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Peninsula Pulse May 3-10, 2019

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In this issue

  • ‘You Dropped Your Fremmel On the Gris!’: Students remember their eccentric art teacher, Tom Smith

    On April 22, I learned of the passing of my former art teacher, Mr. Smith. My initial reaction was that it was a horrible rumor, but the obituary online confirmed my worst fears. Tom Gerhart Smith passed away on April 15, 2019. Smith was hired as a substitute teacher at Gibraltar in 1996 before coming […]

  • Postal Service Will Collect Food for Hungry May 11

    City and rural mail carriers in Door County will collect nonperishable food donations left by mailboxes along their routes as they deliver mail on Saturday, May 11, to help stock food pantries. “We are overwhelmed by the great response we have had from the people in our community as evidenced by the 17,000 pounds of […]

  • Christensen Paces Fastest Women’s Field Ever in Door County Half Marathon

    F The 2019 Door County Half Marathon featured a pair of familiar faces breaking the finish line tape. Rodee Schneider of Madison won the race for the fourth time, while Hanna Christensen, also of Madison, won her second as she shattered her own women’s course record with a time of 1:22:05. Christensen lead the fastest […]

  • Fischer, Starr lift Clippers to soccer win

    Anna Fischer scored a pair of goals and Madison Starr added a goal to lift Sturgeon Bay to a 3-1 win over Sevastopol/Gibraltar in a Packerland Conference girls soccer match Thursday. After a scoreless first half Fischer scored in the 65th minute on an assist from Miranda Olson. Fischer scored again in the 70th minute […]

  • High School Sports Schedule: May 3 – 10

    GIBRALTAR Baseball May 3 vs. Algoma, 5 pm May 6 @ Southern Door, 4 pm May 7 @ Algoma, 4:30 pm Softball May 3 vs. Algoma, 5 pm May 6 @ Southern Door, 4 pm May 7 @ Algoma, 4 pm Girls Soccer May 6 @ Sevastopol vs. Roncalli, 4:30 pm May 9 @ Sevastopol […]

  • One Runner’s Slow Course to Recovery

    Most of the 750 runners standing at the starting line of the Nicolet Bay 5K race Saturday morning will have similar stories. Some will be recreational runners taking in the beauty of the course in Peninsula State Park. Others will be more serious runners trying to break a personal record. Finally, there will be participants […]

  • By the Numbers: ‘A Sand County Almanac’ Turns 70

    “There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot. These essays are the delights and dilemmas of one who cannot.” So begins the foreword to Aldo Leopold’s conservation classic, A Sand County Almanac, which is 70 years old this year. 12 The number of years it took for Aldo Leopold to […]

  • Commentary: One Person’s Hunt for Housing

    To the people of Door County and its frequent visitors, the housing shortage for seasonal workers is no surprise. It came as a big surprise to me. I had never been to the peninsula until almost a year ago, when I began an internship with the Peninsula Pulse. At that time, I got lucky with […]

  • AN OUTLOOK: Door County’s Economic Reality

    Like all of you, dear readers, I have a variety of pet peeves. The majority of my peeves are incidental and personal, but there are a few that have become obsessive irritations. Chief among the latter category of peeves is the perception that most of us who live in Door County (particularly Northern Door County) […]

  • Commentary: Nine Months That Changed Everything

    As a father of six children, I have personally experienced the monumental difference that nine months can make in a life. Apparently that applies to charities as well. During the last three fiscal quarters, the leadership of the Boys and Girls Club of Door County has made dramatic changes and is successfully addressing its financial […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Use the Unassigned Fund Balance to Pay for Door 2 Door

    Recent news has focused attention on transportation in our county and the risk that we may lose a service provided through the Door County Department of Health and Human Services. Door2Door (D2D) has been through several transitions in attempting to provide ridership throughout the county. Northern Door did not take advantage of it when stationed […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Come One, Come All …

    to the Door County Master Gardeners Plant Sale! The annual event will take place on Saturday, May 18, 8-Noon. New this year, the Master Gardeners are hosting a special ticketed event called ‘1st Pick’ on Friday, May 17, 5-7pm. This is an opportunity for shoppers to purchase beautiful perennials, annuals, herbs and vegetable plants at […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Municipal Money and Tax Breaks for Homesharers?

