7QUESTIONS+PLUS

The Kenosha News Connections staff (From left, Laura Tucker, Brian Sharkey and Mark Hornickel) will now take your questions ...

  Brian Sharkey has been with the Kenosha News for almost five years, having worked as a copy editor for the Life section and Life Editor before becoming Connections Editor this year. A transplant from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, he came to Wisconsin by way of Marquette University and recently made K-Town his permanent residence. Don’t ask what he does in his free time, because he doesn’t have any — away from the News he’s on the volleyball court, working in his yard or roaming around Carthage College, where he is a part-time volleyball coach.

  Describe your journey into journalism: I originally was a physical therapy major at Marquette — way too much science for me.  Then I moved back into journalism, something I had been doing since my freshman year of high school. I love being on the pulse of things, so I couldn’t let it go. I really got into visual journalism my senior year of college, so I stayed an extra two years at Marquette, just for kicks. I found the Kenosha News by accident in 2002 and have been here ever since.

Why Kenosha? I am a city person. I spent a summer working in D.C. and loved every second of it. And when you’re right between two metro areas and two groups of friends spread across both, you can’t really complain.

  What has shocked you most about Kenosha? No matter where you go, when I say “I live in Kenosha,” somebody will always reply with something like “I know someone in Kenosha who (fill in the blank).” I haven’t figured out if that is a good or a bad thing.

  What’s the worst job you had before this one? During breaks from college, I was a custodial engineer at a middle school where a good friend worked. OK, really I was a janitor billed with replacing light bulbs, corralling dust bunnies and shoveling. Lots of shoveling.

  You’re an Illinois guy who cut his teeth at Marquette before settling in Kenosha. If the Brewers and Cubs wind up in a heated pennant race, who would you root for? I have to cheer for the Cubbies. I was at the first night game at Wrigley Field, Aug. 9, 1988. I was also at the game on 8-8-88, but it was rained out. But if you really want to know, I am a White Sox fan. Papa Sharkey grew up South Side Irish.

  What superpowers do you wish you could have? I would love the ability to fly. No traffic congestion. No waiting for security at airports. No having to tip cab drivers.

  Summerfest in Milwaukee or House of Blues in Chicago? I’d have to go for Summerfest by far. Rocking to O.A.R. at the Miller Lite Oasis with a Saz’s Sampler Platter in one hand and a big plastic cup full of the finest Miller Lite in the other.

  What’s some good advice you’ve received? “You should learn from life, not about it.” It’s the motto that graces the hallways of John Hersey High School, my alma mater back in Arlington Heights, Ill. The school’s namesake, an author who chronicled the life of JFK, is the originator of the quote.

  What’s one of the most useful inventions (created in your lifetime) that you can’t live without? Online banking. No more late fees. No more stamps. No more having to find the darn checkbook.

  Is it still chili if it has no beans? Until college, when Real Chili, a Milwaukee landmark, and I became good friends, I refused to have beans in chili. It was a texture thing. So, yes, it is still chili. It’s the spices that make it.

  If Chicago gets the Olympics in 2016, what sport should be added to the games? Start the world’s best drivers at the parking lot next to Chicago’s Soldier Field at 4:30 p.m. on a Friday. The first one to get to Lake Geneva and spend less than $20 on gas gets the gold.

  Did you believe in the one-day gas boycott? There was a boycott?

  What is your favorite bet in Vegas? Red.

  Crunchy or smooth? Peanut butter that is. Crunchy. It just makes it seem like you’re getting your money’s worth if the nuts are still in there.

   Mark Hornickel has been with the Kenosha News for almost five years, having worked as a crime reporter and on the Life desk before moving to the Connections desk. He was born in Madison, but he contends he did his growing up in Kansas City, Mo., and will tell people that’s his hometown. He believes music is one of the greatest discoveries in the history of mankind and there’s almost nothing he’d rather do than play or attend a baseball game.

   What’s the best part of being a journalist? It’s not always glamorous, but there’s not a lot of other professions where you get to interview Al Molinaro or Peter Noone one day and be sitting in the police chief’s office the next day, asking him questions about a major crime in the city. Every day is different, I have opportunities to meet some fascinating people and have some extraordinary experiences. 

  How did you arrive in Kenosha? It was October 2002. I had been working at a small daily in north central Illinois and wanted to be closer to my fiance, who is a teacher in Gurnee. I knew the Kenosha News had a reputation as a strong newspaper and the city seemed like a good place to live. I got the job and we’ve been here ever since. What’s crazy is that both my parents attended college here during the early 1970s, but I never would have imagined ending up here. Now, every time my parents visit I get to hear stories about their wild days of hanging out at Chet’s bar and living above what is now Scotty’s tavern.

  What are you most proud of during your tenure at the Kenosha News? I’ve always taken a lot of pride writing stories that are accurate and simple enough for any reader to understand. But I’m proudest of my crime coverage earlier in my career, including that string of controversial shootings involving Kenosha police. It was never easy to balance the anger of grieving families with the philosophies and training of the police, not to mention editors who I didn’t always agree with. But our coverage was as fair as it could be and, ultimately, award-winning.

  What’s the worst job you’ve had? In high school, I spent two summers working for my dad at a small LCD plant where he was a manager. Going to work every day with Dad was the fun part. It was having to wear a white lab coat, a hair net and goggles, while doing mindless work that involved me getting elbow deep in toxic chemicals or working near an oven heated at 500 degrees that I didn’t like. And having to be there every morning at 6 a.m. didn’t exactly jive with my active teenage lifestyle.   

