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Peninsula Pulse July 2-9, 2021

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In this issue

  • Server of the Week: Emily Watts

    Island Clipper, 12731 Hwy 42 in Ellison Bay At the dock in Gills Rock, she’s known as the ticket girl. If you haven’t traveled on her Island Clipper, give it a whirl.  Emily has handmade crafts for sale at her art cart, And she paints while selling tickets, making everything with heart.  Emily practices performance […]

  • Framed

    Sturgeon Bay Historical Society members and guests celebrated the 90th birthday of the Michigan Street steel bridge with a morning stroll across it on July 4. Photo by Rachel Lukas.

  • Door County League Baseball

    STANDINGS Sister Bay 8-1 Washington Island 8-1 Kolberg 6-2 West Jacksonport 4-5 Institute 4-5 Egg Harbor 3-6 Maplewood 2-7 Baileys Harbor 0-8 WEEK 9 RESULTS Institute 10, Egg Harbor 2  Kolberg 5, West Jacksonport 2 Sister Bay 17, Maplewood 5 Washington Island 11, Baileys Harbor 1 SCHEDULE All Friday games are played at 7:30 pm; […]

  • Northern Door Volleyball League Standings

    STANDINGS (through June 30) 1. Husby’s, 19-1 2. Blue Horse, 17-1 3. P.C. Junction, 18-3 4. Roots Inn and Kitchen, 15-3 5. The Mink, 17-4 6. Baileys Harbor Blue Herons, 7-8 7. Wilson’s, 7-11 8. Door County Kayak Tours, 7-11 9. Cream ’n the Bowl, 9-12 10. Wickxies, 6-12 11. Lakeshore Adventures, 5-16 12. Craig […]

  • Strongman Sandstrom Adds to Résumé

    Think you’re too old to lift weights? Think again. Sigurd Sandstrom, an 81-year-old part-time Door County resident, continues to push the boundaries of age. Tales of his power-lifting exploits have appeared in this paper before, and he has now added a new achievement to his résumé.  Sandstrom set a new world record in the deadlift […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Needed Improvements to Historical Site Don’t Exclude Dog Park Expansion

    I am writing to express my sincere disappointment in the Egg Harbor Historical Society and the Town of Egg Harbor in regard to the state of disrepair that they have let the playground to the west of Fire Station #1 – one of the few properties left with historical significance – fall into. Growing up in […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Save Our Democracy

    On June 28, 55 concerned Door County citizens marched for democracy in Sturgeon Bay when Indivisible Door County organized the rally and asked folks to read “farewell to democracy” letters. Here are some of their comments: Republicans have strengthened their hand in elections not by adjusting their message to win more votes or by becoming […]

  • Guest Perspective: Orienting Expectations for Those Just Diving into Anti-racism Activism

    by MIKE SERPE Egg Harbor, Wisconsin Here’s an analogy about expectations for my fellow white folks who are just diving into anti-racism education. Imagine showing up to a class an hour late. How would you expect the professor to respond to your entrance? Would you expect this person to greet you at the door, tell […]

  • Gibraltar Alumni Alert

    The annual Gibraltar High School 50+ Reunion will be held Saturday, Aug. 28, at Fernwood Gardens at Mr. G’s, 5890 Hwy 57 in Sturgeon Bay. Alumni of the Classes of 1931 through 1970 are invited. Participants may attend the Gibraltar School open house, 9:30-11 am, then enjoy a social at Fernwood Gardens, 11 am – […]

  • Kropuenske Makes SDSU Dean’s List

    Ryan Kropuenske of Baileys Harbor has been named to the spring 2021 dean’s list for academic excellence at South Dakota State University (SDSU). To earn dean’s list distinctions in SDSU’s colleges, students must have completed a minimum of 12 credits and earned at least a 3.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

  • Southern Door Elementary, Middle Schools Earn Recognition

    The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the Wisconsin RtI Center (wisconsinrticenter.org) have recognized the Southern Door elementary and middle schools for building school-wide, equitable, multi-level systems of support aimed at closing achievement gaps. National research shows that full implementation of an equitable system leads to improved student outcomes.  The Wisconsin RtI Center’s Recognized Schools […]

  • Destination Door County Pitches In for Nature

    Veering from promotion toward stewardship, Destination Door County (DDC) has begun a series of volunteer events called Leave No Trace Tuesday. The next one will take place July 13, 5:30-7:30 pm, in Sister Bay. DDC will announce the location soon. The Ridges Sanctuary and a neighboring property benefited from the second Leave No Trace Tuesday, […]

