You can count on the Sturgeon Bay Math Team’s ability to add more titles to their name after claiming their second straight state championship earlier this month. They beat Edgewood High School by 49 points to claim the Class B State Championship, which is the school’s 12th overall. Sophomore Luke Selle led the way, being tied for first overall among all Class B participants. Joining Selle on the All-State First Team were Sophomore Tre Wienke, Junior Jade Tomberlin, and Seniors: Christy Braun, Tim Mandler, Russell Pudlo, and Philip Schmidt. Junior Ben Stephens was named Second Team All-State.

Sturgeon Bay was not the only local school that experienced success at the state meet. Southern Door Junior James Zittlow earned First-Team All-State honors as the individual with the second-best score in the state among Class C teams. Senior Laura Zittlow and junior Joshua Nachtwey earned second-team all-state honors for a squad that ended up taking fourth place overall. 

You will see robots instead of people from Washington Island and other schools in the region in a pool at Ashwaubenon High School on Saturday.

NEW Manufacturing Alliance will host 20 teams from nine communities for the eighth annual SeaPerch Competition. The SeaPerch program exposes students to many different STEM career paths as they build an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle to go through a number of different challenges.

With the support of the district, the community, and the Door County Maritime Museum, Washington Island will send four teams to this year’s competition: Team Stingray, Team Flounder, Team Sea Angels, and Team Moby. Two of the teams will feature members from last year’s squad that qualified for the International SeaPerch Challenge hosted by the University of Maryland. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Teacher and SeaPerch supervisor Miranda Dahlke says over the years, the students have become more comfortable with the process and have taken more risks along the way to prepare themselves for the regional competition.

The top teams are chosen for the International SeaPerch Challenge based on three areas: the mission course, the obstacle course, and the presentation. You can find the schedule for each team below.

Team Stingrays

Obstacle Course: 8:20 a.m.

Mission: 10:25 a.m.

Presentation: 11:15 a.m.

Team Flounder

Obstacle Course: 8:45 a.m.

Mission: 10:50 a.m.

Presentation: 11:45 a.m.

Team Sea Angels

Obstacle Course: 9:10 a.m.

Mission: 11:15 a.m.

Presentation: 8:20 a.m.

Team Moby

Obstacle Course: 11:40 a.m.

Mission: 9:35 a.m.

Presentation: 10:25 a.m.

State Senator Andre Jacque wants to know your thoughts ahead of the 2023 Legislative session and the discussions surrounding the budget. Entering his second term representing the First District in the senate, Jacque will cover six different counties over the course of two weeks. Jacque will open his listening tour in Door and Kewaunee counties on April 10th. He will start his day at Sturgeon Bay City Hall at 11:30 a.m. before heading to the Kewaunee County Fairgrounds Exposition Hall in Luxemburg at 2:30 p.m. Each listening session is approximately 90 minutes. Jacque is coming off a session where 24 of his bills were signed into law, the most of any state lawmaker. Rep. Kitchens wrapped up his listening sessions earlier in March.

FULL SCHEDULE

Door County:

Sturgeon Bay City Hall – Community Room

421 Michigan Street 

Sturgeon Bay

Monday, April 10, 11:30 – 1:00PM  

Kewaunee County: 

Expo Hall at Kewaunee County Fairgrounds - Conference Room 142

625 3rd St.

Luxemburg

Monday, April 10, 2:30 – 4:00PM    

Brown County:

Wrightstown Village Hall – Community Room

352 High Street

Wrightstown, WI

Friday, April 14, 10:30 – Noon

Manitowoc County:

Two Rivers Council Chambers, City Hall

1717 E. Park St.

Two Rivers

Monday, April 17, 3:30 – 5:00PM

Calumet County:

Hilbert Community Center

45  N 5th St

Hilbert

Monday, April 24, 2:00 – 3:30PM    

Outagamie County:

Kimberly Mapleview Intermediate – Commons

125 E Kimberly Ave.

Kimberly

Monday, April 24, 4:30 – 6:00PM

The Southern Door School Board will continue to look into the future of its district administrator during a special meeting to be held on Monday.

Earlier this month, the school board held a pair of closed sessions to consider the employment of District Administrator Chris Peterson. The language of the special meeting agenda is similar to what it was in the first closed session: "considering the employment and performance evaluation data as well as social or personal history or disciplinary data of District administrators and staff members over which the Board of Education has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility, including the District Administrator, which, if discussed in public, would be likely to have a substantial adverse effect upon the reputation of said administrators and staff and to confer with legal counsel for the District who will render oral advice concerning strategy to be adopted by the Board with respect to litigation in which it is likely to become involved." 

Peterson, who was hired in 2021 to replace the retiring Patti Vickman after over a decade at Howards Grove School District, has been on leave since at least March 16th.

The board will meet at 6 p.m. inside the Southern Door High School Library briefly before adjourning into closed session, though it may convene in open session to take any necessary action.

A Manhattan grand jury has reportedly indicted former President Donald Trump on criminal charges.  According to several national sources, the grand jury voted to indict Trump for his role in paying hush money to Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 presidential election.   Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen has said in the past that Trump directed him to pay off Daniels for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter.  Trump, who already announced that he would run for election again in 2024, would become the first U.S. president to face criminal charges.  He has said that he would remain in the presidential race even if he were indicted.  The indictment is not public and judges routinely keep charges under wraps until defendants make their initial court appearance.   

No matter which religion you follow, one of the holiest times of the entire year begins in the coming days. Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week with Palm Sunday, which commemorates Jesus’ arrival into Jerusalem and culminates the following week with Easter. Lutheran churches in Door and Kewaunee counties focused on this week as a part of their midweek Lenten series that allowed pastors to visit with different congregations in the area to share their message. Pastor Matthew Sprunger of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Kewaunee says you cannot celebrate the miracle of Easter without reflecting on his final days that are commemorated with Maundy (or Holy) Thursday and Good Friday.

You can contact your local church to learn more about the services they will be holding as Lent comes to a close. The world’s two other major religions will also be celebrating as Christianity’s Holy Week runs April 2nd-9th. Judaism commemorates Passover April 5th-13th and Islam is already involved in its Ramadan celebration, which runs through April 20th.

Destination Sturgeon Bay is helping the snow in your front yard melt with the announcement of its 2023 festivals and special events.

The season kicks off on May 27th and 28th with the 25th edition of the Fine Art Fair, which welcomes over 80 artists to Martin Park to ring in Memorial Day weekend.

June 3rd will mark the start of the Sturgeon Bay Farmers Market which will run through October 14th on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon.

The city will welcome holiday weekend revelers to Sunset Park for Sturgeon Bay Celebrates 4th of July with live music and its fireworks display at dusk.

Area businesses will set up outside and offer special deals during the Sail Thru The Avenues Sidewalk Sales on July 27th before it collaborates with the Door County Maritime Museum for its Door County Classic and Wooden Boat Show August 4th-6th. 

Sturgeon Bay will celebrate the fall with its Harvest Fest and Street Art Auction on September 16th and its Thrills and Chills Halloween event on October 28th. Destination Sturgeon Bay wraps up the year of celebrations with Christmas by the Bay weekend November 17th-19th.

You can click on this link to learn about this year’s events.

For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, you will not have to make an appointment before potentially meeting your new best friend at the Wisconsin Humane Society Door County Campus.

WHS announced on Wednesday that adoption appointments would no longer be needed as of April 1st. Instead, the facility will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and on Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. During these hours, interested owners can meet with a counselor and check out the available animals. Shaina Allen from the Wisconsin Humane Society says the switch is good news for both the animals and their potential owners.

You are encouraged to view the animals online and fill out an adopter profile at this website ahead of time.

A gas leak near 5th Avenue and Oregon Street may have kept you and your neighbors out of homes or in offices for a period of time late Wednesday afternoon.

Construction crews allegedly punctured a gas line just outside of the Door County Government Center after 3 p.m..., releasing a large amount of it into the neighborhood. Personnel from the Sturgeon Bay Fire Department, Sturgeon Bay Police Department, and Door County Emergency Services shut down many of the streets leading to the area out of concern of potentially igniting the gas. Approximately a half dozen homes had to be evacuated and between 20-30 county employees had to shelter in place at the government center until the scene was declared safe. One home even had to be ventilated with the help of a Department of Natural Resources airboat before it was deemed safe enough for people to re-enter. Thanks to the cooperation of local agencies and the wind, Door County Emergency Management and Communication Director Dan Kane thought the response was a success.

Kane says they were able to allow people to return to their homes and leave the Door County Government Center between 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wisconsin Public Service went from home to home to make sure their home was safe to occupy and that their gas service was restored. 

The Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Department and the Wisconsin State Patrol are investigating how a 36-year-old Algoma man died in a single-vehicle crash in the Township of Two Rivers Wednesday morning. Emergency personnel in the county responded to County Highway V near Tannery Road in the Town of Two Rivers just before 9:30 a.m. to the scene where a semi-truck had crashed. The preliminary investigation shows that the unidentified man was driving a semi-truck owned by Algoma Lumber Company on County Highway V traveling eastbound when he entered a ditch, causing it to overturn onto its roof. There were no passengers with the truck operator, who was pronounced dead at the scene. More details will be released about the crash as the Wisconsin State Patrol and Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Department continue their investigation.

RELEASE FROM THE MANITOWOC COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT

March 29, 2023

Media Release

Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal crash involving a 36-year-old man from Algoma.

This morning at approximately 9:28 AM, Deputies, EMS, and Fire personnel responded to CTH V east of Tannery Road, within the Township of Two Rivers, regarding a single-vehicle crash.

The preliminary investigation indicates that a 36-year-old man was operating a 2019 Freightliner semi-tractor and loaded trailer unit (owned by Algoma Lumber Company) eastbound on CTH V. The semi unit entered the south ditch, causing the vehicle to overturn onto the roof of its cab.

The 36-year-old operator was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. There were no passengers in the vehicle.

The Wisconsin State Patrol is assisting with the crash investigation. No further information is being released as the crash remains under investigation.

On behalf of the Sheriff’s Office, I offer our deepest condolences to all those affected by this tragic incident.

We would like to thank the following agencies for assisting with this investigation: Mishicot Police Department, Mishicot Fire Department, Mishicot Ambulance, Two Creeks Fire Department, Two Creeks JAWS, Two Creeks first responders, Tisch Mills Fire Department, Town of Two Rivers Fire Department, Two Rivers Ambulance, Wisconsin State Patrol, Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Office, HWY 42 Garage, Manitowoc County Coroner’s Office, and Manitowoc County Joint Dispatch Center.

Dan Hartwig, Sheriff

Manitowoc County

You can give a big Bravo Zulu to two members of the U.S. Coast Guard for their work rescuing a group of ice anglers earlier this year.

BM2 Benjamin Gantman and MK3 Salvatore DelRosario from U.S. Coast Guard Station Sturgeon Bay recently received the Secretary of Homeland Security Commendation Award for their role in rescuing 11 people stranded on an ice floe near Sherwood Point.

On February 6^th, the U.S. Coast Guard was joined by other local and state agencies to bring the anglers back to shore after they realized they were floating away from the shore.

Photo Credit: BM1 Brent Stallings and the U.S. Coast Guard Station Sturgeon Bay Facebook Page

The newest place you will find at the top of the State Register of Historic Places is at the bottom of the lake near Baileys Harbor. The Wisconsin Historical Society announced earlier this week that the Emeline Shipwreck would be listed on the State Register of Historic Places.

Built in Michigan during the 1860s, the Emeline was caught in a squall when it was blown over and later sank in 18 feet of water near the Anclam Pier in 1896, according to the Wisconsin Historical Places. WisconsinShipwrecks.org states the vessel had to be dynamited in 1903 to flatten it so it would not be a navigational hazard. Today, the Emeline sits partially buried in the sand. The shipwreck joined the Edward and Mary Davies House in Platteville, Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church of Burr Oak in Farmington, and the Advance Shipwreck in Holland as new entries onto the State Register of Historic Places.

Of the over 2,700 historic sites listed on the state register, 70 are shipwrecks including 15 in Door County. That is the most of any county in the state and one of three with 10 or more shipwrecks (Manitowoc with 13 and Sheboygan with 10) on the State Register of Historic Places. 

Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society

After a successful competition in the YMCA State Gymnastics Championships on March 18, the Door County Strivers are preparing for the YMCA Gymnastic National Championships in June.  The Strivers claimed five individual state titles in Marinette, along with one team title, and one second-place team finish.  Coach Nikki Pollman says the three teams that completed in the state will have 11 individuals now perform at the Nationals.  She shares how the teams more than exceeded expectations this season.

Pollman adds that when the girls compete individually in the nationals, over 2,000 competitors have attended the event in the past.  You can listen to the entire conversation with Pollman on the Y Wednesday Podcast Page by clicking this link.  The state results for the Door County Strivers are posted below.

Excel Silver gymnasts, Lauren Gaida and Delaney Allen led the Striver Excel Silver team to a State Championship Team Title. Gaida earned individual State titles by capturing Gold in the All-around (37.80) and floor exercise (9.75) while Allen captured gold on the uneven bars (9.2). Gaida also earned silver on vault (9.5) and beam (9.3) in the twelve-year-old and over group. Allen grabbed a 7th place medal in the All-around (36.10) and beam (9.1) in the eleven and under group. Evelynn Kelsey added to the team score by earning a silver medal on the vault (9.3), bronze in the All-around (36.70) 7th on bars (9.05) and 8th on beam (9.0). Teammate Greta Virgin earned an 8th place medal on the beam (9.0). Also contributing to the Silver’s success were Keira Clark and Ellie Kelsey. Medals are awarded to the top 30 percent of all competitors. The Silver Team scored 110.50 points to win the Excel Silver State Team Title.
The Striver’s Platinum team returned home with a second place Team Trophy.  Amelia Zoschke led the girls by winning her State Title on floor (9.35) Amelia won silver in the All-around, (34.775) bronze on bars (8.275) and 4th on bean (8.60). teammate Anna Galladro-Ibarra won bronze on floor (9.175) while Shaylyn Asher won a 4th place medal on beam (8.60). The Platinum Team scored a total of 101.7 to secure a second place Team trophy. The team competed with three girls on each event to contribute to the overall Team total. The girls had no room for error, the team was one member short for the competition.
The Level 6 Striver Team finished with a 7th place overall finish scoring 104.4 points.  Portia Hah won bronze on bars, (8.275) Hah placed 9th on beam, (8.95) and 10th in the All-around (34.275). Sophia Sternard medaled in 6th place in the All-around (35.00) and 9th place on vault (8.80), beam, (9.225) and bars (7.925). Amira Anschutz received medals for a 5TH place finish on beam (9.35), 7TH   on vault (8.9), 11th in the All-around (34.675) and 12th on floor (9.075). Estelle Duerst also contributed to the Level 6’s Team success. Shylee Asher was sidelined due to an injury. 

A state grant that will fund an evaluation of the Forestville Millpond drawdown was approved by the Door County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.  The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Lake Planning Grant allows for over $13,000 in funding, after about a $4,600 match by the Soil and Water Conservation Department budget.  Door County Conservationist Greg Coultherst says water samples will be taken from the millpond this summer with a report to be completed next year.  The initial drawdown began in 2019 and drew criticism from some community members including the Friends of the Forestville Dam who charged Door County officials with mismanagement of the process.  Hopes by the county were to improve water quality by staving off invasive species without the costly alternative of dredging.   The county will now assess the impact of the two-year drawdown and complete its findings by the end of 2024 when the grant expires.

Over 140 community members gathered Tuesday evening in Sturgeon Bay to celebrate the successes of the United Way of Door County in the last year during its Annual Meeting and Community Celebration.  Executive Director Amy Kohnle and outgoing President Jason Palmer shared the impact the volunteers and community partners made to raise over $777,000 in 2022, the second-most campaign funds ever raised.  More than 20 United Way agency representatives spoke about their organizations and how they benefit from the monies distributed by the United Way.  The evening wrapped up with Palmer presenting NEW Radio/Door County Daily News and Bryan Mazur the Bob Stiefvater “Magnificent” Volunteer of the Year award.

In accepting the award, Mazur stated  "I am humbled that we were chosen for this honor. It was a true team effort to get this award. Everyone here works hard and does a lot to give back to the community. We look forward to continuing to help this year and for years to come.".  Kohnle shared the United Way of Door County’s Big Bold Goal of reducing ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households over the next five years.  By April 2028, the goal is to have worked with 210 households on unique pathways to decrease the number of ALICE residents in Door County.

The Kewaunee County Wisconsin Farm Technology Days may have happened six years ago, but its impact continues to benefit local students who are beyond the first half of post-secondary education.  The Executive Committee announced the fifth group of local students who all graduated high school will receive scholarship money from the Second Half Scholarship Fund.  Executive Secretary Aerica Bjurstrom says a total of $6,000 was awarded this year and a total of $60,000 will be awarded over a 10-year period.

Students needed to meet specific requirements to apply, including if they or someone from their immediate family was involved in Kewaunee County Farm Technology Days 2017 as a sponsor, volunteer, or vendor. They also needed to have at least a 2.5 GPA and be currently enrolled in post-secondary education school or technical study.

Those awarded include: 

Denmark –

Joe Schlies, a graduate of Denmark High School, attending UW-River Falls and majoring in Agricultural Business.

Kewaunee -

Cierra Brann, a graduate of Kewaunee High School, attending UW-Whitewater and majoring in Business Analytics.

Zac Stangel, a graduate of Kewaunee High School, attending Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Diesel Mechanics.

