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Peninsula Pulse March 4-11, 2022

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  • Griffon Receives Grant From Project: Music Heals Us

    Midsummer’s Music’s resident string quartet, the Griffon String Quartet, has received a grant from Project: Music Heals Us for 2022 to support its work with marginalized residents of Door County. The award focuses on those who may not have access to live performances because of their economic or life circumstances, health care needs or location.  […]

  • TAP Announces 2022 Season of Performances

    Third Avenue PlayWorks (TAP) has announced its 2022 season of performances – the first scheduled by TAP’s new artistic director, Jacob Janssen. Door County theater fans will recognize many of the actors returning to the TAP stage, including Claire Morkin, Doug Mancheski, Alan Kopischke and Dan Klarer, and C. Michael Wright will be making his […]

  • Vikings Roll to Regional Championship

    The WIAA rankings said this wasn’t supposed to be Gibraltar’s year. But the Vikings had other plans. The team came into the WIAA tournament seeded fifth, with a long road to sectionals that seemed likely to require back-to-back three-hour road trips. But after ninth-seeded Gillett upset top seed Waubeno-Laona Friday night, Gibraltar’s road got a […]

  • Server of the Week: Courtney Hilts at One Barrel Brewing Co.

    As the assistant manager, Courtney keeps the beer flowing And the operations running smoothly at One Barrel. Off the clock she makes sure her 70 plants are growing Before she packs her bags to travel.

  • Farmers Market Management Transferred

    The Sturgeon Bay Common Council unanimously transferred management of the Sturgeon Bay Farmers Market to Destination Sturgeon Bay (DSB) beginning with this year’s season, which runs every Saturday, June 4 – Oct. 15, 8 am – 12 pm. “DSB looks forward to increasing communication with the Farmers Market vendors, filling vacant booth spots with daily […]

  • Sturgeon Bay Council Agrees not to Offer Up Sawyer Park Boat Launch

    Of the sites the City of Sturgeon Bay has identified as potential National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) headquarters locations, the 190-stall parking area of the Sawyer Park boat launch will be eliminated following a strong argument made by one alder who swayed the rest. Sturgeon Bay has been working during the past year on its […]

  • Dwarf Lake Iris Could Delay Egg Harbor Highway Project

    Egg Harbor’s Highway 42 reconstruction project could be pushed back a year because habitat for the federally threatened dwarf lake iris has been identified in the project area.  The discovery has triggered a habitat assessment by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the state’s Department of Transportation (DOT), which cannot be completed until […]

  • DOOR COUNTY GRANARY WINS DESIGN AWARD

    The architect who designed the future Door County Granary space has earned the 2021 Unbuilt Architecture and Design Award from the Boston Society for Architecture (BSA), which annually recognizes projects around the world that have exemplary design and a positive impact on their community. The Door County Granary was selected because the design solution will […]

  • Keeping the Door Dark

    Learn where it is – and isn’t You could say that Tom Gwilym has a mission, and it doesn’t involve seeing the light. He recently became one of two International Dark Sky Association advocates in Wisconsin, but he’s likely more well known as the vice president of the Door Peninsula Astronomical Society (DPAS) and the […]

  • HOF Coach Mark Jonas Takes Reins of Southern Door Football

    Southern Door High School has named Mark Jonas as its varsity football coach and administrative athletic director. He will start his new role in July.  “Coach Jonas has an incredible résumé and brings years of successful experience and knowledge to our program,” the school said in a press release.  Jonas served as head coach at […]

  • Apply to Become a State Conservation Warden

    The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is accepting applications through March 6 for the 2023 class of conservation wardens: credentialed law-enforcement officers stationed in rural and urban communities statewide to enforce laws that protect fish and wildlife, the environment, state parks and forests, and outdoor-recreation enthusiasts. Conservation wardens also serve as ambassadors and educators […]

  • Volunteer at State Parks, Public Lands

    The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking volunteers to help care for state parks and public lands. Volunteers make a world of difference by providing excellent customer service to visitors and expanding recreational and educational opportunities.  To make volunteering easier than ever, the DNR has launched a new online portal called Volunteer Impact […]

