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Peninsula Pulse December 4-11, 2020

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In this issue

  • Editor’s Note: A Blue Mind Wonders What Betting on Water Scarcity Means

    This week, I was running/walking/climbing the Great Wall of Europe in Ston, Croatia, from the comfort of my living room (Nordic Track is fantastic unless you need to get in touch with someone to fix the treadmill or troubleshoot a problem). The walls, at little more than three miles in length, don’t compare to the […]

  • Server of the Week: Kate Utzinger of Kick Coffee

    The temperatures are dropping, and this year has been tough, But we’re always still looking for that hot caffeinated stuff. Kate Utzinger has done all she can to keep her customers and staff safe, Inside and out of her great coffee place. Kicking off winter with a peppermint mocha feels so carefree, A great place […]

  • Suds with Sophie: Giving the Gift of Beer

    If you’re struggling to find a holiday gift for the craft-beer lover in your life, don’t fret! I have a few ideas that just might work out perfectly.  Purchasing beer for a friend can be difficult because of the large number of styles – and interpretations within those styles – that are available. Unless you’re familiar with […]

  • This Old Store: Worley’s Grocery A Testament to a Family’s Persistence

    When Sarah DeBaker Worley’s husband, George Worley Sr., abandoned her and their four children during the early years of the 20th century, it was hard for a divorced, Catholic woman to find work. She received relief from Sturgeon Bay and Door County for a while before finding a job as a school custodian to support […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Marjorie’s Make-A-Wish Comes True

    This past July, our six-year-old daughter’s Make-A-Wish was granted: a mini goldendoodle puppy. This wish was in the works long before COVID-19, but it was a welcomed distraction and a wonderful addition to our family. Marjorie’s wish also included a year’s worth of veterinary care from Peninsula Vet Clinic, shopping sprees at both the Door […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Community Thanksgiving Dinner Set Record

    The community Thanksgiving dinner held at the Sturgeon Bay United Methodist Church provided nearly 500 meals this year – 100-plus more dinners than usual. This long-standing event has been successful largely because of the tremendous community support it receives. We thank the 40-plus volunteers who worked so hard throughout the week to organize, prepare, cook, […]

  • Business Alumni Spotlight: Gibraltar Alumnus Nathan Hatch Continues His Family’s Legacy in the Door County Art Community

    Sculptor Nate Hatch owns Nathan Hatch Art, a wood- and metal-based design/build studio that specializes in custom furniture and sculptural applications.  Hatch first discovered a love of sculpture through his artist parents, Wendy Carpenter and David Hatch, the owners of Interfibres Studio. That studio later split to become Interfibres Studio Gallery (Carpenter) and Fine Line […]

  • Apply for USDA Farm Service Agency’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2

    The deadline to apply for the USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) is Dec. 11.  This program provides direct financial relief to farmers and ranchers for market disruptions and associated costs because of COVID-19. Row crops, livestock, dairy, specialty crops, aquaculture and more are eligible. Producers should visit farmers.gov/cfap […]

  • Framed

    Peter Kerwin, board president of United Way of Door County, sat on a roof in Sturgeon Bay on Dec. 3. He sought to raise $15,000 toward the organization’s larger 2020 goal of $650,000. Photo by Andrew Kleidon-Linstrom.

  • Bowling League Results

    Majors League  Dec. 1, 2020 • High team game: Red Room 1,148 • High team series: Red Room 3,154 • High game (women): Kayla Fort 212, Natasha LeMieux 194, Natasha LeMieux 172 • High series (women): Natasha LeMieux 532, Kayla Fort 529, Caitlyn Krishka 407 • High game (men): Andy Alger 300, Adam Kring 279, […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Republicans Leaders Needed to Defend Election Integrity

    The attempt by President Trump and his allies to discredit elections in Wisconsin and other battleground states poses a threat to our democracy. President Trump called Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger an “enemy of the people” for simply carrying out his duties as Georgia’s election chief. This term was too extreme even for former […]

  • Bits and Bites: Fish Creek Market Braves the Winter

    Norzwich lovers can rejoice that the new owners of the Fish Creek Market are planning to stay open through the winter. The market has been closed during the winter for several years, but Stephen and Cristina Jones, who took over the space in March, will be open six days a week, closing only on Wednesdays […]

  • Preparation and Opportunity Meet for Bay Shore Outfitters

    Bay Shore Outfitters bucks COVID with stellar season, new partnership and plans for a third store in Algoma It’s still possible to unearth positive stories beneath the rubble COVID-19 has deposited across the world.  One of those comes from Bay Shore Outfitters, the full-service outdoor recreation and retail business with locations in Sister Bay and […]