Luxemburg-Casco -

Brianna Paye, a graduate of Luxemburg-Casco High School, attending UW-River Falls and majoring in Agriculture Business Management.

Aliza Jacobs, a graduate of Luxemburg-Casco High School, attending UW-Platteville and majoring in Agriculture and Technology Education.

Southern Door - Zach Olson, a graduate of Southern Door High School, attending UW-Madison and majoring in Dairy Science.

The Village of Egg Harbor is doing the behind-the-scenes work now so you can drive on an improved State Highway 42 later.

Several items on the Village of Egg Harbor Board’s agenda for Wednesday are related to the much-anticipated road project. First, the board will vote to approve the state/municipal agreement for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Project the village recently received funds for thanks to federal funding. Governor Tony Evers announced on March 16th that the village would be receiving $1,740,480 in Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program funds to improve the traffic flow on State Highway 42. The program offers an 80 percent match for reimbursement on eligible activities. The funds are supposed to be used to encourage transportation projects that improve air quality. 

After reviewing an updated spreadsheet of expected project costs, the village board will then vote on a resolution authorizing $7,355,000 in general obligation bonds for its street improvement projects like STH 42. The board will also look into additional bonds for parking lot improvements and new equipment for the fire department, raising the final total to $7,500,000.

Before adjourning, the village board will meet in closed session to discuss the fallout from a state appeals court ruling earlier this month that decided that the village illegally condemned private property to create a sidewalk near a popular restaurant. The Village of Egg Harbor Board will meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

You can click the link to read the full agenda packet and to join the meeting. 

Destination Door County wants your help to let the nation know what you already do: Door County is a great place to visit. Chicago, Asheville, N.C., Mackinac Island, and Hocking Hills, Ohio are among those competing with Door County for the top spot in the USA Today’s 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards for Best Summer Travel Destination. Door County reached this stage in part because of its 11 lighthouses, cherry picking, the Door County Wine Trail, and its 300 miles of shoreline. Senior Media Relations Manager Jen Rogers says the good word has certainly gotten out over the years thanks to visitors’ word of mouth and travel writers stopping along the way for stories.

You can vote daily from now until April 17th by clicking this link. Winners will be announced on April 28th. As of 9 a.m. Tuesday, Door County was in second place behind Chicago. The 10Best Series from USA Today has given a lot of hardware to Door County over the years, including Best Wisconsin Attraction in 2017 and Best Destination for Fall Foliage in 2019. The Door County Triathlon could be the next winner as they were among the finalists for best triathlon. That announcement will come on April 7th.

Picture courtesy of Dan Eggert and Destination Door County

The cake is gone and the candles have long been blown out, but you will finally get the opportunity to celebrate Salentine Homestead Dairy’s 100th year of operation. Salentine Homestead Dairy in Luxemburg will be formally introduced as the Kewaunee County Breakfast on the Farm hosts for 2023 at an event to be held next month. Josh, Jennifer, Megan, Caleb, and Molly Salentine were expecting to host thousands of people at their home in 2020 to celebrate the Century Farm status they would receive at the Wisconsin State Fair. The pandemic had other plans, canceling the 2020 event and putting Salentine Homestead Dairy behind Augustian Farms in Kewaunee and Kinnard Highland Farm in Luxemburg in the breakfast hosting queue. Megan says they are not trying to make up for lost time, but she is happy the family gets a chance to make it up.

The introduction of the Salentine family as the Breakfast on the Farm hosts will be one of the highlights of the Celebrate Dairy in Kewaunee County event on April 13th. The event takes the place of the June Dairy Month Kickoff Breakfast. The Kewaunee County Dairy Promotion Committee is looking for volunteers for its Breakfast on the Farm, which will take place on June 18th from 7 a.m. to noon.

Picture courtesy of Salentine Homestead Dairy

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College is down to three finalists for its soon-to-be-vacant president post, and it wants your help to decide who gets chosen. NWTC announced that Dr. Shah Ardalan, Dr. Kristen Raney, and Dr. Katheryn Rogalski are in the running to replace Dr. H. Jeffrey Rafn, who announced his retirement earlier this year after joining the institution over 25 years ago. You can read more about the candidates below.

As a part of the hiring process, each candidate will spend the day on NWTC’s Green Bay campus meeting with faculty, staff, and students. Raney will be on campus on April 4th, followed by Rogalski on April 5th, and Ardalan on April 6th. The public can attend the forums each day from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. both in-person and virtually. You can even submit a question for each of the candidates by March 31st to be asked by clicking this link. The selection of the next NWTC President is expected to be announced by the end of April before they take over the role from Rafn in the summer.

Rafn’s tenure has included plenty of highlights of local worth including the opening of NWTC’s Luxemburg Regional Center in 2003 and the expansion of the Sturgeon Bay campus as a part of a referendum in 2001. NWTC has formed countless partnerships with local high schools and businesses to expand learning opportunities and connect the two for job opportunities.

You can learn more about the search for a new NWTC President by clicking this link.

BIOGRAPHIES FROM NWTC

• Dr. Kathryn Rogalski (PICTURED LEFT) has over 23 years of experience advancing the mission of community and technical colleges. She currently serves as the Vice President of Learning and Chief Academic Officer at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where she leads the Learning Division, including Corporate Training and Economic Development, the Marinette Campus, and the Learning Effectiveness and Early College Departments.

  During her nearly 5 years at NWTC, Kathryn has developed strong internal and external partnerships, led transformational work to improve student success, and built strong teams with an equity-minded focus. She has expanded the college’s Guided Pathways work and added programs aligned with industry and community needs. She is proud to have partnered with the Talent and Culture Division to launch the Teaching and Learning Center in support of faculty professional learning.

  Prior to joining NWTC, Kathryn served as Dean of Business and Social Sciences at Harper College where she led transfer and career programs, the Early Childhood Learning Center and taught in the Psychology Department. She championed efforts to open Harper College’s first Maker Space and Entrepreneurship Center and partnered with industry to create non-traditional Apprenticeships in Business and Insurance. As Dean, Kathryn was a member of the Hispanic Enrollment Task Force team that supported Harper College as an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution. While at Harper, she focused on implementing Guided Pathways, creating career and technical pathways for high school students, building seamless pathways for transfer and growing industry partnerships.

  Kathryn held several positions in the beginning of her career at the College of Lake County (CLC), including Institutional Researcher, Academic Advisor for Social Sciences and Associate Dean in the Social Science Division. She also served as an adjunct faculty, teaching in the Psychology Department for over a decade. During her time at CLC, she worked closely with university partners to increase pathways for seamless transfer for her students. She served on the college’s accreditation team and worked to improve systems at the institution to support faculty and students.

  Kathryn recently completed the Aspen Rising President Fellowship, holds a Doctor of Education in Adult and Higher Education from Northern Illinois University, a Master of Arts in Social Sciences from The University of Chicago, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Northeastern Illinois University.

  Kathryn and her family are longtime residents of Wisconsin and prior to moving to Northeast Wisconsin, Kathryn spent 20 years in Southeast Wisconsin where she and her husband Chris raised their three children Jon, Albert, and Cora. Kathryn and her husband currently reside in Forestville, Wisconsin and enjoy spending time outdoors in the beauty of Northeast Wisconsin.

•  

  Dr. Kristen Raney (PICTURED MIDDLE) has advanced student success and equity in technical and community colleges for more than twenty years. She currently serves as the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC), in Davenport, IA, where she leads the academic division and institutional accreditation for the multi-college district.

  Dr. Raney has significant experience in both academic and student affairs. She previously worked at Saint Paul College in St. Paul, MN, where she served as dean of students and interim vice president of student affairs before becoming the vice president of academic affairs. Highlights of her work include leading a multi-year effort to redesign assessment of student learning and program review processes; establishing a department of faculty development and innovation; implementing a guided pathway advising model; and strengthening shared governance practices.

  Her career began as a part-time instructional assistant at Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) in Eau Claire, WI. She held a range of positions in her twelve years at CVTC, from faculty to dean of academic development and services. As dean, Dr. Raney implemented new models of integrated academic support, introduced culturally responsive teaching practices, established a new model for adult basic education, and expanded support and outreach services across the CVTC district.

  Dr. Raney is driven by her belief that education transforms lives and strengthens communities. She is widely recognized as a visionary leader who approaches her work with transparency, integrity, and empathy. Dr. Raney has been a Peer Reviewer with the Higher Learning Commission since 2019. She participated in the Aspen Fellowship for the Rising Future Presidents institute in 2021-2022.

  Dr. Raney earned a doctorate of education in higher education and leadership studies from Edgewood College; a master of science in education from the University of Wisconsin-Stout; and a bachelor of arts in English from St. Cloud State University.

• Dr. Shah Ardalan (PICTURED RIGHT) has invested over 30 years in executive and pivotal roles at global corporations, distinguished universities, and prominent community colleges in North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, and Texas.

  Ardalan joined Lone Star College System as Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer (CIO) in January 2008 and has been serving as Lone Star College-University Park’s founding President since 2012.

  Ardalan is considered one of the nation’s leading higher education and technology visionaries recognized for impactful innovation through inclusion and building transformational teams and partnerships to advance equity and socio-economic mobility.

  As a servant leader, Ardalan has developed many leaders and served over 800,000 students, faculty, staff, and businesses as an Instructor, Research Associate, Director of Business Development, Associate Vice President, Special Assistant to President, Vice President, Chief Information Officer, Vice Chancellor, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and College President.

  Multiple honors and awards have been presented from industry, community, government, and service organizations in recognition of Ardalan’s commitment to education, student success, technology, workforce growth, and economic development. Ardalan serves on several local and national boards and his contributions are reflected in over 100 national and international conferences, articles, case studies, and books.

  Dr. Ardalan’s academic credentials include a doctoral degree in Community College Leadership, a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, and a bachelor of science degree in Physics. He also holds multiple diplomas and certificates from the University of Lausanne (Switzerland) and Harvard University.

With the spring election one week away, you may need to visit your local DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) office.  A valid and compliant photo identification card, like a driver’s license, federal passport, state ID, military ID, or student ID, is needed to vote in Wisconsin.  You can receive a free state identification card by going to your local DMV and filling out the proper paperwork.  Certain documents, such as a birth certificate, proof of identity, and Wisconsin residency, are necessary to obtain an official Wisconsin ID card.  In Door County, the DMV service center is in the Bay Ridge Square in Sturgeon Bay and is open from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Kewaunee County’s DMV service center is on 4th Street in Algoma and is open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m.  If you need to register to vote and want to avoid a possible line at your polling place, the deadline to register in person at your municipal clerk’s office is March 31st.  

Kewaunee County could see an influx of thousands of visitors come by water this summer, and it wants you to be prepared when it happens. Several ships from Viking Cruises will lower their anchors near Algoma this summer, letting loose visitors to gallivant through the peninsula looking for things to see and do and with money to spend.

Algoma is listed as part of a 15-day excursion through the Great Lakes. Viking Expeditions will offer six “Great Lakes Collection” cruises that will take passengers between Duluth, Minnesota and Toronto, Ontario during the months of June, July, August, and September. Algoma marks the halfway point of the excursion with the cruise line offering side trips to check out Lambeau Field, explore Moonlight Bay by kayak, hike the Niagara Escarpment, paddle through Ellison Bay and the Mink River Estuary, and sample the area’s wine and cheese.

The Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation is helping businesses and residents get ready with an event on March 30th called, “Preparing for Impact: How to Prepare for Cruise Ship Visitors.” Executive Director Ben Nelson says it is a great opportunity for the community to ask the questions they have about what to expect once the ships arrive in Algoma this summer. Those topics include how to market your business to cruise ship passengers, how to create a welcoming atmosphere that encourages repeat visits, and how to ensure the community is ready to welcome them ashore.

The session will take place on March 30th at 2 p.m. at the Algoma City Council Chambers. You can click this link to sign up. 

If you have noticed more airplanes traveling to and from Green Bay in recent weeks, you are certainly not alone. Through the first few months of 2023, passenger traffic at Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport is up 15 percent compared to 2022 levels. That falls in line with the rest of the airline industry across the country which has also seen growth in passenger travel in 2023. Airport Director Marty Piette said earlier this month that airlines are taking notice, whether it be new flights or bigger planes.

Things may be even more impressive for cargo flights at Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport. They have seen cargo traffic more than double since last year.  Similar to its passenger traffic, carriers are looking at additional ways to expand their operations in the coming months.

Kewaunee and Door Counties will likely head into April two months removed from their last appearance outside of the low COVID-19 community-level standards set by the Centers for Disease Control.

As of Friday, eight counties were at least at the medium COVID-19 community level with Oneida and Forest counties listed at the high level. Closer to home, the Door County Public Health Department announced it had nine positive cases of COVID-19 out of 32 total tests excluding those performed with at-home kits. There was one new hospitalization reported but no new deaths. In Kewaunee County, Cindy Kinnard for its public health department told the county board during its meeting that it has been averaging between 10 to 15 new cases of COVID-19 a week. It also saw two additional deaths due to COVID-19 over the last month, increasing its count since the beginning of the pandemic to 61. In both cases, Kinnard says the people were older and vaccinated, but they also had significant health issues. She told the board that COVID-19 is here to stay.

The state Department of Health Services will end its community testing support program on April 15th as more people are relying on at-home kits rather than going to their doctor’s office or pharmacy. It comes as the COVID-19 pandemic will no longer be considered a federal public health emergency in May.

A Kewaunee County farm has opted to end one of its legal battles with the state by paying over $200,000 in fines.

According to the Associated Press, Kinnard Farms and the Wisconsin Department of Justice settled one of its suits on Friday, which alleged that the operation improperly spread manure in Kewaunee and Door counties between 2018 and 2022, failed to submit an engineering evaluation for a feed storage area, and failed to timely submit annual nutrient management plan updates. The settlement calls for Kinnard Farms to pay $215,000 in fines and upgrade a pair of waste storage facilities and a feed storage area. The agreement allows the operation to pay forfeitures, surcharges, and fees without the admission of wrongdoing.

In a statement prepared by Lee Kinnard of Kinnard Farms, he said:

“For the sake of our family, our fifth-generation dairy and crop farming business, and our relationship with the DNR, we decided it is time to move forward with a settlement, avoiding a lengthy and costly dispute. Our family remains committed to working constructively with regulatory agencies as we continue our use of science-based practices to produce nutritious food while also being highly protective of our precious water and soil resources, our cows, and our community. We continue to innovate daily through our use of climate-smart practices. Our family prides itself on being a leader in regenerative agriculture. For decades, we have utilized practices such as cover cropping to build healthy soil and no-till planting to reduce erosion, and have incorporated industry-leading sand and water recycling technology, as well as a system that allows for the production of renewable natural gas. We look forward to pursuing state-of-the-art manure management technology that will allow our family to remain on the cutting edge of conservation and further protect and improve water quality.” 

Kinnard Farms sued the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources last year for what they saw to be unfair conditions for their permit including herd limits and groundwater monitoring. That suit is still pending. 

You could assist a family in need by donating items to Help of Door County. The Sturgeon Bay-based organization is focused on helping victims of domestic abuse by helping them get restraining orders and moving them out of abusive environments as well as providing support groups for families and friends of victims. Help of Door County is dependent on donations of items like period products, baby products, cleaning supplies, and gift cards to help clients get back on their feet. If you can’t donate, there are more ways to help, volunteers are always needed at Help of Door County. Ava, a domestic violence advocate talks about how to get involved. 

For more information on how to donate or volunteer, click this link.

Kewaunee service organizations are collectively working together to provide after-school snack packages in the Kewaunee School District for children of impoverished families.  The Kewaunee Rotary, Optimist, and Lions clubs are working with Lakeshore Community Food Pantry to provide about 90 bags of nutritious snacks weekly for the Storm Snack Pack Program for students from kindergarten through 5th grade at Kewaunee Elementary School.  Kewaunee Rotary Club President Wendy Shelton and member Joe Viau share how the program has made a big impact over the past few years with the incredible help of the community.

The program originated about five years ago when the Kewaunee Optimist Club recognized a significant need in the Kewaunee area to address a food insecurity for nutritious meals for children over the weekend.  Through matching grants and community genorisity, the Storm Snack Pack Program was implemented about a year and one-half later. The snack packs are typically arranged on Thursday afternoons and are discreetly placed in the student’s lockers before the end of the school week.  

When it comes to STEM education in Door County, you have likely heard the name Miranda Dahlke. A teacher at Washington Island. She has helped the school receive thousands of dollars in grants and training sessions through the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow program. She is also one of the supervisors for the school’s SeaPerch Challenge teams, which last qualified for the international competition hosted at the University of Maryland. Earlier this month, Dahlke was named a finalist for the 2023 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. She was originally not going to apply, saying she want to build up her growing resume even more. She then decided the personal growth she has experienced in her 12 years of teaching was enough to at least try.

Dahlke says they should announce the winners of the award in the coming weeks. One awardee in mathematics and one awardee in science may receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation and professional development opportunities, along with being honored at an award ceremony in Washington D.C.

The Climate Change Coalition of Door County and other environmental organizations are inviting you to dig deep to celebrate Earth Day this year. Partnering with The Nature Conservancy and the Forest Recovery Project, the Climate Change Coalition of Door County hopes to plant 10,000 trees during the months of April and May as part of this year’s Door County Big Plant. The organizations have teamed up on more than 25 community planting as a part of the Door County Big Plant since it held its first such event in 2016. By planting a collection of balsam fir, red pine, white pine, and white spruce trees, residents can help fight climate change while also providing habitat to area animals, preventing soil erosion, and protecting groundwater. You can learn more about the program below.

