Posted: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:00 am
What happened to the Racine Yellow Cab? Nobody answers the phone.
It's still around, but service has been cut back since Abdul Hafiz bought it from the City of Racine in early 2006.
Hafiz said he's down to one taxi. Driver Beverly Holmes, who typically answers the calls herself, said she takes fares each day from 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
If business improves, Hafiz said he'll add more cabs. The hefty liability coverage the city requires him to carry, and competition from drivers who aren't licensed to work here, are tough to overcome, he said.
Call 634-2222 to request a cab.
Someone flies a small, single-engine airplane in the airspace roughly over Interstate 94 and Highway 20, doing dives, stalls and other aerial acrobatics, for what seems like hours. Any idea who this is and why he or she does this?
It could be Mike Vaknin. The Illinois man is one of a handful of aerobatics pilots who train in this part of the state.
Vaknin flies a plane called an Extra 300 in competitions around the country. The question writer mentioned he sees the pilot up there regularly. That's a necessity to maintain muscle memory, Vaknin said.
"If you train at least two flights a day, you usually can roll into a contest without any additional work," he said.
Vaknin flies out of the Kenosha Jet Center. He said he trains east of I-94 a couple of days each week and elsewhere on other days, "trying to spread the noise between a lot of locations so I don't get angry neighbors".
All of the training must be sinking in. Vaknin said he's 4-for-4 this year in aerobatics competitions and takes his unbeaten streak to the national championship this weekend in Dallas.
What business is operating out of the old Rainfair building on South Memorial Drive?
Tom Sollman, owner of Gallo Manufacturing, responded via e-mail that his company has been at that location since April. You might remember him as a former Racine alderman.
"We had two plants prior to the move," Sollman wrote, "and now we have combined both locations into one."
The firm will lease out its old space on 6 Mile Road, according to Sollman.
Gallo is probably best-known for manufacturing kits for bird-feeders and birdhouses. It also does "contract packaging, warehousing, distribution … as well as our Easy-Lock zipper bag sealer," Sollman wrote.
How does a person apply for welfare?
To be technical, that would require time travel. The term "welfare" fell out of favor with reform efforts in the 1980s and '90s.
Residents interested in signing up for the W-2 program have a few options, said Susan Fergus of the Racine County Department of Human Services.
For one, they can apply in person at one of the agency's two locations in the county:
Racine, 1717 Taylor Ave., between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays
Burlington, 209 N. Main St., between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays
They can also call (262) 638-6500 to get the process started. Applicants have to go through an assessment process to see if they qualify, but Fergus said anyone 18 or older with a minor in his or her care can get in the door.
To see what documents you need to bring when applying for W-2 or other assistance programs, go to http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/w2/
Mike Moore compiles the Glad You Asked column, which seeks answers to questions of local interest. Want something answered? Call us at (262) 631-1758 or e-mail: ask@journaltimes.com