THE COMMUNITIES OF
Howard & Suamico L I V E ◆ S H O P ◆ D I N E ◆ P L AY ◆ S TAY ◆ L I V E ◆ S H O P ◆ D I N E
JUNE 2015
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Howard & Suamico
June 2015
Howard-Suamico a great place to live, work & play
Story by Meghan Diemel / photos by mike peters
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uring the 2010 census, the combined population for the villages of Howard and Suamico was just shy of 29,000. It’s become a booming area for business, with many developments in progress and recently completed. It’s also home to the decorated Howard-Suamico School District, which serves approximately 6,000 students in eight schools and 10 community-based four-year-old kindergarten sites.
Burt McIntyre has been the president of the Village of Howard for eight years. He says one of the biggest attributes for the village is that it’s a wellserviced community. “The infrastructure and the roads are well kept and they keep working on that,” says McIntyre. “They take care of the businesses and it’s a clean community. And, it’s a reasonable community costwise to live in. We have a great range of homes and mixed development that people can choose from.”
Established as a village in 1959, Howard was first known as the Town of Howard in 1835. The area was originally settled by trappers and named Duck Creek. The original site is now part of the Village of Howard; it was a Menominee Indian village first, with French settlers the first Europeans to call it home. When Fort Howard Military Post was constructed, Duck Creek became a main supplier for its lumber and food needs. According to information from the Howard-
Suamico Historical Society, Fort Howard was named for Brig. General Benjamin Howard. The Town of Howard was very large following the establishment of a town system, but by the Civil War it was reduced to its current size when other towns, cities and counties were created.
Obviously a lot has changed physically since Howard’s earliest days as a town in the early 1800s, but the spirit of its earliest settlers is alive and well. That’s evident in the Village Center development, which the village hopes will be a centralized location for residents to gather to live, shop, recreate and socialize. Lineville Road has also become a bustling commercial area and is the current-day dividing line between Howard and Suamico. No matter which village can lay physical claim to the newest developments along Lineville, it’s a win-win for both villages and the region at large, says McIntyre. “When they build something up there, I celebrate that,” he says. “It’s great for both communities. “We also share a great school system – that’s probably the biggest thing,” he furthers. “When you talk to people who come into our area, especially with families, the Howard-Suamico School District is a great drawing card.”
The Suamico area was first known – unofficially – as Big Suamico, and the area included the river, township, and village. Early settlers used that terminology to differentiate the area from Little Suamico River and Township to the north in Oconto County. Suamico was established separate from Howard in 1848. Later, when Oconto County was established in 1851, that designation was dropped. It was then later re-established by the county board in 1858. Suamico was incorporated as a village in September of 2003. “The regional aspect to our communities – to all of our communities – is such a great benefit,” adds McIntyre. “You can live anywhere you want and you have so many great things within driving distance. That’s really what makes each community unique – if it’s not here, it’s just ten minutes away.”
June 2015
Howard & Suamico
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Howard & Suamico
June 2015
Getting out & staying active Howard-Suamico area offers year-round recreational opportunities
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Sto ry by M eg han Di e m e l / p h otos by mike p eters
iving an active and healthy life is a priority for Howard residents Ruth and Shawn Hoffman, both 49, and their children Anna, 18, and Lauren, 15.
“Both of the girls have experienced numerous types of sporting activities and have had great learning experiences,” Ruth states. “We have lived in Howard since 1995. We have seen many changes in our small community, and I must say, changes for the better. We were blessed to have Akzo Nobel Park be added to our area, which opens up many more areas for softball and soccer – the park has lights, so many more games can be �it in a day. The YMCA was added to our community and opened up many opportunities for all the area families with great programs year round.” Jeff Teschke, 46, lives in Howard and says the welldeveloped parks system, trails and other outdoor opportunities are a draw for the area. He bikes the trails at the Reforestation Camp for a work out, golfs at Village Green – for the frustration, and kayaks Duck Creek out to the bay for relaxation.