  • ‘Regenerative Organic’ the Focus of March 19 Program

    Robert Rodale coined the term “regenerative organic” to distinguish a kind of farming that goes beyond sustainable and proved that soil health is intrinsically linked to the total health of our food system.  On March 19, 1 pm, join the Village of Egg Harbor and Nathanael Gonzales-Siemens and Léa Vereecke from the Rodale Institute for […]

  • Wildlife Rescue, Transport Volunteers Needed

    Would you like to help injured and orphaned wildlife? Wildlife of Wisconsin (WOW) – a wildlife-rehabilitation facility north of Manitowoc – is looking for volunteers in the Door County area to rescue and/or transport wildlife in need.  Transport volunteers are needed to pick up injured or orphaned animals that are already contained in a box […]

  • Seed Library Launches Packet-Design Contest

    The Door County Seed Library is hosting a seed-packet art contest to honor the Ken Paschke bean: a bean bred in Door County and named after local gardener Ken Paschke, who has been growing and saving the beans for 55-plus years. Through his dedicated seed-saving efforts, Paschke has created a new variety for Door County’s […]

  • The Ridges Sanctuary Plans Wider, Accessible Boardwalk

    The leadership of The Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor wants to improve a boardwalk so people of all abilities can make their way over wild lands and marshy ridges between the historical Upper Range Light to the Lower Range Light. The organization needs permission to replace that aging stretch of boardwalk with one that’s wider […]

  • Aspiring Novelist Seeks Beta Readers

    After 40 years of living in various locales around the country, John Adrian Reed returned to his hometown of Sturgeon Bay armed with three completed novel manuscripts, others formulating in his mind, and inspiration and characters developed from his time in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the northern Mojave Desert and rural Missouri. Reed […]

  • Lodging Revenue Up $38 Million in 2021

    Room-tax returns up 41% over 2019 With December’s room-tax report now in, the growth of tourism in 2021 can only be described as explosive.  Lodging revenues for the year were up a staggering $38.7 million over 2019, the last full year prior to COVID-19 restrictions. Hotels, inns and vacation rentals pulled in $133.3 million, compared […]

  • UUFDC Poetry Series Features June Nirschl

    June Nirschl will be the featured poet during the Dickinson Poetry Series on March 9, 7 pm, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Door County (UUFDC), 10341 Water St. (Hwy 42) in Ephraim. Nirschl strives for poetry that sings, and it was the excitement of writing poems that first attracted her to the county – where […]

  • Book Signing Features Hal Prize Winner

    Fantasy/science fiction writer Rebecca Zornow will sign copies of her book It’s Over or It’s Eden on March 5, 11 am – 2 pm, at Novel Bay Booksellers, 44 N. 3rd Ave. in Sturgeon Bay. If you’ve enjoyed All Systems Red or Hail Mary, you’ll want to read Zornow’s book – a first-contact story set in […]

  • Book Recommendation: ‘The Genius Under the Table’ by Eugene Yelchin

    Recommended by John Maggitti, co-owner/manager of Novel Bay Booksellers, ​​44 N. 3rd Ave. in Sturgeon Bay Sometimes young-adult books just surprise you with their insightfulness. The Genius under the Table: Growing up behind the Iron Curtain is one of those. It’s a memoir that reads like a novel with its vivid and compelling characters and […]

  • Peninsula Poetry: David Clowers

    After his family camped in Peninsula State Park during the 1950s, David Clowers bought 30 acres of Door County woods in 1976, then moved into a small, self-built cabin in 2001.  He earned a B.A. in English language, history and literature from Kalamazoo College and received the Rackham Fellowship for an M.A. from the University […]

  • DCHS Featured Pet: Fulfillment Center

    Fulfillment Center is a 6-month-old kitten who’s available for adoption at the Wisconsin Humane Society’s (WHS) Door County Campus. This adorably soft and sweet little girl would do best in a home with children older than 5. Like all cats at WHS, Fulfillment Center (wihumane.org/adopt/animal?id=49195923) is spayed, vaccinated and microchipped, plus she’ll go home with […]

