Publisher’s Note: Why Do We Live Here?

I wandered across the street the other night to have a beer and a Reuben sandwich for dinner. Ran into an old friend who moved here in the mid-1970s, had worked construction most of his life and had had his share of shifts behind the bar as well. He has three daughters. His middle daughter was recently diagnosed with stage-four cancer. She is recently married and has a two-year-old daughter. 

I’ve known him since I first moved up here full time in 1995, when I lived and worked in Ellison Bay.

The Door County community has surrounded him and his family with love and compassion since hearing of his daughter’s diagnosis. They’ve received more than $50,000 in donations – more money than they need. Not needing the money, his daughter has written checks to other people in need, including a check to a woman who had just spent weeks in the hospital with heart complications. 

We sat side by side at the bar and told one another stories about people we both knew. He told me stories from the early ’80s. We talked about books. He’s a big reader and has read every book he can find on history. He paused in the middle of our conversation, looked straight at me and said, “Dave, I moved here in 1977 because this is a beautiful place. I stayed because the people are absolutely incredible.”

Why do we live here?

We care about one another. We go out of our way to help those we know well and those we barely know.

This is Door County. This is our home.

I hope you enjoy the stories inside our publication. I hope you are inspired. 

We all do what we can. In Door County, we take care of one another.

Forward together.