“There are plenty of outdoor things to do in the community that are just minutes away,” he explains. “The parks are well kept and, for the most part, people clean up after themselves.” The Hoffman family also heads out to the area waterways with their kayaks.
“We enjoy the small and larger areas of water and
continue to search for new and interesting areas to explore,” Ruth says. “Our bay area is a beautiful place to enjoy some quiet time viewing the wildlife on our waterways or paddling to downtown Green Bay for entertainment and dining.” In Suamico, outdoor spaces including Idlewild, Wied Mill, Calavera Springs, Sunset Beach, Whisper Ridge, Municipal Services Center, Doctor Vickery and Fireman’s parks – in addition to the N.E.W. Zoo, Brown County Reforestation Camp, and L. H. Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve – offer a variety of choices for activities.
The Hoffmans have spent time at the Brown County Reforestation Camp and one of the highlights for the family is the Bay Nordic Ski Trail.
“The Bay Nordic Ski Trail – which is included in the Brown County Reforestation Camp acreage of 1,600 acres – is a beautiful area to cross country ski,” says Ruth. “They are currently involved in raising funds for Project Illumination. This project will raise funds to place lights on approx. 4.5 km of ski trails for greater access in the evening hours for cross country skiing. This is the �irst phase of a �ive-year project.”
Currently in the process of Bird City Wisconsin recognition, the Village of Howard demonstrates commitment to the preservation of wildlife habitat and urban bird conservation within the village’s parks and the community (www.villageo�howard.com). With around 20 parks and spaces like the Gordon Nauman
Conservation Area and Hoff-Reinhard Wildlife Preserve, there are acres dedicated to helping residents and visitors enjoy the outdoors.
“We feel that our area serves us well as far as the park system is concerned,” adds Ruth. “We are very lucky to have some beautiful areas to spend with our families at our disposal.”
Learn More The Village of Howard also offers programming through its Howard Leisure Services (www.vohrec.com), which strives to provide recreation programs and services to enhance the physical, social and emotional well-being of all residents, in an ef�icient and cost-effective manner. The Village of Suamico offers information on their recreation programs at www.suamico.org
June 2015
Howard & Suamico
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Howard & Suamico
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June 2015
Howard-Suamico’s Summer Sweet Spots Story by Meghan Diemel
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photos by mike peters
ummer in northeast Wisconsin means trips to a local frozen yogurt or ice cream shop after a ball game or a dinner out. In the HowardSuamico area, there are several options to choose from when your sweet tooth calls out for attention. BrainFreeze Ice Cream Shoppe in Howard serves Chocolate Shoppe-brand ice cream from their location on the corner of Cardinal and Lineville Roads. Owner Deanna Henkel says she and her husband decided to open the business after moving to Green Bay because of their devotion to all-things ice cream.
“We love ice cream – we ate ice cream probably five days a week,” laughs Henkel. “When we got married we moved out into the Suamico/Howard area and we quickly realized there weren’t any ice cream shops. We saw this as something more we could do for the community because there was nothing out here. We wanted a shop where we could go and the community could go and enjoy time together.” In deciding what to serve at the shop, Deanna said her familiarity with Chocolate Shoppe ice cream and its quality played a major part. “It’s super premium ice cream,” she explains. “You can’t buy that quality in the grocery store.”
BrainFreeze offers 40 flavors each day, and they also serve Italian ice, paninis, whole wheat wraps, ice cream cakes and pies. Popular seasonal flavors include Lemon Meringue, Dark Side of The Moon, Key Lime Pie and Root Beer Float. The quantities are limited, and Henkel says she will order until she’s told they are sold out.
“We truly have something for everyone,” Henkel says. “So whether you are a chocolate lover or a fruit lover, whether you like the sweet and salty – there is an ice cream or Italian ice that is just for you.”
In Suamico, one of the sweet spots is Sweet Mimi’z. The self-serve frozen yogurt shop offers nearly limitless choices in flavors and toppings. More than 50 flavors are rotated throughout the season, with no-sugar-added, nondairy, low fat and no fat options as well. Flavors include everything from Almond Cake and Apple Pie ala Mode, to White Chocolate Covered Pretzel and Whoopie Pie.