The Door County Big Plant is not the only environmentally-friendly activity the Climate Change Coalition of Door County is organizing in the coming weeks. The organization is rallying people to look into solar energy and potentially participate in a group buy of solar panels.  You can find out more about that event below.

You could learn more about the Crane population of Door County next month at the Ridges Sanctuary. On April 14th, 6:30 pm- 7:30 pm, Stanley Temple, professor of forest and wildlife ecology and environmental studies at UW Madison, will review the remarkable recovery of Midwestern sandhill cranes. He will also describe their migratory behavior and discuss recent controversies, such as crane hunting, that have attended to their new status as an abundant bird. On April 15th, 5:30 am - 7:30 am, you can take part in a volunteer Crane count. The International Crane Foundation sponsors the Annual Midwest Crane Count as a part of its mission to conserve the world’s 15 species of cranes and the natural communities on which they depend. On April 15th, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm, you could go to the Cook-Albert Fuller Nature Center,  featuring “Door County Wildlife in Watercolor” artwork by Wisconsin artist Thomas Jewell. This exhibit showcases original illustrations from Jewell’s children’s book, “Tig of the Marsh and Wetland” along with newly completed works of wildlife seen at The Ridges. If you can’t make the event on the 15th, Jewell’s artwork will be up from April 13th until May 21st in the Nature Center Gallery Hall at the Ridges Sanctuary. Environmental Interpreter at Ridges Sanctuary, Anna Foster explains what poses a threat to Cranes and how to support the sanctuary. 

For more information on these events, click this link. 

One of the most rewarding parts of being in a leadership position is the ability to watch those around you grow into their respective roles within our agency. Over the past 16 years, I have witnessed the transformation of young men and women from wide-eyed new candidates to well-seasoned, and experienced Public Servants. A key part of the growth process is the annual evaluation. This is a two-part activity that starts with the Deputy articulating both their strengths and growth opportunities as well as their respective goals. This is followed by the supervisors providing their feedback and evaluation of that Deputy. Our goal is to make this more of a mutual conversation than a one-sided critique. While a small agency such as the Sheriff’s Department is limited in what we can offer for opportunities, we do our best to be responsive to our staff and their desire to take on new and challenging responsibilities.

Some examples of stated goals are duties such as Field Training Officer, ERU Team member, Evidence Technician, or Department Tactical Training Officer. Some even share their career goals of becoming a Sergeant, Lieutenant, Chief Deputy or even Sheriff. In many cases, the goals are personal in nature such as becoming more efficient in their current duties or even focusing more on their own physical health. As in their professional goals, we in leadership must foster a department culture that allows each individual Deputy the best possible environment to be successful in those personal goals. Over the last year, we have engaged in a partnership with an amazing resource located right here in Northeast Wisconsin. The group is called the Wellness Coop and they are a team of dedicated professionals who focus on those who have dedicated their lives to the service of their Country, State, and Community. Recently a grant was made available by the State of Wisconsin Department of Administration to be used for both equipment as well as officer wellness, and we used that grant as an opportunity to solidify our commitment to our staff’s well-being by providing one on one wellness screenings for each member of our department.

On a broader scale, our department as an organization also has goals that it is looking to achieve in 2023. Of course, our most recognizable goal is the continued progress of our Jail planning as we continue in our now 7-year journey toward a better solution to the housing and care of those remanded to our custody. We are very grateful for the support and engagement we have received from both our County Board as well as so many community members throughout our community on this project.

Another goal for 2023 is the continuation of our county-wide multi-disciplinary Active Shooter training which we have been conducting over the past few years, in cooperation with our partners in both Fire and EMS. These trainings are very involved and start with preliminary tabletop discussions and then culminate in full scale reality-based scenarios at local facilities throughout Kewaunee County.

A goal that we had been working on for the past few years and will be taking a big step forward this year, is our Body Worn Camera implementation. This project started with our use of in-squad cameras, and through a recent grant was able to be expanded to body-worn cameras as well. Much like many of our other projects, we do our best to realize benefit to not only our agency but also to our criminal justice partners, such as other local Law enforcement as well as our District Attorney’s Office. I will be sharing more on this initiative in future articles as we move along the process.

In general, our agency is only as strong as the men and women who serve within it, and we must focus both attention and resources in that direction if we are to be successful in serving our community. We must also have the capacity to incorporate the best training, technology, and equipment if we hope to remain a credible and legitimate resource to our community in their time of need. It is through the setting and pursuit of realistic yet ambitious goals that we will be able to move our agency and the men and women who serve it, toward our true potential.

This is my last article in the series of annual report articles, and I hope you found them informative and helpful in understanding the operations of the Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department. As always, if you have any questions on anything I have covered, or just want to chat, feel free to give me a shout. (920)255-1100. Thank you!

The first formal step in the building of the new Door Community Child Development Center in Sturgeon Bay occurred Friday afternoon near the Gordon Road and Old Highway Road intersection. Dozens of community members attended the groundbreaking for the new 18,500-square-foot facility.  Executive Director Alexis Fuller, who co-founded the center with her sister Bridgett Starr, says the new facility will help meet a great need in the community and accommodate some of the 100 families who are on their waiting list.

The new center, which is projected to open next January, will be almost three times the size of the current facility at 1743 Egg Harbor Road.  It will also have the capacity to accommodate 146 children six weeks to five years of age, compared to the current license capacity of 83 children.  The new facility will also be home to a new Head Start program.   The Door Community Child Development Center, which opened in 2020, currently employs 28 women.  You can listen to the entire conversation with Alexis Fuller and Bridgett Starr below.   

Much like their neighbors to the north, the Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation hopes you see more housing options in the community in the future. Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Ben Nelson outlined housing along with broadband and mid-sized business diversification as major parts of its strategic plan moving forward during his quarterly report to the Kewaunee County Board on Tuesday.  Nelson specifically mentioned that having newer housing stock available so prospective employees could move to the area easily was a major talking point during his conversation with local business leaders. He says a portion of their agenda for the upcoming Door/Kewaunee Legislative Days will also be directed at developing more housing.

The board meeting also covered the county’s ongoing efforts of improving its broadband, the purchase of a forklift, and the retirement of Rhonda Rummel from the county’s human services department.

After sharing what they found late last year, Do Good Door County wants to discuss with you what is next at four different stops across the area next month.

Do Good Door County surveyed residents in October before hosting a series of community forums in November.  During those forums, members of Do Good Door County focused on eight different domains:  outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, respect and social inclusion, social participation, civic participation and employment opportunities, communication and information, and community support and health services. The overarching theme was  the county’s older residents' concerns with being unable to drive, becoming seriously ill, or having memory loss without a support system. Do Good Door County’s Cynthia Germain says she hopes to start discussing potential solutions to those issues at eight different events in Sturgeon Bay (4/6), Sister Bay (4/11), Sevastopol (4/19), and Fish Creek (4/27).

Each location will host a pair of hour-long coffee and conversation events at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. You can find out more details about the event and where you can learn more about Do Good Door County below.

Helping you become more informed about the extended drawdown of the Forestville Millpond and nearby watersheds is the goal of a study potentially receiving grant funds this week. The Door County Board of Supervisors will vote to approve a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Lake Planning Grant for the evaluation of the Forestville Millpond after a two-year drawdown effort that began in November 2019. The county’s Soil and Water Conservation Department received the partially matching grant for $9,237.80 from the DNR, one of 13 lake planning grants awarded by the state for the 2023 fiscal year. Add in what the county is contributing over $13,000 would be made available to address the drawdown and where to go from there. 

The drawdown brought mixed reviews in the community and eventually saw the Friends of the Forestville Dam take the county to court over it before the case was dismissed in early 2022. The Friends of the Forestville Dam charged Door County officials with mismanaging the millpond with its drawdown efforts. The county began the process in 2019 in an effort to stave off future invasive plants and fish. The group has said the drawdown sent sediment downstream, which would wreck other habitats along the way. It wants the millpond to be kept at a consistent depth of just under 600 feet. In the view of the county, the hope was the drawdown would improve water quality, compact the sentiment, as well as suppress invasive species and the carp that are in the millpond. It was considered to be a less costly alternative to dredging. 

The Door County Board will also approve a gift to the ADRC, discuss its involvement in the opioid settlement, and the appointment of Ethel and Tom Davis to the position of Poet Laureate when they meet at 9 a.m. on Tuesday at the Door County Government Center. 

You will see Door County Medical Center’s newest facility in action beginning on Monday in Sister Bay. March 27th marks the first-day patients will be able to take advantage of the new Sister Bay Clinic, which will open to rehabilitation clients for their afternoon appointments. A week later, all patients will be able to access the building that will offer more providers and more services for Northern Door County residents. Previously, patients would have to travel to either Fish Creek or Sturgeon Bay for their appointments in medical areas like cardiology and audiology. Door County Medical Center CEO Brian Stephens said last month that there is a lot of excitement around how much better they will be able to serve the community due to the bigger space at the Sister Bay Clinic.

The switch will close the Fish Creek facility and move the rehab services from Scandia Village. Residents at Scandia Village will still receive on-site care from Door County Medical Center staff members. Door County Medical Center will host an open house and a dedication ceremony at the Sister Bay Clinic on June 11th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

If you were up late Thursday night, the northern skies treated you to a great light show. According to USA Today, residents of Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Michigan, and New York joined Wisconsinites in enjoying the Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, late Thursday night into early Friday morning.

Courtesy of Alma Vai in Gills Rock

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration gave people more reason to set their alarms or make it a late night, predicting that the Northern Lights would be impacted by “stronger than anticipated” influences. The colorful, dancing lights are caused by particles flowing from the sun getting caught up in the Earth’s magnetic field.

Picture Courtesy of Collin Steele in Kewaunee County

According to the Planetary K-index, which is used to measure electromagnetic storms, was over 7.3 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. 

Photo courtesy of Becky Hlinak of Kewaunee County

Top picture courtesy of Paula Shefchik, Kewaunee County

You will see a new face leading Kewaunee High School next fall. The Kewaunee School District recently approved the hiring of Aaron Dobbe as its high school principal, replacing Michael Bennett. His 21-year career in education includes stops at Tigerton, Rosholt, and Luxemburg-Casco School District. Most recently, the graduate of UW-Stevens Point and Marian University helped improve the curriculum and the school culture at Rosholt High School as its principal. He also has experience coaching in the past, including stints at the head coach of the Tigerton boys’ basketball team and the Rosholt softball team. Dobbe, his wife Rebecca, and his two daughters live in Luxemburg. You can read the full release from the Kewaunee School District below.

A familiar face that you may have seen on a performance stage in Door County for the past five years will be leading a new initiative implemented by Northern Sky Theater.  Lachrisa Grandberry has been named the program director of the newly-formed NOVA Initiative.  NOVA stands for Nurturing Original Voices and Artists, with a goal to foster, nurture, and expand creative opportunities for alumni, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), and emerging writers in Northern Sky’s development process.  

Grandberry says “the Nova Initiative is a reflection of what Northern Sky has always been in my time working on Sunflowered, I learned so much in the writing process and could not have done it without the hands-on support of the leadership staff. I am in no way, shape, or form an expert, but I do have knowledge and resources to further this part of Northern Sky's Mission”. 

Recently named one of Wisconsin’s 52 most Influential Black Leaders, Grandberry will also serve on Northern Sky’s IDEAS Task Force (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Solutions) and will help support the company’s marketing efforts to reach new audiences.

Northern Sky Theater will begin its 2023 performance season in June which will continue through the end of the year.

(photo credit -- Rachel Lukes)

Now that the money has been secured, you should see work being done on the Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower in the coming months. Earlier this week, Governor Tony Evers agreed to the emergency stabilization of the Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower, much to the celebration of residents, visitors, and local leaders like State Rep. Joel Kitchens and State Sen. Andre Jacque. The decision makes up to $500,000 from the state building trust fund or from the Departments of Administration or Natural Resources available to make the repairs. Wisconsin State Parks Director Steven Schmelzer says they will be working with GRAEF, who was tapped to work on the concept designs of a reimagined tower with ADA accessibility, on the next steps for the project.

Improvements to Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower were included in the state’s capital budget announced earlier this year by Evers. The stabilization of the current tower was part of a multi-million project that would add a helical ramp for visitors to use to get to the top of the historic structure if they could not or did not want to use the stairs. If funding for the tower falls through, Schmelzer says he is unsure at this point if the emergency stabilization would be enough to re-open the tower due to other issues with the structure.

Another robot may send Washington Island School students back to the International SeaPerch Challenge in Maryland again this year. Earlier this month, Washington Island's four teams tried out their robots at the Sturgeon Bay YMCA to make some of their final tweaks ahead of their regional competition on April 1st.  

The team made its first trip to the international competition on the campus of the University of Maryland last year after coming in second place in their regional competition.

Out of 56 in-person teams, Team Dory took 14th overall in the middle school stock class and was first among those competing from Wisconsin. At the international competition, Team Dory finished 31st in engineering design, 12th in the team video, tied for eighth in the pool mission course, and 34th in the pool obstacle course.

The SeaPerch teams are led by science teacher Miranda Dahlke, who recently was named a finalist for the 2023 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. SeaPerch teams in Door County are supported in part by the Door County Maritime Museum.

They will compete alongside a dozen other schools on April 1st at Ashwaubenon High School. 

Pictures courtesy of Miranda Dahlke, Washington Island School District, and Door County Maritime Museum

Your child’s special needs may not be a barrier anymore if they ever dreamed of exhibiting animals at the Kewaunee County Fair. Algoma High School junior Morgan Servaes and the Kewaunee County 4-H Goat Project are spearheading the Fairytales Animal Show, which will allow differently-abled children between the 3rd and 12th grades to show a goat during the fair while being paired with an animal and a mentor. Participants will be able to meet with their mentors and their animals at Wilson’s Wish in Luxemburg before the show, which will take place on Saturday, July 15th at 11 a.m. Servaes is excited to combine two of her passions at this year’s Kewaunee County Fair: exhibiting animals and working with kids with special needs.

Kewaunee County 4-H Goat Project members will mentor the Fairytales Animal Show participants, which can feature up to 15 kids. Servaes hopes the program can grow to other species and involve more kids in the future. The Fairytales Animal Show will host an informational meeting for potential participants on Monday, March 27th at 6:30 p.m. at the Kewaunee County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall. 

Your child could have the opportunity to scout out different jobs in Door County. The Door County Economic Development Corporation and the Northeast Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship program are co-hosting a High School Job Fair on March 29 at Stone Harbor Resort and Conference Center in Sturgeon Bay. The event will feature more than 30 businesses and organizations for your student to interact with. Participants are encouraged to bring resumes and be prepared to sit down with businesses to talk about job opportunities. The goal of the event is to help our local businesses and working-age students connect for summer employment, part-time employment, and youth apprenticeship opportunities. DCEDC Director of Marketing and Communications, Korey Mallien, explains why Youth Apprenticeships are so important for students. 

Youth apprenticeships are a way for students to find lasting careers that interest them outside of seasonal part-time jobs.

You can get closer to nature this spring and summer as a Door County tradition opens this week for registration.  The Ridges Sanctuary’s 21st Annual Festival of Nature kicks off on Memorial weekend and brings a slate of field trips, events, and experiences to Door County that celebrate the natural beauty of the peninsula.  The events include an art exhibit and artist reception on May 25th and a 20-year vision open house on Sunday, May 28th at the Ridges Sanctuary that shares the master plan initiative.  The celebration will also focus on “66 Ways to Connect with Nature”.  You can find more information on the Festival of Nature and register for upcoming events and field trips with this link. 
 

The City of Algoma will be looking for a new chief of police this spring.  Randy Remiker announced his retirement recently after serving for over four years as the top law enforcement officer in Algoma.  The Finance and Personnel Committee met on Tuesday and decided to post the position on Wednesday with hopes of hiring a new police chief by June.  A native of nearby Denmark, Remiker moved back to the area after working for the Albuquerque Police Department in Arizona in 2018.  He was promoted to Brigadier General in the New Mexico National Guard this past January but plans on remaining in Algoma during his retirement.  Algoma City Administer Matt Murphy explains how the search for the next police chief will be conducted.

Murphy adds that the Algoma Police Department is hoping to fill two patrol officers positions soon as well. Remiker, whose retirement will be effective on June 5th, says he loves the people and the city, but it’s the right time for him to retire. 

The Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department had ended its long-time contract with the City of Algoma before Remiker’s hiring in 2019 as Algoma’s chief of police. 

You can find the benefits realized from an adult dance program at the Door County YMCA in Fish Creek this spring.  Due to the popularity of the youth dance classes, Northern Door YMCA Healthy Living Coordinator Mae Daniels says many adults requested the same opportunities.  She says dance can give you many different health benefits.   

New instructor Kelly Anderson, who founded the Death’s Door Dance Festival, will be teaching “The Art of Movement” program that will begin on April 24th.  Although referred to as an adult dance class, sessions are available for anyone 14 years or older. Registration will not begin until April, but you can find more information on the dance program by calling the Door County YMCA Program Center in Fish Creek at 920-868-3660.   