  • Natural Areas Need a Helping Human Hand

    Newport, Rock Island friends groups seek donations for projects Even wilderness needs a helping hand sometimes, and members of the Newport Wilderness Society (friendsofnewport.org) frequently answer the call for Newport State Park. During the coming months, in order to bring a two-mile loop back into compliance with the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act, […]

  • Bits & Bites: Tug Pub Opens at Maritime Museum

    The 10th Year Is the Brandy Anniversary Celebrate Door County Distillery’s 10th anniversary with the release of its newest brandy – made with grapes grown in Door County – and live music by Doozey on July 12, starting at 1 pm. Join the party at the new Door Peninsula Winery/Door County Distillery outdoor cocktail and wine […]

  • 18 New Door County Restaurants to Check out in 2021

    Maybe it was all the downtime people had to dream up new restaurant concepts and business plans during the pandemic’s shelter-in-place days. Maybe it was our eagerness to return to bustling dining rooms, cozy cafes and local hangouts. Maybe it was a desire to try something new and experimental, or a need to make ends […]

  • Ephraim’s History Speaks Series Returns

    The Ephraim Historical Foundation is bringing back History Speaks, a program designed for adults and older youth.  The scheduled programs are “History Mysteries,” July 13, 5-7 pm, at the Iverson House; “Camp Meenahga Collection,” July 20, 10:30 am – 1 pm, at the Anderson Barn; “Curtain’s Up at Northern Sky Theater,” July 28, 7:30-8:30 pm, at […]

  • Evers Blunts Legislative Measure to End Extra Unemployment Benefit

    Madison – The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature voted in early June to eliminate the $300-a-week federal bonus for unemployed people. On June 29, Gov. Tony Evers vetoed the measure, as he indicated he would. The federal payment had been approved during the coronavirus pandemic and was scheduled to end Sept. 6. Wisconsin legislators said the extra […]

  • July Reading Recommendations

    Looking for something to read but aren’t sure what to pick up? Try one of these recommendations this month! Who knows? Maybe you’ll find your next favorite read. The Heir Apparent: A Life of Edward VII, the Playboy Prince by Jane RidleyRecommended by Steven Rice, museum and archives manager, Door County Historical Museum The Victorian […]

  • Jarosh’s Books Introduce Children to Door County History and Adventures

    Sue Steckart Jarosh’s third career as the author of children’s books didn’t begin until 2017, but it was something she’d been preparing for her entire adult life: five years as a first-grade teacher; more than 30 years as an owner, with her husband, Joe, of Jacksonport Craft Cottage; and, at that point, 10 years as […]

  • A Final Season for Topelmanns’ Hanseatic Art Gallery

    The Hanseatic Art Gallery is opening for a final goodbye season this summer.  Artists Ellen and Karsten Topelmann were fixtures of the Door County art scene for nearly five decades. They established Hanseatic Art Gallery in 1971, creating a destination for people to see and appreciate the beauty of Door County and special places from […]

  • Preserving Time and Place: The hand-drawn maps of Sophie Parr

    Nestled in a quiet corner of Ellison Bay on Highway 42 and Lakeview Road, a collective of artistic energy has been building. One wall of the Northern Door Arts Collective is a gallery space with originals by local and Midwestern artists. Another contains small, colorful wooden blocks with the names, photos and Instagram handles of […]

  • Civility Corner: Civility Project Continues Support for Civil Behavior

    by Orlaine I. Gabert The Door County Civility Project began in 2013 following research by the League of Women Voters and a community program presented by the Civility Project of Oshkosh. Civility means weaving together restraint, respect and responsibility in all of our interactions, and the project’s missions are to foster and incorporate the principles […]

  • Eagle Tower Offers More Accessibility and New Experiences

    When I visited Peninsula State Park for the first time in the summer of 2015, my parents were excited to show my sister and me the famous Eagle Tower. They recalled how a hike up the tower revealed a brilliant, panoramic view of the park and the islands across the bay. After a winding drive […]

  • Door to Nature: Bugs and Beetles

    More than a million kinds of insects have been identified in the world – more than all other animals combined. These creatures’ vast array includes some of the more common types, such as beetles, butterflies, moths, bugs, flies, bees, wasps and dragonflies. Anyone who refers to all insects as bugs will be surprised to learn that, […]

