Get to Know KAC at Rest Area #26
Traveling from Illinois to Wisconsin on Interstate Highway 94, one might notice the historical “Welcome to Wisconsin” road sign. To get up close and personal, just stop by Pleasant Prairie’s Rest Area #26. Visitors from near and far enjoy visiting to recharge on long drives and to learn more about Kenosha area must-sees. Here, KAC’s janitorial and maintenance team is hard at work keeping its 28 acres and over a mile of sidewalks up to award-winning standards.
Since 1990, KAC has maintained this site in conjunction with Wisconsin’s Department of Transportation Rest Area Maintenance Program (RAM). In addition to the day-to-day custodial and landscape care, our team also completes preventive maintenance, repairs and improvements. An electronic maintenance software helps keep track of these daily tasks and also provides real-time feedback to ensure we are completing the highest quality work possible.
The rest area is an engaging, rewarding opportunity for individuals with special needs to experience community based work while remaining connected to the support and resources of KAC. Tasks vary greatly but can include tidying the bathrooms, clearing outside debris, wiping down windows and doors and much more. Employment at RAM helps individuals learn and improve both technical and soft skills by working together to accomplish exceptional work.
And when we say award-winning, we really mean it. Our work has been recognized with the Inspector’s Award on multiple occasions for consistent high standards, responsiveness and overall team attitude.
The next time you’re nearby, come in to say, “Hi!” and check it all out for yourself!
Beyond Rest Area #26, KAC partners with other locations to provide the same high-quality janitorial and maintenance work. Other sites you will find us at include South East Wisconsin State Patrol Safety & Weight Enforcement Facilities and the Kenosha National Guard Armory. We are proud of our team and the work they achieve day in and day out. Stay tuned for more inside looks at the work we complete.
3 commentsLeave a Comment
very good
thanks, interesting read
Paul and his youngest son drove north with Troop 100 to earn the Engineering Merit Badge. Their itinerary was simple and promising: the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, then “camp” aboard the USS Cobia in Manitowoc.
Along the way, Paul grew drowsy. A stop in Kenosha at Rest Area 26 was his chance to buy a cherry Dr. Pepper and prevent sleep-induced highway death. He peered into his wallet. In the corner sat his annual $2 bill — the one his mother sends each year and he holds onto for luck. It stayed folded there on principle.
The vending machine, of course, took mundane cash; a cherished charm token would be wasted. So Paul improvised. He asked around, fished for change, made a small trade with a fellow traveler, and finally procured the cherry Dr Pepper without sacrificing the lucky bill.
Properly caffeinated, the drive improved.
During their visit to the Harley-Davidson Museum, his son was smitten. He wanted to complete his authentic Hells Angel vibe with a macho H-D T-shirt. That’s when the wallet panic hit. Paul had lost his wallet — license, cards, and a $100 bill — forty minutes south at the Kenosha rest stop. He bolted back to Rest Area 26, but found only wet pavement and disappointment. During his drive to rejoin the Troop, he pondered how that Dr. Pepper had probably led to his predicament. His wallet was gone for good.
Manitowoc’s Maritime Museum and the USS Cobia were waiting. The Troop spent the night on the sub, but Paul continued to worry.
In the morning, Paul climbed into the driver’s seat, and his carload of scouts hit the road.
At 10:20, a text from Paul’s wife jumped across his phone:
“We have Paul’s wallet at Rest Area 26 on the Illinois-Wisconsin state line rest area, it’s with the Maintenance.”
A good Samaritan had found Paul’s wallet and handed it to William “Billie” Pulera, a worker at the Kenosha stop. (He’s also a drummer who — according to his Facebook profile — studies at the “College of Rock-N-Roll Knowledge.”) Billie poked through the wallet’s sparse clues and tried Facebook. When Paul ignored the friend request, Billie messaged Toni. About forty minutes later, Paul pulled into Rest Area 26. But Billie wasn’t there!
Billie was at a Kwik Trip near the Illinois border when a car full of Troop 100 scouts pulled up. Somehow, Billie recognized them. He asked if they knew a “Paul” who had lost his wallet. “I want to make sure he gets it!”
Fortunately, Billie had left the wallet with his coworker, Pedro. When Paul walked into the Maintenance office, Pedro casually handed over the wallet; Paul thanked him repeatedly. Pedro modestly shrugged. Everything was there: driver’s license, cards, and the $100 bill. Paul peeled open the corner, even his lucky $2 bill. It was a rest-stop miracle!
As his carload of scouts rode home with their merit badges and the stink of diesel and submarine grease, Paul carried a different treasure: a restored faith in small miracles: a drummer’s conscience, a maintenance guy’s shrug, a mother’s $2.