Category: Letters

Dear Door County friends, We understand the fear that full-time Door County residents are feeling with the COVID-19 crisis. My family feels the same fear here in Illinois. However, we do take issue with the way it is being conveyed. We have vacationed as a family in Door County for 30 years – paying to […]

A friend posted on Facebook yesterday about the COVID-19 death of an IT professional he’d met mere weeks ago while working at a major hospital in Chicago. The deceased was the father of two young children. It is truly a sad loss among so many others worldwide. My friend’s post got me thinking in the […]

Having heard that Major League Baseball games may begin soon, my response is this: Don’t take me out to the ball game; Keep me far from the crowd! Give me some gloves and a homemade mask; Don’t make me sick – that’s all that I ask. And it’s cough, cough, cough if infected, So stay at […]

Dear all lodging partners in Door County (hotels, motels, STRs, Airbnbs), Although the statewide order did not force us to close our doors, it is important to remember to do what is right for the health of the community at this critical and pivotal time. There is a nonessential travel ban in place for a […]

We wonder: Who is entitled to return and reside in their Door County home during this challenging time?  A DC resident who wintered in her Florida home? A DC resident who traveled to Mardi Gras or anywhere else outside the county in the recent past? Descendants of the founders of DC or families that have […]

What do the current world disruption from the coronavirus and the climate crisis have in common? The worst effects of both are much more horrible than they would be if responsible leaders had paid attention to early warnings and had planned ahead for how to avoid the worst. So I am especially distressed to learn […]

In the April 10 Pulse, there were two letters written by people from out of state. The concern was, should they come to their second home amid the battle we are having with COVID-19?  Stanley from Arlington Heights, Illinois, was indignant and self-centered in his statements. Who are the powers that be in Door County […]

Dear Wisconsin voters, Shame on Wisconsin Supreme Court Justices Patience Roggensack, Annette Ziegler, Rebecca Bradley and Brian Hagedorn! They deserve to be recalled for arrogantly acting against local, state and national recommendations – as well as common sense.  On April 7, Wisconsinites had to choose between being disenfranchised, or gambling with their lives by gathering […]

This is a reply to Mr. Eisenhammer of Arlington Heights, Illinois.  In your opening paragraph [of your letter in the April 10 issue of the Pulse], you say the Door County Board’s advisory is misguided. Then in the next paragraph, you say the county board should issue an advisory. Well, the board did, and you […]

Folks in Door County may not have had firsthand experience with the loss of their ability to vote in the April 7 elections, but the decision to hold the election despite the coronavirus pandemic meant that many Wisconsin voters were unable to participate. I would like to share a story about my mom, Denny Stratte, […]

Even though Door County was featured in a recent New York Times article about quarantining in place, even though Wisconsin has now set a punishable-by-law statute saying that unnecessary travel is prohibited, and even though most people should know better, the signs of early tourist and second-home-owner migration are upon us. Why? They would think, […]

Why are we not told where our nine COVID-19 patients have been in the county? To say that the people these infected people have been in contact with are being notified is not enough. Shouldn’t we know when and where these people have been – for example, was the infected person in Walmart on Wednesday […]

• U.S. population: 5 percent of the world’s population • U.S. confirmed coronavirus exposure: 30 percent of all of those exposed • U.S. coronavirus deaths: 19 percent of the world’s coronavirus deaths (You can confirm these facts on the Johns Hopkins interactive map on the internet.) The coronavirus started in China, then went to Japan and South Korea, […]

I already had thoughts forming about the tensions among residents and tourists, both historical and current. My inclination was to actually be somewhat generous to tourists – who mostly are on good behavior, add vibrancy to our community and support many of our lifestyles – while also pointing out some of the reasons why residents lack appreciation […]

I appreciate the lovely letter by Nancy Barkman of Mundelein, Illinois, and Ephraim. She expressed all of it perfectly. Thank you to the Pulse for keeping all of us connected, no matter where we currently reside. Thank you also for all of the news reporting that you do and the good that it leads to […]

Got up this morning and got thinking about the “new normal” we all have. As a senior citizen, I have more free time on my hands. Is there anyone out there who is not hearing our president end his press conferences with “God bless America”?  When was the last time we saw a photo of […]

As a resident of Illinois who owns a home in Door County, I find the county board’s coronavirus advisory to be misguided, a bit parochial and decidedly un-American.  I understand the board members’ concern about reducing the spread of the coronavirus. I share their concern. My wife and I are over 70, and my son […]

COVID-19 is a public-health crisis, and it has rippled into an economic crisis, too. The stock market has been volatile; businesses are closing; and millions are staying home to limit the spread of the virus. In our community, we’ve seen our tourist economy halted, including lodging facilities, restaurants and retailers. Gov. Evers ordered “Safer at […]

I first went to Door County in 1981. I had just been through a painful divorce, and my 11- and 14-year-old daughters, suffering as well, rarely had a kind word for each other. We went to Ephraim in June (ah, the innocence of thinking it would be summer). We stayed in a small rental cottage […]

Smile. It doesn’t hurt. You cannot get COVID-19 by making eye contact with someone, wishing someone a good day, saying hello to someone or smiling at someone. Door County is known for its kind, friendly ways – let’s continue those. Be kind; be safe; and remember that a smile never hurt anyone. Wish everyone well. Tim […]