    I want to thank Ashley Lusk for explaining advantages of home sharing for mutual benefit [Peninsula Pulse’s Sustainability Issue]. I thought of another dimension. We don’t need employees – ours have been with us a long time and micromanage us because they are that good. However, I understand the housing shortage in Door County and […]

  • Letter to the Editor: An Appeal to Democrats and Independents

    As the first Democratic debates draw closer (June 26 and 27), I think that we can all agree that the overriding goal of the 2020 presidential election is: Make sure that this President is not re-elected. To help reach that goal, we can also agree that any nominee of the Democratic party would be a […]

  • Letter to the Editor: Make America Great Again!

    This is a letter to all Door County residents. After reading the letter of Glenna Peters in the last Pulse I feel that I must respond. I voted for President Donald Trump to “Make America Great Again”! Do I agree with everything he says and does? No! There are times that I shudder at the […]

  • State News: Walker Appointees, Fox River, Toddler Care

    Supreme Court Sides with Republicans in Walker Appointees Dispute The Wisconsin Supreme Court has sided with Republicans in a preliminary dispute over 82 Scott Walker appointees who were confirmed by Republicans in December’s lame-duck session of the Legislature. The 4-3 order handed down on Tuesday by the court’s conservative majority wasn’t the final say in […]

  • Ride-Share Driver Information Sessions May 30

    Prospective ride-share drivers can learn about driving for Uber and Lyft at two sessions on May 30. The free classes will teach the basics of driving for the ride-share companies and driver best practices. Attendees will be able to register to drive at the classes if they have a smartphone, driver’s license, Social Security number, […]

  • Reps in the News: Evers Signs First Bill into Law

    Governor Tony Evers Signs First Bill into Law The phrase “mental retardation” has been stripped from state regulations under a new law signed Tuesday by Gov. Tony Evers. The law replaces the term with “intellectual disability” in rules written by state government. It was the first piece of legislation signed by the new Democratic governor. […]

  • Jacksonport Contracts to Asphalt Parking Lot at Lakeside Park

    The Town of Jacksonport will enter into a contract with Northeast Asphalt of Green Bay as the contractor for asphalt pavement at Lakeside Park in Jacksonport. The town board has approved total construction not to exceed $22,710.00 for the pavement project. The town will also enter into a contract with Brauer Construction of Sturgeon Bay […]

  • Kewaunee County Warning of Emergency-alert Scam

    Kewaunee County Emergency Management is warning residents of a reported scam that involves the use of the CodeRED emergency-alert system, formerly used by Kewaunee County for mass residential notifications. On April 29, Emergency Management received a phone call from an Algoma resident who stated she was told to contact Kewaunee County CodeRED emergency alert regarding […]

  • Door to Nature: May is Morel Month

    Door County has had good years and bad years for finding the true morel mushrooms. If we have a snowy winter with lots of spring rain – which replenishes soil moisture – it will usually be a good season for finding morels. However, spring must also have warm weather to help the process. Last year […]

  • DCVB Celebrates National Travel and Tourism Week

    Did you know that visitors spent $358.7 million in Door County in 2017? That spending supported jobs for 3,225 people and provided $78.5 million in wages for the year-round and seasonal residents who work in the county’s tourism industry. We at the Door County Visitor Bureau (DCVB) are honoring the importance of travel by participating […]

  • Tarnished Plant Bugs in Strawberries

    Have you ever heard of a “cat-faced” strawberry? Maybe not, but have you ever come across a strawberry with seedy areas that didn’t expand? (And how did someone think those symptoms look like a cat?) Regardless of the name, cat-facing may not be apparent until the berries are ripe, but the damage occurs when the […]

  • Doors Are Open at Door County Historical Museum

    The Door County Historical Museum opened May 1 for its 80th season.  It was chosen by the Chicago Tribune as the Best Small Museum in the Midwest and continues to attract visitors from around the country and world. Each of the four main viewing areas highlights a different aspect of Door County history. The front […]

  • NWTC in Sister Bay Celebrates One Year

    The Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) Learning and Innovation Center in Sister Bay will celebrate its one-year anniversary with a free open house on May 7, 11 am – 3 pm. The food manufacturers in the commercial kitchen will be selling their products, including salsa, jerk sauce, sweet-and-sour sauce, cherry-ginger sauce and a muffin mix; and […]

  • Municipal Meetings: May 3 – 10

    DOOR COUNTY County of Door: May 7 – Human Services Board, 9 am. May 8 – Board of Health Committee, 8:30 am; Facilities & Parks Committee, 9 am; Ag & Extension Committee, 1 pm. May 9 – Land Conservation Committee, 8:30 am; Technology Services Committee, 3 pm. City of Sturgeon Bay: May 7 – common […]

