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St. Croix Stories aims to highlight the people and places that make the riverside town of Hudson, Wisconsin unique. Hear from local business owners, leaders, and others who contribute to this community in a variety of ways. Whether you're a longtime Hudson resident or someone simply interested in learning more about what this town has to offer, this podcast is for you.
37 Episodes
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The Hudson School District has faced challenges in recent years. From the debate over a new high school to the COVID-19 pandemic that forced schools to go remote, tough decisions had to be made in order to do what was best for the Hudson students. Making those tough decisions isn't always easy, but it's something Jamie Johnson has learned to do as the president of the Hudson School Board.On this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, Jamie joins to talk about his time on the board, how his long...
Seven years ago, Melissa Abdouch had to pivot her career after losing her job in the corporate world. She decided to open Mei Mei's Cookies and Creamery in downtown River Falls, and the store has been a hit in the community ever since.On this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, Mei Mei joins to share more about the origins of her store, the lessons she's learned along the way, and her vision for the future of Mei Mei's Cookies and Creamery. Mei Mei also gives an update on her recent battle w...
The North Hudson Pepper Fest has grown into a weekend-long celebration filled with food, music, a parade, and much more. But it started with humble roots: residents of North Hudson wanted to find a way to raise money to build a new school. That was 70 years ago in 1954, and the philanthropic mindset of Pepper Fest still exists today, with the nonprofit giving back money to the local community. Other parts of the festival has changed as the organizers continue to add new ideas to the event.On ...
Before he even graduated high school, Art Doyle had made a business out of repairing bikes. A modest bike repair business outside of Stillwater High School eventually led Art to opening his own bike shop downtown Hudson. Forty years later, Art Doyle's Spokes and Pedals remains an integral part of the Hudson community — and cycling remains a big part of Art's life. On this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, Art shares more about his earliest memories of riding and repairing bikes, discu...
There's something special about being able to pick and eat your own farm-grown fruit. That's exactly the experience you'll get if you head east of Hudson just a bit to visit White Pine Berry Farm, where Greg and Andrew Zwald (known to regulars as Farmer Greg and Farmer Andrew) have continued to grow their U-pick operation since opening in 2012.On this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, we're heading to the farm to sample some fruits and learn all about the history of White Pine Berry Farm —...
At the height of the pandemic, Amy Thurston started going a bit stir crazy and decided to do something with the Hudson history books she had at home. Amy launched the Historic Hudson, WI Facebook page to share about the town's history — the people, places, and events that shaped the town over the past 150-plus years. Four years later, the page continues to be a big hit as the daily posts get hundreds of interactions and dozens of comments from both Hudson natives and those who more recently m...
For five years, Val Aune owned and operated not one but two successful stores downtown Hudson. She became the owner of La Rue Marche in 2012, and five years later opened The Bees Knees, a gift shop that sells something for just about everybody. Val eventually sold La Rue Marche in 2022 to focus on The Bees Knees, and she has become a leader among the downtown business owners.On this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, Val joins to share about what it was like to first take over La Rue Marche...
If you were going to start your own food truck, what would you serve? For Hudson resident Derek Hom, the choice was simple: waffles. After the birth of his son, Derek quit his job to launch Wilder Waffle Co., a food truck serving delicious waffles in Hudson and the surrounding area. Since taking the leap of leaving his corporate job, Derek hasn't looked back. His schedule now allows for more flexibility with his family, and his waffle truck remains in demand in the community.On this wee...
There are several great non-profits in the Hudson area helping residents with various challenges, and two of them will soon be under the same roof to better serve their clients. The Hudson Area Backpack & Food Program will be joining Operation HELP in the same facility as the two long-standing organizations will now have more space to operate.The Hudson Area Backpack & Food Program began in 2007 as a way to ensure kids at Hudson schools had enough food to eat, and has since grown to s...
A lightbulb clicked for Matt Darnold when the Hudson native attended a Pride Festival in Hastings, Minnesota: why couldn’t something like this take place in his hometown? So Matt set out to create Hudson Pride Co., which last year hosted the first annual Valley Wide Pride Fest at Lakefront Park. The goal was to offer a safe space to members of the LGBTQ+ community in the St. Croix Valley area and to promote inclusiveness and acceptance. The event is back for a second year, and Matt joins...
