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Peninsula Pulse June 26-July 3, 2020

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In this issue

  • Letter to the Editor:

    Museums and Monuments Serve Different Purposes Debra Fitzgerald’s June 19, 2020, Editor’s Note confused two issues that merit clarification. I agree that we can’t change the country’s racist history, and “dogged persistence in prying them out [is] required to effect long-lasting and meaningful change.” However, I support the removal of offensive, painful reminders of that […]

  • Developers Scale Down Condo Plan in Egg Harbor

    Developers have scaled down a proposal for a condominium project at the Mueller’s Mini Mart property in the center of Egg Harbor.  The revamped plan for the Village View Shoppes and Residences at Egg Harbor includes 14 residential units, down from the 27 originally proposed, and would preserve the former Birnschein gas station. The condominium […]

  • 2.7 Million Absentee Ballot Applications to be Mailed in Wisconsin

    Nearly all registered voters in Wisconsin who have not already asked for absentee ballot applications will receive them by Sept. 1. Under the plan given approval last week by the Wisconsin Elections Commission, some 2.7 million ballot applications will be mailed. The mailing will not be sent to the nearly 528,000 electors who have already […]

  • Feed and Clothe My People Set to Reopen

    The Feed and Clothe My People 14th Avenue thrift store and food pantry in Sturgeon Bay will return to regular hours and days beginning July 1. They will be open Mondays and Thursdays, 2-6 pm; open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10 am – 2 pm; and closed Saturdays and Sundays.  All staff, volunteers, shoppers and […]

  • Clay Banks Seeks County Assistance with Drainage Issue

    The Town of Clay Banks is seeking mutual assistance from the Door County Facilities and Parks Department to solve standing-water issues on Lower LaSalle Road that it believes is caused by an improvement to a county park. “It’s a big issue,” said Mike Johnson, chair of the Clay Banks Town Board. “It never goes down. […]

  • Habitat for Humanity Breaks Ground for New Home

    Single dad Doug Marvin said every time he tries to express how he feels about the new home he and his sons will soon own, the words fail him. “It’s hard to put into words,” he said. “I’m just so grateful and overjoyed.”  That joy and gratitude were overflowing Tuesday during the ceremonial groundbreaking of […]

  • Kids Fishing Derby

    Fifty-one young anglers flocked to Sunset Park in Sturgeon Bay for the June 28 Kids Fishing Derby. Gary Nault, Sturgeon Bay District 5 alder, said it’s the 35th derby and the longest-running fishing program for kids in the state.  “We’ve not been rained out in 35 years,” he said during the Common Council’s June 16 […]

  • Clean a Boat, Save a Lake

    Last season, 8,884 boats were launched at the six Door County-owned parks that have boat launches. This number doesn’t include boaters who may have ignored the solar-powered pay stations, those with annual passes who launched more than once, or the private and municipal marinas and launches around the county. “It’s a lot of boat usage,” […]

  • Editor’s Note: Maybe It Should Be Easier to Move to Paradise

    The first time I moved to Door County 21 years ago, it felt a whole lot simpler. We were still smarter than our cell phones back then, and they were too chunky to carry around anyway, so a great cell signal wasn’t a necessity. In that world where clouds existed only in the sky, and […]

  • Backyard Bees

    The Sturgeon Bay Common Council approved a permit last week for a local couple to keep bees. It’s the third beekeeping permit the city has issued since July 2017, when the ordinance was passed to allow beekeeping within city limits. Another request is in the pipeline for a residence on South 18th Avenue. Beekeeping – even […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Higher Callings Continue

    Although I’m normally a comfortable observer of cultural and political world events, the current media narrative on race and law-enforcement relations has driven my entry to the Pulse’s opinion page. The stern privilege of being older and experienced allows me a contrary perspective on this already crowded stage. I trust I am not alone. That […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Remembering Bill Harder

    The Door County Maritime Museum and Lighthouse Preservation Society is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Bill Harder, president of the museum’s board of directors. Bill served as president of the museum for the past eight years, and during that time, he was a driving force in making the museum’s three venues – in […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Systematic Transformation of our Police System Needed