  • Nominations for Governor’s Service Awards Open

    Serve Wisconsin has opened nominations for the 2022 Governor’s Service Awards, the ceremony for which will be held May 26 at Madison’s Olbrich Botanical Gardens. The Governor’s Service Awards honor national service members, volunteers and programs that have made outstanding contributions to Wisconsin through their service.  New in 2022, in recognition of the tremendous impact […]

  • Death’s Door BBQ Donates

    Death’s Door BBQ recently presented donations to the Washington Island Community Health Program and Neighbor to Neighbor. Death’s Door BBQ chair Richard Jepsen (center) presented a $1,000 check to Christine Andersen (left), executive director of the Washington Island Community Health Program; and $1,000 to Neighbor to Neighbor representative Janet Hanlin (right).

  • Grants Awarded to Housing Partnership, Crossroads

    The Door County Housing Partnership (DCHP) recently received a grant for $5,000 from the Women’s Fund of Door County – a component fund of the Door County Community Foundation – for the Affordable Housing Home Collaborative Build.  DCHP is partnering with Habitat for Humanity to construct a home for a single mother and her four children. […]

  • The Fifth Tool of Civility: Show Respect

    by ORLAINE I. GABERT When I again went to research the word “respect,” I found two distinctive definitions. The first is “to admire someone deeply as a result of their abilities, qualities or achievement.” This definition is the one I learned as a child: Respect your elders, those in uniform, your teachers, the flag. There […]

  • Southern Door 2021-22 Semester 1 Honor Rolls

    SOUTHERN DOOR MIDDLE SCHOOL Academic High Honors Grade 8 Cruz Anschutz, Lauden Berg, Charlotte Bloniarz, Emma Bousley, Claire Cmeyla, Lillian Delwiche, Logan Euclide, Ava Everard, Arianna Ferron, McKenna Guilette, Alanah Kaye, Addison Kluge, Vance Krauel, Nora LeFevre, Samantha Massart, Sara Montana, Audrey Plzak, Carrie Renard, Ava Uecker, Landon Vandertie, Attyson Wilson Grade 7 Richard Bongle, […]

  • Former ‘Pulse’ Intern Pursues Master’s in Arizona

    Former Peninsula Pulse entertainment intern Maddy Schierl will begin pursuing her master’s degree in art and visual culture education in the fall through the University of Arizona’s School of Art. She plans to have a community and museums emphasis, with the goal of learning how to design and implement socially responsible, liberating art-education programs that […]

  • Rotary Scholarship Open for Applications

    The Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay’s Four-Year Scholarship Committee has opened the application process to Door County Class of 2022 students. The focus of the scholarships is on one of the key principles of Rotary: “Service Above Self.” Rotary will award scholarships of $1,000-$2,500 to students in the upper 50% of their high school class who […]

  • Feel like a local, eat like a tourist

    It’s March – or “Farch” for those of us who feel like the months of February and March extend the winter well past its welcome. It’s that time of year when the itch to emerge from hibernation is simultaneously met by the pull to stay inside just a little longer.  Thankfully, when you do decide […]

  • Environmentalists Focus of Crossroads Program

    Spend a day with environmentalists at Crossroads at Big Creek during its Walk with Aldo event March 5, 10 am – 5 pm, when a route will be marked with green ribbons and quotations from Aldo Leopold’s writings will be posted.  This year, Crossroads has added an indoor component as well: screening video documentaries featuring […]

  • Ice-Road Trekking to Rock Island

    I’ve always been a big fan of winter. This year, much of January was cold and led to good ice conditions on area lakes. Once February rolled around, I was itching for a trip to Washington Island to see what the big chill had done to the water up there. In particular, I wanted to […]

  • Kitty O’Reilly’s Celebrates St. Pat’s March 12

    Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at Kitty O’Reilly’s Irish Pub on March 12, when the restaurant will open for breakfast to serve Irish coffee, Guinness and more before the Sturgeon Bay parade starts at 11 am. An Irish bagpiper will be at Kitty O’Reilly’s, 59 E. Oak St. in Sturgeon Bay, 12-2 pm, with Whiskey Ditch […]

