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Peninsula Pulse March 22-29, 2024

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In this issue

  • Obituary: Lonald Allen Johnson

    Oct. 25, 1948 – March 16, 2024 Lonald “Lonnie” Allen Johnson, age 75 of Green Bay and Washington Island, passed away on Saturday, March 16, 2024, in Madison due to postoperative complications at UW Hospital. He was born on Oct. 25, 1948, to parents Tom and Verl Johnson, and brothers Leroy and Ivan, on Washington […]

  • Obituary: Meghan Elizabeth Theresa (Smith) Hanson, MD

    April 2, 1980 – March 22, 2024 Meghan Elizabeth Theresa (Smith) Hanson, MD, 43 years, of Sheboygan, formerly of Sturgeon Bay, died March 22, 2024 at St. Nicholas Hospital Emergency Room after suffering an acute medical episode. Meghan was born April 2, 1980, in Sturgeon Bay the daughter of James R. Smith and Anne (Guelig) […]

  • Obituary: Lenora Louise Joseph

    b. 1940 – March 13, 2024 Lenora (“Nora”) Louise (nee Flahive) Joseph, age 84, passed away peacefully in Chicago on March 13, 2024.  Nora was predeceased by her loving husband of nearly 60 years, Robert (“Bob”) Joseph. Nora is survived by her five adoring children: Robert (“Bob”) [Liz] Joseph, Elizabeth (“Betsy”) Joseph, Jennifer (“Jenny”) [Edd] […]

  • Obituary: Jane Catherine Miller

    May 25, 1941 – Monday, March 18, 2024 Jane Catherine Miller, age 82 of Washington Island, passed away on Monday, March 18, 2024, at Aurora BayCare in Green Bay. She was born on May 25, 1941, to the late Robert and Nina (Pitts) Cooper in Chicago. She is a 1951 graduate of Dundee High School […]

  • Obituary: Jeffrey John Vertz

    Aug. 15, 1955 — March 17, 2024 Jeffrey “Jeff” John Vertz, age 68, passed away on March 17, 2024, after a courageous battle with cancer at St Mary’s hospital in Madison. Jeff was born on Aug. 15th, 1955, in Sturgeon Bay to Elizabeth (Kasbohm) Uecker and Floyd Vertz. The eldest of 5 children, Jeff grew […]

  • Obituary: Lyle Ronald Amundson

    Oct. 24, 1939 ~ March 18, 2024 Lyle Ronald Amundson, age 84, of Baileys Harbor, died unexpectedly on Monday, March 18, 2024, at Aurora BayCare in Green Bay. He was born in Marshalltown, Iowa on Oct. 24, 1939, to the late Lyle and Doris (Beeman) Amundson. Lyle graduated from Union-Whitten Community School in 1958. After […]

  • Pioneers Aim for League Title, Trip to State

    After ending the season in the WIAA Division 5 regional title game with an overall record of 16-7, Sevastopol’s softball team has goals to do better than that this spring. Brooke Bittorf enters her sixth season as the Pioneers’ head coach with her list of top returning players including three who made the all-conference first […]

  • Wild Things: Governor Signs Bill Allowing Airguns

    Governor Tony Evers signed more than a dozen bills into law last week, including one that will allow hunters to use airguns for big game hunting. Senate Bill 586, now known as Wisconsin Act 115, establishes that airguns – firearms that propel projectiles by the expansion of compressed air – can be used during an […]

  • Strivers’ Silvers Win Back-to-Back State Titles

    The Door County YMCA Strivers competed last weekend in the YMCA state gymnastics championships at the Fond du Lac Y, where 13 teams from Wisconsin participated. The Strivers’ Xcel Silver team won its second consecutive state title. They also won 10 individual state titles and placed first in the all-around competition in all three age […]

  • Editor’s Note: Last Call for Political Letters (Again)