Photo courtesy of Kelly Anderson 

The Sturgeon Bay Common Council took care of the city’s business in quick order Tuesday evening in less than an hour.  A Community Development Investment (CDI) grant application for the Sturgeon Bay Plaza was unanimously approved for the future development near the west side waterfront.  Before the vote, Community Development Director Marty Olejniczak told the council that by having the grant that can be up to $250,000 submitted to the state before April 1st, the city could receive another grant later in 2023 when the new fiscal year begins for the state.  The city has received past CDI grants for Bliss Marketplace, the Door County Maritime Museum Tower, and the renovation of the Third Avenue PlayWorks.

In other business, the Common Council approved the writing off of uncollected taxes in the amount of $69.90.  City Finance Director Val Clarizio noted that was the lowest list of delinquent personal property tax account bills in 25 years.  

The site lease for a new 175-foot cellular tower at Big Hill Park was also unanimously approved after it was tabled last year.  Fire Chief Tim Dietman says the $20 million project will help with emergency communications for Sturgeon Bay and Door County.  The 50-year lease will have an annual fiscal impact of a rental rate of $16,200 with a 12 percent increase every five years.    

  
During Mayoral appointments, Mayor David Ward asked for the forming of a Bradley Lake Ad Hoc Committee that will be co-chaired by councilmembers Gary Nault and Helen Bacon to move forward on the project at Sunset Park that is being pursued by the city.

Your child may be snacking on a popular ready-to-eat package in the cafeteria next school year, just not at the Sturgeon Bay schools. According to CNN Business, Kraft Heinz has succeeded in getting its “Lunchables” into school lunch programs starting this fall. Sturgeon Bay School District Food Service Director Jenny Spude says they started a “munchable” program a few years ago and have the staff to provide package-like meals efficiently. 

She notes that some schools that may not have as much staffing may benefit from purchasing the “Lunchables.” Spude adds that many companies reformulate the ingredients to meet the guidelines set down by the federal government and are not necessarily the same products sold on the store shelves. The two new approved varieties of Lunchables with “improved nutrition” will be served in K-12 schools across the country. An extra cheesy pizza and a turkey and cheddar option both meet the whole grain-rich criteria of the National School Lunch Program through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

Kraft Heinz had both options incorporate more protein and whole grains while reducing saturated fat and sodium.

Your sips of beer and wine at this weekend’s Roar off the Shore Brewfest in Luxemburg will go a long way to supporting the community even with a lack of members to carry out the good deeds. For the 15th time, the Kewaunee and Dychesville Lions Club with host the annual event that showcases libations from across the state and around the region. In recent years, the event has served as the clubs’ biggest fundraiser. Kewaunee Lions Club member John Mastalir hopes the event raises members as much as it does the money to carry out their work. The club sits at 11 members, something Mastalir wishes was a lot higher because of all of the things they do for the community.

You can talk to Mastalir and other Lions Club members about what they do and how to join while enjoying the Roar Off the Shore Brewfest from 2-6 p.m. this Saturday at the Kewaunee County Fairgrounds. You can find more information about the event by clicking this link.

The Door County Sheriff’s Department once again reminds you to be cautious when people ask you for money or other information over the phone after recently discovering another scam.

The Door County Sheriff’s Department announced on Monday that several residents have received phone calls from a “Special Agent John Miller” representing “Homeland Security.” In this specific care, the suspect originally called from a California number but switched to one from New Jersey when the resident reporting the scam recognized it and hung up. Even when the caller became more aggressive in their demands for personal information, the resident resisted. The Door County Sheriff’s Department says to never share personal information over the phone with people you do not know.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, more than $8.8 billion was lost to scammers in 2022 through 2.4 million reports of fraud nationwide.

Southern Door Superintendent Chris Peterson remains on administrative leave from the district after a pair of closed sessions held within the last week.

First reported by WDOR, Peterson was placed on administrative leave following a special school board meeting held last Thursday. In the minutes from that meeting, the school board entered executive session just after 7 p.m. to “consider the employment and performance evaluation data as well as social or personal history or disciplinary data of the District Administrator which, if discussed in public, would be likely to have a substantial adverse effect upon the reputation of the District Administrator” and to confer with district’s legal counsel. The board took a brief recess at 9:50 p.m. so attorney Tony Renning of Renning, Lewis & Lacy in Green Bay and school board members Penny Price and Kim Starr could talk to Peterson. The closed session recommenced just before 10:10 p.m. on Thursday. No reason as to why Peterson was placed on leave was given.

The school board entered executive session again during their regular school board meeting on Monday, though further review of the District Administrator was not explicitly listed on the agenda. Price, who serves the school board as its president, said via email that nothing new occurred at Monday’s meeting and that Peterson would remain on leave.

Peterson was hired in 2021 to take over for the retiring Patti Vickman after he served in the same role at Howards Grove School District. He recently helped engineer some major changes at the district, including garnering millions of dollars for a series of referendum-related projects and the implementation of block scheduling for the 2024-2025 school year.

The Potawatomi Park Observation Tower will receive the needed repairs to stabilize the structure before the scheduled restoration begins in 2025. Both local state lawmakers, Rep. Joel Kitchens, and Senator Andre Jacque have been asking for the state to approve emergency funds immediately instead of waiting on the construction of a ramp for accessibility and additional parking that was included with the restoration as part of Gov. Tony Evers’ proposed budget for 2023-25. Jacque, through a press release on Monday, stated “it was frustrating that it took this long, but I appreciate the Governor is finally recognizing the immediate need for intervention to save the tower, and I especially applaud our local groups for their tireless advocacy of this project.  The effort to save the Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower is an example of public engagement at its best, bringing together citizens, local governments, and community groups, such as the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society Foundation.”

Rep. Kitchens says he doubts that the tower structure would have made it if stabilization didn't happen for two years. 

Under the State Building Commission, the Governor can immediately authorize up to $500,000 to save the structure. In a poll conducted earlier this month on Door County Daily News, 117 respondents said the tower should be restored immediately, while 40 responded that the Governors’ timeline was fine and 29 voted that restoration was too costly.  

RELEASE FROM SEN. JACQUE AND REP. KITCHENS

The Evers Administration this afternoon reversed course and agreed to an emergency stabilization project for the Potawatomi Park Observation Tower long requested by State Sen. André Jacque and State Rep. Joel Kitchens.

“It was frustrating that it took this long, but I appreciate that the Governor is finally recognizing the immediate need for intervention to save the tower, and I especially applaud our local groups for their tireless advocacy of this project,” said Sen. Jacque, a member of the State Building Commission. “The effort to save the Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower is an example of public engagement at its best, bringing together citizens, local governments, and community groups, such as the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society Foundation.” “It is overdue, but I am grateful Governor Evers has taken this step to stabilize the tower. We should bear in mind that the $500,000 allocated for stabilization would cover the cost of repair of the tower,” Rep. Kitchens said, “I hope that this will be a first big step toward saving this beloved and historic tower.”

In a letter sent to Gov. Evers on March 8, 2023, reiterating past requests and the pathway of existing funding and statutory authority, the Door County lawmakers requested that he immediately direct his administration to stabilize and repair the Potawatomi Observation Tower, in a manner that preserves its current historic structure, utilizing the emergency repair funding under State Building Commission procedures already available for that purpose. As referenced in the Wisconsin Building Commission policy manual, Wis. Stats. 16.855(16)(b)2 provides for the Governor to authorize emergency projects with expedited timelines up to a cost of $500,000 with actions to be reported to the Building Commission at its next regular meeting. Gov. Evers issued the directive to his state Department of Administration Secretary today.
While Sen. Jacque and Rep. Kitchens noted that the Governor’s current Capital Budget proposal does include repair of the structure, the timeline it proposes would have postponed any stabilization of the Tower, which is listed on both the state and federal registers of historic places, until January of 2025, at which point there is a strong likelihood that the tower would already have succumbed to the elements and fallen over.

“Allowing the continued deterioration of the historic Tower has constituted willful neglect that put a vital piece of our area’s livelihood and heritage at risk, and has ignored the expressed opinion of local residents, who have wanted the state to complete such repairs for years,” Sen. Jacque said. “It is critical that such action be taken now to repair the Tower before further damage and deterioration can occur through yet another change of seasons.”

“We need assurances from the Governor that the stabilization repairs will be in accordance with the Historic Preservation Code in order to protect the Potawatomi Tower’s placement on the list,” Kitchens said, “Otherwise, the state will not only be over spending, but we’d lose the Historic Landmark designation many people worked very hard to get for the tower.”

Regardless of where you live, you have plenty of items to make your voices heard for the spring election. In addition to local referendum questions, municipal races, and the Wisconsin State Supreme Court, the voters will be able to make their voices heard on three advisory referendum questions. Those questions are:

• “Conditions of release before conviction. Shall section 8 (2) of article I of the constitution be amended to allow a court to impose on an accused person being released before conviction conditions that are designed to protect the community from serious harm
• “Cash bail before conviction. Shall section 8 (2) of article I of the constitution be amended to allow a court to impose cash bail on a person accused of a violent crime based on the totality of the circumstances, including the accused’s previous convictions for a violent crime, the probability that the accused will fail to appear, the need to protect the community from serious harm and prevent witness intimidation, and potential affirmative defenses?”
• “Shall able-bodied, childless adults be required to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits?”

While the local referendum questions like what is on the ballot in Gibraltar and Washington Island will go into effect if they are approved, advisory referendum questions are used to help guide the decision-making process of the Wisconsin Legislature. Jay Heck from Common Cause Wisconsin says that even if they are approved or rejected, it is up to Legislature to decide how far they will go.

Early voting begins on March 21st.

The feedback has been much more positive this time around, but Algoma City Administrator Matt Murphy still wants to answer your questions about the upcoming referendum regarding a new public safety building. The spring election on April 4th will mark the second consecutive year the City of Algoma has approached voters for a funding request to build a new public safety building. Last year, over 60 percent of voters voted against a new facility located on Sunset Avenue that would have housed the city’s police, Fire, and EMS departments. This year, city officials have trimmed about $2 million and several thousand square feet from the original proposal along with other changes that will keep the police department stationed at Algoma City Hall. Murphy says residents appreciate the changes that were made to keep the price tag lower, but the project’s overall cost and its location are still yielding more questions.

About 60 residents attended their public information session earlier this month, but Murphy says he would like to many more attend their second event on March 29th from 6-8 p.m. at the Algoma Performing Arts Center.

You saw more good news from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services because, for the second straight week, it saw fewer cases of COVID-19 than it has seen in close to a year. According to the department, the seven-day average of 440 new cases is the lowest it has been since April 6^th, 2022. The seven-day average for COVID-19-related deaths also went down to two, the lowest it has been in over a month. Only two of the state’s 72 counties were outside of the low COVID-19 community level: Outagame and Waupaca. Closer to home, Door County Public Health reported 13 out of the 34 tests administered came back positive for COVID-19. The testing figures do not include those who use an in-home test kit. There were no new deaths or additional hospitalizations reported. Centers for Disease Control data shows a similar story for Kewaunee County, which shows just three new positive cases out of 58 administered tests.

You could see smaller apartment units being built in the City of Sturgeon Bay if a portion of the municipal code is amended. The Sturgeon Bay Common Council will host a public hearing to amend Chapter 20 of the Municipal Code to create a minimum floor area for efficiency (studio) apartment units of 450 feet square feet in all zoning districts where multiple-family dwellings are allowed. The current minimum is 500 square feet. This would be the second time in the last year that the city looked into amending its ordinances to allow for smaller dwellings to be built. In February, the Sturgeon Bay Common Council passed an ordinance allowing new homes to be built on a smaller footprint of 1,500 square feet. At the time, City Administrator Josh Van Lieshout said it would give developers and homebuilders more options and allow the area’s housing stock to build up due to lower construction costs. The Sturgeon Bay City Council will also receive an update on the Door County Granary and discuss a site lease for a new cell tower at Big Hill Park when they meet Tuesday at 6 p.m. inside their chambers at city hall.

Casting your ballot early in the Gibraltar Area School District attendance area could end up allowing you to enjoy your vacation a little more.

The proposed $29.8 million referendum question on the April 4th ballot would pave the way for the district to demolish the 1930s and 1950s sections of the building. In its place, the district plans on building a new two-station gym, community space, and classrooms in addition to updates to the cafeteria and offices. Parents from the referendum-supporting parent group Because the Gibraltar Kids Matter have realized that Election Day is on April 4th, which could be when many of their local families could be away on spring break. With voter turnout usually low for spring elections and even lower for absentee voting, JR Jarosh from Because the Gibraltar Kids Matter says it is important for people to learn how they can get their voices heard before they leave the area for the week.

Early voting begins at municipal clerk offices beginning on March 21st and ending on March 31st if your clerk is not holding voting hours on Saturday or Sunday.

Thanks to the generosity of the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, you will see several Kewaunee County organizations get much-needed funds for their mission. The organization awarded the grants through its Funds for Greater Green Bay program. Seven different Kewaunee County organizations were among the more than two dozen groups that will share over $312,220. Approximately $30,000 will head specifically to Kewaunee County as a result. You can read more from the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation about the positively impacted groups below.

• Centro de Actividades y Servicios Altruistas
Funding will be used to support the after-school program, English classes for adults, and wraparound support for Latino families in the Luxemburg-Casco area.

• Einstein Project
Funding will expand the mobile makerspace programming to provide experiences for approximately 1,000 children in rural communities such as Algoma, Lakewood, and Lena.

• Family & Childcare Resources of Northeastern Wisconsin
This grant will increase the number of childcare slots in Brown, Kewaunee, and Oconto counties while reducing the barriers of becoming certified or licensed.

• Friends of Crescent Beach

Funding will expand beach restoration and water quality improvement efforts, support educational opportunities to increase awareness of how the community can protect the beach and its watershed.

• Friends of the Ahnapee State Trail
Funds will create a more functional trailhead for the users of the Ahnapee State Trail, a connecting route of the Ice Age Trail.

• Literacy Partners of Kewaunee County
Funding will allow for more planning, in-service training for tutors, and a website overhaul to increase and organize online learning tools for both tutors and students.
 

It may have taken three days to receive eternal salvation, but the wait has been a lot longer for Door County audiences to enjoy “The Seven Words of Christ.”

The Pro Arte Quartet, featuring David Perry and Suzanne Beia (violins), Sally Chisholm (viola), and Parry Karp (cello) will perform "The Seven Last Words of Our Savior on the Cross" at Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church in Ellison Bay on March 31st at 7 p.m. Composed by Franz Joseph Haydn, the orchestral piece was commissioned for a Good Friday service in the 1780s. Midsummer’s Music Executive Director Allyson Fleck estimates it has not been performed locally since the early 2010s and she hopes the many people that missed it return.

Tickets are still available for the performance by clicking on this link.

The Wild Ones of the Door Peninsula and Door County Climate Change Coalition (CCCDC) is sponsoring “A Fresh Look for Compost in Sturgeon Bay later this month.  CCCDC Executive Director Jeff Lutsey will speak on the environmental benefits of the Door County Compost Initiative and that Crossroads will be part of the Compost Network.  Information on compostables and a Compost Collection Site Map will be distributed to attendees.  An optional potluck dinner will be offered at 6 p.m., before the program begins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28.  The program will conclude with the “Consecration of the Crossroads Compost Collection Container” where a ceremonial dumping of the potluck scrap bucket.  Compost buckets will be available for purchase with a $25 donation to the Door County Compost Initiative.   This program is presented by the Wild Ones of the Door Peninsula and  Door County Community Foundation in collaboration with Door County Climate Change Coalition and Crossroads with support from the Door County Medical Center. You can get ready for the spring planting season with a free program offered on composting at Crossroads at Big Creek. 

In this article, I would like to share information related to the financial aspect of operations here at the Sheriff’s Department. All of the amazing work that is being done throughout the year by so many dedicated staff would not be possible without the financial infrastructure to support it. As with so many local businesses, we pride ourselves in providing second-to-none service, while keeping a close eye on our bottom line. We truly appreciate and take seriously our obligation as stewards of our community’s resources, as we apply them to keeping Kewaunee County a safe place to live and work. Just like you, we are also taxpayers and are affected by rising costs and increased financial demands in our personal lives.

Let’s start with the overall budget here at the Sheriff’s Department which for 2022 was $4,269,355.00. This was a .97% increase from the previous year’s budget of $4,157,404.00, with the majority of that budget ($3,867,141.00) dedicated to the wages and benefits of our greatest resource, our staff.           

The next largest portion of our budget is dedicated to Capital outlay which was at $132,114.00 for 2022. The expenses within this line item include items such as the rotational replacement of our squads and associated equipment, Technology updates and other equipment rotations.

After Capital Outlay, the next biggest expense that we have budgeted for is the Out of County Housing for our inmates at $54,000.00 in 2022. It is our expectation that once our new facility is up and running these costs will cease to exist. We are very grateful for the various county facilities that have been willing to house our inmates over the years, which has allowed us to operate within our current facility limitations. Right behind this line item, was the cost of fuel which in 2022 was budgeted at $50,000.00.

Another significant expense here that Sheriff’s Department is the cost of medical services within our Jail Facility at $80,000.00 along with our Inmate food budget at 34,000.00, which as I wrote about in the previous week’s article is part of our statutory obligations. Just as in all of the line items, we do our best on a daily basis to find every possible means by which to curtail spending while meeting our basic obligations. From there the various line items decrease in amounts with Squad maintenance, Building Maintenance, and Equipment leases accounting for approximately $81,000.00 combined. Overall, our budget consists of 75 different line items, which allow us to accurately track both expenses and revenues so that we can target those areas where we see either the need for increased support or in some cases decreased allocations to those specific line items.

