In this issue
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Peninsula Stone, which has served the Door County community for 14 years, is opening its new location at 2600 Idlewild Road in Sturgeon Bay this spring. The company will offer landscape and building stone for all retail and contractor needs, including home exteriors and interiors, fireplaces, patios, retaining walls, walkways and other building and landscaping […]
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A woman and her dog explore the last traces of winter at Cave Point County Park. Photo by Mark Catterson.
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Apple Dumpling League Feb. 26, 2021 • High team game/series: Pins Up Balls Down 896/2,457 • High game (women): Kathy Franke 245, Lisa Hartel 222, Jamie Kerscher 212 • High series (women): Kathy Franke 637, Jamie Kerscher 581, Tracy May 581, Kayla Fort 532 • High game (men): Chris Blish 279, Matt Heldmann 279, Scott LaLuzerne […]
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New Owner for Fish Creek Grill After eight years, Nino and Armando Jauregui said, “Thank you and farewell” to guests of Fish Creek Grill in February on social media. They wish the new owner, Scott Schmitz, great success. Schmitz said he has exciting plans for the space at 3931 Hwy 42 in Fish Creek, and […]
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Suds with Sophie: A Beer for Every Dish
St. Patrick’s Day beer pairings When looking at pairing beer with food, there are a few simple rules to follow: location, intensity, compare and contrast. For St. Patrick’s Day food in particular, we should keep a few points in mind. First, although Irish food is distinctive, it does have a lot in common with English […]
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St. John Bosco’s Lisa Mueller Named a Kohl Fellow
Lisa Mueller, the first-grade teacher at Sturgeon Bay’s St. John Bosco Catholic School, is one of 101 teachers statewide who’s been selected as a 2021 Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Teacher Fellow. These educators have been chosen for their “superior ability to inspire a love of learning in their students, their ability to motivate others, and […]
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Green Tastes Good: Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at Home
It’s unclear whether I have any Irish ancestry, but I often tell people I’m German-Irish when they ask – and certainly my orange beard lends credence to the idea. One of the best weeks of my life was spent in Ireland, singing in some of the oldest churches on Earth. I look forward to eating Irish […]
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Southern Door Offers Camp Invention Summer Program
Registration is now open for Recharge!: the Southern Door schools’ new Camp Invention program, to be held June 14-18. Open to those in grades K-6, it will team up participants to tackle fun, hands-on STEM challenges. From taking apart a microphone to exploring solar-powered crickets and creating duck-launching devices, each activity is designed to give […]
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Plum Island: Restoration Work Continues on Plum Island Lifesaving Station
by Tim Sweet, Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands The Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands organization (FOPPI, plumandpilot.org) has received a $50,000 grant from an anonymous foundation and a contribution of nearly $38,000 from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) to restore and fabricate 42 windows in the Plum Island Lifesaving Station. Located […]
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Letter to the Editor: ATVs Are a Bad Idea for North Duluth Avenue
I live on North Duluth Avenue, and I absolutely do not want our peaceful road, nestled between the ledge of the Niagara Escarpment and the west side of the Sturgeon Bay shipping channel, to become an ATV route. The Sturgeon Bay Traffic Committee recently proposed an ATV/UTV route along North Duluth from County C to […]
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Sevastopol High School Names Four Valedictorians
Sevastopol High School has named four valedictorians for this academic year, all of whom have earned a 4.0 grade point average. “It is my honor to recognize these students who not only reflect the values that we hope for in all students at our school, but through their hard work and dedication to their courses […]
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Letter to the Editor: Don’t Degrade Character of Egg Harbor with Dollar General
What is happening to Egg Harbor? Dollar General? Shipwrecked trying to pave paradise to put up a parking lot? Or more accurately, a concrete patio with no parking lot? My family has been property owners and part-time residents of Egg Harbor since 1960. I have been so disappointed by the “development” happening in Egg Harbor […]
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Letter to the Editor: United Way Board Thanks Community for 2020 Fundraising Support
$752,540.60. Let me repeat that: $752,540.60 is the amount raised during United Way of Door County’s 2020 fundraising campaign. Thanks to all who donated to make this happen. To put the number in perspective, the highest amount our annual campaign had ever raised was $564,000. We had raised more than $500,000 only three times: in […]
