Casey’s BBQ & Smokehouse of Egg Harbor Wins Door County Rib Fest Contest

• Neighbor-to-Neighbor Volunteer Caregivers of Door County held their second annual Door County Rib Fest on Saturday, October 2. Those in attendance tasted an assortment of ribs and voted for their favorites in both the professional and amateur categories.

Participating at the event in the professional category were Mojo Rosa’s, John Henry’s, Pelletier’s Restaurant, Casey’s BBQ & Smokehouse, Weisgerber’s Cornerstone Pub, and Why-Lee’s Bar and Grill. Casey’s BBQ & Smokehouse took home the trophy for the Professional Division. The amateur division included DJ Pollock, Ed Evenson, and Jan Anderson/Julie Ploor. DJ Pollock was awarded the trophy for the Amateur Division.

All proceeds from this event support Neighbor-to-Neighbor programming.

• The Door County Transportation Consortium was highlighted in the June issue of the Community Transportation Association of America’s e-newsletter. In an article, “Wisconsin Progress: The Story of a Statewide Mobility Management Program” by Rich Sampson, the local organizations working behind the scenes on providing transportation that is affordable, available, and accessible to residents and travelers were touted.

In the article, Pam Busch, Door-Tran’s Mobility Manager, stated “We’ve come along way in a short amount of time. We hope to continue to build on our momentum to provide even better transportation options for Door County residents.”

Ingrid Koch, WisDOT’s New Freedom program manager, was quoted as saying, “Seeing a program like Door-Tran move so quickly from concept to service lets us know we’re on the right track.”

For more information on Door-Tran call 920.743.9999 or 877.330.6333.

• The Egg Harbor Historical Society will hold a special meeting on Friday, Oct. 29 at 3 pm in the Bertschinger Community Center.

The purpose of this meeting is to introduce the public to the role of the State Historical Society and its resources for assisting the Egg Harbor Historical Society’s efforts. Rick Bernstein will also give a short presentation on “Building Membership.”

Affiliation with the State Historical Society is an important step in the development of the association. Broader recognition and better access to state historical records will help prepare for the upcoming celebration of the 150th year of Egg Harbor’s history.

Committee members who are working on many projects will be present to answer questions about the society’s work.

Members and aspiring members are welcome.

Rob Swearingen, president of Tavern League of Wisconsin, presents Delores Brown as the league’s Most Valuable Member.

• Door County Tavern League has recognized Delores Brown as the Most Valuable Member. Brown has been affiliated with the Tavern League since the 1970s.

In the ‘70s Brown owned and operated Brownsville Station in Maplewood. Since those days she has held different offices as a member in the Door County Tavern League including president in the ‘80s and secretary/treasurer for the past 21 years. She is also the SafeRide coordinator, a Door County representative at the Spring Convention, and a delegate at the Fall Convention.

The league appreciates Brown’s service and dedication, and thanks her for being a great member.

• The Family Centers of Door County announced that their organization has received two desktop PCs donated by the Door County Sheriff’s Department for their computer station at the Southern Door Family Center.

In addition, Ann Heroux of Suamico donated a new flat screen TV and DVD player. Heroux gave the gift to the Family Center in honor of her daughter, Talhia who died in a tragic auto accident just after graduating from Southern Door High School in 2008. Talhia was a frequent participant in many of the Family Center’s youth programs and Heroux felt it was a fitting tribute to her daughter’s memory.

“We hope that with these additions to our facility it will attract more visitors (young and old alike) to our center,” said executive director, Gina Wautier.

The center features a cozy lounge area, self-serve coffee bar, Wi-Fi, computer stations, kitchen area, meeting rooms, and a play area for children.

Middle School students Rachel Hale, Janae Mancheski, and Becca Vandertie, along with coordinator Shannon Finger, are planning a dance for November to raise money for a gaming system to accompany the television.

The Family Center is located at 1400 County Trunk DK in Brussels. The center is open Monday and Friday from 9 am – 5 pm and Tuesday and Wednesday from 12 – 7:30 pm. The building hosts special events and activities and is available for clubs, groups, and agencies. For more information call 920.825.1430.

• The Leadership Door County organization has announced the new class members for their 2010-2011 program. Selected participants will have the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills, learn about Door County resources, and increase their community involvement.

Members of the 21st Leadership Door County class include Don Albert, Shannon LeFevre, Janel Veeser, Jack Moneypenny, Kelly Jorgenson, Brandy Phillips, Kara Walker, Ross Dippel, Steve Beaudot, and Chris Hecht.

The Leadership Door County program begins in September with an opening retreat during which participants engage in activities designed for personal development and team-building. Participants then meet one day per month from October through May to learn about aspects of the Door County community, including media communications, government, education, history, the arts, human services, health care, economics and the environment. The year will end with an overnight retreat in June where participants reflect on the year’s experiences and demonstrate their teamwork through activities at the Team Leadership Center in Sturgeon Bay.

