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Peninsula Pulse July 28-Aug 4, 2023

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In this issue

  • AJ Dillon Gets Bobblehead …with Bobblequads

    AJ Dillon now boasts his own entry into the bobblehead game with a twist. The Packers fan-favorite running back’s edition features bobbling quads and was release as the Packers kicked off training camp this week. Wearing a white No. 28 jersey with gold pants, the smiling Dillon bobblehead is holding a football and standing on […]

  • Construction Continues as Camp Zion Fight Rolls On

    Eight years after neighbors first fought to halt construction of an expanding dining hall and gathering space at Camp Zion in Ellison Bay, the battle in the isolated corner of the peninsula continues. Central to the fight between the 77-year-old religious camp on the Green Bay shore on Door Bluff Road is the camp’s construction […]

  • County News Notes: Redirect on COVID Dollars

    Back in the dark days when the nation was pulling out of the pandemic, the federal government granted American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars to municipalities across the country to help with recovery. The County of Door’s share was $5,374,185. The money could be spent on a wide range of government operations that fell under […]

  • $70 Million in Projects in County’s Five-Year Capital Plan

    The Door County Board of Supervisors reviewed a five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) on July 25 that lays out a plan for a total of $70,740,647 worth of projects between 2024 and 2028. “It’s quite a list; it’s a lot of money,” said Dave Englebert, the District 1 supervisor who represents wards in Union and […]

  • Putting Courses: American Resorts Take Up an Old Tradition

    What’s old has become new again in the golf industry. During the past few years, several resorts – including top golf destinations in Wisconsin – have added expansive, meticulously manicured putting courses. In some cases, such as at Sand Valley in Nekoosa, the goal is to add more hours of entertainment for, and food-and-beverage revenue […]

  • High School Football Practices Begin Aug. 1

    Official practices for the 2023 high school football season in Wisconsin begin next week, with the WIAA allowing 11-player teams to hold their first practice Aug. 1. Two of Door County’s schools – Southern Door and Sturgeon Bay – will again compete in 11-player football as part of the eight-team Packerland Conference. The defending conference […]

  • This Time, Gibraltar Voters Say Yes to Redmann Property

    About 200 people streamed into the Gibraltar Fire Department’s truck bays Wednesday evening to hear details of the town’s new plan to buy 118 acres of land known as the Redmann property and vote on the $1.5 million purchase. After town administrator Travis Thyssen assured those in attendance that the purchase will not cost taxpayers […]

  • Letter to the Editor: With Gratitude for Cancer Care

    I’m pleased with the opportunity to share with Door County residents my recent health care experience at the St. Vincent’s Cancer Center – a separate unit, but sharing the entrance of the Door County Medical Center (DCMC).  Most of us who routinely stroll by the Cancer Center on our way to the registration desk of […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Setting the Record Straight about Waterways

    Recently the Peninsula Pulse featured a letter from a Sturgeon Bay resident who extolled the virtues of his city [“Don’t Forget Sturgeon Bay,” July 14-21]. It was a nice overview. Like many visitors to the area, however, as well as more than a few natives, the writer tended to misname our waterways. I don’t think […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Unlawful

    Suppose you received a letter from the Door County Land Use Services Department stating the following: “It has come to my attention that you are continuing construction of your 12,656-square-foot facility. As noted in my letter of May 4, 2023, in light of the Circuit Court’s April 27, 2023, order declaring your previous CUP [conditional-use […]

  • Donny’s Glidden Lodge Celebrates 25 Years of Service

    Donny’s Glidden Lodge is toasting 25 years of service Aug. 6, when – for one day only, 12-5 pm – its prime-rib buffet and salad bar will be available for $25. The buffet is first-come, first-served or until the prime rib runs out. Ruby James, Zach Vogel and Eric Hagen will be performing on the […]

  • House-Call Services Coming to The Area

    Pivotal Health is expanding its clinician house-call services to patients of all ages in northeastern Wisconsin. Patients will be able to schedule appointments at their preferred time and location – home, office or any other convenient place – and a provider will meet them there. Pivotal Health’s services encompass a broad range of acute medical care, including […]