While we have always been proud of the fact that we have stayed within budget over the past 16 years, this year we were met with two significant challenges. The first was our fuel costs, and the second was the cost of new squads. Due to these two factors, we did have to make a request for the utilization of contingency funds for the first time. In fact, at this time, we are still awaiting the delivery of our squads that we ordered for the 2022 budget cycle. These squads were ordered in late 2021 once the 2022 budget was approved. This is an example of how we have all been affected by the current state of our economy. Our ability to navigate in these uncertain and unstable times is both a statement to the accurate estimating of future costs by our Command Staff, along with our Finance Director and County Administrator. This is also a testament to the flexibility and dedication of our staff who are asked routinely to make adjustments to their personal lives to manage schedules, fill in open shifts, and think outside the box on cost savings in our day-to-day operations. If you have any questions regarding what I have very briefly covered in this article, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. 

If you would like greater detail into our budget process, please feel free to reach out to me at any time. Also, the entire county budget is available on our website at: www.kewauneeco.org

Next week will be my final article of this series, where I will be sharing some insight into our future goals here at the Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department.

You could listen to a range of music performed by members of the community. The Peninsula Symphonic Band starts rehearsals for their 33rd season on March 20th. The band will be performing several concerts between Memorial Day and the first week of August. The 2023 Spring/Fall concert schedule will include performances in Fish Creek, Egg Harbor, Sister Bay, and Sturgeon Bay. Music Director, Jason Palmer talks more about how the band chooses music for concerts. 

For more information on the Peninsula Symphonic Band, you can contact Jason Palmer at timberhouseconsulting@yahoo.com.

You could soon see a little more activity occurring near the intersection of 3rd Avenue and Jefferson Street in Sturgeon Bay after the first of many steps establishing an eighth Tax Increment District (TID) in the city took place this week.

The city’s plan commission approved TID #8 during its meeting on Thursday along with an exception to a setback for the Muse development, which directly benefits from the TID. Plan Commission chairperson and Sturgeon Bay Mayor David Ward says this TID covers a much more focused area compared to others in the city, including the soon-to-expire TID #1 which covers much of the Sturgeon Bay Industrial Park.

The Muse Development will consist of a music venue and school, an outdoor patio, public restrooms, and apartments. The Sturgeon Bay Plan Commission also delayed a decision on a conditional use permit for the proposed split of a single-family home into a two-family dwelling. Ward says the historic nature of the building, which dates back to the late 1800s, complicates the discussions surrounding it. It will be placed on the agenda for its next meeting.

You will be able to travel across Death’s Door with less to remember beginning today (Friday).

March 17^th marks the first day of Washington Island Ferry’s spring schedule. The ferry line has slowly been ramping up its schedule since the beginning of the year, adding one roundtrip on Thursday and Friday afternoons. As of Friday, the Washington Island Ferry will offer six roundtrips daily, beginning at 7 a.m. from Washington Island and ending at 5 p.m. with a trip from Northport.

The schedule will remain that way until April 21^st.

Friday also marks the first day you are not required to make a vehicle reservation. 

You likely will not see work begin on Mariner's Park in Gills Rock until next year, but it is another step closer to becoming a reality after the Town of Liberty Grove Board met on Wednesday.

The Town of Liberty Grove discussed three plans proposed for the parcel by Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission, Ayres and Associates, and Stantec for the site. Town of Liberty Grove Chairperson John Lowry did not go into specific details about each proposal but says there are questions the board has for all three of them before a firm is chosen for the project.

Lowry says it is possible they could choose one of the three firms for the Mariner's Park project at their next meeting in April. The town bought the land that will make up Mariner's Park in 2018 for $1.45 million. 

While Aaron Rodgers is concerned about when he might become a member of the New York Jets, the same cannot be said about whether tourism to Door County and the surrounding area during the football season will suffer.

The Green Bay Packers will likely be without a future Hall-of-Fame quarterback on the roster for the first time since the early 1990s after Rodgers announced his intentions on The Pat McAfee Show Wednesday afternoon. During the last 30 years, the Packers’ success turned into more national games, showcasing the region every week.

Destination Door County’s Jon Jarosh says even without Favre or Rodgers behind center, he is confident the region will remain a destination for football-related pilgrimages thanks to the growth of Lambeau Field and tech-savvy players like running back and “Mayor of Door County” A.J. Dillon.

Jarosh also cited Lambeau Field’s summer events like last year’s exhibition match between Manchester City and Bayern Munich, Wisconsin football games, and concerts have also been a driver of activity to Door County in recent years.

After making improvements for hundreds of homeowners across Eastern Wisconsin, Partners for Community Development are excited to show off their newly improved headquarters in Sturgeon Bay. Partners for Community Development provide social services for homeowners struggling to keep up with ongoing home repairs and rising energy costs. The demand for their services in Door and Kewaunee counties has been enough to keep two full-time crews busy over the last year, requiring them to expand their operations inside their location on Spruce Street in Sturgeon Bay. Executive Director Karin Kirchmeier says a lot of people think of Door County as a vacation spot with big second homes, often forgetting about the people that are less off but keep things chugging along locally.

Their building at 120 West Spruce Street in Sturgeon Bay now includes additional office and warehouse space. Partners for Community Development will host an open house on April 6th from 12 to 5 p.m. to check out the building and everything the organization has to offer. 

You will not find a shortage of issues to fix at the Kewaunee County Highway Shop in Kewaunee.

At the Highway Shop Building Study Subcommittee meeting held earlier this month, Milwaukee-based Barrientos Design and Consulting sent a scope of work for a study to assist the county in its efforts to decide what to do about the aging structure. The design firm identified approximately 20 deficiencies with the highway ship, ranging from issues with the plumbing, sewer, and septic systems to poor ventilation and insulation.

After going through the document, the Highway Shop Building Study Subcommittee requested Barrientos Design and Consulting for a proposal that would review the facility needs criteria, a new layout for the structure, and possible concerns if additions were needed.

The committee plans on keeping the County Board and taxpayers up to date on potential upgrade plans and estimated costs as soon as more information is available.

An update could be included in the Kewaunee County Board’s discussions on March 21^st at 6 p.m. during their general meeting. The county board will also recognize the retirement of Rhonda Rummel from the Kewaunee County Human Services Department and consider a resolution to purchase a new forklift for the highway department.

If you are Catholic and you like to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with corned beef and cabbage, you are already forgiven. Earlier this month, Bishop David Ricken of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay granted dispensation to those who want to partake in the special holiday meal that occasionally falls on a Friday during Lent. Bishop Ricken recommends Catholics donate the cost of the meal to Catholic Relief Services, pray the rosary, or participate in the Stations of the Cross if they choose to partake in corned beef on Friday. St. Mary’s of Luxemburg and Holy Trinity of Casco Pastor Dan Schuster says it is a reminder that Lent is a time of reflection and it is not necessarily a time just to give up something but also to take something up.

Catholics are encouraged to give up meat on Fridays during lent as a symbol of Jesus giving up his flesh for us on Good Friday. According to the Archdioceses of St. Paul and Minneapolis, fish was not included because it was considered cheap, eaten more often, and not associated with celebrations at the time.

Some federal funds are being used to make your trip through the Village of Egg Harbor a little more enjoyable. Governor Tony Evers announced on Thursday that the village would be receiving $1,740,480 in Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program funds to improve the traffic flow on State Highway 42. CMAQ funds are only available in 11 counties in the state that cluster around southeastern and northeastern Wisconsin and they offer an 80 percent match for reimbursement on eligible activities. The funds are supposed to be used to encourage transportation projects that improve air quality. 

Improvements to State Highway 42 have been a consistent conversation topic at village meetings for the last few years, including a public information session in January showcasing some planned improvements such as pedestrian zones, turn lanes, and traffic-calming features. Before they held their general information session earlier this year, Village Administrator Megan Sawyer said they worked hard to balance the community's needs while also maintaining Egg Harbor's charm, right down to the trees they plant alongside the road.

This is the second Door County initiative to receive funding through the CMAQ program. For the 2022-2026 budget cycle, the Village of Sister Bay received $45,520 to acquire a bus for their seasonal route during the peak tourism period.

You can nominate a local organization or community member for the Sandy Brown Award. Open Door Pride is accepting nominations until April 17th. Nominations are open to anyone in the community who has made an impact on the LGBTQIA+ community. Each year a new local artist takes on the role of creating the award, whether it's ceramic, glass, or concrete, you are sure to love it. The Sandy Brown Award has been presented at the Open Door Pride Festival since 2018. The first award was given to and named after Sandy Brown, who created the Door County chapter of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays in 1997. Brown has worked tirelessly by advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community. Founder and Chair of Open Door Pride, Cathy Grier, shares more about how the Sandy Brown Award started and how it raises awareness. 

To nominate a person or organization, click this link. 

Not even the weekend's winter storm that dumped several inches of snow could extend the snowmobile season for much more than a few days. The Kewaunee County Promotions and Recreation Department announced Wednesday night that the snowmobile trails in the county would close effective 6 a.m. Thursday. The news comes after temperatures in the Green Bay area hit 40 degrees on Wednesday according to the National Weather Service with rain in the forecast for Wednesday night and Thursday. Snow returns to the forecast this weekend, but only approximately one inch is expected. The department reminds snowmobilers that they could be cited for riding on snowmobile trails when they are closed. 

You can begin to schedule your children’s summer camp activities this week.  The Door County YMCA began registration this past Monday for members and Wednesday for the general public.  Youth Development Executive Paul Briney says the camp experience offers a safe and nurturing environment with activities to help kids learn and master skills while developing bonds with their peers.  He shares details of the six different options that parents have for this summer, including all-day camps.

Briney adds that the Door County YMCA in Sturgeon Bay and Fish Creek is actively seeking summer camp staff as well.  The Leaders-In-Training (LIT) program is a respected leadership development opportunity for children 12 and older available at both locations to support our summer camp programs.

You can find registration information for the summer Camps and the application for the LIT Program and becoming a counselor with this link.

You can learn more about children’s mental health at the League of Women’s Voters of Door County event “Focus on Youth Mental Health: Are our children at risk?” on March 23rd at 5:30 pm. The event will be hosted at Crossroads at Big Creek and will be posted online if you can’t make it. 

United Way Community Impact Coordinator of Health Cami Peggar will present the STRIDE Program. This Door County Collaborative School Mental Health Project is a United Way program created in 2018 to remove barriers to accessing quality mental health care for Door County youth. The collaborative effort offers on-site mental health services in all five Door County school districts. Chair of the League of Women’s Voters of Door County, Susan Kohout, talks more about how to support youth dealing with mental health problems. 

For those of you who can’t make the event, click this link.

You will be able to launch your boat at the Algoma Marina after all this spring.  The City of Algoma has now decided to postpone the dredging project that was scheduled in the next few days and now will be put off until later this fall.  Algoma City Administrator Matt Murphy told Door County Daily News that they are working through doing more testing in the area before the final decision will be made as to when the dredging project will begin this fall.  The project will take several weeks and is contracted with Iron Works Construction of Baileys Harbor for $427,000.

You may want to take steps to protect your FoodShare benefits after the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) warned its members of a scam that targets the program. The DHS is investigating complaints from FoodShare members about a texting scam instructing them to call a phone number to confirm their account and personal identification numbers (PINs) to avoid having their benefits blocked. 

The scammers then use the information to access and steal benefits. 

To limit the potential for loss, DHS is removing access to all cases within the investigation. DHS also is discontinuing and replacing all compromised QUEST accounts and conducting a review of impacted members to determine if benefits should be replaced. 

You should report any emails or texts about your FoodShare benefits that are not sent to you by DHS to the agency that issues your benefits and Wisconsin’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-422-7128 or DATCPHotline@wi.gov. This hotline is run by the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection. Be sure to avoid clicking any links in the email or text message or calling the phone number that sent you the text message or any phone number in the message, and never provide your personal information to an unsolicited text or call.

Putting a tree in your yard is how the Kewaunee County 4-H Teen Association is using its head, hands, and heart to help improve the health of its community’s environment. The organization is donating trees to Kewaunee County residents that would like one and even planting them for residents that live in the Village of Luxemburg. The tree planting is part of the Kewaunee County 4-H Teen Association’s spring community service project according to one of the organization's leaders, Kayla Bosman.

Events like January’s Prom Dress Sale help the organization fund its community service projects and learning activities. You can check out the information below to learn more about how you can participate.  

You will notice some familiar topics of discussion that will be brought to Madison next month as a part of Door County/Kewaunee County Legislative Days on April 19th and 20th.  After requesting people’s thoughts earlier this year, the Legislative Days Steering Committee compiled a list of five topics to put on their agenda when they meet with Wisconsin Assembly and Senate leaders along with state agency officials. This year’s agenda will focus on water quality, affordable housing, childcare, commercial fishing, and the repair of the historic Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower. Door County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Michelle Lawrie says the agenda topics were not surprises to her, but she appreciates the consensus and the collaboration taking place to make this a successful Door County/Kewaunee County Legislative Days experience.

Lawrie and Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Ben Nelson hope other residents and stakeholders can join them to help tell the region’s story to state leaders and officials when they go to Madison for the biennial trip. You can click on this link to learn more about Door County/Kewaunee County Legislative Days and how you can be a part of the delegation. Registration is encouraged by March 21st, but the final deadline is March 30th. 

Now is the time to start planning to slow the growth of the spongy moth outbreak.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is urging residents to check their trees for nickel or quarter-sized, tan-colored masses on their trees. Oak, birch, crabapple, aspen, willow, and linden trees are especially susceptible because they are the preferred species of the spongy moth, which is considered an invasive species. Those masses could contain several future spongy moths, formerly known as the gypsy moth before the Entomological Society of America changed the name out of respect for the Romani people.

Fifty-two of the state’s 72 counties, including Door and Kewaunee, are considered to be quarantined counties, which the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection terms as areas where you should not move logs, nursery stock, firewood, Christmas trees, and other outdoor items from your home. Most of the counties that are outside of the quarantine zone border the Mississippi River.

If you locate these masses on your trees, you should plan to schedule insecticide treatments to take place between mid-May and early June depending on where you live.

The City of Algoma will now wait until the fall to make improvements to the Algoma Harbor.  The boat launch will remain open this spring and summer, according to City Administrator Matt Murphy. 

(Original post)

Even if the late winter winds were not enough to keep you off the water, you will at the very least have to find a different place to launch your boat. The City of Algoma announced on Monday that its marina's boat launch is closed for the next several weeks. The dredging of the boat launch area is expected to start later this week, keeping the boat launch at the marina closed until the beginning of May. Iron Works Construction out of Baileys Harbor will do the work for the amount of $427,000. 

A Sturgeon Bay couple has purchased another west-side business property in Sturgeon Bay, after buying the old Nelson Team Ford parcel earlier this year.  Michael and Barb Rapp recently moved to Sturgeon Bay and are commercial real estate investors that plan on revamping and updating the shopping center located at 1449 Green Bay Road.  They are looking at additional lighting and landscaping for the shopping center which is nearly 19,000 square feet.  Built about 20 years ago, the building is home to West Marine and other tenents.  The property is now available for lease through the Rapps.  Creative Business Services/CBS-Global and Bay Lakes Commercial Realtors handled the transaction of the sale.  The Rapps purchased the real estate at 120 Green Bay Road last month that was owned by the Nelson Trust and will be redeveloped to rent to business owners as well. 

(photo submitted: L-R  Michael Schwantes of CreativeBusiness Services,  Mike Rapp, buyer, Mark Garot, Seller, and Barb Rapp, buyer)

You have a little more time to wait if you want to cast your ballot in person for the upcoming election.

• March 15th is the deadline to register to vote online or by mail ahead of the April 4th election.
• You can also register at your municipal clerk’s office by March 31st or on the day of the election at your polling place.
• You have to be registered to request an absentee ballot, which you have until March 30th to do before you mail it or drop it off at your clerk’s office before election day.
• In-person absentee voting begins on March 21st and continues through April 2nd at your clerk’s office, though the hours may vary depending on where they are located.  

While the Wisconsin State Supreme Court is taking many of the headlines, there are other big races taking place as well. Several municipalities and school districts will be hosting contested elections for their communities including the Nasewaupee Town Board. The candidate forum for Nasewaupee featuring Mark Hilsabeck, Bill Krueger, Mark Feuerstein, Don Sixel Jr., Gene LaPlante, and Tim Smith, has been posted by the League of Women Voters of Door County.  Gibraltar and Washington Island School District voters will answer their own referendum questions concerning funding while the entire state will tackle issues like welfare benefits and conditions for the release of criminals behind bars.

The Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles is encouraging Wisconsinites to get their photo identification needs taken care of before the spring election on April 4th.

You might still be able to sneak in some snowmobiling in Kewaunee County if you hurry this week.

Thanks to the work of the county’s snowmobile clubs, the Kewaunee County Promotions and Recreations announced on Friday the trails would be partially reopened Saturday morning thanks to another coating of snow and colder temperatures. Those areas included Kewaunee County Snowmobile Trail Sections 1 in Red River, Section 2 in Algoma, Section 3 in Luxemburg, and the partial Opening of Section 4 in Kewaunee. A section of the trail south of intersection 18 to Tisch Mills had to remain closed as of Friday’s announcement. Even though they had to cram in all of their trail time in late February and early March, snowmobilers have had a season almost twice as long as they have had in recent years. Lonnie Fenendael of the Algoma Snowriders says the lack of frost has made it challenging to maintain the trails, but he is happy with the work the county’s snowmobile clubs have done to keep them open.

