Lilac, 5029 Sixth Ave 

Sallese & Co, 709 56th St 

Wink Beauty Boutique, 10909 Sheridan Rd 

Ron’s Place originally opened back in 1972, long before Tony and Emily Vole were even born. But this couple purchased the business last year and are looking forward to continuing providing Kenosha with their delectable 5x5 burgers, their world famous Long Island Ice Teas, and their wonderful hospitality and exceptional customer service. 

Ron’s Place, 3301 52nd Street opens at 11am daily. Find out more HERE! 

This episode was recorded on April 7, 2025 at the Better Call Parise Recording Studio in Downtown Kenosha – call on the Law Offices of Frank J. Parise when your bad day gets even worse! 

The Ktown Connects hotline is open! Visit us at ktownconnects.com, click on the phone and leave us a message telling us about the last great meal you had in Kenosha! 

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

Your hosts are Donny Stancato and Jason Hedman 

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

Drop us an email at [email protected] 

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! 

Ktown Connects is brought to you by: 

Union Park Tavern, 4520 Eighth Ave. 

About Time Moving Systems 

Casey Family Options Funerals & Cremations, 3016 75th St 

Dickow Czak Tile Carpet One, 6403 75th St 

Shannyn Franklin – ReMax Elite 

Public Brewing Company 628 58th St 

Carbox, 1750 22nd Ave 

Franks Diner, 508 58th St 

Aaron Hunzinger of AHDidIt  

A+ Mobility, 2324 18th St 

The Port of Kenosha Beverage House, 705 50th St 

Faded Barbershop for Men, 2227 63rd St 

Lucci’s Grandview 6929 39th Ave 

Lakeshore Pedal Tours, 5001 Simmons Island Dr 

Alpaca Art, 4326 Seventh Ave 

White Lilac, 5029 Sixth Ave 

Sallese & Co, 709 56th St 

Wink Beauty Boutique, 10909 Sheridan Rd 

We get artsy this week on Ktown Connects as we connect with artist Janette Hill! You might not know it by talking to her, but Janette wasn’t born here in Kenosha – join us as we dive into her past, what brought her to the Midwest and how she fell in love with art. 

Janette is a multi-talented artist – she has illustrated dozens of children’s books, painted backdrops at some of your favorite Kenosha locations, and dives into acrylic painting - creating amazing pieces of bold colors, fun florals, precious pet portraits, and whimsy abstracts.  

Check out Janette’s website by clicking here! 

This episode was recorded on April 7, 2025 at the Better Call Parise Recording Studio in Downtown Kenosha – call on the Law Offices of Frank J. Parise when your bad day gets even worse! 

The Ktown Connects hotline is open! Visit us at ktownconnects.com, click on the phone and leave us a message telling us about the last great meal you had in Kenosha! 

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

Your hosts are Donny Stancato and Jason Hedman 

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

Drop us an email at [email protected] 

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! 

Ktown Connects is brought to you by: 

Aason Hunzinger of AHDidIt 

Union Park Tavern, 4520 Eighth Ave. 

About Time Moving Systems 

Casey Family Options Funerals & Cremations, 3016 75th St 

Dickow Czak Tile Carpet One, 6403 75th St 

Shannyn Franklin – ReMax Elite 

Public Brewing Company 628 58th St 

Carbox, 1750 22nd Ave 

Franks Diner, 508 58th St 

A+ Mobility, 2324 18th St 

The Port of Kenosha Beverage House, 705 50th St 

Faded Barbershop for Men, 2227 63rd St 

Lucci’s Grandview 6929 39th Ave 

Lakeshore Pedal Tours, 5001 Simmons Island Dr 

Alpaca Art, 4326 Seventh Ave 

White Lilac, 5029 Sixth Ave 

Sallese & Co, 709 56th St 

Wink Beauty Boutique, 10909 Sheridan Rd 

We continue our Kenosha Conversations series with owners of two of the greatest dive bars in Kenosha – Craig of The Port of Kenosha Beverage House and Hill of Hill’s Hot Rod Hideout. In this episode, these two icons talk about the struggles and benefits of being a bar owner in Kenosha, all while sharing numerous drinks with your hosts. This episode does contain adult language.  

Mark your calendars for these two important summer events: 

Saturday, June 21st – Hill's Hot Rod Hideout 10th Anniversary Party 

Sunday, July 13th – The 5th Annual Port Hot Wheels Grand Prix tournament 

This episode was recorded on March 24, 2025 at the Better Call Parise Recording Studio in Downtown Kenosha – call on the Law Offices of Frank J. Parise when your bad day gets even worse! 

The Ktown Connects hotline is open! Visit us at ktownconnects.com, click on the phone and leave us a message! 

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

Your hosts are Donny Stancato and Jason Hedman 

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

Drop us an email at [email protected] 

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! 

Ktown Connects is brought to you by: 

Franks Diner, 508 58th St 

Aason Hunzinger of AHDidIt 

Union Park Tavern, 4520 Eighth Ave. 

