FOND DU LAC – Streetwise news in May came with several positive business stories.
Long-term plans for well-known community spaces — including the Brooke Street train depot and the UW-Fond du Lac campus — have come to fruition, and new businesses have gotten their feet under them in time for summer.
Here are the most-read local stories from May.
The Passenger Lounge features live music in historical train depot
The Passenger Lounge, 105 S. Brooke St., opened over the winter, with live music and events ramping up in the past few months.
The community recognizes the building as the 1891 train depot, which marked a main stop for the Chicago and North Western Railway Company — the most significant rail line in eastern Wisconsin — until 1971.
In addition to visiting music acts, the venue also has resident blues and jazz bands, as well as the Junction Jam band to back up The Passenger Lounge’s version of open jam on Sundays.
PizzaVille was a community favorite on Scott Street
The most-read “Remember When …” story of the month centered on PizzaVille, a community favorite restaurant on Scott Street for about 40 years.
Don and Donna Jacques grew the business from a pizza-only establishment to a full-service restaurant with a buffet. Droves of customers ordered pizza for both dine-in and delivery, though other favorite dishes included the broasted chicken and the fish fry.
PizzaVille changed hands in 2015 and closed a couple years later. Now, the building is occupied by Colombian restaurant Hys Sazon Colombiano.
Local nurse shared his career experience at SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital
The latest in a series of career features followed Registered Nurse Adam Nelson, who works in the Resource Pool at SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital.
The career choice came to him from providing in-home care to two elderly women, leading him back to school and eventually to St. Agnes. Here, he’s found from his experience working multiple floors that it “takes a village” to provide care to each patient, including through cross-department collaboration to provide individualized care.
He’s proud of his colleagues for the team they’ve all built, as well as the positivity they spread through St. Agnes.
Readers listed the worst roads in Fond du Lac County
Following a callout for Fond du Lac County’s worst roads in terms of quality, one stretch of road came up time and again: Division Street between North Marr Street and South Park Avenue has been called “one solid pothole.”
Some readers also named any road in Ripon, but especially State 23 on the city’s east side.
The Big Garlic chose Fond du Lac for its second location
The Big Garlic opened at 213 S. Main St. in April with burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, milkshakes and more. It expanded from its Stevens Point roots, bringing with it the $5 bottomless Point Root Beer on tap with chilled mugs.
Owners Desiray and Tony Rockweit originally started the business in 2022 and quickly earned a reputation for the food, including the garlic-buttered buns and house potato chips.
While they originally started on the tails of the COVID-19 pandemic, some aspects of the restaurant are self-service, including ordering and getting drinks and condiments. The staff will bring the food out and are happy to help with ordering or grabbing things for customers.
Fond du Lac County Campus showcases transformation
The Fond du Lac County Campus offered community tours in May, including the Prairie Theater & Event Center, Fond du Lac County Public Safety Training Center, FCC Sports Complex, and the county Land and Water Conservation and Human Services departments.
The UW-Fond du Lac campus closed in June 2024, and County Executive Sam Kaufman had the help of a team within the county to quickly figure out how to use the campus to honor the community and fulfill its biggest needs.
The history of the school, which has been in the community since the 1960s, is showcased throughout the campus.
Daphne Lemke is the Streetwise reporter for the Fond du Lac Reporter. Contact her at dlemke@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Top Fond du Lac stories from May include new event venues, restaurant
Reporting by Daphne Lemke, Fond du Lac Reporter / Fond du Lac Reporter
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