Door County Wellness Center Continues Expansion Project

• The Wellness Center of Door County, an independent, non-profit health clinic, recently embarked on a two-phase expansion project at its location just off Jefferson Street at 312 N. 5th Avenue in Sturgeon Bay.

“We’re positioning the Wellness Center as an ‘oasis for health care’ that will be capable of serving the ever-growing population that needs our services,” said Michele Geiger-Bronsky, executive director of the Wellness Center. “Flexible meeting space will allow us to provide new services and programs such as workshops, integrative medicine options, support groups, counseling, and more – on an affordable level.”

In October of this year, demolition of the building immediately north to the clinic’s current location was completed. Prior to demolition, Habitat for Humanity was able to acquire a large donation of siding, doors and windows. Project implementation will be done in two separate phases so that patient care services remain uninterrupted.

Interior changes will include the expansion from two to five patient care rooms, a children’s area, drive-through window, staff and volunteer workspace, and space for patient care following a sexual assault.

Wellness Center Board Member, John Tinnon of Ephraim is overseeing the expansion. “All contractors are from Wisconsin and nearly 100 percent are from Door County,” said Tinnon.

For more information call 920.746.9444 or visit http://www.wellnesscenterofdoorcounty.com. Financial contributions to this project are needed and may be made online or sent to: Wellness Center of Door County, PO Box 85, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235.

• To keep the upcoming holiday season from becoming a time of tragedy, The Door County Sheriff’s Department will mobilize for the statewide “Booze and Belts” traffic safety campaign from Dec. 10 – 18.

“During the Booze and Belts mobilization, our officers will be out in force to prevent needless traffic deaths and injuries by arresting drunken drivers and enforcing the mandatory safety belt law,” said Sheriff Terry Vogel.

Law enforcement agencies throughout the state are cracking down on impaired and unbuckled motorists. Last year in Wisconsin, convictions for failure to fasten safety belts exceeded 100,000 for the first time in state history. There also were more than 45,000 drunken driving convictions last year in Wisconsin.

“We’re striving to save lives and prevent injuries; not to write more safety belt tickets or make more drunken driving arrests. We hope that people will voluntarily decide to buckle up and drive sober. But if they don’t, our intensified enforcement will increase the risks of getting caught,” added Vogel. “We will continue our enforcement and education efforts, like the Booze and Belts mobilization, until we attain our ultimate goal of zero preventable traffic deaths in Wisconsin.”

• The Door County Community Foundation announced that it is inviting local charities to submit applications for financial support from the Community Foundation’s Children & Youth Fund.

Thanks to the generosity of both year-round and seasonal residents, the Community Foundation also offers grants to charities out of its Arts Fund, Health and Human Needs Fund, Education Fund, Green Fund and Women’s Fund.

“If the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams, then we can give no greater gift to a child than to nurture their ability to believe in their own potential and promise,” said Bret Bicoy, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “We must encourage and invest in innovative ideas that help our children succeed in life.”

The Community Foundation welcomes applications from those charities that are working to ensure a brighter future for the community’s children. Applications are welcome from traditional children’s charities; however, the Community Foundation also encourages non-children’s charities to bring forth ideas on how they might incorporate young people into their work.

Applications are available at http://www.doorcountycommunityfoundation.org. Applications and all supporting materials must be received at the Community Foundation by Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2011.

• The Door County Critical Incident Stress Management (DC CISM) Program reaches out to emergency workers, business groups, and others, who may have been at the scene of a disaster or any situation causing traumatic death or injury. Some situations are particularly difficult – any situation that involves a child or teen and the suicide or the sudden death of someone who is part of the work team. DC CISM provides groups a helpful resource to call on after troubling incidents.

The available DC CISM services include group debriefings, individual follow-up, and resource materials. A debriefing aims to keep the harmful effects of stressful situations at bay by getting people to talk about their experiences with trained professionals. By addressing their stress, individuals are less likely to suffer its negative effects.

A team of 12 trained volunteers provide these free services. These volunteers hold positions with organizations such as Ministry Door County Medical Center, Moravian Church of Sturgeon Bay, HELP of Door County, Emergency Services of Door County, Sturgeon Bay Schools, and others. Dr. Dennis White serves as clinical director.

For more information about DC CISM, to schedule an informational presentation, or to schedule CISM services, call Ann DeMeuse, DC CISM president, at 920.746.6944.

• To celebrate the culmination of an extraordinarily busy and exciting year, the Door County Humane Society is inviting the entire Door County community to its annual Holiday Open House, scheduled for 12 – 4 pm on Saturday, Dec. 11 at the Sturgeon Bay shelter. The special event is free to the public, and refreshments will be served.

During this festive afternoon, guests will enjoy beverages and snacks while socializing with DCHS staff and volunteers and touring the facility. Visitors also may peruse the shelter’s “Joy Cards,” which feature photos of DCHS members and their beloved four-legged family members.

