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Peninsula Pulse July 7-14, 2023

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  • Obituary: Stephen Bruce McNeil

    Stephen Bruce McNeil, 76, of Ocala, FL, died on June 17, 2023. Steve was born in Framingham, Massachusetts July 24, 1946. He graduated from Holy Cross College, Worcester, MA receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. He was a decorated Vietnam Veteran serving in the US Marine Corps from 1968 – 1972. After his discharge […]

  • Wetlands Losing Some Federal Protection

    DNR says solid state regulations remain in place The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said the May 25, 2023, decision by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in Sackett v. United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not alter Wisconsin’s wetland regulations under state law. “While the Sackett decision will likely remove […]

  • Perspective: A Lesson in Freedom and Civility

    by Chris Hardie This year was our nation’s 246th July Fourth celebration. Even though summer has just begun, I always viewed the Fourth of July as the midpoint of summer. Perhaps it’s because my perspective of summer as a kid was influenced by the school year. In those days, we were out of school by […]

  • Letter to the Editor: The Name on a Bench

    As you may have noticed throughout the county, there is an abundance of benches with a name on them. These memorial benches are placed where both residents and visitors can sit and enjoy the beauty of the peninsula. Each bench represents a loved one who has died, and a family that misses them terribly. A […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Good Neighbors and Friends

    Experiencing a sudden, life-threatening medical condition is terrifying.  Experiencing it a second time fewer than two years later is terrifying and irksome. That’s what happened to me last Friday morning. My dog, Brocoli, and I were taking our morning walk in the woods near our house. Brocoli is a 130-pound, four-year-old English mastiff. A dog […]

  • Howie’s Owners Celebrate First Year

    Howie’s Tackle in Sturgeon Bay is celebrating one year of new ownership. Door County residents Lance LaVine and Adam Neu went from being longtime employees to owners of the tackle and archery shop, as well as the attached Cherryland Motel, on June 30, 2022. They have worked in the fishing industry for more than 30 […]

  • Grants Available for EV Chargers

    Destination Door County is accepting applications for its 2023 electric-vehicle (EV) charger mini-grant, through which $1,000 awards are available to Door County businesses, nonprofit organizations and government entities that seek to add to or upgrade their public-use EV-charging infrastructure. Eight awards are available quarterly on a first-come, first-served basis, assuming all eligibility requirements are met. […]

  • Cadence Opens ISO Class 7 Cleanroom

    Cadence – a contract manufacturer of medical and drug-delivery devices – has added a certified International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Class 7 cleanroom at its Sturgeon Bay manufacturing facility to expand the integrated services available for cleanroom overmolding and the assembly of new medical and drug-delivery devices.  “We are thrilled to add cleanroom manufacturing in Wisconsin […]

  • Fincantieri Receives Green Certification for Second Year

    Fincantieri Marinette Marine and Fincantieri ACE Marine received recognition for their continued efforts in environmental sustainability during the recent Green Marine GreenTech conference in Seattle. Green Marine is a voluntary environmental certification program that encourages maritime enterprises to adopt measurable actions that go beyond regulatory obligations.  Both Fincantieri shipyards were the first in Wisconsin to […]

  • Geiger’s New Book Explores Generational Farming

    Corey Geiger, an international agricultural journalist and the author of On a Wisconsin Family Farm, uses his lively storytelling talents to capture six generations of life in America’s Dairyland in The Wisconsin Farm They Built: Tales of Family & Fortitude. After his mother was killed by a train, Elmer Pritzl was thrown into adulthood at […]

  • Write On Presents One-Day Writing Intensives

    Write On, Door County is offering Writing on the Door, a series of three one-day writing-intensive classes with award-winning faculty: poetry with Michael Kleber-Diggs on Aug. 7, nonfiction with Staci Lola Drouillard on Aug. 8, and fiction with Peter Geye on Aug. 9. Optional one-to-one critique sessions are also offered the day following each intensive. […]