    Plus: Sunshine is a good thing If this headline looks familiar, it’s because I used it in last week’s paper to give fair warning that the last political letters we will publish pertaining to the April 2 election will appear in our March 22 issue. The deadline for those letters is Monday, March 18, at […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Not the Republican Party You Knew and Loved

    Northeast Wisconsin’s economy is predominantly based in three areas: agriculture, tourism, and construction – and none of these sectors can survive without immigrant labor. A recent social media post bemoaned someone’s successful career as a fruit picker, until immigrants moved in. It’s a sentiment most of us here from Cherryland can identify with. All the […]

  • Letter to the Editor: The Fix

    Remove money and religion from politics. End gerrymandering. Enact term limits. Get rid of the electoral college. This is how we fix it. One person, one vote. Kevin P. Lind Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

  • Letter to the Editor: Give Vogel Chance to Complete Broadband Effort

    Jeanne Vogel is running for re-election as a Supervisor for the Town of Sevastopol. I recommend you vote for her. She cares about her community. She does her homework. She has ably initiated the effort to bring high-quality, high-speed, affordable internet services to all the citizens and businesses in the Town of Sevastopol. Re-electing Jeanne […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Reetz Has What it Takes to Make Excellent Judge

    I have watched Jennifer Moeller in the courtroom and find her approach to justice and the law to be very black and white. The reason we elect people to the bench is because humans possess compassion and can see shades of gray. We need Brett Reetz on the bench. His experience, common sense and compassion […]

  • Obituary: Antone Jerome Neuville III

    April 26, 1952 – March 7, 2024 Antone (Tony) Jerome Neuville III, 71 of Montague, NichiganI passed away unexpectedly Thursday, March 7, 2024. He was born on April 26, 1952 in Sturgeon Bay. Tony was the son of Antone Neuville Jr. and Rita (Kasbohm) Thompson. Tony spend most of his life living and working in […]

  • City Splitting Sewer and Water Costs for West Oak Street

    A cost-sharing arrangement between Duquaine Development and the City of Sturgeon Bay to extend sanitary sewer and water mains west along West Oak Street (Sawyer Drive) was recommended last week by the city’s Finance/Purchasing and Building Committee. Duquaine Development, which has been constructing apartment units on property it owns on the south side of West […]

  • Server of the Week: Carlton Collins, Chives

    It was back in 1980, in the restaurant now called Chives. Young Carlton got his first gig – at the sink he pearl-dived. Washing dishes was fun at first, but he soon said “See ya later,”  In ‘21 he came back on board as an expert-level waiter. Even if you can’t see him, you can […]

  • Hardy Exhibit Call For Entries

    The Hardy Gallery will kick off the 2024 season with its 62nd Annual Wall-to-Wall Juried Exhibit, on view May 24 – July 7. Submissions will take place in person on Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18, 10 am – 3 pm at the Hardy Gallery.  All entries submitted will be juried to determine five […]

  • Peninsula Poetry: A Conversation With Carrie Sherrill

    Carrie Sherrill has lived in Door County for 24 years. She is a retired RN and caterer by trade, but has always written and dabbled in poetry. She has a degree with an emphasis on Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. The past two years, Carrie and her husband Peter, also a poet, […]

  • Book Recommendation: “The Ball at Versailles” by Danielle Steel

    Recommended by BARB HUSCH, Forestville Library Branch Manager It’s 1959 in Paris. A ball is to be held at the Palace of Versailles for a select group of debutantes.  Four American girls have been invited to the ball, but none of them feel that they belong there and must be convinced by their parents to […]

  • Bestsellers for the week ended March 10.

    TRADE PAPERBACK FICTION 1. Dune, by Frank Herbert 2. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, by Benjamin Stevenson 3. The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller 4. Happy Place, by Emily Henry 5. Bride, by Ali Hazelwood TRADE PAPERBACK NONFICTION 1. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, by Robin […]

  • On the Record: DJ David Watkins with huge assortment of vintage vinyl

    David Watkins started collecting records as a teenager. Now he’s 57, and his collection is still growing.  A 1960s music revival during Watkins’ high-school career drew him towards garage punk, ska and other music from the era. He wanted to know where this music came from and what influenced it, so he found himself traveling […]

  • Could Ron Johnson Be the Next Republican Leader in the Senate? He Isn’t Saying No.