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Letter to the Editor: Walls Work
What a difference a few years can make when discussing walls, fences and barriers. When President Trump proposed a barrier mostly in Texas, near the Rio Grande, Democrats both in Washington, D.C., and Door County went ballistic. With all the political blather and dozens of lawsuits, it’s kind of amazing that he got more than […]
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Letter to the Editor: Vote ‘Yes’ on the Egg Harbor Library Referendum
Libraries are a staple for a community. People still read books and always will, but libraries offer so much more in this day and age. During the pandemic, Egg Harbor Library was to Mary Patza a “mind saver.” Public libraries do not fund themselves. They never have and never will. The Kress Pavilion in Egg […]
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Letter to the Editor: Endorsement for Judge Gregory Gill
We support Judge Gregory Gill in the April 6 election to be the next judge on the District 3 Wisconsin Court of Appeals. Judge Mark Seidl is retiring from that three-judge panel, and Judge Gill is running for the open seat. The judges on the District 3 Court of Appeals have appellate jurisdiction and review […]
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Letter to the Editor: Vote for Damion Howard for Sturgeon Bay School Board
I encourage Sturgeon Bay voters to support Damion Howard for the Sturgeon Bay School Board in the April 6 election. Damion graduated from Sturgeon Bay High School in 1996. He holds a B.S. in business and hospitality management from the University of Phoenix. His four children – Keon (18), Ayanna (12), Isabel (8) and Greyson […]
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Letter to the Editor: Trumpism Defined
In an article titled, “The GOP: Is There Life after Trumpism?” in the Feb. 22 The Week magazine, it’s noted that “Trumpism is the GOP’s future.” It then goes on to define the term as those who advocate “individual freedom, deregulation, secure borders, an America First foreign policy and an unapologetic embrace of God and […]
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Door County Century Rides Again
Although it’s a bit of déjà vu, it’s time for the DCC’s year 42! The Door County Century (DCC) ride is back for fall 2021. All of the happenings in 2020 threw us a curve ball for sure, but it’s time to get back to enjoying the best riding season with the best of friends. […]
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Packerland Conference Final Standings
Girls Basketball Feb. 6, 2021 (School, won-lost) Kewaunee 8-0Peshtigo 6-2 Southern Door 6-2 Sevastopol 5-3NEW Lutheran 4-4 Gibraltar 3-5Oconto 3-5 Algoma 1-7Sturgeon Bay 0-8 Boys Basketball Feb. 18, 2021 (School, won-lost) Southern Door 15-1Kewaunee 14-2 Oconto 11-5Sturgeon Bay 8-8 NEW Lutheran 7-8 Gibraltar 7-9Peshtigo 7-9 Algoma 2-13 Sevastopol 0-16 Wrestling Jan. 23, 2021 (School, won-lost) […]
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Southern Door Bowlers, Swimmers in Fine Form
Congratulations to the Southern Door bowling team, which headed to state competition after winning the conference and sectional titles. The Eagles team comprises (from left) Coach Andy Hartel, Brooke Strege, Landon Heldmann, Coach Matt Heldmann, Dezuray LeRoy, Dylan Taylor and Kameron Robinson. Southern Door swimmers (pictured) helped the Door County United (DCU) girls swim team […]
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PODCAST: The Summer Ahead with Jon Jarosh and Myles Dannhausen Jr.
Destination Door County’s Jon Jarosh joins Myles Dannhausen Jr. to talk about what the 2021 summer might look like. With vaccine news looking better each day, how close to normal should visitors, business owners, and event planners expect things to look? Jarosh fills us in on what the latest surveys say about visitor sentiment and […]
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May 15, 1956 ~ February 22, 2021 Mark Kevin Skees, age 64, a resident of Manitowoc, died on Monday, February 22, 2021 at Holy Family Memorial Medical Center. Mark was born on May 15, 1956 in Sturgeon Bay to the late Gerald and Betty (King) Skees. He graduated from high school in South Bend, IN […]
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Book Review: ‘A-B-C The Animals’
A-B-C The Animals by Amy Phimister and Christine Degeneffe (illustrator) Review by Francha Barnard Imagine yourself as a child with the whole world of wildlife to explore. Wouldn’t it be fun to find as many animals as you could, working your way through the alphabet – rather like playing the ABC game during childhood car […]
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City Prepares to Annex Storage Facility Development
The Sturgeon Bay Common Council approved an annexation agreement with Fox Valley Storage for a 6.65-acre parcel of land on the east side of North 18th Avenue. The company intends to purchase the land from Richard Wilke to build commercial storage buildings. “It’s almost like a business incubator opened to small-scale industrial use,” said Alder […]
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Marina Committee Weighs Costs of Harbor Repairs