  • Bipartisan Bill Would Give Park Passes to Fourth Graders

    Rep. Melissa Sargent (D-Madison) is leading the charge on a bipartisan bill to provide free passes to state parks and natural areas to Wisconsin fourth-graders and their families. It’s an idea modeled after the successful Every Kid in a Park program established by the National Park Service in 2015. It was launched that year to […]

  • Friends of Crescent Beach Host Speaker Series

    The Friends of Crescent Beach in Algoma will present the Art of Water speaker series throughout May as part of the city’s Art of Water III event. The first presentation – “A Framework for Water-Quality Improvement: Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) and the Northeast Lakeshore TMDL,” with speakers Keith Marquardt, Wisconsin DNR water resources specialist; […]

  • Cadence Wins Industry of the Year Award

    The recipient of Door County’s 2019 Industry of the Year Award is Cadence. This award recognizes a local service, construction or manufacturing business that has made a substantial positive impact on the community and enjoyed significant accomplishments during the recent term. “We truly appreciate the Door County Economic Development Corporation for this recognition, as well […]

  • State Libertarian Convention in Sturgeon Bay May 3-5

    The Libertarian Party of Wisconsin is holding its state convention at Stone Harbor Resort in Sturgeon Bay May 3-5. Outgoing Chair Phillip Anderson of Madison said they are expecting 80 to 100 Libertarians from across the state to take part in electing new leadership to two-year terms and voting for bylaw and constitutional changes. But […]

  • Surveys Show Bat Populations Down

    Winter 2019 surveys are showing that the bat disease white-nose syndrome (WNS) – which does not affect people or other animal species – has reduced bat populations to zero at some hibernation sites and decreased others by 72 to 97 percent. State bat biologists are calling on the public to report barns, buildings, bat houses and other […]

  • Housing Presentations Planned Across County

    Door County Economic Development Corporation’s (DCEDC) Attainable Housing Committee will host a series of meetings later this month about the county’s lack of affordable housing and potential solutions. “The housing study revealed basic information most people were already aware of: Door County has a housing crisis,” said DCEDC Executive Director Jim Schuessler. “Beyond that foundation, […]

  • Bills to Watch: Dairy Innovation Hub, Gas-tax Sticker

    SB-186 Creating a Dairy Innovation Hub This bill would authorize $7.9 million to create a Dairy Innovation Hub at UW-Madison, UW-Platteville and UW-River Falls to focus on ensuring animal health and welfare, enriching human health and nutrition, stewarding land and water resources, and growing farm businesses and communities. The dairy industry has suffered from more […]

  • Democratic Party Adopts 2020 Delegate Plan

    The Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s Administrative Committee has formally adopted the party’s 2020 delegate-selection plan. The 2020 Democratic National Convention will be held July 13-16 in Milwaukee, where delegates will vote for the party’s presidential and vice presidential nominee as well as other party resolutions, platforms and governing rules. Wisconsin will select a total of […]

  • 2,300 Runners Coming for Half Marathon Saturday

    Door County fashion will have a new look this weekend when more than 2,300 runners funnel up the peninsula to run the 12th annual Door County Half Marathon and Nicolet Bay 5K in Peninsula State Park. They’ll fill barstools and restaurant seats wearing running shoes, race shirts and finishers’ bling as they bring an economic […]

  • Tupa Continues Arbor Day Tradition at Southern Door

    When David Tupa moved from teaching at Gibraltar for 23 years to Southern Door Middle School this academic year, he took with him a tradition of taking students on an Arbor Day tree-planting field trip. Tupa is the earth science and STEAM teacher at Southern Door Middle School, and the annual tree-planting expedition is part […]

  • New Wedding and Event Venue Opens in Algoma

    The Grain Loft – Algoma’s newest urban rustic wedding and event venue – invites the public to wander the premises and explore the newly renovated spaces on May 10, 5-8:30 pm. The evening will include food trucks, on-site music, complimentary beer and champagne, and a cash bar. Stacey and David Vecellio own and operate the […]

  • Q&A with the 2019 Hal Prize Judges

    We had the opportunity to talk with the 2019 judges for the Hal Prize in Literature and Photography – Tytia Habing (photography), Cynthia Swanson (fiction), Ira Sukrungruang (poetry) and Thomas Pecore Weso (nonfiction) – about their art. Peninsula Pulse (PP): When did you know you wanted to be a writer or photographer? Cynthia Swanson (CS): I […]