  • Door County is Among State’s Growing Rural Areas

    Door County ranks fifth in population growth among Wisconsin’s 46 rural counties, according to a recent report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum.  Door County’s population has grown 9.9% from 2010 to 2022, trailing only Sawyer (12%), Vilas (11%), Bayfield (11%) and Burnett (10%) as rural counties. Door County has rebounded from a 1% population decline […]

  • New Children’s Boutique Arrives on 3rd Avenue

    Joining The Marketplace on 3rd Avenue in Sturgeon Bay is Neverland+Co., a fantastical children’s clothier that will host a grand-opening celebration July 29, 10 am – 5 pm. The store at 58 N. 3rd Ave. carries a collection of exclusive, quality clothing lines for newborns to 12 years old, including everyday wear, beach and tennis […]

  • Therma-Tron-X Expanding Facilities

    Therma-Tron-X is expanding its facility in Sturgeon Bay’s Industrial Park with a 3,300-square-foot maintenance building and a second-story mezzanine inside the original building at 1155 S. Neenah Ave. The addition, which the Sturgeon Bay Industrial Park Review Team recently approved, will more than double the size of the maintenance facility. Therma-Tron-X specializes in custom paint-finishing […]

  • New DCEDC Board Members

    The Door County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) added two new members – Jackie Bongle and Dale Wiegand – to its board of directors during its July 17 meeting. Bongle is the human-resources manager at Hatco Corporation in Sturgeon Bay and has been with the company for the past 23 years. She previously served on DCEDC’s Business […]

  • Sturgeon Bay, Sister Bay Receive WEDC Grants

    Sturgeon Bay and Sister Bay have both been awarded $50,000 matching grants from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) through its Vibrant Spaces grants program, which seeks to help communities develop and enhance public spaces. Sturgeon Bay is using its funds – the grant program’s maximum amount – for public restrooms, water-filling stations and other amenities […]

  • Sustainability in Action through the Tourism Industry

    by JULIE GILBERT, President and CEO, Destination Door County “Sustainability” is a word that we hear often, but what does it really mean?  The definition focuses on fulfilling the needs of future generations while ensuring the delicate balance among economic growth, environmental care and social well-being. How does that relate to Destination Door County and […]

  • Baileys Harbor Group Joins Forces to Buy Bearded Heart

    Come November, the new owners of the Bearded Heart Coffee Shop in Baileys Harbor will take over the business operation. A group of Baileys Harbor residents and business owners came together earlier this year to buy the coffee shop and retail spaces at the corner of Highway 57 and Howard Avenue.  The project reunites David […]

  • Meet Mystery Author Roger Simpson

    Mystery lovers and anyone else who enjoys a compelling story can meet Roger Simpson – a criminal-trial-lawyer-turned-author – on Aug. 10, 1-4 pm, at Novel Bay Booksellers, ​​44 N. 3rd Ave. in Sturgeon Bay, where he’ll be signing copies of his debut murder-mystery novel, The Truth in Hope.  Simpson drew from his 45 years of legal […]

  • Art, Writing Combine in Special Project

    On June 18, a group of students, teachers, parents and neighbors gathered at the Dome House in Sturgeon Bay to celebrate the publication of Young Minds Inspired by Art. This book is the culmination of months of work initiated by local artist Hermke Timm and local art teacher Jane Moeller to capture the thoughts and […]

  • Hal Prize Screening Judges

    For the 2022 contest, the Hal Prize added a group of local screening judges: local poets and authors who volunteer their time to read through submissions that, depending on the category, can number from 50 to more than 200 total. These judges are (back, from left) Charlie Schudson (nonfiction), Peter Sherrill (poetry), Carrie Sherrill (poetry), […]

  • Hal Prize Nonfiction Screening Judge: Judy Ann Ritter

    We asked the group of local screening judges for the Hal Prize to share with readers and writers what they’re looking for when they go through submissions: Why does one piece of writing make it to the final round, but not another? These columns will illuminate the screeners’ process and help those who want to […]

  • Wild Things: Record Participation in the K/D

    Nearly 3,800 anglers tried to catch top salmon by KEVIN NAZE, [email protected], Peninsula Pulse contributor For the first time since the Kewaunee/Door (K/D) County Salmon Tournament began in 1983, the official winner was not known following the event’s conclusion. What’s normally a relaxing night of sharing stories at Sonny’s in Sturgeon Bay was instead tense […]