Sometimes it’s OK to settle – unless you’re talking about retaining walls and harbor piers. The Baileys Harbor Marina Committee has begun prioritizing needed repairs. During committee members’ visits with Harbormaster Mark Jonas, the altered states of one harbor wall and two concrete piers grabbed their attention. Committee Chair Tim Tishler said the town needs […]
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Kitchens Opens Dialogue on State Budget at Listening Session
Say the words “state budget,” and more than a few eyes may glaze over. Yet state-budget decisions factor into the daily lives of all Wisconsinites, whether they’re sending children to school, driving on public roads, connecting to the internet or turning on a light. State residents also pay for all these things every time they […]
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Beach Expansion Approved for Otumba Park
The popular sand beach in Otumba Park will have a lot more beach-blanket room this summer. The Sturgeon Bay Common Council approved an upgrade that will expand the beach, located on the West Waterfront at 225 W. Juniper St., to more than double its current depth. Improvements were made in 2012 to prevent beach closures […]
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The strength and influence of the Door County art community have pulled David Nielsen here time and again. Four years ago, this pull aligned with a desire to stop painting houses and focus on painting canvases. “I came to the conclusion that I need to focus on making art and stop painting houses,” Nielsen said. […]
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Door County Transportation Services Rebranded
Door County recently rebranded its transportation services to Door County Connect (formerly the ADRC Bus/Van Service) and Door County Connect–Door 2 Door Rides. “The county has provided public-transit services for over 10 years,” said Pam Busch, Door County’s transportation manager. “However, it has been confusing for people to know what services they can use. Now […]
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ADRC of the Lakeshore Hosts Series on Dementia
The dementia-care specialist at the Aging and Disability Resource Center of the Lakeshore will offer a free, virtual educational series about dementia: currently the sixth-leading cause of death in the country, with Alzheimer’s being the most common cause among older adults. This disease is often difficult to understand and sensitive to discuss, and caregivers may […]
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LWV Hosts Discussion on the Door County Treatment Court
The Door County League of Women Voters will host a virtual discussion about the Door County Treatment Court on March 13, 10 am. Treatment courts have proliferated in Wisconsin and nationwide during the past 20 years as an alternative to incarceration for certain criminal defendants, and recently, Door County began accepting defendants into its newly […]
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Neighbor to Neighbor Reopens Northern Door Facility
Neighbor to Neighbor will be reopening its Northern Door medical-equipment facility on a limited basis – Tuesday afternoons and Friday mornings – beginning March 9 by appointment only.To make an appointment, call Sheila at 920.839.5045. If you cannot visit during those days or times, you can continue to access equipment from the Sturgeon Bay equipment facility by […]
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Girl Scout Cookies Still Available
Looking for Girl Scout cookies? It’s not too late! Cadette Girl Scout Troop 4356 from Gibraltar will be hosting a cookie booth at Piggly Wiggly, 10576 Country Walk Dr. in Sister Bay, on March 6, 10 am – 1 pm. Cookie options will include all your favorites – Thin Mints, Caramel DeLites, Peanut Butter Patties, […]
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Pulse of Philanthropy: An Accounting-Fraud Tool Applied to Nonprofits
Frank Benford was a physicist in General Electric’s research laboratory almost a century ago. During that era, data sets were typed or written out by hand. One day, as he was looking through pages and pages filled with numbers, he noticed a fascinating pattern that was consistent across all his voluminous ledgers of work. First, […]
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Wild Things: Jeff Pritzl Named DNR’s New Deer Program Specialist
A face familiar to northeast Wisconsin hunters has been chosen to replace Kevin Wallenfang as the Department of Natural Resource’s (DNR) Deer Program specialist. Jeff Pritzl has been a wildlife biologist for nearly three decades, and about half of that time in Door, Kewaunee and Manitowoc counties. For the past 14 years, he’s served as […]
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Wild Ones: Native Berries Attract Winter Wildlife
“Pollinator gardens are lovely,” a friend remarked, “but I want to attract birds to my yard in the winter.” Wild Ones of the Door Peninsula recommends planting native trees and shrubs to attract pollinators, and, predictability, the same recommendation applies to birds. Trees bearing fruit and berries are bird magnets during the fall and winter. […]
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Libraries Offer Limited Walk-in Services