  • Bay Ridge Golf Course Au Naturel

    Some Alpine holes have also gone to grass  The closure of a nine-hole golf course with manicured, watered fairways and chemically induced greens may have slightly diminished future opportunities for golfers, but it has also resulted in a lot less fertilizer going onto the ground at Bay Ridge Golf Course in Sister Bay.  Longtime course […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Just in Case

    Out of all the failed schemes of Donald Trump – such as Trump steaks, Trump University and casinos, just to name a few – I believe I’ve come up with a winner for him. It’s the Just in Case Pardon: signed, sealed and delivered by The Donald.  For only $19.99 plus shipping and handling, you could […]

  • State Park Sticker Design Contest on Now

    High school students may enter designs for the 2022 state park admission stickers during the 2022 Wisconsin State Park Sticker Design Contest through April 30, 2021. Emma Džurbanová, a junior foreign-exchange student from the Czech Republic at Rice Lake High School designed the winning 2021 admission sticker, which featured a wintery image for the first […]

  • MAM, Libraries Partner for Big Read Art Response

    The Miller Art Museum (MAM) is partnering with the Door County Library to add a visual-arts component to the 2021 NEA Big Read program, which features Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven: a book that contemplates art in a postpandemic America.  The museum is seeking participation from artists and the community to create artworks in response […]

  • Five Galleries Extend Season for Holiday Shopping

    During a season made unusual by the pandemic, five Door County galleries will extend their season for holiday shopping. To shop meaningfully, shop local! The participating galleries are Idea Gallery, open daily through Dec. 24, 11 am – 4 pm; Cappaert Contemporary Gallery, open Friday – Sunday in December, 10 am – 4 pm; Woodwalk […]

  • Artisan Market to Pop Up in Sister Bay on Saturdays

    Jackie Campbell of Door County Wildflower Candles & More and Sophie Parr of Maps by Sophie are joining Trisha Ellis Arujo, owner of Door County Fitness Studio on Country Walk Drive in Sister Bay, to host the Door County Artisan Pop-up Market every December Saturday, 10 am – 1 pm, at the fitness studio. The […]

  • James May – A Gallery Gone Virtual

    James May Gallery in Algoma has closed its doors, but it hasn’t disappeared. It’s merely gone virtual through the online art platform Artsy and through its own website. Kendra Bulgrin and her husband, Jimmy Eddings, opened the gallery in 2015 and then expanded it in 2019 to a second building, James May North at 219 […]

  • Brian Linden’s Book Picked Up by Chinese Publisher

    During the past decade, Brian Linden – a former Door County resident and owner of the former Linden Gallery in Ellison Bay – has been asked to write his family’s story. The timing had never worked out, but the pandemic freed up time and energy to put into this new project. Linden finished the book […]

  • Thomas Davis Releases New Book

    Thirty years ago, tribal college educator and poet Thomas Davis of Sturgeon Bay began writing poems about the tribal college movement. He started with the College of Menominee Nation, which he helped to found in northern Wisconsin.  Davis had no intention of developing a book out of the poems – mostly free-verse poetry that chronicled the […]

  • Publishing Industry News: Dec. 4, 2020

    Curious about what’s happening in the world of books and publishing? Catch up on the biggest acquisitions, news, adaptations and more here! compiled by Grace Johnson • Joy Harjo, an enrolled member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, is the first Native American poet to serve as U.S. poet laureate. Now she’ll take on the role for […]

  • Peninsula Poetry: Peter Sherrill

    compiled by the DOOR COUNTY POETS COLLECTIVE Peter Sherrill has lived in Door County since the late eighties. He’s published work in a variety of state and national journals and earned honors that include the Wisconsin Regional Writers’ Jade Ring for Poetry and the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets’ Muse Prize for Excellence in Poetry. Sherrill […]

  • Erin O’Toole Helps Students Become Career-ready

    Erin O’Toole is the new youth apprenticeship coordinator for the Door County Economic Development Corporation, arriving there from her previous position overseeing marketing for the Pagel Family Businesses in Green Bay.  A graduate of UW-Platteville with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business marketing/communications, O’Toole works with the Ahnapee Youth Apprenticeship Consortium and Door County school […]