  • Read and Win at Forestville Library

    A summer reading program for all ages began July 5 at the Forestville Library. Every book read earns participants one chance to win a Dairy Basket for Readers, one of which will go to ages 0-5, two to ages 6-13, two to ages 14-18, two to ages 19-64, and one basket to those 65 and […]

  • Book Recommendation: ‘Meaty’ by Samantha Irby

    recommended by GRACE JOHNSON, Peninsula Pulse assistant editor If you haven’t read anything by Samantha Irby, then you’re sleeping on some really good stuff. Irby is an American comedian, essayist and television writer, as well as the creator of the B*tches Gotta Eat blog. I had heard a few things about her work but fell […]

  • Hal Prize Fiction Screening Judge: Marggie Moertl

    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 […]

  • Legal Brief: Beware: Wisconsin Is Not for All Lovers

    by JOAN KORB, [email protected] Ah, it’s summer in Wisconsin: a time for fun and romance. Wisconsin, and Door County especially, have long been getaways for lovers, but not all lovers are welcome here. Just giving everyone a heads-up. Wisconsin Statute Chapter 944, Crimes against Sexual Morality, says: “The state recognizes that it has a duty […]

  • Wild Things: It’s a King Thing

    Anglers focus on Chinooks during 41st ‘K/D’ by KEVIN NAZE, [email protected], Peninsula Pulse contributor Chinook salmon will take center stage next weekend when two of the biggest fishing tournaments on the Great Lakes get underway.  The 41st annual Kewaunee/Door County Salmon Tournament (the “K/D”) runs from 12:01 am on Friday, July 14, until 12 pm […]

  • Help Get History on the Move

    The Egg Harbor Historical Society is hosting a fundraiser for the Door County Bookmobile on Aug. 19, 2-8 pm, at Sawyer Farms in Egg Harbor. The event includes food and beverages, live music by The Cherry Tones and Ben Larsen, a silent auction and raffle, and the public unveiling of the newly renovated Bookmobile. Learn […]

  • LGHS Explores Local, Indigenous History

    Carol Ash of Kick Ash Products will interview local resident Lee Telfer on July 12, 11 am – 12 pm, during the third installment of the “Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?” series – a joint effort between the Liberty Grove Historical Society (LGHS) and Kick Ash Products to bring living oral histories to the […]

  • Door From Above: The White-Tailed Kite

    A white-tailed kite is visiting southern Door County and delighting local and visiting birders, said bird aficionado and Ellison Bay resident Deb Ford, who took this photograph. She said this is a first sighting of this species within the county and that it’s normally found in limited areas of Florida, Texas and California.

  • Incentives Approved for Second Phase of Apartments Near Sturgeon Bay Target

    Financial incentives totaling $330,000 related to the second phase of apartments being built north of the Sturgeon Bay Target store and south of Sawyer Drive (West Oak Street) were approved June 20 by the Common Council. Community development director Marty Olejniczak said Duquaine Development of Green Bay plans to construct two buildings for the second […]

  • Sturgeon Bay Plan Commission Backs New Wording to Determine Front Lot Line

    In cases where it may be difficult to determine the front lot line of a property that abuts more than one street, Sturgeon Bay’s Plan Commission has recommended a zoning text amendment in which the zoning administrator will be authorized to determine which boundary is the front lot line. Community development director Marty Olejniczak said […]

  • New Traffic Signals Planned at Maple and Madison Intersection

    A busy intersection on Sturgeon Bay’s west side is in store for an upgrade of its traffic signals. The city’s Parking and Traffic Committee recommended June 26 to install new wire, new signal heads, a new cabinet, new video detection and new poles at the Maple Street and Madison Avenue intersection for $125,958.65. The committee […]