  • Bestseller List: May 3, 2019

    TRADE PAPERBACK FICTION1. The Overstory by Richard Powers2. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles3. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan4. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris5. The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin TRADE PAPERBACK NONFICTION1. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah2. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer3. This Blessed Earth: A Year in the Life […]

  • Peninsula Poetry

    Henry Timm is an actor, director, poet, playwright and publisher who is well known to Peninsula Pulse readers, having written articles about books, local theater and literary events. He and Nancy Rafal published N.E.W. Voices: A Literary Magazine in 2011-12. In 2014, Timm directed the world premiere of the English-language version of Policy, a play […]

  • Gangstagrass Will Break Boundaries in Door County

    Craigslist ads offer loads of interesting – and sometimes strange – things. When Dan Whitener answered an ad for “a banjo player who could move,” he found a completely new direction for his career. Whitener plays banjo in Gangstagrass, a genre-bending bluegrass and hip-hop band whose Spotify bio describes it as a “dirty-fightin’, gator-wrestlin’, foot-stompin’, genre-bustin’, […]

  • Take a Staycation to Old Mexico

    Old Mexico in Sturgeon Bay is serving up fresh and authentic Mexican food using family recipes passed down from one generation to the next. The restaurant opened at 901 Egg Harbor Road in Sturgeon Bay nearly five years ago and has since become popular for its shrimp tacos, made-from-scratch margaritas and focus on fresh ingredients. […]

  • Cheers!: How About a Little Cherry Blood?

    Yes! Yes! Yes! Yuhmmm! I’ve seen this one for months now and finally bit the bullet and picked up a corked bottle of Blood of the Cherry from O’so Brewing of Plover, Wisconsin. What I love about O’so is that you’re thinking one thing and get another. What would you expect from something named Blood […]

  • 2019 Algoma Beacon Award Winners

    Nearly 90 people gathered at the historic Hotel Stebbins for the annual Algoma Chamber Beacon Awards, recently renamed from the BIE Awards. Chamber President Tracy Nelson of East Shore Industries opened the ceremony that honored the following individuals and entities for their contributions to the Algoma-area community.   Scenic Shore Inn was named Business of […]

  • Sawyer School Students Receive Awards from AMVETS

    AMVETS Post 51 recently awarded prizes to students at Sawyer School for their participation in AMVETS’ Americanism flag-coloring contest, a patriotic program the organization offers schools and youth organizations as a way to teach children in kindergarten through fifth grade about civics and citizenship. The program, which includes contests at the local and state levels, […]

  • Students Receive Fine Arts Awards

    On April 28, the Sturgeon Bay Breakfast Rotary Club presented its 19th annual Fine Arts Awards of Excellence to students from Sevastopol, Gibraltar, Southern Door and Sturgeon Bay High Schools. Teachers nominated students for recognition in the areas of art, choral music, instrumental music, drama, forensics and journalism. Sevastopol honorees were Alexis Fields (art), Rachel […]

  • Associated Bank Donates $3,000 to Altrusa Back-to-School Fair

    Associated Bank has donated $3,000 to Altrusa’s 2019 Back-to-School Fair. Altrusan Cheri Meyvis applied for the funds, and Altrusan Anita Karwowski accepted the check. The grant will provide grade-appropriate school supplies to Door County children in need as they return to school in the fall. Altrusa hopes to serve nearly 650 children this year and […]

  • 2019 ypAward Winners

    Dakota Londo and Amy Sullivan were honored as community leaders at the third annual ypAwards, hosted by NexGen Door County on April 24. Londo, the 2019 Rising Star awardee, has served as the community impact coordinator for United Way of Door County’s health initiatives since August 2018. In that role, she meets with law enforcement, […]

  • Neighbor to Neighbor Celebrates Achievements on May 28

    Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N) will celebrate its achievements at its annual meeting on May 28, 5 pm, in the Door County Community Foundation’s Rock Island Meeting Room. Those achievements include helping 1,452 individuals in 2018 to save more than $400,000 in medical expenses by using N2N’s services. More than 100 volunteers donated 2,374 hours to […]

  • Peninsula Preschool Registration Held on May 18

    Registration for children to attend Peninsula Preschool for the 2019-20 academic year will be held on May 18, 9-10 am. New students must register in person at the school, 10005 Norway St. in Ephraim. Established in 1983, Peninsula Preschool provides play-based preschool programming for children ages three to five. The three-year-old program runs Tuesdays and […]