Kewaunee County snowmobilers could rejoice that much of the area received another five to seven inches of snow, which was part of the reason why Algoma and Kewaunee schools were forced to close their doors on Monday. The good news will be short-lived however with temperatures in the 40s predicted for Wednesday and Thursday.

You will not see any drastic changes on a section of Highway 42/57 in Door County or Highway 54 in Kewaunee County, but you will at the very least experience a smoother ride. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation announced its 2023 Northeast Region Highway Project Advisory for 2023. The advisory includes 16 different projects including one in Door County and one in Kewaunee County. In Kewaunee County, approximately 13.2 miles of resurfacing will take place from Rock Ledge Road in the Town of Luxemburg to Sunset Avenue in the City of Algoma. In addition to the milling and repaving of the road along with other road improvements, there will be a three-week closure for culvert replacements. The road will otherwise remain open during the project with the assistance of lane closures and flagging operations.

In Door County, just over a mile of Highway 42/57 between Egg Harbor Road and the roads’ split will also be resurfaced. Because of the high amount of traffic volume the road receives, DOT Project Manager Paul Brauer says most of the work will take place at night.

The work on Highway 42/57 will not include any drastic changes to the Gordon Road intersection, which saw more than its fair share of accidents last year and has been a major sticking point at Door County Highway Committee meetings. Brauer says they should learn if their funding request for the highway improvement project is approved within the next month or two. If it is approved the changes would be done in the next few years. 

Both projects will begin in April, but Kewaunee County work will not be completed until October while motorists in Door County just have to last until mid-June.

FROM THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

DOOR COUNTY

WIS 42/57 Resurfacing

Location/limits: WIS 42/57 from Egg Harbor Road to the mid-junction of WIS 42 and WIS 57 in the town of Sevastopol

Length: 1.2 miles

Schedule: Work is anticipated to begin by early April. The contract has a completion date of June 8, 2023 and is expected to require approximately two months to finish.

Description of work: Construction includes replacing existing concrete base/pavement at various locations, milling and resurfacing of existing asphaltic lanes and shoulders, widening paved shoulders from 3’ to 5’, replacing concrete curb and gutter at various locations, upgrading guardrail and associated excavation, replacing storm sewer inlets at various locations, adding gravel to existing shoulders, and pavement marking.

Traffic impacts: The majority of the work will occur at night between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. to avoid impacts to motorists as much as possible. WIS 42/57 full closures and lane closures will occur during construction. Some daytime guardrail work will occur on the northbound bypass lane at County BB between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. for a maximum of one week. Both directions of the WIS 42/57 through lanes will remain open during the day between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Detour: WIS 42/57 detours will use a combination of Egg Harbor Road, Old Highway Road, County BB, and County HH, depending on which segment of WIS 42/57 is being worked on. A WIS 57 detour will also use County P for approximately one week.

Please see project websites for detour maps and closure dates from the contractor.

Project construction website: https://projects.511wi.gov/wis42shore/

In-construction weekly updates: https://projects.511wi.gov/weeklyupdates-ne/

KEWAUNEE COUNTY

WIS 54 Resurfacing

Location/Limits: WIS 54 from approximately 0.2 miles northeast of Rock Ledge Road to Sunset Avenue in the towns of Luxemburg, Casco, and Ahnapee, the village of Casco, and the city of Algoma.

Length: 13.2 miles

Schedule: The contract time is 50 working days, which equates to approximately 3.5 months of work. Work could occur anytime between mid-April and late October of this year.

Description of work: Milling and resurfacing of existing asphaltic lanes and shoulders, widening paved shoulders from 3’ to 5’, replacing various concrete curb and gutter, sidewalk and curb ramps, installing centerline and shoulder rumble strips, upgrading guardrail and associated excavation, repairing frost heaves, adding gravel to existing shoulders, replacing various culvert pipes; and pavement marking.

Traffic impacts: There will be a three-week closure of WIS 54 for culvert replacements. WIS 54 will remain open to traffic during all other work utilizing lane closures and flagging operations.

Detour: Two detours will be used depending on the location culvert work. One WIS 54 detour will use County C and County K. Another WIS 54 detour will use County K and WIS 42.

Project construction website: A project website will be available at https://projects.511wi.gov/region/northeast/.

In-construction weekly updates: https://projects.511wi.gov/weeklyupdates-ne/

Despite one new hospitalization reported in Door County, you saw things get better across the state in its battle against COVID-19. Door and Kewaunee counties remained at the low community level for COVID-19 since mid-January. Nine counties are in the medium COVID-19 community level, compared to last week when 11 were at that level and two others were rated as high. It is the first time in a month that no Wisconsin counties were at the high level. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the rate of new COVID-19 cases has not been this low since April 2022. Door County Public Health reported that 19 of the 56 submitted tests returned positive for COVID-19 and three were probable. There were no new deaths reported. CDC data shows Kewaunee County with six new cases of COVID-19 out of 53 tests performed.

In other COVID-19-related news, the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have passed a Rep. Mike Gallagher-written bill requiring the Biden Administration to declassify intelligence surrounding the origins of COVID-19.

Make sure your child’s car seat is installed correctly with Door County Public Health’s free monthly program. Starting on March 23rd, you can meet with a Public Health staff member who is certified in car seat installations and inspections. Appointments will be held inside the garage of the Door County Government Center and will occur on the fourth Thursday of each month. Appointments are required and can be made online. Public Health Educator, Shauna Blackledge shares more information about when it’s time to get your car seat changed and inspected. 

You can schedule an appointment by clicking on this link.

You will see Sturgeon Bay’s working waterfront in action on Monday, even if it affects your winter recreation activities. The United States Coast Guard announced Friday that their ships, the USCG Cutter Neah Bay and USCG Cutter Mackinaw will begin their ice-breaking missions the day before the opening of the regulated navigation area encompassing southern Green Bay.  The Port of Green Bay requested the opening of the Regulated Navigation Area to facilitate the start of the commercial shipping season and to take advantage of deteriorating ice buildup in the bay. The Mobile Bay and the Mackinaw will start in the northern part of the bay near Rock Island Passage on Monday before making their way to the south Later in the week, the vessels will head back to their north to break the ice near Escanaba and Marinette-Menominee before finishing with the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal. The U.S. Coast Guard asks that if you snowmobile, ATV, ice fish, or do any other winter activity on the ice near the path of the two United States Coast Guard cutters plan those trips carefully and use their best judgment.

Photo Submitted

While you may be at home, millions of others are hitting the road and sky for their spring break this year. Washington Island and Luxemburg-Casco will kick off the spring break activities for the area’s eight public school districts with the others wrapping theirs up no later than Easter Monday. The trade group Airlines for America predicts that 2.6 million people a day will fly during March and April, which coincides with the country’s spring breaks. Austin Straubel Airport Director Marty Piette says they are seeing an increase in their travel volume as local travelers are escaping to St. Petersburg and Orlando in Florida, Denver, Colorado, and Phoenix, Arizona in droves to escape the Wisconsin weather.

As it has been the case for the last year-plus coming out of the pandemic with people returning to the airways to fly for vacation, Piette reminds you to pack your patience when traveling for your vacation.  

UPCOMING SPRING BREAKS

Algoma: 4/3-10
Washington Island: 3/13-19
Kewaunee: 4/6-10
Luxemburg-Casco: 3/13-19
Sturgeon Bay: 3/20-26
Southern Door: 4/6-10
Gibraltar: 4/3-10
Sevastopol: 3/20-26

As women throughout the nation are celebrated in March during Women’s History Month, Door County Daily News recognizes Colleen Crocker-MacMillin, Sturgeon Bay’s first female mayor.  Crocker-MacMillin served one term as mayor in the early 2000s and remembered that the best part of the job was helping the people of the community and being a hands-on administrator in her position.  She says her mediation background helped gain consensus from the council with those who disagreed on issues.  The City’s completion of the Maple-to-Oregon Bridge was one of the city’s most significant accomplishments during her three-term as mayor.

Crocker-MacMillin notes that it is empowering to see that more women are seeking and realizing leadership positions in organizations and local government today than ever before.  Crocker-MacMillin, who currently works at the Door County Medical Center in the Urgent Care Department, lives in Sturgeon Bay with her husband Jerry.   She enjoys spending her free time volunteering with local organizations like Neighbor-to-Neighbor and the Door County YMCA’s Youth in Government program.  

With the extra hour of daylight in the evening due to setting our clocks forward on Sunday, you might want to get a head start on the spring cleanup season.  Sturgeon Bay Municipal Services Director Mike Barker says residents can schedule a brush collection and large item pickup that will take place the second Friday of every month, beginning on April 14th.  He says the City charges a $35 fee for the service to cover their expenses.

Barker notes that the compost site on Division Road is available for City residents to bring their brush, leaves, and garden waste.  Starting on Wednesday, March 15th, the spring compost site hours will be from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. on weekdays, except Wednesdays which will be from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.  The site will be open from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.  You can find more information on brush collection and the compost site with this link.    

In this week’s article I would like to continue highlighting various aspects of the Sheriff’s Department as my “2022 Annual Report” to the community. In this article I am going to introduce our community to another component of our operations which many are not aware of; our medical care services. By state statute, I as the Sheriff must care for those remanded to the Jail by the Courts. This is a very broad directive, which brings with it many responsibilities, including the responsibility to care for the physical and mental well being of Jail Inmates. I am very privileged to have the dedicated staff here at the Jail who actually executes that mission.

To effectively carry out this role, while mitigating risks to our facility and costs to the tax payers, each individual must undergo a screening process prior to entering our facility. This screening process is conducted regardless of time spent in our facility. Even if it is as a result of an arrest and that individual will be getting released in a short period of time, the screening must be conducted. If during this screening process it is determined that medical or mental health services are necessary, the arresting officer must take the individual to a medical facility for what we call a “Medical Clearance” examination. Upon successful completion of that examination, the individual is then able to be fully processed into our jail facility.

Once in our facility, we take great efforts in monitoring the physical wellness of our inmates. We are able to do this through the vigilance of our staff and the professional services of our medical contract provider. We are fortunate to have two amazing representatives of this agency assigned to our facility as part of our contract, and we maintain a constant flow of communication and consultation as issues arise. For some our inmates, this level of care may be the best they have received in many years and actually are released from jail with a better appreciation and understanding of what they need to do to maintain their health, thus making them more productive members of our community. This is a similar case to the meal services we provide at the jail that I wrote about last week. It is our hope that between the improved dietary experience and the medical services, we provide at least somewhat of a new perspective that the individual will take with them after their stay with us.

To this point, I wanted to share some feedback I get quite often regarding the use of inmates for community service. There was a time when we did release our inmates for the purpose of manual labor within the county. This is not a practice we have continued as this does in fact expose the county to increased liability and potential medical costs. Remember what I stated earlier in this article that we are responsible for the well-being of our inmates, well if we have them out and they get injured, we are then on the hook for those medical costs. This is why before we allow inmates out on Huber (Work Release), they must provide proof of employment and insurance. I do not know how other states work, and how they are able to carry out these types of work details, but as a Kewaunee County Tax Payer, I would rather pay the part-time help than run the risk of medical costs.

We are very fortunate to have the men and women who work within the jail setting who take these responsibilities as seriously as they do, and maintain constant vigilance so that we can keep those who are in our care as safe as possible while they contemplate their life choices and work to improve their lives after their release from our facility. Next week I provide you with a financial summary of 2022.

You will have to keep your shovels and snowblowers on standby for the next 36 hours.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for a large portion of the state, including Brown and Kewaunee counties, from 9 p.m. Saturday night until 10 a.m. Monday morning. Light to moderate snowfall is expected to last for much of the time, resulting in six to nine inches of snow accumulating. The National Weather Services expects travel to be difficult during the duration of the advisory, including Monday's morning commute.

Even though it is not currently included in the advisory, Door County could get between three to six inches according to the weather models. 

The Door County Highway Department is keeping up with the recent string of snow events to help keep your commute around the area safe. Motorists were greeted again this morning with an inch or two of snow in Door County and about five inches of snow in Kewaunee as of 11 a.m. Friday. Kewaunee public and private schools shifted from a two-hour delay to a full closure by 7 a.m. With well more than 20 inches of snow falling across the area over the last two weeks, that has meant plenty of windshield time for snowplow drivers. Door County Highway Commissioner Thad Ash says thanks to de-icing brine they put down before storms and spray on their road treatment mixtures, the roads have been getting cleaner quicker and their salt supplies lasting longer.

Ash reminds motorists to be careful driving on wet and slushy roads as they can still be slick even after they are cleaned and treated by snowplow drivers. The Door County Highway Department will likely have to hit the roads again this weekend with more snow in the forecast for Saturday night into Monday morning according to the National Weather Service.

Celebrating your visits to Ephraim colorfully continues to be a major discussion point for the Village of Ephraim Board of Trustees.

Graffiti on Anderson Dock has been a common talking point over the last year as the long-standing tradition of writing names along the exterior walls of the warehouse that hosts the Hardy Gallery has stretched to rocks, concrete, and even the fireboat. Ephraim Village Administrator Brent Bristol covered the topic extensively last November, highlighting graffiti abatement strategies like anti-graffiti coatings, dry ice blasting, and potential security camera installation.

The additional discussion about the graffiti comes as the Village Board begins to look into its capital projects and grant requests for the upcoming year. At their February meeting, Anderson Dock was targeted as a possible recipient of funding through the Door County Community Foundation/Destination Door County Community Investment Fund grant program that began earlier this year.

The Village of Ephraim Board of Trustees will go into further detail about the possibilities within the Community Investment Fund grant program and a proposal for the North End Trail Project when they meet on Tuesday at 7 p.m., following their planned closed session.

You will see more experts come into the fold in Kewaunee County as officials and researchers continue to be puzzled by an influx of nitrates-related issues in the Village of Casco. A test of 73 wells last October showed that 34.2 percent of them were unsafe from nitrates and more than half were unsafe due to nitrates and/or coliform bacteria. That is in contrast to the 46 wells tested earlier that year in July when 21.7 percent were unsafe from nitrates and nearly 35 percent were unsafe due to nitrates and/or coliform bacteria. Researchers from UW-Stevens Point and environmental advisors from Dragun Corporation have tried to pinpoint the reason why Casco, in particular, has been struggling with its nitrate pollution. Back in January, initial results show that some of the sources of nitrate pollution are 15 years old. Land and Water Conservation Committee chairperson Aaron Augustian says they are collaborating with UW-Stevens Point, Dragun Corporation, and United States Geological Service scientist Maureen Muldoon to develop a flow chart for the region to determine why the issue remains persistent.

Muldoon is a familiar name to Kewaunee County residents as she was the co-principal investigator for the Kewaunee County groundwater study.  She famously said back in 2017 that she “cannot think of a hydrogeologically worse place than northeast Wisconsin to put a lot of cows.” Augustian is hopeful they will be able to develop a plan of action once the flow chart is created.

You still have a few more weeks to get a hold of your accountant or hop on a computer to file your tax return this year. According to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, about one-third of the state’s individual tax returns have been processed. That means about one million Wisconsinites have already returned their paperwork and potentially received their refund check, which has been on average worth $784 this year. Nationwide, the Internal Revenue Service is expecting more than 168 million individual tax returns this year. According to Time Magazine, changes in the tax code and the expiration of some pandemic-era programs have resulted in federal tax refunds being approximately 10 percent less than last year.  With April 15th falling on a weekend and Washington D.C and Boston observing holidays on the Monday after, the deadline to file your taxes or request an extension is April 18th. 

OTHER STATS FROM THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE

• About 20% – of MTA individual account holders who thus far have signed up for a Wisconsin Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN). The Wisconsin IP PIN is an added layer of security, further protecting taxpayer's personal information by ensuring no one can fraudulently file a tax return in their name.
• DOR's customer service team numbers are ticking toward the positive as well, having already answered over 94,000 inquiries so far this year, assisting customers by phone, live chat, email and in-person at DOR customer service centers statewide.
• Nearly 80,000 were by phone with a 1 minute 37 second average call hold time and a 99.81% call answer rate.

Picture courtesy of Pixabay

You could enjoy a community dinner on Saturday, March 11th that dates back to nearly a century. The annual Steamboat dinner in Sturgeon Bay goes back 90 years and symbolizes the community and Freemasons coming together to celebrate fishermen and workers with a meal of meat, potatoes, and vegetables. 

In past years, members of the Masonic Lodge have delivered meals to Kewaunee County, Washington Island, and are now moving into Brown County. This year they are preparing over 1,200 meals and have exceeded their past goals. Sonja Schmitt-Pinney, a member of the Masonic Lodge talks more about the history and process behind the Steamboat Dinner.

The drive-through will open at 4:00 pm and will take place at the Masonic Lodge. For more information click this link.

(Picture:  Sonja Schmitt-Pinney and Jeff Pinney preparing for Saturday's Steamboat Dinner)

The only thing stronger than the stink you might smell on Pilot Island is the fight many residents have for restoring it to its former glory. Stakeholders like the Washington Island Sportsman’s Club participated in a listening session with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, which currently is charged for caring for the 3.5-acre island. Over the years, birds like cormorants have nested on the island, turning it into a barren wasteland where a historic lighthouse sits empty and covered in excrement. Rip Koken and others would like to see the agency do what it can to remove the cormorants from the island and restore the guano-covered landscape so it can be open to the public again and look as it did years ago. Koken says the United States Fish and Wildlife Service will not even do an environmental analysis of Pilot Island to confirm the impact cormorants have on the island itself and the water around it.