About Time Moving Systems 

Casey Family Options Funerals & Cremations, 3016 75th St 

Dickow Czak Tile Carpet One, 6403 75th St 

Shannyn Franklin – ReMax Elite 

Public Brewing Company 628 58th St 

Carbox, 1750 22nd Ave 

Wink Beauty Boutique, 10909 Sheridan Rd 

A+ Mobility, 2324 18th St 

The Port of Kenosha Beverage House, 705 50th St 

Faded Barbershop for Men, 2227 63rd St 

Lucci’s Grandview 6929 39th Ave 

Lakeshore Pedal Tours, 5001 Simmons Island Dr 

Alpaca Art, 4326 Seventh Ave 

White Lilac, 5029 Sixth Ave 

Sallese & Co, 709 56th St 

Today we connect with Trista Jablonski, the new owner of To and From Gifts, 5535 Sixth Avenue. Trista tells us all about her early days growing up in Kenosha – attending Indian Trail Academy during one of the darkest periods in Kenosha High School history, why she left Kenosha for a few years to pursue a career in youth ministry, and why she returned to her hometown and decided to, with zero retail experience, buy To and From Gift Shop in Downtown Kenosha and make it her own! 

Visit To and From Gift Shop to find that perfect gift for yourself or a loved one! Check them out on Facebook here. 

Trista and her husband are double dippers when it comes to local businesses, she helps out her husband with his business – Reliant Home Services, check them out if you are in the need of handyman repair work! 

This episode was recorded on March 24, 2025 at the Better Call Parise Recording Studio in Downtown Kenosha – call on the Law Offices of Frank J. Parise when your bad day gets even worse! 

The Ktown Connects hotline is open! Visit us at ktownconnects.com, click on the phone and leave us a message telling us about the last great meal you had in Kenosha! 

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

Your hosts are Donny Stancato and Jason Hedman 

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

Drop us an email at [email protected] 

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! 

Ktown Connects is brought to you by: 

Shannyn Franklin – ReMax Elite 

Franks Diner, 508 58th St 

Aason Hunzinger of AHDidIt 

Union Park Tavern, 4520 Eighth Ave. 

About Time Moving Systems 

Casey Family Options Funerals & Cremations, 3016 75th St 

Dickow Czak Tile Carpet One, 6403 75th St 

Public Brewing Company 628 58th St 

Carbox, 1750 22nd Ave 

Wink Beauty Boutique, 10909 Sheridan Rd 

A+ Mobility, 2324 18th St 

The Port of Kenosha Beverage House, 705 50th St 

Faded Barbershop for Men, 2227 63rd St 

Lucci’s Grandview 6929 39th Ave 

Lakeshore Pedal Tours, 5001 Simmons Island Dr 

Alpaca Art, 4326 Seventh Ave 

White Lilac, 5029 Sixth Ave 

Sallese & Co, 709 56th St 

What came first the singing or the suits? Well, you can find out this week when we connect with the smooth dresser with the captivating voice – Jim Namio.  

Jim has been a lifelong creator -- whether it was writing as a child while listening to film soundtracks, developing into a nationally recognized acrylic artist in high school, or making fabulous meals while working at some of Kenosha’s iconic restaurants.  

A few decades ago, Jim, never known for his singing, decided to give karaoke a try and fell in love with recreating the soulful sounds of Sinatra and the like which he grew up surrounded by.  

These days, Jim rarely gets out on karaoke nights, as he has grown to become an amazing entertainer establishing a classic nightclub environment with The Jim Namio Show – for an evening of Rat Pack sounds with the smooth voice of Jim Namio -  Follow him on Facebook for all the details on where he will be this season! 

For more sights and sounds of Jim, and booking information, visit his website here! 

This episode was recorded on March 10, 2025 at the Better Call Parise Recording Studio in Downtown Kenosha – call on the Law Offices of Frank J. Parise when your bad day gets even worse! 

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

Your hosts are Donny Stancato and Jason Hedman 

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

Drop us an email at [email protected] 

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! 

Ktown Connects is brought to you by: 

Carbox, 1750 22nd Ave 

Shannyn Franklin – ReMax Elite 

Franks Diner, 508 58th St 

Aaron Hunzinger of AHDidIt 

Union Park Tavern, 4520 Eighth Ave. 

About Time Moving Systems 

Casey Family Options Funerals & Cremations, 3016 75th St 

Dickow Czak Tile Carpet One, 6403 75th St 

Public Brewing Company, 628 58th St 

Wink Beauty Boutique, 10909 Sheridan Rd 

A+ Mobility, 2324 18th St 

The Port of Kenosha Beverage House, 705 50th St 

Faded Barbershop for Men, 2227 63rd St 

Lucci’s Grandview, 6929 39th Ave 

Lakeshore Pedal Tours, 5001 Simmons Island Dr 

Alpaca Art, 4326 Seventh Ave 

White Lilac, 5029 Sixth Ave 

Chelsea Sallese of Sallese & Co, 709 56th St 

Smile and say “CHEESE!” Today we connect with Michael Ventura of Mars Cheese Castle. Michael, who runs this iconic Kenosha business with his family, is the grandson of the late Mario Ventura Sr, who along with his wife Martha, started up a little cheese shop over 75 years ago! 

