Land Trust to Dedicate Three Springs Preserve

• On Friday, July 23 from 3:30 – 5 pm, the Door County Land Trust is hosting a celebration and preserve dedication of the new Harold C. Wilson Three Springs Nature Preserve.

The Door County Land Trust purchased 421 acres just east of Sister Bay in the fall of 2008, permanently protecting the largest undeveloped tract remaining in Northern Door and completing the county’s largest conservation project in over 40 years. The preserve dedication will honor and thank the landowners, volunteers, and Door County Land Trust supporters.

The Harold C. Wilson Three Spring Nature Preserve is home to the headwaters of pristine North Bay and a host of rare and endangered plants and animals. It was also the site of one of Wisconsin’s first nature centers, the Three Springs Nature Center established by Harold Wilson of Ephraim in the 1950s.

The public is invited to attend the celebration. Lemonade, ice tea, wine and light refreshments will be served. Following the dedication ceremony, short hikes will be offered.

For more information or to make reservations call 920.746.1359 or email [email protected]. The dedication will be held rain or shine. Comfortable clothes and good walking shoes are recommended. The Harold C. Wilson Three Springs Nature Preserve is located at the end of Three Springs Road off of County Highway ZZ two miles east of Sister Bay.

For more information on Door County Land Trust, visit http://www.doorcountylandtrust.org.• There will be a cholesterol screening at the Door County Public Health Department on Thursday, July 29. The cost is $30. Testing will be by appointment only. Please call Marsha at 920.746.2255 to schedule an appointment. Those who receive testing must fast for 12 hours before the test. Results will include total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, glucose and triglycerides.

• The Sturgeon Bay Yacht Club will host its annual Evening on the Bay Venetian Night Boat Parade on August 7 and is looking for boat enthusiasts to participate in the parade.

Participation in the boat parade is free. The most creative and best-decorated boat will receive prizes. Following the boat parade, participants will have front row seats to the evening’s fireworks.

Onlookers are welcome to view the boat parade and fireworks from the lawn of the Sturgeon Bay Yacht Club located at 600 Nautical Drive in Sturgeon Bay.

For more information about Evening on the BayVenetian Night or to reserve your spot in the Venetian Night Boat Parade, call the Sturgeon Bay Yacht Club at 920.743.6934.

• “Bridges of Understanding,” a lecture and discussion series sponsored by Calvary United Methodist Church, will be held Wednesdays at noon during July and August. Each hour-long program seeks to build community by increasing understanding of various cultures and faiths or familiarizing people with special efforts to address local challenges. The public is invited to participate and bring along a sack lunch; cold beverages will be provided.

Remaining seminars include: July 28 – “Enlivening Community Through Children’s Drama” with Claudia Barnick; August 4 – “Islam and Perspectives on Peace” with Imam Mohamed Zakarya and Dr. Hamayun Mian; August 11 – “Vital Living: Matching Priorities with Values” with Reverend Don Heeringa; August 18 – “A Cancer Survivor’s Story with Insights on How Family & Friends Can Be Supportive” with Heidi Hodges; and August 25 – “Making a Difference: Connecting with Our Hispanic Community” with Imelda Delchambre, Hispanic Center.

Calvary United Methodist Church is located in the historic old stone church in Egg Harbor along Highway 42, two doors south of Village Café.

• The League of Women Voters of Door County would like to encourage voters to make sure they are registered before they report to the polls on September 14. Poll workers report the frustration of citizens who wait in line to get their ballot only to discover that they need to reregister in another line before voting.

If a voter has moved since the last election – even just down the block, they will need to reregister. They will also need to register if it has been more than four years since they voted. And of course, any new Wisconsin residents or first-time voters must register.

Special Registration Deputies and members of the LWV of Door County Barbara Graul, Shirley Senarighi, and Susan Kohout will continue to conduct voter registration drives at the Saturday Market Square Farm Market in Sturgeon Bay from 9 – 11:30 am. The remaining dates include July 24, August 7, and August 14.

Prospective voters must bring their Wisconsin Drivers License or a Wisconsin ID to use in completing the application. If they have neither item, they can bring the last four digits of their social security number.

• The Ephraim Men’s Club will hold its annual Scholarship Benefit Pancake Breakfast from 7:30 – 11 am Saturday, July 31 at the Ephraim Village Hall. Tickets cost $7 for adults and $3 for children and can be purchased at the door.

Proceeds from the breakfast, along with contributions from local residents and businesses have allowed the Ephraim Men’s club to award more than $150,000 in scholarships to deserving Gibraltar High School graduating seniors over the past 20 years.

Winners of door prizes donated by community businesses will be announced every 15 minutes during the breakfast.

• Christ Child Society will present their annual Luncheon and Style Show on Wednesday, August 4 at The Log Den, located at 6626 Highway 42 in Egg Harbor. All proceeds will benefit needy children in Door County.