Door County Library is shifting to Library Express to welcome the public at all eight branches for limited walk-in services, including browsing, computer use and printing. The contactless, call-in pickup service will also continue. “We realize how essential the libraries are to our users, and we are excited to once again provide Library Express access […]
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A Thousand Ships by Natalie HaynesRecommended by Liz Welter of Novel Bay Books, 44 N. 3rd Ave. in Sturgeon Bay With the onset of pandemic blahs and gray winter freezes, a good book provides a satisfying escape. One of the best new books to provide that respite is A Thousand Ships: a majestic and sweeping […]
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Coming Up at Write On: March 5, 2021
Tuesdays, March 9 – April 27, 6-8 pmIntroduction to Screenwriting Get the foundation you need to take your story idea to a feature-length screenplay with Jeff Pfeiffer – a playwright, screenwriter, television writer and instructor with more than 10 years’ experience in entertainment and writing. The cost is $200 for the eight-week class, with a […]
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Door County Writes: ‘Making Caramels’
Poetry by Amy Phimister My sister and I are mixing mom’s caramels soft dreamy jewels.We smell the syrup like burnt marshmallows,stick our fingers in that milk lick them clean like we did as childrenso sweet and tender in the mouththe past floats in like a dream. It wasn’t even the caramels.The caramels didn’t matter.It was the making.To coat thoughts of […]
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Canvases Available for Hardy Gallery’s Community Mosaic Project
The Hardy Gallery (thehardy.org) in Ephraim invites community members to make art for its 2021 Community Mosaic Project, in which individual creations will collectively create a one-of-a-kind mosaic. The canvases are free thanks to the Artists Guild, 215 N. 3rd Ave. in Sturgeon Bay. Stop by the Artists Guild Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – […]
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Miller Art Museum Exhibits Honor International Women’s Day
The Miller Art Museum will open two new exhibitions March 6 – Primary Characters: Contemporary American Realism by Ariana Vaeth and Women Telling Stories – in honor of International Women’s Day on March 8. Both will be on display through April 19. The realist paintings of Milwaukee-based artist Ariana Vaeth focus on a personal narrative that […]
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Woodwalk Gallery Opens ‘Beautiful Possibilities’ Exhibit Online
Woodwalk Gallery (woodwalkgallery.com) opened its first juried online show, Beautiful Possibilities, on March 1. The process, which began in December, has culminated in a two-month online exhibit. The work of the three prize winners and the gallery artists who applied will also form the opening feature exhibit in May and June. “There was incredible diversity […]
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Meet Big Tuna (wihumane.org/adopt/animal?id=46531985), a three-year-old cat who’s available for adoption at the Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS) Door County Campus. Originally found as a stray, this handsome tabby is quite shy and still learning to trust the humans around him. With a little time and patience, though, he’ll warm right up and be a big, […]
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Canvases Available for Hardy Gallery Community Mosaic Project
The Hardy Gallery (thehardy.org) in Ephraim invites community members to make art for its 2021 Community Mosaic Project, in which individual creations will collectively create a one-of-a-kind mosaic. The canvases are free thanks to the Artists Guild, 215 N. 3rd Ave. in Sturgeon Bay. Stop by the Artists Guild Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – […]
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Peninsula Pulse Honored in Newspaper Awards
The Peninsula Pulse was honored with five awards in the Wisconsin Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper Contest, the results of which were announced Feb. 19. Myles Dannhausen Jr. won first place for General News Story for his piece “A Child Care Conundrum,” about the closure of the Barker Child Development Center last summer. Brett Kosmider won […]
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PODCAST: Shipwrecked Update and the Story Behind the Photo of the Year
Door County Pulse Podcasts · The Story Behind the Photo of the Year When Brett Kosmider pulled out his camera on main street in Fish Creek last July, he didn’t anticipate getting a photo to define the pandemic summer. But that’s what he got when Matthew Moellendorf showed up in a suit and a mask. […]
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Jacksonport’s Maifest Canceled for Second Year
Since 1973, Jacksonport has hosted Maifest – Door County’s unofficial summer kickoff festival during Memorial Day weekend at Lakeside Park. Pandemic-related public-health concerns forced organizers to cancel the 2020 event and, now, the 2021 event as well. Leaders of the Jacksonport Advancement Corporation hope the parade, arts-and-crafts fair, food booths, kids’ activities, live music, run and […]
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February 26, 2021 Eric Michael Benson, 34, of Fort Myers, FL. died unexpectedly on February 26, 2021 due to complications of heart surgery. Eric is survived by his son, Christopher Rice-Benson, Christopher’s mother Ashley(Brandon) Grant, his fiance Sheila Withey, his mother Joyce Hermsen Benson(Thomas Hammer), father William Benson, step mother Mary Benson, brothers Alexander(Lillian) Benson […]