    Today 1 percent of American households own more wealth than the bottom 90 percent combined. This disparity of wealth and opportunity in our country is the highest it’s been since 1962.  The police in our communities are given the responsibility of managing our unequal system, which has, in turn, led to an economy of punishment […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Generosity Overpowers Pandemic

    The Sturgeon Bay Lions Club has sold roses every spring for many years. Although we help fund many state and local programs, much of the money collected from this sale is used locally to help our neighbors who cannot afford an eye examination and new glasses, or need monetary assistance for other vision-related issues. This […]

  • PMI Entertainment Group Seeking Nonprofit Groups for Lambeau Field Operations

    PMI Entertainment Group, which provides game-day services for the Green Bay Packers, is seeking nonprofit groups for Lambeau Field operations such as cleanup, ticket scanning, seat rental and recycling in a stress-free, engaging environment. PMI Entertainment Group and will perform all duties in accordance with CDC and other health guidelines. Depending on the group’s size […]

  • Algoma Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center to Open June 26

    The Algoma Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center, 1226 Lake St. in Algoma, is reopening June 26. Its new hours are Monday, Thursday and Friday, 10 am – 4 pm; Saturday, 10 am – 1 pm; and Sunday, 1-4 pm.  “We certainly missed our volunteers and visitors alike, and we are very excited to […]

  • PET TIP: Cat Enrichment

    In response to COVID-19, the Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS) Door County Campus has temporarily suspended adoption services, and all adoptable animals have been moved to the Green Bay and Milwaukee campuses. To learn about WHS’s response to COVID-19, visit wihumane.org/coronavirus. Until adoption services resume, WHS will provide tips to help pets stay healthy and happy.  […]

  • Sturgeon Bay Graduate Corbisier Earns First Helen Schreiber Allen P.E.O. Scholarship

    Sturgeon Bay High School graduate Alayna Corbisier has earned the first Helen Schreiber Allen P.E.O. Scholarship. Helen Schreiber Allen established the $1,000 scholarship to promote women’s education. Corbisier plans to major in environmental studies at UW-Stevens Point. Amanda Puccini of Southern Door High School and Hailey Gaedtke of Kewaunee High School are two of 16 […]

  • Southern Door’s Bartels Earns Nsight Teleservices Scholarship

    Carissa Bartels of Southern Door High School has earned a $1,200 scholarship from Nsight Teleservices. Recipients were selected on the basis of community involvement, academic record, potential to succeed, leadership and participation in school activities, honors, work experience, an essay on community impact, county of residence and plans to enroll in a full-time undergraduate course […]

  • Kewaunee Senior Earns Thomas H. Lutsey-Waseda Farms Scholarship

    Kewaunee High School senior Hailey Gaedtke has earned one of five $10,000 Thomas H. Lutsey-Waseda Farms scholarships. She’s the first Kewaunee graduate to receive the scholarship.  As a sixth-generation farmer on her family’s dairy farm, which began in 1885, Gaedtke says she has “busy feet.” Her commitment to hard work has served her well away […]

  • Door County’s History Keepers: George Evenson

    Most of us are history keepers of a sort, in that we’re keeping our family’s past alive for our children and others who come after us. In our Door County’s History Keepers series, we’ll focus on some of the dedicated people who keep Door County’s history alive for all of us and find out why […]

  • ERA Starr Realty Earns First in Service Award

    ERA Starr Realty in Sturgeon Bay has earned its fourth Jim Jackson Memorial Award for First in Service. Named in honor of the late ERA co-founder and former president, the award is presented annually to the companies that uphold Jackson’s legacy of superior customer service and sales productivity.  ERA Starr Realty was created in 2002 […]

  • Agriculture Stimulus Programs Due June 30

    Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for 2020 must do so by June 30. Although program elections for the 2020 crop year remain the same as elections made for 2019, all producers must contact their local USDA Farm Service Agency office to […]

  • Small Business Administration Reopens Loan Programs

    The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has reopened the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Loan Advance Program portal to all eligible applicants who are experiencing economic impacts due to COVID-19. The program provides small businesses and nonprofits with low-interest loans to help them overcome a temporary loss of revenue. As part of EIDL, […]