  • Process Has Begun to Rezone for Commercial Storage Buildings in Sturgeon Bay

    Sturgeon Bay’s Plan Commission has recommended a 2.187-acre parcel at 1605 Shiloh Road be rezoned from agricultural to light industrial to allow for the construction of commercial storage buildings on the site. City planner/zoning administrator Stephanie Servia said rezoning the site, which currently has a building on it and is being used for outdoor storage […]

  • Sturgeon Bay Water Weeds More Difficult to Manage this Year

    Managing the growth of aquatic plants in the bay of Sturgeon Bay has been a challenge this summer, according to city officials. “It’s definitely a horrible year for the water weeds,” said municipal services director Mike Barker. As of the last week of June, they were on track to exceed the number of loads harvested […]

  • Sister Bay Board of Trustees Changes Rental Rules, Raises Fees

    Short-term-rental operators will need to dig deeper into their pockets beginning this month.  In June, the Sister Bay Board of Trustees approved changes to its short-term-rental ordinance that include raising the permit fee to $1,500 annually and limiting operators to no more than two rentals every seven days, as well as a two-day minimum for […]

  • Deceased Liberty Grove Driver Identified

    The deceased driver from the fatal crash on Highway 42 north of Seaquist Road in the township of Liberty Grove has been identified as 54-year-old Eric R. Rutowski of Franklin, Wisconsin. The accident occurred June 27, with the call dispatched at 7:21 pm.  The preliminary report from the Door County Sheriff’s Office indicated that Rutowski […]

  • Egg Harbor’s Man of Stone

    If you missed “John Buechner: Egg Harbor’s Man of Stone” the first time it was presented or want to see it again, be at the Kress Pavilion, 7845 Church St. in Egg Harbor, on July 11, 2-3:30 pm, when the Egg Harbor Historical Society offers the program again. Buechner was a master stonemason who spent […]

  • The Pirate of Lake Michigan

    Did pirates plunder Baileys Harbor? Find out by joining the Baileys Harbor Historical Society on July 12, 7 pm, at the Baileys Harbor Town Hall auditorium, 2392 Cty F. That’s where Bruce Fenner will present a free, public program titled “Roaring Dan Seavey: Pirate of Lake Michigan.” Fenner first shared his stories of Seavey while […]

  • Wisconsin Personal Property Tax Repealed

    Effective Jan. 1, 2024, Wisconsin will no longer levy a tax on a business’s personal property. The shift scrapping one of the oldest taxes in Wisconsin’s history came as Gov. Tony Evers signed legislation on June 20 addressing funding for local governments. The tax – implemented in the 1830s, before Wisconsin became a state – […]

  • DNR Approves Dairy Expansion for S&S Jerseyland

    Fewer cows allowed, and groundwater monitoring required The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is allowing S&S Jerseyland Dairy to expand as part of the renewal of the dairy’s permit, but the DNR is capping that expansion to fewer animal units than S&S had projected. The dairy – which the Schmidt family owns and operates at […]

  • Granary Recives $50,000 WEDC Grant

    The City of Sturgeon Bay is receiving a $50,000 Vibrant Spaces Grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to fund the revitalization of the Door County Granary on Sturgeon Bay’s West Waterfront. The grant program is designed to help cities and towns revitalize underused spaces to build community and attract future residents. The Door […]

  • Kewaunee County Schools Collaborate with NWTC to Offer Early Access to College

    Kewaunee County School Districts are partnering with Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) to offer high school students college experience and pathways to high-wage careers within skilled trades. NWTC and the Luxemburg-Casco School District have launched the Ahnapee Diesel Center, where students can complete a one-year technical diploma for diesel maintenance technician while they earn credit […]

  • Underwater Robotics Opportunities for Students

    Explore the depths and embark on an educational adventure like no other with Door County Maritime Museum robotics. The museum, with operational support from United Way of Door County and the Door County Library System, is providing underwater robots in the form of remotely operated vehicle (ROV) kits for Door County students to learn the […]