  • Toe-tappin’ Fun

    Live music around the Door Looking to liven up your week with some tunes? Check out these performances! Breakfast Club March 4, 7-10:30 pm, Stone Harbor Restaurant & Pub, 107 N. 1st Ave. in Sturgeon Bay This authentic reproduction of timeless ’80s sing-alongs and dance hits will still get your blood pumping. Ben Larsen March […]

  • GENEALOGY CLUB WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS

    The Genealogy Club meets via Zoom on the first Thursday, 2-3 pm,   to discuss the latest issues and advances in the fast-growing hobby of family-history research. Laura Kayacan, adult services librarian at the Door County Library in Sturgeon Bay, leads the unstructured meeting.  Any genealogist or family historian – whether a beginner, experienced researcher […]

  • SCHRECK NAMED TO WISCONSIN COUNCIL FOR LOCAL HISTORY

    Cody Schreck, the curator and collections manager for the Ephraim Historical Foundation (EHF), has been selected to serve a two-year term as the northeastern representative of the Wisconsin Council for Local History – an association of 400-plus local, county and specialized historical and heritage organizations that are affiliated with the Wisconsin Historical Society.  In this role, […]

  • History Mystery

    A lot has changed since this photo was taken, but all of the buildings shown here still stand today. Do you know where this was taken and which businesses occupy these buildings today? 

  • Editor’s Note: When Cynicism and Kindness Are Not Mutually Exclusive

    The word “healthy” rarely modifies “skepticism” or “cynicism” anymore, as if there’s no longer such a thing. It’s still OK for journalists to be skeptical, but not cynical. They both basically mean to be questioning of facts or motives, but they say skepticism comes from an open mind, cynicism from a closed one – that […]

  • ‘People Of Impact’ on Display at Community Foundation

    The Door County Community Foundation’s current exhibit, People of Impact, features photographs highlighting impactful community members taken by Dennis Connolly, Tina M. Gohr, Tom Groenfeldt, Thomas Jordan, Brett Kosmider, Arlene Stanger and Steven Stanger. Those honored in the photographs include Charlene Berg, Gary Chaudoir, Katie Dahl, Michael Doerr, George Draeb, David Eliot, Rich Higdon, Stella […]

  • Clearing Exhibit Features Work from Winter Programs

    The Clearing Folk School’s annual winter-program student exhibit will return March 5-6, 10 am – 4 pm, to its Jens Jensen Visitor Center. This popular free event will feature the work of students who participated in this year’s 50 winter-program class offerings, held in January and February. Original works and class displays will highlight art, […]

  • See Naylor’s New Collection at The Pearl

    Local artist Andrea Naylor’s newest collection, Up North, is now available at The Pearl of Door County, along with new inventory that includes a large selection of jewelry and stones. Inspired by the beautiful season of winter, Naylor uses her signature color palette to convey how this season makes her feel. This collection of original […]

  • Horseshoe Bay Farms Commissions Interactive Sculpture

    Horseshoe Bay Farms opened its doors to the community in 2021, and after a successful inaugural season, it’s setting the bar high in 2022 by welcoming Patrick Dougherty to the property. He’s the award-winning, internationally known sculptor behind Stickwork: large, interactive creations made entirely of sticks.  During the past 30-plus years, Dougherty has built more […]

  • A Turn for the Better: Former geologists make the art of glassblowing accessible

    When Kari and Ryan Dayton lost their jobs within days of each other, they could have panicked. Instead, they seized an opportunity.  “Moving to Door County and having a glassblowing studio had always been part of Ryan’s dream retirement-plan goal,” said Kari, who grew up spending summers in Egg Harbor with her grandparents and later […]

  • Wild Things: Fishing Licenses Purchased Now Are Good through March 31, 2023

    by KEVIN NAZE, [email protected] If you’ve been wanting to join Wisconsin’s fishing family, now is as good of a time as any because 2022-23 fishing licenses went on sale March 1. They’re good for the remainder of this season (through March 31), as well as for the April 1, 2022 – March 31, 2023 license […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Parallel Universe

    Fellow citizens of these United States of America, are we living in some sort of parallel universe? We just witnessed the president of Russia – former diabolical butcher of the KGB Vladimir Putin – invade a neighboring democratic country, Ukraine, and kill every child, woman and man in his way under the guise of “ridding […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Nonpartisan Playing Field

