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Area: Washington Island

  • New Lockers at Island’s Rec Center

    The Washington Island Foundation has received three recent grant awards – from the Raibrook Foundation, Green Bay Packers Foundation and Door County Community Foundation – to replace worn and aging lockers at the Washington Island Recreation Center. This is part of Renovating the Rec, a multi-year effort to make needed upgrades and building improvements. The Rec Center […]

  • Washington Island Sportsman’s Club Backs Pilot Island Petition

    The Washington Island Sportsman’s Club is urging Door County residents to support an online petition related to the future use of Pilot Island. The petition drive is a follow-up to a two-hour public meeting the club arranged in October on Washington Island with representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), which now manages […]

  • Washington Island Fire Department Calls for Mutual Aid

    It doesn’t happen often, but occasionally the Washington Island Fire Department calls for mutual aid, and the Washington Island Ferry – always on call for emergencies – responds.  That call went out around 8:30 am on Jan. 3, with the Madonna ferrying 16 crew members and equipment from four mainland fire departments – Baileys Harbor, Ephraim, […]

  • Anonymous Donor Sponsors Washington Island School Basketball Trip

    An anonymous donor quickly came up with $2,000 when needed to help the Washington Island school basketball teams enjoy a tournament on Beaver Island, Michigan. The island’s Lions Club provided funds to match school funds so that the student-athletes on the girls and boys basketball teams in grades eight through 12 could fly in private […]

  • Mazibuko Releases Book on Bahá’í Faith

    Author Robert Mazibuko of Washington Island has released a new book, Memories of Africa: Events Experienced in Southern Africa, about teaching the Bahá’í faith in Southern Africa in the mid-1980s and the determination of the early believers to teach and live according to their ideals. Mazibuko chronicles those times and shares memories that are etched […]

  • Child Care on Washington Island

    Door County is a child care desert, meaning there are at least three times as many children as there are licensed child care slots in the county, according to United Way of Door County. This situation is especially dire on Washington Island, where there are no longer any licensed child care options.  To understand the […]

  • Jacque Heading to Washington Island

    State Sen. André Jacque (R-De Pere) will hold a listening session on Washington Island to report on 2022 legislative activities and answer questions from citizens. He is running for reelection to his District 1 Senate seat against Democratic challenger Andrea Gage-Michaels. The session will be held Nov. 1, 2-3 pm, in the Rutledge Room of […]

  • Washington Island Seeks Grant to Acquire 21 Acres

    The Town of Washington has applied for a 25% matching grant as part of the Urban Green Space subprogram of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program to assist with purchasing approximately 21 acres of land on which to develop additional public park space. The property includes more than 1,000 feet of Lake Michigan frontage. The town also […]

  • New Website for Washington Island

    The Washington Island School District has launched a new website at island.k12.wi.us. Although some areas are still under construction, it creates a more seamless way for students, teachers and the community to access information.

  • Sportsman’s Club Pressing for Removal of Migratory Birds on Pilot Island

    Meeting on future use set for Oct. 13 The Washington Island Sportsman’s Club has arranged a public meeting Oct. 13, 2-4 pm, in the Rutledge Room of the island’s Community Center to discuss the future use of Pilot Island with representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).  The club’s Rip Koken said the […]

  • Fire Fest on Washington Island

    Join the Washington Island Fire Department (WIFD) and Washington Island Community Center on Oct. 1 for Fire Fest: a day filled with food, fun and festivities whose entire proceeds will be split between the two organizations. The community center will use its proceeds for community projects, and WIFD’s proceeds will go toward a new rescue […]

  • 10 Years of Literature on Washington Island

    Writers and readers gathered Sept. 17 at the Trueblood Performing Arts Center on Washington Island for the final day of the 10th Washington Island Literary Festival. After two days of writing workshops based around the theme of “Crossroads,” the festival culminated with the featured authors participating in a panel discussion, followed by individual presentations. Between […]

  • Rock Death’s Door Brings Southern Twang Way Up North

    Once peak tourist season is over in the fall, Washington Island gets pretty quiet, according to Washington Island Campground co-owner Kayla Stults. But Sept. 23-24, a new music festival – Rock Death’s Door – will break the silence at the campground. The weekend country-and-rock festival will be the first of its kind on Washington Island, with […]

  • Culture Club: Crossings and Crossroads

    Washington Island Literary Festival celebrates 10 years of reading and writing by ELIZABETH SACHS, Festival Committee Member Heading to Washington Island in 2014 for my first experience of the literary festival I’d heard raves about, I caught the mystical, 10 pm “late boat” at Northport. I’d driven straight through from Buffalo, New York, and was […]

  • Competition Heats Up at Death’s Door BBQ 

    Reigning Steak Cookoff champ enters competition  When Scott Nardi steps to the grill during the Aug. 27-28 Death’s Door Bar-B-Q competition, it will be his first time on Washington Island, but it’s certainly not his first cookoff. The reigning Steak Cookoff Association (SCA) world champion from Shiocton, Wisconsin, said the two-day competition is “legendary among […]

  • Mazibuko’s Latest Book Chronicles His Childhood

    To satisfy those who wished he had spoken of his childhood in his first book, This Side Up, Robert Mazibuko has written Retracing Steps, which reflects on his life prior to moving to the United States. Mazibuko was born and raised in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, where he received most of his education, but he […]

  • Literary Festival Workshops Filling Up

    The Washington Island Literary Festival workshops – conducted by presenting authors Cara Black, Andrew J. Graff, Lyanda Lynn Haupt, Michael Torres and Toya Wolfe – are filling up fast, so register now.  The workshop titled Villains/Villainesses is about creating compelling characters that readers love to hate; Your Story, Your Voice discusses creating and finding a unique voice […]

  • Explore Plum Island

    Want to spend a day on Plum Island? Join the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands (FOPPI) on Aug. 13 for a guided, interpretive tour of the island’s natural habitat and historical maritime structures. Visitors will learn about the Green Bay Wildlife Refuge, hike Plum Island trails, climb […]

  • New Author Joins Washington Island Literary Festival

    Award-winning nature writer Lyanda Lynn Haupt to replace Marie Mutsuki Mockett Award-winning author, naturalist, ecophilosopher and speaker Lyanda Lynn Haupt will join the roster of presenters at the 2022 Washington Island Literary Festival, presented by Write On, Door County. She’ll replace Marie Mutsuki Mockett, the author of American Harvest, who received a Fulbright Award that […]

  • Stavkirke Honors Washington Islanders’ Heritage

    Embellished with a dark wood stain, scalloped shingles and intricate carvings, one destination on Washington Island looks like a structure from another era. The Stavkirke honors Washington Island heritage — not as an original structure built by Scandinavian settlers, but as a modern creation inspired by history. A sense of community drove the idea for […]