Thousands of cormorants and other birds call the island home during the summer months, eating approximately one million pounds of fish during that time. Koken promises that he and others will continue to fight the agency on this issue until they get the changes they want. You are encouraged to sign this petition to voice your concern for Pilot Island and request that changes take place.

You will no longer head to Madison for Farm and Industry Short Course that has been around for more than a century.

Last year, UW-Madison halted the traditional 16-week program into a non-credit, primarily virtual program after years of enrollment decline. At the time, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Dean Kathryn VandenBosch said last March that the old program did not meet the needs of farmers who cannot be away from their operations for long periods of time. Last April, Denmark resident and recent Farm & Industry Short Course graduate Jeremy Schlies told the Door County Daily News that he saw both sides of why the course needed the changes, but hoped it would not discourage younger generations from entering the agriculture field.

On Wednesday, UW-River Falls announced in collaboration with UW-Madison and UW-Platteville that it would be the new home of the Farm and Industry Short Course program, which also gives students a chance to live on campus albeit for a shorter time period and potentially set the stage for a four-year degree. The UW System took last year to listen to farmers, agricultural organizations, alumni, and others when discussing how the program could continue in the future. The Farm and Industry Short Course will be available for interested students for the 2023-2024 school year.

The first time you see Nasewaupee Fire Rescue answer a call this fall, you now know who will be leading the charge. The Town of Nasewaupee Board named Jacob Schartner as its first fire chief Wednesday night, another step towards the municipality's pending departure from the current Southern Door Fire Department. The town notified the other member municipalities of their decision to leave the Southern Door Fire Department to form their own last fall. Over the last several months, Nasewaupee officials have had their equipment and their fire station located near the Cherryland Airport appraised in anticipation of the switch. Town chairperson Steve Sullivan says they have been following the exit strategy outlined in the Southern Door Fire Department charter as they work towards independence.

Sullivan adds that they are waiting from the other municipalities to agree to the appraisals and purchases from the Southern Door Fire Department that they need to make. 

It is unlikely you will be putting away your snow shovels and snowblowers anytime soon. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm advisory Wednesday affecting Door, Kewaunee, and several other counties in the state from 6 p.m. Thursday to noon on Friday. The storm could bring five to seven inches of snow, making it the third major snow event in two weeks. Weatherology meteorologist Mike Karow says a jet stream stretching its way across the country into Wisconsin is to blame for the amount of snow and the warmer temperatures for its heaviness.

After the area gets through this most recent snowstorm, Karow says more significant snowfalls are already on the docket for next week as well. The average snowfall for Sturgeon Bay for January through March is 33 inches according to U.S. Climate Data, a number the area could threaten by the end of the month.

It has become a familiar refrain over the last several weeks: you will have to be careful driving home due to a winter storm hitting the area during the evening commute on Thursday and drive into work Friday morning.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for several Wisconsin counties including Door, Kewaunee, Brown, Calumet, Winnebago, Manitowoc, and Calumet counties. The advisory will be in effect from 6 p.m. on Thursday to noon on Friday. Approximately five to seven inches of snow is expected to fall across the region, with possibly more falling along the lakeshore.

The major snow events have been coming fast and furious in recent weeks with Sturgeon Bay receiving more than 16 inches of snow on February 24th and another eight inches falling on February 27th. 

January 2025 cannot come soon enough if you want to see the Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower saved and it is something State Rep. Joel Kitchens and State Sen. Andre Jacque know too. The pair of local legislators that represent Door and Kewaunee counties wrote an open letter to Governor Tony Evers requesting that he immediately direct the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to stabilize and repair the Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower with emergency repair funds utilized by the State Building Commission. Under commission policy, the governor could immediately authorize $500,000 to be used to help save the structure for the immediate future.

Preserving the tower did make the governor’s list of projects for the State Building Commission that he released on February 28th. The governor budgeted just over $6 million to rehabilitate the current Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower and build a helical ramp to make it more handicap accessible. According to the governor’s timeline, the tower would not see any stabilization until January 2025. Kitchens and Jacque contend that by then, it may be too late to save the structure. They cite a poll that says 94 percent of the 647 completed surveys wish to restore the historic tower immediately with local officials in Door County passing resolutions asking the state to follow suit.

According to the DNR, 257 of the 488 respondents to a January survey favored repairing or restoring the tower and 341 of them preferred the helical ramp structure over the linear ramp used at Eagle Tower inside Peninsula State Park. Local state officials and groups oppose the ramp structure, advocating for restoring just the tower to save money and to provide immediate relief to the observation that is on both the National and State Register of Historic Places. The Sturgeon Bay Historical Society and the Potawatomi Park Alliance pushed a second survey that included a “restore only” option.

You can read the full letter from Jacque and Kitchens by clicking this link.

You can make the process of garbage and recycling pickup easier and safer for all concerned by remembering to do a few things when putting your bins at the end of your driveway. With another significant snowfall predicted for Friday in the area, service vehicles like garbage collecting trucks will be challenged by more than just slippery driving conditions.  The improper placement of waste containers by roadways can cause damage to vehicles and other safety concerns.  Steve Estes of GFL Environmental says the best way to prevent waste bins from falling into the street is to carefully space them and place them at ground level and not on snowbanks.  He suggests some tips for making the garbage pickup process better for everyone.

Overfilling garbage and recycling bins are another hazard that causes litter and road hazards for snow plows and other vehicles.  Estes adds that all waste containers should be placed curbside at least three-to-four feet away from your mailbox or other obstructions.

If your child dreams of joining a swim team, The Door County YMCA has a program with a track record of success.  The Door County YMCA swim team won their last competition this past weekend accumulating 1,000 points while competing with seven other teams from outside the area including Green Bay, Sheboygan, and Chippewa Valley.  The Door County swim team recently qualified 53 swimmers for the upcoming state competition.  Aquatics Director Nicole Shepard says over 140 kids currently participate in the swim program that starts with infants as young as 18 months.

You can enjoy the benefits of swimming at a place that has been the centerpiece of aquatic activity for over 20 years. The Door County YMCA program centers in Sturgeon Bay and Fish Creek currently offer swim lessons with over 30 classes for all ages from infant to adulthood.  

You can learn the health risks that are associated with groundwater-borne pathogens that may be impacting private wells in Door and Kewaunee counties at a presentation at Crossroads at Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay on Saturday.  The Door County Environmental Council and Kewaunee Cares are welcoming Tucker Burch from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service in Marshfield.  Water-borne infectious diseases are Burch’s focus, especially with agricultural activity in rural areas.  He has worked on risk assessment for drinking water in the upper Midwest and on studies related to antibiotic resistance in the environment.  Most recently Burch co-authored several field studies on well contamination in Kewaunee County.  The presentation on Saturday will be at 3 p.m. and will also be available via Zoom with this link at www.dcec-wi.org.   National Groundwater Awareness Week is from March 5th through the 11th.  According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, groundwater is a vital resource in Wisconsin, with approximately 70% of Wisconsinites relying on groundwater as their primary source of drinking water.  You can find ways that you can protect and conserve groundwater below.

Yearly water well testing and well maintenance: Private well owners should test their well water at least once a year, tend to any maintenance needs, and treat their water if necessary.

Reduce chemical use: Use fewer chemicals around the house and outside, and dispose of them properly.

Manage waste: Properly dispose of potentially toxic substances like unused chemicals, pharmaceuticals, paint, motor oil, and other substances.

Recycle properly: Properly recycling paper, plastic, cardboard, glass, aluminum and other materials can help prevent potential groundwater contamination.

Plant native plants: When landscaping, prioritize native plants. They look great and don’t need much water or fertilizer. When choosing grass, varieties adapted to Wisconsin’s climate can reduce the need for extensive watering or chemical applications.

Use water wisely: Don’t let the water run unnecessarily, fix any leaks, take shorter showers, only run full loads of dishes or clothes, water the lawn and plants during the coolest part of the day and only when they need it, and obey any watering restrictions during dry periods.

(photo courtesy of USDA website)

A full summer of live music at Birch Creek is planned for you this summer. With musicians from around the country, the opening night will take place on June 22nd with a Percussion, Steelpan, and World Music concert, “Percussion at the Movies.” The performances by faculty and students are led by Program Director Dan Moore, who is the Professor of Music and Director of Percussion at the University of Iowa. On June 30th and July 1st, Birch Creek will welcome Swedish mallet percussionist and composer, Anders Åstrand. He is one of Europe’s top musicians who performs his music throughout the world. 

There will also be symphony session concerts featuring an 80-plus piece orchestra under the direction Program Director Ricardo Castañeda, the Principal Oboist of the Lake Forest Symphony and Chicago Sinfonietta and Conductor Taka Matsunaga. Those concerts will take place on July 4th and July 13th - 15th. Executive director, Mona Christensen goes more in-depth about what is new this upcoming season. 

The Kwik Trip site plan was unanimously approved at Tuesday's Sturgeon Bay Common Council meeting, but only after a long discussion about the driveway and with several stipulations attached to the consideration.   

During public comments, three Green Bay Road business owners and one resident expressed how a subsequently raised median on Highway 42/57 would negatively impact businesses.  Mayor David Ward, Administrator Josh VanLieshout, and Sturgeon Bay council members hashed out the issues facing the city regarding a proposed driveway on the Kwik Trip property that would access Highway 42/57.

The city had come up with five options, all of which were turned down by the Department of Transportation last Wednesday, that included speed reduction, a right-enter-only driveway, installing the median later, and a partial median or a seasonal median.  Mayor Ward said that the raised median was going to be triggered in the future, regardless if Kwik Trip’s project was completed or not due to the DOT's concerns over the congestion of traffic on Highway 42/57.

The Council approved the site plan with four conditions: 1) Kwik Trip allows driveway access for Destination Door County and Verlo Mattress Parcel; 2) Requires Kwik Trip to allow freight deliveries to Sturgeon Bay Metal Products and other businesses to go through (their) property in order to reach Duluth Avenue for left turn back onto the highway for truck access; 3) Requires dedication of the right of way from Kwik Trip for future connection to South Ashland Avenue;  4) Directs Finance Committee to consider an amendment to the TID 7 plan, acquiring and improving right of way on private roads between North Duluth Avenue and the Target Store/North Ashland Avenue.

In other business, the council approved two second readings regarding an ordinance that bans outdoor wood-burning furnaces and rezoning for the property at 11 Green Bay Road

Manure hauler Gregory Stodola is out on a $1,000 signature bond after his initial appearance in Kewaunee County Circuit Court on Tuesday. Stodola is facing three charges of willful pollution discharge into a public waterway as a result of spreading manure on a field used by Wakker Farms in Kewaunee. As a condition of the signature bond, Stodola is not allowed to have contact with Johannes Wakker and his crop consultant Benjamin Todd Koss. Judge David Weber granted an order of dismissal without prejudice for charges against Wakker and Koss early last month. According to the amended complaint filed on January 25th, the charges alleging a conspiracy to commit a crime and fraudulent writing were dropped against Wakker, Koss, and manure hauler Gregory Stodola. An investigation in 2021 showed that Stodola intentionally over-applied manure contrary to the conditions of Walker’s Nutrient Management permit. The complaint accuses Stodola of manipulating the record-keeping before sending the falsified information to Wakker and Koss for their review. The actual amounts were collected from data on Stodola’s equipment and showed he overapplied the manure by 1.9 million gallons. Wakker forwarded the documentation to Koss to be sent into the DNR, where the numbers were further fabricated to ensure everything was done to an acceptable and legal standard. He told the DNR conservations that manure was being over-applied on several occasions, leading to some pollutant discharge events. The complaint does not explain why the fraudulent writing and conspiracy to commit crime charges, felonies in Wisconsin, were dropped. Stodola could be jailed and fined if convicted. 

Yes, you will still have to move your clocks ahead by one hour on Sunday despite some legislative approval last year.

March 12th marks the beginning of Daylight Savings Time, an annual rite of spring and a tradition that dates back to World War II when the United States government was looking for a way to save on energy. You might remember efforts to make Daylight Savings Time permanent last year with Wisconsin’s U.S. Senators Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin uniting behind Senator Marco Rubio’s Sunshine Protection Act last year. The bill never got past the House of Representatives however as an agreement could not be reached on whether Daylights Savings Time or Standard Time should be made permanent.

Rubio reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act on March 2nd with hopes that a new Republican majority could push the bill to President Joe Biden’s desk. Proponents to keep Daylight Savings Time permanent say it will promote safety and active lifestyles while opponents believe it could mess with sleep patterns and productivity. If approved, November 20th could be the last time you have to adjust your clocks.

Fire departments urge you to use the switch as a reminder to check the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

It takes more than being able to play an instrument really well for you to be a part of the Griffon String Quartet. Midsummer’s Music and the Griffon String Quartet will close the application period on March 20th before holding formal interviews and auditions with the interested candidates. Led by violinist Roy Meyer, the Griffon String Quartet does a lot more than perform throughout Door and Brown counties. Through its Einstein Series, the quarter hosts school-aged children for lessons and other interactive programs. It is because of that education component that Midsummer’s Music Executive Director Allyson Fleck is thrilled with the job Meyer is doing and excited about who the next members of the Griffon String Quartet will be.

If you play the violin, viola, or cello, you can apply to become a part of the Griffon String Quartet here. The group has a number of performances coming up in Green Bay and Door County, including a concert featuring the works of Florence Price, Wynton Marsalis, and Felix Mendelssohn on March 19th at the Kress Pavilion in Egg Harbor.

You did not hear a lot of questions about Governor Tony Evers’ budget at a trio of listening sessions hosted by Rep. Joel Kitchens on Monday. The Sturgeon Bay Republican held the listening sessions in Fish Creek, Sturgeon Bay, and Algoma during the course of the day, meeting with dozens of constituents. While the initial intent of the listening sessions was to take questions and comments about the governor’s two-year $103 billion budget, constituents steered the conversations in different directions. Rep Kitchens says the conversations centered on familiar topics like education, the environment, and local government funding.

A different version of the budget will likely be hammered out in the Wisconsin Legislature during the course of the next two floor periods, which will take place from March 14th to March 23rd and April 18th to April 27th. Kitchens appreciates the turnout he had at all three of the listening sessions and the willingness people had for sharing their thoughts on the issues.

Picture courtesy of State Represenative Joel Kitchens

There is still time for you to see local student artwork at eight galleries in Algoma. On March 3rd, students from Algoma, Kewaunee, and Luxemburg-Casco showcased their work throughout the city as Youth Art Month got underway. With a wonderful turnout, students got the opportunity to explain their creative process and get feedback from members of the community. The pieces of art will be up for the remainder of the month.

There will also be art-based activities throughout the rest of the month across the county. You can see a listing of those activities by clicking this link. 

You can learn how over 50 different local organizations can have a positive impact in your family’s life on Tuesday. The United Way of Door County and Door County Medical Center are just two of the organizations that will be present at the Sturgeon Bay Community Resource Fair hosted by the Sturgeon Bay School District. Many of the organizations are well known in the community while others you may have never heard of before. From 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., you will be able to visit the different organizations and learn how they can benefit you now and in the future. The event is free to attend. 

Many of the positive things you see area farmers doing in their fields are because of the work of Sturgeon Bay’s Eric Cooley. Before his passing last month from pancreatic cancer, Cooley was the director of UW Discovery Farms, which did lots of research throughout the state that would later see conservation and sustainability take center stage. His work was especially important for farmers in Door and Kewaunee counties, which due to its shallow soils led to lots of work learning how to best care for the land while still being conductive. Brey Cycle Farms owner Tony Brey says his positive attitude was a welcome site for farmers.

UW Extension Regional Dairy Educator Aerica Bjurstrom echoed those sentiments, whether Cooley teaching kids at Kewaunee County’s Conservation Day or getting dirty at area farms.

According to his obituary, the Sevastopol alum was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and heavily involved in the Sturgeon Bay Open Bass Tournament. He was laid to rest this past weekend at the age of 51.

Picture courtesy of Extension Kewaunee-Brown-Door County Agriculture Program

Door County saw another two hospitalizations related to COVID-19, but they were the only blemishes on an otherwise positive situation update from the public health department. The county saw 15 of the 46 tests come back positive for COVID-19 with one case listed as probable. There were no additional deaths. It is a part of the reason Door County remains at the low COVID-19 community level, where they have been since late January. Fifty-nine counties including Door and Kewaunee counties are in the low community level, with Barron and Rusk counties at the high level and 11 others at the medium level. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Kewaunee County experienced 13 new cases of COVID-19 over the past week. 

Despite high snowfall totals in recent weeks, winter is loosening its grip on some of your outdoor recreation activities. Kewaunee County finished closing the rest of its trails at 6 a.m. on Monday after closing its Kewaunee and Luxemburg routes on Sunday. The Red River and Algoma routes were the last holdouts.

Door County still has the bulk of its trail system open under poor conditions, but the parks department followed Kewaunee County’s lead and closed its central Zone at 6 a.m on Monday. Two more zones would close by Monday evening as the north and southwest portions of the system were eliminated from use. As of 5:45 a.m., the southeast zone, which includes parts of the Ahnapee Trail and Potawatomi State Park, remained open. 

Snowmobilers will not get much from Mother Nature to get the two trail systems back to full strength anytime soon. Even with Monday’s snowfall and Friday’s forecasted flurries, daytime temperatures are expected to be above freezing each day this week.