    When one party has a lockhold on the legislature, bad things happen. We have a Republican legislature in Wisconsin that has a lockhold because of gerrymandering. Fortunately, we have a Democratic governor who wields a veto pen.   Democrat Tony Evers was elected governor in 2018 because the gubernatorial election includes the entire state – whereas […]

  • Forum for Gibraltar School Parents March 4

    The current Gibraltar Schools superintendent, Tina Van Meer, is retiring, and because the school board has searched for a new superintendent only twice during the past 26 years, its members believe it’s essential to understand what the school community values in its next district leader. Therefore, the Gibraltar Schools superintendent-search consultants will host a Zoom […]

  • Police Seek Tips on Vehicle Damage in Sister Bay and Ephraim

    Vehicle windows were smashed last week on multiple vehicles in northern Door County around the border of Ephraim and Sister Bay. Four incidents were reported to the Sheriff’s Office involving six damaged vehicles. The damage was reported on Feb. 23 and 24. The case is still under investigation, according to Chief Deputy Pat McCarty of […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Coming Gun Legislation

    Our Wisconsin Assembly has been very busy of late in regard to all things guns. The Republican Senate Bill 570 would limit the legal liability of gun and ammunition manufacturers – a move I believe would protect them from big payouts following mass shootings.  Let’s not forget Assembly Bill (AB) 478, which would expand the […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Gibraltar Redmann Property

    I read with interest the article in the Feb. 25 Pulse regarding the TIF process for the development of the Redmann property in Fish Creek (“Gibraltar TIF District Gets Assembly Approval”) and have a couple of comments. I recently read the minutes of the numerous board and commission meetings held by the town. I continue […]

  • Bail Kept at $250K in Butch’s Bar Fire Case

    Formal charges were filed Monday against the man accused of starting the fire that destroyed Butch’s Bar, causing two deaths and endangering the lives of tenants. Anthony Gonzalez, who’ll turn 58 on April 13, has been charged with two counts of second-degree reckless homicide, five counts of second-degree recklessly endangering safety and one count of […]

  • Pulse of Philanthropy: The Problematic Shift from ‘We’ to ‘I’

    by BRET BICOY, President and CEO, Door County Community Foundation  I read something truly fascinating the other day that is indicative of a troubling trend in our nation: During the past 50 years, in all the books published in the United States, the frequency of the word “I” has doubled. This fact comes from Robert […]

  • Prayer Circle Open to All

    Marggie Moertl – an author, life coach and doula – will host an online, nondenominational contemplative prayer circle March 6, 6-7 pm, that’s open to all people who want to strengthen their inner life.  Contemplative prayer is a longstanding monastic tradition designed to bring groups together to privately explore their commitment to seeking, recognizing and honoring […]

  • Obituary: Joan Packard Lewis

    April 5, 1940 – Feb. 17, 2022 Joan Packard Lewis, 81, a longtime resident of Ephraim, and previously of Winnetka, Illinois, died at Unity Hospice in De Pere after a three-week battle with COVID-19.  Joan was born in Evanston, Illinois; grew up in Racine Wisconsin; and spent her summers in beloved Door County. Joan attended Wheaton […]

  • Obituary: Beverly Ann (Higgins) Gericke

    Nov. 18, 1935 – Feb. 13, 2022 Beverly Ann (Higgins) Gericke, 86 — wife, mother, community organizer and businesswoman — died peacefully with her family at her side at Century Oaks in Appleton, Wisconsin. She was born in Sturgeon Bay to William Royce and Blanche Irene (Suthers) Higgins. Bev spent her childhood, and many times throughout her […]

  • Candles for Ukraine

    Door County Company donating 100% of profits Ukrainian civilians are taking up arms and constructing Molotov cocktails to defend their homeland against Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of the democratic Ukraine on Feb. 25.  Five thousand miles away in Door County, moved by the cries and fears of loved ones, Christiana Gorchynsky-Trapani, owner of […]

  • Obituary: Daniel T. Moeller

    Aug. 22, 1945 – Feb. 25, 2022 Daniel T. Moeller, 76, of Whitefish Bay, Door County, died at his home after suffering apparent heart failure. He was born in Sturgeon Bay to Earl and Danica (Pejnovich) Moeller. In 1964, Dan graduated from Sevastopol High School, where he lettered in four sports as a sophomore. His […]