  • Door County League Playoff Race Coming into Focus

    With three weeks to go, the picture is starting to get a little clearer – not crystal clear, mind you, but enough that the Door County League season has now become a matter of position and seeding.  Barring a total collapse, Sister Bay should win the regular-season title and get the top seed. From there, Kolberg […]

  • Guest Column: News and Politics and How They’ve Shifted

    by JOSEPH W. KNAAPEN Thanks to Dick Egan for his comments in the June 23 edition of the Peninsula Pulse (“Guest Column: Presidential Politics Don’t Define Us”). Not only did he pry open the Pandora’s box labeled “corporate journalism,” but he also honored the warriors of local community journalism. Egan squarely blasted parachute journalists who […]

  • Obituary: William H. Vanderhoof

    February 15, 1939 – June 20, 2023 William H. Vanderhoof died on June 20 in Phoenix, Arizona at 84. He was born to William and Anita Vanderhoof on February 15, 1939 in Sturgeon Bay. He is survived by his brother Kennith (Donna) Vanderhoof, and his three children Anita (Wayne) Resch, Steven (Carol) Vanderhoof and Douglas […]

  • Obituary: Gary Clifford Kreft

    March 19, 1944 ~ July 13, 2023 Madison – Gary Clifford Kreft, age 79, died peacefully on July 13, 2023, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, WI. Gary was born on March 19, 1944, in Ashland, WI to parents August and Agnes (Peterson) Kreft. Gary married Judy Ann LaTocha on September 11, 1984. Together, they […]

  • Obituary: Reverend Joy Eldon Eisenhauer

    December 16, 1936 ~ July 20, 2023 Reverend Joy Eldon Eisenhauer, 86, of Fish Creek, died peacefully on Thursday, July 20, 2023 at the Jack and Engrid Meng Residence in De Pere. Joy was born December 16, 1936, son of the late Fred Henry Eisenhauer and Ida Katherine Steinkuhler at their farmhouse in rural Otoe County, Nebraska. […]

  • Obituary: Mack Wesley Djuplin

    March 17, 1958 ~ July 1, 2023 Mack Wesley Djuplin, 65, of Milwaukee, formerly of Sturgeon Bay, died at home on July 1, 2023. Mack’s life will be honored with a memorial service held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday,  August 5, 2023 at Sturgeon Bay United Methodist with Pastor David Leistra officiating. Visitation for family and […]

  • Obituary: June J. (Koessl) Koehler

    June 3, 1927 ~ July 21, 2023 June J. Koehler, 96 years of Sister Bay died Friday July 21, 2023, at Scandia Village Good Samaritan in Sister Bay where she had resided the past few years. She was born June 3, 1927, in Liberty Grove, WI the daughter of the late Louis and Grace (Nelson) […]

  • Obituary: Darlene Ann (Peil) LaBombard

    May 11, 1937 – June 4, 2023 Darlene Ann LaBombard died away peacefully on Sunday, June 4th with family and a friend by her side. She was the eighth of twelve children born to Carl and Elsie Peil of Baileys Harbor, WI. She married Roger LaBombard on December 28, 1957 and they had two children; […]

  • Incentives Sought to Develop Former Pamida Building

    Plans to build a Cobblestone Hotel along Egg Harbor Road in Sturgeon Bay are having an effect on plans to develop the nearby former Pamida building into an activity/event center. The city’s Finance/Purchasing and Building Committee discussed possible development incentives July 11 when it heard from attorney Randy Nesbitt, who’s representing business partners Steve Estes […]

  • Obituary: Arlene Marie Dorn

    June 27, 1928 ~ June 21, 2023 In the early morning on June 21, 2023, Arlene Marie Dorn died at her home in Sun City, Arizona with her son Michael and granddaughter Rebekka by her side. It was just six days short of her 95th birthday.  She was sweet and humble, with a bashful laugh that inspired […]

  • Obituary: Sally A. Lau

    June 2, 1939 ~ July 5, 2023 Sally A. Lau, 84 years, of Sturgeon Bay, died Wednesday, July 5, 2023 at Bayview Senior Care in Sturgeon Bay. She was born June 2, 1939 in Sturgeon Bay the daughter of the late Hubert “Hub” and Luella (Berns) Haen. Sally graduated from Sturgeon Bay High School in 1957. On […]