PodPaca

PodPaca is teaming up with the ARTicipation Week festivities hosted by the Waupaca Community Arts Board to bring you an episode that is all about the arts! We first talk to Poet James Hamilton who is currently touring around the midwest. He shares his new poem "Beat" and why poetry means so much to him. We then talk to Create Wisconsin's Anne Katz who tells us about the current state of arts in the state of Wisconsin, her fight for more government funding, and how she helps both small towns and large cities grow their art scenes throughout the state. 

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PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake.

Ali From Iola is the marketing director of the Iola Car Show. Iola Car Show 2024 is from Thursday July 11th - Saturday July 13th. Ali tells us how a town of 1300 people has one of the largest car shows in the country and how she feels emotionally connected to her newer automotive family.

PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake

New episodes this July and August with more updates to come!

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From Tokyo, Japan to Ithaca, New York and everything big and small in between, today's guest has done it all in the past three years. Masaki Mitsuhashi grew up in Tokyo, Japan and then made the move to the United States for college. He currently is a senior at Ithaca College and is working on his senior thesis film. We discuss his senior thesis film, his journey from Tokyo to New York, and how fashion has impacted his life.

Link to the Crowdfunding page for Masaki's Senior Thesis Project
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/thesis-fashion-film-ten-and-gun-generation#/

Also please email [email protected] with any concerns or questions regarding the crowdfunding link and Masaki's Senior Thesis Project.

PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake

This episode is a bit different than most because instead of focusing on a person or occupation, we are focusing on a central part of a small town. We discover three perspectives of what it's like to work on Main Street in Waupaca, Wisconsin after the pandemic and after a year of road construction in 2021. 

We first talk to Penny Harper who works at Knight Barry Title and is a Waupaca Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassador. We then talk to Megan and Mike Swisher who own the gift shop Huck and Finn. Huck and Finn is  the newest business out of the three perspectives we talk to. Lastly we talk to Emily Murphy who is the co-owner of The Nutrition Center, a vitamin shop and organic grocery store. The Nutrition Center has been on Main Street for about 50 years. 

PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake

DISCLAIMER: Strong adult themes that may be disturbing for some listeners including self harm. 

Today Joe Drake talks to the author of Climbing Out of Darkness: A Personal Journey into Mental Wellness Mike Jacquart. They discuss Mike's personal journey through anxiety and depression, how important men's mental health is, and how to properly handle your mental wellness. This very important and greatly needed discussion about men's mental health also features what small town listeners should do and what needs to be done to share awareness of this issue. You can find Climbing Out of Darkness: A Personal Journey into Mental Wellness on Amazon!

PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Terri Schulz has been the president of the Waupaca Area Chamber of Commerce for over 30 years. She shares her journey and vast experience in the Chamber of Commerce world! After that we hear once again from Author Greg Biba whose new book Accused: The Witch Trial of Margaret Faust is available now! Get Greg Biba's new book on Amazon or in a number of shops in Waupaca, WI including Bookceller, Northern Home, and more! 

PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake and Tim Drake.

Expect new episodes once or twice a month.

The Bethany Home in Waupaca, Wisconsin is celebrating their 125th anniversary this summer! We talk to Sally LeComte (Director of Admissions and Marketing) and Shannon Schuelke (Director of Health Services) about their experiences working at Bethany, the history of Bethany, and how the Bethany Home is so unique compared to other retirement homes. The Bethany Home is deficiency free in 2023 and helps thousands of people every year in central and northeast Wisconsin.

PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake and Tim Drake. Thank you to our listeners for listening to our small town podcast! Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and on whatever podcast platform you are listening on. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram to stay up to date on everything PodPaca! 

Marissa Younger is the Wisconsin Coddiwomple who has a travel vlog on Instagram that is one of the largest rising stars in Wisconsin travel blogs/vlogs in 2023! She comes on PodPaca today to share her backstory, what makes small towns in Wisconsin so great, and advice for those who also want to share their adventures with the general public!

PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake and Tim Drake and is sponsored today by Farmers State Bank and Northern Kitchen. Thank you for sponsoring! 

Water Skiers Cassandra Moloney, Mindy Vitucci, and Riley Werner are all part of the Waupaca Chain Skiers Waterski Team. We learn more about how you get started as a water skier, how Covid affected water skiing, and how being on a team gives you skills for later in life! Thanks again Waupaca Chain Skiers for being on the show. Their first show of the 2023 season is on Sunday June 18th at 3pm at the Wisconsin Veterans Home in King, WI. 

PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake and Tim Drake. PodPaca is sponsored by Farmers State Bank.

PodPaca, the podcast that shines light on small town folks, makes its return with 2 guests back to back that impact their small community in very different ways!

Greg Miskinis is the one of two people to receive the top 4 awards from the American Foundry Society. Greg Miskinis is the only person to receive these awards for his work with iron while the other multi-award winner was awarded for his work in aluminum. Greg retired back in 2020 from the Waupaca Foundry and receiving the AFS John H. Whiting Gold Medal last April was a great way for his career in metallurgy to be given the recognition it deserves.

Sue Abrahamson has been in charge of Waupaca Area Public Library Children's Department for over 25 years! Being a children's librarian in a small community can be tough since many families depend on the library for summer activities similar to how families rely on a Boys and Girls Club or a YMCA. What is it like being a librarian who has to not only plan many activities each week during the summer for kids but also encourage and educate kids about life through reading? Listen to find out!
Waupaca Area Public Library Summer Library Brochure Link: https://waupacalibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2023/06/2023-Summer-Schedule-Pamplet-1.pdf

PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake  with his father Tim Drake who both love their small-town community they live in! 

PodPaca is sponsored by Farmers State Bank. Thank You For Sponsoring!