Community Notes For Feb. 5 – 19

• In collaboration with The Peninsula Players Big Read, the Northern Door YMCA Program Center will hold a blood drive Friday, Feb. 5 from 10:30 am – 4:30 pm. Come to the YMCA at 3866 Gibraltar Road in Fish Creek to donate or volunteer. For more information or to make an appointment call 920.868.3660. Walk-ins are welcome.

• On Monday, February 8 at 6 pm, Dr. Jay Vanden Heuvel will present a free natural health seminar at Saguaro Day Spa in Sturgeon Bay. Aimed at individuals who are looking to improve their overall health in addition to a balanced diet and regular exercise, the presentation will provide some insight into the idea that everyone’s body knows what it needs, and it’s time to start listening.

While there is no single answer about what herbs, vitamins, supplements and products to use to become healthier, as everyone has unique body needs, Dr. Vanden Heuvel will introduce new technology to help eliminate the guesswork. The Zyto Compass is an individual survey that addresses each person’s specific needs when choosing an effective herbal and supplement program. It does not treat or cure disease; however, the Zyto Compass can be a useful tool for people living with nagging symptoms, aiming to lose some weight, or looking to understand what their body is trying to tell them.

In addition to the Zyto Compass introduction, a Compass Bio-Survey demonstration will also be shown. Those in attendance will receive a coupon toward an initial Compass Bio-Survey.

The event is free and open to the public, but registration by February 6 is encouraged, as space is limited. For more information call Saguaro Day Spa at 920.743.5380.

• The global YMCA movement is responding to the needs of the people and the devastated communities of Port au Prince, Haiti, and surrounding areas. Working in collaboration with the Red Cross, Action Churches Together and other relief and emergency agencies, YMCAs around the world are responding to the urgent basic needs of those displaced by providing food, water, medicines, blankets; and in the longer term, care and psycho-social counseling.

Anyone can help by donating to YMCA World Service by visiting http://www.ymca.net/worldservice or by calling the YMCA of the USA International Group at 800.872.9622 or sending a check, payable to YMCA World Service with “Haiti Earthquake Support” noted in the memo line, to YMCA of the USA, attention YMCA World Service, 101 North Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606.

For more information contact the YMCA of the USA International Group at 800.872.9622.

• Pampering & Practicalities, an Evening for Women, a fund raising event with proceeds benefiting the Family Centers of Door County is set for Friday, February 26, 2010 from 4:30 – 9:30 pm at the Ladder House, 38 South 3rd Ave., Sturgeon Bay. This girls night out is designed to pamper attendees and offer practical information about health and wellness.

Sponsored by Door County Memorial Hospital, Ministry Health Care the evening festivities include a silent auction and interactive displays featuring 20 vendors offering shopping opportunities, paraffin hand treatments, chair massage, skin care, makeup, and other practical advice on health, medical and community resources. The exhibitors will be located in the lower level of the restaurant from 4:30 – 6 pm.

Upstairs there will be a photo exhibit on display, entitled “‘Celebrate’ the Legacy of Door County Women,” which is presented with permission of the Door Community Auditorium (DCA). The exhibit will display a portion of DCA’s original exhibit, where 60 influential women were photographed and local high school students wrote essays about the women. In addition, 23 wonderful women will be honored during dinner.

For the grand finale, from 8 – 9:30 pm attendees will be in for a treat as the Art of Music presents the Women with Spirit concert featuring Karen Mal, Dorothy Scott, Sara Thomsen, and the Children from Art for Health.

The cost to attend is $35 per person. Reservations are required by Monday, February 22. Call the Family Centers’ main office at 920.825.1430 or 800.856.1651. You may also register online through the Family Centers website http://www.doorcountyfamilycenters.com.

• The Sturgeon Bay Jaycees are hosting a Haitian Relief Event on Valentine’s Day. The Jaycee Cupid Lunch for Haiti Relief is Feb. 14 from noon – 3 pm at the Jaycee Club House, 640 N. Jaycee Court in Sturgeon Bay. Lunch is $10 for adults, $5 for children age 3 – 17, and free for children under two. An RSVP is appreciated by Feb. 8. Call 920.743.4224 for more information.

• In honor of February being heart health month, the entire community is invited to attend a Wisdom Wednesday presentation on Heart Health with Barb Voegele from the Cardiac Rehab Program at Door County Memorial Hospital on February 10 at 9:45 at the Door County YMCA in Sturgeon Bay. Attendees will learn more about how to keep their heart healthy through exercise and diet.

Wisdom Wednesday is presented by the Door County YMCA and Baylake Bank. It is held one Wednesday a month at the Sturgeon Bay Program Center. This is a free event open to the entire community. Free refreshments will be served. To register, contact the Door County YMCA at 920.743.4949.

• The Relay For Life of Door County event is just around the corner and anyone interested in participating in this year’s event should register their team on Wednesday, February 11 at the Baylake Bank Conference Center. Team registration starts at 5 pm, and anyone – regardless of whether they have a team or are just an individual – interested in more information about Relay for Life is invited to attend.

The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life of Door County unites former and current cancer patients, their families, businesses, civic organizations, and the public in an effort to fight cancer. This year’s event on June 11-12 at the Sturgeon Bay High School track will be a family-oriented event in which participants enjoy the camaraderie of a team and also raise funds to support the activities of the American Cancer Society. Participants camp out at the Relay site and, when they are not taking their turn walking, take part in fun activities and enjoy local entertainment.

