Real Talk
Week of May 22, 2026 — Straight from the lakefront

This weekend we slow down. Not because the lawn doesn't need mowing, the boat doesn't need launching, or the kids don't need somewhere to burn 14 hours of daylight. We slow down because the country asked us to — and because most of us know somebody whose name is the reason we have a Monday off.

I won't dress it up. Memorial Day isn't about grills. It's about the people who didn't come home. If you can spend 20 quiet minutes between now and Monday standing in front of a flag, that's enough. That's the whole assignment.

 

Here's where you can do it locally:
Saturday, May 23 — Twin Lakes parade and ceremony
Sunday, May 24 — Silver Lake ceremony at the Veterans Memorial
Monday, May 25 — Kenosha Memorial Day parade through downtown, followed by services at Library Park and Green Ridge Cemetery
Monday — Somers and Union Grove also hosting ceremonies — check the village calendars for exact times
Bring kids. Bring lawn chairs. Don't bring your phone out during taps.

One name worth knowing this week
Kenosha County named Bill Hopkins the 2026 Veteran of the Year. He retired as a U.S. Navy Command Master Chief — a rank that doesn't get handed out, ever. Then he came home and kept serving. Local government. Fire service. Youth sports. Volunteer work. The kind of guy who doesn't post about it.
If you see him out this weekend, shake his hand. That's the whole post.

Stuff you should actually know about your week

A few practical things while we're here:
Highway WG (128th St.) is closed daily 6 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday, between Hwy 45 and the I-94 West Frontage Road. Resurfacing project running through mid-June. If you commute that way, build in 10 extra minutes.

Water might run cloudy if you live north of 60th Street. Kenosha Water Utility started its annual hydrant flushing May 18 — it's normal, it's safe, and it clears in about a minute if you run the cold tap.
UW-Parkside graduated 500+ last Saturday. If you've got one in the house, congrats — your grocery bill is about to drop by a third.

Closing thought

Memorial Day isn't for the ones who served. It's for the ones who died serving. Different holiday. Different weight.
If you want to thank a vet, Veterans Day is in November. Armed Forces Day for active duty was last weekend. Both matter.
But Monday belongs to the names on stones — the ones who didn't make it home to mow the lawn, launch the boat, or watch their kid walk at Parkside.

Monday isn't ours. It's theirs.
Light one off.

See you next Friday.
— Dustin