  • League of Women Voters Annual Meeting, May 16

    Political science professor David Canon will present “Redistricting in Wisconsin: Should the Politicians or the People Be in Charge?” during the League of Women Voters of Door County’s annual meeting on May 16 at Harbor Fish Market & Grille in Baileys Harbor. This event, which is open to the public and league members, will include […]

  • Hope Church Shows ‘Harvest of Empire’ on May 11

    Learn how the United States contributed to the conditions that led to the violence, corruption and poverty that many immigrants are desperate to escape. On May 11, 7 pm, Hope Church in Sturgeon Bay will screen Harvest of Empire, a 90-minute documentary that was produced in 2012 and based on the book of the same […]

  • Southern Door Alumni Honored at 7th annual Hall of Fame Ceremony, May 10

    Southern Door County School District will hold its seventh annual Alumni Hall of Fame Ceremony on May 10, 9:30 am, in the Southern Door Community Auditorium. The district will honor Barth Guilette, Class of 1973; and Tony Klaubauf, Class of 1976, as Southern Door graduates who are outstanding role models because of their significant career […]

  • Biblical Counseling Roundtable Scheduled for May 9

    The Wisconsin Coalition of Biblical Counselors is sponsoring a Biblical Counseling Roundtable on May 9, 10 am – 12 pm, at the Sturgeon Bay Community Church, 515 N. 12th Ave. The topic will be “Biblical Help and Hope for Abortion-Related Suffering,” presented by Lesley Swanson and Cathy Mulvey of Healing Hearts Ministries International. Swanson is Healing […]

  • Gibraltar Elementary Registration Held on May 9

    Gibraltar Elementary School kindergarten registration will be held on May 9. If you have a child who will be five years old by September 1, 2019, call Cindy Phillips at 920.868.3284, ext. 265, for a registration appointment that will last 30 to 45 minutes. Please take your child’s birth certificate and immunization records. Public-health nurses […]

  • Algoma Chamber of Commerce Offers Roundtable for Nonprofits

    The Algoma Area Chamber of Commerce will offer a special roundtable program to all nonprofits and civic organizations in the area on May 8, 3-4 pm, at East Shore Industries, 813 Rabas St. It will provide a forum to share thoughts and ideas and to learn what has worked for others in the areas of […]

  • Coffee Club for Women Held on May 8

    Local Edward Jones financial adviser Tara Pierre will host a coffee club for women on May 8, 8 am, at GLAS Coffeehouse, 67 E. Maple St. in Sturgeon Bay, to provide education on financial-market topics. “The coffee club offers us an opportunity to learn from one another and receive market updates,” Pierre said. “I look […]

  • Sixth-Grade Students Design Video Games

    Students in Introduction to Programming 6 at T.J. Walker Middle School in Sturgeon Bay have been using programming to create their own basic video games. During the first half of the academic year, they learned how to write programs using Blockly, a block coding method on code.org, and have mastered writing efficient programs by learning […]

  • CCR: Miriam Falk to Conduct Lethality-Assessment Training

    by Anni Lampert, Advocate at HELP of Door County It will come as no surprise to even the most casual observer of social interaction that there is a growing sense of unease among us all. There are nearly as many factors as there are people, but for large groups, these factors include politics, the environment, […]

  • DCHS: Fun with Felines

    The Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS) Door County Campus is currently housing many dogs from other shelters to assist those shelters as they work through an animal-health situation (visit wihumane.org/news to learn more), so WHS Door County is temporarily closed for adoptions. It will resume regular adoption processes soon. Until information about pets looking for new […]

  • Trivia: Which bird can’t easily walk on land, builds its nest next to the water and sleeps over deep water to avoid predators?

    Question: Which bird can’t easily walk on land, builds its nest next to the water and sleeps over deep water to avoid predators? Answer: A common loon. The placement of the loon’s legs makes it difficult for this bird to walk around on land, so it sticks close by the water.

  • Server of the Week: William

    If fresh and authentic Mexican food is your jam, You’re going to want to meet Old Mexico’s William.He steers the tableside cart and wields the tejolote,And when he’s hungry, he orders the molcajete. During lunch and dinner, he’s busy making guacamole,But on his days off, he’s found shopping in Green Bay. Si te gusta la […]

  • Overheard and Obsessions: May 3, 2019

    OVERHEARD Are there tidbits of conversations you’ve heard while standing in line at the grocery store, serving a table or walking down the sidewalk that make you smile, cringe or laugh out loud? “Typos courtesy of Siri, autocorrect, pinot noir and my iPhone.” “You can get perch up there with that thing in there.” “Oh, […]

  • Manners Matter: Wedding Gifts

    Dear Mary Pat, We are invited to a wedding in Nice, France. It’s our dear friend’s daughter’s wedding, and unfortunately, we cannot attend because we have an important family obligation that same week. My friend has shared some of the details of how much this wedding is costing (wow!) and how it’s going to be […]

  • Framed: Compost Monster

    Anne Egan, chair of Celebrate Water Door County, meets the Compost Monster during the Every Day Is Earth Day Festival on April 27. Photo by Grace Johnson.