  • More New Businesses

    Earlier this month, we published our 2020 New Businesses list. Here are a few more business openings and changes that have since been brought to our attention.  Brey Family Beef, 2190 Cty O, Sturgeon Bay Locally raised beef (breyfamilybeef.com). Cedar Court Inn, 9429 Cedar Ct., Fish Creek New owners Matt and Susie Cottick purchased the […]

  • Green Photo of the Week: Sedimentation in Kewaunee

    This dramatic visual shows what happens when stormwater carries sediment into watersheds from farm fields and other sources – in this case, when sediment entered Kewaunee Harbor and Lake Michigan last summer.  Heavier rainfalls have increased the likelihood of sedimentation events such as this one, which can also carry nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen into […]

  • Sustain Door Plans Book Discussion

    Sustain Door is planning an August discussion of The Power of Just Doing Stuff: How Local Action Can Change the World by Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition Movement. The book begins with a sobering appraisal of what humanity is up against before offering illuminating and inspiring examples of what small groups and communities have […]

  • DNR to Hold Water Quality Webinar Series

    The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) began a four-part webinar series June 25 to introduce the concept of total maximum daily loads (TMDL) for total phosphorus and total suspended solids in the northeast lakeshore basin. The series will provide an overview of the TMDL development process, implementation and the data sets used for the […]

  • GREEN TIP: The Lowdown on Lawns

    According to the Environmental Protection Agency, homeowners dumped about 59 million pounds of pesticides onto their residential lawns in 2012, with some getting into waterways and potentially exposing adults, children and pets to harmful chemicals. Furthermore, Americans use about 7 billion gallons of water a day to irrigate, which is a third of all residential […]

  • Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change Seeks Public Input

    Gov. Tony Evers’ Task Force on Climate Change is calling for public input as it begins planning policy recommendations for the governor ahead of the 2021-23 biennial budget. The task force will hold virtual listening sessions for members of the public that will cover a variety of climate-crisis issues and provide opportunities to share comments […]

  • Coree Aussem-Woltering Sets Ice Age Trail FKT Record

    It took 21 days, 13 hours and 35 minutes – along with 14 pairs of shoes – for 30-year-old Ottawa, Illinois, native Coree Aussem-Woltering to run the entirety of the 1,147-mile Ice Age Trail.  Finishing at the trail’s eastern terminus in Potawatomi State Park on the night of June 22, Aussem-Woltering made his way through the […]

  • “What’s My Pride?” Project: Discovering and Documenting Community

    “Loving and living out loud.” “Being seen for who I am.” “My son.” “Sharing laughter.” “How far we’ve come.”  Handwritten on signs and held by their authors, these are just a few responses to the question “What’s my pride?” that were photographed as part of Open Door Pride’s What’s My Pride? project. Since 2017, responses […]

  • Bits and Bites: Aronia Berries, the DisOnyx, Tap Cocktails and More Carhop

    Discourse Coffee’s DisOnyx Supports Black Lives Matter Before Discourse Coffee even opened its doors in 2017, owner Ryan Castelez contacted Arkansas coffee roaster Onyx Coffee Lab to propose a collaboration. Born out of that partnership was the DisOnyx, a refreshing, revitalizing iced-coffee drink.  “We developed this recipe together over the phone and through email, and […]

  • Golf League Results: June 26, 2020

    IDLEWILD Ladies Sundowners Golf League June 17, 2020 • Top 10 golfers: Pat Krueger 49, Amy Konop 49,  Anna Larsen 49, Rita Hunt 49, Mary Aiken 50, Kim Bridenhagen 50, Patti Baur 52, Janet Proctor 52, Carey Potier 53, Pam DeMelle 54  • Pars: Amy Konop 3, Rita Hunt 2, Patti Baur 1, Mary Aiken 1, Anna […]

  • Manners Matter: Maintain Respect during Election Season

    Dear Mary Pat, The political ads have started, and election season is here. Ugh. I dread election years in regular circumstances, but this year is chaos on top of chaos. Friends are making assumptions about how I vote or how I should vote, and it’s exhausting. There aren’t exchanges of ideas anymore; rather, it’s people […]

  • Server of the Week: Deb(bie) Notbohm @ Pink Bakery

    Favorite things to do when you’re not working? Knitting, Facebook and watching sunsets.  Three words you’d use to describe yourself? Caffeinated, interested and weird.  Favorite sign of summer in Door County? Colorful Adirondack chairs. 