  • Summer Interns Join Write On, Door County

    Write On, Door County has welcomed two summer interns. As a Fish Creek native, Lia Smith-Redmann has benefited from Write On since its inception. She’s a former Gibraltar Schools student and a homeschooled graduate who has studied at Madison Area Technical College and will continue her undergraduate education at Hampshire College this fall.  Smith-Redmann values […]

  • 10 Local Poets’ Work Appears in Anthology

    Four Windows Press in Sturgeon Bay has published No More Can Fit Into the Evening: An Anthology of Diverse Voices. It includes the work of some of the best-known poets writing in English, including Terence Winch; Kimberley Blaeser, former poet laureate of Wisconsin; John Looker; and  James Janko. Thomas Davis of Sturgeon Bay and Standing […]

  • Exploring the Library: Door County Authors

    by Morgan Mann, Community Relations Library Assistant Door County is a place that nurtures creativity and brings artists together, including writers. It’s fitting, then – and fortunate – that the Door County Library houses an extensive collection of books about the county by local authors, and it frequently hosts author talks and makes the recordings available […]

  • Sibilsky’s Artistry Returns to Manhattan

    Algoma sculptor Bren Sibilsky has been juried into the Manhattan Arts International exhibition The Healing Power of ART in Honor of Nature, which seeks to promote extraordinary nature-inspired artists and raise awareness about the importance of protecting the natural environment. Sibilsky’s 2021 portrait of a Native American and his horse, titled “Determined Partners,” will soon […]

  • Submit Works to Miller’s 46th ‘Juried Annual’ Exhibition

    The Miller Art Museum is accepting submissions to its 46th Juried Annual exhibition of contemporary work, and this year marks a new direction: It’s broadening its scope from a six-county radius to all 72 counties in the state. “By broadening the reach of eligibility, we’re inviting new visual artists to the northeast Wisconsin region specifically […]

  • Idea Gallery Showcases Kouzov’s Sculptures

    Idea Gallery will be showcasing new works by ceramic sculptor Daniela Kouzov during Kouzov’s first season exhibiting with the gallery. The artwork incorporates elements of nature: leaves, flower-like forms, and clean, organic shapes. “Life is a constant change, and my art represents this change,” Kouvoz said. “I love the fact that clay allows me to […]

  • ‘Crosswind Approach’ Installed In Sturgeon Bay

    Sturgeon Bay’s Local Arts Board has welcomed a new art installation, titled Crosswind Approach, along the east waterfront promenade. Door/Brown County artist Steven Haas created the aluminum sculpture in 2015 and has lent it to the city. It remains for sale while it’s on display.  Haas’ sculptures are also for sale at Edgewood Orchard Galleries, […]

  • Plum Bottom Hosts Jewelry Trunk Show

    Plum Bottom Gallery’s downtown location, 7813 Hwy 42 in Egg Harbor, will host a jewelry trunk show featuring Hannah Wong and resident jewelry artist Angela Olson Luberger on July 3 and July 4, 10 am – 6 pm. Both artists create gemstone pieces and timeless metal pieces. Olson Luberger will also have a collection of […]

  • Woodwalk Presents ‘The Road To Abstract’

    Woodwalk Gallery’s new exhibit, on display through July 31, is The Road to Abstract, featuring work by Michael Harper, Paula DeStefanis and Terra Paulsen-Chmielewski. These three Wisconsin artists create very different styles of art: all colorful and all engaging, but taking different roads to the term “abstract.” The gallery, 6746 Cty G in Egg Harbor, […]

  • Seven Years at Cappaert Gallery

    Cappaert Contemporary Gallery will toast its seventh season with an opening reception for Group Show: Season 7, on July 10, 4-8 pm. The gallery represents 50 contemporary artists, from emerging to nationally recognized, who work in glass, clay, encaustics, painting, sculpture and jewelry. Owner and resident artist Ginnie Cappaert works in oil and cold wax […]

  • Community Action for Healthy Living Encourages Tobacco Training

    Community Action for Healthy Living encourages all owners of businesses that sell nicotine products to make sure their employees are properly trained so that tobacco and nicotine products are not sold to those younger than 21. The Wisconsin Wins program makes it easy for employers and their employees to protect themselves and our youth by providing […]

  • Women’s Giving Circle Meets July 19

    The next quarterly meeting of the 100+ Women Who Care of Door County (100+WWC) giving circle will be held July 19, 6:30-7:30 pm, at the Peg Egan Performing Arts Center in Egg Harbor, with a rain date of July 22. During this first in-person meeting since the pandemic began, 100+WWC will exceed $200,000 in giving […]