  • One Barrel Grand Opening Memorial Day Weekend in Egg Harbor

    The grand opening of One Barrel Brewing’s Egg Harbor taproom is set for Memorial Day weekend, beginning May 23. “They assure me they will be done on time,” said One Barrel owner Peter Gentry about the construction and landscape crews that are converting the former retail space into an inviting taproom. “They’re not cutting sod […]

  • Ephraim Highway Open to Local Traffic Only During Half Marathon Weekend

    Construction on Highway 42 in Ephraim continued this week, and the highway will be closed to non-local traffic during the Door County Half Marathon and Nicolet 5K weekend. Guests staying at Ephraim resorts will be able to reach their lodging via Highway 42, but those staying in Sister Bay and north Ephraim are encouraged to […]

  • SummerSongs Musical-Theatre Program

    The Algoma Performing Arts Center is offering the musical-theatre program SummerSongs for students 14 to 18 years old. Taught by UW-Stevens Point associate lecturer Lisa Golda, SummerSongs will feature two five-week sessions of private voice lessons, dramatic coaching and group workshops, with a public performance at the end.   Golda has worked in Chicago, Milwaukee, […]

  • Midsummer’s Music Announces 2019 Season

    Midsummer’s Music of Door County announces its 2019 season of diverse cultural, historical and scenic musical experiences, running June 14 through Sept. 2, and featuring 41 concerts performed by world-class musicians. The inspiring concerts – hailed as “exciting, pulse-pounding and riveting” – attract more dedicated followers every year, plus thousands more listen to broadcasts on Wisconsin Public […]

  • Northern Sky Provides Free Tickets to DC Students

    Northern Sky Theater (NorthernSkyTheater.com) will once again invite all Door County students to a complimentary evening of entertainment under the stars by distributing nearly 4,000 free tickets. Every elementary, middle and high school student in all five Door County school districts, as well as area homeschool students, will receive a ticket, which includes an opportunity […]

  • ‘Absolute Brightness’ Opens at TAP May 15

    Rehearsals are under way for The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, the next show at Third Avenue Playhouse (TAP). Written by James Lecesne and directed by Robert Boles, it will feature Alan Kopischke as Detective Chuck DeSantis. Kopischke recently directed Julius Caesar at UW-Green Bay, where he teaches acting. His many TAP credits include Jacob […]

  • Comedian Rick Wood at Tambourine Lounge

    One of the nation’s finest comedians returns to Sturgeon Bay’s Tambourine Lounge on May 11 for one night only. Rick Wood has performed across the United States, Canada and Thailand. He has appeared at the Laughing Skull Comedy Fest, 10,000 Laughs Comedy Festival, Crom Comedy Toronto and Limestone Comedy Festival. He’s opened for Chris Gethard, […]

  • Door County Land Trust Acquires 40 Acres of Wetlands

    The Door County Land Trust (DCLT) is pleased to announce that 40 acres of wetlands in the Gibraltar-Ephraim Swamp State Natural Area are now protected, bringing the total area of land under DCLT protection to nearly 8,200 acres. The Gibraltar-Ephraim Swamp, stretching from the northern edge of Ephraim limits south to Peninsula State Park and […]

  • Master Gardeners’ Annual Plant Sale

    The Door County Master Gardeners Association welcomes the public to its annual plant sale (dcmga.org/plant-sale) on May 18, 8 am – 12 pm, at the Peninsular Agricultural Research Station, 4312 N. Hwy 42 in Sturgeon Bay. “Our community spoke, and we listened,” said plant sale chair Karen Kidd. “We’ve moved the 2019 plant sale to the […]

  • Explore the Spring Skies with Crossroads at Big Creek

    Join the Door Peninsula Astronomical Society (DPAS) on May 4, 8 pm, at the Leif Everson Observatory for a viewing night, whether cloudy or clear. If the sky is clear, the observatory and StarGarden will be open. If it’s a cloudy night, attend a planetarium show in the Stonecipher Astronomy Center. On May 7, 7 […]