  What one movie will you drop everything to watch if it comes on TV? I could name dozens of movies that I might watch until the first commercial break, but one movie I’d probably stick with until the end credits is “Ocean’s 11” — the remake starring George Clooney. The cast of characters are quirky and their on-screen chemistry is wonderful. The dialogue is snappy, and no matter how many times I watch the movie it still fascinates me how Danny Ocean and his gang pull of such a heist.

  What’s one of the most useful inventions (created in your lifetime) that you can’t live without? The computer, which led to the Internet, which helped give rise to the iPod. There, three things I couldn’t live without.

  What superhero would you be, or what superpowers would you most like to have? I’m not a big sci-fi or comic book guy, but I’ve fallen hard this year for “Heroes” — arguably the best show on TV right now. I’ve always thought it would be fun to time travel to important times and places in history, or stop time so that I could do more things then my typical day allows. And that’s why I’d love to be Hiro Nakamura.

  Beatles or Stones? Definitely The Beatles. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the Stones too. But The Beatles were far more ground-breaking and imaginative, and Abbey Road is one of the greatest albums ever concocted. As for the Stones, “Satisfaction” is one of the most overrated songs ever.

  What’s the best advice you’ve received? “Relax. God’s in charge.” It came from a choir director I had during my youth and I’ve carried it with me everywhere since.

  You are on a long road trip and after skipping lunch, you finally stop at a small roadside restaurant for supper. But the menu only has has two items: liver and onions or falafel. Which do you order? Or do you drive off into the sunset another 50 miles to the next exit? I get back in my car, crank up the radio and start driving in search of a burger joint. As long as I have my music to jam to, I’m content and motivated to keep going. I’ve been trained on years of 8-hour drives between Wisconsin and Kansas City.

  If Chicago were to get the 2016 Olympics, what sport should be added to the games? Who cares! I’d be thrilled just to head down to Chicago and getting in on the experience.

  Bowling or golf and why? Seriously? I’ve never been a fan of either and golf is for people who ... Hey, what about ping pong?

  Aren’t you a Royals/Tigers/Dodgers/Cubs/Brewers guy? Who do you root for in a pennant race? First and foremost, I’m a baseball guy — I just root for a good game. But, as much as I’d love to see the Cubs finally break that supposed curse, the Brewers have been darn fun to watch thus far in the season. They’re young, they’re exciting, they play good defense and I have a lot more respect for a franchise that cultivates a team, over a franchise that drops millions of dollars for an immediate payoff. Which is why I’ll never root for the Yankees.

  Laura Tucker has been working at the Kenosha News for a little more than six years. She worked nights  as a copy editor before joining the Connections Desk. Her 10-year-old son keeps her happy and busy. Born in Chicago, she spent her early years in the south as her family moved to New Orleans to Birmingham, Ala., and then Memphis, Tenn., before settling in Naperville, Ill. She claims that her dog is the most joyful creature on the planet.

  What’s the best part of your current job? I know this will come off as kissing up, but truly the answer is getting to work with such a smart group of people.

  What’s the worst job you’ve had before landing this dream gig? I once worked for the U.S. Treasury Department as a census taker. I had to go to the homes of people who didn’t send in their forms. I was bestowed with a lot of government power — I could park wherever I wanted, and if you messed with me, even a little, it was a federal offense. I found out quickly, though, that people don’t answer because they don’t want to answer and a little punk like me wasn’t gonna GET an answer.

  What’s your favorite part of the Kenosha News improved Web site? Breaking news. I think it’s great that if I see, for instance, a rescue helicopter hovering in my neighborhood I can log on to kenoshanews.com and find out why.

  What one movie would you drop everything to watch? “Pulp Fiction,” if I have to name one, but I don’t like to sit in front of the TV so that doesn’t happen very often.

  Beatles or Stones? The Rolling Stones, hands down. John Lennon carried the Beatles. Have you heard any of the latest Paul McCartney? Or any Paul McCartney, for that matter? Even the good stuff had Linda’s monotone voice droning on in the background. And not one of them could carry Keith’s guitar pick.

  Crunchy or smooth? Peanut butter, that is. Depends on the application. I mean, cookies or sandwiches?

  What superhero would you be? Wonder Woman, of course.

  What’s your favorite order at McDonald’s? Cheeseburger, small fries and a diet coke.

  What’s your best Elvis karaoke song? “Psycho Killer” if Elvis did Talking Heads and if I would ever dare karaoke, which I would NOT!

  Bowling or golf and why? Golf. It’s very relaxing to watch and there are lots of good personalities. Just for TV, though — I get bored too quickly. But with bowling there’s those shoes!

  A filet mignon and merlot, or bratwurst and beer? Filet mignon and cabernet, please. Or a beer.

What’s one thing about you that most people would find surprising? My favorite shoes are orange.

  Summerfest in Milwaukee or House of Blues in Chicago? HOB, hands down. And I just don’t like Summerfest. I know, I know.

  Your favorite bet in Las Vegas? Black jack.

  You’re spending the weekend in Vegas. Do you score tickets to Celine Dion, a championship fight, or just find the hookers? See, this is why I hate Vegas, questions like this. If these are my options, I’ll take the hookers.

  What’s more your speed: A leisurely stroll on the bike trail or the lakefront marathon? Bike trail.

  The most enlightening piece of advice ever given to you was? Live and let live. Don’t judge — every issue has two sides. Keep an open mind and learn from them.

  If you were mayor of Kenosha, what would be your first act of business? The inauguration.

  What do you put in your garbage plate at Frank’s Diner? Everything, but leave out the Italian sausage.

  If Chicago is awarded the 2016 Olympic, what sport should be added to the games? Jarts.