  • Southern Door Receives Farm to School Grant

    The Southern Door School District received a Farm to School Planning Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service for the 2020-21 school year that allows the district to increase consumption of local agriculture products and expand curricula by incorporating more agriculture, nutrition and wellness topics. Southern Door is asking for the […]

  • Farmers to Family Food-box Event

    Anyone in need of food is welcome to attend the Farmers to Families food-box event at the Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Department, 2258 Mill Road in Sister Bay. The event will be held Dec. 4 , 4-6 pm (or while supplies last). Cars may start lining up at 3:45 pm. Attendees should wear a mask […]

  • PULSE OF PHILANTHROPY: An Unusual Request during an Extraordinary Year

    It’s not my habit to write columns asking people to give to a specific charity. At the Door County Community Foundation, we track and monitor the work of every nonprofit organization in our community. More than anyone else, we know how many effective and deserving charities there are in Door County.  When I encourage people […]

  • John Berns’ Life On and Off the Diamond

    by Mike Shaw The famously talkative John Berns is no stranger to being the center of a conversation, especially if the topic is his beloved baseball. But in a memoir about his life in the sport, the 71-year-old Door County Baseball Hall of Famer steps back and tips his ball cap deferentially to the people […]

  • Sister Bay Agrees to Buy 56 Acres of Wiltse Property

    The Village of Sister Bay has reached an agreement to purchase almost 56 acres of orchard and farmland from the Wiltse family. The land – spread across four parcels that abut the Sister Bay Sports Complex and wastewater treatment plant – is in the Town of Liberty Grove and stretches from Scandia Road to Highway […]

  • This Old Store: Trodahl’s at Madison and Maple

    ‘The busiest grocery store in town’ Anyone born in Sturgeon Bay since 1967 can tell you there’s been a gas station on the northwest corner of Madison and Maple streets for as long as they’ve lived. And they’re right. But for 97 years before that, a grocery story occupied that corner.  The first one was […]

  • Framed: Sheep May Safely Graze

    Sheep graze in the sunset in southern Door County. Photo by Sara Lardo. 

  • Door to Nature: Shrikes: The Butcherbirds

    How would you like to live outside, alone, in all types of weather, and be responsible for finding all of your food without any help? That’s what wild birds must deal with as we enjoy the comforts of our heated homes. Some bird species such as pine siskins and American goldfinches are communal. They dine […]

  • Galaxy Gazing: Fourth Rock from the Sun

    by Tom Gwilym Mars. Just the name of the fourth planet from the sun reminds us of Martians, War of the Worlds, The Martian Chronicles and many other wonderful and imaginative stories from science-fiction writers and filmmakers. In reality, Mars is just a very cold, dusty, mostly dry, desert planet that at one time in […]

  • Door County Coffee Remained Perked Up in 2020

    The coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on many retail sectors, but Doug Wilson doesn’t think it has curbed the desire for coffee. “Since they can’t get it at work, they’re ordering it from here,” said Wilson, chief executive officer and chief financial officer of Door County Coffee and Tea, a coffee-serving and coffee-roasting business. […]

  • Servers of the Week: The Grasse Family

    This has been a crazy year, and Grasse’s Grill is here to serve you. Team Jimmy, Jessica and the crew are all working hard to feed you. If you’re looking for some awesome homemade soup, Grasse’s is the place to be in Sister Bay. It’s hosting a weekly pop-up with soup du jour and chili, […]

  • City Won’t Impose Restrictions on Tourist Rooming Houses, For Now

    The Sturgeon Bay Plan Commission decided not to impose new restrictions on Tourist Rooming Houses (TRH) within the city that people generally rent for short-term stays through online platforms such as Vrbo and Airbnb.  The city’s zoning code allows these short-term rentals with a permit that must be renewed after the first year, with renewals […]

  • Baileys Harbor Takes First Step in Room Tax Change

    Changes to the room-tax rate are in motion, even if they may be uncertain and a long way off.  The Town of Baileys Harbor approved a resolution Nov. 23 seeking an increase in the countywide room-tax rate and a separate filing fee for lodging operators to fund the Door County Tourism Zone Commission (DCTZC). That […]

  • Len Villano, Baileys Harbor Town Hall

    Baileys Harbor Seeks Input on Comprehensive Plan

    Housing, short-term rentals, business development, shoreline treatment will be discussed What can be done during the next 10 years to improve the quality of life in the Town of Baileys Harbor and to enhance and preserve what the town has to offer? Baileys Harbor Planning Commission members want residents, property owners, business operators and other […]