    Experts say it’s unlikely, but “nothing seems totally out of the question” amid the uncertainty of the Republican party by PETER CAMERON, The Badger Project When Sen. Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the longest-serving Senate leader in history, announced he would vacate that position starting in November, the jostling for the top spot began. […]

  • Gibraltar School Moves Away from Mixed-Age Classroom Options

    Gibraltar Area School is pulling away from having multi-age classrooms – an option the district provided to families starting in 2014. For a decade now, Gibraltar Area School has had traditional, self-contained, single-grade classrooms and some multi-age classrooms with second and third grades and even fourth and fifth grades with multiple teachers. While the district […]

  • Registration Opens For Festival Of Nature Events

    Registration for programs opened this week for the 22nd annual Door County Festival of Nature, hosted by The Ridges Sanctuary and its community partners. The theme of the Memorial Day-weekend festival is Community.  Events will offer participants a chance to experience community with the natural world and throughout Door County by exploring forests, rare plants, […]

  • Bookmobile Running Again in Door County

    The Door County Bookmobile is on the road again. The bookmobile for nearly 40 years traveled through the county to provide library access in rural areas before breaking down in 1989. It was subsequently purchased by the late John Enigl, a historian who used the vehicle to store his own book collection on his Town […]

  • League Lens: Observations of Local Government

    The League of Women Voters of Door County Observer Corps monitors Door County local government in order to understand and shine a light on issues of importance to the League. This column, provided to the Peninsula Pulse as part of a Community Journalism project, shares a snapshot of what is happening in county, municipal and […]

  • DCHS Featured Pet: Rhonda

    Meet Rhonda, a 4-month-old dog available for adoption at the Wisconsin Humane Society Door County Campus. She’s an adorable 22-pound furball who’s full of friendly energy and puppy playfulness. Her cute little face will capture hearts, and she cannot wait to find a loving home and a family to call her own. Like all dogs […]

  • Village Broadband Deal with Frontier Falling Apart

    The Village of Egg Harbor put its broadband upgrade on hold, as negotiations hit a roadblock on March 14, according to Village Administrator Megan Sawyer. In December, the village board discussed issuing more than $2.4 million in bonds to pay Frontier $420,000 to bury fiber; to cover $1.4 million in additional and unforeseen costs for […]

  • Town-Funded Broadband Draws Mixed Reactions

    More than 100 citizens were on hand in the Southern Door Community Auditorium the evening of March 13 for a public information meeting about the possibility of installing broadband infrastructure with fiber-optic cable to all addresses within the towns of Brussels, Union, Gardner and Fortestville.  Residents of those towns heard from Jon Koch, a Gardner […]

  • How Not to Cast a Write-in Vote

    And other voting tips for the April 2 election With the April 2 election only a couple weeks away and early absentee voting already underway as of March 19, Door County Clerk Jill Lau wanted to remind voters what to pay attention to when casting a vote – particularly during an election when two Door […]

  • County Zoning Inspections and Enforcement Lagging

    Consultant says there’s ‘no hope of catching up’ at current staffing levels The Door County Board of Supervisors will decide, March 26, whether to hire two full time employees for the Land Use Services department to catch up with zoning inspections and violations. “At the current staff levels and ‘average’ levels of productivity, there is […]

  • NERR Designation Process Moving Forward

    An environmental impact statement along with a management plan are in the process of being drafted for a new National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) planned in the Bay of Green Bay. As currently planned, the reserve’s natural areas include 37,726 acres – 10,630 acres of land/wetland and 27,096 acres of open water – with portions […]