In addition to participating in the monthly meetings, class members are asked to complete a team-directed class project, with the goal of addressing a previously unmet need in the community. The project for the 2009-10 class was to raise funds and awareness of the Backpack Buddies program through Feed & Clothe My People. Other past projects have included fundraising programs, feasibility studies, student resource fairs, parkland development, and special events.

For more information visit http://www.leadershipdoorcounty.com.

• Collection jars for “Lids for Life” are located at the Sister Bay Library and the Sister Bay Piggly Wiggly. The public is asked to drop off their pink Yoplait Yogurt lids, which (10 cents each) benefits breast cancer research. The last pick up will be December 20.

• On Wednesday, Nov. 10 from 4:30 pm – close there will be an evening of food, fun, and live music at The English Inn in Fish Creek to launch the Peninsula Arts Association’s (PAA) Artfund 2011 Grants Fundraiser sponsored by DoorCountyChefs.com, DoorCountyLodging.com, and DoorCountyStyle.com.

The event will feature performances by Lynn Gudmundsen, Julian Hagen, Lucy Hagen, David Hatch, Jeanne Kuhns, Ben Larsen, Marise Redmann, Dorothy Scott, and Pete Thelen beginning at 5 pm. Guests will be invited to enjoy a buffet dinner and bid on a variety of silent auctions, raffle items, and a grand prize provided by local businesses.

“Raising money for the ‘Grandmother of the Arts’ in Door County is something we feel very enthusiastic about,” said Management Resources owner and promoter Jon Massad. “Door County artists are one of the most important community assets we have. For decades the PAA has worked hard to support them in so many ways. It’s time we give back with a helping hand.”

For more than 70 years the PAA has been nurturing the Door County arts community with annual funding grants to local artists and art organizations matched by funds from the Wisconsin Arts Board. The publishers of three online journals have put forth this event as the first of what they intend to become an annual post-season fundraising event in support of the PAA.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. For more information, reservations, and/or to contribute items to the silent auction, call 920.785.3515 or 920.854.2688.

• The U.S. Postal Service began delivering the 2010 holiday season by issuing four new “Forever” stamps and a single stamp featuring a musical angel.

“With these wonderful new stamps in hand, you will be ready for the upcoming holidays – and we’ll be ready to deliver your messages of peace and joy across America,” said Sister Bay Postmaster Karen Sunstrom. “Both the new Holiday Evergreens Forever stamps and the Angel with Lute commemorative issue will be available at the Sister Bay Post Office.”

Also, available at U.S. Post Offices are 44-cent Madonna and Child, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Eid stamps.

• Executive Director of Athanatos Christian Ministries and author of We Chose Life: Why You Should Too, Anthony Horvath will be giving a pro-life presentation at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Sturgeon Bay on November 5 from 7 – 8:30 pm.

This Christian ministry has a strong emphasis on pro-life issues, largely because of Horvath’s own experiences. In his book and presentations he presents the reasons he and his wife chose not to abort a pregnancy despite being told their daughter had a birth defect, a debilitating condition called spina bifida.

The couple were given the option to terminate the pregnancy, and declined. More than three years later, their daughter Renny is alive, well, and thriving.

Horvath is now the stay-at-home caretaker for his daughter, who is the inspiration for his pro-life efforts. He is also the vice president of “Wisconsin Lutherans For Life” and a member of the National Lutherans for Life’s Speaker’s bureau. In addition to his pro-life book, he is the author of a fictional series called “The Birth Pangs Series.”

The event is sponsored by the Door County Chapter of Wisconsin Right to Life. For more information, call 920.824.5029 or visit http://www.doorcountylife.org. To learn more about Horvath, visit http://www.wechoselife.com.

• Recently, a mass celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Egg Harbor’s stone church – which was dedication as St. John the Baptist Catholic Church on October 5, 1910 – was held.

Today, in 2010, this historic church is part of Stella Maris Catholic Parish. The locally quarried stone building is a landmark on Highway 42 in Egg Harbor and is enjoyed and photographed by residents and visitors alike.

At the anniversary event, Reverend David Ricken, Bishop of Green Bay, was in attendance, and Reverend David Ruby, pastor of Stella Maris Parish celebrated along with Fr. Jason Blahnik, whose home parish is Stella Maris.

The entire parish of Stella Maris Parish includes Baileys Harbor, Fish Creek, Jacksonport, Sister Bay and Washington Island.

For more information visit http://www.stellamarisparish.com.

• The date has been set for the annual Halloween party at the Door County YMCA and volunteers are being recruited to help make this event possible. Over 50 volunteers are needed in Sturgeon Bay to help run the many carnival games and craft stands on Friday, Oct. 29 from 6 – 8 pm.

The YMCA Halloween party is a great way for families to enjoy Halloween fun in a safe environment. Highlights of the party will include inflatable bouncers, a magician, carnival games, and plenty of treats. Pre-registration is not required.

The cost of the event is $5 per family for members and $10 per family for non-members. The Halloween party is made possible through support from Childs Play and other local businesses who donated food and prizes for the evening.

Any persons interested in volunteering are asked to contact the Door County YMCA at 920.743.4949.