  • Wild Things: Door’s Deer Harvest Dips, Kewaunee’s Rises Slightly

    A slower-than-expected gun deer hunt in Door County was still a good one, with more than 2,000 whitetails taken. Although the nine-day preliminary numbers weren’t available at the time of this writing Monday night, Door hunters reported 610 bucks and 600 antlerless deer the first two days of the season – down 12.1 percent from 2019. […]

  • Obituary: John Philip Mann

    May 4, 1951 – Nov. 29, 2020 John Philip Mann, 69, died Nov. 29, 2020. Born the youngest of three boys to Wallace and Eileen (Gross) Mann in Sturgeon Bay, John lived his 69 years on the family homestead. Being raised on the family farm provided adventures and diversions that later became wonderful stories that […]

  • Obituary: Scott Michael Wilmot

    Aug. 5, 1969 – Nov. 30, 2020 Scott Michael Wilmot, 51, of the Town of Nasewaupee, died unexpectedly at his home. He was born in Oconto to Lawrence and Alice (Knapp) Wilmot. Scott had worked as a machine operator at Hatco for 16 years and was currently employed as the assistant manager for O’Reilly Auto Parts in […]

  • Obituary: Randall William Jeanquart

    April 3, 1955 – Dec. 1, 2020 Randall William Jeanquart, 65, of Brussels died at his home. He was born in Door County to William and Viola (DeKeyser) Jeanquart.  After high school, Randy went to work on the family farm, where he did a lot of green chopping, driving tractors and tending to the stock. […]

  • Tickets on Sale for Peninsula Music Festival’s February Fest

    Tickets for Peninsula Music Festival’s February Fest are now on sale for the Feb. 7, 14 and 21 concerts, to be held at Egg Harbor’s Kress Pavilion. The three concerts will feature six impressive musicians presented in a socially distanced setting. Temperature scans will be taken upon check-in, and masks will be mandatory. Tickets are […]

  • Midsummer’s Music Partners with Chicago Philharmonic

    The Chicago Philharmonic is celebrating two influential black composers through its Dec. 6 David Perry & Friends program, presented in collaboration with Midsummer’s Music. Violin virtuoso David Perry will join Scott Speck, the Chicago Philharmonic’s artistic director and principal conductor, as well as host of the Hear It Together series. They will provide historical context […]

  • Rogue Theater’s 5 Days to $5,000 Campaign Dec. 1-5

    Giving Tuesday – which falls on Dec. 1 this year – is a global generosity movement that unleashes the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and their world.  Rogue Theater will continue giving back to the community through its 5 Days to $5,000 Campaign, Dec. 1-5, when it will share videos from actors […]

  • Annual Christmas Bird Count Dec. 19 and 20

    The Audubon Society is looking for backyard bird counters and field counters for the 2020 Audubon Christmas Bird Count, an early-winter bird census. The Sturgeon Bay area count will be Dec. 19; the Southern Door area count will be Dec. 20. The Audubon Christmas Bird Count began more than a century ago, and today, thousands […]

  • Crossroads Hosts Night of Wonder Dec. 6

    The holidays will be different at Crossroads at Big Creek this year. Although the Learning Center is closed, the community is invited to a socially distanced Crossroads Night of Wonder on Dec. 6, 4:30-6:30 pm. One by one, individuals or family units may hike candlelit portions of the Meadow and Creek Trails. Luminarias will guide […]

  • Ephraim Alters Dec. 5 Christmas in the Village

    Because of recent health advisories, the Ephraim Business Council has made changes to the Dec. 5 Christmas in the Village celebration. Instead of the tree-lighting ceremony, Santa will spread holiday cheer from the porch of the Ephraim Village Hall, 5-5:30 pm. Please remain in your vehicle and drive by to wave to Santa. Eagle Harbor […]

  • Obituary: Ronald Lester Willman

    July 31, 1941 – Nov. 28, 2020 Ronald Lester Willman, 79, of the Town of Clay Banks died at Door County Medical Center in Sturgeon Bay. He was born in Sturgeon Bay to Lester and Fay Violet (Walker) Willman. He graduated from Sevastopol High School in 1959. Ronald worked at Bay Shipbuilding for many years until his […]

  • Obituary: Alma Marie Vandertie

    June 19, 1931 – Nov. 29, 2020 Alma Marie Vandertie, 89, of Brussels died at home. She was born to Henry and Josephine (Dubois) Berger. On Nov. 5, 1947, she married Lawrence J. Vandertie in Namur. Alma and Lawrence began their careers in business running a milk route. Together they started a tavern called the 57 Club. In […]

