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Peninsula Pulse June 2-9, 2023

Published

In this issue

  • Letter to the Editor: Rebuttal to Those Who Call Us NIMBY People

    I would like to address the rescinding of the proposal to build workforce housing on property owned by the Fish Creek Sanitary District #1 (FCSD). As a person who has represented the 40-to-50 people on Spring Road, County Highway F, and Little Spring Road in Fish Creek, we are now sometimes referred to as NIMBY […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Young Voters Embrace Diversity

     White men have essentially ruled the western world since, well, since there have been white men. And apparently some white men feel they are entitled to rule the world forever. According to an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin Republican Representative Glenn Grothman stood up on the floor of the U. S. House of […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Cultural Understanding Enhanced by Local Events

    Thank you, Debra Fitzgerald and the Peninsula Pulse for the nice article in the May 19 issue about Kimberly Blaeser and the Indigenous Nations Poets (In-Na-Po) organization she founded (“In-Na-Po Retreat Held in Door County, May 19 issue). Thank you, Lawrence University, and Bjorklunden’s new director, Tom MacKenzie, for inviting this brilliant group of poets […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Flag-flying Choice on Memorial Day Weekend Disrespects Veterans

    On Saturday May 27, Memorial Day weekend, a group of Vietnam veterans were having breakfast in Sister Bay. One of them noticed and announced to the group with outrage that the Sister Bay Town Hall had replaced the American flag – with a gay pride flag! Mind you, it wasn’t a rainbow flag raised in […]

  • Don’t Scoff at the Short Course Until You Try It

    It doesn’t look challenging or complicated in the least when viewed from a car on Highway 42. But, let’s say you’re an experienced golfer who has a lot of trouble with shots between 60 and 80 yards. Let’s say you step up to the first tee and see the sign board with changeable numbers showing […]

  • Pulse of Philanthropy: Celebrating a Decade of the Civility Project

    by BRET BICOY In our high-tech world dominated by smartphones, artificial intelligence and social media, the concept of civility can easily be dismissed as a quaint but antiquated concept. Yet as our political discourse grows increasingly angry and our policy debates degrade into condescending tweets from both sides of the political aisle, the importance of […]

  • Editor’s Note: It’s Finally Here

    by DEBRA FITZGERALD, [email protected] It’s that time of year. Every row in our vegetable garden is budding with green promise. Our cover crop of crimson clover paints half the field with soil-building color. The lilacs (as I wrote this) were in full bloom in our yard along with a majestic old apple tree, its blossoms […]

  • Wild Things: Great Lakes, Great Fishing

    Green Bay & Lake Michigan double the pleasure  by KEVIN NAZE, [email protected], Peninsula Pulse contributor When it comes to sheer numbers of fish and variety of species to target, Green Bay offers some of the best action in Wisconsin. In fact, the big five – smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, northern pike and muskie – are […]

  • Server of the Week: Cecil King

    Meet our server at Idlewild Golf Course and Bar:This little spitfire is more fun than hitting under par. She can tell a joke, pour a drink and put you in your place in the blink of an eye,But she’s as sweet and charming as she needs to be, with a sense of humor that’s martini […]

  • Kellstrom-Ray Celebrates 75 Years in the Door Community

    The Kellstrom-Ray Agency, owned by broker Heather Collins, is marking 75 years of serving Door County.  Collins started her real estate career with the company in 1994 and purchased it in 2007. The Kellstrom-Ray Agency has offices in Sister Bay and on Washington Island.  “It is a wonderful and proud feeling to be celebrating 75 […]

  • Parent Corner: Taking a Wildflower Walk with Your Child

    Hikes with children – whether they’re tots or adolescents – can be a challenge because they’ve got short legs and short attention spans. But I love a good hike, especially in Door County, and I want my daughter, Greta, to share that love as well.  After a few hikes punctuated by constant cries of “I […]

  • Nystrom Next Up for Poetry Series

    Ellison Bay poet and playwright Karen Nystrom will take the Dickinson Poetry Series stage at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Door County on June 7, 7 pm. Nystrom has an M.F.A. in writing from Vermont College, and her poems have appeared in 8142 Review, The Denver Quarterly, The Harvard Review, Indiana Review, Portage Magazine and […]

  • Author Liam Callanan Featured in Reading

    The Friends of Door County Libraries is resuming its Book & Author series following a pandemic-driven hiatus. Partnering with Write On, Door County, the Friends will host prize-winning author Liam Callanan on June 8, 7 pm, at the Kress Pavilion, 7845 Church St. in Egg Harbor. Callanan’s newest book, When In Rome, traces the journey […]

  • Wolfe Receives Chicago Book Award

    Awards continue to pile up for the novelist who is judging the fiction submissions for the 2023 Hal Prize, the Peninsula Pulse’s annual literary contest. Toya Wolfe was recently awarded the 2023 Chicago Book Award for her debut novel, Last Summer on State Street. The book was also a finalist for the PEN America Literary […]