The event begins at 11:30 am with a social hour and raffle. A plate lunch will be served at 12:30 pm. The style show will feature fashions by Christine’s, Hide Side, and Higbees. $30 includes the luncheon, tax, tip, style show, door prizes, and donation.

For information and/or to make reservations call Annette Heck, 920.868.1583.

• The American Red Cross seeks volunteer transportation drivers. Drivers can commit to as little as five hours a week or one day a month. This vital service provides rides for medical, nutrition, employment, and social engagements to individuals 60 and over along with those with a disability within the Door County Peninsula. The Red Cross can provide this service at a low cost because of the volunteer drivers.

Schedules are very flexible. Drivers must be 18 years of age or older, have a valid Wisconsin driver’s license, and a good driving record. Training is provided to ensure the safety of passengers and the driver. Volunteers are able to drive vans or cars.

Interested individuals are asked to call Shireen Dachelet, Transportation Service Manager at 920.743.2167 or Jody Weyers, Volunteer and Communications Director at 920.227.4287.

• Christ Child Society’s July meeting will take place at Prince of Peace Church in Sturgeon Bay on Monday, July 26. Social time and coffee begins at 12:30 pm followed by the meeting at 1 pm.

Cindy Koutnik from Altrusa will speak about their “Back to School” program. Christ Child Society supports the program by outfitting children referred by Social Services whose parents missed the registration for the Altrusa program. Both organizations are dedicated to helping children of Door County. For information call Diane at 920.823.2200. The Prince of Peace Church is located at 1756 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay.

• The public is welcome to play “A Round for The Ridges” to benefit family education programs at The Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor. Participants are asked to gather a foursome and play a 9-hole scramble on Monday, July 26 beginning at 3 pm at the Alpine Golf Course in Egg Harbor.

A fee of $65 per person covers the round of golf, cart, and a meal of salad and pizza at the Hof Restaurant. A cash bar will be available. Prizes will be awarded in a variety of categories, including longest drive, longest putt, and lowest team scores. The event will conclude with a silent auction, which will include original art prints, jewelry, wine, gift certificates, and other unique items. Non-golfers are invited to the Hof for pizza and the auction at 5 pm for $12.50 per person.

The Ridges Sanctuary is located at 8288 Highway Q, just off Hwy 57, in Baileys Harbor. For more information, call 920.839.2802 or visit http://www.RidgesSanctuary.org.

• USDA Rural Development offers home loans with no down payment and low interest rates for qualifying applicants in rural communities. As a result of increased funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), USDA Rural Development has more than $30 million available in Wisconsin to help families achieve the dream of homeownership through the direct loan program. Last fiscal year, USDA Rural Development provided more than $23.5 million through this loan program to rural Wisconsin households for home purchases.

Individuals or families must be within income guidelines that are established by county. Properties eligible for USDA Rural Development financing must be located in rural communities, which are those communities with a population of 20,000 or less.

For more information call 715.524.8522, email [email protected], or visit http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/wi.

• The Third Avenue Playhouse Board of Directors announced that the organization has received an extension to December 31 for its matching funds challenge, Dreams for the Next Decade.

The theater was given a $25,000 challenge donation in January and had until June 30 to raise the matching funds. The theater raised just over $13,000 by the deadline, or roughly 53 percent of the necessary matching funds.

“We’re delighted with the extension of the campaign. Our donor was pleased to see the response during the first six months in what is still a challenging economy,” said Judy Drew, Executive Director. “The amount raised to date is a testament to the community’s strong interest in seeing TAP continue to thrive, and we feel confident that the extension will provide sufficient time to meet our goal of $25,000.”

Donations may be sent to Third Avenue Playhouse, PO Box 843, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235. To make a contribution using MasterCard, Visa or Discover, call the theater box office at 920.743.1760 or visit http://www.ThirdAvenuePlayhouse.com.

• The Door County Home Builders Association (DCHBA) is accepting reservations for its annual golf outing and fundraiser on Thursday, September 9 at Idlewild Golf Course in Sturgeon Bay.

The event begins at 1 pm with a shotgun start, four-person scramble format. The cost is $85 per player, which includes 18 holes of golf with cart, refreshments on the course, and a buffet dinner that includes broasted chicken, ribs, and more.

The DCHBA is also seeking hole sponsors ($50 each), beverage cart sponsors ($100 each), and items for a silent auction and raffle. The cost for the dinner and auction/raffle only is $20.

Event proceeds will be donated to the Wisconsin Builders Association’s (WBA) Political Action Committee (PAC).

For more information contact Jeff Dorner at 920.866.2353 or via email at [email protected].

Those interested in sponsorships or auction/raffle donations may contact DCHBA board members Deb Counard at 920.743.2243 or via email at [email protected]; Brenda Shefchik at 920.743.3900 or via email at [email protected]; or Dennis VanBramer at 920.743.8211 or via email at [email protected].