Navigation

Sister Bay Pamida Supports the Door County Transportation Options Program

(Left to right) Sarah Wood, Pamida Manager, and Pam Busch, Door County Transportation Options Program Supervisor.

• The Women’s Employment Project, Inc (WEP, Inc.) is proud to announce the award of $1,000 from the Sister Bay Pamida Store and the Pamida Foundation to support the Door County Transportation Options Program (DCTOP).

Funds received from the Sister Bay Pamida Store and the Pamida Foundation will be used to support the employment vanpool that currently runs to and from Sturgeon Bay and Sister Bay. The employment vanpool, with eight active riders, has provided 5,564 rides totaling 31,224 miles shared. It is estimated that the riders have saved over $40,900 in transportation expenses and reduced over 47,500 pounds of CO2 emissions from the environment.

DCTOP is primarily funded by the Wisconsin Employment Transportation Assistance Program (WETAP). Due to statewide needs, 2011 funds to serve Door and Kewaunee County residents have been limited. At this time, there are 20 individuals on a wait list for the loan program and 18 waiting to join the employment vanpool if additional routes can be offered.

For more information call 920.743.7273 or 800.924.4191, email [email protected] or visit http://www.wepinc.org.

• Last year, 927 individuals benefitted from services provided by Neighbor-to-Neighbor Volunteer Caregivers. In 2010, Door County residents saved more than $400,000 in medical expenses by utilizing the organization’s services, and 75 volunteers donated 2,900 hours to facilitate medical equipment loans, serve as peer companions and/or respite care providers to homebound or isolated individuals, staff the Neighbor-to-Neighbor office, and serve on the Board of Directors.

Neighbor-to-Neighbor serves Door County residents through their medical equipment loan program in three locations throughout Door County: Sturgeon Bay, Baileys Harbor, and Washington Island; Peer Companions and Respite Care Providers; and the Lemonade Club, a monthly cancer survivors’ support group.

“The community’s investment in this organization ultimately keeps hundreds of thousands of dollars in the pockets of Door County residents,” said Ann Bennett, executive director of Neighbor-to-Neighbor. “Many times, having the appropriate medical equipment or a caring volunteer to visit allows people to remain in their own homes. Individuals who have no family or support systems in the area or are limited in their mobility due to a disability can realize freedom with the help of a giving volunteer.”

Neighbor-to-Neighbor’s services are provided free of charge; the organization is supported entirely through donations, grants, and local United Way funding.

For more information about Neighbor-to-Neighbor’s, contact Bennett at 920.743.7800.

• Nelson Healing Center will be offering Life Skills curriculum “Learning to Live, Learning to Love” in Spring of 2011. Dr. Melissa Nelson will be offering classes for women and men at Nelson Healing Center in Sturgeon Bay. Class for women will begin on April 5 with orientation on March 29. Classes for men are to be announced.

After four year of working with Life Skills International for her own personal growth, Dr. Nelson decided to become a trained facilitator and bring their classes to the Nelson Healing Center in Sturgeon Bay.

Life Skills provides tools to help individuals learn how to rebuild and improve their lives. Adults attend gender separate classes to learn valuable skills for life from the “Learning to Live, Learning to Love” curriculum. It helps each individual increase their capacity to function in healthy relationships.

Class time will include working through a student workbook, discussion of the material and class related videos. Classes usually meet three hours weekly for 26 weeks, totaling over 78 hours of intense study and education.

To learn more about the upcoming 26-week workshop, a free consultation and introduction to Life Skills will be held on Friday, Feb. 25 from 7 – 8:10 pm. The cost of the workshop will be based on a sliding fee scale according to annual income. For more information and/or to register for the introduction, call 920.818.0045.

For more information visit http://www.freedomlifeskills.org or http://www.lifeskillsintl.org.

• The Avon Breast Health Outreach Program has awarded a $45,000 one-year grant to the Door County Medical Center Foundation/Ministry Door County Medical Center to increase awareness of the life-saving benefits of early detection of breast cancer.

It is the first year that the program has received funding from the Avon Foundation for Women to support its work on this important health issue. According to the American Cancer Society, 4,120 new cases of breast cancer will be detected in Wisconsin this year and 690 lives will be lost.

Paint the Door Pink at The Women’s and Children’s Health Center of Door County Medical Center will educate Door County women and refer them for mammograms and clinical breast exams at the Women’s and Children’s Health Center.

“We are proud that the Avon Foundation for Women shares our mission and has chosen to support our program. These funds can make a real difference in our community,” said Jenny Fischer of Ministry Door County Medical Center.