  • Book Recommendation: ‘The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music’

    written and narrated by Dave Grohl recommended by KARLIE MARTENS, Bookseller, Novel Bay Booksellers The Foo Fighters – a well-known band since it began performing in 1994 – recently made headlines again with the death of its drummer, Taylor Hawkins. The lead singer, Dave Grohl, has a long history of success as well, and he’s written […]

  • Books for Pride Month

    Welcome to Pride Month! As you line up your fun and festivities throughout the month, add a book or two to read from LGBTQIA+ writers. Below are a few recommendations across genres to start your reading list.   AUTOBIOGRAPHYGay Bar: Why We Went Out by Jeremy Atherton Lin Lin is an Asian American essayist based in […]

  • Door Shakespeare Offers Free Student Tickets

    Door Shakespeare has renewed its student ticket program, through which every Door County student up to the age of 19 receives a free ticket to each show during the 2023 summer season. Managing director Elissa Wolf explains that the free-ticket program is a way to give back to the Door County community and offer students […]

  • Adult Programming at Birch Creek Music Performance Center

    Birch Creek Music Performance Center has announced its 2023 adult program offerings, which provide a supportive, encouraging environment where adult musicians can refine their skills. The Wind Ensemble Retreat, set for Aug. 15-18, allows musicians who are at an intermediate or medium skill level or higher to enhance their music-reading and performance skills. Charles (Chip) […]

  • Culture Club: Rising Stars Unveiled

    by LAURA SMITH, Marketing Manager, Birch Creek Music Performance Center The annual Birch Creek Concerto Competition is a crucial aspect of the Symphony program at Birch Creek Music Performance Center. Through it, young musicians have had the opportunity to perform a concerto as soloists with a full symphony orchestra – and thus experience what it’s […]

  • Bits & Bites: Breakfast at Crain’s, Pizza with Open Door Pride

    Crain’s Kitchen Now Offering Breakfast Crain’s Kitchen, 10635 N. Bay Shore Dr. in Sister Bay, has recently expanded to include breakfast offerings such as biscuit-egg sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, homemade granola, overnight oats and coffee. Find out more at crainskitchendc.com. Open Door Pride Pizza Socials Wild Tomato Wood-Fired Pizza and Grille has selected Open Door […]

  • Sevastopol Teams Repeat as Global Champions

    Two teams win titles at world Destination Imagination event Sheriff’s cars and Egg Harbor fire trucks, sirens blaring, escorted a charter bus filled with Global Champions May 22 as they returned from Kansas City, Missouri, to Sevastopol school. “Rootie, toot, toot; Rootie, toot, toot: We’re the team from Ins-ti-tute,” the students cheered as they were […]

  • Lautenbach Recieves PEO Scholarship

    The Helen Schreiber Allen Scholarship Committee of PEO Chapter EE has awarded its fourth $1,000 scholarship to graduating senior Lindsay Lautenbach of Sevastopol High School. Lautenbach, daughter of Tom and Jill Lautenbach, will attend UW-Eau Claire in the fall where she will major in nursing.  Lautenbach is an active member of her school and community […]

  • Sevastopol Class of 2024 Realize ACT Success

    Ezra Linnan, son of Sean and Kristine Linnan, a junior at Sevastopol School, earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36 when taking the statewide exam in March. Overall, Sevastopol’s junior class had six out of 32 students that scored a 30 or higher, and more than 85% of the class accomplished improved scores […]

  • Aventuras Day Celebrates Latinx Community

    Kinect M1’s Aventuras Day saw nearly 100 students and teachers from across three counties and six school districts (Gibraltar, Sevastopol, Sturgeon Bay, Algoma, Kewaunee and Denmark) come together at Crossroads at Big Creek for a day of exploration and social connection. The event focused on the celebration of the LatinX culture and the building of […]

  • Students Board the STEM Shuttle

    Regular math and science classes don’t often inspire cheers. But on the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Shuttle – a repurposed bus filled with interactive experiments geared toward fourth- through eighth-graders – such reactions are much more common. According to Sharon Ryan, a retired Wausau elementary school teacher and the founder of the STEM […]

  • Gibraltar School Board Approves New Nondiscrimination Policies

    District will create private dressing-room stalls, make arrangements for transgender students The Gibraltar Area School Board this month became the first in Door County to approve a policy to give students an opportunity to use private restrooms or to start using restrooms that do not match their gender at birth. The board approval came after […]

  • Sturgeon Bay Proposes TID #9 for Multi-tenant Industrial Building

    Sturgeon Bay’s Finance/Purchasing and Building Committee made a pair of recommendations Tuesday related to the future development of a 17.8-acre parcel the city owns on the west side between South Neenah Avenue and Shiloh Road. The site is where the Sturgeon Bay Common Council voted in February to approve a memorandum of understanding (MOU), effective […]

  • Wood Specialists Reinspecting Potawatomi Tower

    This time, it’s been commissioned by the state A familiar company was on site at the Potawatomi State Park Observation tower this week to update its inspection, this time commissioned by Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).  The state hired Oregon-based Wood Research and Development (WRD) to update its first […]