  • Hikes at The Clearing

    The Clearing Folk School will once again offer free, docent-led hiking tours on its 128-acre property, visiting the historic buildings and campus. The roughly two-hour hikes begin at 1 pm on most Saturdays and Sundays starting May 5, and they’ll run through the end of October. No pre-registration is necessary. Hikers should meet at The […]

  • Shipyard Tours on May 4

    The Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay will present its 26th annual shipyard tour on May 4. For one day each year, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (FBS) and CenterPointe Yacht Services (CPYS) open their doors to the public for tours of the shipbuilding industry. Last June, FBS marked its 50th anniversary of doing business in Sturgeon Bay. […]

  • Kewaunee/Door Peninsula Again Top in Chinook Harvest

    Year in and year out, there’s no place like home when it comes to catching chinook salmon. The annual charter report and creel estimate released by the DNR show that anglers fishing the Kewaunee/Door County peninsula cranked in nearly half of the state’s entire chinook harvest in 2018. The catch of more than 84,000 was […]

  • First-Graders Tour DCMC

    The Door County Medical Center Auxiliary is sponsoring special tours for first-graders to introduce them to the interesting aspects of health care and to educate them about the importance of a healthy lifestyle and how to care for their bodies. During a recent visit, students sat in an ambulance and toured the emergency department to […]

  • New Sturgeon Bay Store Focuses on Wellness

    Megan Lundahl and Sarah Try have opened The Pearl of Door County, a new business in downtown Sturgeon Bay that seeks to share products, ideas, classes, retreats and workshops that elevate consciousness, creativity, empowerment and self-healing by exploring wellness, yoga, meditation, nature, chakras, crystal healing, soulful business practices, intention setting, storytelling, music, tarot, spirituality and […]

  • Wellness Weekend Fills Niche in Door County Festivals

    When Kress Pavilion event director Jess Reinke and her team began brainstorming which events they wanted to see come to life at the pavilion’s spacious property, they got excited about the idea of offering a more immersive, multi-day event. “We were looking for something that would be great for the community to be involved in,” […]

  • Summer Concert Series at Peg Egan PAC

    The Peg Egan Performing Arts Center (eggharbordoorcounty.org) announces its 2019 Summer Concert Series of nationally acclaimed artists. “We believe the Peg Egan PAC adds another layer of artistic excellence in the county and brings people to spend the afternoon or the weekend here,” said John Heller, Village Board president. The season will start on June […]

  • Summer Music Preview Deadline Is May 10

    The deadline for the Summer Music Preview (SMP) is approaching quickly. If you’ll be hosting live music events this summer, please send your schedule to [email protected] by May 10. The SMP is a collection of the live-music happenings throughout the summer, all across the peninsula. It features a pull-out calendar, weekly music gigs, live music […]

  • May Book Club Meetings

    May 7Winter Book Club, reading The Rent Collector by Camron Wright, Ephraim Library, 10:30 am.Multicultural Book Club, reading Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson, Sturgeon Bay Library, 1 pm. May 9The Best Book I Never Read, reading A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, Starboard Brewing in Sturgeon Bay, 5:30 pm. May 13Bittersweet […]

  • KIDS WOW! Creativity Camp

    Middle school students will be able to experiment with visual storytelling during KIDS WOW!, a creativity camp offered July 22-26 by Write On, Door County and led by graphic novelist Aaron Renier. The camp will introduce children in sixth through eighth grades to a variety of comic-making practices and techniques, including writing, storyboarding, penciling, inking […]

  • Dickinson Poetry Series

    Thomas and Ethel Mortenson Davis will be the featured poets at the Dickinson Poetry Series at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship on May 8, 7 pm. An open mic will follow. Thomas has had six books published, including two epic poems, The Weirding Storm and An American Spirit. He will primarily present sonnets from his novel […]

  • Write On’s Developing a Writing Habit Course

    Write On, Door County (writeondoorcounty.org) presents Developing a Writing Habit, a weeklong course for those who want to start or continue a writing routine. Sessions will be held May 6-10, 9-11am, at Write On’s Juddville property. Weather permitting, they will be held at The Coop, the former writing studio of author Norbert Blei. Tuition is […]

  • ‘Cozmo’s Wish’ on Boardwalk

    Stay Toon’d Publishing has published Janet Tlachac-Toonen’s 10th work: Cozmo’s Wish. This time the Dyckesville children’s book author and illustrator has created a rhyming tale about a unicorn and his dream to be more colorful. Cozmo’s dream is not magically realized after wishing on a star, so he and his firefly friends embark on a […]

