Quicknotes

• The Ephraim Men’s Club Scholarship Benefit Pancake Breakfast raised over $8,000 for Gibraltar high school scholarship awards in 2011.

“It’s a record-breaking total!” said Ephraim Men’s Club President Bill Schumann to the cheers of 29 couples attending the club’s annual meeting on Wednesday, August 25. “We thank our members and their wives who either sold or donated tickets and then prepared and served the food, as well as the community-minded businesses that donated door prizes, and also the many Northern Door residents who bought tickets and attended to support these Gibraltar scholarships.”

To date, the club has awarded more than $150,000 in scholarships to deserving Gibraltar High School graduating seniors who submit an application with a personal statement outlining their goals, their academic, scholastic and extracurricular achievements, and their commitment to community service

The annual scholarship benefit breakfast was held July 31 in the Ephraim Village Hall and was attended by Gibraltar student families, Northern Door residents, and summer visitors.

• With the help of voters, the Cana Island Lighthouse could receive $25,000 towards its restoration from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The 2010 This Place Matters Community Challenge helps non-profit preservation organizations harness the power of the campaign, to raise awareness and offer the chance to win $25,000.

If Cana Island receives the greatest number of votes in the National Trust’s online 2010 This Place Matters Community Challenge, the money will be used for a restoration grant from the Jeffris Family Foundation, which increases the award to $37,500!

With just two weeks left for voting, the Maritime Museum is 28 out of 88 entries. The campaign ends on September 15.

To vote, visit http://www.dcmm.org and click on the large yellow letters “This Place Matters!” Log in and/or register then click ‘vote.’ Each person may vote once per email address.

For more information call 920.743.5958.

• Operation Welcome Home (OWH) founders, Don Rubin and Barbara Winer, are the owners of a vacation rental home in Fish Creek that they provide as part of no-cost vacation packages to returning soldiers and their families in order to uplift their morale. In 2006 they began building the OWH program in Door County with the support of local hospitality providers, restaurants, theaters, and shops.

“It’s a way for those of us who are more fortunate to repay these soldiers and their families for their service to us all,” said Rubin. “But, we could not do it without the generosity of the other business owners and lodging establishments in Door County.”

Since its inception, OWH has provided free vacations to more than 80 Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran families. The Country House Resort will be hosting the next OWH military family in September.

Door County businesses are welcome to join in providing gifts and lodging for OWH vacationing military families by contacting local program director, Stephen Kastner at 920.256.9449. A complete list of sponsoring businesses is provided online at the OWH Website, http//OperationWelcomeHomes.org. Cash contributions from individuals and businesses are also appreciated to help cover operating expenses.

Operation Welcome Homes, Inc. is a Federally certified 501(c)3 organization and all contributions are fully tax-deductible.

• Governor James Doyle recently designated the months of September and October in 2010 as United Way Months in Wisconsin, in recognition of the start of fall campaigns by United Way agencies throughout the state.

The proclamation highlights United Way’s work to mobilize the caring power of communities to advance the common good. Based in communities throughout Wisconsin, United Way focuses on the building blocks for a good life: a quality education that leads to a stable job, enough income to support a family through retirement, and good health.

In 2009, Wisconsin’s United Way agencies, serving as the primary source of private funds, collectively raised over 100 million dollars to support human services. Governor Doyle urged Wisconsin citizens to give, advocate, and volunteer in order to build a brighter future.

Last year United Way of Door County raised nearly $400,000 and provided funds to 36 programs in Door County. This year the United Way of Door County has set a campaign goal of $436,745.

For more information, to contribute, and/or to volunteer, call 920.746.9645 or visit http://www.unitedwaydc.com.

• A USDA Rural Development representative will be available to provide information about loan and grant programs that are available to Wisconsin residents, communities and businesses. Programs include but are not limited to home purchase/construction loans and repair loans and grants for current homeowners.

Deb Laehn, Area Specialist from the Rural Development Office in Shawano, will be at the Door County Senior Resource Center, located at 832 N. 14th Avenue in Sturgeon Bay, on Thursday, September 16 from 12 – 2 pm.

For more information about Rural Development and the programs available, or to schedule an appointment to meet with Deb Laehn, call 715.524.8522 ext 4. Walk-ins are welcome.

For more information on programs available through USDA Rural Development visit http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/wi.

• An AmeriCorps member will be funded for one year for Door County Public Health Department (DCPHD). Formal recruitment will begin September 13, and the orientation will be scheduled for the end of September or beginning of October. This new program is an opportunity for members to gain first-hand experience in the rapidly growing health care field.

“Working in a public health department is never boring! Public Health is a unique and dynamic field, encompassing a wide variety of disciplines and issues,” said Rhonda Kolberg, Director/Health Officer, Door County Public Health Department. “This AmeriCorps opportunity will be extremely beneficial to those seeking to acquire practical work experience, and at the same time, improve and protect the health of the community.”

Door County Public Health Department is seeking a flexible and creative individual with community health education skills to work with several projects, including the Community Health Assessment and Planning Process, public education, and the Women, Infants, & Children’s Program (WIC).

This individual will work with an experienced team of committed public health professionals to promote, maintain, and improve individual and community health. The workday, hours, and activities will vary and the position is considered full-time at 35 hours a week, for a total of 1,700 hours over the service year.

For more information contact Kolberg at 920.746.2234.

• U.S. Senator Russ Feingold unveiled legislation to help ensure that families and communities can play a role in improving some of our nation’s struggling schools. Feingold’s Families and Communities Improving Our Schools Act will require schools and school districts that accept federal School Improvement Grants to seek input from families and community members before selecting a school improvement model and develop ways to keep families and the community involved in the improvement efforts.

The School Improvement Grant (SIG) program is authorized under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and provides federal funding to schools that have been identified for improvement under NCLB. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provided $3 billion in funding for the SIG program and Wisconsin was recently awarded $50.7 million in SIG ARRA funding.

“Families and community members can greatly enrich the lives of many students and provide invaluable assistance to improve our nation’s schools,” said Feingold. “This legislation will ensure all hands are on deck in our communities to help improve the state of our schools and education in this country.”

For more information visit http://feingold.senate.gov.

• John Dietrich and Diane McNeil, potters and owners of Ellison Bay Pottery Studios announced the donation of 1 percent of their August sales to their daughter Ella McNeil-Doty’s fundraising efforts on behalf of LLS (Leukemia and Lymphoma Society). McNeil-Doty will be running in the Twin Cities Marathon October 2 to raise money to help cure blood cancers.

“I’ve chosen to run in memory of my Aunt Marcia,” said McNeil. “I’m training to participate in a marathon (yeah that’s 26.2 very long miles) as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Team In Training. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, and myeloma from taking more lives.”

McNeil promised to raise $2,000 by September 25 and is still accepting donations. Donations can be made by visiting Ella’s fundraising page at http://pages.teamintraining.org/mn/twin10/emcneildot or by stopping by Ellison Bay Pottery with a check made out to LLS with Ella’s name in the memo. Her parents will forward all donations collected on Ella’s behalf.

Ellison Bay Pottery Studios is located at 12156 Garrett Bay Road in Ellison Bay. For more information call 920.854.5049.