For more information on Paint the Door Pink at DCMC, call Fischer at 920.746.3563. For more information about breast cancer, contact the American Cancer Society at 1.800.ACS.2345 or visit http://www.cancer.org.

For more information about the Avon Foundation for Women, call 1.866.505.AVON or visit http://www.avonfoundation.org.

• The Door County YMCA announced their Campaign Chairs for the 2011 Strong Kids Campaign. Cindy Livingston, campaign chair, will be leading the campaign efforts for the Door County YMCA this year.

Supporting the chair on the campaign cabinet are Jill and Tom Herlache, Steve and Brenda Abrahamson, Tonya Felhofer, Roger Utnehmer, Jennifer and Jonathon Meacham and Regan Luders.

The Strong Kids Campaign is the annual campaign to provide funds for scholarships and affordable programs “for all” in Door County regardless of age or financial need.

In 2010, the community helped the Door County YMCA raise $410,000 to support this program. The goal for the 2011 campaign is $425,000.

There are many different ways the public can support the Strong Kids Campaign including making phone calls to past donors, visiting with new potential donors, volunteering at a special event during the campaign, or simply making a donation.

For more information contact Cindy Weber at the Door County YMCA at 920.743.4949 or via email at [email protected].

• The entire community is invited to the Catch the Wave Luau Buffet at Alexander’s Restaurant in Fish Creek on Sunday, Feb. 27 from 3 – 7 pm in support of the 2011 Door County YMCA Strong Kids Campaign.

Attendees will be able to enjoy a buffet filled with Alexander’s specially prepared Hawaiian-themed menu. There will be many opportunities to win great raffle and door prizes all afternoon. All attendees arriving by 5 pm will be entered for a chance to win an early bird drawing.

Tickets can be purchased at either Door County YMCA Program Center or at the door for $15 for adults and $7 for children. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, contact the Sturgeon Bay YMCA at 920.743.4949 or the Fish Creek YMCA at 920.868.3660.

• Through joint cooperation and creative use of grant funding, a new Veterans Transportation Program has emerged.

(Left to right) Volunteer Drivers Bob and Maggie Larsen, John Kacmarynski, Ron Gauger, Dan Lindner, and County Veterans Service Officer Ken Rock pose in front of a Door-Tran van.

When American Red Cross (ARC) ended transportation services to all Door County residents in December, many Door County veterans found themselves without an affordable ride to appointments at their assigned V.A. medical clinics throughout the region. To address this issue, discussions began between representatives of Door-Tran, the County of Door, and Ken Rock, County Veterans Service Officer, on options to meet the unique transportation needs of Door County veterans.

The Veterans Transportation Program emerged from those discussions, and a number of former ARC drivers have volunteered to continue as drivers for this new service. Every Thursday throughout 2011, the service will provide low cost rides for Door County veterans to their V.A. medical appointments. The van will travel to Milwaukee and Cleveland V.A. Clinics on the first and third Thursdays of the month and to Green Bay and Appleton Clinics on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month.

Door-Tran staff will coordinate the scheduling of volunteer drivers and veterans who require transportation. For more information, contact Door-Tran at 920.743.9999 or toll free at 877.330.6333.

• As part of their celebration of the Green Bay Packers’ recent Superbowl victory, Baylake Bank hosted a “Casual Day for a Cause” in which employees raised more than $800 for the American Heart Association. Employees contributed a minimum of $5 each in exchange for wearing jeans on the Friday before the Packers brought the trophy back to Titletown.

For more information call 920.743.5551 or 1.800.267.3610 or visit http://www.baylake.com.

• The League of Women Voters (LWV) of Door County is sponsoring two Candidate Forums to acquaint the public with candidates for public office and their position on issues of importance to the voters. A Candidate Forum is held to help voters select the most qualified, best-suited person for the office.

The first Candidate Forum is for the contested races on the Jacksonport Town Board. This forum is scheduled for Thursday, March 3 in the Jacksonport Town Hall at 7 pm. Should there be inclement weather, listen to local radio for an announcement; the forum will be rescheduled for March 10.

The second Candidate Forum is for the contested races for Sturgeon Bay City Council. This forum is scheduled for Thursday, March 17 in the Sturgeon Bay City Council Chambers at 7 pm. Should there be inclement weather, listen to local radio for an announcement; the forum will be rescheduled for March 22.

These forums are not debates. Each event consists of anonymous written questions from the audience. The LWV promotes informed and active involvement of citizens in government and encourage qualified citizens to run for office. The league does not endorse any one candidate or party.

