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DOT Agrees to Maintain Right-of-Way in Sister Bay

• The Department of Transportation (DOT) has agreed to maintain the existing right-of-way between Mill Road and Scandia Road in Sister Bay.

Charles Graupner, attorney for Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant and Butik, sent a letter to the DOT on July 31 saying the formerly proposed 66-foot right-of-way, which could have shifted the sidewalks up to the restaurant’s walls, was too wide because the road had been laid out as just a 50-foot right-of-way.

Right-of-ways for state highways default to 66 feet unless there’s documented evidence that the road was intentionally laid out to a different width.

“It appears, at least as I understood, they agree that between Mill and Scandia, 50 feet is the appropriate [right-of-way] distance,” Graupner said. “I’m not 100 percent sure that they mean to treat the entire area as 50 feet [wide], or just in front of [Al Johnson’s], but I assume that they mean to treat the entire area as 50 feet.”

 

After acknowledging the lack of cell phone coverage in Door County, AT&T announced it is expanding its service in Northeast Wisconsin with the purchase of 32 cell towers in Door, Brown, Kewaunee, Manitowoc and Sheboygan counties.

“Door County has been a stress point for our customers and this will really improve service up there,” said AT&T spokesperson Jim Greer.

Greer said a majority of the 32 towers are in Door County, but couldn’t give the exact location of the towers.

The expansion will also bring 4G LTE service to Green Bay to improve high-speed data communication for mobile phones.

“We’re constantly and aggressively building our network,” Greer said. “We’ve already spent $140 million on networks in Wisconsin, and continue to do that. So that’s a lot of building, that’s a lot of investment to make better service for our customers in the state.”

Having more towers located in Door County could mean more local work as AT&T invests in tower improvements, Greer said.

At its Aug. 12 monthly meeting, the Door County Board of Health reported eight beach closures due to high levels of E. coli between May 8, 2013, and Aug. 7, 2013.

The closures included Baileys Harbor Ridges Park on June 22 and July 9; Europe Bay 1 on July 9; Otumba Park, July 9;  Sand Bay 1, July 9; Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve, July 30; Sunset Park Sturgeon Bay, June 14; and Whitefish Dunes, Aug. 6.

There were also warning advisories posted, including Anclam Park on July 9; Baileys Harbor Ridges Park on June 21; Ephraim on June 7 and July 11; Europe Bay 2 on June 14 and July 9; Europe Bay 3 on July 9; Fish Creek on May 30, June 11, July 9 and July 11; Jackson Harbor Ridges on June 28; Lily Bay Boat Launch on July 10; Murphy Park on June 7 and Aug. 6; Nicolet on June 28; Otumba Park on June 14 and July 12; Sister Bay on July 11; Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve, Aug. 6; Sunset Park Sturgeon Bay, June 26, July 1, July 31 and Aug. 2; Anclam Park, June 25, July 8 and July 10 (all due to rainfall); Ephraim, June 25 and July 8 (due to rainfall); Fish Creek, June 25 and July 8 (due to rainfall);

Lakeside Park, June 25, July 8 and 10 (due to rainfall); Otumba Park, June 25, July 8 and 10 (due to rainfall).

The Department of Natural Resources relaxed some of its fish consumption restrictions on waters around the state, including Green Bay. The updated fish consumption advice says it’s safer to eat smaller sizes of northern pike and white bass. For more information, log on to dnr.wi.gov.

Artist Bill Jauquet calls this steel sculpture The Rooster, but the Pulse staff suggests a name befitting its new prominence in a Door County community:  The Father of Egg Harbor. It was recently installed at the entrance to Harbor View Park and is on a five-year loan from Edgewood Orchard Galleries. Jauquet, a De Pere resident, said he is happy to have one of his last steel sculptures – he now works in bronze casting – on such public display.