  • New Leadership Brings New Name, Approach for Scandia Village

    The transfer of Scandia Village senior living center in Sister Bay to Continuum Healthcare was completed Jan. 26, and with that transfer comes a new name. Scandia Village is now known as Serenity Spring Senior Living at Scandia Village.  “Continuum sought to keep the local name as they recognized the importance of continuity, and the […]

  • Baileys Harbor Broadband Meetings Postponed

    At this time the Broadband Workshop series scheduled for Tuesday, March 26 at 10 am and 6:30 pm at Björklunden, and April 15 at 1 pm at The Ridges and 6:30 pm at Björklunden have been postponed. They we will rescheduled at a future time. Bertram Communications, the company tasked with making broadband fiber available to […]

  • EMRs Favor Merging Into BUG Fire Department

    The possibility of two groups of emergency medical responders (EMRs) merging into the Brussels-Union-Gardner (BUG) Fire Department will be further looked at after 75% of the EMRs who cast secret ballots favored the idea, said BUG Fire Chief Curt Vandertie. There currently is a group of EMRs in the Town of Gardner and another in […]

  • Baileys Harbor Joins Green Tier Program

    The Baileys Harbor Town Board this month unanimously approved participation as a Green Tier Legacy Community, joining other Door County municipalities, including the towns of Gibraltar and Liberty Grove, the villages of Egg Harbor, Ephraim and Sister Bay, the City of Sturgeon Bay and the County of Door. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) […]

  • Board Says No Sidewalk For South Hudson

    In response to residents living along South Hudson Court and a portion of South Hudson Avenue who object to the planned installation of a sidewalk along their streets, Sturgeon Bay’s Local Transportation Board recommended March 13 that the city not put in that sidewalk. The sidewalk project was approved last December as part of the […]

  • Competition For Mid-Door Ambulance Site

    Similar to the Town of Jacksonport, the Village of Egg Harbor has begun discussing the possibility of providing a location for the construction of a new, mid-Door ambulance station for Door County Emergency Services (DCEMS).  Also, the Egg Harbor Town Board will work with the village to compose a letter espousing the virtues of having […]

  • Hwy 42 Construction Starts In April

    The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (Wis-DOT) is gearing up for its 2024 construction season and, in Door County, for the state Highway 42 project from approximately 0.1 miles north of the junction with state Highway 57, to Rainbow Ridge Court in Egg Harbor.  The Village of Egg Harbor’s highway improvement project will run concurrently with […]

  • NWTC Earns Recognition For Maritime Job Training

    Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) is one of 32 worldwide designees as a 2024 Center of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education (CoE). The designation, awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration, will enable the college to enhance and expand its technical training in the maritime industry, ensuring graduates remain skilled […]

  • New Sister Bay NWTC Leader Seeks Class Ideas

    The NWTC Learning and Innovation center in Sister Bay is holding Tuesday Talks with Tammy, the Center’s coordinator, from 9-10 am Tuesdays in March and April. Tammy Brunette will gather ideas for community classes and gather feedback from the community and business owners on what they would like to see at the center and how […]

  • Gibraltar Gives Raises, Adjusts DCA Rent

    Gibraltar Area School Board this month approved across-the-board compensation increases for administrative staff, teachers, confidential staff and of 4.12% to keep up with the Consumer Price Index. Superintendent Brett Stousland said 1% of that increase will offset a large increase in health insurance costs. Also to keep up with inflation, the board last week opted […]

  • Dairy Co-Op Offers Scholarships

    Green Bay-based Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative will award $10,000 in secondary education scholarships to its membership, the cooperative announced today. Two $2,000 scholarships will be awarded to current students pursuing a degree in a four- or two-year program. Three $2,000 scholarships will be awarded to high school seniors. For more information, email [email protected].