In this episode we get into all the details about the history of Mars Cheese Castle – going back to their Uptown Kenosha roots back in 1946! Along with how Michael grew up in “the Castle” and how he eventually got involved in the family business. 

If you are unfamiliar with Mars Cheese Castle, you really need to get out of the house more often. They are located under their iconic sign near the intersection of I-94 and Highway 142, check out their website here! 

This episode was recorded on March 10, 2025 at the Better Call Parise Recording Studio in Downtown Kenosha – call on the Law Offices of Frank J. Parise when your bad day gets even worse! 

The Ktown Connects hotline is open! Visit us at ktownconnects.com, click on the phone and leave us a message telling us about the last great meal you had in Kenosha! 

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

Your hosts are Donny Stancato and Jason Hedman 

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

Drop us an email at [email protected] 

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! 

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. 

About Time Moving Systems 

Casey Family Options Funerals & Cremations, 3016 75th St 

Dickow Czak Tile Carpet One, 6403 75th St 

Carbox, 1750 22nd Ave 

Public Brewing Company 628 58th St 

Wink Beauty Boutique, 10909 Sheridan Rd 

A+ Mobility, 2324 18th St 

The Port of Kenosha Beverage House, 705 50th St 

Faded Barbershop for Men, 2227 63rd St 

Lucci’s Grandview 6929 39th Ave 

Lakeshore Pedal Tours, 5001 Simmons Island Dr 

Alpaca Art, 4326 Seventh Ave 

White Lilac, 5029 Sixth Ave 

Sallese & Co, 709 56th St 

The Inaugural Eric Olson Memorial St Patrick’s Day Parade is coming on Saturday, March 15th, and with all the details we have three of the event organizers in the studio with us – Kevin Ervin of Franks Diner, Mick Kelly of Captain Mike’s and Jonathan Olson of Swedes’s. 

Saturday, March 15th activities in Downtown Kenosha: 

7am Franks Diner opens serving up Irish food specials 

8am Captain Mike’s opens, serving Irish breakfast sandwiches 

8:30am Dyeing of the harbor 

9am Swede’s opens, serving breakfast burritos 

10am Guiness Beer Run – kicks off at Captain Mike’s 

11am The St Patrick’s Day Parade kicks off at 50th Street moving south along 6th Ave to Library Park 

Block parties at Captain Mikes, Swede’s and Cut Stone 

1pm Children’s Parade outside of Swede’s 

3pm The Craic – Irish band, playing at the Captain Mike’s block party 

Click here for more details! 

Also in this preview episode for Season 7, check out a sneek peek of all of our fantastic Ktown Connects sponsors for this upcoming season!  

Ktownconnects.com 

Learn all about the history of the Ktown Burlesque Show from co-creator, co-producer, and one of the stars of the show - Eric Houghton - in this special mini-episode recorded at the Rhode Center for the Arts.

The 10th Ktown Burlesque show is coming to the Rhode Center in Downtown Kenosha for six amazing performances: Friday, January 17th at 8pm; Saturday, January 18th, two shows, 7pm and 10pm; Friday, January 24th at 8pm; and two shows Saturday, January 25th, 7pm & 8pm.
Get your tickets now for this unique show that promises to be a great time!
www.ktownburlesque.com

Jason and Donny already have their table purchased for the 10pm show on Saturday, Jan 18th. If you got your tickets for that showing, hit us up and pre-game with us at one of our favorite local pubs!

If you have seen some of the beautiful hand-painted signs around Kenosha, there is a good chance that the steady hand behind that sign is none other than Kenosha artist Dean Tawwater! 

After growing up in Kenosha and discovering a love for art, Dean branched out and explored the US, but like most of us, he returned to his beloved hometown where he began taking his art seriously, renting out studio space and hosting his own art shows both in Racine and in Kenosha, where he focused on his art passion – figure drawing. Eventually, in order to make a living, he opened his former art studio at 2214 60th Street as Tawwater Sign Company. His work can be seen at numerous local places, including Franks Diner and Union Park Tavern! 

Click here to visit Dean’s website to see his past work and contact info on how he can make your local business come to life with new hand-painted signage.  

This is our Season 6 finale! Thank you so much for your support throughout a great 2024 and we are excited to return in 2025 with an all new Season 7!

This episode was recorded on Friday, November 8th at the A+ Mobility Recording Studio – home of Ktown Connects!  

Thanks to our great sponsors for making this episode possible:  

Casey Family Options Funerals & Cremations, 3016 75th St 

Law Offices of Frank J. Parise, 7001 30th Ave 

Franks Diner, 508 58th St 

Shannyn Franklin – ReMax Newport Elite 

Aason Hunzinger of AHDidIt 

Union Park Tavern, 4520 Eighth Ave. 

About Time Moving Systems 

Public Brewing Company 628 58th St 

Vintage Underground, 5817 Sixth Ave 

Wink Beauty Boutique, 10909 Sheridan Rd 

The Port of Kenosha Beverage House 

RockIt Optical Eyewear, 815 57th St, 2nd floor 

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

Drop us an email at [email protected] 

Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, 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!