If you're like me, you sometimes don't feel like cooking dinner (or don't have time) but you still want a home-cooked meal. That's where Hudco To Go comes in. As a newer arrival to the Hudson food scene, Hudco To Go offers home-cooked meals that you can bring home and heat up. Chef Ben Jung and his wife Hannah opened Hudco to Go downtown Hudson earlier this year, serving up sandwiches and salads in addition to freezers full of take-and-bake items. On this episode of St. Croix Stories, Be...
Four years ago, Tera Busker suffered a boating accident that caused her to be hospitalized for more than a week. While celebrating the 4th of July on her family's pontoon, a boat sped through a no-wake zone and ended up causing Tera and her niece to get pulled under the pontoon. Tera suffered multiple injuries when the propeller hit her under the water, causing her to eventually be airlifted to a nearby hospital.In the four years since her accident, Tera has become an advocate for boate...
Every year for the past 21 years, the Hudson Community Expo has brought together local businesses and organizations under one roof, giving residents a chance to learn more about these groups and network with others in the community. This year's event was held on May 5th at Hudson High School and featured dozens of businesses, non-profits, and craft vendors. This special episode of the St. Croix Stories podcast features short conversations with 10 different groups at this year's Hudson Co...
May is National Foster Care Month, so on this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, we hear from foster care advocates on why this service is so important. First, Kelsa Wirth, a community support coordinator for high acuity foster care in several counties in western Wisconsin (including St. Croix County) shares more about the high acuity foster care program and the need for homes for youth in the program. She also details the support that families who participate in the program receive.We then...
As a kid growing up in Hudson, Pete Foster recalls the food scene in town being good, but not great. Fast forward many years later, and Pete's three restaurants — Barker's Bar & Grill, San Pedro Cafe, and Pedro's Pizza Lounge — have all played a big part in helping transform the restaurant scene downtown Hudson into something special. On this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, Pete and I sit down at the newly-rebranded Pedro's Pizza Lounge for a conversation about life as...
1Jess and Jonathan Pressley, owners of Ember and Bean Roasting Co, have a slogan they abide by at their shop: great coffee takes time. The coffee sold at Ember and Bean is indeed great, and an order at the shop might take a bit more. But the wait is worth it.On this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, we're talking coffee with Jess and Jonathan, who fell in love with the idea of roasting coffee when they visited a coffee farm while on a trip to Peru in 2017. Jess experimented with different r...
Throughout her life, Angel Duratti has had plenty of pets. But she wasn't allowed to have any as a kid, even though she loved animals. Once she and her husband Al got their first dog together, Angel's love of pets grew to a new level — and the couple eventually opened Angel's Pet World in Hudson.More than 20 years since opening the pet store, Angel has learned a lot about running a pet store and has developed great relationships with many pet owners in the area. It's easy to see her passion f...
Rick Reams' life came full circle when he and his wife purchased what eventually became known as RJ's Meats in 1987. It not only brought Rick back to Hudson after spending four years in the Air Force, but he was taking over the store he worked at as a high schooler — known then as Jim's Meats. More than 35 years later, Rick has built RJ's into a state of the Hudson community.Rick joined this week's episode of the St. Croix Stories podcast to share more about his journey to owning RJ's, discus...
Jill McNamee became a realtor at an interesting time in the real estate world — during the 2008 housing crisis. But while many realtors were leaving the industry, Jill was just getting started. She knew that making connections would be valuable as she built a name for herself, so she did what she could to meet as many people as possible in the Hudson area.Today, Jill works alongside her husband and their son in the real estate world, but she also keeps busy with other side projects that ...
The already impressive food scene in Hudson was made even stronger with Rick and Nichole Frazer opened Black Rooster Bistro in the old Winter Stube space in 2022. The timing was right for Rick — the former chef at The St. Paul Grill — and Hudson native Nichole to fulfill Rick's dream of opening a restaurant in the town in which he lived.On this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, Nichole and Rick talk about the journey that led them to opening Black Rooster Bistro — a journey that began...
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