  • Contingency Funds Enable Greenhouse at Southern Door

    After it was placed on hold due to cost uncertainties this fall, a greenhouse is under construction on the Southern Door County School campus, Miron Construction project executive and vice president Karl Wolfgram told the school board Monday. “That will move forward as planned,” Wolfgram said, emphasizing that enough contingency funds will remain to allow […]

  • New Laundromat Pledges Charity Donations

    DeJardin Cleaners on March 6 unveiled DC Laundromat – a state-of-the-art facility that also will foster community welfare through philanthropic initiatives. A portion of the proceeds from select washers and dryers will be donated to a deserving charity each month. For the inaugural month of March, DC Laundromat has chosen to partner with Do Good […]

  • Scandia Salutes Weborg For 30 Years Of Service

    Coworkers and managers at Serenity Spring Senior Living and residents on March 7 celebrated Scotty Weborg’s 30th anniversary of employment at Scandia Village. “He is here without fail, with the exception of the occasional day off to help with an event for the community. We are so grateful for Scotty and the time he has […]

  • Dance Into Spring At The Kress

    The Door County Folk Alliance will host a barn dance March 23, 7-9 pm, at the Kress Pavilion. Guest caller Tim Jenkins will lead participants through circle and long-line dances, and a live band will provide music. Dancers should be at least 8 years old and be able to follow the instructions on their own.  […]

  • Parent Corner: A Chickadee in Your Palm

    I keep birdseed in my trunk for emergencies. You never know when you and your child might need the sweet, playful weight of a chickadee on your palm or head. Visiting the White Cedar Nature Center in Peninsula State Park is a magical experience during the chilly months. Among the branches of the towering spruce […]

  • Mike At the Movies: “Dune” Enters Sci-Fi/Fantasty Folklore

    by MIKE ORLOCK [email protected] That huge sigh you might have heard emanating from the west a couple weeks ago wasn’t wind from a storm front blowing in off the Rockies. It was Hollywood execs exhaling after the opening grosses of Dune: Part Two (PG-13), which had been moved to March 1 from its originally scheduled […]

  • Cast Announced For Series Finale

    Actors Emiley Kiser and Nick Trengove, under the direction of Artistic Director Linda Fortunato, will present Last Train to Nibroc, by Arlene Hutton, Peninsula Players Theatre’s final play reading of its 2024 “The Play’s The Thing” series. In Last Train to Nibroc, May and Raleigh meet in 1940 on an eastbound train from California and […]

  • Gut-Busting Night Out

    Firehouse Comedy Club will present Stephanie Ann, John Frietag and Asher Brooks for a night of comedy on Tuesday, March 26. The 90-minute show starts at 7 pm with doors opening at 6. Tickets are $5 at doorcountytickets.com. Dinner and drinks are available for purchase. Firehouse Comedy Club is located at 38 S. 3rd Ave., […]

  • Choir Presenting The Living Last Supper

    The Community Choir of Door County will present The Living Last Supper, an interpretation of Christ’s Last Supper with his disciples, on Palm Sunday, March 24, at 3 pm at Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church. The program to be presented, written by Ruth Elaine Schram, includes musical performances intertwined with monologues based on scripture […]

  • Easter Eats

    It’s not too soon to line up your Easter plans – once you’ve had your fill of jelly beans and chocolate eggs, you know Door County Easter brunching will definitely be in order. Here are some savory options to help you plan your Sunday, March 31. Alexander’s 3667 Hwy 42 in Fish Creek Easter Brunch […]

  • The Shoreline Restaurant Changes Hands

    by MIKE BACSI [email protected] Bob and Mekaila Novitski sit together in the empty dining room of The Shoreline restaurant at the top of the Door peninsula. Later-winter sunlight filters into the room through large windows that face the harbor, framing the view that convinced the couple they should buy the iconic Gills Rock business.   “It’s […]

  • Door To Nature: Chickadee Memories

    The feeders were so quiet for much of the winter. There have been a couple dozen pine siskins high up in the trees communicating their wishes for more hulled sunflower seeds to be scattered on the platforms, but few other birds are very vocal. Then, on an unusually warm sunny day last week, I heard […]