Owner Lori Collins, with the help of her daughter Brenda Swortz, opened Sweet MiMi’z in May of 2013. The business is named in memory of mother Mimi, whose favorite dessert was frozen yogurt. There are eight machines at Sweet Mimi’z, offering 16 flavors at a time. They try to change the flavors every few weeks. Once a customer chooses their preferred fro-yo or gelato, they can then top it with a mind-boggling array of toppings – including yummy items like cereal and candy bars to gummy figures and chocolate rocks. They also offer fruit toppings and sweet additions like brownie and cheesecake bites. From there, the container is weighed and the cost is 45 cents per ounce. “There are a lot of new businesses popping up, and I think the community really supports local businesses,” says Collins. “We’ve been told often that people are glad we’re here.”
Sugar Rush Where do you stop when your sweet tooth calls out? There are several options in the Howard-Suamico area to satisfy anyone’s craving for something sugary. BrainFreeze Ice Cream Shoppe 1773 Cardinal Lane Howard 920-434-2273 Culver’s 11820 Velp Ave. Suamico 920-770-4041
Dairy Queen 2532 Glendale Ave. Howard 920-434-4890 Sweet Mimi’z 2490 Lineville Rd. Suamico 920-544-9207
Zesty’s Frozen Custard 2639 Lineville Rd. Howard 920-857-9067
June 2015
Howard & Suamico
Loyalty & Appreciation for small business help the villages thrive Sto ry by M eghan Diemel P h otos by mi ke pe ter s
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he Howard-Suamico area has been an incubator of success for locally owned businesses. Of the businesses to open most recently, Mustard Seed Café owners Patty and Ken Hendrickson chose Lineville Road in Suamico as the expansion site for the restaurant because of the opportunity they saw for growth.
Though they looked downtown initially to add a second location, says Patty, the Suamico area seemed to have a real need for a restaurant serving fresh food in an atmosphere that speaks to business lunches as much as it does to families. “That’s one thing that I was very surprised by, because I don’t know the area that well,” explains Patty. “It’s an urban sprawl area. It’s a lot of families and every single person who has come in that’s from that area has said how appreciative they are that this isn’t another fast food restaurant or a sports bar. There are cool people out in the Howard-Suamico area. I’m very excited that they’re embracing us so well.” The Suamico location allowed the Hendricksons to add dinner servicesomething that is not available at the Bellevue location. “We took the leap of faith again and it’s going great,” says Patty. “HowardSuamico has embraced us and we are just tickled with them.” Kimps ACE Hardware, located in Howard on Glendale Ave., was founded in 1940 and is in its third generation of family
ownership. Now owned by Craig Kimps, he says he’s seen growth residentially and commercially over the years in the area.
“We have continued to see more specialty stores and well as business expansion over the years,” he says. “We have tried to keep up with the growth by continuing to search for the best products and services to have for our customers.” The family-oriented spirit in the Howard-Suamico area is a factor in Kimps’ success, he explains.
“That is extremely evident with the continued growth of our schools and neighborhoods,” he furthers. “People want to live here! We have continued to have a successful business because of that. Most of our employees have been with us for years and have become like family.” Kimps adds that in supporting small business, a customer is helping keep 60 percent of every dollar spent in that community.
“With three big box stores within five miles of us, the loyalty of customers and their support has continued to help us grow,” says Kimps. “We have always tried to make sure that the customer comes first. We have prided ourselves with great customer service to make sure that we continue to be here for years to come.”
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Howard & Suamico
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SELF SERVE 2490 Lineville Rd in Suamico Located next door to the Power of Dance OPEN DAILY NOON TO 9PM 920-544-9207 WI-5001899139
15%
Build your own creation! 24 Flavors of yogurt to choose from that are Constantly changing and OVER 50 DIFFERENT TOPPINGS
One coupon per household on not redeemable for cash and expires on 9/30/15 next off purchase
June 2015