  • Obituary: Jacqueline Charney

    Jacqueline (Jackie) Charney (Nee Grasse) died on June 28, 2023. Funeral services will be held at Mueller Funeral Home & Crematory, 979 N. Green Bay Rd., Grafton, WI on Friday, July 7, 2023. The service will be held at 3:00 pm, with a visitation from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. The burial will be held […]

  • Mike at the Movies: Indulging the Clamor and Extravagance of Summer Flicks

    by MIKE ORLOCK Some movies are critic proof. And by “some” movies, I mean most summer movies, which crowd their way into theaters like boisterous relatives, one after the other, full of noise and with outrageous stories to tell.  No smarty-pants critic needs to tell you how obnoxious or brainless they are. We indulge their […]

  • Death’s Door Dance Festival Returns

    Artists from the Midwest and beyond will again celebrate the art of dance with the community and its visitors when the Death’s Door Dance Festival returns to Northern Door July 27-30. This free, celebratory set of events will feature three performances, a children’s book reading with Indigenous choreographer/author Ria Thundercloud, a movement-and-poetry workshop with dance […]

  • TAP Receives Shubert Foundation Grant

    Third Avenue PlayWorks (TAP) has received a $15,000 grant from the Shubert Foundation that will allow the theater company to undertake key initiatives.  “We are incredibly grateful to the Shubert Foundation for this remarkable grant,” said Jacob Janssen, TAP’s artistic director. “This generous support will enable us to enhance our programming, invest in our infrastructure […]

  • Door County Film Earns MLC Awards

    During the June 24 MLC Awards held in Green Bay, the independent feature film Confessions of a Sailor, filmed primarily in Door County, earned two accolades: Strong Filmmaking Talent in a Film and Outstanding Supporting Role Performance for John A. Schakel’s depiction of William “Old Tobe” Tobit. Set against the backdrop of Door County, the film […]

  • Midsummer’s Music Presents Four World Premieres

    Virtuoso guitarist Eric Lewis is teaming up with Midsummer’s Music’s composer-in-residence, Will Healy, to present two concerts with four world premieres. They’re working with musicians from Midsummer’s Music’s ensemble and New York City–based composer George Meyer. The two Eric Lewis Meets Will Healy concerts begin with Healy and Meyer performing movements from Bach’s Sonata No. […]

  • “Guys on Ice” Celebrates 25 Years at Northern Sky

    Northern Sky Theater has again begun presenting Guys on Ice – its ice-fishing musical comedy – and is marking the 25th anniversary of the show’s premiere. This play by Fred Alley and James Kaplan – about buddies Marvin and Lloyd spending a winter day in an ice-fishing shanty discussing life, love and Leinie’s – has played to […]

  • 2023 Birch Creek Jazz Ambassador Concerts

    Birch Creek Music Performance Center is again presenting the Jazz Ambassador concert series – its community-outreach program – throughout the summer at many area venues. The advanced students who serve as ambassadors are selected through a rigorous audition process and showcase their skills and passion for jazz through an intensive performance schedule.  Concerts are scheduled for: July […]

  • Obituary: Gail (Dachelet) Petersen

    October 3, 1925 ~ June 24, 2023 Gail (Dachelet) Petersen, 97, of Sturgeon Bay died peacefully on June 24, 2023. She was born on October 3, 1925 to Nelson and Esther (Leist) Dachelet in Manitowoc, WI. Gail was united in marriage to Arnold C. Petersen “Arnie” on September 29, 1945 at Bay View Lutheran Church in Sturgeon Bay.  Arnie […]

  • Obituary: Bill John Edwards

    December 26, 1943 ~ June 18, 2023 Bill John Edwards, 79, of the Town of Egg Harbor, died peacefully in the comfort of his home on Sunday, June 18, 2023. He was born December 26, 1943 in Racine, the son of Wilbert John Edwards and Joan M. (Jacobi) Edwards. Bill graduated from Park High School […]