  • Obituary: Dorene A. Dufek

    June 4, 1941 – Feb. 26, 2022 Dorene Arlene Dufek, 80, of Sturgeon Bay, died at St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay after a short illness. She was born in Sturgeon Bay to George and Irene (Jeanquart) Dufek Sr.  Dorene graduated from Sturgeon Bay High School in 1959. She was an active leader in local […]

  • Obituary: Marilyn Jean Sorenson

    May 14, 1933 – Feb. 25, 2022 Marilyn Jean Sorenson, 88, of Sturgeon Bay, died at Sturgeon Bay Health Services. She was born in Sturgeon Bay to Winifred Jackson. Marilyn graduated from Sturgeon Bay High School in 1951. She married Charles Edward Sorenson on Dec. 13, 1958, at Sturgeon Bay Moravian Church, where they both grew […]

  • Obituary: Gary J. Renard

    June 10, 1948 – Feb. 26, 2022 Gary J. Renard, 73, died peacefully with his family by his side. He was born in Namur to Howard and Angela (Bouche) Renard. Gary graduated from Southern Door High School in 1966 and purchased Renard’s Cloverleaf Dairy the same year. On Aug. 19, 1967, he married his high school sweetheart, Bonnie […]

  • Obituary: Judith M. Thoma

    Feb. 10, 2022 Judith M. Thoma died at age 70. She was a Door County native who grew up in Ellison Bay as the daughter of John and Frances (Meyer) Kopitzke, editors of the Door Reminder. She graduated from Dr. Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota, in 1973 and married Steven Thoma on June 24, 1977. He […]

  • Lighter Fluid Suspected Cause of Butch’s Bar Fire

    Anthony Gonzalez, 57, held on $250,000 cash bail A man filling his Zippo-style lighter then striking the lighter to smoke a cigarette is believed to be the cause of the fire responsible for the deaths of two people at Butch’s Bar in Sturgeon Bay. The information came out during the bond hearing for Anthony Gonzalez, […]

  • Sister Bay Gets Pebble Beach Boost

    When Sister Bay joined forces with the Door County Land Trust to protect Pebble Beach from development in 2019, the village was hopeful the state would support its efforts with funding from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship fund.  Two years later that wish has come at least partially true.  The state’s Joint Finance Committee has granted the […]

  • Proposed Development at Woldt’s Corner Includes Starbucks

    A developer wants to build a three-unit building with a Starbucks at the Woldt’s Corner Pub site in Sturgeon Bay. “Right now we have a set of plans,” said Christopher Robinson-Sullivan, City of Sturgeon Bay planner and zoning administrator. “They’re [the developer] asking questions to make sure they’ve met general zoning codes.” The national coffeehouse […]

  • Obituary: Michael “Sparky” Paul LaHaie

    April 30, 1960 ~ February 18, 2022 Michael Paul LaHaie, “Sparky” to all who knew and loved him, 61, of Sturgeon Bay, died Friday afternoon, February 18, 2022 at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay with his family at his side. He was born April 30, 1960 in Cheboygan, MI, the son of  Richard […]

  • Obituary: Ami Lindemeyer

    July 19, 1935 ~ February 22, 2022 Ami Miya Lindemeyer, 86, of Sturgeon Bay, died peacefully on Feb. 22, 2022, at Cherry Cove Assisted Living.  She was born in Kobe, Japan on July 7, 1935 to Satoshi and Ai (Tsumura) Miyamoto. Ami was a survivor of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan during WWII. Ami […]

  • Obituary: Nelson Thomas Whyatt

    July 17, 1938 ~ February 16, 2022 Nelson Thomas Whyatt, 83, of Sturgeon Bay, WI, died Wednesday morning, February 16, 2022 at Pine Crest Village in Sturgeon Bay. He was born July 17, 1938 in St. Paul, MN, the son of Edward “Irv” Irving Whyatt and Ethelwyn “Billie” Mary Virginia Dumas. Nelson began camping and […]