  • Obituary: Thaddeus “Ted” Tala

    Feb. 7, 1927 – Nov. 28, 2020 Thaddeus John Tala, 93, of Sturgeon Bay died at Sturgeon Bay Health Services. He was born in Chicago to John and Maria (Szykowny) Talaczynski. He married Mary Jane Frances Novotny on July 19, 1952, in Chicago. She died Sept. 13, 2017. Ted served in the U.S. Army during World War […]

  • Obituary: Loretta M. (Merkle) Robertoy

    Dec. 28, 1936 – Nov. 22, 2020  Loretta M. (Merkle) Robertoy, 83, of Fish Creek died at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay. She was born in Sturgeon Bay to Jacob “Jake” and Helen (Buechner) Merkle. In 1954, she graduated from Gibraltar High School. Loretta was united in marriage on Oct. 6, 1956, with Marvin J. Robertoy […]

  • Obituary: Ardella Beatrice (Burtnett) Walls

    Sept. 13, 1927 – Nov. 28, 2020 Ardella Beatrice (Burtnett) Walls, 93, of Sturgeon Bay died at Whispering Pines Assisted Living. She was born in Oconto Falls to Ervin Albert and Catherine (Owen) Regal. Ardella graduated from Oconto Falls High School in 1945. On June 5, 1949, she married Harvey Eugene Burtnett at the Seventh […]

  • Obituary: Timothy John Bletcher

    March 26, 1954 – Nov. 27, 2020  Timothy John Bletcher, 66, of the Town of Sevastopol died at Door County Medical Center in Sturgeon Bay. He was born in Milwaukee to Edgar George and Jennie Florence (Murphy) Bletcher. Tim graduated from James Madison High School in Milwaukee in 1972. While growing up and after high school, he […]

  • Obituary: Jean Ann Vogel

    Sept. 17, 1954 – Nov. 27, 2020 Jean Ann Vogel, 66, of Brussels died at Aurora Bay Care in Green Bay. She was born in Green Bay to James and Marjorie (Wardlow) Thomas. She married John Francis Vogel on Oct. 16, 1993, in Maplewood. Jean graduated from West High in Green Bay and studied nursing at North […]

  • Obituary: Eleanore Mary (Gueztkow) Neubauer

    May 15, 1917 – Nov. 24, 2020 Eleanore Mary Neubauer, 103, of Sturgeon Bay died at Door County Medical Center’s Skilled Nursing Facility.  She was born in Milwaukee to Adolf and Martha Margaret (Piglowski) Guetzkow. Eleanore graduated from South Division High School in Milwaukee with the Class of 1934, at the young age of 16. […]

  • Obituary: James Mackey, MD

    Aug. 16, 1932 – Nov. 25, 2020 James Patrick Mackey, MD, 88, of Sturgeon Bay died peacefully at his home.  He was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, to John and Lois (Carroll) Mackey. On Aug. 20, 1955, he married Rosemary Alice Egan in South St. Paul, Minnesota. Jim attended St. Thomas College in St. Paul and St. Louis […]

  • Potawatomi Tower Listed on State Historic Register

    The State Historic Preservation Review Board voted unanimously Friday to put the Potawatomi State Park observation tower on the State Register of Historic Places.  The tower’s formal addition to the state’s list means the status will be forwarded to the U.S. Department of the Interior for consideration for inclusion on the National Register of Historic […]

  • Hunter Killed in Shooting Accident on Washington Island

    The end of shooting hours were almost upon Washington Island on Sunday, Nov. 23 when an accident claimed the life of Steve Hoogester during the first weekend of the state’s gun deer hunt. The preliminary investigation conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Washington Island Police Department indicated that Hoogester, 65, […]

  • Well-Monitoring Results Forum Dec. 1

    Door County residents with private wells were invited this fall to participate in a groundwater study whose goals were to educate the public about the importance of testing well water and build a database of groundwater-quality data in Door County. The UW-Oshkosh Environmental Research and Innovation Center will share the results of the study during […]

  • Obituary: John “Tater” R. Protolipac

    April 25, 1953 ~ November 17, 2020 John “Tater” R. Protolipac, 67, of Fish Creek, formerly of Whiting, IN, died peacefully on the morning of Tuesday, November 17, 2020 at his residence surrounded by his family. “Tater” was born on April 25, 1953 to the late Peter and Helen (Lamski) Protolipac. A longtime Whiting resident, […]