Picture courtesy of Pixabay

You can expect another fresh blanket of snow thanks to the most recent snow storm hitting Door and Kewaunee counties on Monday. The latest from the National Weather Service places the region in a winter weather advisory until noon on Monday. As of 6 a.m., Door, Vilas, Oneida, Forest, Marinette, Lincoln, Langlade, and Oconto counties are included in the advisory. Two to four inches of snow are expected to fall with rain also contributing to the mixture. As a result, morning and afternoon commutes could become hazardous for commuters. 

You can participate in the 16th annual Sturgeon Bay Breakfast Rotary Club trivia night. Starting at 7 pm on March 18th you and your team could answer Door County trivia questions as well as other trivia categories. The trivia night will be held at the Masonic Lodge in Sturgeon Bay and the entry fee is $20 per person, all proceeds will be going back to programs in Door County.  Entries may be accepted at the door if space allows. Breakfast Rotary Club member Bob Ryan gives more details on what to expect. 

To register your team contact Bob Ryan at (920) 746-0549. 

Local syrup producers are starting to get to work this week so you have something to complement your pancakes and sausage with this year. February 28th is the unofficial start of the sap collection season for maple syrup production. Cold nights and warmer days can make all the difference in the world when it comes to sap pouring out of trees and into collection containers. While some producers use extraction devices to pull the sap out of trees, others like Bill Roethle from Hillside Apples in Casco rely on gravity to do the work. After tapping on Tuesday, Roethle has already collected 400 gallons of sap, well ahead of last year’s pace where freezing temperatures slowed the process down. He jokes that his hobby is becoming more and more involved, forcing him to evolve with it.

Roethle hopes to produce enough syrup to sell in his store this fall with the remaining sap sold to different vendors through the wholesale market. 

You could visit 10 vendors and see the St. Partick’s Day Parade here in Sturgeon Bay on March 11th. Starting at 11:00 am, the parade will start at Sawyer Park via Oak Street, travel down Madison Avenue, cross the Michigan Street bridge, proceed down Third Avenue, and finish at Jefferson Street.

Cameryn Ehlers-Kwaterski, executive director of Destination Sturgeon Bay, says this will be the second year for an indoor market offered at the parade located at the new Third Avenue PlayWorks Theater. Products will range from knitwear, sweet treats, jewelry, and more.

For more information on vendors and how to be a part of the parade go to sturgeonbay.net.

You can support local businesses by nominating them for one of the three awards that will be given by the Door County Economic Development Corporation. The winning businesses will be announced at the organization's annual meeting on May 18th. The awards are The Range Lights Award for New Business of the Year, The Light Keeper Award for Women & Minority Owned Business of the Year, and The Lighthouse Award for Established Business of the Year. Korey Mallien, Director of Marketing and Communications goes more in-depth about what these awards could mean to the businesses.

Descriptions of each award, nomination forms, and submission details can be found on DCEDC’s website livedoorcounty.org.

One of the largest food pantries in the area is looking for your help to restock its shelves in March. Feed and Clothe My People of Door County needs boxed foods and other supplies to meet the demand. Executive Director Stella Huff says the community has always stepped up in the past when donations were needed. The pantry now allows for drop-offs on Wednesdays, besides regular business hours.  Items like boxed meals, shelf milk, canned vegetables, frozen foods, and meats are donated foods that would help immediately. Huff notes other donated supplies that can also help meet the demand.

Feed My People in Door County provided donations to about 50 people last month. Here, you can find more information and hours of operation for Feed and Clothe My People of Door County.

In this week’s article I would like to continue highlighting various aspects of the Sheriff’s Department as my “2022 Annual Report” to the community. In this article I am going to introduce our community to a little known yet essential portion of our Jail operations that is quite unique from other facilities. As part of our obligations to those whom we house here at the Kewaunee County Jail, we must make sure that the basic needs of the inmates are being met. These obligations include health care, and nourishment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. While each jail throughout the state has these requirements; it is how we meet these requirements with the limited resources we have available.

I will start with our food services program. By state statute, we must provide proper meals to those in our facility which is articulated in Wisconsin State Corrections Code 350.11 which includes three meals per day, two of which must be warm meals. To accomplish this task, many county jails contract out their food service operations, Kewaunee County on the other hand, is very fortunate to have some great part-time staff who plan, order and prepare these meals for our inmates.

Our Lead Cook is Jan Goetsch who has the primary responsibility for making sure our facility has sufficient inventory and stock to support the needs of those in our care. In addition to the ordering and coordination of materials, Jan is also essential in the meal planning, which is no small task as we strive to balance our financial resources with our statutory obligations. It is safe to safe that while we are proud of the quality and care we provide in our meals, it is by no means a luxurious culinary experience. It is important to note that all of these meals are being provided at the amazing low cost at approx. $2.00 per meal, with an overall budget for food services in 2022 set at $34,000.00

Assisting Jan in these efforts is Sharda Bertrand who is our second Jail Cook. Both Jan and Sharda are part-time employees, and do a great job of making sure the needs of our facility are being met with the limited number of hours they have in a given week. Their ability to be flexible and creative in responding to not just our statutory requirements but the vast number of dietary restrictions they must accommodate, is ever present and greatly appreciated. Of all of those who have been in our facility, they all provide common feedback. While they may not have enjoyed their stay in jail, they were very grateful for the quality of food they were provided. Thank you, Jan and Sharda, for your dedication and service!

Next week, I will share some information on our medical care services here at the Jail.

Even if Kwik Trip was not going in or decided to not install its proposed driveway, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation says you would likely have to deal with a raised median between Ashland Avenue and Duluth Avenue whether you like it or not. The discussion was reignited after last month’s Sturgeon Bay Common Council after the approval of a new driveway for the planned Kwik Trip was delayed because of the potential impact a proposed raised median would have on the businesses in the area. The purpose of the raised median is to limit cross-traffic left-hand turns, which could cause accidents or traffic to snarl up. The council heard from Destination Door County and other local businesses about how the raised median would impact their operations.

City and DOT officials met shortly after the meeting to discuss other options allowing Kwik Trip to build their driveway but also avoid having the raised median. Reducing the speed, creating a right-enter-only driveway, a seasonal median, and a partial median were all options proposed by the city that was rejected by the DOT. The department believes that the traffic safety in the area will be improved with the raised median and would likely be installed in that spot in the future regardless of what happens with the Kwik Trip.

City staff is recommending that the Kwik Trip property allow access for freight deliveries to reach Duluth Avenue and for customers for other area businesses if the council decides to approve the site plan and the driveway. They also recommend requiring the dedication of a right of way from Kwik Trip for a future connection to South Ashland Avenue and directing the finance committee to consider an amendment to improve the right of way between North Duluth Avenue and North Ashland Avenue.

The council will also consider its aquatic plant management plan when it meets Tuesday at 6 p.m.

You might say hi to them because they have the Thin Mints and Carmel DeLites you crave, but members of Kewaunee Girl Scout Troop 4160 hope you stay for the conversation concerning their upcoming Silver Award endeavor. Alongside their cookie sales at the local grocery store in Kewaunee on March 4th and 18th, Kewaunee Girl Scout Troop 4160 is raising funds for a pair of projects. One of the girls hopes to build new cat beds to replace the ones being used at a Luxemburg-area veterinarian’s office. The other girls are raising funds to build an interactive area for the goats at the Bruemmer Park Zoo. Leader Laura Gerold is proud of the girls for using their sales day to show the community what else Girl Scouts do outside of the traditional cookie sales window.

Last year, the troop rebuilt the stairs at Kewaunee’s Selner Park, which sparked two other park improvement projects within the city shortly after they were completed. They hope they can spark a similar response when they complete their Silver Award project. The Silver Award is one step below the Gold Award, which is the Girl Scouts' equivalent of the Boy Scouts’ Eagle Scout rank. 

The Door County Library is helping you check out materials that you do not have to return, but will hopefully grow into a lifelong passion. Beginning March 20th, you will be able to visit the Door County Seed Library at all eight Door County Library branches. Thanks to a grant from the Door County Community Foundation and generous donors, thousands of seeds are available for interested gardeners to check out from fruits and vegetables to flowers and native plants. Adult Services Laura Kayacan says the Door County Seed Library’s popularity has really grown over its five-year existence.

After you register your membership at DoorCountySeedLibrary.org, you are free to “check out” as many seeds as you want as long as you plan on using them. Since it started five years ago, the Door County Seed Library has distributed approximately 37,000 seed packets to local residents. 

Your window to change schools in Wisconsin is open, and at least one district is taking a new approach to it.

From February 6^th to April 28^th, families can submit applications to non-resident school districts for the next academic year without having to move into the area. It has been a major point of emphasis for some school districts as each student carries with them thousands of dollars in school aid. Some school districts like Luxemburg-Casco have been able to take advantage of open enrollment with approximately 10 percent of its student population coming from outside the area according to the USA Today Network-Wisconsin.

Southern Door is looking to attract new families to its district through its shadow days, where children in Kindergarten through 4^th Grade can shadow current students for one day from March 20^th through March 24^th. Southern Door Elementary School Principal Marc Vandenhouten hopes the approach that is similar to what is done at college and private schools can show families how special of a place the district can be.

For the 2021-2022 academic year, more than 71,000 students attended a non-resident school, transferring more than $566 million in the process.

You might see one of the next additions to the State Register of Historic Places on the Sister Bay Waterfront.

The Sister Bay Village Hall Planning Task Force is looking into this as they determine the future of the building. Village Administrator Julie Schmelzer identified approximately a dozen pros and cons to putting a historic designation on the structure. The pros are more about the status a building on the historic register would carry while the cons include the higher costs and logistical hurdles it may face in the future.

A walk-through of the Sister Bay Village Hall was included as a part of its meeting in February where task force members pointed out a number of the issues that would have to mediate in the future. They have already received quotes for a new air conditioning system and boiler, sump pump upgrades, and exterior cement fixes. Those three items alone account for well over $40,000 in repairs.

The committee will also discuss the status of its asbestos study and a draft of its citizen survey when it meets on Monday at 9 a.m. at the Sister Bay Village Hall. 

You will be able to ask questions and learn more about a proposed public safety building in Algoma. The City of Algoma will host the first of two public information sessions regarding its referendum for a new public safety building on March 7th from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Algoma Performing Arts Center. The spring election on April 4th will mark the consecutive year the City of Algoma has approached voters for a funding request to build a new public safety building. Last year, over 60 percent of voters voted against a new facility located on Sunset Avenue that would have housed the city’s police, Fire, and EMS departments. This year, city officials have trimmed about $2 million and several thousand square feet from the original proposal along with other changes.  Algoma City Administrator Matt Murphy said last month that the new plan addresses last year’s citizen worries and the current woes of its public safety departments.

If you cannot attend Tuesday’s information session, a second one is planned for March 29th from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Algoma Performing Arts Center.

Teacher Miranda Dahlke continues to find new ways to educate your kids in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) at Washington Island School. Last month, Dahlke was one of 52 teachers from across the country to receive research kits from the Society for Science through their STEM Research Grants program. Trail cameras, water monitoring kits, and other pieces of STEM-related equipment are included. Some teachers could also opt for direct funds for their school’s programming. It is just the latest endeavor Dahlke has embarked on as a member of the faculty at Washington Island School. She has been an instrumental part of Washington Island, earning thousands of dollars in grants from Samsung as a part of their Solve for Tomorrow initiative. In 2019, Washington Island won the state competition through Samsung as Dahlke’s students tackled the town’s wastewater concerns. The school’s involvement in the program allowed Dahlke to participate in a special teacher cohort with Samsung, which has allowed her to connect with others across the country. Her most recent endeavor sent her to NASA’s facility in Huntsville, Ala. for teacher space camp. She said last July that she believes her students deserve to see and experience what was previously only possible at more prominent schools.

Through the STEM Grants Program, the Society of Science has provided over $775,000 in funding for local educational efforts in the country’s schools. Dahlke is currently assisting the school’s robotic SeaPerch teams to see if they duplicate last year’s success after one of the squads qualified for the international competition in Maryland.

A lot more effort goes into the beers you hoist from your favorite microbreweries. Brewers like Trent Snyder at Bridge Up Brewing in Sturgeon Bay have faced many of the same challenges other businesses have faced due to supply chain issues. According to the USA Today Network-Wisconsin, drought, wildfires, and storms have decimated crops like barley and hops, which are two essential ingredients for beer production. Add in the shortage of employees and inflation for other items like gasoline and ingredients, and brewers are being forced to be creative with their recipes and how they get their materials. Snyder makes regular trips to the Manitowoc area to get his crowler cans and malts for his beers just to save money on the delivery costs. He says you will see styles like lagers become more popular among brewers to not just fit the changing tastes of their customers, but also their checkbooks.

Larger brewers are adopting greener practices and relying more on local growers to not just help their bottom line but to combat climate change.

Your kids could be a part of one of the largest youth-serving organizations in the state after three Boys and Girls Clubs officially merged on Wednesday.

March 1st marked the first day of the newly established Boys and Girls Clubs of the Bay and Lakes Region. The agency consists of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Door County, Greater Green Bay, and Shawano. The Boys and Girls Club of Door County first announced the merger in January, with Board Chair Erich Pfiefer saying, “while we believe strongly in the power of coming together, great care is being taken to ensure that both Clubs remain connected to their respective communities. We are committed to providing the same high-quality services that have been the hallmark of both organizations for decades.” The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Green Bay had been in a management agreement since last summer to provide support for key administrative functions.

The hope is that by joining forces, the organization will be more sustainable moving forward while serving approximately 3,000 children in three unique areas. While the clubs’ operations will merge together, each club will retain its name and branding in its local community. The Boys and Girls Club of Shawano merged with the Green Bay organization shortly after they were founded in 2019.

After almost three full days since Monday’s closure, you will see happy snowmobilers cruising on Kewaunee County trails beginning Wednesday evening.

Kewaunee County Promotions and Recreation Department Director Dave Myers announced that all snowmobile trails would reopen as of 6 p.m. The only exception to that is located in Section 4, where the Denmark Norseman Trails remain closed. The trails are reported to be in fair shape due to late-season conditions, but there may still be some portions of trails and open fields located on the routes that lack snow cover.

The department reminds snowmobile users that they must stay on the marked trails and respect the landowners that help make portions of the system possible. The Kewaunee County snowmobile trail system was closed at 8 a.m. on Monday after a weekend of high usage and warmer temperatures.

Trails in Door County remain open but they are currently listed in poor condition.

Although spring is a few more weeks away on the calendar, you can start planning to clean out your cluttered closets and basement. The City of Sturgeon Bay is now accepting applications for the citywide Garage Sale in June. Municipal Services Administrative Assistant Colleen DeGrave says the popular event usually draws between 60 and 80 participants every year. She explains the easy process to sign up which includes a listing on a map that will be distributed and posted online.

The Sturgeon Bay City Wide Garage Sale will be Friday, June 2nd, and Saturday, June 3rd. Registration forms are available for pick up at the City Municipal Services office at 835 North 14th Avenue or online at www.sturgeonbaywi.org. All forms must be turned in by Tuesday, May 2nd. 

You don’t want to be responsible for diverting important public safety resources the next time Door and Kewaunee counties experience another major winter storm that impacts travel. Door County Sheriff Deputy Pat McCarty says the county’s resources are stretched thin when emergency personnel need to respond to multiple road assistance calls.  He says if your vehicle becomes stranded, you could be sitting for a while since the patrol deputy assigned to the area needs to prioritize all calls.

McCarty notes that when tow trucks and Door County Sheriff vehicles are on the scene to assist drivers who are stuck, the situation can become more dangerous to oncoming traffic.  Door County law enforcement responded to seven more instances of vehicles in the ditch or motorist assist calls on Tuesday after tending to 27 reported issues on Monday.  

You can support the kids’ food program at the Door County YMCA by participating in the “Day of Giving” next Tuesday at both locations.  For the fourth consecutive year, the YMCA will hold activities all day long to help raise funds for the annual campaign.  Northern Door YMCA Executive Director Tyler Powell says this year's food program will benefit from the proceeds raised next Tuesday.  Expanded to include a daily super snack initiative, the program has served over 100,000 meals in the past ten years.  The goal is to raise $15,000, after exceeding $10,000 last year.

Welcome Center Coordinator Makayla Thoma shares some of the activities going on at the YMCA during the “Day of Giving” event.

You can find more information on the “Day of Giving” at the Door County YMCA in Sturgeon Bay and Fish Creek by clicking here or calling 920-743-4949/920-868-3660.  

You can listen to the entire conversation with Powell and Thoma on the Y Wednesday Podcast here. 

This past February the Door County Short Film Festival gave awards to Ryan Dugger for his short film "The 500 Project" and Andy Heck for his documentary "Junkin’." 

Heck shares that his documentary is personal to him and his family, but he is willing to share their story because he wanted to inspire others. "Junkin’" follows Heck’s father as he struggles with a hoarding disorder and mental health issues in his journey to heal. Heck explains that anyone who is passionate about creating can do it and that the only thing you can do is to keep trying.

Dugger shares that his short film was supposed to be a ten-minute promotional video for the Washington Island Ultra. When he and his friend ran into Hedi Videto, Dugger knew he had to share her story. "The 500 Project" focuses on the loss of Videto’s friend and how that pushed her to bike 500 miles in one stretch. Dugger is inspired to create by his ability to be a part of something bigger than just himself.

The Door County Short Film Festival hosted 30 films this past year, for information on future events go to their website at dcsff.eventive.org.