  • Celebrating the Literature of Pride

    Book recommendations by queer authors An important part of Pride Month – and of continued support of the LGBTQIA+ community throughout the year – is sharing the stories and voices of those in the community. Whether you’re a fan of fiction, nonfiction or poetry, you should find something to savor from this list of stories […]

  • Village Makes Offer on Part of Alpine Shoreline

    Another beach expansion for Egg Harbor may be on the way. The village has made an offer to buy one acre of the Alpine Resort property to accomplish several village goals.  Administrator Ryan Heise could not disclose the value of the offer because it’s still in negotiation, but he said the village has applied for […]

  • For Rogue Theater, the Show Will Go On

    You’d think there would be a small amount of pressure involved in being the only theater company in Door County to be presenting live, in-person productions this summer, but Rogue Theater’s Stuart Champeau is more excited than nervous.  “We were all losing our minds not being able to do shows!” he said. “When we told […]

  • Running in the Rushes

    Just off Logerquist Road, across from an old barn sporting the words “Logerquist Bros.” in large lettering, an unassuming wooden sign stands at the entrance to the Rushes Nature Preserve. At the top, it reads:  In Wildness is the preservation of the world.  — Thoreau  Often, during morning runs along Logerquist Road, I’ve passed this […]

  • Third Avenue Playhouse Welcomes New Board Members

    Third Avenue Playhouse (TAP) has welcomed two new board members.  Rick Lieberman has authored three critically acclaimed, award-winning, best-selling books. He was previously a partner in the international law firm of McGuire Woods in its Chicago and Los Angeles offices, and he was also a longtime trustee and Executive Committee member of the Goodman Theatre […]

  • Peninsula Players Launches New Interview Series

    Peninsula Players has launched Peninsula Players Presents!, an interview series with theater alumni during which Artistic Director Greg Vinkler will check in with former directors, actors and theater friends.  Vinkler’s next guest will be Christine Mild, who played Sister Robert Anne in Nunsense and as Patsy Cline in Always … Patsy Cline. Learn about guests’ […]

  • Door Shakespeare Accepting Registrations for Camp Will

    Door Shakespeare is accepting registrations for its youth (ages nine through 17) summer theater program, Camp Will, running July 13-17, July 27-31 and Aug. 10-14, 10 am – 12 pm. All sessions will be held online through videoconferencing and taught by professional actors and teaching artists from the Door Shakespeare company.  The program includes theater […]

  • Northern Sky Expands Virtual Content

    While Northern Sky Theater determines the definitive plans for its fall season, it has announced a three-pronged virtual season to continue its mission of developing original work, employing its artists and reaching out to its audience. “This alternative season – as we’re calling it – shows the continued efforts of our company to make as much happen […]

  • Crossroads Launches Nature by Appointment

    Though Crossroads at Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay will not be offering family programs, lectures or public nature hikes for the next several weeks, it has launched an experimental program called Nature by Appointment. Tuesdays through Saturdays starting June 30, an individual, families or two or three friends – who are wearing masks and practicing social […]

  • Circumnavigating the Peninsula by Kayak

    Mike McCarthy is on a mission to bring awareness to Door County’s maritime history and the ecology of Green Bay and Lake Michigan. The co-owner of the Village Green Lodge in Ephraim will pedal his Hobie Outback kayak with a Mirage Drive pedaling apparatus more than 110 miles – solo. He’ll share his kayaking experience […]

  • Wild Things: Summer Fishing Heats Up as Independence Day Nears

    Whether you’re casting the Green Bay shoreline, bobber-watching on an inland lake or trolling the vast waters of Lake Michigan, there’s something fishy about the Kewaunee/Door County peninsula. On Green Bay, that means a nice mix of smallmouth bass, rock bass, yellow perch, northern pike and walleye; on the inland lakes, there are plenty of […]

