Article posted Wednesday, September 16, 2009 2:58pm

• The Door County Visitor Bureau (DCVB) is working on the 2010 Official Visitor Guide (OVG), due to start distribution on January 4, 2010. The Bureau makes it easy for businesses to participate in this publication, which has a circulation of 240,000 or more.

The DCVB is holding Visitor Guide Open Houses on Monday, September 21 and Wednesday, September 23 from 8:30 am – 4 pm to walk business through the process of participating in the publication. Cathy Lynch, Publications Manager, will be on hand to answer questions. Appointments for a representative from the DCVB to visit your business may also be scheduled to assist in this process.

The 2010 Official Visitor Guide Contract may be downloaded by going to http://www.doorcountyvisitorbureau.org/2010-DCVB-VisitorGuide.pdf. To reserve a place in the Guide, the Bureau must have a signed contract by October 2; October 14th is the deadline for the graphic materials.

For more information email [email protected] or call Cathy Lynch at 920.227.2159.

• The popular $8,000 First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit program will be ending on November 30, 2009. As part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the U.S. Congress adopted a First-Time Homebuyers tax credit, enabling eligible individuals and couples to receive up to $8,000 in tax credit. Unlike the tax credit enacted in 2008, this one does not have to be repaid, unless the buyer sells their home within three years.

The National Association of REALTORS® with the help of the Door County Board of REALTORS® worked diligently in 2008 to extend and secure the federal First-Time Homebuyers tax credit for potential homebuyers.

For more information on the 2009 First-Time Homebuyers Tax Credit, or for information on the Door County Board of REALTORS®, please visit: http://www.dcbr.org or call the Sturgeon Bay office at 920.743.9651.

• The Door Kewaunee Business & Education Partnership (DKBEP) recently hosted a ground breaking ceremony to celebrate the start of the third annual DKBEP High School Home Construction Project in Luxemburg on Sept. 14. The program is an effort to grow the local construction industry’s skilled workforce while providing real-world learning experiences for area youth.

Eleven high school students representing Algoma, Luxemburg-Casco and Southern Door school districts will be joining forces with the Door County Home Builders Association (DCHBA), Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) and the DKBEP to build a home from start to finish during the 2009/10 school year. Upon successful completion of the program, each student will earn 16 transcripted credits for advanced placement in the Wood Tech Technical Diploma one-year program at NWTC.

The single story, 1,700 square foot ranch style home is currently listed on the open real estate market with Novak Agency. Revenue generated from the home sale will offset program costs and any remaining will be used as seed money toward future DKBEP High School Home Construction projects.

For more information contact Tara LeClair, Manager of the DKBEP, at 920.743.3113 x205 or [email protected].

• The Door County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) and the UW-Green Bay Small Business Development Center will be offering free, one-on-one business counseling sessions on Thursday, October 1, 9 am – 5 pm, for any new or existing business owners in Door County.

Chuck Brys, Business Counselor for the Small Business Development Center, will be providing advice on business planning, financing and other issues. Brys is a CPA and former Chief Financial Officer for several Wisconsin companies, with over 30 years of business experience and knowledge to share with local entrepreneurs.

Individual, confidential sessions will be held at the Door County Business Development Center, 185 East Walnut Street, Sturgeon Bay. An appointment is required and can be made by contacting Janet Frick-Warecki at 920.743.3113 x 200 or via email at [email protected].

• On Friday and Saturday, September 25 and 26, ten percent of the total sales generated by the Gibraltar Grill will be donated to the Gibraltar Booster Club. This is the 5th Annual event hosted by the Gibraltar Grill in which they donate proceeds to the school’s athletic booster club. On Friday, Gibraltar Grill is open for dinner at 5 pm. On Saturday, the restaurant is open for lunch at noon and serving dinner into the night. The musician “Cookee” will be performing live on the patio Saturday night to entertain Gibraltar alumni, students, family and friends.

• Greens N Grains and Lavender Spa will celebrate their grand opening and expansion in the Big Purple Building at 7821 Highway 42 in the heart of downtown Egg Harbor on Sunday, September 27, 2 – 6 pm. The businesses will be offering live music with Julian Hagen and Lynn Gudmundsen, deli samples, massage demos, special sale prices, giveaways and more.

Those who already love Greens N Grains health food store can now enjoy the new deli expansion featuring raw foods, juices and smoothies. With meals and bakery made fresh daily, take-out can now be healthy and delicious. There is also an expanded organic wine section and yoga equipment.

Lavender Spa ~ Egg Harbor, located across the hall, provides a newly decorated space and fantastic team of massage therapists that are dedicated to promote a healing and spiritual lifestyle. This spa and all products are chemical-free and are designed to beautify and relax naturally.

To add to the spiritual lifestyle, patrons are encouraged to visit the Himalayan Xpressions gift shop to experience the culture and tradition of both Tibetan Buddhism and Nepalese Hinduism through meaningful handicrafts, arts, artifacts and more.

For more information call 920.868.9200 or 920.868.9999.

• The Linden Centre, started by Ellison Bay residents Brian and Jeanee Linden, was recently featured in an Atlantic Monthly article by renowned columnist and former speech writer for President Carter, James Fallows. The article traces the evolution of the Lindens’ unprecedented project based in China’s southeast Himalayas.

The Lindens, who started the Linden Gallery in Ellison Bay in 1996, have been living on-and-off in China since 1984. They are among the first foreign couples to gain access to a Type A Cultural Relic – a massive stone complex built by a leading Southwest Silk Road merchant and protected at the same level as the Great Wall.

Having spent five years developing this complex into one of China’s most unique cultural retreats, their careful restoration of the buildings, which employed nearly 100 local craftsmen a day for nine months, is being praised worldwide as a shining example of sustainable development.

The Linden Centre represents a new paradigm for Chinese tourism. Located in a pristine functioning village, the Centre immerses guests in the traditions of China’s dynastic past. The goal is for un-staged interaction with locals through activities and volunteerism. These experiences are complemented by a variety of lectures and workshops conducted by leading scholars and artists.

The Atlantic Monthly article and video on the Linden Centre can be found at http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200910/chinese-town and information on the Linden Centre at http://www.lindens.cn.