“We really love this event, because it gives us a chance to say Happy Holidays to our community,” said Carrie Counihan, executive director. “It’s a great way for us to say thank you to our members and supporters, and it allows us to meet new friends. It’s a lot of fun.

“This year, in particular, we have so much to celebrate,” she continued. “Not only did we host successful fundraisers like ‘Swing for the Shelter’ and ‘Bark in the Park,’ we launched official plans for our expansion.”

The shelter is located on County PD, across from Cherryland Airport. For more information call 920.746.1111 or visit http://www.dooranimals.com.

• At the close of the nine-day gun deer season, 520 whole deer have been donated to the Hunt For The Hungry program so far in 2010. That total is slightly ahead of last year’s mark at this time.

Hunters can continue to donate; muzzleloader season is underway, and the late bow season will follow.

Also, deer hunters who are picking up their venison from a Hunt For The Hungry processor, can consider leaving behind a “Pound for the Pantry!” Those donations will go to local food pantries. For those with left over venison and/or other wild game, consider donating to Paul’s Pantry in Green Bay.

For more information visit http://www.huntforthehungry.com or call Lee Dudek at 920.655.1284.

• The Nor Door Adult Day program was designed to help caretakers, while those they care for can have a lunch out and spend stimulating time away from home. The Adult Day Program is one of six Adult Day Care programs operated by N.E.W. Curative Rehabilitation, Inc.

Providing Adult Day Care Programs for over 30 years, N.E.W. Curative’s main facility is in Green Bay and covers many areas of Northeastern Wisconsin. The Nor Door Adult Day Program is located in Sister Bay and is open on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

For more information call 920.593.3575 or 920.495.2016 or visit http://www.newcurative.org.

• Friends of Peninsula State Park recently established a research endowment fund through the Door County Community Foundation. Beginning in 2011, the Friends will award grants to college and graduate students who conduct studies that inform the property’s resource management decisions. Proceeds from merchandise sales were used to establish the fund. Additional tax-deductible contributions are welcome.

Student grant application forms are currently being developed and will be available in the coming new year.

For more information contact Kathleen Harris at 920.868.3258 or via email at [email protected].

• With many people doing their holiday shopping online, the Red Cross is offering a range of more than 20 giving options in its holiday giving catalog (www.redcross.org/gifts) for those who want to make a donation in the name of someone else.

The gift ideas include donations equal to the costs of providing food and shelter to someone in a shelter, vaccinations, blankets, and phone cards and comfort kits for members of the military.

The purchase of each gift item is a tax-deductible contribution to the overall mission of the American Red Cross.

For more information visit http://www.redcross.org.

• The Door County Community Foundation has awarded The Clearing Folk School in Ellison Bay a $1,000 in grant funding for its community-wide 2011 Winter Program education efforts. The Clearing’s 2011 Winter Program offers more than 120 classes in the arts, fine crafts, humanities, and nature studies. Over 600 local residents are expected to participate during the upcoming January and February program.

Registration is now open for the Winter Program classes, which will start Wednesday, Jan. 5 and end Tuesday, March 1. Class information is published online at http://www.theclearing.org or catalogs are available at the Jens Jensen Visitor Center from 8 am – 4 pm, Monday – Friday. Class registration is only accepted in-person or through the mail.

The Clearing’s Winter Open House is Thursday and Friday, Dec. 9 and 10, from 10 am – 4 pm, and offers a chance to register for classes. The deadline to be included in the lottery for over-enrolled classes is Dec. 14. After December 14, classes will be filled on a first-come, first-registered basis.

For more information, visit http://www.theclearing.org or to receive a catalog, call The Clearing at 920.854.4088.

• The Sturgeon Bay Visitor Center announced the 2010 Christmas by the Bay Parade winners. The parade featured 45 entries. 1st place and winner of the Door County Visitor Bureau’s award for Best Business entry went to Saguaro Day Spa, 2nd place went to Bay Shore Outfitters, and 3rd place went to Tim’s Chimney Cleaning Service.

Miss Door County, Crystal Burke, waves at the crowd during the Sturgeon Bay Christmas by the Bay Parade.

Organization and not-for-profit winners included St. John Bosco (1st place), Rough Ridin’ City Slickers 4-H Club (2nd place) and Sneakers & Boots (3rd place). The parade also featured music by the Sturgeon Bay High School Marching Band, the Pirates in the Harbor, and the Lodge 106.9.

Next year’s holiday parade will take place Saturday, Nov. 20, 2011. Holiday activities will continue into December, including free trolley rides every Saturday from 12 – 3 pm until the week before Christmas. For more information, check the Christmas by the Bay brochure, visit http://www.sturgeonbay.net, or call 920.746.6246.