  • Celebrating 51 Years of Pride

    This weekend would have marked the fourth annual Pride Festival in Sturgeon Bay, hosted by the local nonprofit Open Door Pride. As the by-now-familiar story goes, the festival has been canceled this year because of COVID-19 concerns.  In an open letter, the group said: “While the Pride Festival is the most visible of the Open […]

  • County Grants Exemption for Towers 120 Feet or Shorter

    The exemption means fixed wireless internet service could become more available An exemption advocated by those striving to create greater broadband access in Door County was granted by the Door County Board of Supervisors. The 20-1 vote cast Tuesday during the board’s monthly meeting meant that none of the provisions in the county’s tower ordinance […]

  • Voters to Advise on Fair Maps Referendum in November

    What’s referred to as the Fair Maps referendum passed Tuesday morning during the Door County Board of Supervisors meeting, paving the way for an advisory referendum on the November ballot. The advisory referendum question that voters will see will ask, “Should the Wisconsin legislature create a nonpartisan procedure for the preparation of legislative and congressional […]

  • Sixteen Gibraltar Graduates Earn 2020 Ephraim Men’s Club Scholarship

    Sixteen Gibraltar graduates have earned a total of $30,000 in technical school and college scholarships from the Ephraim Men’s Club. “It’s an all-time record for the club and for the students in our community,” said President Dick Volkmann. “We had a combination of challenge grants and an extremely successful pancake breakfast last August. Then, more […]

  • Make Keene Releases New Single

    Back at Gibraltar High School, Make Keene was always known as the guy who would never have his shirt on, often rocking out with the Gibraltar pep band on his heavily stickered Fender bass guitar. Since then, Keene has begun to manifest a similar raw confidence by “making” quite a name for himself in the […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Police Unions Should Not Come Between Citizens and Police Officers

    The Minneapolis police-union president has been trying desperately to get the press to make an issue of George Floyd being a “violent criminal.” The position his argument leads one to believe is that it is the duty of local police to execute justice on the street, to blame the victim. We have a justice system […]

  • Live Music Trickles Back to the Scene

    Live music is returning to some patios throughout the peninsula, with music available this week at Door 44 Winery in Sevastopol, Parallel 44 in Kewaunee, Sonny’s Pizzeria in Sturgeon Bay, Joe Jo’s in Ephraim, Harbor Ridge Winery in Egg Harbor, Maple Grove Outdoor Pavilion in Gills Rock, One Barrel Brewing Company in Egg Harbor and […]

  • Obituary: Fredric “Rick” Rosati

    December 31, 1949 ~ June 15, 2020 Fredric “Rick” Rosati died on Monday, June 15, 2020 at his home in Cave Creek, AZ at 70 years of age. He was preceded in death recently by his father, Fred Rosati, and survived by his mother, Theresa Rosati (Cortina). Rick had six siblings; Regina Rosati, Stephanie Haack, […]

  • Obituary: Richard Joseph Wagner

    January 24, 1930 ~ June 20, 2020 Richard Joseph Wagner, 90, of Sturgeon Bay, died peacefully, on Saturday, June 20, 2020 with his family at his side. He was born January 24, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois, son of the late Joseph and Sophie (nee Rafa) Wagner. On February 1, 1958, he married the love of […]

  • Obituary: Magdalene Emmy Augusta von Zychlin

    Feb. 14, 1924 – June 15, 2020 Magdalene Emmy Augusta von Zychlin, 96, of Sister Bay died at Hearthside CBRF. She has long said she looks forward to being reunited with family and friends who have passed away, most especially her own beloved mother. Magdalene was born in Hamburg, Germany, the daughter of Conrad Dietrich […]

  • Obituary: Jane Marie Hacker

    August 30, 1928 ~ June 19, 2020 Jane Marie Hacker, 91, of Sturgeon Bay, died Friday afternoon, June 19, 2020 at Door County Medical Center in Sturgeon Bay with her niece, Debra, at her side. She was born August 30, 1928 in the Town of Buchanan, in Outagamie County, the daughter of Oscar and Johanna […]