  • Hardy Gallery Announces 2019 Exhibits

    The Hardy Gallery (thehardy.org) has been a pillar of the Door County art community since the mid-1900s, providing exhibits that surprise visitors each season. The first exhibit of the Hardy’s 57th season, Wall-to-Wall, May 25 to June 6, is a salon-style show that’s open to both emerging and established artists. The opening reception is May […]

  • ‘Salon of High School Art’ Recipients Announced

    The Miller Art Museum (millerartmuseum.org) announced and honored the award recipients of its 45th annual Salon of Door County High School Art exhibit during a reception at the gallery. The exhibition features original work by students in grades nine through 12 who attend one of the peninsula’s five high schools or are homeschooled. Participation certificates […]

  • Idea Gallery Showcases 14 New Artists

    Idea Gallery’s third season will open to the public on May 4 with Exhibit 1, showcasing 14 new, nationally renowned artists. The opening reception will be May 26, 4-7 pm. The gallery is open daily, 11 am – 5 pm. Exhibit 1’s featured artists are Karen Gunderman (painting/ceramics) and Christopher Davis-Benavides (ceramics), along with Allison B. […]

  • Edgewood Opens 50th-Anniversary Season with Benefit Cookbook

    Edgewood Orchard Galleries is celebrating the beginning of its 50th-anniversary season with a group show of artwork featured in a new benefit cookbook. During an opening-day reception on May 4, 10 am – 5 pm, the public is invited to visit the gallery and sculpture garden, enjoy complimentary refreshments and hors d’oeuvres, and view newly […]

  • Arachne Spinners Guild Meeting May 4

    The next meeting of the Arachne Spinners Guild will be a road trip to a member’s farm on May 4. The meeting will start at 9:30 am. The program will be a demonstration of skirting and analyzing a raw fleece. There will be two rare-breed fleeces and others to use in the demonstration. The rare-breed […]

  • James May Gallery Participates in ‘Art of Water III’

    Water is the most crucial resource for life, so James May Gallery is honoring it by exhibiting the water-focused work in all media of more than 150 regional, national and international artists: serious topics such as conservation and protection, but also water’s simple beauty. Visit James May Gallery and James May North in Algoma for […]

  • Fine Line Designs Gallery Begins Season on May 3

    In addition to displaying new works by tenured Fine Line artists, the gallery is welcoming several new contributors: ceramic artists Rachel Vitko and Natalya Sots, painters Sarah Gayle Carter and Kathie Odom, and glass artists Mariel Bass and Wesley J. Hunting. “We’re coming off our best season ever last year, and we’re excited to continue […]

  • Obituary: Delores “Dee Dee” Monfils

    Dec. 31, 1929 – April 26, 2019  Delores “Dee Dee” Delia Monfils, 89, of Sturgeon Bay died at Door County Medical Center. A funeral service will be held at 11 am on Saturday, May 11, at St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sturgeon Bay, with Pastor Carl Schroeder officiating. Delores will be laid to rest in Bayside […]

  • Obituary: Donald Joseph Berns

    May 31, 1931 – April 17, 2019  Donald Joseph Berns, 87, of Sturgeon Bay died at Sturgeon Bay Health Services. He was born May 31, 1931, in Sister Bay, the son of Elmer Francis Berns and Marjorie Grace (Knutson) Berns. Don grew up in Door County and attended grade school in Sister Bay. He graduated from Gibraltar […]

  • Cadence, Quantum PC Honored with Entrepreneur, Industry of the Year Awards

    Ellsworth Peterson receives posthumous Lifetime Achievement honor Cadence Corp. and Nathan Drager, founder of Quantum PC in Sturgeon Bay, were honored at the Door County Economic Development Corporation’s annual meeting on April 24. The DCEDC also presented its second Lifetime Achievement Award to the late Ellsworth Peterson, who steered Peterson Builders Inc. to prosperity for […]

  • Obituary: Mathilda Tebon

    June 2, 1916 – April 23, 2019  Mathilda Tebon, 102, died peacefully at Sturgeon Bay Health Services. She was born in Brussels to the late William and Mary (Jauquet) Vandertie. On Oct. 23, 1934, she married Jule Tebon, who died on Dec. 4, 2003. Jule and Mathilda lived in Little Sturgeon for the first 20 years of their marriage […]