Journal Times staff

Today's logo

Ten-year-old Faith Allen, a student at Wisconsin Lutheran School, sent in today's logo with butterflies and flowers. Thanks, Faith!

'We Can Sell It on

eBay Store'

Racine's Donna Nelson wants to know if there's a "We Can Sell It on eBay Store" in Racine, Kenosha or somewhere else nearby. Anyone out there know? Get in touch!

USA pencils

Easterday Office Equipment & Supply Company weighed in on the issue of finding pencils not made in China. Dave at Easterday said Dixon Ticonderoga pencils are made in Mexico by a U.S. company. Dave said it's a quality pencil. While many stores may carry cheaper pencils, the Dixon Ticonderoga is the best. Thanks, Dave!

Paper shredding

We asked about paper shredding in Tuesday's GYA. A few readers replied with Merchants Moving on State Street in Racine. It costs 12 cents per pound, with a minimum charge of $12, for Merchants to shred and dispose of documents. Call Merchants at (262) 631-5680 for more information.

Reader KT let us know about Complete Shredding Solutions at 6510 West Layton Ave. in Milwaukee and Parcel and Business Solutions at 8032 22nd Ave. in Kenosha. For more information, call Complete Shredding Solutions at (414) 282-9761 and Parcel and Business Solutions at (262) 654-8000.

Pritchard Park

The Grosse's offered their take on the eerie night noise coming from Pritchard Park:

"I'll bet you a kringle that the noise heard at Pritchard Park is a fledgling great horned owl. Several years ago we had this strange noise during the night, at this time of the year, coming from the woods between our house and the Root River. Our grandson was staying overnight in an east bedroom that faces the woods. Shortly after going to bed he came flying out of the bedroom and said, "There is an old lady calling for Hank." That is what a fledgling great horned owl sounds like. A drawn out "Haaannkkk!" We have a CD of bird songs and it has the call of a fledgling great horned owl, and that was the sound we were hearing. Our favorite kringle is almond!"

I have lived in the North now for 18-plus years. Being a native Texan, I was raised on sweet tea. Growing up, we always had a batch brewing on the stove and a gallon pitcher in the refrigerator just right for drinking. When you went to a restaurant and ordered a tea down home, sweet tea was the normal tea and you had to specifically ask for "unsweetened" if you wanted it. This inquiry is twofold: 1. Why is sweet tea a Southern staple (and so foreign here); and 2. Are there any restaurants in the Racine area that serve sweet tea?

GYA writer Janet Petrik tracked down some information on sweet tea. Here's what she found:

There are two traditional iced teas in the United States. The only variation between them is sugar. I spoke to Joe Simrany, president of the Tea Association of the USA in New York City, and if anyone would know about tea it would be Joe.

He says it all comes down to regional preferences: Boston beans, Philly cheese steak, Maryland crab cakes, Wisconsin brats and southern sweet tea. Joe believes that habit, the environment and warm weather gave the south a taste for the cool, sweet beverage.

Another theory is presented on http://www.teamuse.com. In the relatively poor south, most folks could not afford the luxury of the expensive tea leaf, but found that, when mixing it with sugar (which was plentiful in the South at the time - Louisiana was the country's biggest producer), they had created an inexpensive means of extending the amount of tea.

I was luckier with the second question of your inquiry. Laticia Crenshaw, manager of Wilber's BBQ Restaurant at 515 Sixth St. in Racine, says that after serving canned Nestea for a while she realized that she and her customers preferred authentic sweet tea, and it is now made and served at the restaurant. Thanks, Janet!

What is

Glad You Asked?

GYA seeks answers to your questions and answers to our questions. Have a question or an answer? Contact us at (262) 631-1758, or write us at: ask@journaltimes.com or: Glad You Asked, c/o The Journal Times, 212 Fourth St., Racine, WI 53403.