Information about how to form a team or become involved in Relay For Life is available from Shannon Thompson of the American Cancer Society at 877.423.9124, ext. 376 or visit the Relay for Life Web site at http://www.relayforlife.org/doorcountywi.

• Gibraltar Fire Rescue will host its annual Pancake Breakfast Feb. 6 at the Gibraltar Fire Station from 7 – 11 am. Enjoy an old-fashioned community breakfast of all you want to eat pancakes, with sausage, orange juice, milk and coffee. The fire station is located 1.5 miles east of Highway 42 on County F. Breakfast is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, and $6 for children 12 and under. All proceeds go to the Gibraltar Fire Department.

• The Women’s Employment Project, Inc (WEP, Inc.) was awarded funding from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to continue the Door County Transportation Options Program (DCTOP) in 2010.

DCTOP, which is expanding its services to serve Kewaunee County residents, allows eligible participants to purchase half price gash vouchers to get to and from employment as well as no interest loans for car repairs or purchases. To qualify, people must be U.S. citizens age 18 or older who are a Door or Kewaunee County resident with a valid Wisconsin driver’s license. Participants must not have any DWI/OWI’s in the last 24 months, must be employed a minimum of 20 hours per week or referred from a partnering agency, and household income must be at or below the 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

The funds also support a van pool that travels daily from Sturgeon Bay at 5 am to Sister Bay and returning back to Sturgeon Bay at 2:30 pm.

The DCTOP office is located at the Door County Job Center in the Cherry Point Mall, Sturgeon Bay, and is open Monday through Friday, 8 am – 4:30 pm. For more information contact Kim McClure at 920.743.7273 or 800.924.4191 ext. 110 or email [email protected].

• The United States Census 2010 official questionnaires will be mailed to households in March, but some people mistakenly believe they have already received or completed the 2010 Census.

In January of 2010 the Republican Party mailed the 2010 Congressional District Census to a select few individuals in each congressional district. It asks for information and opinions important to voters in the district to help Republican leaders address those issues. This is not the United States Census 2010 form.

During the fall of 2009 some households in each community received the American Community Survey. It is a method the Census Bureau is using to collect detailed socioeconomic information each year. This American Community Survey is not the United States Census 2010 form!

Finally, in 2009 Census employees went door-to-door to update the list of addresses the Census forms would be mailed to in March 2010. They were not taking the United States Census.

The Census Bureau will mail or deliver the United States Census 2010 official questionnaire form to houses in March. A second form will be mailed to households that do not respond to the initial questionnaire. Households that still do not respond will be called or visited by a Census worker. (Census workers can be identified by a census badge and bag.)

For more information go to: http://www.2010census.gov or http://www.doorbell.net/video/census2010.wmv.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development agency’s home loan programs might help area residents get a home loan with no down payment, no private mortgage insurance, and low, fixed interest rates.

The Guaranteed Rural Housing (GRH) Program requires no down payment and loans are offered at a fixed interest rate for 30 years. These loans are available to moderate income individuals and families. The amount of the mortgage is limited by the applicant’s repayment ability. There are no restrictions on the size or design of the home. Loan closing costs and repairs can often be financed with a home purchase.

Direct Single Family Housing Loans are also available at 100 percent financing with no down payment for lower income households. These loans are made directly through USDA Rural Development for a period of 30 – 38 years at an interest rate of 4.875 percent. Direct Home Loans may be made for the purchase of an existing home or new home construction. Direct home loan financing is available to individuals and families where the household income is 80 percent or less of your county’s median household income.

Income limits for each county and more information on these programs can be found on the USDA Rural Development Wisconsin Web site at, http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/wi/programs/rhs/.

For a free pre-qualification, contact the USDA Rural Development Shawano Area Office at 715.524.8522, ext. 4, Monday through Friday, 8 am – 4:30 pm or email [email protected].

• Applications are now available for 2010 United Way of Door County Endowment Fund Grants. The amount available for Endowment Fund Grants for 2010 is $3,293.

A Request for Proposals for community projects is available at this time. Proposed projects should be something new and innovative in the county, something that is not typically funded with campaign dollars. Last year’s grant recipients were the American Red Cross to put towards the new Transportation Voucher Program in Door County, and the Door County AODA Coalition to help offset the costs involved in producing and distributing the DVD With Whom Will it End?

The United Way of Door County’s Vision Statement and Mission Statement will be used as guidelines for distribution of funds.

Application forms, along with the Vision and Mission Statements, are available at the United Way office, 57 N. 3rd Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, by calling 920.746.9645, or visiting http://www.unitedwaydc.com. Proposals should be submitted to the United Way of Door County, Endowment Fund Grants, P.O. Box 223, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235.

• Girl Scout troop #4369 (Gibraltar, Grade 5) is putting forth their best effort this year during the organization’s annual cookie sale. While the cookies are a delicious treat that raise funds for our Girl Scout activities, the Cookie Sale Program also helps our young girls learn real life skills such as teamwork, goal setting and money management.

By participating in Cookies 4 a Change and setting a goal of selling 1,500 boxes, the troop #4369 hopes to raise enough funds to complete a community service project for the Door County Humane Society (DCHS).

Anyone wishing to help the troop reach their goal and aid the DCHS should contact the Troop Cookie Managers, Sandy (920.559.7300) or Michele (920.839-9708), before February 7.