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Crossroads to Honor Aldo Leopold on March 6
Crossroads at Big Creek (crossroadsatbigcreek.org), 2041 Michigan St. in Sturgeon Bay, will celebrate Aldo Leopold Day on March 6, 9:30 am until dark, with a free event called A Walk with Aldo. Start at the West Trailhead, and follow a half-mile trail marked with green ribbons to find 12 posts displaying quotes from Aldo Leopold. […]
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Public Health Will Continue Prioritizing Elderly for Vaccination
Officials at the Door County Public Health Department said it will continue to prioritize people older than age 65 in its COVID-19 vaccination effort. The state of Wisconsin expanded the pool of people who are eligible to receive the vaccine March 1 to include education and child care staff, individuals enrolled in Medicaid long-term-care programs, […]
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September 4, 1929 ~ February 28, 2021 Joyce Marie Klaubauf, 91, died on February 28, 2021, at Algoma Long Term Care Unit. She was born on September 4, 1929, in Kewaunee to George and Mayme (Kulhanek) Koenig. Joyce graduated from Algoma High School, Class of “47”and Door-Kewaunee County Normal. She taught school at Woodside School […]
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March 8, 1982 ~ February 22, 2021 Kyle Nathan DeMelle, 38, of Sturgeon Bay died on Monday, February 22, 2021. He was born in Sturgeon Bay on March 8, 1982 to Peter and Pam (Schram) DeMelle. Kyle graduated from Sturgeon Bay High School in 2001. He enjoyed snowmobiling with his dad, and as a youth […]
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October 6, 1966 ~ February 22, 2021 Barry Craig Walther, 54, of Sevastopol Township, died at home on February 22, 2021. He was born on October 6, 1966 to George B. and Patsy (Wolske) Walther in Sturgeon Bay. Barry attended Sturgeon Bay High School graduating in 1984. Barry was a talented mechanic and tool and […]
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Strong Opposition Expressed to Dollar General Proposal
Neighbors, residents and visitors banded together Thursday evening in their opposition to a Dollar General store being located anywhere north of Sturgeon Bay, and specifically within the Town of Egg Harbor. The setting was the town’s virtual public hearing for a 9,100-square-foot building proposed for where Highway 42 meets Hillside Road next to the Egg […]
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Obituary: Norma M Thorne (nee Bjorkman)
February 11, 2021 Peacefully died in her 99th year, on February 11, 2021, just in time to spend Valentine’s Day in Heaven with her beloved husband Robert, who preceded her in 2013. Norma was born in Husqvarna, Sweden, the only child of Oscar and Lydia Bjorkman. She grew up on Chicago’s South Side, graduating from […]
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January 19, 1945 ~ February 25, 2021 Clifford E. Kostichka, age 76 of Sturgeon Bay, died on Thursday, February 25, 2021, at Aurora BayCare in Green Bay. He was born in Algoma to the late Wallace and Anna (Bosman) Kosticha on January 19, 1945. Left to cherish Cliff’s memory are his siblings, Norbert Kostichka of Green […]
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August 3, 1934 ~ February 24, 2021 James A. Magle, 86 years, formerly of Sturgeon Bay, died Wednesday evening, February 24, 2021, at Kewaunee Care Center. He was born August 3, 1934, one of eight children, on the family farm in the Town of Nasewaupee, the son of the late Reinhardt and Katherine E. (Gebauer) […]
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Obituary: John “Jack” R. Axelson
February 28, 1928 ~ February 24, 2021 John “Jack” R. Axelson, 92, of Sister Bay, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, February 24, 2021. He was born February 28, 1928 in Chicago, son of the late Thorvald and Karen Sue (Johnson) Axelson. On December 20, 1950, Carol Nanette Olson and Jack were united in marriage in Sioux […]
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October 26, 1959 ~ February 22, 2021 Mark C. Biemeret, 61, of West Palm Beach, Florida died Monday afternoon, February 22, 2021 at his home in Florida. He was born October 26, 1959 in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Donald Hugh Biemeret and Kathryn Smith. Upon graduating from Green Bay East High School, Mark enlisted […]
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Hecker Stays Inspired, One Foot at a Time
Podiatrist marks 50 years in health care Dr. Richard Hecker could be retired right now. A few weeks ago, he celebrated his 50th year practicing medicine, having seen more than enough pairs of feet to call it a career. But he plans to keep going for at least a little while longer because he still […]
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April 21, 1934 ~ February 23, 2021 Cletus J. Fontaine, age 86, of Brussels, died peacefully on Tuesday, Feb 23, 2021, surrounded by family. He was born and raised on a farm in Namur, WI. He continued in the agriculture industry as an educator and mentor. He retired as a Dean at MATC. He enjoyed […]