  • Native Plants And Brilliant Birds

    Gardeners can learn more about using native plants to solve Door County landscape problems, and how and where to put those plants, during a lecture by Justin Kroening, owner of Stone Silo Prairie Gardens, at 7:30 pm Tuesday, March 26 at Crossroads at Big Creek’s Collins Learning Center. Other upcoming Crossroads events include a free […]

  • Obituary: James “Slick” R. Peterson

    Aug. 8, 1943 – March 10, 2024 James “Slick” Peterson, 80, of Ellison Bay, passed away Sunday, March 10, 2024, at home surrounded by his close friends and family. Jim was born Aug. 8, 1943, in Sturgeon Bay, the son of the late Percy and Dorothy (Anderson) Peterson. After high school he served in the […]

  • Obituary: Laurie Elizabeth Donohue

    April 11, 1956 – February 12, 2024 Laurie Elizabeth (Christianson) Donohue of Chanhassen, Minnesota died on February 12 at the age of 67 after a 5-year battle with ovarian cancer. Laurie’s love of life will live on through her friends and family. On April 11, 1956, Laurie was born in Green Bay, WI to Roland […]

  • Obituary: Marion Wery

    March 30, 1932 – March 20, 2024 Marion Lois Wery, 91, of Sturgeon Bay, died on March 20, 2024, at Door County Medical Center. She was born March 30, 1932, in Kewaunee County to Peter and Frances (Blahnik) Lauscher. On June 30, 1954, she married Kenneth Wery at Holy Trinity Church in Casco. She and […]

  • Motels Inspire Murphy’s First Solo Museum Show

    Ecstasy and Escape at the Swan Song Motel at the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) is Meg Lionel Murphy’s first solo museum show. Up through April 7, it displays her paintings in sets inspired by Sturgeon Bay motels, particularly Motel 57, a traditional drive-up motel across state Highway 57 from Target. Murphy has a multi-faceted […]

  • On Exhibit

    Precious Life: Photography by Jeff Pearcy Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Door County, 10341 Water St. (Hwy 42) in Ephraim Through March This exhibit is the result of eight years photographer Jeff Pearcy spent with the Pan-African Rural Health and Social Services, documenting people in poverty. Miller Art Museum Exhibits Miller Art Museum, 107 S. 4th […]

  • 2024 Door County Runs and Rides

    We’ve made your planning easy with this guide to getting active with 2024 Door County runs and rides to check out. If you want to plan to take on many runs, consider signing up for the Run the Door race series. Door County has become a hotbed for silent sports competition and experiences. Whether you […]

  • Bike Fed Spotlights Egg Harbor Trails Initiative Members

    Several members of the Egg Harbor (and beyond) Trails initiative have been invited to participate in the Wisconsin Bike Fed’s Healthy Communities Summit at University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Memorial Union in late April. The Summit aims to address the importance of healthy communities and explore strategies for promoting active lifestyles through trail development initiatives. Susan Stauber, […]

  • PODCAST: Planting Trees with Jeff Lutsey and the Big Plant

    The partners that make up the Big Plant aim to add 10,000 trees to the peninsula landscape in April. Coordinator Jeff Lutsey of the Climate Change Coalition joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about his path the CCC, the value of trees and how to make a difference one root at a time. Door County […]

  • PULSE OF TOURISM: The Priorities of Community Investment Fund Grants

    Destination Door County’s Community Investment Fund utilizes a portion of room tax dollars generated and paid by overnight visitors and reinvests those dollars to support local projects that enhance our community, improve the quality of life for people who live and work here, and expand the destination experience for visitors. Grant opportunities are available to […]

  • Listen Up!

    Here is a sample of live music this weekend in the county! Ike Arumba and the Infidels March 23, 6:30 pm, Stone Harbor Resort, 107 N. 1st St. in Sturgeon Bay Headed by a frontman who has been nominated as Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) rock artist of the year, this band blends classic rock […]