Category: People
-
The Story of a Studio Potter: Brian Fitzgerald Working in Clay ’til the End
“What do you want to do for the rest of your life?” This is a rather daunting question for most anyone, usually answered with a wrinkling of the eyebrows and a contemplative “Hmmm,” or with a shrug of the shoulders and simple “I don’t know.” For those people who actually have an answer to the […]
-
Beyond Coincidence: Catherine Hoke-Gonzales
Everybody comes from somewhere – either here or somewhere else – but in a place like Door County, it can be both here and somewhere else. Take Cathy Hoke-Gonzales, the current Director of the Peninsula Art School (PAS). If you go to www.gbhconsulting.com, the website of the consulting firm she established here with Mariah Goode, […]
-
A Family Man Foremost: Fred Anderson
Prior to our interview, I asked a handful of people, “What do you know about Fred Anderson?” Expecting the usual pleasantries and biographical snippets, instead I got a unanimous reply: Fred Anderson might very well be the nicest guy on the planet. That seemed like an extreme statement. How could one even begin to quantify […]
-
Faces of the Past: Chester Thordarson
One of the most fascinating characters in Door County’s history has to be Chester Thordarson, particularly where Rock Island is concerned. Born in Iceland in 1867, Thordarson immigrated with his family to Milwaukee when he was nearly six years old. Chester and his family moved throughout the Midwest and by the time he was 20, […]
-
Dedicated to a Life of Service: Denise Bhirdo
Denise Bhirdo has dedicated her life to service. Whether serving the customers of her long-established Sister Bay business, or in her time-consuming role as a local government official, Denise Bhirdo spends more time than most attending to the needs of other people in the county. Denise is the co-owner of Bhirdo’s By The Bay, a […]
-
Passing along History: Two Local Women Team up for Book on Sturgeon Bay’s Past
History, like languages, can be lost unless passed on through word-of-mouth or written documentation. Sturgeon Bay’s beginnings could become whispers of a time that once was, but with the help of two employees at the Door County Museum, Ann Jinkins and Head Curator Maggie Weir, along with the Arcadia Press, future generations who reside in […]
-
As politicians, lobbyists and policy makers in Washington and Madison continue to dance around the issue of healthcare coverage for all, and as fewer and fewer small businesses are fiscally able to provide even minimal insurance coverage for their employees, there is a relatively new organization in Door County that is endeavoring to make sure […]
-
Examples to Follow: Dave & Vonnie Callsen
The basic story line is familiar: couple lives in Everytown Midwest, couple marries and has children, couple begins to wish they lived in their favorite vacation spot, couple moves to Door County and strikes up a business, thus realizing the dream of living here a decade or two before retirement would otherwise allow. For Main […]
-
50 Years With Abe and Ginka Cohn
If you mention the words pottery, clay, or wheel demonstrations anywhere in Door County, undoubtedly the first person that springs to mind if Abe Cohn. The renowned potter and his wife, Ginka, are celebrating over 50 years together, in business and in marriage. Ginka calls the meeting of her husband Abe in 1953 serendipitous. Both […]
-
A Profile of Local “Tech Guru” Rick Gordon
As the “wizard” behind Door County Computer (affectionately known as “Ricknet”), Rick Gordon will most likely never be able to retire. If he continues to follow his natural tendencies, he’ll simply allow himself to intuitively gravitate toward whatever attracts and keeps his interest. Gordon admits he doesn’t function well if he does the same thing […]
-
An Appleton Icon Retires to the Door
I’ve known Rik for over 20 years, having first met him when dating his oldest son. Our families are still close, and he officiated at both my brother’s wedding and mine. We joke that he saved my dad’s life on the golf course years ago by yelling at my dad to “Duck, Terry!” – my […]
-
Ephraim Jeweler Amanda Dewitt: The Work, The Struggle, The Journey
Many Door County entrepreneurs have seen their ideas and enthusiasm quashed by the doubt of a long, slow winter or the unpredictable nature of a tourist economy. It is often less the idea that will make or break a business here, and more the fortitude of the person. One has to work hard, run into […]
-
25 Years of Teamwork: Larry and Eunice Simply Never Stop
When most people retire, they opt for a quiet life of leisure and relaxation. This has never been the case for Larry and Eunice Manz, former owners of Manz’ Specialty Foods in Sister Bay. They have just begun their second round of retirement after selling their store last year. However, instead of finding them on […]
-
Rod “Chief” Billerbeck A Legendary Presence in Northern Door
The numbers are the first thing you notice, and how could you not? They pop off the page at you: 41 yeas as head baseball coach, 377 wins – a state record when he retired, 25 league or conference titles, and one state championship. I began the task of writing about the man responsible for […]
-
Blue Harmony at the Blue Dolphin House
Having a successful business, retail or otherwise, is never an overnight process. In order to succeed, you have to be patient, determined, hardworking, in the right place at the right time, and, if you are lucky, you have a strong partner with whom you can share the whole process. Peg and John Lowry, of the […]
-
If you’ve ever walked into Fred & Co. and O’Meara’s Irish House in Fish Creek, you may have noticed some similarities in their owners. True, Terry Goettelman and Megan O’Meara could not be mistaken for sisters, yet they seem to be cut from the same cloth. Both women purchased their businesses while in their late […]
-
Reflections: Summer Kitchen with Gary Sheuerman
Knowing the summer season is nearing full swing, Door County Restaurant owner Gary Sheuerman is preparing for less free time and more work. Living on his ranch just outside of Ephraim, he busies himself raising his four mules and three horses as well as working on the landscape of his ranch. This summer he plans […]