  • CTA Continuing Education Session Focuses on Inclusivity in Business

    The Certified Tourism Ambassador program will offer a continuing-education virtual session July 6, 9-10:30 am. A panel of community members and business owners will have a casual, round-table conversation about the ways in which those in the tourism field can be more inclusive and aware of the messages their actions send. Topics to explore include […]

  • EBT Cards Accepted at Sturgeon Bay Farmers Market

    Anyone with an EBT card for QUEST who attends the Sturgeon Bay farmers market can once again swipe the card at the market to obtain fruit, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms, breads, grains, pasta, food-producing plants and seeds, dairy products, eggs, fish, poultry, meat, sauces, soups, syrups and honey. To use the EBT card at the market, […]

  • DCHS Featured Pet: Dollop

    Meet Dollop, a sweet, three-year-old rabbit who’s available for adoption at the Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS) Door County Campus. She was found as a stray and wants nothing more than to spend her time with a loving family. Her adorable, black-and-white spots will bring you smiles every day.  Dollop is spayed, and her adoption fee […]

  • Open Door Pride Awards Write On Sandy Brown Award

    Open Door Pride honored Write On, Door County with its Sandy Brown Award for exemplifying the Pride organization’s mission to “celebrate diversity with inclusion for all” as part of the June 26 virtual and in-person Open Door Pride celebration in Sturgeon Bay. Write On’s artistic director, Jerod Santek (center), accepted the award from Sandy Brown […]

  • Liberty Grove Outsources STR Compliance

    What’s Granicus?  Ulrik Binzer founded a company called Host Compliance in 2015 to help municipalities and taxing authorities track short-term-rental (STR) property compliance with local and state regulations. About 18 months ago, a larger software company named Granicus purchased Binzer’s company. Binzer now works for Granicus as the general manager of its compliance services. Granicus […]

  • Liberty Grove Approves Short-Term-Rental Ordinance

    Town has also outsourced compliance monitoring The Town of Liberty Grove has approved a short-term-rental (STR) ordinance and hired a company to help monitor compliance with it. The ordinance is designed, according to its purpose statement, to “balance the interests of property owners to use their property as short-term rentals (STRs) with the interests of […]

  • Sevastopol Poised to Act on STR Ordinance

    After more than a year of work, public input, deliberation and much contention, the Town of Sevastopol’s short-term-rental (STR) property ordinance will be up for a vote during the town board’s July 19 meeting. “It has to be reviewed one last time by our attorney, and I’ll bring it back for action in July,” said […]

  • Town of Gibraltar Assessment Policy under Review

    After receiving substantial backlash from residents during a February meeting, the Gibraltar Town Board decided to postpone finalizing the special assessments it plans to use to pay for the Highway 42 streetscape project until it had hired an administrator.  Now that Travis Thyssen is in place as administrator, he’s picking up the project and aims […]

  • Rehoming the Mammoth

    A fundraiser is underway to move Woolly to Sturgeon Bay Close by the City of Sturgeon Bay lies the eastern terminus of the Ice Age Trail in Potawatomi State Park. The trail heads west from there, through the city, and then some 1,200 miles to the trail’s terminus on Wisconsin’s western border.  Sturgeon Bay became […]

  • Finding Room to Grow: Auditorium presents plan for Fish Creek Grill property

    The future of the Fish Creek Grill is coming into focus. The restaurant that closed last fall after eight years recently opened as a bar with not so much a name as a description: Cash Only Noodle Bar, “serving up noodles and booze with nothing to lose,” under new owners Scott Schmitz and his wife, […]

  • Foul Play Not Suspected in Clark Lake Drowning

    A 24-year-old Madison man died from what appeared to be an accidental drowning on Saturday, June 26, at Clark Lake in the Town of Sevastopol. Foul play is not suspected in the death of Yeltsin C. Jean-Pierre, according to the Door County Sheriff’s Office. An autopsy was conducted June 27, but the results were not […]

  • Zoning Permit Issued for Brussels Dollar General

    The Town of Brussels has issued a zoning permit to a developer that clears the way for the construction of a Dollar General store. JoAnn Neinas, Brussels’ town clerk and zoning administrator, said she issued the permit June 11.  The discount retail chain store will be built next to the Brussels general store and gas […]

  • Informational Meetings Coming for Egg Harbor Highway Project

    The Village of Egg Harbor approved $5.375 million in borrowing during its June 14 meeting to cover the cost of a host of road and streetscaping projects it is set to embark on in the coming years. The borrowing is primarily for Church Street reconstruction.  The Department of Transportation (DOT) is slated to repave the […]