For more information visit http://www.doorcounty.wi.lwvnet.org.

• The Ridges Sanctuary will once again coordinate Door County Invasive Species Team programs. In 2011, their goals will include emphasizing new programs in Southern Door, expanding the use of their equipment loan trailer for work parties, identifying local coordinators for each “landscape of distinction,” and developing foundations for continual programs with local schools.

On Wednesday, Feb. 23, the public is welcome to participate in phragmites mapping on Washington Island. The half-day event will begin at the Red Cup Coffee House on Detroit Harbor Road at 10:15 am.

For more information and/or to sign up to carpool to the island, call Marne at 920.839.2802.

• The Health & Wellness Cabinet Ministry of the Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church in Ellison Bay will present the second in a series of seminars focusing on elder issues on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 4 pm. Beverly Bartlett of The Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Wisconsin will present “Caring for the Person with Dementia/Memory Loss.”

The free hour-long program will feature a variety of handouts and time for questions. For more information call 920.854.4404.

• February is Career and Technical Education Month in Wisconsin and throughout the nation, and Sevastopol School would like to acknowledge their Career and Technical Education (CTE) departments and teachers.

Sevastopol CTE staff members, including Mr. Dale Carlson (Agriculture), Mr. Carl Semrow (Technical Education and Engineering), Mr. David Phillips (Business and Information Technology) and Mrs. Peg Wepner (Family Consumer Sciences), exhibit a strong commitment to their students.

CTE prepares students for a wide range of careers that may require varying levels of education – from high school to postsecondary certificates to two- and four-year college degrees. Careers stemming from strong CTE programs include entrepreneurship, automotive technician, architect, carpenter, nursing, dental, medical technicians, careers related to food and fiber production and agribusiness, culinary arts, management and life skills, marketing, technology, and engineering.

• Each year, United Way of Door County awards scholarships for Door County students who are continuing their post-high school education. This year four, one-time $500 scholarships will be awarded.

“United Way of Door County encourages all high school seniors who live in Door County and have volunteered at some point during their high school career to apply for this scholarship, said Kaye Carter, volunteer president of United Way of Door County’s Board of Directors. “United Way wants to reward young adults for the positive impact that they have had on their communities.”

Applications detailing the criteria for consideration for the awards have been distributed to the local high schools and the Volunteer Center of Door County. The application is also available on the United Way’s website at http://www.unitedwaydc.com. All high school seniors, whether home-schooled or at one of the five school districts, are eligible.

The service-based scholarship program was initiated by former United Way Youth Board members, Michele Lodl and Jacque Jorns of Sturgeon Bay.

The deadline for submitting applications is March 31. The recipients will be announced at the annual awards ceremonies at their high school. For more information call the United Way of Door County office at 920.746.9645.

(Left to right) Ray Roberts, Makayla Swain, Ella Voeks, Tristan Warner, Austin Tanck, and Roger Ohnesorge. Photo by Bob Shine.

• At Gibraltar Middle School on Jan. 29 The Veterans of Foreign Wars presented checks and certificates to the winners of the Patriots Pen Essay contest. The theme was “Does Patriotism Still Matter.” Presenting the awards were Lee Burnett and Robert Tidball from Post 8337 Liberty Grove. From Post 9290 Baileys Harbor were Roger Ohnesorge and Ray Roberts.

The top winners for VFW Post 8337 included Connor MacDonald receiving first place, Madelyn Gray receiving second place, Hope Copiskey receiving third place, and Oscar Torres receiving fourth place.

The top winners for VFW Post 9290 included Tristan Warner receiving first place, Ella Voeks receiving second place, Austin Tanck receiving third place, and Makayla Swain receiving fourth place.

• The 2011 Winter Fest Chili Cook-Off was held on Saturday, Feb. 5 in the tent at Clark Park. There were 22 enthusiastic competitors for this year’s title. The entries were judged on five criteria: aroma, consistency, color, heat, and aftertaste by the four judges. The judging panel included Mike Golla, the 2010 People’s Choice Award Winner, Bob MacDonald of the Bayside Tavern, Dick Skare of The Cookery, and Mike Anderson of the Gibraltar Grill.

First Place was awarded to Steve Tanck of Egg Harbor;

Second Place was awarded to Dillon Cabella of Baileys Harbor;

Third Place was awarded to Jeremiah Novak of Fish Creek.

The 2011 People’s Choice Award was awarded to Jill Todryk of Fond Du Lac, and she will be invited to be a judge for next year’s Chili Cook-Off.