  • Gov. Evers Visits Washington Island

    The Washington Island Electric Cooperative (WIEC) hosted Governor Tony Evers last week for a meeting that included Sturgeon Bay-based Quantum Technologies, an advanced communications and network solutions company. The meeting followed a $2.5 million state grant announcement aimed at expanding the fiber optic network project on Washington Island. During the meeting, Quantum Technologies’ network specialist, […]

  • League of Women Voters Door County Celebrates 70 Years

    The League of Women Voters Door County (LWVDC) celebrated its 70th year as a local, nonpartisan political organization at its annual membership meeting May 17, starting with a review of the past year’s activities followed by approval of programs and election of leadership for 2023-24.  The meeting, attended by approximately 40 members and friends of […]

  • Community Input Sought for Destination Door County Master Plan

    Destination Door County (DDC) is seeking resident and stakeholder input to develop a Destination Master Plan.  The master plan will be built around the needs of residents, visitors and stakeholders ranging from tourism to economic development to county planning. The plan will be a strategic and actionable long-term planning document that identifies and articulates potential […]

  • Nasewaupee Forms Fire Committee for New Department

    As part of the process to split from the Southern Door Fire Department (SDFD) and form the town’s own department, the Nasewaupee Town Board has approved an ordinance to create a fire committee to oversee the new Nasewaupee Fire Rescue department when it begins operating this fall. Nasewaupee town chair Steve Sullivan said the five-member […]

  • Around the Door: Memorial Day

    The American Legion Billy Weiss Post No. 527 of Sister Bay drew a large crowd with its Memorial Day ceremony held May 29 at Little Sister Cemetery on the south end of Sister Bay. Photos by Rachel Lukas.

  • Board Reviewing Applications for New Liquor License

    The reserve liquor license will be issued based on applicant’s merit In February, the Town of Gibraltar voted to move forward with issuing its reserve liquor license, and in April, it approved a rewritten liquor-license ordinance. During a May 3 meeting, the town decided that if multiple businesses apply for the license, the board will […]

  • Schmelzer Adds Challenges at 27 Pines

    Tom Schmelzer, the creator and owner of 27 Pines golf course, put in extra hours in May operating excavating equipment and tractors to build a new fairway bunker and pothole pond along two of the nine fairways. He’s continued to add features to the course and worked to improve greens every year, and this year […]

  • Wood Specialists Reinspecting Potawatomi Tower

    A familiar company was on site at the Potawatomi State Park Observation tower this week to update its inspection, this time commissioned by Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).  The state hired Oregon-based Wood Research and Development (WRD) to update its first inspection of the tower from 2019 that was […]

  • The Streak is Over: A’s Finally Get a W

    DOOR COUNTY LEAGUE BASEBALL They did it.The Baileys Harbor A’s defeated the Institute Cubs Sunday, 6-3, to win a game for the first time in almost four years.It wrapped up an exciting week that saw the Ports win on a Derek Niedzwiecki walk-off home run and the Braves hold off Sister Bay in another epic […]

  • Obituary: Mary Beth Murphy

    Mary Beth Murphy, a distinguished Milwaukee journalist, died May 26 of metastatic breast cancer at her home in Raleigh, NC. She was 78. Mary Beth and her late husband, Dale, moved from Milwaukee to a home they built in Sister Bay in 2000 after she retired from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  She was hired at […]

  • Obituary: Leon G. Dart

    Leon G. Dart (80) died on May 28th, 2023, surrounded by his family.  He was born on August 22, 1942, in Algoma, WI to the late Elmer and Esther (Corroy) Dart, becoming their second of four children.  Leon grew up in Algoma where he learned valuable life skills working on the family farm.  He attended […]

  • Obituary: Laurie J. Nell-Keller

    Laurie J. Nell-Keller, 68, Algoma, died Thursday, May 25, 2023, at home, unexpectedly.  She was born January 7, 1955, in Green Bay to Elroy and Deloris (Wiese) Nell. Laurie was a graduate of  the Ashwaubenon High School.  She then attended NWTC for Office Management and worked at a meat processing company in the office for […]

  • Obituary: Peter Paul Matzdorff

    Peter Paul Matzdorff, age 82, died peacefully in his sleep, May 17, 2023. Peter was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1940, to Christel J. Matzdorff (née Franzkoviak) and Gunther H. Matzdorff. As a child, Peter endured WW2 in Germany. He had memories of the air raids on Berlin, and exploring the ruins with other boys. […]

  • Obituary: Judith Elizabeth Nixon

    Judith Elizabeth Nixon, a former longtime resident of Rock Island and supporter of the theater and music arts, died April 6 of complications from COPD in Appleton, WI, near her home in Baileys Harbor, WI. She was 77. Born in Rock Island, IL, December 1, 1945, and raised on 38th Street in a contemporary home […]

  • Obituary: Lila Marie Olson

    November 23, 1934 ~ May 23, 2023 Lila M. Olson, 88, of Forestville, died on May 23, 2023.  She was born Nov. 23, 1934, in the Town of Ahnapee to Ernst and Frieda (Serrahn) Maedke.   On Sept. 7, 1957, she married Robert M. Olson at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Algoma.  He preceded her in death on […]