  • 2021 Door County July 4th Events

    For many, it’s the highlight of summer: Independence Day in Door County, the holiday made for Small-Town USA. Cookouts, goofball parades with local flavor and fireworks sending rainbows over the lake. And it’s reunions – bumping into friends in the crowd along the parade route or on the dance floor at Husby’s. Gathering with family […]

  • Fireworks Look Even Better from the Water

    Independence Day fireworks displays launch from various bays and harbors along the Door Peninsula, so this year, try watching them from the water. Heading out on a boat with friends and family is one way, but if you’re looking for a smaller group or a solo experience, here are some tips and options for a […]

  • Hike, Restore Habitat at Crossroads

    Are you curious about Crossroads at Big Creek’s restoration efforts and plans? Its restoration plan is available at crossroadsatbigcreek.org, and you can learn from experience by becoming a Habitat Healer volunteer.  People of all ages are invited to meet Tuesdays, 6:30-8 pm, and Saturday mornings (except July 3) to help with land-restoration efforts. Instructions will […]

  • Obituary: Bob Connolly

    January 9, 1949 ~ April 19, 2021 Door County and Clark Lake community lost a faithful friend in April when Bob Connolly died. While Bob had only called the area home for 10 years, he loved living on the quiet side of the peninsula. He is survived by his special companion Betty Jo “BJ” Cassidy, […]

  • Obituary: Alice Faye (Rex) Dehos

    January 21, 1944 ~ June 26, 2021 Alice Faye Dehos, 77, of Baileys Harbor, died peacefully on Saturday, June 26, 2021 at Algoma Long Term Care. She was born January 21, 1944 in Sturgeon Bay, daughter of the late Ernest Stephan and Lucy Amelia (Fons) Rex. Alice graduated from Gibraltar High School in 1962. She worked at […]

  • Obituary: Robin Lynn Deitz-Reynolds

    January 18, 1960 ~ June 24, 2021 Robin Lynn Deitz-Reynolds, 61, of Sevastopol, died unexpectedly on Thursday, June 24, 2021 at Door County Medical Center in Sturgeon Bay. She was born January 18, 1960 in Riverside, California, daughter of the late James Douglas and Sheri Lynn (Anderson) Deitz. Robin was born into a military family, […]

  • Obituary: Miriam “Patti” Irene (Whipple) Bennett

    May 30, 1928 ~ June 12, 2021 Miriam “Patti” Irene Bennett, 93, of Sturgeon Bay, died on Saturday, June 12, 2021 at the Door County Medical Center. She was born May 30, 1928 in Hamilton, Ohio, daughter of the late Frank and Norma (Boehner) Whipple. After graduating from Hamilton High School, she attended beauty school […]

  • Obituary: Kenneth Bruce Western

    March 3, 1934 ~ June 20, 2021 Kenneth Bruce Western, of Ephraim, died on Sunday, June 20, 2021, at St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay at the age of 87 years. He was born March 3, 1934 to Alfred Gilman Western and Celia Marie (Nelson) Western in South Milwaukee, where he lived and was educated […]

  • Obituary: Delores A. Harmann

    September 14, 1925 ~ June 22, 2021 Delores A. Harmann, 95, of Sturgeon Bay, died on June 22, 2021.  She was born Sept. 14, 1925, in Manitowoc to Gustav and Emma (Schmidt) Wicke.  On Sept. 16, 1950, she married Stanley Harmann who preceded her in death on Sept. 8, 1991. After graduating from high school, […]

  • Obituary: John “Jack” Emil Mallien

    February 2, 1939 ~ June 23, 2021 John “Jack” Emil Mallien, 82, of Sturgeon Bay, died peacefully on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at the Jack and Engrid Meng Hospice Residence in De Pere. He was born February 2, 1939 in Sturgeon Bay, son of the late Anton “Tony” J. and Mary A. (Moreau) Mallien. After […]

  • Obituary: Betty Lou Urban

    October 29, 1927 ~ June 21, 2021 Betty Lou Urban, 93, of Kewaunee, formerly of Door County, died on Monday, June 21, 2021, at Paradise Estate CBRF in Kewaunee. She was born on October 29, 1927, in Milwaukee, the daughter of Webster and Clarice (Lillge) Weickardt. Betty graduated from North Division High School in Milwaukee. […]